“I don’t feel right having this done without at least consulting Tate but…” I trailed off as I searched my cut for my smokes, acknowledging in a fleeting moment that I had cut back on the habit since arriving at Homeland.
“No reaching Tate still?”
I shook my head. “It’s been a week and a half and nothing. I managed to get through to someone in their HR department. He’s clocking his hours so he’s still there. The message that the ranch needs him, must be by the wayside.”
“Then do what you have to. Tate’s Tate. He does what he wants to when he wants to and fucks around enough he doesn’t always have to be in the loop, even when it’s family.”
“I want you to reach back out to Dez. I want full reports: background, financial, personal anything she can get.”
“On?”
“George Charlon and Brad Charlon.”
“That’s dangerous brother. This is their ranch.”
“It’s George’s ranch, but something tells me Brad doesn’t like the way the cards have been dealt.”
“Just because he’s a dick doesn’t make him guilty.”
“No, but the fact that a truck looking just like his was one of the two on the field road last night, the suspicious circumstances are adding up,” I finally found my lighter and lit up.
“And if Amelia finds out you’re investigating her cousin?”
“She won’t find out. And if she does? I don’t think she will give to shits. She’s not exactly Brad’s biggest fan.”
“It’s still family. I’ve seen you want to murder your family, but you’d still kill anyone that got to them first,” Speedy pointed out.
“I know. I know.”
Chapter Thirteen
Amelia
“This heat ever going to break?” Houston grumbled as he stretched another piece of barbwire and I stapled it down.
I checked the skies, not a cloud in sight. It was the second week in September but that meant it would either be anywhere between sixty-five degrees and a hundred and five. Currently, it was eighty-eight. The comfortable middle ground.
“You claim to be pure Texan. You know it’s how it goes down south.”
“I spend most of time in Northern Texas anymore. Not damn near Mexico. Not for this extent of time. Not working in this damn heat like this,” Houston bitched and moaned as he ripped off his gloves and took a drink of water from the canteen I passed him.
“Didn’t know they let babies patch into the Bastards. You’re supposed to what? Ride for the Devil? Can’t take his heat though?” I teased. Today was easier with him. I don’t know what I had expected, I set myself up for the fall yesterday asking about the women in his life. There wasn’t supposed to be anything between us and it was clear his reputation wasn’t virgin white.
“Take the cut off. It’s got to make you hotter.”
“Oh you, think the cut makes me hotter?” Houston shot back.
“Don’t be so conceited,” I finished securing the line and straightened up, putting my hands to my lower back and stretched. “It’s not the heat that’s bothering you anyhow. It’s the humidity.”
“Finally got that rain you wanted. Made it a hell of a lot cooler last night but not now,” Houston unzipped his cut. I wondered if there were rules stating he had keep it on day in and day out.
The fence we were running was relatively easy to access, so the two of us had forgone the use of horses and had driven my truck out. Correction, Houston had driven my truck out, he must think I’m that shitty of a driver.
I made my way over the fence we had just repaired and was headed towards the truck when I mis-stepped and slid down a small ravine. I heard Houston yell for me as I rested at the bottom. It wasn’t steep, but it had knocked the wind out of me for a second. Plus, it was embarrassing as hell. I lie on my back as Houston rushed to my side.
“Are you okay?” he asked sounding concerned. “Dammit Amelia answer me woman!”
The rains that came in the early hours had made just enough mud that I scooped some in my left hand and smash it in his face.
“What the fuck!”
“Don’t you ever call me woman again!” I growled grabbing another fist full, but Houston grabbed my wrist tight.
“You think you’re going to win this fight little missy?”
“I think that’s worse,” I yanked at my wrists, which only made me succeed in dropping the mud on myself.
“You do Half-pint?” Houston’s body aligned with mine, him facing down on me. I dared to look up at him. There was an intensity in his eyes I hadn’t seen before. That I couldn’t place.
I wrinkled my nose, Half-Pint nickname, “Fine Jax.”
