Dylan Read Free Page B

one of those.” Ronnie moaned in a delayed reaction, as the frozen concoction hit her right between the eyes with a serious case of brain freeze. Just like when the dark-eyed cowboy paralyzed her with his intentions right before he laid his lethal lips on hers.
    â€œI thought you wanted to try something wild and wonderful for your birthday.”
    Ronnie raised her head. “Would that be the blindfold or having the cowboy lasso me?”
    Shannon snickered into her oversized drink. “Actually, your friend Mavis came up with the second idea. Jolene suggested the blindfold and we ran with it.” Taking a sip of her own drink, Shannon licked her lips and sighed. “José is definitely my friend.”
    Ronnie looked at her and tried not to sigh. Shannon McKenna was blonde and beautiful. Too bad she was so likeable, or else Ronnie could toss the drink she’d just been handed into her friend’s face or dump it over her head. “You know I like beer. Tequila is not my friend. Besides, I wanted to go somewhere different for my birthday.”
    â€œYou didn’t say somewhere when you mentioned that little tidbit a few weeks ago,” Shannon reminded her. “You said something different.”
    Ronnie shrugged. “Same thing.”
    â€œNo, it’s not,” Shannon grumbled into her glass. “By the way, what did you think of Dylan the Delicious?”
    Ronnie paused with the drink a fraction away from her lips and had to laugh. “He certainly was.” Taking a healthy sip, she swallowed and licked her lips. “Which one of Tyler’s brothers is he: the middle or the youngest?” One of them would be very important in her life, helping her rebuild Guilty Pleasures.
    Totally clueless to Ronnie’s inner turmoil, Shannon shrugged in answer, set her half-empty drink on the table, and leaned toward Ronnie. “I have to ask.” She leaned closer. “What was it like when he tossed the lasso around you and reeled you in?”
    Turmoil evaporated like morning dew under the heat of the morning sun. An involuntary shiver raced up Ronnie’s spine as heat filled her cheeks.
    Shannon’s eyes widened. “Wow. That good?”
    There was no use denying it. She sighed. “Yeah.” The moment of impact, when their bodies collided and their hearts pounded in unison, would keep her up at night for days. Every hard muscled inch of him fitted against her, tempting her, but she wasn’t interested in a one-night stand with a cowboy—was she?
    Her friend nudged the silent member of their trio. “What did you think, Lenore?”
    The redhead turned; she had a shell-shocked look on her face. “I can’t say just yet, too much sensory overload.” Their friend paused, letting her gaze drift up toward the stage.
    Ronnie looked up to where another dancer stripped down to the tiniest pair of black spandex briefs and swiveled his hips in a really good imitation of Elvis. She shook her head; although her friends had misunderstood, they definitely went all out and did something different.
    Gaze glued to the dancer, Lenore rasped, “I think I need another Mega-Margarita.”
    Ronnie exchanged a look with Shannon. Shannon’s cousin had been in town for a week or so, but had apparently never been to a strip club or seen a half-naked cowboy up close before.
    â€œPoor Lenore.” Ronnie lifted her glass in salute to the next dancer up on the stage before turning to call out, “Hey, Gwen!” When the bartender looked their way, Ronnie wiggled her glass and held up three fingers. Gwen nodded. Part of being the birthday girl meant the perk of having her glass refilled all night long. She hadn’t thought to celebrate her twenty-fifth birthday at the Lucky Star, but now that she was here, she relaxed.
    â€œWhere did you say Mavis was?” Ronnie had spent enough nights here listening to Mavis Beeton expounding on the fact that