Page 6 of A Taste of Whiskey
He tightened his grip on his beer. “Did he try something? Need me to set him straight?”
“No, it’s nothing like that. We just had no chemistry.”
“I’ve been there a few times. That’s never fun. But if you knew this guy from the bank, couldn’t you tell whether there was chemistry or not?”
“That’s the thing. He’s usually fun to flirt with, but at dinner, there was no fun banter, and we didn’t have anything in common to talk about.”
Sasha was funny, interesting, and empathetic. He couldn’t imagine anyone not finding something to talk about with her. He could talk to her all night and never get bored, and sometimes he did. He enjoyed those nights a hell of a lot.
“That sucks. But you must have guys lining up to take you out.” Like him, she kept her private life under wraps. He assumed she dated, although as far as he knew, she’d never brought a guy back to the ranch. Which was probably smart, since her brothers wouldn’t let a guy get far without a complete interrogation and a threat hanging over his head, which would crush any guy’s hard-on. Except Ezra’s. Her brothers didn’t faze him, but her relationship with his son had always been precious enough to douse those flames. Unfortunately, his heart wasn’t as easily dissuaded. Lately, seeing her with his little boy brought all of his emotions to the surface, making it that much harder to keep himself in check.
“Hardly. Maybe Ishouldcheck out Cowboy Cupid.”
“The dating app? The hell you should. That’s dangerous, Sash. You don’t know who’s on the other end of that app.”
“With my luck, it’d be Hyde or Taz.”
Over my dead body.
Hyde and Taz were ranch hands and members of the Dark Knights. They were good men, and Ezra would always have their backs, except where Sasha was concerned. They were known for sharing women, and he wasn’t about to let them get their hands on her.
“You’re not really thinking about using that app, are you?”Just fucking say no, because that’s not something I can handle.
“I don’t know. Maybe.”
His jaw tightened. “Are you only looking to hook up with guys? Because that’s what most of those apps are known for.”
“Iknowwhat they’re for,” she said, running her finger around the rim of the can. She sat up a little taller, eyeing him defiantly, reminding him of the way she’d pretended to have experience with boys as a teenager. “What’s wrong with playing the field? It would be nice to find a guy who knows where the doorbell is.”
A rough laugh tumbled out.
Her eyes narrowed. “Why is that funny? I’m a healthy, young woman. I haveneeds.”
“Doorbell?” What the hell was she trying to prove? It was one thing to sleep with a guy she’d dated for a while, but to just put herself out there for sex? That wasn’t Sasha. She was a natural nurturer and a caring friend who had listened to him bitch about his cheating ex when he’d been too exhausted to know better than to unload on her. Sasha wasn’t the kind of woman you fucked and forgot. She was the type you cherished, made love to, ravaged with pleasure, and introduced to your family, because once she let you into that sweet heart of hers, there was no way in hell you’d ever let her go.
“Stay off those apps, will ya?” He took a drink.
“Why? It’s not like there are many hot prospects around here.”
He bumped her leg with his. “Hey, I take offense to that.”
“Please.You know you’re hot. All the girls at the Roadhouse ogle you.” The Roadhouse was a biker bar they all frequented. It was owned by Manny and Alice Mancini, Bobbie, and Dare’s fiancée Billie’s parents. Billie worked there full time, and Bobbie worked there part time.
“But not hot enough for you.” He said it teasingly, because if he let his true feelings come out, his and Gus’s lives would implode, and they could both lose her.
Sasha rolled her eyes. “You’ve known me forever. If you wanted me, I think I’d know by now.”
“I made my move a long time ago, Bo Peep. You turned me down, and my ego took a hell of a hit.” They’d never spoken about the night they’d kissed, and he didn’t know why he was bringing it up now. As a therapist, he knew talking about past events could help put them into perspective, but as a man whose feelings for his friend had deepened over the years, he knew he was fucking with Pandora’s box.
Her eyes widened. “Yourego? You told me I was a crappy kisser.”
“No. I said you’d never kissed a guy before.”
“Whatever.It wasn’t nice.” She took a drink, annoyance shimmering in her eyes.
“You’re right. I was a self-centered dick back then. Full of piss and vinegar. But my egodidtake a hit. I’d never been turned down by a girlafterkissing her.”
She rolled her eyes. “You probably forgot about me five minutes later and picked up some other girl.”