“Jax?” Houston asked.
“Jax Teller. Isn’t he the biker prince of Charming?” I grinned and watched a smirk go over his face.
“Honey, Sons of Anarchy is fiction.”
“And you’re completely real?”
Houston scooped up some mud of his own and rubbed it on my bare skin. Starting at my neck and dragging his hand south. Over the top of my chest that was exposed from my tank top and dipped down over the upper mounds of my chest.
My breath caught with his caress. Even in this heat, chills broke out over my body. I lie completely still as he ran his hand back up over my neck. His hand catching under my jaw, his thumb running from my chin to ear.
Houston stared at my lips before slowly moving up to meet my gaze. I needed to press into him. To feel his body crush into mine. To have something more than this tease. Slowly Houston moved down, his lips carefully brushed mine. More gently than I suspected he had ever kissed a woman in his life.
I pressed back into him. Opening myself up to him. I ran my tongue over his lower lip, and Houston rolled away. Breaking all contact between us.
“I’m sorry,” Houston groaned. “I can’t…”
I felt my heart clench, stomach knot, my lungs struggle for their breath. I didn’t get it. Did he have a wife somewhere? I knew he was attracted to me why couldn’t he take it any farther? What was so bad about just… kissing me?
I sat up. Muddy, overheated in more ways than one and sweaty. Fuck this. I got to my feet and started walking away from him, away from the truck and through the small stand of trees.
Houston called out, but I didn’t answer. He’d follow me, or he wouldn’t, I really didn’t give a shit. I worked through the trees and came to the next clearing. The small, spring fed pond was recuperating from another hellish Texas summer and the rain had washed some of its stagnant feeling away.
Coming to the water’s edge I stripped from my boots and socks, pulled the shirt over my head and stepped out of my jeans. I heard Houston’s heavy footsteps behind me as I tossed my clothes aside.
“What the hell are you doing?”
“What does it look like?” I asked with a small sigh. “You can head back to the truck if you want. I need a minute or two to relax. Turn around.”
“What?”
“You heard me. Turn around.”
I watched Houston slowly turn around until the Devil’s Bastards skull glared back at me. I pushed my cotton panties to my ankles and kicked out of them and reached around, popped the clasp on my bra and shrugged it from my shoulders, dropping it on the ground with the rest of my clothes.
I slipped into the water, inch by inch until I was submerged to my chest. The water wasn’t without it’s grimy feel, but it was cooler and felt good against my burning skin and I pretended that I had never seen a snapping turtle or water snake around here in my life.
“You can turn around now,” I told Houston. He did, and I watched his eyes settle on me. “You can come in if you want. Strictly platonic, of course. The pond is big enough to share.”
Houston looked undecided. Torn almost.
Chapter Fourteen
Houston
I stared at Amelia’s body as the water surrounded her nakedness. The woman was impossible. I thought we had a silent agreement. Yet it was my faul
t. I was the one who leaned in and pressed my lips to hers, again.
I saw her in those simple white cotton panties and bra. Sensible yet so damn sexy. Amelia was no stick figure girl. She had curves. Curves on her chest, curves on her hips. She rocked curves on her ass and her thighs weren’t a threat for having a gap.
My body craved her. I wanted to get lost inside of her, today, tonight and tomorrow just for starters. She had invited me into the waters with her. It was a bad idea. Hell, being near her in any shape and form, especially alone was a bad idea.
“Turn around.”
Amelia spun in the water. I wanted to know if she would give into the temptation. Glance over her shoulder for a peek at my bare skin. I kicked off my boots and socks quickly, tossed my cut to the ground in a way I never treated my leather. I stripped my shirt and undid the belt and shucked my jeans and boxers.
Amelia never looked over her shoulder, which was a small disappointment. When I was waist deep in the water I called out that she was good to turn around. I watched the heat rise in her cheeks when she looked at my bare chest. God, she was so adorable.
