But Miss Right-Now? That he’d been looking for since he’d rolled into this godforsaken town more than six months ago. He really needed to get laid.

  Unfortunately, the only single woman who interested him—since Zy had taken Tessa off the market a few months back—was the gorgeous little brunette on the other side of the room, laughing and knocking back champagne with three other ladies who looked like her girl posse.

  “Know them?” Nash, Trees’s younger brother and one of the groomsmen, leaned over to ask him, eyeing the same quartet.

  “No. I would swear I ran into the brunette in blue at One-Mile’s wedding a few months back, but I didn’t get her name.”

  In fact, she’d stopped to help him in the parking lot a handful of minutes before the ceremony, when he’d run out to Pierce’s Jeep to frantically search for Brea’s wedding ring. With all the pomp and his best man duties, Matt hadn’t found the opportunity to speak to her again. He’d certainly looked.

  She hadn’t attended Zy and Tessa’s spring wedding, and when he’d asked One-Mile later who she was, he’d just shrugged and told him that Brea was the only brunette he cared about. So Matt was pumped to see the gorgeous girl here this afternoon. A glance up proved he’d caught her eye, too. He flashed her the dimples that usually got him laid. She smiled back.

  “That looks promising.” Nash grinned.

  It did. Hot damn. “I’m going to ask her to dance.”

  “Do it. And while you’re at it, find out that saucy little redhead’s name, would you?”

  Despite the fact they’d only met today, he and Nash had clicked right away. Sure, he was still tight with Pierce…but his best friend had his hands full with a demanding job, a wife, and a baby. He wasn’t hitting the town, looking for a piece of ass anymore. One-Mile had the one he wanted at home. Since all the guys at EM had wifed-up lately, except the too-serious Kane Preston, he didn’t have a running buddy.

  “If I can come up for air long enough to ask.” Matt winked.

  Nash groaned. “Help a guy out. Man, I live in a town so small, it makes a speck on a map look like a metropolis. I’ve been flirting with the same handful of girls since puberty.”

  “Fucked them all, have you?”

  “Pretty much. But here tonight…lots of pretty females.”

  “When you heading back to West Virginia?”

  He hesitated, then shrugged. “Let’s just say I’m in no hurry.”

  “I get you. I came out here from Wyoming as a favor to One-Mile. I only intended to stay for a week or two, but the place has grown on me.” That wasn’t exactly true. Lafayette had one big thing to recommend it: the city was far from home and its host of shitty memories. And the girls really were pretty. Well, at least this brunette he kept eye-fucking was. Speaking of which… He stood. “If I don’t see you later, buddy, sayonara. But if you’re still around next weekend, get my digits from your brother and give me a call.”

  “Sure thing. Good luck.”

  After a jaunty little salute, Matt turned away, skirted the dance floor, and headed straight for the brunette. She flashed him a smile and elbowed the redhead Nash was eyeing on her right, who gave him a once-over and stood. Then she grabbed her other two friends and dragged them toward the punchbowl, leaving him and the beauty he couldn’t stop staring at blessedly alone.

  “Hi.” He swaggered toward her with a grin, making sure she saw his dimples.

  She flashed him a shy smile in return, tucking a strand of her long brown hair behind her ear. “Hi.”

  Between the curl of her mouth and the blue eyes he hadn’t expected across the room, she was even more beautiful. She lit up his whole body with just a glance.

  This was going to be a great night.

  “Mind if I sit here?” He gestured to the chair the redhead had vacated.

  She shook her head, a soft blush lighting her cheeks. “I’d like that.”

  “Thanks. I’m Matt.”

  “I know.” After a self-deprecating smile, she laughed. “I asked Tessa. I’m Madison, by the way.”

  When she stuck out her hand, he took it automatically, his thoughts tripping over themselves. The same Madison Tessa had tried to introduce him to almost six months ago? At the time, he’d blown off Zy’s wife. Didn’t he feel stupid as hell now? “It’s great to meet you.”

