His smile grew wider. “Do you like what you see?”
“Maybe. You a farmer?” Farmers were hardworking, stable, family-oriented men. They fell in love and had a boatload of kids. This man was the kind I once looked for when I went out.
UntilStorm. The man who may have been hardworking but stable and family-oriented? No way. Storm didn’t seem like the kind of man to fall in love, get married, and have even one kid.
Why was I still thinking about him? He needed to get out of my head, so I could move on. Maybe I could move on with Mr. Farmer.
“Yes, ma’am. Am I scoring points?” He reached his hand out. “Dance with me, beautiful.”
Weirdly, my body heated, even though I wasn’t all that attracted to Mr. Farmer. A strange feeling came over me. Like I was being watched. I swooped my eyes to the left but didn’t see anything unusual.
Mr. Farmer cleared his throat as he waited for my reply.
“Oh, um…” I set my glass down and turned my head slightly to the right.
Stormy, narrowed gray eyes were on me. Not at all who I expected to be at the bar. What was up with the murderous look on his face? I held his gaze for a long second, swallowing down the lump of emotion choking me. Were my eyes playing tricks on me? No. The man haunting my thoughts and dreams was breathing the same air as me. Desire bloomed in my core. I glanced away quickly and smiled at Mr. Farmer.
“I’d love to dance.” A slow song started. What luck. Let Storm see what he’d thrown away.
Tara and Steph waved. They were dancing close with their guys—a pair of twins, kind of creepy. The men even looked identical. The alcohol must’ve been getting to me. An image of the four of them screwing flashed behind my eyes. Really creepy and sickening, but whatever. At this point in the evening, anything went.
“I’m Josh, by the way.” His hand splayed out across my lower back. For a split second, I thought he’d said Jax–like Jax Teller fromSOA, but then realized I’d heard him wrong.
“Hi Josh, I’m Madeline.” I rested my hand on his shoulder as we swayed old-fashioned style, with my hand in his and a foot of space between us.
Josh was tall but not taller than Storm, or as hulking. He was lean and fit. I suspected he didn’t have any tattoos, unlike the one I’d seen on Storm’s back and bicep at the lake.
Stop thinking about Storm. Stop comparing Josh to him.
“Madeline… A beautiful name for a beautiful woman.” Okay, was he trying to be corny? Cliché?
Even so, I blushed, totally turning beet red. I dropped my chin to my chest and smiled. Josh was sweet and adorable, but he didn’t set me on fire or turn my panties sopping wet the way Storm had.
Speaking of… Storm was still at the bar with… Sheriff Bush? Strange. I’d met the Sheriff at Heritage. He ran the D.A.R.E program at school. Storm’s eyes were on me, I think. It was hard to tell from this distance. One of his MC brothers was with him. I recalled seeing him at The Bullet the night I’d met Storm.
“Do you live in Winters?” Josh asked, turning us.
I couldn’t see Storm anymore and it made me want to pout. “I do. And you?”
“Just outside of town. Do you come here often?”
I shook my head. “No. Not really. You?”
“First time. A buddy of mine talked me into it.”
I laughed. “My girlfriends talked me into it too.” But it wasn’t my first time here. I wasn’t so sure I believed it was his first time at The Wild Hog. Whatever.
A deep belly laugh rumbled out of him. I didn’t care for it much. “I’m glad our friends talked us both into coming out tonight.”
Before I could respond with a lame reply—likeThose, swell friends—or something equally stupid, he turned us again.
Storm was directly in front of me, standing to the side of the dance floor. The Sheriff was gone.
When our gazes met, he gestured with his finger to come here. I rolled my eyes and ever so slightly shook my head. His brow furrowed, lips pressed thin. The guy with him said something, but Storm didn’t take his eyes off me. He mouthed,Come here, and a thunderous fury blew my way.
Despite my innards twisting into a knot, I slid my hand up the back of Josh’s neck, hoping to make Storm jealous. My little move caused Josh to reel me in closer, and he put his head next to mine.
Storm’s lips saidFuck. Then he mouthed,Come. Here.