Then, my eyes caught those beautiful green ones.

Is she watching me dance?

She slowly looked away as Richard walked up and sat down to talk to her.

The music changed, and “What About Love” by Austin Mahone started playing. Olivia turned and began grinding her ass into Justin. I looked away as I pulled Misty closer. As she peeked up at me, I tilted her chin up, and I kissed her. The moan she let out moved through my whole body. When I closed my eyes, green eyes were all I could see.

Whitley’s eyes are so beautiful.

I moved my hands down and grabbed Misty’s ass as I started grinding into her.

“Layton…”

The sound of Misty’s voice brought me out of my daydream. She turned around and started dancing closer to me. I moved my hands up and down her body.

I need to forget.

I leaned down toward Misty’s ear. “Can you leave early?”

She spun around and captured my lips with hers as she reached around and grabbed the back of my neck. “Buck already said I could leave early. Take me home and fuck me, Layton.”

I smiled as my dick jumped. I pulled her closer to me and pushed my dick into her stomach. In that moment, I looked up to see Whitley staring at us. I instantly pushed Misty away from me. I felt like a total fucking asshole.

“Layton, did you hear me? I can leave now. I’m excited to finally fuck you in a bed. I can do so much more than on a pool table.”

I watched as Richard held out his hand, and Whitley took it. They made their way to the dance floor as Flo Rida’s “Right Round” started.

Misty jumped up and down. “Oh my God, I love this song!”

I glanced over toward Olivia. She and Justin were leaving the dance floor and heading for the door.

Fuck.

When I looked back at Whitley, I almost fell over.

Jesus Christ, can she move her hips any more?

I felt Misty dancing all around me, but I couldn’t move. I just stood there, watching Whitley.

Courtney ended up near Whitley. They started talking while they were dancing with Bill and Richard. Fuckers were enjoying this dance too much. When I saw Richard put his hands on Whitley’s hips and move them up and down, I wanted to go and pull him away from her.

“Layton? Who in the hell are you looking at?” Misty asked.

I looked down at Misty and shook my head. “Nobody, babe. Nobody.”

I grabbed Misty and pulled her closer to me as I lost myself to the song and the feel of her body up against mine. The one thing Misty was good at was making me forget everyone and everything.

I closed my eyes as I moved my hands up and down her body while I dreamed I was dancing with someone else.

Chapter Seven: Whitley

I couldn’t help myself. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from Layton dancing with that girl.

Who in the hell is she? A girlfriend? I swear he said he didn’t have a girlfriend.

After the Flo Rida song was over, I told Richard I was tired and thirsty. A slower song came on, and I watched as Layton danced, practically fucking whoever this girl was on the dance floor.

Jesus, get a room, for Pete’s sake.

I looked away. I couldn’t stand to watch them anymore. I caught Court looking at me.

She smiled and shook her head. “Jealous much, Whit?”

I gave her a dirty look as Richard asked us what we wanted to drink.

“Water, please,” we both said.

Richard walked away as Bill sat down in between Court and me. I knew he was thinking he would get lucky tonight, and I was beginning to think Courtney had been serious about getting fucked. She had been hanging all over this guy.

Bill leaned over and whispered something in Courtney’s ear. She smiled and shook her head. He said something else to her, and I heard her say, “Maybe next time.”

Bill got up and made his way over to Richard as he was walking back to the table with our water. Richard started laughing and shuffled around Bill. He handed us the waters and sat down.

“Your friend just totally crushed my friend’s dreams. Please tell me you won’t crush mine.”

Ugh. What a corny-ass line.

I looked up and saw Layton kissing that girl.

Stupid men. I hate them all.

“Richard, who is Layton, um…dancing with? If you can call that dancing,” I said with sarcasm oozing out.

Richard looked out toward the dance floor. “Oh, that’s Misty. She’s a bartender here and has been after Layton for years. He just recently hooked up with her. Layton is only using her for sex, just a way to forget all his problems. He doesn’t even like her.”

My heart felt like it dropped into my stomach for some reason. “Forget his problems?” I raised my eyebrows.

“Yeah, six months ago, Layton’s brother died in Afghanistan. He was set to get out of the Marine Corps. He was on his last tour and only had less than four days before he was supposed to head back to the States.”

I looked at Layton, and my heart broke in two. “Oh my God. How terrible.”

“Yeah, it really fucked Layton up. Mike was all he had…well, besides Olivia. Their mother had passed away, and then their dad had left them to fend for themselves, all alone, in some fucked-up conditions. Mike was a few years older, and after graduation, he joined the Marines, so Layton could go to Texas A&M and concentrate on getting their ranch going. He made a promise to Mike that he would always follow their dreams of raising cattle and racehorses. Really, the racehorses were kind of Mike’s thing, just like their old man. Layton did it just because he knew how much Mike loved it. When Mike would come home from leave, they’d spend all their time with either cattle or horses. They did everything together.”

