The more she thought about the blithering idiot, the more she thought she was probably a hell of a lot better off without his possessive, overbearing ways cluttering up her life. Then her heart would ache, accompanied by the sting of unshed tears. Then she’d mourn for what was never meant to be.
She looked absolutely horrible and it was all his fault. His emotions were raw, torn, leaving him feeling as if he’d just climbed aboard the world’s longest roller coaster with an open-ended ticket.
“Austin,” he spoke carefully. The effort it took to keep his voice modulated, to keep himself from pulling her into his arms was overwhelming in its intensity.
Her eyes skittered from his, but he could see the rapid rise and fall of her chest. Did the rest of the men notice how her pouty nipples pushed so erotically against the thin scrap of fabric she called a shirt?
Of course they did. That was her plan, to show him who was boss and today, right this minute, she’d get away with it because the last thing he wanted to do was break the fragile grasp she had on her control.
He could see it in every line of her too-young face. The way she held herself stock-still as if trying to sense the slightest change in the atmosphere around her. It would do no good to reprimand or confront her in front of the others, or alone, for that matter.
Today the only thing it would amount to would be hurt feelings and possibly even tears, and that wasn’t something he was willing to deal with right now. It was hard enough to watch her gather her strength around her like a shroud.
When she changed from being as still as a day without so much as a breeze, to fluttering around the kitchen like a butterfly, he thought he would lose it. It was more her normal way to go about things, but the slight trembling in her fingers, as she gripped the coffeepot to fill her cup, told him all was not well.
Her movements were jerky and unproductive. It seemed as if she was running in circles and going nowhere fast. The woman was just plain ole jittery, always twitching about. It was enough to make a man nervous if he was inclined to nervousness.
Evidently the majority of his ranch hands were, because they cleared the kitchen as if they’d been called to bed by a longhaired vixen. Austin looked around the kitchen as if surprised to see it empty of bodies then mumbled an excuse and exited the room.
Hayden couldn’t help but follow her. Part of him hoped she’d get back into that long monster she lovingly called Jolene and leave the ranch and never return. Another part of him was making sure she didn’t do anything of the sort.
That stubborn, mule-headed part of him would tie her down if necessary to keep her on his land, within his grasp, right where she belonged. Too bad his separate sides couldn’t get together and work out some sort of compromise, because he felt not only as if he was being ripped in two, but as if he would go fucking nuts in an extremely short amount of time if something didn’t happen.
He stood at the partially open door and just watched for a few minutes. Watched the graceful way she prepared for the work ahead of her—even when it seemed as if she moved automatically, with no thought to her actions.
It seemed as if the life had been sucked from her. Her eyes no longer twinkled merrily and she wasn’t humming any of her favorite country songs like she normally did. He missed the sound of her voice as the tune floated from her closed lips.
As if sensing his eyes upon her, her fingers halted over the keyboard just before she turned to him. The smile that crossed her lips barely curved the tips and didn’t come even close to crinkling the corner of her eyes the way he was used to.
Her voice was nothing more than professional when she asked, “Is there something I can do for you, Mr. O’Malley?”
He had plenty of answers for the loaded question, but didn’t voice a single one. The use of his last name bothered him but she knew damned well it would, which was why she was using it. He wouldn’t be emotionally blackmailed to apologize or admit to feelings he wasn’t ready for so he shook his head and stalked from the doorway.
The next two weeks passed by without much change. Some days seemed to fly by while others seemed to dawdle along like an old lady scurrying about with her britches around her ankles.
He was admittedly surprised when his father showed up at the Big O bright and early one morning.
“Damn, son, you’ve got this place looking grand.” The compliment caused Hayden to slow his walk. Surprise and suspicion must have shown on his face. His father Collin O’Malley hooted with laughter, slapped him briskly on the back and said, “Don’t look at me like that—just because I didn’t care to have the place for myself doesn’t mean I don’t wish you the best.”
More surprise. Hayden felt like he was in an episode of the Twilight Zone.
“Hear from Zane lately?”
“Not in a day or so, why?” More suspicion. Hayden wanted to warn the old man not to start on Zane the minute he came home, but the lecture wouldn’t have been necessary. “Zane and his fiancée should be here sometime next week. Sure is going to be good to have him home.”
“It’s going to be wonderful to have my boys back together.” Hayden couldn’t help the cynical look he gave his father. Years of disappointment spurred him on. His father’s next words sent his emotions tailspinning out of control.
“I know now that I was wrong. I’ll say as much to your brothers, too. I’m proud of all three of you and can only ask that you forgive an old man for trying to run your lives.”
Whew! Hayden thought, a bit startled. Never in a million years could he have imagined what it would feel like to hear those words.
Hayden had just released his father from a long-overdue embrace when Austin’s boat of a car made its slow trek up the graveled road.
He couldn’t seem to pry his eyes from her petite yet extremely curvy frame as she walked from her car to the house.
Her jeans were so tight she had to have had help getting them on, and her white shirt showed just the hint of a colored bra beneath. He’d have to get closer to see just what color the scrap of fabric was.
