Page 16 of Thirst For Me
“A private cottage. That’s what she said. Why?”
Jace snorts as he overhears, sitting down with us. “Cottage?”
“Yeah. That’s what June said.” Sierra frowns. “A cozy cottage.”
Evan and I exchange a glance. June’s putting up Sierra in that old shack behind her house?
Nope. That seals it. Tomorrow, I’m finding her somewhere decent to stay. Even if it means evicting Jace and his roommate from my place next to the bar and making them sleep on my couch together.
“I guess I could just walk over there with the girls now ...” Sierra glances over at the bachelorette party, who are gathering up their things to leave. “Maybe if I just show up at the guesthouse, someone can let June know I’m there, and she can direct me to my cottage ...?”
“It’s midnight,” Evan points out. “June’s seventy-six. And if she’s anything like Mason’s grandpa, you wake her up now, she’s more likely to shoot you.”
Sierra’s mouth opens, but nothing comes out, as maybe she considers the likelihood that June Spencer sleeps with a gun under her bed. “Well, shit. I mean ... could I crash on the couch in your office, then?” She looks to me, gorgeous green eyes flooded with hope and drunken desperation. “I’ll pay for it, of course.”
The answer to that would be a resoundingno.
If I let her sleep at the bar and anything happened to her, my grandpa would murder me, heir or not. Not only would it be an insurance issue, that is not the kind of hospitality Tommy Grant would expect me to show a “stranded” young lady. I’d never hear the end of it.
But more than that, I don’t like the idea of leaving her here, or anywhere, in the state she’s in.
As if he’s reading my mind, Jace pipes up with “Well, there’s a couch at my place.”
Not this again.
“It’s much bigger than the one in Mason’s office,” he adds, “and more comfortable.” Somehow, he makes “bigger” and “comfortable” sound just wrong. “It’s next door to the bar—”
“My family’s property is right next to June’s,” I interject, before Jace can open his big mouth again. “We have space.”
I ignore Evan’s eyebrow-lift and Jace’s victorious smirk.
“Oh, wow. Really?” Sierra blinks at me. “And it’s not too much to ask?”
Just then, the music shuts off as my staff prepare to leave.
“I’ll walk you there now.” I give Jace and Evan a pointed look, one that says they’re going to help me round up all these drunk ladies and escort them over to their lodging, stat. “We’ll all headover together. And tomorrow morning, I’ll walk you over to June’s to get it sorted,” I tell her.
“Good luck,” Jace mutters. “June would shootyouany time of day.”
Fortunately, Sierra doesn’t seem to hear it. She gazes at me with something like awe bordering on hero worship glistening in her eyes. I try not to let it go to my head.
As we all get up from the table, she’s so focused on me that she trips on the leg of her chair, and I catch her. She smushes against my chest, again, as I pull her close.
There was really no need to pull her right up against me.
Just instinct.
Her hands go to my waist, her fingers digging into me. I tell myself it’s just the alcohol making her look at me like that; no need to get carried away with the adrenaline surge.
Once again, it goes straight to my cock.
“That’s really nice of you to walk me home,” she breathes.
“It’s either that or let Jace do it,” I can’t believe I hear myself saying. Maybe Iamdrunker than I thought. “Disappointed?”
She laughs a little and glances at Jace, as he and Evan rally the bachelorette party over to the door. “No.”
“Not interested?” I ask lightly.
