“No, Chase, I don’t know him,” Pippa interrupts, giving the guy an apologetic smile.
You’ve got to be kidding me. My blood boils with jealous rage. She’d told me she wanted to play this little game and pretend we didn’t know each other, but that was before some country prick started looking at her like he was imagining her naked.
“Maybe we should go somewhere else,” the guy—Chase, apparently—offers, brave enough to put his hand over Pippa’s.
I see red. Wrapping my hand around her middle, I pull her closer to me. “Let me buy you a beer,” I growl. The words are angry, sending a shiver down Pippa’s back.
“What the hell,” Chase calls, trying to wrap his fingers around Pippa once again. She drops her hand from his, fighting his attempts.
Good girl.
“Who are you?” I bite.
“Her ex. Who are you?”
My eyebrows rise as I look back at Pippa. “Ex?” My words come out cool and full of venom.
This just got a lot more interesting.
42
PIPPA
“Funny. She never really mentioned her exes. Except for the fact they couldn’t make her c—”
“Alright, well, I’m going to order a beer,” I interrupt Camden, not wanting to hurt Chase’s feelings. He’s sweet; he just wasn’t for me. Not that I’d ever consider him an ex. No matter what, I don’t want him to be bullied by Camden because he’s jealous.
He’s really freaking hot when he’s jealous. A vein has popped up on the middle of his forehead. He’s tense all over, his jaw muscles showing off with ripples every time he clenches his jaw.
“A Miller?” Chase asks, trying to get the attention of the bartender.
I feel Camden’s deep growl against my back. I try to hide the shiver that runs down my body with excitement.
Damn. Why do I love jealous Camden so much?
Before I can answer, Camden has already gotten the attention of another bartender and is ordering. “Two Stellas,” he clips, handing over a hundred-dollar bill.
“I’ll get you your change,” Linna responds. She was two grades older than me in high school and one of my favorite bartenders here at Slopes. She knows how to make a mean limoncello shot. Good enough to make me hungover for days after a few.
“Don’t worry about it. Keep it.”
She looks at him wide-eyed. That’s a hefty tip, but I keep my mouth shut. Even when Chase lets out an annoyed sigh from my other side.
“You don’t even like Stella,” he mutters under his breath.
I actually love Stella. I just always order the cheap shit because I could have two beers for the price of one. I’m all about saving money. Beer is beer. But I’ll never turn down a more flavorful, expensive beverage.
“You can go now,” Camden drawls, his hand tightening around my waist again. “She’s not interested.”
His hand around my waist is possessive. I feel bad because I’ve lied to Chase and made it out like Camden and I are strangers when we’re anything but. I don’t change my story because I want to pretend that Camden and I don’t know each other so we can get that redo. Chase is just a casualty of it.
Chase stares at me, probably waiting for me to tell Camden off. I don’t. Instead, I give him a friendly smile. “I’ll call you later?” I offer politely.
“She won’t,” Camden counters from behind me. I give him a dirty look. Jealous Camden is something else.
Chase holds eye contact for a few moments longer before he backs away with his arms in the air. I groan, knowing he’s probably already texting my brother and telling him about this encounter. I don’t think Cade will say anything, however. He’s too busy killing himself getting things ready for the winter and pining over Mare. But it might be an interesting conversation if somehow he does pay attention and asks me what’s happening between me and the guy I brought to the ranch.
As soon as Chase disappears, Camden is pulling on my hip and facing me toward him. Jealousy is written all over his face. The clench of his jaw, his straight lips, and narrowed eyes.
“Did you have your fun?” he clips, nodding to Linna when she hands over our beers.
I avoid his question for a moment, taking a long pull of the beer. It’s delicious. No wonder it’s more expensive. It tastes so much better.
“This is amazing,” I mumble, my lips moving against the top of the bottle.
“Answer my question.”
“Thanks for the beer,” I say, knocking it against the one he hasn’t touched in his hand. “Since you’ve bought me a beer, I think I should at least know your name.”
He stares me down, no hint of amusement on his face. This is kind of fun.
“Are you jealous?” I tease.
He holds out his free hand between us. “Camden,” he gets out, moving his fingers, gesturing for me to shake his.
I place my hand in his, squeaking when he pulls me against his body. He lines his mouth up next to my ear. I get shivers down my body when his breath hits the spot behind my ear that drives me wild.
“Yours. That’s what I am,” he whispers. “And you don’t have to tell me your name. It’s mine.”
I moan when he kisses the spot under my ear. My skin breaks out in goose bumps. His lips are tender yet possessive. “Oh, am I now?”
He nods. “Yes. And I hated every fucking second of him looking at you.”
“He doesn’t matter,” I admit, my back arching as his lips move down my neck.
“Damn right he doesn’t.”
“Hey, Camden?”
“Yes, baby?”
“Can we forget all about that dance? I want you to take me to bed. I’m really freaking turned on after watching you go all caveman.” He rips his lips from my neck, staring me down as if he’s trying to figure out if I’m serious or not. “We can always come back here, right? I’ll do it properly and force you to wear a cowboy hat and boots and everything.”
“Not happening.”
I smile, taking a long drink of my beer. I’m not wasting the good beer. “It’s absolutely happening. But I’m really wet right now, and I need you to take care of it.”
He gives me a wolfish grin. Reaching out, he knocks his full beer against mine, a loud clinking sound filling the space between us. “Chug your beer, shortcake. We’re leaving.”
I do as I’m told, drinking every last drop as quickly as I can before letting him pull me from the bar. My heart races in anticipation as he leads me out the door. People try to stop and talk to me, but I don’t pay attention to any of them. Between my thighs is getting more and more wet as I dream of all the ways he’ll punish me for that little thing with Chase.
Maybe that’s why I let it happen. Maybe I wanted to make him jealous so I could see how he acted. I won’t admit that to him, but as my feet hurry to try and keep up with him, I know all of that was done on purpose.
He doesn’t say a word as he pulls me down the sidewalk. I must not be quick enough for him because eventually, he stops in his tracks. I’m opening my mouth to ask him why he’s stopping when I’m soaking wet and need him immediately when he sweeps me off my feet and clutches my body to his chest.
“Whoa!” I yell, wrapping my arms around his neck. “What are you doing?”
“You’re too slow, and since I don’t think you’ll let me eat your pussy on one of these side streets where anyone in your precious town can find you, I’m carrying you to your house.”
“Oh,” I whisper, clutching my thighs together because damn, that’s hot.
We had sex only hours ago, and I’m already ready for it to happen again. I’m eager to see what he has in store for me. Will he still be angry when we get to my house, which is a few blocks away? Will he take it out on me? Punish me a little before finally letting me come? Or will I see the soft side of Camden again? One where he slowly pushes in and out of me with his eyes locked on mine.
“Quit squirming,” he says through clenched teeth.
“Sorry,” I mumble.
“No you aren’t. You love knowing that I’m hard as a goddamn rock, imagining how soaked your panties must be right now.”