Page 111 of One Night Only
Right now, if the world ended, and it was just Dallas and me, here in the tall grass, under a never-ending blanket of stars, I think I’d be okay with that. Honestly, I think I’d be okay anywhere, as long as I was with Dallas.
CHAPTER 45
DALLAS
“Are you sure I look okay?”
As I pull into a parking spot outside The Saddlery, the only bar in Summer, Texas, I can’t help but scoff because it’s literally the fifth time Emily’s asked me this since we left the house. And if the fact that I immediately mauled her the second she stepped out of the bathroom dressed in the pretty white sundress she’s wearing—even if it is my little sister’s—didn’t give her enough reassurance that she looks better thanokay, then maybe I’m just going to have fuck her right here in the truck, beneath the glow of the neon lights shining in from the bar sign, where anyone walking by might see.
“Baby, I swear to God,” I start. “You ask me that one more time, I’m going to have to bend you over my knee and spank you.”
Emily’s face flushes, and I don’t know for sure, but I have a feeling she’d like that. Noted. I clear my throat, shifting in my seat because of course my dick is hard.
“I just feel a little silly wearing a sundress in the middle of winter,” she says on a laugh.
“Baby, you look like my teenage dream girl,” I assure her, grabbing her hand and kissing her knuckles. “The dress. Thejean jacket. The cowboy boots. The stuff of seventeen-year-old Dallas’s wet dreams.”
“Ew.” Emily playfully swats my hand away.
“Um, hello?”
I startle, turning to see Millie’s face appear between the front seats.
“Did y’all forget I was back here?”
“No,” I answer with an easy smile.
“So gross,” Millie mutters while hopping out of the truck and slamming the door.
“How embarrassing,” Emily hisses.
“It’s just Mils.” I shrug with a chuckle. “Now, should we go inside? Or am I going to have to actually spank your ass?”
I don’t miss the way her throat bobs with a swallow, the way she shivers ever so slightly, but I say nothing, biting back my smirk.
“Let’s go inside,” she finally says, flashing me a mischievous smile. “You can spank me later…ifyou’re lucky.”
“Oh, Goldie.” I shake my head, stifling a groan. “You’re gonna get it.”
I adjust my Stetson as we walk into The Saddlery, pulling it a little lower. Just in case. Summer is literally the middle of nowhere, Texas, and for the most part, no one gives a shit who I am. Here, I’m just Dallas Shaw. But, at this time of year, it’s busier than normal inside, with people coming into town to visit family and friends for the holidays, so I choose to play it safe.
Inside, the place is the same as it’s always been. A wide open saloon, saw dust scattered over raw timber floorboards, faded old posters hanging on the walls and the ceiling, neon beer lights like Bud, Miller, and Pabst glowing brightly, a couple pool tables in the back, booths lining the walls, high top tables dotted throughout, and a big old dance floor in front of a stage. As the only watering hole for miles, The Saddlery is an institution around here, and it was the backdrop to many an underage drunken mistake growing up.
With Emily’s hand in mine, I keep her close, glancing over my shoulder to find her grinning, eyes wide, lips parted with an awed smile as she takes it all in. And I can’t say her reaction surprises me; this place is the furthest thing from the uptight New York City bars she’s used to.
“Yo, dude, can I have your autograph!” Someone says, far too close for comfort, and I swing around, ready to give them a piece of my mind. But when I spot Cole Dawson, one of my oldest friends, I laugh out loud, wrapping an arm around him and pulling him in close.
“Son, I was about to throw your skinny ass on the damn floor!” I laugh, hugging him hard.
“Missed you too, brother.” Cole chuckles, hugging me just as tight.
I realize then that Emily is just standing there, watching mine and Cole’s exchange with a small smile, and I pull away from my friend since kindergarten and tug her back into my chest, right where she belongs.
“Cole, this is my girl, Emily.” I press a kiss to the top of Emily’s head. “Baby, this is Cole Dawson.”
“Dallas Shaw with a lady?” Cole guffaws. “Well ghast my flabbers and color me stunned.”
Emily laughs out loud.
