Page 101 of Bad Cowboy, Tennessee

It was like watching a blond viper try to shake hands with a plush Golden Retriever. Max’s innocence had never seemed more stark. The way he smiled wide at Dom, and the way he treated him with so much Southern hospitality it almost made me forget how mouthy Max was with me.

“Welcome to Bestens, Dom,” Max said.

I suppressed a smile hearing Max already calling him by the shortened version of his name. Dominic had told me once that he hated it when anybody other than his closest friends called him Dom, which was… stupid and pompous.

But Domwaspompous, I guess.

I was, too, on the inside. Even if Bestens had been causing me to realign myself a little on the outside.

“Thank you,” Dominic said. “What happened to your neck?”

A faint blush appeared on Max’s face as he felt the spot where I’d left my mark. “Just a little bruise,” Max said.

I clenched my jaw, fire burning inside me.

I wanted to suck on his skin there again.

I wished the mark was even darker. I liked that he was so clearlymine, and even though he was all bashful and trying to hide it, Dom knew better.

“Sorry to interrupt your breakfast,” Dominic offered.

“Go ahead, sit down,” Max said. “More the merrier. Draven and I just ordered, but I’m sure we can grab another menu for you. Do you like cinnamon rolls? They make insane ones here.”

“I’m off carbs,” Dom told him.

“Heard,” Max said. “They have plenty of good meat, too. Don’t worry.”

“I don’t need any food,” Dominic said, his gaze turning toward me. “I just wanted to see what my friend is getting up to here in the good ol’ south.”

I could smell bullshit from a mile away. I didn’t know why he was actually here, or why he’d given me absolutelyzerowarning about this impromptu trip, but I knew he wasn’t going to tell me shit about it in front of someone like Max.

“Life’s pretty normal,” I said. “Got my house. Fixing it up.”

“And he’s following me around like a bloodhound because he thinks I have a stalk?—”

“Just some silly stuff,” I interjected, cutting Max off before he could say more about it. Heat bloomed through my chest.

Dominic was trustworthy and usually very subtle, but I didn’t need him knowing about my… little pet project, here in Tennessee.

Protecting Max is for me, and me only, to worry about.

“Is something going on?” Dom asked.

“No. Draven thinks so, though,” Max said, and I badly wanted to reach across the table and clasp my hand over his mouth.

I opted to give Dominic the very, very short version. “He posts videos online and gets creepy comments. Welcome to the Internet. It isn’t uncommon. I’m more interested in why Dominic was so eager to come to Tennessee.”

“Online videos, huh?” Dom asked.

Fuck.

I am going to bloody your goddamn nose by the end of this breakfast, Dominic.

He was toying with Max now, but Max didn’t know it.

Don’t tell him. Do not tell him the name of your page?—

“The Cocktail Bro, at your service,” Max blabbed proudly. “I like making cocktails. Ormixology, as everyone calls it. I justenjoy putting weird ingredients in drinks and finding out which ones really pop.”

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