Chapter 5
OLIVIA
Honky Tonks was exactly the kind of place I’d pictured when I thought about the nightlife in Houston. From the research I’d done, I knew there were also plenty of regular dance clubs and upscale bars around, and yet, this place felt like the authentic experience.
The atmosphere had a rustic charm. The walls were a patchwork of wood paneling and exposed brick. Large, vintage neon signs glowed softly above a small stage, and the air smelled faintly of wood, smoke, and leather with faint traces of spilled beer mixed in there too.
As I’d expected from a dance hall, the dance floor was spacious, made of polished hardwood that creaked underfoot.
It was scuffed and worn in places, stretching out wide to where it was surrounded by sturdy tables and chairs where people gathered between dances.
Some chatted over drinks while others watched the action with friendly smiles on their faces.
The ceiling was high, adorned with string lights that cast a soft, amber glow over the room.
Fans spun lazily overhead while vintage posters of country music legends hung framed on the walls.
The lighting was dim and cozy, catching the shimmer of sequins and polished belt buckles as people on the dance floor moved with the practiced grace of regulars.
Laughter and conversation hummed in the background as I wrapped my arms around the neck of the hottest cowboy I’d ever seen. Silently, I thanked Liam for convincing us to come to Honky Tonks.
As skeptical as I’d been, I was having a blast. There were no pretenses here. No fancy bottle service. Just a bunch of seemingly good people having a good time.
Texas was turning out to be the best decision I’d ever made already, and I hadn’t even been here for a week. Although my opinion was definitely being colored by the strong arms holding me right then. The woodsy scent of him wasn’t hurting either.
London had elbowed me to alert me to his approach.
I’d felt like I’d stepped on a live wire as soon as I’d turned to meet his gaze.
A piercing, hauntingly beautiful ice blue gaze had stared out at me from a face that seemed to have been plucked right out of some of the rugged, cowboy fantasies I’d had over the years.
His features were strong and striking, his nose as straight as an arrow except for one slightly crooked notch near the end. Dark, neatly trimmed facial hair covered his jaw. The sexy oval shape of his mouth was not at all obscured by the beard.
Thick, chocolate brown hair brushed against my fingers as I linked them together at the nape of his neck. His shoulders were a mile wide. Best of all, there were rougher spots on his hands that suggested he actually worked with them instead of sitting behind a computer all day long.
Everywhere my body was pressed to his felt hard and chiseled under his worn-out shirt and faded jeans, and there was an inherent strength and confidence about the way he moved. For the first time in forever, I’d felt something the moment I’d seen this man.
Not love, obviously. Love at first sight wasn’t something I believed in, but lust?
Now there was something that actually existed. Instant attraction. Desire. I didn’t need to get to know a guy to know that I wanted him, and my body definitely wanted this one.
The attraction really had been instant, and it was undeniable. It’d been so strong that it’d nearly knocked me right off my feet and now, as he held me, it just kept growing and growing.
I nearly moaned out loud when he let his hand slide just a touch lower on my back. The tip of his pinkie finger was still a few inches away from my butt, but that didn’t stop the tingle of pleasure that raced through me.
“You’re a good dancer,” he murmured against my ear as he led me around the floor with an easy, practiced grace.
His voice was rough and deep. A lot more manly than Todd’s had ever been or ever would be.
In fact, everything about this guy was a lot more masculine than my ex had ever had any hope of achieving.
I didn’t even know the cowboy’s name yet, but I already knew he wouldn’t be afraid to grab my hair in bed.
Not that I would be going to bed with him, but the fact remained.
I smiled against the roughness of his cheek, tilting my head back a bit so my mouth would be close to his ear in turn. “That’s only because of you, Cowboy. I’m not used to dancing to this kind of music at all.”
He chuckled softly, the sound surprisingly easy and melodic. “What kind of music are you used to dancing to, then?”
“Club anthems,” I replied vaguely. “Either that or whatever slower tunes the DJ thinks will put people in the mood.”
I felt his cheek quirk against the top of my own, and somehow, I knew he was smirking instead of smiling. “In the mood for what?”
