Too Close For Comfort (Sweetrock Cowboy Romance Book 2) (5 page)

“Yeah, guess we better head back.” Cash reined Hangover around and started at a slow trot toward the barn.

Tessa followed, taking her time because she loved spending as much time as possible in the saddle. When they got into the barn, she started relieving the horses of their saddles, bridles, and blankets, rubbing them down and brushing them. The whole time, Cash leaned against one of the posts supervising, telling her where she missed a spot, teasing her and rubbing it in that she’d lost.

Tessa didn’t mind, though. It didn’t matter who had won the race. The racing seemed to have cleared her mind just as her confession at dinner seemed to have cleared her soul. She felt lighter now, like she had a purpose and something positive to look forward to for the future.

T
he next day
, Tessa couldn’t wait to get to The Bull Sheep Bar. It was Friday, and she knew it would be crowded. The weekend always brought people out in droves, and there would be lots of guys there. Sheesh, now she was getting guy crazy. But she wasn’t—not really. Though a variety to choose from would be nice, she was really hoping to run into that guy, John, from the other night again. He had potential.

As she sat at a long table with her friends, a mixture of hope and trepidation ran through her. She felt like a teenager—anxious to see John, but also nervous that she was pinning her hopes on him. It wasn’t like her to act this way about a guy she barely knew.

The past couple of days, her feelings about settling down had become more insistent. She didn’t know if it was the happy childhood memories living in her parents’ house brought on or having someone around all the time like Cash or seeing Nick and Sam so happy in front of her. Whatever it was, she
knew
it was time for her to stop settling for short flings and try a solid relationship.

She had to start with someone, and she was attracted to John and he seemed to be attracted to her, so why not?

“Another shot?” Melina raised her brows at Tessa and then looked down at the shot glass she’d just drained.

She probably shouldn’t, but... “One more.”

Melina signaled the waitress and held up two fingers. Two amber-filled vials appeared on the table a few minutes later, and Tessa downed hers quickly then turned it over. She was at her limit and while she knew Mel liked the company, there was no way she could keep up with her. She’d stick with beer from now on.

“You’re drinking shots?” Sam’s gaze flicked to the shot glass.

“Just one. Okay, two. But that’s it. Beer from now on. I just needed a little something extra tonight.”

“I sent Cash and Nick to the bar to get us beers.”

Tessa’s gaze drifted to the bar, her heart jumping when she saw John leaning there, his elbow on the bar looking out at the crowd.

“Looks like Mel is taking it easy tonight.” Sam tilted her chin toward Mel, who was talking to someone at the next table. She appeared to be relatively sober.

“Yes, but the night is young. I do hope she tones it down, though. She’s headed down a bad road.”

“She has the rest of us to look out for her,” Sam said.

“Sure, but looking out for her can only do so much. We might need to have an intervention or something.” Tessa was still watching John survey the crowd.

Was he looking for her?

“I hope not. She hasn’t been drinking as much lately. Nick and Cash haven’t had to make sure she got home safely for at least a week now, though I know Cash had to go help her out with something at the hospital last week.”

“He’d do that for any of us. It’s comforting to know he has your back. That you all do.” Tessa’s eyes locked on John’s and his brow lifted, a smile curling his lips. Her heart gave a little flutter. Just a little one, but it was a start.

“Yep. I think he’s a keeper.”

Tessa turn to Sam. “You do?”

Was she talking about John? Why would she say that? She didn’t even know him.

Sam nodded, her eyes fixed in the direction of the bar. Tessa followed her gaze. Cash came into view, walking in their direction with a beer in each hand.

Maybe Sam had been talking about Cash? Then he stepped to the side, and Tessa saw Nick right behind him. Of course, Sam must have been talking about Nick.

It didn’t matter if Sam had been talking about Nick, Cash, or John being a keeper—the two shots of Jack Daniels took her words as encouragement.

“Yep, and I’m going to see for how long.” Tessa pushed up from the table. Sam’s confused voice asking where she was going barely registered as she made her way toward John.

On the way, she passed Nick and Cash, lifting the beer out of Cash’s hand with merely a nod as she headed straight past him to the bar.

* * *

C
ash’s fingertips
tingled when they brushed against Tessa’s. His heart leaped at her touch, but she just kept going, snatching the beer out of his hand and brushing past him to continue on to the bar. Cash turned around and looked, and his heart sank. She was walking toward the smooth dancer from the other night.

“You coming?” Nick, who had gotten a few paces ahead, turned around, a questioning look on his face.

“Yeah.” Cash glanced back at the bar then started forward.

Nick smiled. “Oh, I see. That blonde, right?”

Cash whipped his head around again. “What? Oh, yeah.” Nick must have thought he was checking out the blonde at the bar, not Tessa. And that’s what Cash wanted him to think. It would be a disaster if he let Nick, or anyone else, know his true feelings.

“She’s pretty hot. You should go for it.”

“Maybe later.”

They continued to their table, where Cash purposely took the seat next to Sam and watched Tessa at the bar.

Sam leaned toward him and lowered her voice. “Who’s that guy Tessa is with?”

“I don’t know. Some guy she met here the other night.”

“Yeah, I thought I saw them dancing. I don’t get a good vibe from him.”

