Free Rough Stock by Dahlia West Page A

country himself, but he’d forgive a lot for a shot of smooth tequila and a beer.
    The pool tables were in the back, and Sawyer snagged one while Seth put in their order at the bar. It was early yet, and the women were few and far between compared to the men, he noticed, but that didn’t bother him. He didn’t need a lot of women. Just one, just the right one, would do.
    When he returned to the table, Court and Sawyer had already racked up for the first game. Seth slid into a chair at the closest table to wait for his drinks and his turn to play the winner. Both came fast, as Court beat Sawyer handily, though there was none of Court’s usual crowing about the win.
    Sawyer didn’t seem overly concerned about it, either. Something else altogether seemed to have captured his attention. Seth followed his younger brother’s gaze to see Cassidy Conroy striding toward them. He was a little surprised she didn’t just wear her latest Lincoln County Fair Queen crown and sash wherever she went, but then she carried herself like she was still wearing them. Seth supposed winning a beauty contest every summer since you were tall enough to walk could do that to a person. She was nearly at their table, ignoring them entirely, or maybe she just couldn’t see them with her nose that high in the air.
    “Hey, there’s toilet paper on your shoe,” Sawyer called out as she passed.
    Cassidy turned. She didn’t look down at her high heels but instead right at Sawyer, taking a long perusal of him. “Your fly’s undone,” she replied with a smirk.
    Seth watched as Sawyer met her gaze straight on, seemingly unintimidated by Cassidy’s knockout good looks and haughty air. “Maybe I’m getting a head start on the night,” he drawled.
    “You’re not even going to check?” she asked, swirling her glass in her hand.
    Sawyer put his pool cue down and leaned closer to her.
    Seth saw Cassidy’s breath hitch slightly, the only indication that she wasn’t quite as calm, cool, and collected as she seemed.
    “If it were really unzipped,” Sawyer told her, “I’d feel a cold breeze on my dick, especially standing this close to you , Princess.”
    Normally Seth would’ve intervened. It wasn’t right to insult women, not even Cassidy Conroy. But Cassidy, unbelievably, looked like she was enjoying the exchange, despite her raised eyebrows at his brother’s harsh words. A slight smile played on her lips.
    She took a sip of her drink and glanced at Seth then turned her gaze back to Sawyer. “Just the three musketeers tonight?”
    Sawyer grinned. “Why? You need us to call in a few more guys?”
    “ Sawyer ,” Seth snapped. That was a step too far.
    Cassidy must have thought so as well because she turned on her heel without a word and walked away.
    “Jesus, Sawyer,” Seth hissed.
    Sawyer shrugged, and Seth might have taken it for a dismissal if it hadn’t been for the gleam in his brother’s eyes as he watched Cassidy move on to greener pastures.
    “That was rude,” Seth chastised.
    “She’s tough,” replied Sawyer, eyes never leaving her retreating form. “Like a guy,” he mused. “Like one of us.”
    Seth was surprised to see something like…grudging admiration in Sawyer’s gaze. For Cassidy Conroy? It was hard to believe.
    After Cassidy’s quick departure, another girl, younger, blond and blue eyed, started making her way to their table. Sawyer elbowed Court, but for all his earlier posturing, Court turned his nose up at her. This one was wearing a skirt too short for the cold spring night and a shirt that she apparently wasn’t quite old enough to button accurately. Her cleavage spilled out of the top like ten pounds of grain in a five-pound sack.
    She wasn’t Seth’s type, to be sure, but it was surprising that Court didn’t sweep her off to the dance floor then out to the parking lot after the song.
    “Hi!” she said brightly.
    Sawyer gave her a polite smile, but Court didn’t even greet her at all.
    She