“You ever gonna claim that filly or just mess with her until you’ve broken her spirit?” That fast his mood went from shine to shit.
“She’s driving me crazy. The damned woman is too stubborn for her own good. She won’t even look my way unless I address her personally. For Christ’s sake, she calls me Mr. O’Malley.”
His dad didn’t sound too sympathetic. “From the talk in town, you’ve earned whatever she dishes out.”
Hayden could feel his temper slipping a notch. “And just how do you figure that?” he demanded of the older man standing beside him—a man with hazel eyes identical to his.
“Well now, I don’t even know where to start. From what Sean told me, he was in the diner when Bunny and Austin got into it pretty good.”
“What?”
“Guess it got pretty ugly. Sean said that Austin was just about to knock Bunny down a peg when he intervened.”
Hayden couldn’t seem to form a coherent string of words but he had to know. “What was said?” he asked, wondering if he really wanted to know.
“The town, or at least those eating breakfast, got an earful about Bunny’s lips and your cock.”
Hayden couldn’t help the strangled sound that escaped his throat but his father who didn’t seem to notice continued.
“Sean said Austin was all gussied up in clothes a lot more suited to a woman with her attributes than what she had on just now,” he said nodding to the door then continued. “Bunny made some comment about her secondhand clothes, called her fat and told her that just like clothes, she’d only ever get leftovers when it came to men. Yep, guess that about sums it all up.” His father chuckled.
“Goddammit!” he roared, wanting to throttle Bunny, mentally kicking his own ass in the process. “She looks lost and like I said before, she won’t even talk to me.”
“Isn’t that what you wanted, son?”
“I thought it was but I don’t know what in t
he hell I want anymore.” That was a lie. He wanted to hold and soothe her flesh-to-flesh after he ate every inch of her, forcing orgasm after orgasm from her taut body. “She’s too young, Dad. You know how I am. In a matter of months in my care, she’d be begging me to let her leave and I wouldn’t be able to do it. Once I have her, I’ll never let her go.”
“Tell her as much, Hayden,” Collin O’Malley said, laying a comforting hand on Hayden’s shoulder.
Hayden couldn’t get the conversation with his father out of his mind. Good advice all around, but could he follow it? Should he follow it? He spent the next few days watching Austin. Trying to figure out what in the hell he should do.
She continued about her daily business as if nothing was amiss. Except for the fact that she’d lost weight, her color was pale and her eyes listless, she acted as if nothing was wrong. No one else seemed to notice, but he had. Every new frown line, every red-eyed morning struck him in the most uncomfortable way.
The fact she’d taken to staying out late at night partying with friends should be none of his business. The calls he’d received telling of her latest daredevil antics shouldn’t have made his heart leap into his throat, but no matter how much he tried to deny it to himself, he was worried about her.
Her continuance in addressing him by his last name was growing old and his last nerve was getting mighty frazzled. If she didn’t straighten her ass out, he was going to paddle it good and proper. The only problem was, once he got his hands on her, he might never let her go.
Storming into the office this morning probably hadn’t been the best thing to do, but he wanted to throttle someone and she had been handy. Besides, it was her actions that had riled him in the first place.
Chapter Five
“What has gotten into you, Hellion?” he’d thundered, his voice rising above the tune playing softly from the radio.
She jumped but said nothing. Instead, she turned from him giving him her back as if he didn’t exist. When he felt like he was going to explode, his anger so strong, he stalked to the desk and stopped her fingers by grasping them tightly in his hands.
“Let go,” was all she said. Her voice was cold and hard, nothing like the happy, sensuous woman he thought he knew so well.
“I was just told that you and a group of your friends—” he sneered the word as if it left a bitter taste in his mouth then continued “—parked out in my pasture and went swimming in my pond.”
He wanted for her to deny it, to vow that she’d not done such a thing with other men. Instead, she turned to him, her blue eyes like lasers as they bored into him with wickedness as if sizing him up.
“I don’t know where you got your news, Hayden, but someone is sadly mistaken.” His sigh was audible in the quiet of the room but his relief was shattered when she opened her mouth and demolished the tenuous thread he held on his legendary O’Malley temper.
“There wasn’t much swimming involved. Plenty of drinking and even a bit of skinny-dipping, but nope, not much swimming.” The laugh tinkling from her mouth was cut off when he jerked her to her feet.
The only thing stopping her forward motion was his broad chest. Hayden left her no time to utter a word before crushing his mouth to hers. Her taste was exotic, warm and dark, with a promise of more.
The ferocity of his kiss increased as he thought of her lush body naked for others to view. It made him sick with jealousy. Mind-numbing arousal spurned forth by anger left him out of control. There was no telling what might have happened if someone hadn’t knocked at the door.
The loud rapping sound brought him out of his fit of rage and jealousy to frantic hands pushing at his chest. Her face was ghostly pale, all except for the small dot of crimson on her lower lip. With the tip of his tongue, he wet his own tasting her blood in the process.
Every ounce of anger in him drained away in that instant only to be filled with dread and shame.
