Free Playing for Keeps (Honky Tonk Angels Book 5) by Ciana Stone Page A

top of one of the bags in Dini’s arms as her friend entered.
    Dini laughed. “Yes, even though last time nearly killed me.”
    “Wimp.” Roxie took a bag from her and set it on the small table beneath the window. “Just toss your stuff anywhere.”
    Dini eyed the bed. “We’re gonna sleep in that little thing?”
    “Don’t worry, you’ll be too toasted to care,” Roxie said as she pulled out a fifth of tequila from one of the bags. “Luckily I have an ice chest in the bathroom.”
    Roxie was lucky to have scored a room at Mrs. Baker’s boarding house that had its own bath. She could tolerate having only a bedroom to call her own space, but sharing a bathroom was where she drew the line.
    Dini pulled an electric blender from her overnight bag. “Where can I plug this in?”
    “There’s an outlet in the bathroom and a drop cord under the sink. I think it’ll reach the dresser if you want to put the blender there,” Roxie said over her shoulder as she unloaded the rest of the bags. Chips, chocolate, cheese, crackers and a couple of fat subs that had to have come from the diner.
    “So, anything new?” Dini asked in a tone that sounded decidedly sly.
    Roxie busied herself arranging things on the table rather than look at her friend. She had no doubt there was gossip about her and Cade and she felt a bit uneasy about it. She still hadn’t told anyone about her bet with Cade and didn’t know that she would.
    As far as anyone knew, she was just having fun with the man while she was in town.
    “What’ve you heard?” she asked.
    “Nothing. Just asking.”
    “No, you weren’t.” Roxie looked up at Dini. “I know you. You’ve heard something so spill.”
    “Well… Hannah did mention that you’d been spending quite a bit of time with Cade. At his place.”
    “Oh. Yeah, I guess so. And since when did you start chatting it up with Hannah?”
    “Last couple of weeks. I like her. You know she’s dating that oil guy, Cooper Quinlan, right?”
    “No, I didn’t. I mean I’ve seen him come in and they look pretty chummy but I didn’t know they were dating.”
    “I think it’s kinda in the new phase and don’t try and change the subject. What about you and Cade? Is he half as good as he looks like he’d be?” Dini asked as she took the blender to the bathroom.
    Roxie shrugged. Dini knew her to be a woman who didn’t form attachments and who viewed sex as something casual. She hooked up with men from time to time, but never seriously. It was always just a “for sex and fun” arrangement. It was no surprise that Dini assumed Roxie had already had sex with him.
    That was the way it should be with Cade. Should being the operative word. Roxie wished she could see Cade in that light, but something about him got to her and she was pretty sure that if she did ever have sex with him, she wasn’t going to want to stop at a casual one-nighter.
    And that scared her.
    “Come on,” Dini encouraged as she returned with a blender full of ice.
    “Let’s just say that the man has moves.”
    “Oh, details!”
    Roxie moved to the bed and flopped down on her back, staring at the ceiling.
    “Uh-oh,” Dini murmured. “Methinks we need drinks. Post haste.”
    She got busy fixing a pitcher of drinks. After filling two plastic cups, she climbed onto the bed with Roxie. “Okay, let’s have it.”
    Roxie sighed, took a big swig of the drink, and grimaced. “Damn, a little heavy-handed on the tequila there, Dini.”
    Dini chuckled. “So?”
    “Okay.” Roxie paused. “I sort of have this little bet going with Beckett.”
    “Beckett? You call him Beckett?”
    “It’s his name.”
    “Okay, but a bet?” Dini looked alarmed. “Honey, you think that’s wise? I mean, you haven’t gone near gambling in—”
    “It’s not that kind of bet. Well, not exactly.”
    “Just what kind of bet is it, then?”
    Roxie quickly outlined the details of the wager. By the time she was finished, it was time for a new round of