  “You, too.”

  Matt loved the gentle hint of Southern belle in her voice. “So…you from around here?”

  She nodded. “My whole life. I’m going to see the world soon, though. I teach kindergarten now, but I’m saving up to take a sabbatical and escape this place for a while. I know you’re not from around here.”

  “What gave me away? It’s not the cowboy hat.” He tipped his brim at her.

  “I would have noticed you. This town isn’t that big. And your voice… You’re not from Louisiana.”

  “Wyoming.”

  “Oh, wow. You’re a long way from home. What brought you here?”

  “One-Mile. We’ve been tight since we were kids.” Matt felt eyes on him and looked up to see Madison’s friends watching their exchange with giggles. He nodded at the women. “Your friends, I take it.”

  She turned, the sweep of her silky hair sliding over her shoulders and brushing her plump breasts. Matt’s mouth watered. Damn, she was a pretty thing…

  With a roll of her eyes, she faced him again. “Haisley, the redhead, has been one of my besties since grade school. She’s an instigator whose hair should be a warning label. We started running with Gracelyn and Charlene in middle school, probably because they’re troublemakers, too.”

  “And you like that kind of thing?”

  She shrugged, her expression turning mysterious…except for her sly grin. “I’ve got some bad girl in me.”

  At a glance, he would have called bullshit, but the way she checked him out, her eyes glittering with excitement, had him rethinking his first assessment. “I’d like to see that for myself.”

  “Hang around, and you just might.”

  “Done. How about a dance?” he asked when the music changed to a mellow R and B tune crooned by a guy who swore that looking at his girl gave him butterflies.

  Matt related.

  “I’d love to.” She stood as he did and put her hand in his.

  He led Madison to the half-full dance floor and swept her into his arms. She fit against him perfectly, her tits brushing his middle and the top of her head reaching just under his chin. And when he slid his hand around to her back, he felt two thin straps criss-crossing an expanse of her bare skin. Fuck, she was soft.

  He started to sweat.

  Across the floor, he caught sight of Zy and Tessa dancing, smiling at each other and exchanging whispered words as if the rest of the world didn’t exist. Despite being the son of a corrupt billionaire, Zy was a great guy. He’d seemingly escaped being anything like his father. Matt wondered if he could, too.

  Apples and oranges. Much easier to control your greed than your deviance…

  As Matt tried to silence the voice in his head, Tessa and Zy circled the floor. She caught sight of him with Madison and sent him a huge grin, complete with an enthusiastic thumbs-up.

  He nodded, then peered down at Madison again, who tilted her face to his. “So…”

  “So…” she murmured back. “How long are you staying in town?”

  “Don’t know. I’ve been doing some work for EM Security. They’ve offered me a permanent job. I’m on the fence.”

  “Got a place back in Wyoming?”

  “No. When One-Mile called me to come out, my lease was just ending. I didn’t have time to find another place, so I just moved out and shoved everything in storage.” Lately, he’d been contemplating making the hella long drive back to load all his crap in his truck and bring it here, maybe putting down some roots. He didn’t know where he belonged, long-term. He only knew it wasn’t Laramie. “I’ve been renting an apartment here for a couple of months, but it’s not my speed. There’s a house for lease on the outskirts of town. It’s not in a cookie-cutter neighborhood, and I wouldn’t have neighbors on top of me since it’s on a couple of acres of land. I’m supposed to let the landlord know if I want to sign on Monday.”

  “Well, I hope you stick around.”

  “Why should I if you’re just going to leave town on me?” he teased.

  “Because it will be a while before I go, and if you’re here…I’ll come back.”

  “Yeah?” He brought her closer, barely resisting the urge to kiss her. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

  “Perfect.”

  “Hmm. Don’t look at me like that if you don’t want to be kissed,” he warned.

  She fluttered her lashes, a slow smile breaking out across her face. “When you put it that way, why would I look at you any differently?”

  Damn, she was a flirt. He liked that about her. Somehow, she was shy and sexy at once, with just the right hint of playful. “You’re tempting me.”

