Silver James

Risky business? Taking a calculated risk? Run the risk? Is the risk worth the reward? Because, you know, virtue is it’s own reward… 😉 The #1lineWed theme for today is Risks and/or Rewards.

Today’s snippet is rather long. It’s the first draft of a scene from my next Red Dirt Royalty book, which is due in mid-July. Yikes! Anyway, forgive typos, repeats, etc. I’ve only read it over once because that’s how I roll when I’m writing. Edits will come later.
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Cooper scowled at his brother’s retreating back. Technically, Bridger was correct. Britt had boogied without saying goodbye. Twice. After they’d made love. Well, maybe not…love. Wild monkey sex. Still, it was some of the best sex he’d ever had and there was something about the damn woman that aroused all sorts of deep-seated feelings inside him. She was bold and beautiful.

If his face didn’t hurt so bad, he’d thunk his forehead on the side table. Wasn’t that the name of some soap opera his mom watched? He didn’t have time for drama. He worked for a living. And Bridge was right. While he wasn’t the ladies’ man of the Barron-Tate clan, he didn’t have to sit home twiddling his thumbs because the object of his affection chose to ignore him. There were plenty of fish in the sea. Only he didn’t want tuna. He wanted filet mignon. His stomach chose that moment to growl. Not surprising since he’d been too busy watching Britt to eat much. He vaguely remembered beef. And potatoes. Yeah, he was hungry.

For Brit. The remembered taste of her settled on his tongue. What was it about the vixen that heated his blood? Bold and beautiful, he reminded himself. There was something about her nerdy glasses, the scientific language. Who knew that a one-sided discussion of quasi linear convective systems made for good pillow talk.

“Idiot,” he muttered, before his thoughts were interrupted by a burst of applause. They were announcing the silent auction winners. Crap. He’d meant to fix his mother’s bid. Too late now. He sighed, resigned to dealing with his mother when the time for her ride-along came. He considered slinking out of the museum and taking himself home. Bridger could escort their mother home. Or any of his Barron cousins who were in attendance.

Reaching up, he tugged on the bow tie strangling him and loosened it. He shifted the ice pack, not quite ready to abandon its cold comfort. Yeah. He’d go to his truck, text his brother, and head home. That was a good plan. Right after he put Britt Owens out of his mind.

Coop heaved out of the chair and glanced around, furtive in his movements. If any of his family lurked about, his plan would fall apart. The coast was clear. He slipped outside into the cool autumn air and paused, inhaling deeply. Beyond the entrance portico, glittering stars scattered across the night sky. Something eased in his chest. He was a country boy at heart and life in the big city with tall buildings, bright lights, and traffic? Yeah, sometimes it was hard to breathe but on clear, crisp nights like this one helped him cope.

He headed across the parking lot toward his truck and stopped dead. Right in front of him, wrapped in decals touting KOCX TV’s weather team, sat Britt’s chase truck. Fate had to be working overtime. He leaned his butt against the push bars on the front bumper and settled in to wait. He was taking a big risk but if things worked out, he’d reap a reward that would make everything worth it. There was just something about the woman that made him want to risk everything to keep her.

Unable to get her out of his head for the last three months, he’d been plotting ways to cross her path. In retrospect, the series of unfortunate events tonight leading up to him laid out in the women’s lounge with Britt for company was a good thing. And yeah, he was probably a pathetic excuse for a single guy but he didn’t care. There was just something about the woman that checked off every item on his list. Until he got her out of his system, he’d continue being in danger of losing his man card.

Better to confront the situation head on. Even better would be getting his hands and mouth on her again. Things stirred inside him. This was nothing serious. Just chemistry. And just until he got bored with her. That was his story and he was sticking to it.
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Posting a bit late because…reasons. I got distracted last night. More on that another time. Anyway, do you have any risky words to share? Reward yourself and post them. Happy Hump Day.