Free Secret Obsession by Olivia Linden Page B

want to get out of the house. Aren't you bored to death?"
    "Well, I'm still breathing, but I am bored. What do you want to do?"
    "Let's go to the bar or something."
    "Are you sure?"
    Raven had grown increasingly concerned that they would be found out. She wanted to spend as much time with Finn as she could, but not at the risk of disaster.
    "Yeah, I'm sure. Neither one of our parents have ever stepped foot in Dusty's and I doubt they're about to start now, darlin'."
    "Really, darlin'?" she said mocking his twang.
    "You know you love my voice. I'm gonna have Buck pick me up. Meet me there."
     
    Raven was still smiling after he'd closed her door and gone. She knew the moment he left the house; the air had changed, and she sensed that his energy was gone. That's how in-tune with him she had grown.
     
    She put away her reading tablet to search her closet for what to wear. A small giggle escaped when she came up with an idea. Finn would love it.
     

     
     
     
    Finn sat at the bar with Buck but he hardly heard a word that his friend said. He worried for a moment that Raven would chicken out. It had been almost an hour since he expected her to walk in and she still wasn't there yet.
     
    "So that's when I asked the cow if she wanted to hang out sometime," Buck said louder than usual.
    "What?"
    "Where the heck is your mind at? I feel like I've been talkin' to myself for the last twenty minutes."
    "Well, if you knew I wasn't paying attention why did you continue?"
    "Cause I like to hear myself?"
    "Ain't that the truth." Finn chuckled as he sipped his drink.
    "Holy cow!"
    "Ok. You've got my attention. Go on."
    "Look," Buck said as he gazed at the door in a trance. Finn frowned. What the heck was wrong with his friend? He looked over towards the door and his jaw dropped, too.
     
    Raven stood in the doorway looking for him, dressed up like a cowgirl from head to toe. He almost did a double take. She was always gorgeous in his eyes, but this was something else. And judging by the smile on her face, she'd done it just for him. All he could do was gawk as she sauntered towards him. A black Stetson hat covered her curls and matched her trendy boots. A pair of daisy dukes, the kind where the pockets hung lower than the hem, showcased her dancer's legs. At that moment he wished they were back home so he could tumble her into his bed and show her how much he liked her outfit.
     
    "Hey boys." She waved at Buck as she squeezed into the empty stool between them. Buck took of his hat and held it to his chest as he continued to ogle her.
    "Well hello, darlin'. Look at you."
    "Do I look okay? I wanted to fit in this time."
    "Oh you're looking' mighty fine," Buck replied.
    "What do you think, Finn?"
    He cleared his throat. "Mighty fine."
    "Aww, thanks."
    Finn was so hard for her that it didn't register or matter that she had most of the men in the bar checking her out, or that Buck hadn't stopped staring at her breasts. He put up three fingers to order a round as Randy came over to add his own set of compliments.
     
    "Now what do we have here? Lookin' lovely Miss Raven."
    "Thank you, Randy. I thought I'd take a page out of your book."
    "Honey, my book don't have nothing that lovely in it," he replied with a wink. He slid two beers and one soda across the counter, bowed in front of Raven and went to tend customers at the other end of the bar.
     
    "You look amazing," Finn whispered in her ear. His lips grazed her skin for a few seconds before he pulled away. He was surprised at his restraint. Raven shot him a sly smile as she sipped her drink.
     
    As the three sat at the bar trading bad jokes and chitchat, a small crowd of friends grew around them. Finn was born and raised in Dusty Springs and had a few life long pals. Buck was the closest, but he'd been on the football team in high school and that notoriety stuck long after in a small town like theirs. He paid rapt attention to the way his friends treated Raven. In general, everyone was nice,