Pressure Rising (Rhinestone Cowgirls Book 2) (15 page)

Tara laughed. “You really do hate the idea of visiting your parents.”

“I’d rather have my teeth pulled.” Alex leaned against the slot machine, grabbed the handle and pulled down. The display spun and the music chimed. Nothing. “A little luck here might ease the pain.”

The waiter brought their drinks and Tara
clinked
her bottle against the rim of Alex’s glass. “Well, then cheers and here’s hoping you win big. Or at least get a buzz and forget about tomorrow.” 

Sipping the sweet and tangy cocktail, Alex licked every drop from her lips. “I could drink a ton of these and not get drunk. They are delicious. I wonder if they’d give me the recipe?”

“Sure you could.” Tara wagged her eyebrows. “You haven’t peed yet have you?”

Alex blinked and wrinkled her nose. “What does peeing have to do with my cocktail?”

Tara shrugged. “Pee once and you will be a goner.”

“Interesting.” Alex swirled her straw and took another sip. “Just remember, we agreed not to do anything stupid. A buzz is never an excuse for stupidity.”

“We’re only here for one night. I say we live a little.”

“One night here just doesn’t seem to be enough. All of the lights, the joy…this is what the holidays are all about. But I’ll catch a flight home where the holiday becomes a winter wonderland massacre.” Alex twirled her finger and rolled her eyes.

“Girl, you know it’s not that bad and you should be glad you’re getting a break. Too much work makes a woman boring. Just think…a vacation. You can sleep in, relax and do whatever it is that you do in snow-covered Montana. I hope you bought a cute pair of snow boots.”

“It’s not the time off that I hate. I get to travel to my hometown where I’ll be tortured because of my relationship status. What’s wrong with being single anyway?” She sighed. “And even if I did have a viable excuse not to go, I’d still feel guilty if I missed the holiday with my folks. My little sister Stacy has news to share. I’m sure she’s going to announce that she and her high school sweetheart have finally decided to tie the knot after six years of dating bliss. I’ll have another ugly maid of honor dress to add to my collection. I can already see the remorseful glances directed my way from the wedding guests, especially my Aunt Patty... ‘poor girl, always the bridesmaid, never the bride’. My mom tells me all of the time that my eggs are drying up at the speed of a race horse and I’ll end up with ten cats that I refer to as my kids.”

“Sweetie, I think you’ve had too many of these.” Tara reached over and pushed Alex’s glass to the side. “First, you sound as if thirty-two is the end of the world. You’re still young with lots of time for relationships and family. Your parents are awesome—a little kooky and intrusive—but they have your best interest at heart. It’s only normal for them to want you to marry so you can pop kids out one after another—real kids, not cats. Having a baby around can make people feel younger.”

Alex rolled a tendril of her hair around her finger. “Are you siding with them?” she whined.

Tara narrowed her eyes. “No, I’m on your side.”

“I know…I know what you’re saying. They love me. I love them. But going home for Christmas only means I’ll feel like a bigger disappointment to them. They never understand that I have a career and no time for relationships. By the time my mom was my age she was married for over ten years with two kids.”

“Times have changed.”

“Try telling them that.” Alex rubbed her temples and groaned.

“Let’s face it, there are some advantages to being single—not needing to shave your legs every day, wearing granny panties whenever we want and going to bed with zit cream smeared all over. Downside—I miss sex, a lot.”

“Is that all you miss about a relationship?” Alex laughed.

“I miss a man when my vacuum gets clogged. Or when the drain stops up.” Tara pulled the lever on her machine and sighed. “Neither of us are winning tonight.”

“The night isn’t over yet.” Alex dropped more coins into the slot.

“If you would have listened to me in the first place, this wouldn’t be an issue.”

Alex laid her chin in her palm. “What are you talking about?”

“You whining about going home. I told you…online dating for the holidays is the way to go. Find a suitable companion for all of the parties and family gatherings. After the holiday ends, part ways with a thank you and good luck. Heck, if you’re lucky, you find someone who is mouth-watering sexy and you’ll get two bangs for your buck, if you know what I mean.” She rolled her tongue over her bottom lip.