I shook my head. “Poor Layton. That…that just breaks my heart.”

I looked back out at Layton. The way he was moving his hands up and down Misty’s body was starting to bother me and piss me off. And that pissed me off even more.

“Wait—did you say Mike was all he had besides Olivia? Do you mean Olivia, Mrs. Pierceson’s niece?” I asked.

“Yep. She left him the day after Mike died,” Richard said.

I brought my hand up and covered my mouth. “What?”

“That’s not the worst of it. She left Layton for one of his best friends, Justin. Justin, Layton, and Reed used to do everything together when Layton wasn’t with Mike. They had been best friends since…well, hell, since like first grade, all three of them.”

I felt like I was going to be sick. It wasn’t like I cared for Layton that much. He was sometimes an ass, but my God, this was just so terrible. I felt so bad.

“You want to dance?” Richard asked.

I shook my head. “Nah, I’m really tired and just need to rest for a bit before dancing again.”

He got up. “I’m going to go talk to a few friends then.” He gave me a weak smile and headed off to the other side of the bar.

I looked around for Layton and Misty. I couldn’t find them on the dance floor anymore. Then, I saw them. Misty was leaning on the bar, talking to the bartender and smiling. She jumped down off the bar, and Layton grabbed her hand.

I watched as they walked out the door. For some reason, I felt insanely jealous.

Fuck! Why do I even feel this way? I don’t even like him!

I stood up and said to Courtney, “I’m ready to leave.”

“Wait—what? Oh, come on, Whit. I was having fun, dick-teasing this Bill guy. It might actually be more fun than having sex,” she said with a wink.

“I need to leave. I’m tired, and my head is pounding.”

Courtney grabbed her purse and sighed. “Fine, party pooper. Let’s go home.”

I started to walk away. I couldn’t believe how mad I was.

What in the hell is wrong with me?

I felt like I wanted to just haul off and punch someone.

Stupid Layton Morris.

I stormed off, away from Courtney, and I made my way toward the door. When I went to walk out, the door opened, and I ran smack into Layton.

“Shit, CG, watch where you’re going, sweetheart. I damn near knocked you over,” he said with that drop-dead smile of his.

What an asshole! How dare he call me sweetheart after he was practically fucking that girl on the dance floor!

“Fuck off, you jerk.” I tried to walk around him.

“Whitley, I was only kidding. Are you okay?”

I looked out the door and saw Misty standing there, waiting on Layton.

“Do all the cowboys in Texas take home slutty bartenders and fuck them to forget their problems? Real classy. Not what I was expecting from a—what did you call yourself earlier? Oh yeah, a Southern gentleman. Ha. That’s a fucking joke.”

Oh my God! Why did I just say that?

“Whitley!” Courtney said as she grabbed my arm. “Sorry, Layton. I think she’s had too much to drink.”

I pulled my arm out of Courtney’s hand. “No, I haven’t, Court.”

I glared at Layton, and then I instantly regretted my words when I saw the hurt in his eyes—those beautiful blue eyes of his that I could so get lost in.

Ugh, those stupid eyes.

Then, he slowly let a smile play across his face. “No, Whitley, only the fucked-up cowboys who want to forget everything for a little bit take home slutty bartenders to fuck the memories away. Are all New Yorkers such nosy bitches?”

I pushed him away from me and started to walk out the door. “Fuck off, asshole.” I looked over at Misty as she gave me a shit-eating grin. “Enjoy it, sweetheart. He’s only using you for sex. Like all men, he’s an asshole who only thinks with his dick.”

Her smile faded, and I saw her look over my shoulder. I kept walking, but I turned around quickly and saw Layton standing there, watching me.

Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Why did I just do that? He’s been nothing but nice to me since I met him. Okay, maybe not nice all the time, but he’s been a gentleman, and I just acted like a total bitch!

Courtney reached for my arm, and once we got a bit farther away, she stopped and spun me around to face her. “Holy shit, Whit. What in the hell was that all about? How many beers did you have? And what did that guy ever do to you that caused you to be such a bitch toward him?”

I felt tears stinging my eyes. I shook my head. “I don’t know, Court. I don’t know what happened. Something just snapped. Oh my God. I can’t believe I said that. I’ll never be able to show my face to him ever again.” I put my hand up to my mouth and started crying.

“Oh, honey, it’s okay. You’ve had so much going on that maybe Richard telling you Layton was using that girl just for sex pushed you over the edge. Whit, you can tell me all you want that you can’t stand the guy, but I can tell you like him. Maybe you don’t want to take him home and have your wicked way with him, but you do like him. I think you might have gotten a tad bit jealous.”

I stood there and just looked at my best friend. I wiped the tears away from my eyes and put my hands on my hips. I knew she was right, but no way was I admitting any feelings for Layton Morris.

“Bullshit. That’s just bullshit. I’m not the least bit jealous because I would never look at him that way.”