The Virgin Next Door (Stud Ranch)

Liam didn’t know what to do with this information. Staying away from virgins was one of Liam’s hard and fast rules. He looked out over the dance floor at Calla laughing and leaning into Mack.

Jaw tightening, he bent back down to Mel’s ear. “You tell Mackenzie this?”

She shook her head. “No chance. She let it slip while I was doing her make up and I probably shouldn’t have even told you, but—”

“I’m glad you did.”

She nodded, still looking uncertain.

He gave her arm a squeeze and then started through the crowd to get to Calla’s side. If Mack hadn’t been in the picture, he might have left well enough alone. Getting tangled with a virgin was usually the last thing he would have been up for.

But Mack was in the picture. He might not know her well yet, but the last thing she needed was to be seduced by some fucking ex-con. Liam was more determined than ever to get her away from the bastard.

9

CALLA

“Your right foot. No, your other right.” Calla laughed even harder as Mack stumbled along to the line dance steps, his face an adorable mask of concentration as he stomped a beat after everyone else. At least he was finally moving back and forth with the crowd, even if he didn’t seem to be able to catch onto the simple step-kick, triple step pattern of the dance.

“Step, kick, tri-ple step,” she said, overexaggerating each syllable as she tried to demonstrate.

He seemed to finally get it, but then came the part where they were supposed to shuffle forward and he was still stomping and kicking. She grabbed his arm and dragged him forward, laughing so hard her stomach was starting to hurt.

God, she couldn’t remember the last time she’d had this much fun. Maybe never?

She’d been so nervous while Mel was doing her hair and showing her how to apply some light make up. The dress alone had been so daring Calla hadn’t been sure she’d be able to go into public in it. So she hadn’t said no when Mel offered her a shot of tequila before they headed downstairs to the ballroom. She might have snuck a second while Mel went to the bathroom, barely able to hide her scrunched face before Mel came back out.

Calla was usually a strict beer drinker. But she couldn’t say she didn’t like the way the tequila heated her chest, burning all the way down. Then there was how, just moments later all her limbs went nice and loose and suddenly she’d been eager to get down to the party. To Mack and Liam.

Maybe it was wrong of her not to have chosen one over the other yet.

Then again, screw that. It wasn’t like she was looking for marriage. She just wanted to have fun tonight without stressing over all the shit she usually did.

Mel had tried to get her into a pair of heels but it took about zero point three seconds to determine that nope, there was no way she’d be able to take two steps in the damn ankle breakers. In the end, Mel agreed that Calla’s good cowboy boots—as opposed to her daily work ones—with the dress did look pretty cute. Cute wasn’t a word that had ever been applied to Calla before, so with Mel’s encouragement and one more shot of liquid courage, they’d come downstairs.

All her old anxieties came back the second they walked into the crowded ballroom. God, people she knew were going to see her in this get up.

Before she could start hyperventilating and running back to the exit, though, Mack had come up to her. It was impossible to miss the appreciation in his eyes as he looked her up and down. She was sure she’d gone beet red, but he pulled her out to the dance floor.

The song came to an end right as Mack started shuffling the right direction. She held onto his arm to hold herself up she was still laughing so hard.

“Glad I’m entertaining you,” Mack said gruffly, but she could tell by the twinkle in his eyes he wasn’t actually put off.

On impulse, she went up on tiptoes and planted a kiss on his cheek. She meant it to just be a quick peck but he wrapped an arm around her waist, his other hand slipping around to cup the back of her head.

His gray eyes were more intense than she’d ever seen as he leaned down. He wasn’t aiming for her cheek, either. Calla dropped her eyes closed, waiting for their first kiss with bated breath. She’d only kissed one other boy her whole life and it turned out Tommy Shelton had been dared to kiss the class tomboy for five bucks.

But a hairsbreadth away from Mack’s lips touching hers, a voice cut in loudly. “Can I have the next dance?”