The Rebel and the Cowboy (The Carmody Brothers Book 2) Page 5

  He was so self-righteous, she wanted to punch him in the face. She sucked in air, ready to remind him the reason she’d done none of her own work during their relationship was because she’d poured all her energy into his projects, his career, because she’d wanted to help and support him, and because she’d always—stupidly—believed that once he was established and they could afford to hire someone to replace her, it would be her turn.

  And then she remembered that they’d been over and over this ground, and that she had made a promise to herself not to let him undermine her like this again. Even engaging in the discussion gave him power and the opportunity to get into her head.

  She didn’t need to prove anything to him, or to hear him acknowledge the truth. She knew what she’d done, how much she’d contributed. That was enough.

  “You know what? Let’s not do this,” she said.

  His mouth curled at the corner in a derisive smile. “What’s wrong? Can’t handle the truth?”

  “Go away, Dane. I’ve wasted enough time on you,” she said, proud of the steady calm in her voice.

  She gave him her shoulder, reaching for the glass of water the bartender had left in front of her earlier. By some miracle, her hand was steady, even though her gut was churning.

  She could feel him hovering, hating being dismissed. He loved having the last word, always had.

  “Wait, I forgot, there’s something else you’re good at,” he said. “No one sucks dick like you, babe. Good to know you’ve got something to fall back on if things get tough.”

  She didn’t think about it, just turned, the glass gripped tightly in her hand. She jerked her arm forward and water hit him square in the face. Fury riding her, she swapped the glass for the basket of pretzels and tossed that at him, too.

  “You psycho bitch,” Dane said, deflecting the basket with his arm.

  She hadn’t even realized she’d stood and moved toward him until a strong arm came around her waist, holding her back.

  “Easy now,” Casey Carmody said near her ear.

  “Let me go,” she said, trying to wriggle free, determined to inflict pain on her ex.

  Dane pushed his wet hair off his forehead, then pulled his damp shirt away from his chest. “You’re lucky I don’t charge you with assault.”

  “Let me go,” Eva said, straining against Casey muscular arm for all she was worth.

  “Take a deep breath,” Casey said, which was when she registered that the hard, warm surface pressed against her back was his chest.

  It threw her so much she stopped trying to get away.

  “If I were you, I’d go while you can,” Casey told Dane.

  “I’m not afraid of her,” Dane said.

  “Wasn’t talking about her,” Casey said.

  Eva saw the exact moment the threat registered. Dane’s gaze assessed Casey’s height and build. He frowned. Then he glanced across to where Zack, Tess, and Amy were watching from a booth. Eva could almost see him assessing his options—stand his ground and risk getting his ass handed to him by a real live cowboy, or back down in front of his team and lose face.

  Dane lifted his chin. “Don’t know who you are, buddy, but take it from me, she’s more trouble than she’s worth.”

  Rage exploded in Eva again and she gripped Casey’s arm, using it as leverage as she kicked out at Dane with both feet. He dodged backward, out of reach.

  “Okay, time for us to get some fresh air,” Casey said.

  Before she could do more than yelp in protest, Casey was frog-marching her toward the door.

  “Stop. Let me go,” Eva said, trying to dig her heels in and failing spectacularly.

  He didn’t stop until they were three storefronts away from the saloon, the cool night air a shock after the warmth of the bar.

  “I’m going to let you go now. Try not to ruin my good looks,” Casey said in her ear.

  Then the warm band of his arm was gone and she was free.

  Chapter Four

  Casey watched as Eva made a big deal out of straightening her waistcoat and shirt, clearly feeling very aggrieved that he’d interfered in her personal affairs.

  “You didn’t need to do that,” she said.

  “Yeah, I did. The sheriff was sitting in one of those booths. He was about to jump in before I did.”

