Page 124 of Sin With Me

I hadn’t realized I’d rolled them. “Why?”

“Because it’s not polite.”

“Ah, so now you’re a polite cowboy?”

“And talking back is not polite either. Go change and let me at least watch you get in your car safely. Please.”

The way he asked me, his eyes begging – I just couldn’t say no. Would he follow me? I didn’t think so, but I was eager to get dressed and find out more about this man who had captivated me. There was no way I’d just get in my car and leave.

“Okay. Waithere.”

For the first time tonight, his mouth curved up slightly and I swear my insides began dancing. Pleasing him was an emotional reward I didn’t expect. My need to make another man happy had been asleep for two long years and I didn’t think it could be revived. Well, I knew how to make men happy, but a man like him, who actually cared about me and what I did – I’d never thought I’d meet anyone like him ever again. The Cowboy was so not New York, and so intriguing.

I pushed the side door to go get changed and try to rip the twins, Lisa and Lilly, off the tattooed body guard. And what the heck was Lilly doing? She was married for goodness sake! Shaking my head, I couldn’t wait to introduce them to the Cowboy. Hopefully they could tell me that I wasn’t going crazy over nobody. Just as I pulled my jeans on, I’d heard a familiar voice.

“What the hell are you doing here, Emma?” Julian, the older of my two brothers scolded from behind me, and then added with sarcasm, “Ah, Grace, how lovely to see you again.”

I whipped my body around, startled. “Uhm, we’re just having somefun.”

“Please don’t tell me you were going to strip.”

My gaze flew to Grace, who sat down in a chair, obviously nervous about the inquisition that would inevitably take place.

“Of course she is.” Tristan, my other brother, came in from behind a curtain.

“Why are you following me? This is really getting old.” I tried to figure out how they’d tracked me, but I couldn’t. I’d dismantled every single device they could have used. I even left my cell phone at Grace’s, changed into her clothes, and we’d rented a car to come here – there was noway.

They looked at each other as if unsure whether they wanted to give away their secrets – which I knew they wouldn’t.

“Once you start acting your age and stop getting into shit all the time, we won’t need to track you. Willwe?”

“How did you trackme?”

But of course they ignored my question.

“Do you know what happens to girls in places like these?”

Julian knew too well about the kidnappings, drug use, and mistreatment of women at bars and nightclubs. Ten years ago his wife, Kendra, had been kidnapped and held captive by a cartel, treated like a sex slave. She’d literally gone through hell and back. I was thirteen at the time but knew enough to understand what she’d endured. Julian had made it his mission to ensure I didn’t follow her lead. I’d always looked up to her. She’d gotten me through some hard times.

“It’s time to go home, Emma,” Juliansaid.

“I’m here with someone.” I lied, secretly hoping that for once I had a steady man in my life, like the Cowboy, who could stand up to my brothers. The memory of what could have been, had my life turned out differently, coursed through me like liquid nitrogen.

“Grace is coming along,” my brothersaid.

“I’m not talking about Grace. Let me just tell him I’m leaving, at least.”

Their brows rose by a fraction, somewhat intrigued. I hurried through the door, expecting my Cowboy to be there but… he wasn’t.

Great! He stood me up already.

But I wasn’t one to give up. I left a note with the barman, asking him to pass it along to the Cowboy, trying to describe every beautiful feature I’d remembered, including that sexy scar above his brow. Why didn’t I get hisname?

And before I knew it, we were driving home. All I could think about was the man who had captured my attention for longer than two minutes. That was rare. Due to my line of work and my past, my belief in happily-ever-afters had dwindled. The irony was that the only examples I’d seen of happy relationships were those of my parents and my two brothers. Maybe I should start showing more responsibility after all, so that when the Cowboy called, we could start with a proper introduction. Little did I know I’d never get the phone call I was waitingfor.

---