Havoc's Mate (Badlands Territory #2) - Lila Rose Page 0,8

me she wasn’t feeling well and that it wouldn’t look good if neither of us showed up. I was there to show my face and run back to the house to get into my pajamas and hop into bed to read a good book.

The bouncer’s nostrils flared as he took in a breath. He nodded down at me and moved back a little. Strange.

I walked toward the bar. I wouldn’t drink, since I drove, but I could use a Coke.

My skin prickled from the feeling of a lot of people watching me. Ignoring them, I stopped at the bar and took a subtle glance around the room. The place was crowded, surprising for such a small town. It must have been a popular place to hang out in.

“Hey, can I get you a drink?” was asked from beside me.

Glancing in the direction of the voice, I offered a small smile to the man, saying, “Thank you for the offer—”

“She’s mine” got growled from the other side of me. The man blanched when he looked over my shoulder.

My brows dropped in confusion when the man stretched his neck back a little before mumbling, “Right, sorry.” He was gone in the next second.

Sighing, I turned toward the man who I was sure had said, “She’s fine,” and not, “She’s mine.” That was what I was sticking with in my mind, anyway.

“Hi, Havoc,” I said.

“Jackson,” he replied, his gaze burning down at me, but I would only look at his chin.

“Who’s Jackson? That guy who just left?”

“No. I’m Jackson, to you.”

Oh.

“Um, okay.” I wasn’t sure if I should have been upset that he wanted me to call him something different to everyone else or happy he’d asked me. Not that it mattered. It didn’t. “I guess your full name is Jackson Havoc?”

“Yes.”

Since he was a man of few words, our connection… this chemistry was definitely physical attraction. I couldn’t base it on anything else when we couldn’t even have a proper conversation.

“Your mom?” he asked.

The heat in my cheeks pushed forward quickly. “She wasn’t feeling well. I just wanted to drop in to say hi and thanks for the invite before leaving.”

He shuffled closer, and even over the music, I could hear his intake of breath. “Have a drink with me?”

My heart felt like it swung forward, wanting out of my body to meet the man in front of me.

“Okay,” I whispered, and I wasn’t even sure he would hear it, but in the next moment, he was ordering two Cokes. How did he know I wasn’t going to get something else?

“You’re driving, right?”

Of course. “Yes.” I smiled, glad he’d come to the conclusion and didn’t pressure me into one alcoholic drink. Then again, we weren’t in high school or college where classmates pressured others.

The drinks arrived, and I thanked him again for mine before taking it off the bar and having a sip. The coolness helped my cheeks. Only a little. Why was my body humming? Why did I want to reach out to him? Why were my nipples perking up to say hello?

Who was this man?

“Cora.” His voice was low and right near my ear.

“Hmm?”

“Why don’t you look at me?”

Holy shitstick. I couldn’t tell him I didn’t want to meet his gaze as I was worried I’d get lost in it because my body reacted more profoundly when he looked at me like he wanted me.

Unless it was all in my imagination.

Smiling, I tipped my head back and stared at him.

The smile dropped from my face, knowing then I hadn’t imagined that look. Heat blazed in his dark gaze. I reached for the bar for something to hold on to.

“Cora, great to see you.”

I jolted and faced Alton as he stopped beside Jackson. His smile was infectious. I returned it and then looked at the woman, who was also grinning, under his arm. He curled her in tighter and said, “This is my wife, Kathy. Kathy, meet Cora.”

“Hi, Cora, it’s lovely to meet you.”

“You too, Kathy.”

Someone else joined our group, a man in his early twenties with long blond hair. “Alph—” He let out a wheeze when Kathy jammed her elbow into his gut.

“Kenny, this is Cora. Cora, this is my annoying younger brother. And, Kenny, you know my husband, Alton, and Havoc, right?”

He glanced at all of us and straightened. “Yes, I remember.”

I was right. This night just started to get weird. Of course Kenny would know Alton and Havoc. Why would she introduce them again?

Kathy laughed as she ruffled