Page 66 of Slow Burn

Beck tips his black cowboy hat in greeting.

“Ladies,” Austin says, pulling up a chair. Beck does the same, and sits across from me, directly in my line of sight. I try not to let my eyes linger on him for any longer than a normal person would, but he clearly doesn’t feel the need to pretend. His dark gaze pins me to the spot, and sweat beads on my back from the intensity of it in the already stuffy and humid bar.

I wonder if he’s had a chance to talk to Austin yet, but I decide I won’t say anything that could arouse suspicion until I can confirm. Beck was right when he said it was something he needed to do. There’s more at stake with their relationship.

Austin is my brother, and although he isn’t exactly in my good books these days, there’s nothing he could do to make me cut ties.

Austin is all I have left, and I know he feels the same about me.

“You guys look like the fucking Village People,” Sutton chides, tilting her head down at their obnoxious garb.

At least I can’t see Austin’s speedo while he’s seated at the table.

“The people of Sage Valley want a show? Then that’s what they’ll get,” Austin says with a smug grin. He’s held the record for longest ride for years now. He was a saddle bronc competitor, of course he’s undefeated, but Beck holds a close second.

“I’m just surprised to see Cactus Jackass here participating,” I quip, earning myself a lopsided grin from Beck.

“Gotta give ‘em what they want,” he says, his eyebrows twitching upward. He knows what he’s doing to me.

Stoic, aloof, cool and collected Beck was sexy to me, but this version of Beck? The one who doesn’t take himself so seriously? Something in me swells, heat rushing through my core at the way he’s looking at me.

I school my expression, forcing an unruffled look onto my face despite the flush crawling over my skin. I make the mistake of glancing over at Sutton, her amber eyes glued to me in that assessing way she has.

“You’re lucky Nash prefers the real thing,” Skye laughs. Nash would smoke all of them in this little competition they have going.

Austin nods in agreement.

“Just don’t get hurt again this year, okay?” Sutton warns Beck, and points at her cocktail. “No one is a doctor after a few drinks, and I’m hardly a doctor sober.”

Beck stretches out his arm as if to show he’s right as rain. “Nah, I’ll be fine.”

I tip my chin toward Beck. “Aren’t you the one supposed to be keeping Austin in line?”

Austin has a tendency to get himself into hot water when he goes out, like the night he punched out a guy that made a pass at the girl he was with. I can’t help but be skeptical about them doing this, and I don’t hide it on my face.

Beck tips his beer back and swallows the last few gulps before smacking it on the table. “Let the man have a little fun.”

He throws me a wink that turns my insides to goo.

“Speaking of staying in line,” Austin pipes up in his own defence. “Beck been treatin’ you right?”

My mouth goes dry.

“Uh, yeah,” I say, choosing my words carefully and stifling the grin tugging at the corner of my lips. “He’s made sure that all my needs are met.”

Across the table Beck nearly chokes on his drink. Luckily Austin doesn’t have a direct line of sight to Beck, because his face has gone a vivid shade of red.

“And the job hunt?” Austin asks.

My shoulders sag with relief that he didn’t pick up on the looks Beck and I exchanged across the table, and it doesn’t seem like Sutton or Skye did either.

Still, I sip on my beer to delay answering his question. I’m sure Austin has seen the video circulating. Hell, everyone at this table probably has by now. It’s no secret that my job hunt has been and will continue to be an uphill battle.

Not everyone is willing to take a chance on a wild card. The video tells every employer exactly what I am: a liability.

“I have some decent prospects,” I say after swallowing. “But I’m not so sure I want to leave Sage Valley just yet.”

Austin’s eyes widen in surprise, but all I’m really aware of is the way Beck’s gaze snaps to me.