Page 17 of Bourbon and Lies

“Who? No,” I answer him too fast.

“Just haven’t seen you talk to a woman, never mind flirt with one, in a long time.”

“I wasn’t flirting with her?—”

“Not how I saw it.”

But before he can get another word in, Del comes out through the back door, sizing up what happened. “Marla threw in a slice of buttermilk pie with your leftovers.”

I take it from him with a tight-lipped smile. “Thanks, Del.”

Lincoln nods. “Del, good to see you.”

“You too, Lincoln. I’ll catch you later, Grant.”

I give him a wave.

“You need a ride? I just gotta fill up, but I can drop you.”

“Nah, I got my truck,” I tell Lincoln as we head toward the front lot. “Who’s with the girls?”

“Ace has them tonight,” he says, but doesn’t meet my eye.

“You want company?”

He smiles at me with a look that answers before he does. “I do, but you’re not the kind I’m looking for, little brother.”

“Fair enough. Be safe.”

Twenty minutes later, I’m pulling up to my house. The only lights on are coming from the studio cottage that sits less than two hundred feet from my front door. Julep’s head pops up from the cottage porch.What is my dog doing up there?

When I get out of my truck, Julep just watches me. I clap twice at her to come, but she ignores the command and puts her head back down. Giving a short whistle, I quietly shout, “Julep, get over here.”

Instead of listening, she rests her head on her front outstretched paws. I scratch the back of my neck. It’s not typical behavior for her. She always comes when I call.Fine, stay there.I’m still keyed up and could use another few rounds of hitting something. I have no business feeling this unhinged about Waz and Wheeler talking shit, especially when it comes to a woman who’s little more than a stranger, but well, here we are. I need to work off some of this energy. Or anger. Whatever it is, it hasme on edge. The only outlet I have, the only one that won’t talk, cause more problems, or punch back, hangs in my workspace.

My fist slams into the black heavy bag hanging from the rafters in my workspace. I square off and rotate my hips, driving right hooks in rapid succession, running through a series of jabs, hooks, and uppercuts before one of my knuckles split. Fuck, I need to wrap my hands. My hair is damp from sweat. Taking off my shirt, I use it to wipe my face, and then press it against my bleeding knuckles. As I stalk back out to my truck, I’m somehow more pissed off than I was before I got home. I search my gym bag in the back, and no luck; which means my hand wraps are in the laundry.Fuck it.My knuckles are already ripped up a bit. I slam the truck door closed, and Julep lets out a bark, still sitting on Laney’s porch.

When I walk over, her head pops up. “Jules, let's go.”

But she’s not interested in listening to me tonight, apparently. She puts her head back down and doesn’t move.

“Is that how it’s going to be?” I’m not in a good mood and I really just want my dog to follow me home. I nudge my head toward my house. “Let’s go.” But she’s stubborn and just stares back at me. I grit my teeth. I can’t believe I’m begging my dog to follow me. She always follows me. “I said, let's go, Julep.” But instead of moving off the porch, she flops her body over, paws up, presenting me her belly. I drag my hands from the back of my neck forward. I’m already lingering here way too long. I don’t want to see my new neighbor right now. But of course, when I look back up again, Laney’s standing in the doorway, watching me lose my shit. She’s in a tank top, with no fucking bra on and a pair of shorts so tight and form fitting it’s more likely that they’re underwear.

She smirks at me. “You lost?”

Funny.

I give her a sarcastic smirk right back. “Just here to collect my dog. You can go back to getting dressed.” I drop my eyes to her bare legs and back up again. “Looks like I interrupted.”

“You’re on my porch?—”

“Kind of isn’t your porch.” I tilt my head to the side.

“You woke me up.” She shakes her finger up and down at me. “With no shirt on, by the way.”

“It’s hot out.” I just continue to glare at her, not letting my gaze drift to those fucking thighs again or at the way her tits are awake, nipples hard, just begging to be sucked on.

“Clearly.” Looking down, she does a double take.

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