  Eva frowned. Her face was flushed, her eyes a little glassy. He’d been watching her pretty much since she’d come into the saloon, and he’d seen her down two straight vodkas in rapid succession in the ten minutes before the asshole in black had arrived. She wasn’t fall-over drunk, but she was definitely tipsy.

  “I can handle myself,” she said.

  “Saw that. Nice shot with the water. Next time, you should just kick him in the nuts.”

  She stared at him. Then she let out a crack of laughter, her blue eyes bright with appreciation.

  “Then I really would be in trouble with the law.”

  “Probably,” he agreed.

  He didn’t blame her for losing it. He’d heard what the asshole had said to her—half the bar had—and he’d already been pushing to his feet when Eva threw her glass of water.

  Not that she was Casey’s to protect—not even close—but he wasn’t about to stand by and watch a man insult a woman without doing something about it.

  She pushed her hair off her forehead, leaving one side sticking up unevenly.

  “I s’pose I should thank you for saving me from myself,” she said grudgingly.

  “You can sleep on it if you like, decide if you want to in the morning,” he suggested.

  She pointed a finger at him. “You’re funny.”

  “You’re pretty drunk, aren’t you?” he asked.

  “I just need something to eat. I forgot to have lunch.”

  “Right.” Casey glanced up the street, assessing his options. There was no way he could let her drive home in the state she was in, and he couldn’t just abandon her, either. “They do good burgers at the diner.”

  “Thanks for the hot tip.” She gave him a mock salute.

  He hid a smile. “All right, off we go,” he said, laying a hand on the small of her back and propelling her into motion. “Let’s get some food into you.”

  She made a small sound of protest, but when he took his hand away, she remained at his side as he crossed the road and headed up Main Street toward the diner.

  “You’re probably wondering who that guy was,” she said after a small silence.

  “None of my business,” he said.

  She threw him a look. “Come on. You’re not even a little bit curious?”

  “I know all I need to know about him already,” he said.

  She processed that for a beat, then shrugged. “He’s my ex. Ex-boss, ex-collaborator, ex-everything.”

  Casey frowned. “Any reason you’re both in Marietta at the same time?”

  “Oh yeah,” she said. “The Marietta Chamber of Commerce approached him four months ago to commission him to do a mural. We were in the middle of breaking up at the time. I offered my services as an alternative. They agreed to hear my pitch, and voila, here we are.”

  She punctuated her speech with a wide, dramatic sweep of her arm that inadvertently smacked into his chest.

  “Sorry. Don’t know my own strength,” she said. Then she grinned at him, amused by her own silly joke.

  The sooner he got a burger into her, the better.

  “Here we are,” he said, steering her up the steps and into the diner.

  Flo was at the counter and she acknowledged him with a wave and pointed him toward an empty booth. He guided Eva into one side and took the seat opposite her, sliding a menu in front of her.

  “The chicken burger is good, but the cheeseburger is better. And the fries are legendary,” he said.

  “What are you having? I’m buying you dinner,” Eva announced.

  “You don’t need to do that.”

  “Yeah, I do. It’s cheaper than bail, right?”

  He lau
ghed at her logic. “Yeah, I guess it is.”

  Flo approached the booth, offering them both a weary smile. “Evening. What can I do you for?”

  “I will have the cheeseburger and some of your legendary fries,” Eva said, before looking at him with her eyebrows raised.

  “Same for me, thanks Flo. And how about a couple of chocolate shakes?”

  “Done and done. Won’t be long,” she said, giving him a friendly wink before bustling off.

  “She’s a nice lady.” Eva pronounced it like a queen issuing a decree.

  “She is.”

  “She was going to try to find me somewhere to stay before Sierra stepped in.” She frowned as if something had just occurred to her. “Hey, that makes it two times now that I’ve been rescued by a Carmody.”

  “We’re a helpful people,” Casey said.

  She narrowed her eyes, studying him from across the table. “Why did you come to my rescue? You don’t even know me.”

  “Didn’t seem like a very fair fight,” he said.

