by Tyler, Paige
She only hoped Clay didn’t notice the way she kept staring. But she couldn't help it. No matter how many times she told herself to stop, her eyes kept being drawn to his crotch. Was he really as well-endowed as Britt claimed or had her friend been exaggerating?
Of course she'd agreed the moment Clay asked to join them. What woman wouldn't want a hot stud like him along for the evening?
Although now that she thought about it, Britt had seemed a bit hesitant. Shawna knew Britt planned this as a girls’ night out. She hoped her friend wasn't too upset. But Shawna never got to hang out with guys like this, and even if it was only dancing at a club, she didn't want to pass it up. She'd apologize to Britt later. Right after she thanked her friend for letting her sit next to Clay when they climbed in his pick-up. Not only did she get to press her thigh up against his muscular leg, she also got to find out how scrumptious his cologne was. She leaned a little closer. Nope, not cologne. That was pure unadulterated male goodness she smelled.
Shawna shook her head. Not only was Britt’s bull-rider friend handsome and—according to her—amazing in bed, but he smelled good enough to eat, too. How was it possible for this guy not to be married?
She figured it out as they drove to the Cowboy Club—Clay was a dyed-in-the-wool rodeo cowboy. While he might call Austin home, he was almost never there. He lived for life on the circuit, riding bulls, taking chances and having fun. He wasn't the type of guy to settle down and he was the first to admit it.
But just because he wasn't the marrying kind didn't mean he wasn't a ball to be around. They talked about living in Austin, riding bulls, even her college course load. Clay had no trouble carrying on a conversation about any topic, which made him even more attractive. She didn’t normally go for one-night stands, but she could see herself making an exception in Clay's case.
Shawna almost laughed out loud. Like she'd ever go home with a guy she just met. No way would she ever be that bold. That was more Britt’s style.
Which wasn’t a knock against her friend. In fact, sometimes she was a little jealous of Britt. If there was one thing she could change about herself, it would be the habit she had of overthinking things. Britt was so laid back about everything and content to take things as they came. Unlike Shawna. Even if a guy as hot as Clay propositioned her with a night of meaningless sex, she’d probably waste the opportunity by asking if she could think about it for a few days.
But since it wasn’t likely Clay would proposition her tonight, she didn’t have to worry about it. Which meant she could focus on having fun. That wasn't going to be hard—she was still laughing as they pulled into the parking lot of the Cowboy Club.
With a dance floor bigger than a school gymnasium, live music every weekend and a liquor-filled bar that ran the entire length of one wall, the place gave new meaning to the word “huge.”
Gentleman that he was, Clay paid the cover charge without a second's hesitation, then held their hands and led the way as they bulled their way through the crowd of people around the entrance. As always, the music was loud and the place was packed, but that only meant it was hopping. Anyone who couldn’t fit on the dance floor was either dancing in between tables or on top of them. Hell, there were even a couple people stomping to the beat up on one end of the bar. The bartender didn't seem to notice, passing drinks around the dancers’ legs as if this was a nightly occurrence.
“How are we going to find a place to sit?” Shawna yelled over the music.
“We didn't come here to sit down,” Clay shouted back. “Come on.”
Giving her a grin, he dragged her and Britt onto the dance floor, found a semi-clear space and started dancing to the loud country-rock beat. She laughed as Clay gave her an ab roll that looked better suited to a Chippendale Dancer than a bull rider. She could just imagine him in his jeans and cowboy boots, chest bare and muscles rippling.
“Woohoo!” Britt laughed.
She turned her ass to Clay, matching his rolling motion. Shawna stood there unmoving, her mouth open. Damn, her friend had some serious hip flexibility. Riding horses for a living must do that.
Clay grabbed Shawna’s hand, pulling her tight against his crotch, steering her hips exactly where he wanted them to go. “You ain't here to watch, girl.”
