Chapter 2
chapter
two
Oliver
She slips her hand into mine as I lead her from the dance floor back over to the bar.
I can’t help but notice how perfectly her hand fits in mine, despite the fact that it’s so small.
She doesn’t have long, sharp, manicured nails.
Like a lot of women these days. Instead, hers are blunt, short, and painted in a dark color, maybe purple, maybe black.
It’s chipped, not perfect, and something about that is endearing as fuck.
No names, she said.
When we get to the bar, I say, “Well, what am I supposed to call you if I can’t know your name?”
She holds her arms out, as if presenting herself to me.
Her position gives me the perfect opportunity to look at her the way I’ve wanted to all night. Because the first time we made eye contact, that wasn’t the first time I’d noticed her. No, I’d seen her the moment she walked into Ace’s.
Ace’s is an institution in Saddle Creek.
Part bar, part greasy spoon, part honky-tonk, it’s often where us locals come to unwind.
But Ace’s also has a bit of a reputation outside of Saddle Creek.
So it’s not unusual for college kids and city folk to make their way here for a burger and wild night out in the country.
Seeing her and her friends come in wasn’t so much a surprise, but it definitely caught my attention. For one, she doesn’t look like most of the women around here.
Her mini skirt flares around her knees, giving me a good look at her shapely calves.
Ink swirls up her right leg and disappears under that flirty skirt.
It looks like it might be some flowers, but it’s hard to tell.
Her white tank dips low into her cleavage, revealing the start of a tattoo that likely slips between her magnificent breasts.
This woman is not my usual type, but she’s had me half hard since she walked into the bar. Something in the sway of her wide hips. I force my gaze off her thick, curvy body and stare at her face.
Her brown hair has multi-colored tips at the end, where it brushes against her shoulders. She’s got ink there too. Her nose is pierced, just a small diamond in one nostril.
“What would you like to call me?” she asks.
I stare into her pale green eyes. They’re so light, they make her look a little ethereal. Then she cocks one brow at me, and I know exactly what to call her.
“Mischief,” I say.
She laughs, tipping her head back, and there’s no restraint in the sound, just pure unadulterated glee. “Mischief,” she says, “I like it. Maybe it even fits a little.”
It’s my turn to arch a brow. “I guess we’ll know if it’s a fitting name by the end of the night. So what’s your poison, Mischief?”
“Jack and Diet Coke with a twist of lime.”
I’ve just ordered her drink when he friends stop by the bar.
“We’re going to head out,” the taller one says. “You coming or staying?”
Mischief looks to me, and I give her a nod.
“Staying,” she says. “Cowboy and I have some trouble to get into.”
I hand her her drink. “Here you go, Mischief.”
Her friend chuckles. “Mischief? she asks. “Oh, he’s got your number, babe,”
The two friends leave their curvy, inked, pierced bombshell right there at my side. And it’s at that point my cousin Leo returns from talking to someone across the room, looks like it might be Garrett Whitmore and Jared Sawyer and their wives.
“Looks like you’ve got things covered tonight,” he says with a quick glance at my girl. “Call me tomorrow.”
“Cousin?” she asks.
“Yes.”
“Y’all don’t really look very much alike,” she says, then takes a sip of her drink.
“We lead very different lives. I’m on the ranch all day working with cattle and other things. He’s a tech genius.”
“Interesting,” she says.
“Is it?” I ask.
She laughs. “No, not really.”
Her tongue slips out and slides over her full bottom lip, and my dick tightens against my thigh. It’s a wonder I have any blood left in my brain at this point.
A crowd moves in from outside and starts filing in to grab tables. A few of them have umbrellas that they leave at the front door.
“Must be raining,” I say, stating the obvious.
Mischief grabs my hand. “You wanna get out of here?”
“Yes.”
I take her hand and lead her outside. Heavy rain falls into the parking lot and thunder booms in the background.
“My truck is over there.” I point to the white double cab under one of the blinking street lamps. “I don’t have an umbrella.”
She gives me a grin. “I won’t melt.”
I grab her hand and we make a run for it. Her delighted giggle punctuates our entire jog to my truck. By the time I lift her up into the cab, she’s pretty well soaked.
I make my way to my side, and my shirt is drenched, but my hat kept it out of my face.
I slide onto my seat and close the door. Then, I reach into the backseat for some towels I always keep on hand. You never know when you need to clean up something when working with livestock.
I’m halfway to handing her a towel when my gaze snags on the front of her tank top. It’s now virtually transparent from the rain, and I can clearly see her tight nipples straining against the fabric, and both of them have bars through the tips.
“Fuck. Are your nipples pierced?” I ask, my voice doing nothing to hide my desire.
“They are,” she says. She glances down at her wet shirt. “Guess I’m not leaving so much to the imagination at this point.”
I swallow thickly and shake my head because words won’t form.
She reaches out and grabs one of my hands and pulls it to her breast. “They’re very sensitive,” she breathes.
I swipe my thumb against the metal and turgid flesh, and even through the material of her shirt and bra, she still arches into my touch.
I adjust my erection. “I’m going to drive somewhere,” I say. “Anywhere in particular you want to go?”
“Somewhere a little more private.”
I nod, then start the truck.
She takes it upon herself to lean forward and turn on the radio. Country music fills the speakers and almost immediately she starts singing along.
“You listen to Country?” I ask.
“I listen to a little bit of everything. Truth be told, country music from the nineties is my favorite. It’s what my foster mother listened to, so it’s what I grew up with.”
“Good stuff in the nineties. Garth Brooks, George Straight, Diamond Rio.”
“Don’t forget Reba,” she says.
“I could never forget Reba.” I give her a grin. Thankfully, I get to where I’m heading faster than I expected, and then I’m pulling down the narrow back road that leads to Seven Mile Dam.
“I haven’t been out here in years,” I say as I pull into the gravel parking lot that overlooks the river. It’s so dark out, there’s not much to see, and rain continues to pound all around us.
“Is this where all the teenagers normally go parking?” she asks, glancing around the dark and empty space. “It’s nice and quiet.”
I rub the back of my head. “I don’t really know where people go parking these days.”
“I guess we are a little old for this.” She licks her lips. “But you said you wanted to get into trouble.”
I chuckle. “I think you said that.”
She shrugs. “One of us did.” She shivers and rubs the towel I gave her over her arms.
“Cold?”
“Yeah. Just from the wet clothes.”
“Would it make me sound like a total creep if I suggested you take them off?”
She laughs. Instead of answering my question, she pulls her tank top over her head and lays it on the dash. “That okay?”
My eyes are locked on the way her sheer bra does nothing to hide her tits from my gaze. Silver barbells decorate both of her tips, and the ink I could see is plainly visible. A vine of leaves that curves around one of her breasts, then down beneath the other.
I reach out and trace the artwork. “This is beautiful.”
“Thank you.” Then she’s reaching behind her back and unhooking that bra and letting it fall off her shoulders.
“Fuck,” is all I can say when her heavy breasts are completely bare. “Mischief,” I wipe my mouth.
“I’m crawling over here to you because you look warmer,” she says.
I push my seat back as far as it will go and pull her into my lap.
She gives me a sweet smile. “Hi, Cowboy.”
“Hi, darlin’,” I let my hands slide up the bare skin of her back. She’s impossibly soft. “I really want to kiss you right now,” I admit.
“I definitely think you should.” Her eyes go up, and she reaches for my hat. “May I?”
I nod.
“I’ve always heard,” she says as she places my hat on her head. “That you wear the hat and ride the cowboy.”
And that’s all it takes for me to close the distance between us and slant my mouth across hers.