Page 5 of A Cowboy's Bride
Well now, wasn’t this a nice surprise?
Aiden took a couple extra steps to the side, aiming for an opening in the crowd as the fight continued to rumble behind them. He was fully aware he was grinning at Petra with damn-near delight.
Petra squirmed slightly, her fingers on his shoulders pushing him back yet holding him close. As if she too wasn’t quite sure what to think of this moment, but it wasn’t a bad thing.
“This is a blast from the past. You saving me again.” Amusement danced in her tone. “Plan to put me down anytime soon?”
He met her gaze, examining her features and the long brown strands that had escaped her ponytail. She looked nearly as good as she had after he’d tumbled her into bed the first time. “Sure youwantme to put you down here? Because I can find us somewhere more private.”
“Very funny.” Her eyes rolled slightly before she tapped his chest. “Okay, now that I’m not shocked out of my mind, let’s start with you helping me to my feet.”
Fine by him. That’s where they’d start, but not where they’d finish. Not if he had anything to say about it.
He lowered her but kept the hand around her back snug enough that she landed torso to torso. The heat of their bodies meshed.
Petra shook her head but smiled as she examined his face. “You’re a cocky bastard.”
“How cocky, you know intimately,” he reminded her, delighted at the flush of red that brushed her cheeks.
Another woman arrived, the human equivalent of a pry bar. Impossibly, within seconds the petite redhead had managed to wedge herself between him and Petra as if it were the most natural thing in the world and not a defensive move. “You okay, honey?”
Aiden couldn’t resist. “I’m just fine, sugar.”
The redhead lost her charm and offered him an evil glare, silvery eyes flashing menace.
She opened her mouth, probably to lambaste him, but Petra moved first, spinning slightly to position herself next to her friend. “We’re both okay. Aiden saved me from falling on my ass.”
His gaze dropped involuntarily. It was one fine ass, but that was probably not a comment he should make at this moment. Not with the redhead and another woman joining their gathering.
“Ranch hands are such idiots,” the newcomer commented before thrusting her hand toward him. “I’m Tansy Fields. Nice catch there, hotshot.”
He took the offering. “Aiden Skye. I aim to please.”
Petra laughed. It was a soft sound, her head down as if she were trying to hide her response, but he heard it, and something warmed inside.
The night he’d picked her up had been memorable. Pleasurable without strings. Seeing her again brought to mind all sorts of wonderful distractions. Just because he had a job to do here in Heart Falls didn’t mean he couldn’t also have some fun.
He ignored Petra’s posse as much as possible, focusing solely on her. “You steady enough on your feet to try the dance floor again?”
Petra glanced at her friends. “Sydney. Stop growling like an attack dog. Aiden and I have met before. He’s got my seal of approval.”
Disappointment danced over Sydney’s face. “Well, drat. I just got a new scalpel I wanted to try.”
Scalpel? Dear God.
Tansy smacked the back of her hand into Sydney’s arm. “Stop being mean to the nice cowboy.”
“But it’s so hard to tell the nice ones from the not so nice ones,” Sydney complained, gesturing toward the dance floor. “I mean, one minute everything’s flowing smoothly, and the next, testosterone is rumbling all over the place.”
A very inelegant snort escaped Tansy. “Please. You rarely complain about rumbling testosterone.” She danced her attention between Petra and Aiden then made shooing motions with her fingers. “Go on. Dance.”
Aiden tucked his arm around Petra again, ready to guide her to the floor. Amusement was still there though, so he tilted his head toward where his brothers stood at a nearby high top, drinking their beers now that the crowd and the fight had settled. “Those two cowboys are nice. I mean, nice enough, in a not very nice way,” he corrected.
As expected, Tansy’s gaze darted over to land on Jake and Declan. Her expression turned to admiration then flicked back to Aiden. “If you’re lying, we will get revenge.”
“They’re my brothers,” he admitted. “The grumpy one is Declan. The one who looks as if butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth is Jake, but they both know their right feet from their left.”
Then he ignored the mischief he’d arranged and guided Petra onto the dance floor and back into his arms. The music shifted to something slower, and he tucked her tight against him.