I lifted one of my shoulders in a slight shrug. “Knitting.”
Soft laughter vibrated through his chest. His head shook slightly as he pulled me closer. “Well, I haven’t heard that one before.”
As the song ended, his grip on me eased, but he held his gaze on mine as we separated. “Buy you a drink?”
In my periphery, I saw his worn shirt and scuffed boots again, and I shook my head. “How about I buy you one instead?”
“You want to buy me a drink?” he asked like he didn’t quite believe what he’d heard. Laughter shimmered in those gorgeous blues as he looked back at me, finally dipping his chin in a curt nod. “Sure. Okay. If you insist.”
“I do.” As I held his gaze, I felt a tightening deep in my lower belly that was so powerful, it almost made me shiver. “What’s your name, Cowboy?”
“Charlie. What’s yours?”
“You can call me Liv.” I reached my hand out toward him. “It’s nice to meet you.”
Those piercing eyes lowered slowly to my hand, and for a moment, I wasn’t sure if he was going to take it.
When he did, he folded his fingers gently around my own and then brought them up to his lips.
My heart raced as he brushed a whisper-soft kiss to my knuckles.
My insides melted in a way I definitely didn’t need them to.
“A real honor,” he said. Not releasing my fingers, he turned and led me to the bar.
Even that sent a shiver of pleasure rushing down my spine. I liked the way he just took control, first by coming over to ask me to dance, then on the dance floor, and now, as he simply kept hold of my hand in pursuit of a drink.
He didn’t seem like the type to let grass grow under his feet, and it was clear as day that he was a natural leader. Assertive.
“Where are you from?” he drawled, his voice barely audible above the din of the music.
I arched an eyebrow at him, smiling. “How do you know I’m not from here?”
“It’s the little things.” He glanced at my boots. “Those are brand new, for example. I doubt they’ve ever had a speck of dust on them, and frankly, I’m not sure they ever will.”
“Oh, you think so, do you?”
He shrugged. “I really do. Are you going to make me guess where you’re from?”
“Go for it.” I leaned against the bar, my gaze drinking in the sharp edges of his handsome features. He had unnaturally high cheekbones and incredibly long lashes for such a man’s man. “I’ll give you three tries.”
“I don’t need more than one.” He made a show of looking me over once more, then nodded and brought those eyes back to mine. “You’re as New York as New York can get.”
My jaw nearly hit the floor. “How on earth did you know that?”
“It’s in the little things,” he repeated. “I’m observant.”
“I’d say,” I muttered under my breath as the disbelief took hold. “Just why is that? Is it a real-life cowboy thing, or a you thing?”
“What on God’s green earth is a real-life cowboy thing?”
I shrugged and gave him a long, obvious onceover of my own as I borrowed his line. “It’s in the little things, but that is what you are, isn’t it? A cowboy?”
“Why yes, I am.” A slow smile spread his lips. “How long are you in town for?”
“I just moved here, actually.”
“I suppose that means you’re here for a while, then.”
I laughed. “Yeah, I guess you could say that.”
“Guess you could.” A silent beat passed, but I felt a definite spark as his gaze held mine.
On the other hand, tension was already ratcheting up between us.
Despite the fact that we were getting along just fine, there were some obvious personality differences that I could already tell would lead to some fiery arguments if things ever got that far, which they obviously wouldn’t, but it was just an observation.
“You know, you don’t look like a city girl,” he said lightly. “I figured you were from out of town when I first saw you, but I wouldn’t have guessed city before we started talking.”
“Don’t judge a book by its cover.” As I looked up at him, I decided that the possibility of fiery arguments wasn’t going to keep me from chatting to him tonight.
The spark between us insisted that I stay right where I was instead of making my way back to London and Lacey. Charlie really was extremely good looking. I sure wouldn’t mind a night with this cowboy, just so long as we both knew it wasn’t going anywhere.
Spark or no, I wasn’t interested in a relationship with anyone—least of all someone I already knew I would clash with.
I didn’t even need to ask to know that this guy thought of chicken as a vegetable, owned a gun, and drove a big-ass, gas-guzzling truck.
