Page 59 of Rescued Hearts
A giggle bubbled out of me before I could stop it. “What if Luke comes in here and sees?”
Levi’s mouth curved into a seductive grin. “Then I guess I better get to work.”
18
Levi
Today was apparently the most important day on Earth: Delilah Chase’s thirtieth birthday.
I wholeheartedly disagreed, since my wedding day was clearly the most important. But when I opened my mouth to say that, she sprayed me in the face with a can of neon pink silly string that I was still picking out of my hair.
With babysitters arranged for the kids, everyone was here to join in on the fun. And even though it was her birthday, Delilah had planned a lot for us. There was a shotgunning contest, which I had shockingly won—a skill I’d credit my frat days at Harvard for. And after that, she started force-feeding us shots, so we were all already a little buzzed by the time we got onto the party bus to go to the Bull Pen.
Tess was all giggly and sweet beside me on the bus, her eyes glossy with liquor, and she was in the most provocative outfit I’d ever seen her in. Delilah’s doing, naturally. She had gotten all the girls crop tops with insane things written on them and handed them out right before we left.
Brittany’s said, ‘Save a horse, ride a mustache,’ and Colt immediately laid down like a human welcome mat. Savannah’sshirt said, ‘Cowboy pillows,’ which Weston took as an invitation to bury his face in her chest. Claire’s shirt said, ‘Bark for me,’ so Beau chased her around the ranch, barking like a dog until we were all crying with laughter.’
But Tess’s shirt…when I saw it, dear God, I nearly got hard in front of everyone. It was so tight it looked painted on, and in big, bold, red letters across her chest, ‘I look better bent over.’ To top it off, she was in a scrap of fabric that could barely be called a mini skirt and heels that made her legs look like they went on for days.
I look better bent over. Those five words had been taunting me all night. We’d fooled around every chance we got this past week, doing everything but sex, and I felt like I was dying for it. And the way she kept touching me and petting me now made me wonder if she was, too, and was just afraid to make the first move.
We pulled up to the Bull Pen, and it was packed. The music was so loud it sounded like it was trying to bust through the walls. Tess stayed close, her hand firmly clasped in mine as we walked inside. She was less jumpy now, but crowds still had her on edge, so I was happy to let her cling to me.
“To the bar!” Delilah yelled, grinning wide. Her hot pink cowgirl hat was sparkling under the lights. It was one of those ridiculous things with rhinestone fringe and feathers that women wore to their bachelorette parties. Her shirt was surprisingly tame and said, ‘Buy me a drink, it’s my birthday.’ Tess took both my hands, wrapping them around her while we followed the birthday girl turned drill sergeant.
“I’ve got a bad feeling about this,” Emmett said next to me, his eyes on Delilah leaning across the bar, ordering who knew what. “We’re all gonna have alcohol poisoning by the end of the night.”
She started passing back shot glasses of what smelled like Fireball. I kept one arm wrapped around Tess. “It’ll be fine,” I assured him and handed him the shot glass, tapping it with mine. “Drink up.”
He let out a sound of disgust, and we tossed them back. He grimaced, and I coughed. “This tastes like high school parties.”
“Think that’s the point,” I laughed, my chest warm and fuzzy.
Tess turned around, looking like Luke in the ice cream shop. “This is so much fun!” she screamed loud enough to burst my eardrum, jumping up and down. I smiled, pulling her against me. She tasted like cinnamon liquor and joy. Her fingers curled in my shirt, like I was the only thing keeping her upright, her kiss sloppy and raw and perfect. “That’s fun, too,” she said, breathless. And I couldn’t agree more.
“Can you kiss my sister somewhere else?” Emmett grumbled.
“I’ll kiss him wherever I want,” Tess said with a snarky defiance that made me want to drag her out back home.
Emmett said, “Gross,” while grimacing, and walked deeper into the crowd to probably sulk.
The night went by in a blur of drinks, dancing, and laughter. That spare cog feeling nowhere to be found. Maybe Beau had been right, and I did belong with them this whole time; I just hadn’t realized it until now.
A few of us were gathered around Whiplash, the mechanical bull, watching Weston relive his glory days even though it’d only been a month since he retired.
Tess tugged on my arm, pulling me down to her. “I’m going to pee with Claire,” she said in my ear.
“Want me to come with you?” She shook her head and kissed me quickly before running off before I could say anything else.
I watched her walk away, her arm linked with her sister. A few guys barked at them because of Claire’s shirt, and I almost went over there until they started laughing. Beau came next tome, resting his arms over the railing to the mechanical bull pen. “So you two together now?” he asked, taking a long pull from his beer.
“Yeah,” I said, smiling. “I guess I’m dating my wife.” Both of us started laughing at how ridiculous it sounded.
“You tell her how you feel yet?”
My smile faded, and I watched Weston get slung around like a rag doll. “No. I almost did last weekend, but”—I let out a sigh—“I don’t know…I panicked.”
“Do you think she doesn’t feel the same or somethin’?”