“Oh, God, darlin’,” he groaned, taking a step toward her stopping quickly when she retreated. He wanted to shout at the heavens, to roar with the grief of what he’d almost done.
“Boss,” a voice called from the hallway just outside the door.
“What is it?” he snapped, never once taking his eyes from Austin. His hazel orbs followed her movements as she wiped the tiny speck of blood from her lip using the back of her hand. She wiped as if to remove any remnant of him from her person.
With trembling hands, she applied a generous amount of lip gloss and sat back at the desk as if nothing had happened.
“There’s a problem with the new foal. I wanted you to have a look before we call out the vet.”
Damned ranch business, he thought but answered, “I’ll be right there.”
Moving closer to the desk his eyes narrowed as her whole body stiffened.
“Goddammit to hell, Austin! You know I won’t hurt you.” When she said nothing he strode to the door and jerked it open.
She said something low. It drifted to his ears on a whisper and tore at his heart. “You already have.”
“This isn’t over, Hellion. Not by a long shot.” With those ominous words, he left the office and the house, slamming both doors behind him on his way out.
His body ached from the way her curves had molded against him. The feel of her breasts mashed against his chest as he’d lifted her to her tiptoes made him wonder what the swells of flesh would taste like.
Would her nipples be rose-tipped or darker and large? He allowed his thoughts to wander before reeling them in tightly to deal with the sick foal. It would be hours before he could get away from the stables. Hours in which Austin would have time to regain her composure, but would that serve to work against him or for him?
He wouldn’t know until the next time he saw her, talked to her, and that bothered him. It bothered him even more when he was finally able to make his way back to the house only to find her gone.
No note, nothing. His patience was running on low if their encounter in his office was any indication, and he feared when it finally snapped, they would both pay. He’d never do anything to physically hurt her, but if she kept pushing his limits, testing her boundaries, she would soon find out that there was no way out.
Once he claimed her, there would be no going back. He desperately needed to talk to her before he did something really stupid like take her to his bed then refuse to let her go.
He’d go into town this evening and stop by the pub. He needed to talk with Sean anyway, he’d kill two birds with one stone because before leaving town he planned to stop off and talk with Austin, to do as his dad suggested then let her make her own decision.
With a decision firmly in place, he headed off to shower and jack-off, he’d need all the help staying in control he could get.
* * * * *
It was Friday night and Austin couldn’t think of a thing to do so when a friend came by her tiny trailer and offered her a ride to O’Malley’s Pub for some drinks, Austin quickly agreed.
Leaving Jolene at home wasn’t something she liked to do, but it would be safer, especially since she’d already had two run-ins with Sean O’Malley. She wasn’t at all sure if he abided by a three-strike rule, and decided it would be safest not to test the overly large man.
The boisterous crowd she was with enjoyed every minute of the fun they were having.
“So Austin, they tell me you’ve got a naughty little side business going.” The man who spoke behind her was as light as Hayden was dark. Handsome wasn’t a word she would use when describing him, he was pretty. As pretty as a man could get and still look the least bit masculine.
If he’s so pretty, why doesn’t he make you feel the way Hayden does? Her inner voice taunted her.
Just thinking about Hayden’s commanding presence made her pussy flood. Tiny spasms ran the length of her inner muscles driving her crazy with need, the ripples strengthening as she thought about how roughly he had handled her earlier in the day.
If only she could tell him how it had
excited her even while she’d been frightened. There was so much she didn’t know, wanted to learn, if only he’d give her the chance.
No! He doesn’t want you, so get over him. She wished it wasn’t true, but unfortunately it was.
She’d seen Hayden walk in. He hadn’t paid any attention to their table, which was probably for the best. Her hair was in its usual disarray and highlighted with burgundy. The color complimented the spaghetti-strapped denim dress she wore.
The man still standing behind her pulled her chair back from the table with her still firmly seated in it causing Austin to giggle like a schoolgirl. When he motioned for her to get up, she did so without much thought. Tonight she was just out to have a good time. To forget all that had happened during the past week and enjoy herself.
“I’m Bill. I don’t think we’ve been properly introduced,” he said, grasping her hand firmly within his. Austin watched as he raised her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles sensuously before sitting in her chair.
Before she could make a comment about his rudeness, he plunked her down onto his lap. His erection was evident beneath her ass, causing her to still.
He gave a breathy chuckle then said in her ear, “Don’t worry, sweetheart, I can control him.”
Austin felt instantly at ease and laughed with Bill leaving the others to wonder what had been said. She was still looking into Bill’s face and laughing when the crowd around her grew ominously quiet.
Across the table from her, Hayden stood, his face a mask of black fury, white-knuckled hands dangling at his sides.
“Hellion, I think it’s time you went home.” His obnoxious behavior was beyond belief, and she wasn’t going to put up with it. She stayed right where she was, not moving a muscle.
Bill’s body tensed beneath her when Hayden strolled in his long-legged cowboy way around the table. It only took one look in his furious eyes for Bill to get the message.
Standing, he lifted Austin with him. Once he was sure she was steady on her feet, he took a step back from her as if handing her over.
Hayden's Hellion Page 4