“You.” He grabbed her by her arm and began walking her toward the corner of the room. One glance at Tagart, and she could tell he looked annoyed. She gave him a smile and a wave, which cost her a tug on her arm.
“Hey, Tommy, you’re holding me kind of firm. What’s the deal?”
He got her into the side hallway along with Vic. Both men, standing over six feet three, stared down at her.
“Are you out of your mind?”
“Is that a rhetorical question, because I often wondered if—”
“We’re not joking, Elise,” Vic added to the conversation. Boy, did they seem really angry.
“What is your problem?”
“You,” they both responded.
She took a step away from the wall and both men pressed a hand against her. Vic’s was on her waist and Tommy’s was against her shoulder.
Hot damn, did she feel an electric current run from where they touched straight to her belly. The expressions on their faces an
d the way her heart raced warned her that something was happening here. Something she had often fantasized about but knew she could never allow to happen.
Vic’s fingers gently rubbed against her skin, and she shivered with arousal.
“You could have gotten hurt,” he whispered. The man was a god. That tan complexion, those hazel eyes and the firm muscular jaw, were playing havoc on every feminine part of her body. Why were her nipples suddenly so hard, and why did her pussy clench just so? This was a first.
She shook her head.
“You scared us,” Vic added, and she turned to look at him. She was shocked speechless by the sounds of their voices and the way they were gently caressing her skin. What were they doing? Did they now, just notice her tonight because of the bull riding, the show, and Tagart? Oh God, Tagart.
She turned to look toward that direction and Vic and Tommy followed her line of sight. They blocked her view and there was no way to see around such large behemoths of men. Her heart fluttered at the sight of Vic and Tommy. That always happened, but nothing more. This was the closest they came to indicating that they cared. That was it. It suddenly hit her. They were so used to protecting her during the hints of danger over the past year and a half, that even now, when she was more than capable of handling things herself, they were stepping in. She was surprised by the feelings of disappointment that hit her belly. Did she have stronger feelings for them? If so, they weren’t reciprocated. At least not in the way she fantasized about. They were acting like overprotective brothers. There were enough of those around with her fellow Dixie Chix having boyfriends in the multiples.
Her silence obviously threw them for a loop and she took advantage by brushing by them off and running a hand through her hair.
“I appreciate the brotherly love, fellas, but this cowgirl is more than capable of handling herself and that cowboy out there waiting on me. Thanks anyway.” She didn’t know why they looked so shocked. After all, she was thanking them for caring.
Without a glance back toward them, which was quite difficult to do, considering that the eye candy had always caught her sweet tooth, she held her ground and headed as far away from Vic and Tommy as she could. She wasn’t liking the thoughts that were scattering through her head. Perhaps a little fooling around with a man who paid her attention would do the trick?
Tagart was there to greet her, placing his arm around her waist, his palm flat against her belly.
“Everything all right?” he asked as he smiled down at her.
“Just fine.” She replied, but she didn’t mean the words. She was lying. Her belly felt all upset and her heart pounded inside of her chest.
Son of a bitch. She was sexually attracted to Vic and Tommy. Now what?
Tagart caressed her belly and her hip bone as he used his free hand to push her hair from her face and whisper into her ear.
“That was some sexy show you put on, Elise. I don’t know any women who could pull that off on an electric bull. You’ve got me all fired up.” He pressed his body against her back, and she felt his erection. Her body hummed with awareness. It had been so long since a man held her, never mind made love to her. But she needed to slow things down. She didn’t know Tagart and she wasn’t going to jump into bed with him just so that she could rid her mind of Vic and Tommy.
She tightened up and pulled away shyly.
“Hey, don’t be shy, sugar. I like you. I did the moment I laid eyes on you,” he told her then kissed her cheek. He didn’t release his hold on her as he took a beer and handed it to her then picked up a bottle for himself.
“To Hurt So Good,” he toasted, and she chuckled as she tapped his beer bottle and took a long sip. Why was her belly all in knots, and why couldn’t she get Vic and Tommy off her mind?
Chapter 3
“So what did you think?” Carver asked Tagart as they sat in the hotel bar, having some drinks.