Page 21 of Thaw My Heart

“This is where I was born. It’s my home,” Cash replies.

“It hasn’t been your home in a long time,” I huff.

Cash rolls his tongue. “Apologies for my rude cousin. He has the social immaturity of a grizzly bear.”

I glare at him, proving his point.

“You’re too pretty a girl to be sitting here,” Cash smiles, gesturing to the dance floor. “You deserve to be out there.”

I’m two seconds from kicking his jaw in.

“Is this your way of asking me to dance?” Sadie asks.

“Would you dance with me, Sadie?” Cash offers his overpriced silver-watched hand, peeking out underneath his grey suit. A watch he probably bought with Cole’s money.

Sadie glances at me, biting her lip, unsure what to do. I hope she turns him down, just so I can see the disappointment on his face. It would make my whole night.

“Come on, let me show you a good time,” Cash pushes, pressuring her with an offer of his arm one more time.

Sadie shrugs, reaching for him. “Why not?”

My chair grates across the wooden floor as I stand in between them. “Sadie already promised me a dance.” There’s no way in hell I’m letting Cash dig his claws into her, like he does with everyone else. “Didn’t you?” I ask her while rolling up the sleeves of my flannel.

Sadie’s eyes light up in surprise. “I did.” She glances at the tattoo sleeve on my left forearm.

“You can have the next one,” Cash reaches for her arm.

“I don’t fucking think so,” I slap his hand away, staring at him with such intensity that he pales.

Being the second choice isn’t an option. I will choose violence if he doesn’t take a fucking step back.

“She asked me first.”

Cash purses his lips, glancing at Sadie, but she’s looking at me with a surprised smile on her face.

“Fine then.” Cash finally takes a step back, and my body relaxes. “Come find me when you change your mind,” he winks at Sadie. “See you around, cousin.” He strides off, back to whatever hellhole he came from.

I turn to Alaska, ignoring Ryker’s smirk that he’s had on his face since I stood up. “Can we talk later?”

“Sure,” Alaska murmurs.

“Don’t worry,” Ryker wraps his arm around Alaska. “I’ll keep her company.”

“Oh joy,” Alaska says with a slight frown.

When I turn back to Sadie, she’s chugging down the rest of her beer like a champ. I’m slightly impressed. “We doing this, Cowboy?” She wipes her mouth, removing some of her dark red lipstick with it.

Is she nervous?

“Now or never,” I offer my arm.

She laughs and hooks her arm around mine. “Better be now, or I might change my mind.”

The dance floor is crowded as Averie strums a slow and steady rhythm on her guitar. Several men who work at the ranch make eyes at me, smirking and assuming the worst as she pulls me in.

Damn small towns.

Her slender arms wrap around my neck as I pull her in, pulse quickening as my hands find the curve of her waist. Enraptured by the smell of her perfume and her hair, like some kind of flowery shampoo and warm spice. Inviting, and it shouldn’t be. Sadie is anything but inviting.