Trixie winced. “Sorry. Thanks for understanding.”
“Thanks for trusting me. I won’t tell anyone. I’m getting excited about it. You guys are really good together. But why did you tell me if you’re just hooking up?”
“Because we won’t be acting like a couple at the bar tonight, and I wanted you to know why I won’t be flirting with other guys.”
“That makes sense.”
“Aand…”
“Oh boy, the truth comes out,” Jillian teased.
“I don’t know how I’ll handle seeing him and his harem now that we’ve crossed that line, so I might need you to keep me from clawing someone’s eyes out. Like Nick’s.”
“You think he’ll flirt with those women in front of you? He’d better not.”
Trixie shrugged. “I don’t know what to expect, but we’re not a couple. Travis asked me out, and—”
“Hold on! Travis asked you out? Geez, woman. How’d you manage that one?”
“I don’t know. But I turned him down.”
“Maybe you shouldn’t have. Travis would be a much easier mark than Nick.”
“But Nick…” She placed her hand over her heart.
Jillian’s gaze softened. “Oh, Trix. You’ve got it bad for my bullheaded brother.”
“I do. I didn’t tell Nick that I turned Travis down. That sounds horrible, but I wanted to see what he’d do, or if he got jealous.”
“That’s not horrible. It’s one of the only strategies we have to get past all the I don’t cares and the other bullshit guys say. How did Nick respond?”
“He didn’t at first. But then said he didn’t like the idea of me going out with Travis. But he never said not to, or that he wanted to go out with me.”
“He’s a bonehead.”
“I don’t think he is, Jilly. I think he’s afraid of getting hurt.”
“Oh please. Nick?” Jillian scoffed. “He’s ironclad. Nobody can hurt him.”
Trixie didn’t want to breach Nick’s confidence, so she shrugged and said, “Maybe I’m wrong.”
“He’s the toughest guy in all of Pleasant Hill. When we were all falling apart after Tory died, he was tough as nails. I love my brother, but if he flirts in front of you tonight, then he is an ass, and you should give him hell and never hook up with him again.”
“I know.”
“Don’t worry, Trix. I’m here for you. But I don’t think Nick will do that. He’s not good at warm and fuzzy, but he’s not a jerk. He’d never hurt you like that. He’s always so protective of you, showing up at the bars when we go out, and he worries about your repu—” Jillian’s jaw dropped. “Holy shit. What if he’s been into you all this time? I know exactly what you and Nick need to get him to open up.”
“A crowbar?”
“Nope. You need the magic of Charlotte’s inn. It brought Beau and Char together, and Zev and Carly. We need to get you and Nick to Colorado.”
Nick’s voice sailed through Trixie’s mind. I have been dying to do body shots off you ever since you mentioned it in Colorado. Her heart skipped. “I just realized something. I think we might have already been touched by the magic of the inn.”
“What? How long has this been going on? Did you guys sleep together after that race last year?”
“No. We didn’t even kiss. He walked me back to my room after the awards banquet, and I tried to flirt with him, but I was pretty drunk. I didn’t think he noticed, but the other night he said something that made me wonder if I was wrong.”
“Trixie.” Jillian’s eyes lit up. “If you’ve been touched by the magic of the inn, Charlotte says nothing can break that spell.” Her shoulders slumped. “I’m happy for you, but damn it. I was supposed to be next in line for that magic.”
They both laughed.
“You realize believing in magic makes us total weirdos, right?” Trixie said as they pushed to their feet, feeling better.
“We totally rock the weirdo category. Besides, the way my love life is going, I need Houdini himself to cast a spell.”
Chapter Fifteen
TULLY’S WAS A family-oriented pub during the day and a hotspot for scantily clad women and lustful men at night. Music and the scents of perfume and lost inhibitions hung in the air. Before the awards banquet in Colorado last year, Nick had frequented places like that with the sole purpose of finding a willing woman for a few hours of fun. But as he stood at the bar waiting for the drinks he’d ordered for him and Jax, who was sitting at the table talking with three women, that felt like a lifetime ago. His gaze cut to the crowded dance floor, where the only woman he wanted to get lost in was dancing with his sister. Trixie was so damn beautiful, dancing with her arms over her head in that curve-hugging outfit, her hips swinging to the beat, he was having a hell of a time keeping his emotions in check. It didn’t help that practically every guy in the place was leering at her.
The bartender pushed two glasses across the bar, pulling him from his thoughts. Nick paid for the drinks and made his way toward the table.
“Hey, Nick.” Shayna, the voluptuous blonde who had texted him a few days ago, stepped into his path, flanked by two brunettes. “I was hoping to catch you here. It’s my last night in town. Want to buy a few lonely girls drinks?” She stepped closer and lowered her voice. “We’ll be happy to thank you properly later.” Her friends eyed him hopefully.
“Not tonight, ladies.” He stepped around them.
“Aw, Nick. It’s been forever,” Shayna whined.
How had that ever been enough? And how had he gone from being the guy who only wanted no-strings-attached hookups to the guy who’d caught feelings for a woman who was only looking for a little nakedness between friends?
Forcing a smile, he lifted one of the glasses and said, “It was fun while it lasted. You girls have a nice night.”
As he walked away, Shayna said, “Let’s go. There are plenty of hot cowboys in this bar.”
He saw Trixie coming off the dance floor as he made his way to the table. She and Jillian were talking animatedly. When her eyes hit his, he swore he felt a shock of heat. She bit her lower lip, looking sexy as hell. Jillian said something, and Trixie burst into hysterics.
“Hey,” one of the brunettes Jax was talking to said in a singsong voice.
“How’s it going?” Nick set the drink on the table.
“It’s going good,” she said, wiggling her ass. “We were just asking Jax if he wanted to party with us.”
Jax raised his brows and took a drink.
“Have fun with that,” Nick said.
“You can come, too,” the taller of the girls offered.
“I’m good, thanks.”
Trixie and Jillian giggled as they approached. Trixie eyed the girls, and her expression turned fierce with a hint of amusement, and she said, “Oh, good, you have a drink! I’m so thirsty.”
She took the glass from Nick and downed half of his drink. Pure seduction glittered in her dark eyes as her tongue swept along her lower lip, then slowly glided across her upper lip. His cock twitched behind his zipper. He knew just how talented that beautiful mouth was.