Free Mustang Sassy by Daire St. Denis Page B

beneath her shirt, and he caressed the bare skin of her lower back, right where her tattoo was hiding.
    A thrill of pleasure woke up every nerve ending starting from her tailbone to the base of her skull.
    “Hogan! Steak’s up!” Sam called.
    As if waking from a dream, Sass’s head snapped up. She backed away from Jordan, slowly, unable to tear her gaze from his face. In a flash, his heavy lids opened wide, like he’d been caught in the same dream—or was it a nightmare?— and was only now coming out of it. She hurried to the bar. Thank God Blondie didn’t follow this time though she could still feel the ghost of his touch along her waist.
    This was getting out of control. City-boy had lulled her with that big body of his and that spicy aftershave, hypnotizing her with his caresses and soft words. For a few seconds there, it had felt so damn good she’d forgotten what she’d done. But the blisters on her hands reminded her and Sass knew without a doubt she had to stay far away from Jordan before she made an even bigger mistake.

Chapter Six
    That was too close. What had possessed him to tell her he’d worked for Carlyle’s? He’d lied about all the rest of it, why not that? The worst of it was he told her something he only ever shared with his family, his dream of designing. Then he’d given in to his impulse to touch her tattoo.
    Dumbass.
    He didn’t even need his brothers around to berate him.
    When he’d seen her come in, he’d promised himself he would stay away. But after Tori’s advances became too obvious, well, Sass was the only other person in the place he’d met. Escaping Tori did not explain his irrational desire to be honest with Sass, though. While holding her sweet little body close on the dance floor, he had an overwhelming need to tell her exactly what he was doing in Greenview. When she’d asked to see his designs, he’d experienced a surge of excitement—almost as much of a turn-on as the discovery that she wore no bra beneath her thin shirt. The fact that he was so eager to sabotage his plans and throw away his dreams was a sure sign he had to stay away from her. She was Hogan’s daughter, for Christ’s sake. End of story.
    Jordan realized he was still standing in the middle of the dance floor staring after Sass when he turned around and bumped straight into Libby.
    “Want to dance?”
    Sass was cutting across the floor with a platter of food. His first instinct was to follow her. It was a bad instinct. “Love to.”
    The song playing was Tim McGraw’s “Let’s Make Love,” and Libby leaned into him as if she was taking the song literally. “Is Sass watching?” she whispered into his ear.
    “Huh?”
    “Just take a peek. Is she watching?”
    Jordan glanced back toward the table. Sass was busy butchering the meat on her plate. She briefly met his gaze, squinted hard at him before looking away. “Sort of.”
    “Good.”
    Jordan backed off and gave Libby a frown. “Why?”
    Libby studied his face for a moment and then grinned. “Oh! It’s not what you think. I don’t like you. I mean, I like you, but I’m not after you. I’m making Sass jealous because she likes you.”
    Jordan had never been more perplexed. He slowly shook his head and said, “What?”
    “Sass likes you.”
    “Is that what she told you?”
    “No,” Libby said with a chuckle. “We’re best friends. I know how she operates.”
    Curiosity got the better of him. “How does she operate?”
    “When she likes someone, she shows it by pretending she can’t stand them.”
    Jordan laughed. “I appreciate the heads-up, but I don’t even know her. There’s nothing I can do—”
    “By the way you two were grinding on the dance floor? I think you know exactly what you can do.”
    “Are you trying to set us up?”
    “Maybe.” She glanced back at Sass. “She’s a great girl. A little rough around the edges maybe, but great. You’re perfect, just passing through and all that. Just be honest about