Page 17 of Crazy for You (Loco, Texas 1)

“Sure. Sounds good.”

* * *

Deana was drunk. Drunk as a skunk and giddy. Very giddy.

She sat on the bar counter of the Watering Hole and let Jake Hansen buy her another shot. Holding it high, she yelled, “To no longer being accident-prone!”

The bar cheered with her, and she tipped back the shot. Lifting her arms above her head, she let out a “Whoo!” before she set the glass down on the counter. Her gaze drifted over the room of costumed patrons and caught sight of a familiar uniform striding through the door.

“Finn!” She waved her arms wildly and giggled as he started toward her, a scowl on his handsome face.

When he finally stood in front of her, he crossed his arms over that wide chest. “Exactly how drunk are you?”

“Hmmm.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and pull him toward her. “Very? Yes, I would categorize me as very drunk. Possibly very, very drunk.”

Finn reached up and removed her hands, holding them in front of him. “Okay, well, very, very drunk, you are disturbing the peace, so let’s say I take you home.”

“Yours or mine, handsome?” she quipped, trying to hold a sexy face before she erupted into another fit of giggles. “You are handsome, almost pretty. Do you think he’s pretty?”

The question was directed at the bartender, Gil Thompson, who glared silently.

“Oh, Gil, you know, not every girl gets turned on by the surly, dark hero. Sometimes we like the guy who just wants us to smile. Like Finn.” Jumping off the bar with her hands still in his, she slid down his body. She didn’t care about her short skirt, which must have ridden up in the front, as she looked up at Finn with a smile. “How’s this Finn? Do you like this?”

“All right, that’s enough of that.”

“Aww, what’s the matter? Don’t you like me?” Deana pouted, ignoring the crowd.

Finn’s arms went around her back and below her knees, lifting her high against his chest as he shook his head. “For the love of God, De, shut up.”

* * *

Finn gritted his teeth as he drove Deana home. His gaze flicked over to the woman next to him, lingering on the lush pouting lips, and he gripped the steering wheel harder. He didn’t want to go home. He didn’t want to do anything but make passionate love to Deana Sawyer and everything else be damned.

Only now she was too drunk, and he had never been the type to take advantage.

He pulled into her driveway and got out first, surveying the area as he went around to open the door and heaved her up into his arms again.

“I don’t understand why in the hell you would get slobbering drunk without a ride home!”

“Why are you yelling at me?” she asked, her dazed eyes tearing. “Do you know what kind of day I’ve had?”

“I’m not yelling at you! And yeah, I know you had a bad day, but—”

“No! No, a bad day is hair that looks like shit or your boss fires you. Not one thing after another. Definitely not knives and dead cats and finding out you aren’t cursed, just crazy. Guess that’s why I live in Loco, Texas, ’cause I drank the Kool-Aid.”

Finn paused on her front porch, studying her tearstained face. “What are you talking about?”

“Seriously, what part didn’t you understand? I broke a pumpkin when I was eleven and stupidly thought that the town librarian had cursed me. I’m an idiot, right? So then, I’ve live the next fourteen years thinking all the bad shit that happens to me is because of her, but no, it’s because of me. It’s all in my head! Except for tonight it wasn’t. Tonight, I get a dead cat and a cryptic message, so I’m sorry if you disapprove of my drunkenness, but you know what? I fucking deserve this, and you…you could have had all this”—she waved her hand unsteadily in front of her body—“but you were afraid of being associated with me. ’Cause I’m a crazy disaster who apparently attracts other crazies.”

Suddenly, she started struggling out of his arms, so he dropped her to her feet, grabbing her shoulders before she could escape. “Stop rambling and explain the cat thing. When did you get a dead cat?”

She swallowed hard, staring up at him. “When I was leaving the haunted house. Someone left it outside the locker room. I thought it was my Salem at first but…” He saw her shake, and she whispered, “Poor little kitty.”

The movie Fatal Attraction flashed through his mind. “What did the note say?”

“What note? Oh, the one that was on

the cat. It just said, ‘Tonight.’” Suddenly, the dopiest grin spread across her face. “You are so hot. Did you know that? Like sexy, yum-yum hot.”

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