I resolve, right here and now, to not look over there again.
“Of Emmett Bush?” I snort. “That’ll be the day. I’ll start highlighting my hair and going for facials to get his Ken-doll glow just so I can be more like him.”
“You definitely don’t sound jealous at all,” Theo mocks.
I take another aggravated swig. “Good. Cause I’m not.”
“I can see why you would be though. She looks damn good on that bull.”
“What?” I whip around so fast that I knock my bottle in the process, righting it just before it creates more than a small puddle of beer on the table.
But when I glance back up, sure enough, Summer has climbed onto the mechanical bull. It’s surrounded by foam mats, and a crowd has gathered around the low barrier around the circle.
Her small hand is wrapped around the grip, and her pale jeans are so tight that I can see the fold where her thigh meets her hip.
She’s grinning widely, and when she looks at Emmett, her top teeth dig into her bottom lip.
Those fucking lips.
She gives a small nod and giggles as she does it. Looking so carefree. So young. So much happier than she usually does in my company.
The guy operating the machine starts it up, and her hips rock with the motion.
I have to look away. My brain is fried, and my cock is thickening. I want to throw her over my shoulder and carry her out of here. Put my mark on her.
It’s unlike anything I’ve ever felt.
But she doesn’t want that. She doesn’t need that, and I keep reminding myself to be a gentleman. I told Theo not to be a pig, and I need to make sure I’m not being one either.
I swivel on my stool to face Theo and chug the rest of my beer before waving at the server to bring me another.
I need it.
“Hey, guys.” Cindy walks up, looking at Theo like he’s a cake and it’s her birthday. “How’s it going?”
“Great.” Theo smiles and pats the stool beside himself.
I don’t say anything. The pheromones between them do nothing but annoy me. I wish the only thing keeping Summer and me apart was that we were both too stupid to just talk to each other.
Instead, she has to be all smart, and responsible, and career driven. Making us a problem, when in any other setting we’d be a no-brainer.
“Your girl can ride, Rhett,” Cindy says, nodding over at Summer.
Of course, she can. She’s strong. That she can sit on a mechanical bull better than the average person doesn’t surprise me one bit. I’ve watched her work out, watched that ass clench in her tights. I’ve watched sweat trickle down between her tits, her lips parted as she pants from a tough session.
I chance a glance over my shoulder because I’m a seriously weak son of a bitch where Summer Hamilton is concerned. Sure enough, she’s looking damn fine up there. Arm up, chin down, shoulders back.
But it’s not good for business when someone lasts too long, and I turn away just as the operator jerks her in the other direction, forcing her to lose her seat.
“She’s not my girl.” I hear the cheers for her, knowing that she probably finally took her tumble.
I hope she’s okay.
Theo rolls his eyes, but as he takes in the scene behind me, they go wide.
“You’re right,” Cindy agrees with a nod. “It looks like she might be Emmett’s.”
This time, I stand straight up, catching sight of Summer as she pulls Emmett’s cowboy hat off and plunks it on her head as they head over to the bar across the room.
And that’s it.
I’m striding across the bar, getting to her as fast as I can. It feels like it takes forever, but it has to have been under eight seconds.
Summer is tucking a shot into her cleavage when I get to her and knock that fucking hat right off her head.
“What the—” She stops talking when she catches sight of me. “What’s wrong?” She looks genuinely confused. Like she truly has no goddamn idea how crazy she drives me.
How badly I want her.
“Hey, man.” Emmett slithers up like the fucking snake he is. “You know the rules.”
“Yeah, I do. But she doesn’t. Keep your fucking hat to yourself.”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa.” Summer removes the shot glass from her cleavage and holds that hand up to stop us. “What rules?”
“Don’t worry about it, doll. Let’s do the body shot.” Emmett tries to redirect the conversation, edging his body in front of mine to block me out.
But my limbs are longer, and I reach around him and steal the shot right out of Summer’s hand. “Not a fucking chance.”