  “I could totally take him,” Eva scoffed. “I grew up in Detroit. I fight dirty.”

  “Right. That’s what I said.”

  She laughed. “Thanks for the vote of confidence.”

  Their shakes arrived and Eva immediately went to work on hers, lips pouting and cheeks hollowing as she sucked on her straw. Casey frowned and focused on his own drink, disturbed by how often and how quickly his thoughts turned to sex around this woman.

  Plus she was tipsy-drunk, and it felt like he was taking advantage somehow by noticing how hot she was while she was under the influence.

  “Okay, you were right, I needed that,” she said when she finally came up for air.

  Then she pulled her straw out of her drink and licked it, her tongue curling around the length of it with erotic dexterity.

  Holy shit.

  Casey shifted in his seat.

  “So. When do you find out who won the commission?” he asked.

  “Tomorrow.” She pulled a face.

  “You don’t like your chances?”

  “He’s the one with the name. I might have helped build that name, but that doesn’t mean anything in the big scheme of things.”

  “What’s next for you, then?” he asked.

  She poked her straw around in her drink, her mouth pressed into a straight, unhappy line. “Don’t know. Back to LA. Might have to give up my studio, move in with my sister.”

  Casey frowned. “Sounds like a tough call.”

  “What can I say? You find me at a crossroads in my life, Casey Carmody. Anything could happen next.”

  He liked the way she said his name, almost as though she was daring him to do something.

  What, he wasn’t sure.

  “Here we go. Let me know if you need anything else. We’ve got that coffee walnut cake you love on today, Casey,” Flo said as she slid two loaded plates onto the table.

  “I’ll try to save a little room,” he said with a smile.

  Eva grabbed a fry from her plate and popped it into her mouth as Flo sailed off again.

  “You should use your powers wisely, you know. With great power comes great responsibility.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “That smile of yours. You should use it wisely.”

  Casey frowned at her, genuinely bemused. She paused in the act of getting a grip on her burger.

  “Are you seriously telling me you don’t know what I’m talking about?” she asked.

  Casey’s frown deepened. “That’s exactly what I’m telling you.”

  “Your smile—the one you just aimed at poor Flo without even considering the consequences—is a weapon of mass panty destruction. You must know that.”

  He shook his head. She eyed him for a moment as if trying to work out if he was bullshitting her.

  “Huh. The last of a dying breed—the hottie who doesn’t know he’s hot,” she said. “They ought to put you in a glass display case and charge admission.”

  Casey could feel his face starting to get warm. “Think we could talk about something else now?”

  “Why? Is me objectifying you making you uncomfortable?” she asked, eyes dancing with mischief and challenge.

  “A little.”

  “Okay. I will cease and desist. Just promise not to use that smile on me, okay? My defenses are down.”

  He gave her a look across the table. “Eat your burger.”

  The sooner she was sober, the better. For both of them.

  Eva eyed the burger in her hand as though it was a challenge, then took a generous bite out of it. Casey watched, fascinated, as she closed her eyes, ketchup dripping down her chin.

  “Oh my God. This is the best burger I’ve ever eaten. Either that, or I’m really hungry,” she said.

  “Probably a little of both.”

  She took another enthusiastic bite, then used a scrunched-up napkin to blot her chin. Which was when Casey realized he was staring, and forced himself to focus on his own burger.

  He couldn’t help wondering if she was as enthusiastic about other things in life. Her work, for example.

  And sex.

  And there you go again.

  “So what do you do around here when you aren’t cowboying?” she asked, one elbow propped on the table.

  He gave her an amused look, guessing that “cowboying” in her mind probably consisted of woolly concepts she’d garnered from TV and movies.

  “I sing in a band. Play a little ball in summer. Not much time for anything else with just the three of us on the ranch.”

  “What sort of band? What sort of music do you play?”

  “We’re a four piece—two guitars, keyboards, drums. And we play rock and country music. Crossover stuff, I guess.”

