Loving Cara (Love Under the Big Sky 1)

“Fuck you,” he retorts with a grin, and sinks his yellow ball in the side pocket.

“Nope, nothing’s changed.” Ty laughs and sips his gin and tonic.

“How can you drink that shit?” I ask him with a grimace. “It tastes like toilet water.”

“How do you know what toilet water tastes like?” he asks with a raise of a brow.

Fucker. “You’re an ass.” I laugh and shake my head, looking out to the dance floor to watch my girl and her friends dancing and moving about.

“They’re having fun,” Zack comments without looking over to them, and sinks another ball.

“Are any of us going to get to play, Z?” I ask.

He shrugs and chalks his cue.

Cara rushes to me and grabs my hand. “Come dance with me. I love this song!”

How can I resist her?

I grin and pass my cue to Ty. “Take my turn, if we ever get a turn. I’ll be back.”

Cara pulls me out into the middle of the dance floor where the band is playing “Just a Kiss” by Lady Antebellum. When she’s happy with our spot, she turns and presses her body against mine, loops her arms around my neck, and smiles up at me.

“You’re too tall.”

“You’ve had a few too many drinks,” I respond with a laugh.

She’s adorable.

“Here.” She pulls her arms down around my waist and snuggles up against my chest. Her cheek rests perfectly against my heart.

Isn’t that fucking appropriate?

I wrap my arms around her shoulders and we sway about the dance floor. Her hair smells of her usual strawberries and it’s soft against my lips.

The lyrics of the song pull me in and I’m lost in the music and the feel of my girl in my arms.

When it’s over, she pulls her head back and grins up at me happily. Leaning down, I kiss her lips hard and fast, then laugh when she pulls away and screams at the first few notes of the next song.

She’s a Daughtry fan.

Jill joins her and they begin shaking their asses and singing along, and I make my way back to the pool tables.

“The girls are having fun.” Ty sips his disgusting drink, his eyes on the dance floor.

If I didn’t know better, I’d think he was checking out Cara, and I know he’s not looking at Jill. I glance back and see that Lauren Cunningham has joined the girls, dancing and swaying with the music, laughing and enjoying herself.

Ty’s eyes are glued to her.

“Dude, you know Lo’s married.”

He doesn’t even spare me a glance, just takes another sip of his drink.

“Been separated for two years,” he reminds me, and leans his elbow on the table, still watching her.

Lauren is beautiful. She’s tall, almost as tall as Ty in her heels, with straight auburn hair and big blue eyes. She has an athlete’s body, is lean, and when she raises her arms over her head, the short halter top she’s wearing rides up to show off her abs, which are spectacularly defined.

The girl works out.

“Being separated doesn’t mean she’s any less married,” I murmur, and take a pull on my beer.

Ty turns his attention to me, his face sober. “Hasn’t stopped her soon-to-be-ex from fucking anything with two legs.”

“True.” I grimace as I think of that asshole, Jack. “Just watch yourself.”

Ty’s jaw tightens and I follow his gaze to see that Misty has joined Lauren on the floor, dancing and glaring at Cara and Jill.

“Why does Lo hang out with that bitch?” I ask aloud. “I don’t get it.”

“I don’t either,” Ty agrees softly.

At the end of the song, the band takes a break and the jukebox starts up. Cara and Jill join us, smiling and panting and not a little sweaty.

“Hey!” Cara greets me, and kisses me soundly.

“Hey yourself, baby.”

Zack takes his shot and then stands, leaning on his cue, and shoots Jill a grin.

She was watching his ass.

“You have a nice ass, King,” Jill remarks with a smirk, and picks up her beer bottle, then frowns when she discovers it’s empty. “Well, shit.”

“I’ll go get more!” Cara offers, and kisses my cheek before sauntering happily to the bar. I watch her move across the room and climb onto a barstool, cross those spectacular legs, showing off her thighs in that short dress, and pull her debit card out of her bra.

“I love her storage system,” Ty remarks, making me laugh.

“So do I.”

“There you are!” Misty is suddenly at my side, and Ty quickly moves away from us, joining Zack and Jill on the other side of the pool table.

Traitor.

“Here I am,” I confirm, and continue to watch Cara. A tourist sits down next to her and smiles at her brightly. My eyes immediately narrow.

The fucker better not touch her.

“I was just saying to Lauren the other day, I haven’t seen you around much lately,” Misty babbles.

“Been busy,” I respond absently, my fists clenching when the asshole tourist drops his arm behind Cara’s back. From this angle I can’t tell if he’s touching her back or just resting his arm on the back of the stool, but it’s too close for comfort.

Cara smiles politely at him and shakes her head no to whatever he’s said.

Good girl.

She places her order and gestures over to me, talking to the stranger, whose smile slips for a second before he winks down at her.

That’s right, asshole, she has a boyfriend.

“And then she said, ‘Well, that’s just silly!’ ” Misty gives me her fake laugh and lays her hand on my forearm, pulling my attention away from Cara.

I quickly grip her wrist in my hand and pull it away from me, dropping it at her side.

“I’m only going to say this one time, Misty.” Her eyes go wide at the hard edge in my voice. “I am not available, and even if I was, I’m not interested. Don’t ever touch me again.”

I dismiss her, not caring that she’s glaring at me as the crowd around us laughs, and seek out Cara once again. She’s still sitting at the bar, the tourist is grinning down at her, and they’re holding shot glasses in the air, toasting.

Cara pounds her shot back and slams the glass on the bar, and I’ve seen enough.

I stomp across the bar and move up beside Cara, glaring at the short, slender man to her left, who is laughing and trying to order them another shot. When he sees me, his face sobers and he grabs his beer and joins his friends.