Alex exhaled sharply. “Oh I could see that now. Mom and Pop, I’d like you to meet my date for the holidays. He likes long walks on the beach, the outdoors, and women who are lonely enough to find a date online.”

“You shouldn’t knock it until you try it.” Tara thrummed her fingers on her bottle.

“Have
you
registered with a dating site?” 

“No way.”

“So you want me to try it out and tell you how it works.” Alex shook her head.

Tara’s eyes widened and her mouth slightly parted. “Don’t look, but sitting behind you is a couple of cowboys who I wouldn’t mind getting under a mistletoe this holiday.”

Not heeding Tara’s warning, Alex swiveled on the stool and immediately saw them—easily spotted because they were the only two cowboys in the casino. She made eye contact with the one wearing a brown hat and her toes curled. Blue eyes, chiseled jaw line and a smile that could knock a woman’s panties off—and that smile was directed her way. Her throat tightened and she brought the straw to her mouth, taking a long drink.

“See what I mean? Yum.” Tara sighed longingly.

“Yeah, they’re both cute.” Alex shrugged. She twisted on the stool and pulled the slot lever.
Ding.
A sea horse and two stars. Her luck wasn’t hitting.

“That’s it? Just cute?” Tara chuckled. “You don’t know a good thing when you see it.”

“A lot of people are lonely around this time of the year and want a warm body to snuggle up to with a glass of eggnog. I don’t want to be anyone’s warm body.”

“Yeah, who’d want to be a man’s warm body? Sounds horrible,” Tara murmured. “A little bit of yum-yum in cowboy hat and boots would be too hollow for someone like you who’d rather tug on a slot lever instead of a man’s co—”

“Tara!” Alex blinked and shook the ice around in her almost empty glass. “I don’t have a problem with tugging on anything, but tonight I think we should concentrate on having fun, excluding men. You don’t want to be one of those chicks that wake up hitched to a stranger, do you?” There was a long pause. “Tara?”

“Who said anything about getting hitched? I was talking about easing an itch.” Tara rolled the tip of her tongue around the rim of her bottle.

Alex fought back a smile. “I’ll know if that bottle comes up missing.”

Tara turned back to the machine. “Come on winner! If I can’t have sexy cowboy then cash would certainly take away some of my loneliness.”

Alex caught another side-glance of the brawny cowboy who was still watching her. Her stomach did a flip and her fingers shook. He was definitely on the prowl and she refused to be the hunted, but a little flirting wouldn’t hurt.

Jax pushed his Stetson back on his forehead to get a better look at the two ladies who sat at the slot machines.

“So you noticed them too?” his brother, Dayton, said over his bottle. “The blonde has nice big tits.” Jax gave Dayton a stern look. “What? It’s the truth.” Dayton shook his head.

“We’re not here to pick up anyone, ya hear? We need to keep our focus on winning, considering we both suck at poker this trip.” Jax reprimanded his brother, but he’d also noticed the blonde Dayton pointed out. She was nice enough, pretty hair and fine breasts, but he was drawn to the honey who sat on the other side drinking cocktails like they were water. Good thing the bartender went light on alcohol, otherwise she’d be falling off the stool.

She gave her long, dark hair a toss over one shoulder and his fingers ached to touch. He swallowed and shifted in the chair as things hardened below his waist.

He noticed her the moment she’d walked into the room—long before Dayton had pointed them out—and he hadn’t been able to break his gaze away yet. She had a set of soft curves packed into her petite frame that had captured his interest, especially south of his gut. The sexy black dress she wore didn’t showcase big tits. He liked breasts—what man didn’t—but she had something else he liked even better. His gaze naturally fell to her long, slender legs. The hem of the dress landed on a place on her rounded thighs where he’d like to grip. An image of those legs wrapped around his hips as he sank deep inside of her sweet body awakened every nerve ending. 

