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“I don’t want to be the latest gossip.” Pushing the corset away, I took two steps back and almost landed on Andre.
“Liam meant you’d have to beat off dance partners with a stick. No one’s going to be negative. They can talk to me if they have opinions.” Voice firm, Andre crossed his arms over his chest, nodding like his word was law, like his presence would be enough to stop even a rogue giggle sent my direction. I didn’t buy it.
“Yup. Me too. Anyone has an issue with your costume choice, they can take it up with me,” Malik added. Great. A whole posse ready to protect me. I was a freaking SEAL. And the security guy. The last thing I needed was a bodyguard of my own.
Swallowing hard, I glanced over at Malik. And okay, I wanted my own personal bodyguard. Badly. But I couldn’t have that, and the corset was yet another reminder of all the things I wanted but either shouldn’t or couldn’t have.
“I’ll just wear this.” I grabbed the nearest western shirt, light blue with pearl snap buttons. A size too big, but whatever. Wasn’t like I needed to be sexy. And when my gaze tried to wander back over to the corsets, I forced it to a row of cowboy hats. Yup. That was what I needed.
“Suit yourself.” Liam shrugged but sounded a little sad. Guess I was taking his fun, but he moved on to Malik, sizing him up with that experienced costume director’s eye he had. “Now, for you. Avery’s right. You’re a set of handcuffs and a six-shooter away from completing the sheriff vibes.” Oh fuck. He had heard. I moved closer to the cowboy hats, like that might help. But Liam paid me and my death by embarrassment no mind, pulling shirts and accessories for Malik. “Let me put you in chaps? Please? Your thighs were made for chaps.”
“Thick thighs save lives.” Andre gave a booming laugh.
“Sure. I’m game.” Malik accepted Liam’s offerings easily, smiling like other dudes complimented his thighs all the time. He let Liam pick him some accessories, including a fake badge and leather vest, and even consented to let Andre mess with his hair and add fake tattoos to his forearms, taking the one he already had and turning it into more of a full sleeve. The three of them were a laugh a minute, having fun getting ready, while my mood continued to sink to the bottom of the ocean. Forget a raft. I was on a submarine straight for hell.
A hell where I could admire how hot Malik looked as a sheriff and where I was hours away from being able to tell him. Last night. I wanted to grab his arm, drag him back to our room, ignore the packing we’d already started, and kiss him until the world made sense again. I wasn’t ready. Fuck. I simply wasn’t ready for this to be over.
And I’d dodged every last one of Malik’s attempts to talk until here we were, walking to the party with Andre and Liam, sounds of people spilling out of the saloon set, no opportunity to slip Malik an approving glance, let alone have a deep conversation.
Maybe that raft had sailed without me. Maybe what-comes-next island was a mirage. Maybe I’d been screwed from the start, talk or no talk, but I sure felt like I’d let something get away.
Last night.
I paused near the saloon’s double doors. The smell of barbecue hung heavy in the air, buffet tables taking up one whole wall of the saloon, and the set was packed as all the extras and temp workers had been invited to the party along with the regular cast and crew. People loitered on the sidewalk, stairs, and other nearby sets. Not a chance in hell of a quiet moment any time soon. Each step seemed to pull me closer to my doom until I had to stop, heels digging into the rough wood flooring.
Ahead of Malik and me, Liam clung to Andre’s arm, two older dudes, happy as fuck, in love for the whole damn world to see, accepting greetings from various friends.
Never gonna be me. Instead of panic, like earlier with the corset, anger rose up. Fury, really. How dare they get to be happy while I…
“Avery! And Malik!” My internal crisis was interrupted by the arrival of Tiffany with a whole crew of actresses, all looking straight out of the brothel scene in flouncy dresses. “Wow, boys. You both look so good.”
She nodded at both of us, but her gaze slid right over me to linger on Malik, who truly did have the sexy sheriff thing down.
“Arrest me, sheriff?” One of the actresses with Tiffany dared to link arms with Malik. She was dark-haired with ruby-red lips and a long slim neck, and I had absolutely no grounds to tell her to keep her damn hands to herself.
