Whiskey and Country

“Come on, women, I’ll drive you home,” Carter said as Addi and I walked back toward our party, our arms interlinked with each other, basking in our happy booze bliss.

“No. I’ll drive them home,” Nick chimed in. “Carter, you should drive your friends to their cabins instead.”

My best friend jumped in Nick’s face, his scorching gaze strong enough to reduce him to ashes. “You’re not driving anyone anywhere, pretty boy. Nobody here is in any shape to get behind a wheel. Call yourself a cab or something. News flash, in this town, it might be quicker to just walk home. Don’t waste time. You should get going. We’ll be all right.”

Nick steeled his back, not breaking his stance at Carter’s harsh words.

“My last drink was more than two hours ago. I’ve been sipping water since. Don’t worry about me, man. Don’t picture me as a threat. Or a villain. Because you’re wrong on both accounts. No need to give me shit either. I’ll drive Dahlia and Addison home while you take care of them,” he said with a firm voice, not open for discussion, gesturing in the direction of Riley, June, Stud, and Belinda, still laughing and drinking, not a care in the world about the heated exchange.

I swallowed hard. Nick just reached a new level of respect in my mind as he stood up to my best friend. Every word escaping his full lips captivated me. Took me hostage. Showed me the strength in him. And turned me on.

The idea of a do-over kiss prickled my lips. I blinked to escape his magnetic force. If my friends weren’t here, I wouldn’t wait another second to claim his lips. Because I’d been thinking about them a lot in the last twenty-four hours. Their taste. Their feel. Their allure.

Blinking away my fantasies, I neared Carter in one stride. “Stop. Nick’s right. They are staying next to your house. You have enough room in your truck for them. Addi and I will ride with Nick.” Carter sighed. “We’ll be okay, Cart. Stop worrying about me all the time. I can take care of myself, okay? Now let’s get them out of here. I have to clean up and engage the alarm.”

Carter’s serious stare weighed on me. “Go. Don’t worry. I’ll take care of it and set the alarm.”

“You sure? I can help ya,” I slurred a little.

“Yeah. Go home. Get some sleep. We’ll be out of here in no time.”

Our gazes fixated on each other for a beat.

Carter moved forward to drop a kiss on my forehead.

“Go, Dah. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

“Thanks.” I squeezed his forearm and nodded without another word.

“Be careful,” he murmured to my back.

I closed in on Nick, who stood further away with Addi.

“Ready?” he whispered, his warm breath tickling the shell of my ear when I reached him.

“Yes.” My voice low, loving the bubble we always fell into when we were together.

We exchanged a smile, and my chest expanded at the way he glanced at me.

“Does Carter need help? We can stay to clean up.”

I shook my head. “No. Let him. It will erase some of his annoyance. Believe me, it’s better if he does it by himself. On his own. Anyway, the rest of the store has already been cleaned, so it’s just this one room.”

With his hand glued to the small of my back, Nick led me to his truck, Addison stumbling in front of us, singing, and contagiously happy.

Ten minutes later, we parked in my driveway, and my girlfriend got out on the pretext of a full bladder.

“Don’t wait for me. I’ll be right in,” I told her.

Damn. No way Nick missed her not-so-subtle wink.

She closed the truck door behind her, and I let out a nervous laugh. Nick shook his head. “She’s crazy. But I like her. She reminds me of my best friend. Don’t ever let me introduce them. They would be dynamite together. Hot but dangerous.”

“She’s the best.” My eyes trailed her silhouette as she entered the house.

My body smoldered in desire now that Nick and I were finally alone.

We stared at each other, and it killed the lightness we shared. The air in the truck cab frizzled. And my skin prickled with growing awareness.

Nick’s musky scent filled my nose, firing electric jolts at my heart.

His throat worked, and I zoomed in on the movement.

My eyes moved up and focused on those lips. The ones whose contour I wanted to draw with my fingertip. And feel against my skin. Hear all their secrets. And whispers as they tasted mine.

“I’ll walk you to your door,” he said, breaking the tensed silence. And my slow exploration of his face.

None of us made a move to exit the vehicle for a minute.

My pulse quickened.

Restraint flashed in his eyes. Mixed with something I assumed was desire.

Gosh, I was desperate to kiss him. So bad. But feared I would be swept away if I did.

Like the previous night, we faced each other under the porch light.

“Thanks for inviting me tonight, Dahlia. I had a great time. And your friends are the real deal. You’re lucky to have them. They all love you very much. That is clear.”

I moved closer, eating the space between us. I craved Nick’s touch. Perhaps it was the champagne I drank. Or the excitement in the air. But once again, I had a hard time focusing anywhere else but his mouth.

For the hundredth time tonight, I wondered if his lips would be as soft on my flesh as they looked. If they would taste as great as they did last night.

Nick laced his fingers through mine and brought our joined hands to his chest. Heat shot through me and messed with my composure. His touch alone broke barriers I had set around my heart a long time ago. His heartbeat, strong and wild, mirrored mine. Before I could lose my guts, I rose to my tiptoes and pressed my lips to his. Our connection calmed the urge inside me.

As if we’d rehearsed it a million times before, our mouths fused together. Like two magnets.

I entangled my fingers in his hair, deepening the bond we shared.

Nick sucked in a short intake of air and shut his eyes before pulling back.

“I—I” I winced. “I’m sorry. I thought—I believed—”

Nick tugged at my hands when I tried to yank them away.

“Dahlia, don’t. I’m very into you too. It’s just—” He tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear, his palm cradling the side of my face. Shivers moved up and down my spine at the closeness of our bodies. “We’re friends. I think you made it clear tonight when you gave your speech. Thanks, by the way. I’m glad I walked into your shop that day too, for what it’s worth. I knew we said kissing is allowed, according to our rulebook, but I’m scared if we do it a lot, I’ll never be able to stop. I’m not into one-nighters. And you don’t deserve to be just a fuck.” Nick tipped my head up, his hand still glued to my face, heat shooting through me. “Don’t feel bad about this. I can’t keep count of how many times I’ve wished to do this tonight. But our new relationship is precious to me. I refuse to mess it up by skipping steps.”

My lips quivered. “Do you feel it too?” I asked, tears brimming in my eyes as I felt slightly rejected but also a whole lot of cherished, which was a weird mix. I had to know if I was making up scenarios in my mind.

My head and heart and everything inside me battled together. The alcohol I drank didn’t help to order my thoughts. As a woman, I craved Nick’s touch. But my head knew what he said rang true. That we owed it to ourselves to see where this thing simmering between us could take us.

“I do. Which is why I think we better take it slow.”

His lips connected with my forehead, and I swooned in his embrace. Every time Nick touched me, I burned a little hotter and melted a little more. And fell a little harder in this exciting vortex. The symphony playing inside me had turned into an orchestra. Nick steadied me, one hand anchored to my hip.

With his gaze burrowing into mine, talking straight to my soul, he added, “Give us some time.” I rested my hand over the one still pressing my cheek and held him there as he asked, “Can I call you in the morning?” His golden irises drank me in. The conflict in them must have mirrored mine. I shook my head. Nick’s face fell, and a frown crossed his forehead. I pinched my lips together as I watched him, all defeated.