Longing For Langston
Mavericks of Meeteetse, The Prequel
Brody & Liv
Renee Vincent
www.reneevincent.com
Longing For Langston (Brody & Liv)
Copyright © 2015, Renee Vincent
Digital ISBN: 9780996736312
Print ISBN: 9780996736336
Editors: Linda Ingmanson
Cover Art Design: Renee Vincent
Digital Release: November, 2015
Trade Paperback Release: November, 2015
Warning: All rights reserved. The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work, in whole or part, in any form by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, is illegal and forbidden, without the written permission of the author, Renee Vincent.
This is a work of fiction. Characters, settings, names, and occurrences are a product of the author's imagination and bear no resemblance to any actual person, living or dead, places or settings, and/or occurrences. Any incidences of resemblance are purely coincidental.
This edition is published by agreement with Renee Vincent.
CONTENTS
Dedication
Longing For Langston
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Author’s Note
Made For McKinley
Falling For Forester
Wild For Wallace
About The Author
Dedication
For Olivia, Martha, and Stacey
You make the best beta readers in the world, and I thank you so much for caring about my work, my integrity, and my career. I’m a very fortunate author.
LONGING FOR LANGSTON
Mavericks of Meeteetse, The Prequel (Brody & Liv)
Tired of living in his brother’s shadow, Brody Galven wants the folks of Meeteetse to realize he’s no longer a bad boy screwup. He also wants his childhood best friend, Olivia Langston. While staying out of trouble proves impossible, admitting he loves her is out of the question…even when she’s about to walk out of his life forever.
Chapter One
Brody Galven lifted his beer to his lips and sucked it down as he stared at the woman waiting tables at the other end of the bar. He leaned back in his chair and stretched his long legs. At the same time, he took a lengthy gander at hers. His goody-two-shoes older brother, Rod, would call them shapely. But to Brody, they were downright delectable. What he wouldn’t give to lay her down and taste her smooth, warm skin.
He chased the imaginary flavor of her thighs with the rest of his beer and continued to feast his eyes on her. The locals knew her as Olivia, but he called her Liv. She had hair like midnight and eyes like ice, a combination that everyone in this backward town thought odd and unnatural. To Brody, they were what made her beautiful, as unique and unparalleled as a perky pink flower on a prickly cactus.
Though they’d grown up together, she never ceased to amaze him. No matter what the girl did, she could do it just as well or better than anyone. Fish. Hunt. Ride. Sing.
Kiss…
Brody smiled, remembering that last one.
It had happened one night on her twenty-third birthday. She’d been working the late shift at the Wagon Wheel and, as always, he sat in the parking lot on the tailgate of his truck waiting for her to get off work, so he could give her a lift home. When he heard the bar door burst open and his name squeal from her lips, he spun around just in time to catch her leaping into his arms. His cowboy hat hit the ground, and his heart soared. She’d finally landed an agent for her singing career, and before he could really understand what that meant, she planted a kiss on his lips.
At first, it was just a quick peck, an innocent gesture punctuating her excitement for something she’d tried for years to score. But as soon as she realized what she’d done, her smile faded.
Brody remembered how rigid Olivia’s body felt against his as they held each other’s gaze. The last thing he wanted was for her to push away and apologize. So, he bent and kissed her back. Only this time, it was slow and easy. Nothing felt more right than tasting her lips and feeling her body sink into his chest.
As he sat there, remembering how soft and warm her mouth felt on his, he also recalled the look in her eyes. He swore he saw a glimmer of unrestrained lust in them. As if at any moment, she’d tear his clothes off and fuck his brains out.
But what did he know? The second he’d cupped her face and deepened the kiss, she pulled back and stared at him as if he had three heads. Immediately he’d played it off like no big deal and broke away from her with as much aloofness as he could fake. He swiped his hat from the ground and made some excuse about having to get her home right away so she could tell her mama the good news. That way he lessened the amount of time he had with her in case she was itching to discuss the matter exhaustively.
In hindsight, Brody was damn glad she hadn’t called him out for crossing the line. He broke the friend code by following directions from his dick instead of his brain. Most guys would’ve caught a slap across the face or a knee to the nuts for what he’d pulled. Lucky for him, his Liv wasn’t that kind of girl. Shit happens was her usual motto.
