The Sheriff's Secret Wife by Christyne Butler Read Free Book Online Page B

willpower not to march downstairs and yank her ass off the bar. What the hell was she trying to prove? Hadn't she learned—

Wait, did she just look up at him?

She pulled in a deep breath, her voice strong again as she swung her long curls off the face with a practiced toss of her head. "Let me demonstrate. The rest of you are welcome to watch so you can try this in the privacy of your own home."

Taking the saltshaker from the cowboy's outstretched hand, she raised her left wrist to her mouth. Gage could've sworn she was staring right at him as her tongue left a damp path on her skin. She then held the arm and sprinkled salt over the area.

Moving closer, she balanced her salt-encrusted arm on his shoulder and held the shot glass inches from his mouth. Piercing whistles and catcalls raced through the crowd.

"Don't make me laugh, ya'll, can't spill good booze." Racy addressed the crowd before turning her attention back to the cowboy. "Okay, sugar. You're welcome to take your shot whenever you're ready."

Again, her gaze lifted to her overhead lights. No, that wasn't right. She was staring up at the balcony. At him.

The cowboy remained still for a long moment. Then he rose, ignoring her salt-covered skin and tossing the lime over his shoulder. Leaning forward, he captured the shot glass with his mouth, tipped his head back and downed the booze in one swallow before releasing the glass into his hand.

The crowd cheered and the band went live with a rocking country song when the cowboy lifted Racy's hand to his mouth and kissed it before jumping back to the floor.

Gage found himself torn between respect for the guy and the urge to tear the man's heart out of his chest.
    * * *
    Lucky bastard.

Racy tried to concentrate on the computer screen. Chase Cartwright's words, whispered before he'd jumped off the bar, still rang in her ears. At first, she'd had no idea what he was talking about. Then he'd winked and said if she needed any help making her guy jealous, he'd be in town for a couple of weeks.

Her guy? Yeah, right.

She'd mumbled thanks and spent the rest of the night trying to justify to herself why she'd done it. Had it been worth it? She wasn't sure Gage had seen her performance. Keeping an eye out for him the rest of the night had produced nothing. If he was in the bar, he'd managed to stay hidden.

Until closing time.

She and Max had decided to close up an hour early due to a surprise snowstorm predicted to accumulate several inches. After the staff had cleaned up, Gina had given her a hug goodbye. Racy had quickly picked up that she was upset.

When she had pressed, thinking it was job related, Gina had said her jailer was waiting to take her home. Powerless not to, she'd looked and found Gage's hard stare directed at her.

Too far away to see his eyes, his clenched jaw and his arms folded over his chest told her either he'd indeed witnessed her entire act or he was still pissed about his sister working here.

His gaze had held hers until Gina had walked past and slugged him in the arm. Then they both had disappeared out the door.

"I'm heading out, sweetheart. You ready to go?"

Racy looked up and found Max in the doorway. "I need to finish this paperwork."

"I had planned to head home long ago." The man's grin rose into his mustache. "Look what I would've missed."

She took a swallow of ginger ale from a nearby glass. "Give me a break. I haven't done that in months."

Max yanked on his gloves. "Which makes me wonder, what's got you so riled that you'd do it again? Not to mention shaking your butt on the bar."

Racy broke free of her boss's speculative gaze and turned back to the computer's bookkeeping program. "Just wanted to see if I could still keep up."

"You kicked ass and you know it. Don't be long, ya hear? It's a winter wonderland out there." He sighed. "All this white stuff makes me long for the warmth of the South."

A fact Racy was counting on when she presented her proposal to buy him out. "Another