  “What’s the band called?”

  “The Whiskey Shots.”

  “Cool name. Do women throw their underwear at you when you’re on stage?”

  He reached for his shake to wash a mouthful of burger down. “No. What’s this obsession with me and underwear?”

  “What’s this obsession with my obsession?” she asked, eyebrows raised in mock outrage.

  He laughed again. She’d finished her burger, and she dusted salt off her fingers before undoing the buttons on her waistcoat and shrugging out of it. His gaze dropped to her breasts before he could stop himself. She was wearing a bra today, the texture of the lace discernible beneath her shirt. It made him think of the way he’d been able to see the outline of her nipples last night, the soft shape of her.

  “You said no time for anything else. Does that mean no girlfriend?” she asked.

  Her gaze was very direct across the table and he knew she’d caught him looking again.

  “No girlfriend.”

  “No boyfriend?” Eva asked.

  He smiled. “No.”

  Her gaze dropped to his mouth, then to his chest. He watched her checking him out and wondered what she’d taste like, how she’d feel beneath him.

  “You want dessert?” she asked after a long moment.

  “I’m good. But you have some if you want it.”

  “God no, I’m done. But thanks for suggesting this place. I didn’t realize how hungry I was.”

  “Not a problem.”

  She eased to one side, pulling her wallet from her back pocket.

  “You don’t need to do that,” he said, pulling out his own money.

  “Shut up and take it like a man,” she said, throwing money on the table.

  She had a mouth on her—there was no denying that. He liked it, a lot. Liked that she gave as good as she got, that she didn’t hold back or back down.

  They stood simultaneously, and Casey was a little surprised to discover all over again how slight she was—she had such a big personality, while they were sitting down he’d forgotten he was almost a foot taller than her. They headed for the door, and Eva stopped at the counter to thank Flo personally for their meal. Then they were outside, in the quiet darkness of t
he street.

  “Where are you parked?” she asked.

  “Just past the saloon,” he said, indicating the direction they’d come from.

  “Same,” she said, pivoting on her heel.

  He matched his stride to hers, shooting her a quick, assessing glance. The glassy-eyed look from earlier was gone, and her gait was steady. But she’d seemed pretty tanked when she launched herself at her ex and he wondered if she was safe to drive now.

  “I’m fine,” she said, looking at him.

  “If you say so. I can drive you home and bring you back to pick up your van tomorrow, if you want to be sure.”

  She was silent for a moment, and he liked that she seemed to be genuinely considering his offer, not just rejecting it out of hand.

  “Thanks, but I’m okay. I just needed some food to soak up the vodka and adrenaline.”

  They were about to pass the saloon and he watched as she glanced at the front window, a quick, furtive check to see if her ex was still there.

  There was no guessing what she was thinking as they continued past the bar. He wondered if she was still hung up on the guy. In his experience, the kind of anger he’d witnessed earlier indicated there might be unfinished business on both sides.

  Eva stopped and he saw they’d arrived at her van. She pulled her keys from her pocket.

  “Thanks again for riding to my rescue,” she said.

  “Actually, this is your first thanks. You were gonna sleep on whether you were actually grateful or not, remember, and get back to me with an answer.”

  Her mouth turned up in a rueful smile. “What a pain in the ass I am, huh? An ungrateful, rude, pain in the ass. Let me do this properly—Casey Carmody, thank you for saving me from an assault charge. Your gallantry is noted and appreciated.”

  “Don’t mention it,” he said, and she cracked up laughing.

  “All right, I’m going to quit while I’m ahead. I’ll see you out at the ranch.” She turned to unlock the van.

  “Keep an eye out for deer on the highway. They tend to move around a lot after dark,” he said.

  She looked over her shoulder at him, a worried frown pleating her forehead. “What should I do if I see one?”

  “Not drive into it.”

  She blinked, then gave him a wry smile. “Right. Thanks for the insider intel, cowboy.”