Since then, Liv had never brought it up and he had never tried anything like that again. But it didn’t mean his hormones quit raging. Instead, he’d admire her from afar and do his damnedest to keep it off the radar. Some days that was easier said than done—like tonight.
Though Liv had grown up a tomboy, Brody couldn’t help but notice the feminine curves she crammed into her cutoff denim shorts. Hell, even the knot she tied in her shirt just below her breasts tempted him to pull it free.
Get a grip, Brody. She’s off-limits and you know it.
He fidgeted in his seat, giving his burgeoning hard-on some room. Olivia Langston might be his best friend—hell, his only friend—but she drove him fuckin’ wild.
Brody adjusted his hat and leaned forward, resting both elbows on the table. He regarded the smile she offered to a group of guys who’d ordered a round, and decided it didn’t sit well with him. She’d argue it was just for tips. He’d argue it was too much.
That was the meat and potatoes of their relationship. If she wasn’t doing something to either turn him on or piss him off, she was getting herself in a situation where he had to step in and save her.
From where he sat, he sized up all three, determining whether he’d need help if a fight broke out. Unfortunately, the folks in this establishment mostly resembled those from a retirement home rather than a cowboy bar. He’d be on his own this time.
Liv glanced his way as if she felt the weight of his gaze bearing down on her. To downplay the fact that he’d been caught staring, he picked up his empty beer bottle and shook it, signaling he needed another. She nodded once and dismissed him, only to offer another pretty smile to the three dudes in the booth.
Brody crossed his arms and growled under his breath. At times, he hated her job. Especially when she had to act all sweet and kind to a bunch of cheesy-smiling, smooth-talking city slickers who thought they were genuine cowboys because they wore a hat and boots. Brody took one glance at the shiny black leather gleaming from their Tony Lamas. They were no more acquainted with the dust and manure of a cattle ranch than a two-bit whore was acquainted with driving a Bentley.
A sudden surge of male laughter resounded fr
om their corner, and Brody caught sight of a well-manicured hand reaching out and touching Liv’s elbow. The man did his best to pour on the charm before his hand fell away and brushed her leg on the way down.
Brody tensed, ready to step in and crush every single one of those highfalutin fingers in his fist, but Liv would be furious with him. His chest burned as he tried to curb his temper for her sake. He bounced his leg on the ball of his foot, just itching to bolt out of his chair and teach this ill-bred urban cowboy a lesson in manners.
Liv stepped politely out of the man’s reach and waited on the wannabe cowboy across from him. This guy seemed less forward than his friend, but no less fake. As he made some tasteless comment about Liv choosing the heat level on his wings, the third chump glanced up from his menu and spotted Brody glowering. He turned white and swallowed, elbowing his buddy. A few words passed between them before they all, including Liv, peered down the length of the barroom to where Brody sat.
He didn’t have to stand to reveal his massive six-foot-three frame. He assumed he looked menacing enough as he stewed in his seat. His colorful sleeve of tatts on both forearms lent their share of intimidation as well.
Brody dared them to do anything—say anything—that was the least bit out of line. To his disappointment, all three shrank behind the wall of the booth and wrapped up their order with Liv.
She faked a smile in front of her customers and made some excuse that he was harmless, before she threw Brody a look and withdrew to the kitchen.
He didn’t take kindly to the notion that she considered him harmless. When it came to her, he was about as harmless as a stalled stallion in a barn full of mares.
Minutes later, Liv rounded the bar with a bucket of beer and set it in the middle of the newcomers’ table with another pleasant smile. She gave them some practiced spiel about her name should they need anything else before she patted one of them on the shoulder.
Brody rolled his eyes in time to see her marching his way. She stopped short of his table and slammed a beer in front of him. “Do you mind? I’m trying to work here, Galven.”
Brody eyed the white foam racing to the top of the bottle, bubbling over the lip. He hated a beer full of head. “I’m going to need another one of these.”
She lunged forward, planting both hands on the table. “I’m serious, Brody. Knock off the badass-boyfriend routine, will ya? I need their tips, and I’m not going to get anything with you giving them the evil eye.”
Brody gazed into Olivia’s gorgeous eyes, knowing he had a shit ton of beautiful cleavage facing him. The temptation to look down her shirt killed him, but he never wavered. He had more respect for her than that, which was more than he could say for most of the customers who bellied up to this bar. Not to mention the trio of tenderfoots she’d waited on.
