After six songs he pleaded exhaustion and dragged her to a table. Matt and Marc were there with some friends who all greeted them happily as they came over to join them.

Matt reached out and pulled a corkscrew curl straight and let go, watching it spring back into place. “I’ve wanted to do that since fourth grade,” he said, laughing.

“I know, it’s the bane of my existence. It’s why I wear it in a bun so much.”

“Bane? My god why? Your hair is incredible. I know women who go to the salon to get expensive perms and still can’t get hair like yours.” To underline his point, he pulled another curl with apparent delight.

Maggie grinned at him and Kyle slapped Marc’s hand when he reached over to try it. “Hands off,” he growled.

Maggie was stunned. He actually acted jealous.

“Hi, Kyle, let’s dance,” Lyndsay Cole sidled up to him, stopping just short of rubbing against him like a cat in heat.

Maggie shot her a look of annoyed anger. It was obvious that Kyle was there with her. Hell, he was sitting with her chair between his thighs, holding one of her hands.

“Lyndsay, do you know Maggie?” Kyle asked smoothly, moving away from her touch and even closer to Maggie.

Lyndsay looked over at Maggie for a quarter of a second and back to Kyle. “Yeah. So anyway, how about that dance?”

“Lyndsay, I’m here with Maggie. I’m with Maggie. She’s my only dance partner.”

“Her?”

Annoyed, Kyle sighed. What was with the women of this town anyway? He was beginning to get a very good understanding of Maggie’s inferiority issues. He realized he had to find ways of working through them with her. “Of course her. Who else?” He turned his back to Lyndsay and kissed the nape of Maggie’s neck but he felt her stiffness. “Darlin’, shall we dance?”

“You know, I’m tired. I think I’d like to go home.” Her voice was so small, it squeezed his heart.

He turned her face to his gently. “Don’t let her get to you.” He said it in no more than a murmur.

“I’m not. I really am tired,” she lied. She realized then that it would be like this every time they went out. He’d gone out with a lot of women, all of them pretty and popular like Lyndsay and Jane Marie. Maggie was so far out of their league that she’d never find a way to fit into his life.

He narrowed his eyes at her. “Maggie, don’t run off on me.” He meant more than just her wanting to leave the Tonk. “We’re having a good time. My brothers and friends are all happy to see you—to see us. To hell with what people like your sister and Lyndsay think.” He could see she was skittish, probably thinking up reasons why they couldn’t be a couple and he wasn’t about to let that happen.

Standing up he grinned down at her. “Come on, it’s a slow number, at least dance close with me before we go.” He put on his best little boy pleading face and she relented, holding out her hand for him to take.

Once on the floor he pulled her tightly against his body. Head resting on his chest his heart beat for her. The citrusy scent of her hair wafted into his face, teasing his senses. Her body fit against his, soft against hard. His arms tightened around her and he smiled against the top of her head. It would take some work to get past her defenses but he knew she’d be worth it. He could kick Shane’s ass for making things even worse. But then again, if Shane hadn’t been such a fool, Maggie would be in his arms now instead of Kyle’s.

The slow song faded and a fast number came on. Smoothly, Kyle kept his hold on her, easing her into a faster dance. Maggie hesitated a moment but relented and let him keep her on the floor.

“You’re smooth, Chase.” Her smirk of amusement made him chuckle and twirl her into a dip. He laid a series of kisses down her neck while he had her extended over his arm and delighted in her laugh.

“It’s all been practice for the time when I had you to work on.”

Grinning, she looked into his face. “Lord, you are so full of it.” He righted her and clutched his heart in mock dismay.

Laughing, they walked back to their table where, thankfully, Lyndsay had left. “I really should be getting home. I have to be at school by nine tomorrow morning.”

“Oh all right. I’ll take you home but only if you promise to come to my house for dinner on Friday night. That is after your drink with the girls and my pitcher and pool with my brothers. I wouldn’t want you to flout tradition, after all. We can leave from The Pumphouse for my house at eight thirty. That should be enough time for me to trounce them all at pool and for you to gossip with Liv and Dee.”

“Oh all right,” she said with mock annoyance, echoing his earlier words, but it was ruined by the grin she couldn’t suppress. He made her happy.

“Good answer, now your carriage awaits, princess,” he said, bowing.

“Night, Maggie,” Matt said, kissing her cheek.

“Night guys.” She waved at them. Marc stood up to give her a kiss too but she saw Kyle raise an eyebrow at him. Marc burst out laughing and blew her one instead.

“What was that all about?” she asked him as he drove her home.

“Marc’s a skirt chaser, he likes your skirt.”

“If you say so. I’ll remind you that I’ve lived in this town my entire life and the only Chase brother who’s ever really spoken to me before two months ago was Matt.”

“Hey! I’ve talked to you here and there.”