Who blushed anymore? Did that mean she was a virgin even at what, twenty-three? No, she couldn’t be. But if her cheeks went that red when she saw my bare chest, what would they do when she saw the rest of me?
But, I reminded himself yet again, that wasn’t the plan. I was here to help Amelia with the rustlers and the minute that deal was done I was going to disappear. Leave her behind and never see her or speak to her again.
It wouldn’t be easy. I would hurt her when I left, hurt myself even. Hell, I could admit it, to myself at least. But it was for the best. Some freak break in the universe was allowing Destiny her chance at happily ever after, but her marriage didn’t even guarantee that. It hadn’t guaranteed it for our parents. Callaghan’s didn’t get that chance. Amelia wouldn’t be safe as long as she was with me.
If I claimed her, if I tasted her, held her that close to me, damn it would be harder. Because in the morning light I doubted I would be able to ride away from her. I never found anyone I never wanted to ride away from until her. In less than two weeks I wasn’t quite ready to just up and go.
“The water’s nice,” she said as if she was looking for just anything to say.
“Feels good to cool off every once in a while.”
Amelia dunked under the water and remerged, slicking her hair back and my dick twitched. “Can you try to not be so…”
“So, what?” she asked, her voice wasn’t soft but instead sharp. I couldn’t imagine how much she detested me right now.
“So sexy. So beautiful, so intoxicating.”
“I’m pretty sure you’re the last person that gets to tell me what to do.”
“Amelia,” I sighed.
“It’s not Half-Pint or woman now? You don’t need to lie or explain anything to me. Since I’ve met you, you have pulled me from other guys clutches, flipped out if I showed up wearing anything you deemed inappropriate. Shoved me up against the wall of my house and kissed me only to demand that I run. Not to mention made me ride the bike with you that involved a little too much contact, wrapped me in your arms like you gave a damn and kissed me for a second time not ten minutes ago before changing your mind yet again,” she paused. “Did I miss anything? No. So, you don’t have the right to make requests of me.”
“I’m doing what is best for us Amelia. This shouldn’t happen. I never said that I didn’t want it to. I’m trying extremely hard to be good darlin’. Really, really, hard.”
“I don’t care.”
“I have to leave when this is over. I don’t want to hurt you when I go.”
“Houston Callaghan, Bastard President. Bastard prince doesn’t just walk away from women he wants. He takes them and doesn’t give a fuck what the consequences are,” she swam across the pond before spinning to face me yet again. “I’m not an untouched angel. I’m not incapable of knowing the difference between this fire between us and fuckin’ love Houston.”
And just like that, I had it. I swam across the pond after her and grabbed her shoulders. “You’re right. I take what I want, when I want it from women and they give it freely. But you’re different. Don’t ask me why just acknowledge that I’m doing what I can to protect you. I need to protect you from everyone, including myself.”
“I don’t need you to protect me. I need … this,” she wrapped her hands around my neck and kissed me. My conscious pushed her away, honestly, he did. But my body didn’t get the memo. I kissed her back. Tasted her lips, her tongue. She sucked my lower lip into her mouth and I came undone.
I ran my hands along her thighs, up the curve of her ass and along her lower back. We broke the kiss and I my lips found her neck, nibbling along, then licking her ear as she moaned and pressed her body against me. I wanted her. Wanted to slide into her. Ride her until I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t contain myself any longer.
This place wasn’t the place for it though. IF we were going to do this, I needed to give her everything. Every drop of physical pleasure that I possible could. Here I couldn’t do that. She wrapped her legs around my waist and my dick brushed the curvature of her ass and I nearly lost it right then and there.
“Not here. I can’t do this here,” I whispered in her ear. “This will happen Amelia. Dammit I wish I could tell you it won’t and mean it, but I can’t. But it’s not going to be here. It will be somewhere when I have the space, time and accommodations to ruin you for the rest of your life.”