“Are you listening to me?” she asked, stomping her foot.
Brody didn’t mean to smile. It just happened.
Liv grumbled and snatched his frothy beer to exchange it. “I’m never going to get to Nashville at this rate.”
Brody caught her hand, stopping her in her tracks. He liked the feel of it in his. To be truthful, he wished he could twirl her into his arms, tip her back, and kiss the daylights out of her.
She planted her free hand on her hip. “What now, Galven?”
The words she’d muttered echoed in his ears. “I’m never going to get to Nashville at this rate.”
If anyone knew how badly she wanted to start her singing career in Nashville, it was Brody. For years, she’d dreamt of making it big and living off her voice instead of tips from yuppie city folk passing through on their vacation. After she landed that agent, everyone thought, including Brody, it was only a matter of time before she gained a big record deal. That was last year, and still…she hadn’t heard anything.
Brody softened his grip and patted the top of her wrist. “I’m sorry, Liv. I know how much that dream means to you.” He peeled her fingers from the bottle and took a swig, enduring the watery taste of the flat beer. “I’ll leave right after I finish this…skunk piss.”
“Give me that,” she said, smiling. “And you don’t have to leave. It’s fine.”
He glanced around her, making certain the fellas still kept to themselves in their booth. “You sure?”
“Yes, I’m sure. But chill out, okay? I can take care of myself.”
“Yeah, well, I don’t want anyone to take advantage of you. Men are pigs.”
Liv’s soft laughter immediately brightened his mood. “Are you including yourself in that statement?”
He thought about the many times he’d sweet-talked his way into a girl’s pants simply because Liv had unknowingly aroused him to the point of pain. He could admit he was a giant pig with girls he didn’t care about. But Liv was different. She deserved respect and a man who’d treat her right. Which was why he often took out his sexual frustrations on girls who hadn’t a care for their own self-respect. “On occasion.”
She blew out a dry laugh this time and shook her head. “I’ll be back with your beer in a sec.”
Brody watched her walk away, his gaze automatically falling to her tight little butt. He couldn’t help but be mesmerized by its subtle sway. The image of her lowering that perfect heart-shaped bottom over his thick erection in a reverse cowgirl position had him wishing he and Liv weren’t friends at all. He could screw her brains out and not worry if he did all the right things in the sack. He could cum as quick as he wanted without having to prove his stamina, and he could leave as soon as he was through without agonizing over whether he broke her heart.
Yep. We men are pigs.
“Here you go,” Liv said, handing him a fresh beer. He nearly jumped at the sound of her voice, unaware that he’d been carried off by his perverse sexual thoughts.
“Uh…thanks.”
“You all right there, Galven?” She removed his Stetson and straightened his hair before plopping it back on his head. “Long day at the McKinley ranch?”
Brody cleared his throat, thankful she couldn’t read his mind. He reached up and readjusted his hat the way he preferred it. Only Liv could get away with touching it. “Yeah, you could say that.”
“Well, you sit back and enjoy your beer. I gotta sing in a few.”
Liv dragged her fingertips along his arm and over his shoulder as she headed toward the stage in the back of the bar. He closed his eyes, relishing the feel of her touch for a few seconds while he tried to collect himself. As innocent as it might have been, that little brush of hers caused a whole cataclysm of sensations to run through his body. His groin tightened. His blood coursed through his veins. And his heart ached so deep in his chest, he thought it might burst.
He didn’t know how much longer he could go through life just being her friend. He desired Liv more than anything, but it was too risky to tell her how he truly felt. Things would get awkward if he started sleeping with her. They always did when friends tried the benefits thing.
And what if she didn’t feel the same in return? What if she didn’t want to share that kind of intimacy with him? Or worse…maybe she did. And because she loved him so damn much, she turned down her chance to go to Nashville when the call came?
Brody’s lids shot open the moment he heard the strum of her guitar and the sweet angelic tenor of her voice in the microphone behind him. Chills ran over his body every time she opened her beautiful mouth to sing.
Yeah…she’d be better off never knowing how he felt. She deserved to make it big and be happy. Besides, he knew one day she would get that call. And it’d be that much harder for him to say good-bye if he were sleeping with her.
Chapter Two