Page 42 of Sweet Whiskey
Kinsey grins wider before worrying her lip. “You think? It seemed like he didn’t like me.”
A sharp whistle startles us both, and we turn to watch Tracy wave at Kinsey. “Sorry, I’ll be right back.” When I move to take a sip of my beer, Tracy glares at me, shaking her head. I set the bottle down, confused.
Kinsey comes back with a smile, and her hands slide into her pockets nervously. “Tracy said I can have the rest of the night off, but only if you take me to the docks?”
My eyes widen, and I spare a glance at Tracy, who is grinning mischievously back at me. I clear my throat, and nod. “Uh, yeah. I can take you to the docks, but I should warn you that it’s like thetown’s hook-up spot. Anyone sees us there and they’ll think you took a ride in more than just my truck.”
Her cheeks flush pink. “Oh.”
I blush back. “Not that I expected anything to happen, of course. I just wanted to—uh, warn ya.”
Kinsey smiles, laughing softly. “I appreciate it. Brielle and I aren’t used to being so…center of attention.”
“The curse and beauty of a small town. It’s not so bad once you’re used to it,” I say, nudging her with my shoulder. “Ready to go?”
She nods, sliding her hand into mine as I lead her out into the parking lot. My heart leaps into my throat. I’ve never held a girl’s hand before, and I never realized how intimate it feels, which is crazy considering the girl has touched my penis already.
I help her into my truck and grin the entire way to the small dock in the large pond right off the main highway out of town. It backs up to one of the larger ranches, and technically is his property, butthe swimming hole is basically free for public use at this point. Kinsey leans forward excitedly.
The greenish-blue water is covered by the surrounding trees; a rickety white wood dock leads from the sloped dirt a few feet into the water.
“We used to have a rope swing, but the branch snapped a few summers back,” I tell her.
She smiles. “I bet that was awesome as a kid.”
Turning off the truck, we unbuckle our seatbelts and look out at the setting sun glistening over the water.
“It was awesome, but most of it was just horsing around with the guys. It was the summer hangout, then it became the hangout spot for different reasons,” I say, waggling my eyebrows.
Kinsey blushes. “The town make out spot?”
“Oh, I’m sure you could throw a pebble and hit someone who has lost their virginity.”
She laughs. “Oh my god. How scandalous, but actually, I kind of love it. A little bit of lore to the town.”
A snort escapes before I can stop it. “Yeah, I guess. We’re more known for our dancing bar and our rodeo star.”
“Cooper, right? I kind of heard about it.”
I nod. “Yeah, he’s one of the best.”
“You’re not a fan of riding bulls?”
A dirty joke is on the tip of my tongue, and I catch it before it slips out, smiling as I lick my lips.
Seeing the look on my face well enough to guess, she giggles and reaches over, pulling my hat off and almost putting it on her head. I catch her wrist with raised eyebrows.
“You know what they say about putting on a man’s hat?”
Her plump lips slant, and on a sultry breath she says, “What?”
My tongue drags along the back of my teeth, and I suck on my bottom lip slightly before giving her a sly smile. “That you wanna ride the cowboy.”
Kinsey’s face flushes, and I let go of her wrist. We stare at each other for a moment before she placesmy hat on her head, and my blood rushes south. I trace her bottom lip with my thumb, and her eyes become hooded.
“I’m going to kiss you, Kinsey, and I’m not sure I can stop after.”
Her tongue peeks out, pressing against my thumb before she sighs. “Maybe I don’t want you to.”
