Two to Tangle (A Tangle Valley Romance #2) - Melissa Brayden Page 0,19
like the hookup type to me. She’s put together. Smart.”
“Smart people like to have fun, too.”
“I guess there’s only one way to find out. Work your magic.”
Billy tipped his hat to her, content to keep his barstool warm. She knew him well enough to know he was the kind of guy who just liked being around other folks and having a brew. He didn’t need to go hard and, in fact, turned in by ten p.m. most nights they went out. Ryan was the adventurous half of the duo. She stepped off her stool, downed the last of her beer, squeezed Billy’s shoulder, and headed toward the action. She was ten feet from Gabriella and smiled when their eyes connected. She needed something clever to say, but for whatever reason, her brain cells abandoned her. Should she say something about cooking? No. She knew very little. The restaurant? They shouldn’t only talk about work. Where were the good words? She felt her smile dim. Her stomach hitched weirdly, and she was hyperaware of the volume of the music. The sweat began to prickle the back of her neck from all the people, and she craved more space. Gabriella tilted her head, a questioning look crossing her features. Ryan opened her mouth to at least say the word hey, when Heather Leonard appeared, wrapped her arms around Ryan’s waist, and kissed her cheek.
“Time for that dance? I’ve missed you.” Another kiss to the cheek.
Normally, Ryan would have grinned and given Heather a squeeze or her hair a nuzzle. Tonight, she froze, as did Gabriella, whose lips parted subtly at the display in front of her. After a beat, she lifted her beer to Ryan and turned back to her friends. No. God. Disaster. Heather gave her arm a tug, and Ryan followed her blindly to the center of the dance floor where they joined a two-step in progress. It got worse. Heather was pretty handsy tonight, running hers lightly across the front of Ryan’s black shirt, down her back to her ass. When the music finally shifted, Ryan took the opportunity to disentangle herself from Heather, who’d turned into a one-woman TSA agent. She hadn’t made it off the dance floor before Lana McCarver grabbed her for a slow dance. Both of them in one night? Lana was a sweet girl who’d left her husband eight months ago. In her own personal quest to discover more about her sexuality, she’d taken an interest in Ryan and her abilities in the bedroom.
Lana leaned in. “You look fantastic.”
“I could say the same about you.” Lana’s shoulder-length dark blond hair was down, her lips glossy.
“I haven’t seen you out in weeks,” Lana whispered. “Any chance we could steal some time soon? You’re probably busy, but I miss our one-on-ones, you know?”
Ryan did know. Lana was ambitious about making up for lost time now that she’d found this part of herself. Sex—that’s what Lana missed. She wasn’t interested in a relationship, but she very much liked no-strings action, and Ryan had very much liked Lana and their arrangement. “I’ve been slammed at work and crashing most nights, but yeah, I’d like that.”
“Then I will be calling you soon. Unless, of course, you’re free later tonight. Am I that lucky?” She leaned in close. “I will make it worth your while. It’s been too long, and you know what I’m like.”
Ryan hesitated. That seemed like a plum offer. Any other night, Ryan would have capitalized and headed back to Lana’s place, but apparently some kind of screw had come loose and she hesitated. “Tonight’s not the best for me.” A lie. She was wide open. What the hell?
“No worries,” Lana said and slipped her fingertips behind Ryan’s hair, lighting touching the back of her neck. “I know you have your hands full.” She glanced at Heather, who eyed them like an impatient predator.
“Oh no,” Ryan said, squashing the Heather assumption. “I’m just tired. I’ll probably head home before too long and catch up on sleep. Alone. It’s not like that.”
“You know that none of that matters to me, right?” Lana asked. “You see other people, and I’m fine with that. I’m a big girl.”
That was the great thing about Lana. She was kind and came with very few expectations. She knew Ryan liked to have fun, and maybe that was part of Ryan’s appeal. Lana could explore herself, her wants, her desires without worrying about getting herself into something she wasn’t even clear she wanted. Ryan