Page 54 of Hold Me Until Morning

Dakota reached out and placed her palm on my forehead. Clearly, she was lacking any real concern since she giggled when she asked, “Are you sick, big brother?”

I swatted her hand away, only half annoyed when I said, “I am not sick.”

Though maybe I really was coming down with something because nothing was sitting right.

My stomach coiling in knots and my thoughts residing in a place they completely shouldn’t be.

“I don’t know…you feel a little…feverish.” My sister drew the jeering out.

I rolled my eyes while Dakota’s own brown pools danced, though I could tell she was trying to actually look deeper, delve down into the parts of me that I kept buried beneath the smiles and easiness. Down to the places I’d never let her see.

She’d hate me if she knew.

“I see you all invited me out to give me a hard time rather than actually celebrate my accomplishment,” I said, keeping the roughness out of the retort.

“Who else is such an easy target?” Savannah asked.

Ezra chuckled from where he’d been silently watching the exchange. “Yeah, and we all know the way you like to celebrate. What’s up, brother? Someone finally knock you down a peg?”

Yeah. Someone had knocked me down a peg.

Right onto my fucking knees.

But I sure as shit wasn’t going to admit that.

“Hell, no. I just feel like blessing my family with my complete attention tonight.” I set my palms out like I was offering a gift.

Amusement rolled through Ezra’s expression. He wasn’t buying it for a second.

“Oh, there she is.” Paisley’s shouting pulled my gaze back to her. She had her arm lifted overhead and was waving it frantically as she bounced on her stool. “Hails Bells, over here! Over here!”

I followed her line of sight, through the roiling crowd that writhed within the dusky shadows of the bar. Lights strobed, faces flashing in time with the music that thrummed over the speakers.

I caught a glimpse of the movement, of the woman who was making her way through the crush. Flickers of lush blonde hair woven with honey and maple. The hint of a profile, cheeks full and chin sharp.

The pucker of a sexpot mouth.

Energy flash-fired, careening straight through my nerves.

It took her one more second to fully break through.

I realized I hadn’t caught Paisley’s friend’s actual name. Hadn’t made the connection that it was very likely Paisley had been out at Wagner Ranch sometime in the past, even though I didn’t know the two of them had ever met.

But there she was.

Hailey Wagner standing there in this short as fuck, glittering silver dress that clung to every luxurious curve of her body.

No doubt about it.

The woman’s shape was the definition of my perfection.

My fingers twitched, and I didn’t know how I remained sitting as my gaze gulped down the sight of her.

The dress’s neckline plunged deep between her breasts, those enormous tits barely concealed in narrow swaths of fabric that were held up by thin spaghetti straps that bared soft shoulders. My stare roved, riding down the curve of her legs to the pair of sky-high ankle boots she wore.

Also glittering silver.

The woman was a motherfucking beacon.

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