She started to giggle, but the sound came out more as a moan as she felt something very firm and very distinct press insistently against her inner thigh. Fortunately, Clay had already turned his attention back to Britt, so he didn't see her reaction to the intimate contact. Her mind reeled as she gyrated against Clay in time with the music. Oh. My. God. Britt hadn't been exaggerating—Clay was hung like a horse. And if she was right in her guess, he wasn't even hard yet.
Shawna tried to disregard the blatant sexual aspect of their dance and tell herself they were simply three friends having fun, but it was tough. It wasn't every night she did the bump and grind with a guy as hot and sexy as Clay. Actually, she’d never done it.
Having Britt out there with her should have cooled things down a bit—she was her best friend for goodness sake—but Britt was bumping and grinding just as hard and wicked as Clay, and it only served to heat things up even more.
Shawna was breathing so fast she thought she might hyperventilate. It didn’t help that her heart was beating a hundred miles an hour. She was about to take a step back so she could catch her breath—she’d claim it was the heat in the place getting to her if either Clay or Britt asked—but the look on the faces of the three girls dancing stag directly behind Clay stopped her.
They were staring at her, Clay and Britt with pure, undisguised lust.
Shawna could understand them eyeing Clay that way—she was getting pretty turned on watching Clay move to the music, too. But why the hell would they look at her and Britt like that? Either they were attracted to her and Britt just as much as they were to Clay, or…
She was getting the eye from the three women because they were jealous she was the one getting to bump and grind with a guy this hot. The realization made her start dancing again.
She, Shawna Barton, computer engineer and poster girl for the nerd herd, was getting down and dirty with a steaming hunk of sexy rodeo cowboy, and an equally sexy rodeo cowgirl.
And she was fitting right in.
“Woohoo!”
She laughed and playfully gave Clay a whack on the butt. She immediately caught herself, shocked she'd done something so wild, but he only chuckled and grabbed her arm, spinning her into a twirl that ended up with her turned backward to him and rocking her ass against his groin.
Britt let out a whoop. “You go, cowgirl!”
They stayed on the floor for the rest of the song, then two more after that. Clay was incredible, effortlessly dancing with both of them regardless of the beat of the music as if he did this for a living.
Britt was the one who finally pulled them off the floor. “Whew! This place is hotter than an oven. I need a beer!”
Shawna didn't want to stop dancing, afraid the magic would disappear in a poof, but Clay had already grabbed her hand and was heading for the bar. Along the way, they found an empty booth. Clay motioned them in.
“I'll grab some beers while you two hold the seat. Back in a few.”
Shawna shook her head as he disappeared into the crowd. “That guy is a ball of energy.”
Fortunately, the booth they’d stumbled on was shielded from the speakers, so she didn't have to yell.
Britt lifted her long dark hair off her neck, grinning as she fanned herself with her free hand. “You think he's energetic on the dance floor, you should see him in bed.”
Shawna giggled, but on the inside she shivered at the image Britt's words provoked of Clay moving that energetically between her legs.
“You okay?” Britt’s brow furrowed in concern. “Your face is really flushed.”
Shawna waved off Britt's concern. “I'm fine. It's hot in here. And I haven't danced like that in a long time.”
Britt let her hair fall down her back. “I don'
t know about you, but I've never danced like that.”
“Me either, really,” Shawna admitted. “He's crazy.”
Britt opened her mouth to say something, but Clay popped up in front of them holding three beers.
“Who's crazy?”
“You, of course,” Britt said. “How'd you get those beers so fast? You were only gone for a minute.”
He grinned. “I have mad skills when it comes to finding alcohol.”
Shawna slid over to make room for Clay in the booth, trying to give him a signal that she'd be more than happy if he sat beside her. She told herself not to be disappointed if he sat beside Britt instead. It was only natural he'd be angling to get back in her bed. But Clay surprised her by putting one boot on the seat and climbing around her until he was between them, then dropping down onto the bench seat as if that was the way everyone did it at the club.
When she and Britt wiggled over to make room for him, he chuckled. “You two don't need to act shy, not after the way we were all just dancing out there on the floor.”
Britt shoved his shoulder. “I didn't want you sitting on my lap. I just healed up and don't need your big butt landing on me and breaking me again.”
