Page 46 of A Lot Like Love
Chapter 11
Chloe was starting to get used to Ryder’s arm slung low around her hips and being hard up against his body. There was something comforting about having a man as commanding as Ryder by her side—he was big enough to be intimidating to other men and the look in his eyes when he made a threat made it obvious that he’d follow through. She’d had to be tough all her life to get out of certain situations, and it was nice to know that someone actually had her back for once. Although she wasn’t sure if it was just because she was the one capable of winning his ranch back for him, or if he really gave a damn. Or maybe that was just the way he was with women, going into alpha protective mode at the drop of a hat. But the way he’d looked at her before… She stamped the thought away. She knew better than to get carried away with some fantasy idea of what they had turning into something more.
They stopped outside a bar that had music thumping loud. Ryder unhooked his arm and took her hand, pausing before they entered.
“You know, this place seemed like a good idea in my head, but now that we’re here I’m not so sure.”
A woman in teeny-tiny cutoff shorts and a ripped low T-shirt burst out the door and stumbled past them and Chloe watched as Ryder cringed.
“It’ll be fine,” she said. “So long as we can drink I’ll be happy.”
Ryder pushed open the door. “When I said this was my favorite dive hangout, I didn’t really think it through. I usually come here with my brothers, and we’re kind of drunk before we get here half the time.”
“So in other words it’s not the right place to bring a girlfriend?” she asked with a chuckle. “I don’t care, Ryder. Seriously, I’m not going to be offended by a heap of scantily clad girls and cheap drinks.”
He grinned and slung his arms across her shoulders, tugging her head closer when he closed his arms into a V and kissed her cheek. “That’s my girl.” Ryder laughed. “Welcome to Rockhouse Las Vegas.”
Chloe tried not to bristle, but it was hard. Having fun with Ryder was one thing, but she didn’t want him to get the wrong idea about what was happening between them. She liked him more than she wanted to admit, but she wasn’t going to let herself think about this being anything more than fun. Falling for Ryder would end in her heart being splintered into pieces, and the last thing she needed was to be dependent on anyone in this life other than herself. Seeing her dad’s old deadbeat gambling buddy had made that crystal clear.
“For all you know I used to come here all the time,” Chloe said as she leaned into Ryder on their way to the bar.
He glanced at her, eyebrows raised. “Seriously?”
She laughed. “Not a chance. But hey, you didn’t tell me it was Taco Tuesday! This place is looking better by the second.”
“Hey, it’s the strip’s ultra dive bar, what did you expect?”
“So, tacos?” she asked, wiggling out of his grasp and leaning forward on the bar, waving a bartender over to take their orders.
“Damn right I want tacos,” Ryder said, pulling out his wallet.
Chloe put her hand over his and shook her head. “This one’s on me. After the way you handled Jim back there I owe you big-time.”
“It was nothing.” Ryder’s jaw was set hard again, his eyes stormy when she brought up what had happened. “I told you I’d look after you while we were here and I meant it.”
“Still,” she said, opening her purse and shaking her head, “it meant a lot to me and I want to at least get the tacos. And the shots.”
“Shots?” he asked, one eyebrow raised again, his dimple reminding her of the fun they’d had in the bedroom, the way he’d looked at her when it had just been the two of them. That’s what she needed to focus on—it was aboutfunnotlove.She wasn’t going to fall for him no matter how sweet he was, and he wasn’t going to fall for her.
“Seriously, Ryder, you need to start reading the blackboards. We’ll do shots later though, tonight we’re starting with margaritas.” She ordered more food than they’d ever eat and two drinks, then perched on a stool and relaxed against the counter. “I guess I should feel lucky that it was an old foe we ran in to and not my dad.”
Ryder rubbed her back as she slumped forward, and when she didn’t sit upright completely he started to massage her shoulders. “What you need is a good ride.”
She tipped her head sideways and scowled at him, laughing when he held up his hands in surrender.
“I was talking about the mechanical bull,” he said. “Over there.”
“Haha, very funny.”
She watched as he nodded to the bartender then held up his glass, waiting for her to clink hers against it. “Wait until you’ve downed a couple of these and you’ve got a belly full of tacos. Then we can really have some fun over there.”
Chloe took a long, slow sip of her margarita and straightened her shoulders. She’d had her slump and now she was going to forget all about who they’d run into. It was Vegas, it would have been impossible not to run into someone her father owed money to.
“You feeling good about how you played today?” Ryder asked.
“Sure,” she said, twirling the stem of the cocktail glass between her fingers. “First game was a little rusty, and after that I found my feet pretty quick.”
“So you’re ready to take Parker for all he’s worth?”