I kissed her hard before she could protest. “I have to leave tomorrow. Go to Sweetwater for three days for Bastard affairs. My team will take care of things here while I’m away. I need you to come with me as well. I can’t have you away from me while this is going down. I need to know you’re safe and I can’t be here, so, I want you to leave with me, tomorrow morning.”
“What kind of Bastard affair?” Amelia asked with a groan as I nipped at her ear.
“A wedding. Casual. Pack only what fits in my saddlebag. We will be back Sunday night.”
“You know I’ll agree to anything when you have me like this Houston. It’s not exactly fair,” she panted and clenched her thighs around me even tighter.
“They call me a bastard for a reason,” I kissed her lips again and held her tight.
***
How we got out of the water and pulled our clothes back on was an unknowing wonder. I had been very careful as I ran my hands over her body. Her bare upper thighs, her round ass, her bare back and the curvature of her breast.
I was careful not to let my hands roam to other more troublesome places. I allowed her to climb out of the pond first, but I didn’t divert my eyes this time. Although she kept her back to me, I still marveled at her body. Her arms were darker than the rest of her body as they saw plenty of sunlight as she worked the ranch every day. Her ass was just as smooth as cream and I longed to dig my teeth into it.
Amelia pulled on her panties and bra and wrung out her hair as she air-dried in the early afternoon sun.
I crept out of the water and pulled on my boxers. Amelia’s restraint was greater than mine because her back still faced me. I walked to her and kissed the back of her neck and wrapped my arms around her.
“I’ve done a lot of things in my lifetime Amelia. From Louisiana to California. I’ve been in Mexico. I’ve fought men, stared down loaded guns. But baby, there has never been anything as dangerous, to me, as you right now,” I gripped her hips and ground into her ass.
“Houston, something tells me you always have been a smooth talker,” I sensed her sarcastic smile without having to see it.
“Believe what you want. But it’s true, I’m dangerously attracted to you,” I tangled my fingers in her wet hair and twisted it around in my hand and worked my lips down her bare shoulder, nipping at her skin with my teeth as I went.
“I can feel your attraction.”
“Impressed?”
“Anyone ever tell you, you have a big head
?”
I laughed as she pulled away and then spun right back around in my waiting arms. She kissed me just one last time. “We better finish getting dressed. You told me that there is no chance of it happening here, so we better get a move on before we both self-combust.”
I stole one last kiss. “You’re right,” I finally said when we were both breathless. Amelia’s eyes lingered on my skin and she lazily traced over the Texas outline that was on my chest. “One day, you will tell me about these, right? The tattoos, all of them?”
I was hesitant to answer. One day made it sound as if we had many of them in our future when it was likely I was at least halfway through my visit now. I nodded though and brought her fingers to my lips. “One day, yes.”
She smiled happily and stepped away to pull on the rest of her clothes.
We finished our job on the fence and loaded back into her truck. The tension was still thick between us and we both fought to keep it under control. To keep our hands off each other. Soon my sweet Half-Pint. Soon I will take you. I silently promised her.
Speedy was waiting for us when we pulled back into the yard. “Miss. Lorbosh,” he nodded to Amelia and she rolled her eyes.
“How’s Tommy and Josẽ today?” she asked him.
“Josẽ is a little stiff but he will be fine. Your mom got Tommy in town and an actual x-ray done. The break is set as it should be. He’ll have the cast for several weeks, but he can ride shotgun in an UTV until he’s back on his bike or the job is done, whichever comes first.”
“Great to hear,” she gave him a nod. “I’ve got animals to tend to in the barn.”
Amelia gave me a soft smile and headed for where she kept the horses.
Speedy looked at me and laughed. “You didn’t!”
“I didn’t.”
“Oh, but you wanted to, didn’t you?”
“What is between Amelia and I is none of your damn business,” I growled.
“Touchy, touchy. But if you don’t, I will take a run at it,” Speedy said, running away and grabbing his junk casually.
“Tate will kill you if you touch his kid sister.”
Houston Callaghan: The Devil's Bastards MC Page 9