Nicole Edwards - Zane

Ever since that very first night when they’d talked at Jaxson’s party, Zane had known that what he would feel for her was going to be significantly different from any other woman he’d ever met.

V was so damn pretty, especially when she was flustered like she was right at that moment. He’d even tried a cheesy pickup line on her just to see what she’d say, and it’d worked like he hoped. Now, as she stared back at him, still trying to figure out whether he was or was not trying to pick her up, Zane couldn’t help but smile.

“Need another drink?” he asked, noticing the small cup in her hand was empty.

V glanced down, then back up at him, but she didn’t smile. That didn’t stop him from laughing.

“What’s so funny?” Clearly she was not amused with him.

“Nothing. Come on, let’s go outside where it’s quiet,” he told her, taking her free hand in his and pulling her along behind him. To his surprise, she moved with him, not trying to pull away like he initially suspected.

As soon as they stepped outside of the overcrowded house, Zane felt like he could breathe better. He’d grabbed two beers on his way and handed one over to V as they moved away from the house. The night was warm, and only a few people were mulling about in the front yard. Noticing Beau’s truck was parked out front, Zane made his way over to it while V followed along behind him. He lowered the tailgate and patted the seat beside him as he dropped onto it.

V glanced down as though the truck might bite, but apparently she decided it wouldn’t because she climbed up beside him.

“How’s your mom?” Zane asked, not surprised in the least when V flinched like he’d hit her or something. He didn’t know everything there was to know about Vanessa Carmichael, but he knew enough to be dangerous.

“She’s fine.” V sounded completely uninterested in the conversation, so he moved on.

“Zoey and Kaleb, huh? Who’da thought they’d finally wake up and see the light?”

That garnered a laugh from V and Zane decided right then and there that he liked the sound. A lot.

“I don’t know what took them so long,” she admitted, still laughing.

“What about you? Who’re you seeing?” he questioned her, taking a long pull on the beer he was holding.

The glare she sent him was amusing and so damn sexy, Zane felt a twinge in his groin. He didn’t say another word, just listened to the sound of the wind as it hissed through the trees, picking up a little more than earlier. The night was dark, due to the clouds covering the moon, and the music that billowed out through the open windows of Jaxson’s house was a nice addition to the comfortable silence between him and the beautiful woman sitting beside him.

“What’s with all the questions?” V questioned a few minutes later.

“Just trying to get to know you. Is that a crime?” he chuckled, then downed the rest of his beer before chucking the bottle into the bed of Beau’s truck.

“You’d be smart to go find someone your own age, Zane Walker,” V whispered, sounding serious and not at all interested in getting to know him.

“And how old do you think I am?” He wondered if she even knew or if that was her first attempt to cock block him.

The thought made him smile.

“You’re just a baby,” she replied.

“You’re what? Twenty-nine?” Zane couldn’t hide the irritation in his voice. One thing he hated was when people used age as an excuse.

“Thirty, thank you very much.”

“Well, there you go. Just a few years older than me,” he retorted.

“Maturity counts too,” V whispered, and Zane barely heard her. But he did.

Turning to face her, he instinctively reached out and caught her chin with his fingers, turning her face so she was looking directly at him. “You think so, huh?” Without asking permission, Zane leaned in and pressed his lips to hers. He had the good sense to wait to see if she’d push him away, but when she didn’t, he sought the inside of her mouth with his tongue.

When V let loose, kissing him back and leaning into him, Zane wrapped one arm around her, using his tongue to explore the delectable, rich taste of her. She tasted like beer and sunshine, and his dick no longer twitched. It fucking ached. She kissed him back, and the rest of their surroundings disappeared, replaced only by the sultry little breaths she took, and the moans she fought to keep inside.

“You got any more excuses?” he asked her, pulling his lips from hers, but not putting any distance between them. She stared back at him, and Zane knew exactly what she was feeling because he felt it too. Something strong and persistent and so damn thrilling, he thought his chest might just explode.

Zane stepped out into the bright sunshine, surrounded by the stench of too many people in one place, frustrated at himself for walking out, but more so for giving in to his thoughts. He’d never chased a woman in his life, never had to. But he’d also never met a woman who filled every waking thought with memories of her. He wasn’t sure how long it would take to get over her, but he knew for a fact it would happen.

He fucking hoped it would happen.

♀♂

“You can’t be serious?” V exclaimed when an incredibly beautiful, if not seriously fake, woman walked up to the table, tapping Kaleb on the shoulder.

V was sitting between Braydon and Brendon at a table that was filled with friends of both the future bride and groom. They’d been at the club for a good hour, and so far nothing had gone awry. Apparently, someone hadn’t put a leash on the twins and the stripper – obvious by the long, fake extensions, the double d’s that God didn’t bless her with, and the orangish tint to her skin – was proof of that.

V glanced over at Zoey to see her smiling like a kid on Christmas. She was sitting between Gage and Kaleb, and had been alternating her time between talking with everyone and dancing with one, or sometimes both men at the same time. Her best friend had let down her hair since coming to Vegas, that was for damn sure.

Since she stepped foot in the club, V had vowed to have a good time. The first thing she did was locate Zane within seconds of entering the darkened room. As far as she could tell, he hadn’t looked at her once, but she hadn’t expected it either. Ever since he’d turned around and walked out of the restaurant the day before, she’d known that whatever had been between them was dissolving almost as fast as it had flared up. Her heart hurt every time she thought about him. Even sitting just fifteen feet away, V missed him fiercely, but she didn’t know what she was supposed to do about that.

V watched the blonde as she saddled up to Kaleb, smiling sweetly, and obviously enjoying the attention of all the cowboys who were trying to undress her with their eyes. If V had to guess, the woman was seeing dollar signs in every single pair of eyes at the table. The woman/girl – V didn’t figure she could be much over the age of twenty one if a day – stood up, then slowly made her way around the table, teasing and taunting all of the men but never actually touching them. When she stopped in front of Zane, V’s stomach lurched.

The grin that split his face was profoundly sexy and boyishly charming all at the same time. He didn’t touch the woman, but he didn’t look away either and V just wanted to claw the bitch’s eyes out. It was too loud to hear what she said, but whatever it was made Zane smile even more and when she leaned in close to his ear, whispering something more, his eyes met hers briefly from across the table. He never stopped smiling, but V knew he wasn’t smiling at her. She felt sick.