Clay laughed again and handed them their beers. “No worry about that darlin’. I've never damaged a woman in my life.”
Britt leaned over Clay's lap and motioned her forward. Shawna put her hand on his thigh to steady herself as Britt whispered conspiratorially, “Yeah, but he sure made one walk a little funny for a few days.”
Shawna cracked up, her gaze automatically dropping down to Clay's crotch—which was only a few inches away from her suddenly itchy fingers.
“What'd I say that was so funny?” Clay demanded.
Shawna smiled up at Clay. The expression on his face told her he knew exactly what was going on, and that made her laugh even harder.
“Nothing,” she said.
Shawna had the most incredible urge to slide her hand a bit higher up that muscled thigh of Clay's, but she didn’t dare. Not in a nightclub full of people. It was tough, though. Dang tough.
Clay’s mouth quirked. “You two are bad.”
Shawna laughed and reluctantly moved her hand from his leg. Grabbing her beer, she scooted closer to Clay. It was an intimate move—not to mention out of character for her—but it felt so natural. Maybe because Britt was there. Or maybe because Clay was so easy to be around. Either way, she pressed her hip up against his and leaned back against his shoulder.
Clay lifted his arm and placed it over the back of the booth to make room for her, then put his other arm over the back of the booth on the other side to make room for Britt. She wiggled in a lot more confidently than Shawna had, even sliding one of her knees a little over his lap. In moments, Clay was sandwiched between her and Britt, a place he seemed happy to be.
He looked at her. “You mentioned in the truck on the way over that you're a computer engineer. Are you more focused on the hardware side or the software side of the business?”
Shawna must have sat there staring at him with her mouth open for a full minute. Okay, that was the last thing she’d expected him to say. She didn't think she’d stereotyped Clay as just a simple cowboy, but maybe she had. Not only had he actually listened to her on the trip over here, but he clearly knew more about computers than she'd given him credit for.
“I'm all about the software,” she said. “I write code for PDAs and Smartphones—apps and stuff.”
And just like that, she and Clay were taking about programming languages and data transfer rates. Which left her even more dumbfounded.
She set down her bottle of beer. “Did you go to college for programming?”
He chuckled. “Me, go to college? Hell, no. I was born knowing I was going to make a living riding bulls.”
“Then how do you know so much about programming?”
He shrugged. “Half my family makes a living doing something with computers. Most people wouldn't even know the conversations we had during dinner when I was growing up were in English. I picked up a lot of tech knowledge even when I wasn't listening.”
Britt leaned in. “Sorry to interrupt, but mind if I slip off to the ladies’ room while you two continue your scintillating conversation?” She grinned. “Computer software talk puts me to sleep.”
Shawna blushed, chagrined to realize she'd been hogging Clay. “Want me to come with you?”
“Nah, stay here and talk to Clay. I'm sure he doesn't get a chance to debate the advantages and disadvantages of various software codes with his bull riding buddies, so knock yourselves out.” Another grin, this time accompanied by a wink. “But when I get back, I expect those beers to be gone so we can do some more dancing.”
Britt slid out of the booth and scooted off before Shawna could say anything else. Shawna frowned as she watched her go. She had a sneaking suspicion Britt had gone on a solo bathroom run so she could have time alone with Clay. Her friend was intuitive enough to know she’d taken a hankering to the handsome bull rider. Which made her feel even worse. Clay was Britt's guy. Britt had already slept with him so that meant she had rights of first refusal, and it was clear as a bump on a log that her friend would love to get a bit more sack time with the studly cowboy. Shawna shouldn’t be shoehorning in like this. It wasn't the way a person treated her best friend.
But Clay was so interesting and charming and fun to be around, not to mention unbelievably hot. Even when she tried to look away, she couldn’t. It felt as if she was being hypnotized.
Shawna forced herself to drag her gaze away and focused on her beer. She abruptly realized she hadn't touched it after that first sip. She grabbed the bottle and took a big gulp.
