Thunder Canyon Homecoming Read Free Page A

from the other side and latched on to him, deliberately rubbing the curve of her breast against his arm as she leaned close. “Hey, cowboy, you promised me a dance.”
    When she’d been waitressing at the Hitching Post, Erin had gotten to know Trina as one of the Friday night regulars. Trina frequently came in with a group of girlfriends and often left with a man—and not usually the same one as the week before.
    At the resort, Erin frequently worked at check-in with Trina, as had Erika. No doubt it was their working relationship that had compelled the bride to invite the other woman to her wedding despite the fact that Trina had been instrumental in churning the gossip mill when Erika started dating Dillon.
    Erin didn’t know whether Trina had attended the event with a date, although she knew the presence of an escort wouldn’t inhibit Trina from flirting with anyone else who caught her eye—as the groom’s brother had obviously done.
    To his credit, Corey didn’t roll his eyes, though Erindidn’t miss the quick desperate plea in them before he shifted his gaze from her to the other woman.
    â€œBut I already promised this particular dance to Erin, didn’t I, darlin’?”
    She had the power to save him. She simply had to agree that he had promised this dance to her. But she sensed that saving Corey from the she-wolf at his side would somehow end up with her becoming a sacrificial lamb, and that was a risk she wasn’t willing to take. Because the way he said “darlin’”—the subtle Texas twang in his voice combined with the unmistakable heat in his eyes—sent a delicious shiver over her skin and stirred desire in her body and reminded her that what she needed to do was keep a good, safe distance between herself and the far-too-sexy Texas oil heir.
    â€œActually, I really wouldn’t mind sitting this one out,” she said.
    â€œI’ll be right back,” Corey said to her, and his narrowed gaze told her that the words were more a threat than a promise.
    Trina’s satisfied smile, however, warned Erin not to count on his prompt return.
    She watched him move around the dance floor with the other woman in his arms and tried to convince herself that the sensation overtaking her was relief and not regret.
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    Corey knew when he was being brushed off. Though it was something of a new experience for him, he had no trouble interpreting the message in Erin’s polite words—she wasn’t interested.
    The woman in his arms, however, definitely was. Unfortunately, Corey couldn’t even remember her name.
    Catrina? Tina? Trina! At least, he thought that was it. He admittedly hadn’t been paying much attention when she’dintroduced herself earlier. He hadn’t paid much attention to any of their conversation, having been thoroughly captivated by the sexy bridesmaid in the frosty blue gown.
    The one who claimed she wasn’t interested.
    His gaze drifted across the room to where Erin stood with a glass of champagne in her hand, and his gaze locked with hers again.
    And he knew that, although she might feign disinterest, the look in her eyes contradicted her words.
    So what was the story there? Why was she pretending to be immune to the chemistry between them?
    After meeting her at the rehearsal the night before, he’d made some discreet inquiries and learned that she didn’t have a steady boyfriend. In fact, by all accounts, she hadn’t dated anyone since moving to Thunder Canyon a few months earlier. Which made him wonder if she’d made the move because she needed to get away from someone who had broken her heart.
    The thought was strangely unsettling. He didn’t even know her, so he didn’t understand why he would feel protective of her. But there was something that had struck him from the first—maybe it was the hint of vulnerability in those deep-blue eyes, or the wistfulness in her smile, or