When she was finished dressing, she stared at herself in the mirror. She had to admit that she looked hot. Just the right blend of sweet and sexy. Before she could talk herself into changing, she quickly added a touch of pink lip gloss and ran a brush through her loose waves.

The dress was much shorter than she normally wore, and she could only hope there wasn’t a big gust of wind tonight. Just in case, though, she’d worn her sexiest underwear. A girl had to be prepared for anything when going to war, right?

Before the voice of reason could send her into the closet to change outfits, she ran out to her car and was on her way to Ella’s. She spent the entire twenty minutes of the ride trying to bolster her courage to knock Mark for a flip—and then leave him hanging, since that was essentially what he’d done to her with his Twitter flirting.

“Brace yourself, because you’re mine tonight, DeStudo.”

• • •

This is a mistake, Mark thought yet again, as he pulled into Declan and Ella’s already crowded driveway. He’d tried to decline the invitation with some halfhearted business excuse, but Declan had been unusually insistent that he attend. Mark socialized often, as was expected of someone in his position, but he wasn’t much for the smaller, intimate gatherings such as this. These people not only worked together, but they were also either related by blood or extended family by choice. Something that was almost a foreign concept to him. Denny was the only one who could even remotely fall into that category in his life.

He also hadn’t been too eager to face Crystal after his brush-off Twitter post—because that’s exactly what it had been. She’d been occupying far too many of his thoughts during the past week, and he’d needed to break her hold on him. At first, he’d decided not to reply to her last tweet. Then when it had become apparent that he’d have to attend the barbecue this evening or piss off his friend, he’d felt it might be better to let Crystal know where things stood before seeing her again. He had little doubt that she would be here, even though he hadn’t come right out and asked Declan.

Now, though, he felt a little guilty and wondered if he hadn’t perhaps been hasty in his dumping via Twitter. For fuck’s sake, I’ve reverted into a teenager. It struck him suddenly that he hadn’t looked to see if she’d made any reply to his tweet, so he hastily pulled his phone from the front pocket of his jeans and opened the application. What he read there made his cock jump and his hand cramp as his grip tightened. Holy fucking shit. Denny having nicknamed her “Snow White” was ironic, considering her post. But the part about her drifting was enough to have him crawling out of his skin. He’d essentially called her a good girl, and she’d come right back letting him know she no longer was.

Mark paced for another few minutes, trying to get himself under control. He wanted to stomp through the door, get his hands on Crystal, and take her somewhere until he could breathe again. The rational part of his brain said that she was just teasing him. He’d probably hurt her feelings, and she had lashed out. Likely he’d go in and she’d spend the whole evening avoiding him. Which was about the only way he’d survive, so he hoped like hell that happened.

He was pondering getting back in his car and leaving, when an SUV pulled in behind him, effectively cutting off his exit. He saw Mac get out of his Tahoe and cross to the other side to help his wife, Ava.

Mark was unable to hide his smile when the stunning blonde walked toward him. “What are you doing out here by yourself?” she teased as he leaned down to drop a kiss on her cheek.

“Hiding like a coward,” he answered honestly. She gave him a funny look, which made him wonder if he was more transparent than he’d thought. She couldn’t possibly know about his attraction to Crystal unless she’d been stalking his Twitter profile as well.

Turning to Mac, he extended his hand, saying, “It’s good to see you again.”

“You too, Mark,” Mac replied as he pulled Ava back against him in a possessive gesture. Mark knew Ava’s family well and considered them friends—a fact that Mac could clearly live without even though he had chosen the nonverbal approach to get his message across. “Are you going inside?” Mac asked, pointing to the front door.

Before he could answer, Ava stepped forward and curled her arm around his, while keeping her other hand on her husband. “Of course he is. Who could resist an evening with such stimulating company?”

Mac looked confused as he stared at his wife, while Mark again had to wonder if she didn’t know more than she should. Was she friends with Angel? “That’s right,” he agreed, letting her pull him along. He’d make the rounds and then slip out early. No big deal at all.

His pep talk lasted him all of five minutes—until the moment he saw her. She was Snow White tonight. A sexy cowgirl version, at least, and he was screwed. His good intentions were already shot. Those plump lips would wrap around his cock and then she’d dig those cowboy boots into his back as he fucked her out of his system. He could assign some of the blame to her—she should have been smart enough to realize that you can’t tease a tiger as if he’s a house cat without getting mauled.

Chapter Eight

Crystal was on her second glass of wine when she saw Mark walk in with Ava and Mac. The other women in attendance had already been teasing her for bringing out the big guns tonight. Suzy had even given her a big seal of approval by asking to borrow her outfit at a later date. “The sexual tension between you two is making me horny,” Mia remarked as she looked at Crystal and Mark. “DeStudo hasn’t taken his eyes off you, girl. He’s yours for the taking tonight.”