Page 64 of Bourbon and Lies

“I know.”

“Why?” Her brow furrows.

“You scare me, woman.” She sucks in a breath, and I look down at her, only inches away. “Since the moment you showed up, I’ve felt like I couldn't catch my breath. I’ve forgotten about the promises I made. To myself. To other people. It’s shaken up every damn thing I’ve tried to keep settled.” My lips linger near the shell of her ear. I don’t want anyone hearing this. “I know you’re lying about who you are.”

She tries to pull away, but I hold her tighter. The arm I have wrapped around her lower back flexes as I try to keep her front molded to mine. I can barely hear the music anymore or see the couples around us moving to their own rhythm. I only see her. Feel her.

“If you think I owe you something, then you’re wrong. I’m not in the business of owing a man anything he hasn’t earned. Not anymore.” She grits her teeth. “Let go.”

I jerk her back toward me. But she doesn’t melt for it. She pulls away until I lean my head closer to hers so she can hear what I’m about to say.

“Shut up and let me finish.” And while it comes out gruffer than I intended, it stops her and those blue eyes whip up tomine. “But I don’t care. Lie if you need to. If it keeps you safe, then lie to everyone. But not to me, honey.” It feels so good to be this close to her, my lips skim the side of her head as I breathe her in.

“Don’t call me honey.” Any attitude falls flat with her softening expression.

“Why, my little liar? Does it make your pussy tingle?” I growl out, low and quiet, into her ear.

With a shaky exhale against me, her body becomes less tense. “Jesus, you’re giving me whiplash, cowboy.”

She’s staring right at my lips, and the second she looks back up at me, I won’t be able to hold back. In front of the entire goddamn town, I’m going to kiss her. Plenty of eyes are on us, people I’d rather keep from witnessing the way I desire this woman.

“There are things I’ve told you that nobody else knows. You may not know everything, but—” She cuts off her words as I hold her tighter.

“I know your real name isn’t Laney Young. I know you’re not from Colorado and I know you’re hiding something. Just like I know that you’re all I’m able to think about,” I say as I lean down and brush my lips across her bare shoulder. Lifting my head, I look around the dance floor before I focus on her again. In time with the music, I pull her arm up and let her spin. “Everyone can see it,” I say when she comes back into my embrace. I rest my lips against her forehead. “This pull I feel when you’re near me...I don’t give a shit who you were, Laney. The only thing that matters is the woman dancing with me right now.”

Instead of resisting any part of my hold, she leans closer, and melts into my arms. Her fingers skim along the back of my neck. Even that small touch makes me feel grounded. Heard. Seen...

The sounds around us come back into focus as she pulls back to look at me. I find the blues and flecks of brown in her eyesreflecting the yellow bulbs that hang above us. This moment with her hits me right in the chest. A warmth that seeps down to the tips of my fingers. “And what is it that you want from the woman dancing with you?”

There’s that fire. I run my hands down her arms as unexpected nerves thrum through my veins. “You’re not what I thought. Not even close.” I shake my head, trying to get this out. “Mix that with—” I stop myself. I wasn’t planning to be this honest.

“With what?”

Fuck it. “I want you so fucking bad that I can't think of anything else.” My hand trails up her hip and toward her waist with the slightest squeeze. “You’re all I think about. The things you say, how you look at me. This mouth. These lips. Do you know how many times I’ve pictured them wrapped around my cock? How I need to know if I picked the right nickname for you.”

She hums as she tilts her head closer to my mouth.

I can’t stop the smirk it pulls from me, knowing that she wants to hear more. I ghost my lips against her cheek. “Tell me, Laney, do you taste like honey, or is it something even sweeter? Either way, I’m going to savor every fucking drop of the mess you make for me.”

I feel her shiver as an audible exhale escapes her mouth, “Grant...”

As she says my name in that breathy, pleading tone, I can’t move fast enough. I grab her hand, and without making more of a scene than I just did by dancing with the new girl in town, I rush us off the dance floor. The retired cop, part-time recluse, and least likely Foxx brother to show any type of interest in anything, let alone anyone. I’m not going to pretend like I’m not taking her somewhere right now, away from prying eyes so I can kiss her exactly how I want.

I hold on to her hand, pulling her behind me as we walk down the main drag of the green. We weave between picnic tables and hustle toward the craft tents that are closed up for the night. “Do you need another piggyback ride?” I say over my shoulder.

She laughs out, “My feet are killin’ me in these boots.”

I stop abruptly, forcing her to run right into my back. Turning so she’s practically in my arms, I look back at where we just were and decide that’s far enough. I don’t see anyone looking our way, so I wrap my arm around her waist and lift her up, just high enough that her feet dangle above the grass. She lets out a little yelp, and in about five strides, we’re hidden between the dark shadow cast between two craft tents.

I set her down just a few inches so her boots hit the ground, making sure her eyes are on mine before I say, “No more lies, baby.”

Her chest heaves against mine as she breathily replies, “Starting now.”

So I show her my truth, the only one I want to think about with her in my arms and looking at me like I’m something special. I settle in closer, nuzzling her nose with mine, before I delve into those pouty lips. The air rushes from my lungs in a sigh of relief that she matches. She brushes her mouth along my upper lip, and I can’t keep from dragging my teeth along hers. It’s slow and so fucking sexy, the way she digs her fingers into my hair and lets out the lowest moan. Like we know what the other wants, our tongues caress as they explore and tease. It’s the kind of kiss that you don’t forget.

But it’s the popping off of fireworks in the distance that breaks through our haze.Shit. It’s the next county over, but that means they're going to start here soon too. I break away from the kiss, hating every inch of space I create. “Fireworks are going to start going off in about twenty minutes. And Julep is going to freak out if I don’t get her set for the noise that’s coming.”

“I’m coming with you,” she says as she leans back in, kissing me once more and topping it with a smile. It’s damn near impossible not to smile back at that, and this stolen moment with her.

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