“So, what were you saying about the code your brother works with?” she asked.
She didn't really want to talk about computers at the moment, but she loved hearing Clay’s voice. Watching his lips move wasn't a strain either.
Clay shifted in the seat, then leaned forward until that perfect mouth of his was dangerously close to hers. Suddenly, she didn't feel like talking anymore. “I think we've discussed software enough, don't you?”
Everyone in the bar could probably tell that Clay was about to kiss her. Even though she’d just told herself this was not how a girl treated a friend, Shawna’s heart raced with anticipation.
She licked her lips. Why was she lusting after her best friend's guy like this? “What should we talk about then?”
His hand touched her thigh, slowly caressing her leg through the material of her jeans. Damn, that felt scary good. She wasn't the kind to get naughty in a public place, but what he was doing might just change her stance on that rule.
He moved another inch closer and she could feel the heat of his breath against her cheek. “I was thinking we could talk about…hardware instead.”
As if her hand knew exactly what kind of hardware he was talking about, it took it upon itself to move into his lap, taking full measure of the subject of conversation.
Oh. My. God. The bulge under her hand felt crazy good. Better than good. It felt like something that could make a girl start doing really foolish things. Like kiss her best friend’s guy.
Shawna looked up into Clay’s dark eyes and saw that they were measuring her, judging her reaction to the situation. She wet her lips and leaned forward, hoping and praying he got the memo.
“Hardware is one of my favorite topics,” she said softly.
Clay closed the last half inch, his mouth meeting hers.
His kiss was as amazing as the rest of him, and as her toes curled in her boots, she suddenly hoped Britt would take lots of time in the ladies’ room. Or that she’d forgive her if she came out right now and saw Shawna locking lips with her man.
* * * * *
Britt deliberately took her time in the ladies’ room. Shawna and Clay were likely doing a bit more than chatting about computer stuff out there, and she intended to give them the time to do whatever they felt like doing.
Britt was normally the possessive type. Any other time, she’d be out there practicing proximity control right now to make sure another woman didn’t get her hands around Clay's…well, around Clay. But this was Shawna they were talking about, and she'd do anything for her friend. They'd been closer than sisters since they were kids, and a man wasn't going to change that. If Shawna wanted a shot at Clay, Britt wasn’t going to get in the way. Besides, she'd wanted to make sure Shawna had a good time tonight, and hooking up with Clay would definitely qualify as a good time.
It was obvious Clay was attracted to Shawna, too. He’d been looking at Shawna with lust in his chocolate brown eyes since the moment he'd met her. Hell, he’d been pitching a tent in his jeans from the moment her pretty, blonde friend had wiggled up into his truck and shimmied close to him.
So, Britt dawdled in front of the bathroom mirror, checking her make-up, smoothing her hair, making sure she didn’t have anything in her teeth, playing with her iPhone. Clay was the kind of man who could get a woman flat on her back faster than a champion steer wrestler could hogtie a dogie—Britt had seen him in action—but Shawna was different. She was a woman who needed to be wooed a bit. Unfortunately, Britt couldn’t hang out in the ladies’ room that long without someone noticing. Which meant she was going to have to stop at the bar and get another beer instead of heading back to the table. Then she'd find an out of the way corner where she could keep an eye on Shawna and Clay. Once they’d cozied up to each other, she'd rejoin them. Her friend probably wouldn’t go home with Clay right away so they’d most likely have to dance—and drink—for a couple hours before her friend would be comfortable enough with Clay to go home with him. Then Britt would find an excuse to bail—maybe claim she saw another rider from the circuit or something.
When Britt finally walked out of the restroom, she expected to see Shawna and Clay deep in conversation about which software code was most user friendly. Instead, she found them wrapped in a seriously hot embrace. Clay had one arm around her friend’s shoulders, his mouth firmly locked on hers, while Shawna had her hand in his lap. And it wasn't lying there in that I-don't-know-what-to-do-now kind of way, either. Shawna was squeezing Clay's hard-on through his jeans like she was ready to rip a hole in the material and get at his cock any second.