  “I hope so.”

  They were vibing, and here wasn’t the place to continue what he hoped would be a very hot night. “Have you had a piece of cake?”

  “No.”

  “Do you want some?”

  She looked across the room to where Trees and Laila sat together at a table, just the two of them, with eyes only for each other. On the pedestal to their left, sat their untouched cake—white, frosted with brightly colored tropical flowers and swirls. Then Madison shook her head. “Not more than I want to spend time with you.”

  Matt liked her answer. “That’s straightforward.”

  “I don’t like head games.”

  “Good, I hate them.” So far, Madison was perfect for him. He was more than ready to get her the hell away from here and have her all to himself.

  “What if I wanted to take you somewhere else for dessert?”

  “I’d like that.”

  “You’d come?”

  “A hot man and a delicious dessert. Why should I refuse?”

  He flashed her a wide smile. “Why do I get the feeling you’re going to be trouble?”

  She shrugged. “Spend some time with me and find out.”

  “That’s definitely on my agenda. Do you need to say goodbye to your girls? Tell them you’re leaving with me?”

  “They’ve got eyes. But I should text my dad and tell him I’ll be a while. Then…I’m yours for as long as you want me.”

  “That’s dangerous, honey. What if I want more than dessert?”

  Madison sent him a flirty glance through the thick fringe of her lashes. “Ask me and see.”

  “Fair enough. Grab your purse and let’s get out of here.”

  With a sly smile, she swayed off the dance floor to the rhythm of the music. Matt watched her walk, her ass taut in a tight, backless dress that had him swallowing his tongue. She really was damn fine, and he wished like hell he’d taken Tessa up on her offer to introduce them months ago. Zy’s wife was pretty in a golden, big-eyed sort of way. But Madison… If there was such a thing as a sultry good-girl, she was it. The woman absolutely flipped his switch. When he looked at her, his whole body sparked to life. The fact they clicked when they talked excited him even more.

  As soon as she plucked her purse off the table, she faced him again. “You lead. I’ll follow in my car.”

  “Come with me. We’ll swing back and pick up your car later.”

  “Can’t. They’ll tow me out of here once this event is over, and in case dessert lasts longer than expected…”

  She was thinking ahead, and Matt loved it. “Good call.”

  Hand-in-hand, they headed for the exit. On the way, they passed the EM Security crowd. Nash watched them with brows raised.

  “The redhead’s name is Haisley,” Matt murmured in his ear. “You’re welcome.”

  Then he and Madison emerged into the late afternoon, warm and humid with the promise of the coming summer. But for now, the sun gave just enough sizzle to heat his skin and make him feel stunningly alive.

  “Know a good place for dessert?” she asked as she pulled her keys from her little clutch.

  “You’re the local. I’ll defer to you.”

  “Do you want something decent or downright decadent?”

  “Definitely decadent. I want the whole experience.”

  “Smart man. Follow me.”

  When she started sashaying across the parking lot, giving him another fine view of her backside, he wrapped his fingers around her slender arm. With that one touch, every part of his body turned hard. “Where are we going, in case we get separated?”

  Madison tossed him a little smile over her shoulder. “Keep up and we won’t.”

  With a bounce of her long curls over her sexy, bare shoulder, she headed to a little burgundy sedan. Never taking his eyes off of her, he hopped into his truck, turned the engine over, and hauled ass to follow.

  Together, they wended through Lafayette’s late-afternoon weekend traffic, heading south of town, until the thick of the cars thinned out and even residential streets turned rural. Twenty minutes later, she pulled into a parking lot behind a stately, historic house with rising white columns and a profusion of brightly colored flowers.

  He slung his truck into the spot beside her. “A bed-and-breakfast, huh?”

  She stepped from her car and pocketed her keys with a shrug. “They have an attached restaurant that serves the most amazing bananas Foster. The beignets are beyond, and the crunch cake is insanely good, too. I figured if you want the whole decadent dessert experience, shouldn’t it be the absolute best?”

