5. Raine

CHAPTER 5

Raine

F ive days of straight-out hell. Five days of Knight following me around and his deep, dark whiskey eyes locked on me like a heat-seeking missile.

I need to get out and get a break before I lose my mind. Or before I do something so stupid that I will never be able to take it back.

I head for the local watering hole and smile when I see my brother inside. My smile quickly turns into a frown when I realize that that means that Colt might be with him.

But once I look around, I relax because I don't see the annoying man. I stroll up to my brother and wrap my arms around his waist. The damn man's tall as a tree.

"Hello, big brother."

He smiles at me, the dimple in his left cheek winking. "What are you doing here, sis?" The smile disappears. "Wait a minute. Did you tell Gray that you were gonna be here tonight. He didn't mention it to me."

I roll my eyes. "He's not my jailer, big brother. I don't care what you and he think. I'm a free person and I can do whatever the hell I want."

He chuckles and hugs me tight. "I'm aware that you're a grown-ass woman. But you're still my baby sister and you always will be. So don't mess with me or Gray. We just want what's best for you. We don't want you to get hurt or worse."

I sigh and rest my head on his broad chest. "I know you love me, Colt. I do. But that doesn't mean you get to run my life. No matter why you're doing it."

"Humph!" He snorts. "Tell that to Gray. I don't think you'll get very far."

"I'll be happy to tell him that," I growl.

"Happy to tell me what, sweetheart?"

My back stiffens and I groan silently, closing my eyes. Why the hell can't that man wear a bell? That way he can't sneak up on a girl when she doesn't expect it!

A low rumble of laughter under my ear makes me glare up at my brother. "Et tu, Colt?"

He lifts his hands, palms up and grins at me. "Hey! You said it not me, sis." He holds out his hand and shakes with Knight. "How ya doing, buddy?"

"Good, good." The grumble in his voice sets my nerve endings on fire and I shiver in a sudden rush of ice across my blazing skin.

I cannot let those old feelings back in. I'm too old and I already know what the hell Knight thinks of me. I don't need to hurt myself by letting my heart thaw for this man.

I steel myself, taking a deep breath and whipping around to face Knight.

My eyes widen and I gulp a swallow when he takes a sip of a glass of scotch. It was always scotch with him. And only one glass because he refuses to get muddled in any way.

"Hello, Knight," I grumble under my breath.

"Hello, sweetheart." The rumble of his voice muttering the endearment makes my heart flip in my chest, knocking against my ribs in a wild dance.

"Hello, Knight." I close my eyes and curse myself under my breath. I already said that! What the hell is wrong with me?

He chuckles and takes another swig of his drink, my eyes following the way his strong, tanned throat moves when he swallows. Then I watch his hand drop with the drink clasped lightly in his calloused fingers.

My eyes zero in on those fingers and a flash of them dancing across my bare skin hits me right in the lower belly, zapping me with a lightning bolt of hunger that almost takes me to my knees.

It's been a long time since I was with anyone. The last man I slept with was in college and our break-up was a massive blowout over finding him in a bar holding onto a blond skank with his tongue down her throat.

I learned my lesson that night. I refuse to let any man walk all over me. I don't need one nor do I want one that bad. I've got some pride, thank you very much!

"What are you doing out here, raindrop?"

The pet name makes my heart jump even as I glare at him. "I'm not a raindrop."

"Where is my sunshine girl then? Every time I've seen you lately you're glaring at me. You're gonna get a reputation in this town."

My eyes dart back and forth and I groan when I see all eyes on us standing here. Even Colt's.

I paste a big smile on my face and pretend to laugh, throwing my head back and shaking out my copper hair. I didn't flat-iron it today so it's a wild mass of curls that refuse to do anything but float around my head. "You're so funny, Knight. Just so damn funny! Haha!"

Knight winces. "What the hell are you doing, raindrop?"

"Will you stop calling me that?" I hiss, under my breath.

"Not likely."

I smile and glance around, seeing that a lot of the watching crowd has dissipated, now that it seems like we're not about to throw down in the middle of the bar.

"Leave me alone," I grit out between my teeth and saunter off, my back stiff, my hips swaying.

"Not gonna happen, raindrop. You're here, I'm here."

"I'm sure you can move a little away from me! Give me some air."

"Where you go, I go." And he stalks after me, my own personal black shadow of doom traipsing along behind me, following me while I dart around the room, talking to friends and neighbors alike.

He never comes up to me again but the whole night, I can feel his eyes on me, hot and hard.

And even after I leave and go home, exhausted from hiding my feelings from him, Knight crops up in my dreams, invading my fantasies until I wake up, gasping for air and more turned on than I ever think I've been in my life.