“Me, either.” Cash crossed his arms over his chest as he watched. The guy was leaning toward Tessa, his hand on her hip. Their bodies were only about an inch apart.

“He looks like the possessive type,” Sam said.

“Yeah. The flirty type.” The guy had stepped closer, and they were hip to hip now. Cash’s hands wanted to ball into tight fists, so he flexed his fingers while he fought the urge to go over there and rip the two of them apart.

“She might’ve had a little too much to drink. Maybe I should go over there and interrupt her.” Sam slid a sideways look at Cash. “Or maybe that would just add fuel to the fire.”

“You know how she is. You tell her not to do something, and she’s gonna want to do it even more.” Cash hadn’t taken his eyes off them the whole time.

Now the guy’s hand was moving down her backside, cupping her ass. Tessa’s hand floated up to his chest, but it looked like she was trying to push some distance between them.

The guy pulled her closer.

Tessa’s smile turned downward, and she pushed harder.

The guy leaned over, kissing her earlobe.

Cash shot out of his chair and was across the bar in a second. He grabbed the guy by the arm and pulled him away from Tessa. “It looks like the lady doesn’t want you groping her like that.”

Cash was a few inches taller than the guy, and he used it to his advantage, standing close and leaning down in the guy’s face. But the man was cocky. He just smiled, stepped back and slid his eyes over to Tessa. “Really? I think she liked it. What’s it to you, anyway?”

“She’s my friend.” Cash looked at Tessa. Instead of being grateful that he’d saved her from this jerk, she appeared to be furious. She was probably mad that he was interfering, but he didn’t care. He knew the guy was bad news, and he wasn’t going to stand by and let him break Tessa’s heart.

“Did you want this guy groping you?” Cash asked her.

“Well, no but...” The guy put his arm around Tessa’s shoulders and pulled her awkwardly against him. “See, the lady doesn’t mind.”

Tessa pushed away from him. “Hey, wait a minute. Maybe I do.”

Cash had had enough of this guy. He grabbed his collar and pinned him against the bar, ignoring the warning look from the bartender. “Listen, Buddy, the lady
does
mind, and if I see you touching her like that again, I’m going to make sure that you won’t be groping anyone for a long time.”

He let go of the guy who stumbled back against the bar, and then he grabbed Tessa’s hand and pulled her toward the door. “Come on, we’re going home.”

* * *

T
essa’s head
spun as Cash pulled her out into the parking lot, his warm hand clasped tightly around hers. They were halfway to his car before her head caught up with what had happened inside the bar. She yanked her hand out of his and stopped short.

“What the hell was that all about?”

He spun around, his blue eyes blazing. “That guy is bad news. I’m not gonna stand by and watch you get into trouble with him.”

“I don’t need a bodyguard!”

“Everyone needs someone to look out for them. All of us do.”

Tessa stood there furious, her blood boiling over, and then she thought about how Cash and Nick had been looking out for Melina. Cash had always been there for her, too. Her demeanor softened. She hoped she wasn’t turning into a high-maintenance friend like Melina. “Yeah, but you practically punched that guy out.”

Why did that turn her on?
Maybe she shouldn’t have had that last beer.

Cash continued toward his Jeep, talking over his shoulder to her. “He was spoiling for a fight. Anyway, I think you would’ve been sorry if I hadn’t intervened. He’s not the guy for you.”

Tessa ran after him to catch up, her anger returning. “Who are you to decide who the right guy for me is?”

But she wasn’t really angry at him. She was angry at herself. Even before Cash had intervened, she’d realized John was a jerk. It was obvious he was only after one thing. It figured the one guy she’d picked to finally open up to and trust with her heart was another loser. She wouldn’t make
that
mistake again.

But right now, Tessa needed someone to take her frustrations out on. She stopped at the passenger door of the Jeep and turned on Cash, jabbing her finger into the hard muscles of his chest. “I don’t need you telling me what to do or who to date!”

Cash leaned one palm against the roof of the Jeep and captured her finger with the other. Leaning close, he whispered, “I think that’s exactly what you need.”

Her heartbeat sped up, but not from anger. Her gaze dropped to his lips. So soft and kissable.

What the heck?

She was acutely aware of how close their bodies were, a mere centimeter of sultry summer air between them. Suddenly, she was desperate for their bodies to be closer.

She looked up and saw the question in his eyes and then her gaze dropped to his lips again. She wondered how he would taste.

He leaned closer, then hesitated. Tessa wasn’t thinking with her head now. Instead, some primal urge fueled by too many beers tossed her common sense away and took over. She closed the gap, rising up on her toes to mash her lips against his.

For a second, he didn’t move, and she thought she’d made a huge mistake. But then he moaned and crushed her to his chest, his lips taking hers. Tasting lightly at first and then with a low growl, he deepened the kiss, parting her lips and tangling her tongue with his.

Tessa’s heart exploded, sending a coil of fire to her core with an intensity she’d never felt before.

* * *

C
ash tasted
the sweet liquor on her tongue. Felt warm silky flesh as he ran his hands along her curvy sides under her shirt. Her breasts pressed tightly against his chest sent a flood of warmth straight to his groin.

What was he thinking?

Not thinking, just feeling.

Cash’s body was in an epic battle with his brain. His body was formulating a plan to get Tessa home and into bed. His bed. Her bed. Didn’t matter.