  “You make a valid point, honey. Lead the way.”

  He smiled as she took his hand. Inside, a hostess seated them, but they nearly had the place to themselves, since the lunch rush was long over, but the dinner crowd hadn’t yet shown up.

  Tucked in a corner of the wide room, replete with hardwoods, lazily swaying ceiling fans, and a huge plaster fireplace, Matt set his menu aside. “You pick.”

  Madison glanced up, looking pleasantly surprised. “Anything you’re allergic to?”

  “Nope.”

  “Anything you don’t like?”

  “Unless it involves you leaving, no.”

  Madison closed the menu with a smile and settled her elbows on the table, leaning in. “You’re a really smooth flirt. Does your girlfriend know that?”

  He’d never really tried one of those. He wasn’t good at making himself vulnerable to anyone. And most of Laramie had given his family a wide berth—with good reason. “If you’re fishing to find out if I’m attached, let me help you. I’m not.”

  That answer clearly pleased her. “I’m not, either.”

  Good to know. “So how did you meet Trees?”

  Instantly, her expression turned more guarded. “Through Zy.”

  Over the past months, he’d heard about a woman Trees had befriended because Zy had nailed her his first weekend in town, then promptly ghosted. Madison? Not that it mattered. If she was that girl, the night she’d spent with Zy had been more than a year ago.

  “What do you think about him and Tessa?” If she was jealous or still pining for the pretty boy of the EM Security team, he should know so he could right-set his expectations.

  “They’re perfect together. She’s a sweetheart, and her daughter is gorgeous. Zy and I have made nice. He’s obviously a lot happier.”

  “Did you two ever date?”

  She flushed. “No.”

  So she’d just spent the night with him once upon a time. Hell, Matt had done plenty of hooking up in the past, frequenting the bars around the University of Wyoming campus and picking up out-of-state sorority girls who knew zilch about his family reputation. The last thing he had any right or reason to do was judge Madison.

  He reached across the table and took her hand with a grin. “Yeah, I never dated him, either.”

  She giggled. “I didn’t think you were the type to date Zy—or any guy. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but—”

  “There’s not, but I assure you I’m strictly into females. You?”

  “Not into females. Sorry not sorry.” She shrugged. “Maybe there was a hazy drunken game of spin the bottle or something, but what happens in college, stays in college.”

  “I’ll take your word for it; I didn’t go.”

  “At all?”

  “Nope.”

  “Any particular reason?”

  A million, really. Matt tried to sift through all his realities to find the right words, but a server came by, an older lady with big hair and a bigger smile. “Sorry for the wait. What can I get you two?”

  He gestured to Madison. “The lady will order for us.”

  “Let’s have a bananas Foster and an order of beignets. Oh, with a side of the cinnamon ice cream.” She peered at him, her blue eyes bright. “Feel like coffee or wine?”

  This early in the evening? When he was hoping to have more than dessert with her? “Wine.”

  Madison clearly liked his answer. “A glass or a bottle?”

  Fuck the glass. “Definitely a bottle.”

  Madison flipped the menu over to the wine list. “Sweet or dry?”

  Since he didn’t drink it much and wanted her to be happy? “You choose.”

  She did, and since he didn’t know flip about vino, Matt had no idea what she’d ordered, but if she liked it, that was good enough for him.

  The server left with a promise to return with their order shortly.

  “So why pinot grigio?” he asked, more for conversation than any curiosity.

  “It’s drier than a typical dessert wine, but it will balance out the sweetness of the other stuff. And I like it.”

  “I’m sure it will be great.”

  “Hopefully. I’m no wine connoisseur.”

  “I promise, I’m even less of one. Whatever you chose, I’ll help you drink it.”

  She cocked her head and licked at her pouting bottom lip, the one he’d already fantasized about kissing half a dozen times. “If you’re always this spontaneous, fun, and easy to get along with, I just might have to fall for you.”