While I didn’t necessarily have an issue with any of those things, we really were just too different.
It would never work and I’d had enough romantic disappointment to last a lifetime.
As the song that had been playing changed and faded into a new one, there was a sudden commotion. The next thing I knew, the entire hall was on the dance floor. Alarm swept through me as they rushed forward.
I glanced at Charlie with my eyes wide. “What’s happening?”
“Line dancing time. Let’s go.” The bartender had just put his whiskey down on the bar. He downed it in one go, smacked a few bills down even though I’d said I would pay, and then grabbed my hand.
My whiskey—a much more expensive type—remained on the bar untouched.
I wanted to go back to grab it, but Charlie’s hold on me was firm and commanding.
Lacey and London were the only two people still standing at the bar as the crowd around me started moving, and when Charlie saw me anxiously staring at them, he waved them over.
A bunch of strange men surrounded us the next minute, but judging by the fact that Charlie immediately started chatting and laughing with them, I assumed they were his friends. Most of them even looked like they might’ve been his brothers for all the similarities in their features.
“Liv, this is Mason, Wyatt, Colt, Cody, and Dallas. Boys, this is Liv.” He introduced them so quickly that I had no idea which was which, except for Dallas, who had hint of rust in his hair while the others were all completely brown.
When my sister and friend arrived at my side, I waved at each of them in turn. I looked over the wall of muscle that were the men I’d just been introduced to. “This is Lacey and London.”
I left it to them to figure out which of those boys was called what, but a few hours later, I knew exactly who was who and we’d all gotten to know each other casually while we were doing the occasional line dance and eating some good food.
It was a good night all around, but when I glanced at my watch and saw that it was eleven, my stomach clenched.
I glanced up to where Lacey was talking to Dallas, their heads bent close together.
My sister and Liam were on the other side of the table, eyes only for each other, but I could see they were locked in a heated debate.
“We’d better be headed home, ladies.” I cleared my throat, turning to face Charlie with an apologetic smile. “It’s starting to get late, but thank you for an incredible evening, and for not giving up on me when I didn’t get the line dances right.”
He chuckled. “How about you all come out to the ranch for a bonfire? There’s more than enough room for you to sleep over and you can head out from there in the morning.”
“We’re in,” Lacey answered for me, getting cozied up to Dallas. London nodded her agreement after seeing Liam nod too.
I had a feeling she would go anywhere he was going, but she’d never admit it. Since I hadn’t really been ready to call it a night anyway, this was a win all around. I smiled as I turned back to Charlie.
“You’ve got yourself a date, Cowboy. We’ll see about sleeping over, but a bonfire sounds like a good way to end the night.”
“Let’s go.” Wyatt jumped up, a seemingly never-ending vat of energy. He left some money on the table and loped out of the dance hall.
The rest of us were a little slower, but we piled into our cars and followed Charlie out onto a dirt road that opened up to the biggest ranch I had ever seen. Or maybe it just looked that way at night.
London leaned forward, her eyes going wide as we passed, paddocks, houses, barns, and more fields than I could count. “Someone is definitely going have to be our designated driver if you want to go home after this.”
“Not it!” Lacey called from the backseat. “Besides, I’ve already had too much, so I’m out.”
“I’ll take one for the team,” I volunteered without even trying to argue about it. “I barely got to drink at the bar with all the dancing we were doing. I might as well keep the streak going.”
The girls cheered as I focused on following the red lights of Charlie’s truck across the expansive property.
Clearly, these guys worked for a big-deal rancher out here.
In the dark, I hadn’t caught a name anywhere, but I was already wondering if their boss might be interested in signing with the firm.
We had a pretty good track record with ranches, after all, and another client of this size would definitely be a noteworthy get if I could convince them to sign on. Tucking the idea securely in the back of my mind, I smiled when the truck finally rolled to a stop.
Business could wait until tomorrow. Tonight, I was hoping to have my hands full with a certain cowboy—and then, hopefully, I’d never have to see him again—but I would get his boss’s name before I left.