âStop being so agreeable⦠Thatâs not like you.â
That damn sexy smile of Willâs was back.
âMaybe it is,â he contradicted.
She didnât like these new rules. âYouâre just messing with my mind,â Cassidy accused.
Will inclined his head. âIf you say so.â
She clenched her hands in her lap, curling her fingernails into her palms. She was doing what she could in order to ground herself.
His smile told her that he was enjoying this, enjoying getting under her skin, getting in the last word, because, she reminded herself, that was the way Will Laredo was built. You canât change the spots on a leopard, she insisted. Even a leopard with a very sexy smile.
Especially a leopard with a very sexy smile.
Prologue
âMind if I cut in?â
Instantly pulled out of her mental wanderingsâa defense mechanism she employed when whoever she was with was boring her out of her mindâCassidy McCullough looked up, focusing on the man who had just tapped her dance partnerâs shoulder.
Not that she really needed to.
Despite the fact that he had been absent from Forever for the better part of four years, she would have recognized that voice anywhere.
It popped up in her nightmares.
Will Laredo.
Will had been her brothersâ friend for as far back as she could rememberâuntil his estrangement with his father had taken him to parts unknown, simultaneously bringing peace to her own corner of the world.
As she looked back, it felt as if her peace had been far too short-lived. Especially since, for reasons that were beyond her understanding, all three of her brothers liked this six-foot-one-inch, dirty-blond-haired irritant on two legsâwhich was why Cody had not only invited him to his wedding, heâd made Will one of his groomsmen.
To her surprise, Ron Jenkins, her fawning partner on the dance floor, seemed all too ready to acquiesce to Laredoâs casual query. Under normal circumstances, she would have celebrated getting a different partnerâbut not this time.
Ron might be willing, Cassidy thought, but she damn well wasnât.
âHe might not mind,â Cassidy retorted defiantly, âbut I do.â
Rather than taking his cue and backing away, Will remained exactly where he was. Not only that, but his mouth curved in that annoying, smug way of his that she had always hated.
âYour brothers seemed to think I should dance with you.â
âMaybe you should dance with one of them since they all seem to be so keen on the subject of dancing,â Cassidy informed him.
Looking increasingly more uncomfortable, Ron seemed ready to fade into the shadows. âNo, really, itâs all right,â he assured both her and Will nervously. A slight man, he appeared more than ready to surrender his claim to her.
Cassidyâs eyes narrowed as she froze her partner in place. âYou stop dancing with me, Ron Jenkins,â she warned the man, âand itâll be the last thing youâll ever remember doing.â
Rather than slow down, Cassidy sped up her tempo.
Instead of being annoyed or embarrassed at this obvious rejection, Will laughed. âYouâd better do as she says, Ron. Most men around here would sooner cross an angry rattlesnake than Cassidy. I hear that her bite is a lot more deadly.â
Struggling to hold on to her temper, Cassidy tossed her head. Several blond strands came loose and cascaded to her shoulders. She ignored them.
âIf I were you, Laredo, Iâd keep that in mind the next time you think about cutting in,â she informed him, her eyes blazing.
Will inclined his head, the same amused smile slowly curving his lips. âThereâs not going to be a next time,â he assured her.