A man realizes how horny he is when he isn’t allowed to sample.

A six-month dry spell made him dangerous. He’d never gone this long—never had to. He’d always been surrounded by buckle bunnies willing to help him knock one out.

Life was different now, and he had to stay on track.

If he and his brother didn’t raise five-thousand dollars in two weeks, the Whistle Ranch and everything on it would be gone. Anger boiled his blood and he clenched his hands in his lap. How could they have missed the financial burden of the ranch? Why didn’t their father say something? And why in the hell had he allowed things to get so far out of control?

Whistle Ranch had always been profitable. With a shitload of cattle, horses, and hands, Jax needed to figure out where things had gone wrong. But first he had to save the ranch, which was no easy task. They needed the cash. He had already emptied his savings to go toward finances with Whistle, and this trip to make money by winning that could be a waste.

Jax didn’t like excuses, but the rodeo circuit had kept him away from home for too long. He hadn’t worried about how things were going or the business side at Whistle. After their father died four months ago, the IRS had come calling and it was a wakeup call. Apparently, he had simply forgotten to file taxes for the last three years.

“Wow, look at those legs.” Dayton whistled softly.

Jax followed his brother’s attention. The brunette had swiveled on the stool, her skirt had lifted higher on her lovely thighs.
Fuck!
He swallowed against the constriction in his throat and rubbed his twitching jaw. If he could swerve away from responsibility, just for tonight, he’d like to find out if the beauty liked to party as much as the three inch heels with the metal and leather straps declared.

Drawing his eyes upward, he held his breath. She was staring right at him. Her dazzling chocolate eyes made him want to forget accountability. The frown on her luscious mouth contradicted her erect nipples outlined under the fabric.

Damn! She isn’t wearing a bra.

His cock pulsated against the zipper. He shifted again but it did little good.

Although he saw a spark of interest in the brunette’s stunning eyes, she wasn’t giving him a go ahead to make a move. In fact, he had a feeling she wanted to be left alone. However, her blonde friend sure put off a different vibe. She bent over ever so slightly to reveal deep cleavage.

     It didn’t do a thing for him.

The brunette turned back to the slot machine.

“I think the blonde likes you.” Dayton elbowed Jax’s arm.

“I know you like big chested women, bro, but I like a woman who leaves a little to the imagination…and is a challenge.” He slid his gaze down the brunette’s bare back exposed by the strapless top to the swollen curves of her heart-shaped ass. His palms throbbed in wanting to squeeze the rounded mounds. He’d bet his front teeth her bottom was perfect for a set of large hands.

“How about we have a conversation with them? Nothin’ wrong with chatting.” Dayton leaned back in his chair, ready to get up, but Jax caught him.

“We promised to keep each other out of shit tonight. The last thing you need is a one-nighter. Hell, you’d probably end up at one of those drive-thru chapels exchanging a quick, country-boy’s version of wedding vows. And admit it, you’d be interested in a pelican in a pretty dress if it meant it’d hide the heartbreak from Mary, your soul mate up until six months ago.”

Dayton shrugged. “I guess you’re right, but what’s wrong with having a little fun?”

Jax had watched his brother crawl back from the heartache after Mary had split with him…a month before their wedding. Then came the unexpected death of their father. At thirty, Dayton could take care of himself, but Jax felt that as the older brother he should keep Dayton from falling into another mistake. A sad man was far more dangerous than a horny man.

“The ladies are leaving anyway. At least it looks that way.” Jax watched the petite one slide off her stool. She gave him a come-hither glance, and he almost swallowed his tongue.

“What a waste,” Dayton scoffed.

Jax shook his head. “Bad move. They’ve been at the slot machine for a few hours now. They’re bound for a win. They should stay longer, chance it.” After his serious loss at poker earlier he took a seat in the lounge area, relaxing and watching long enough to get an idea of the pattern of winning on the slots. So far he’d only witnessed one person who’d struck big.