“Jo came here to help me,” Amy stated, her eyes darting back and forth between the two of them. “She died because she thought there was something off about Kelly.”
Wolfe nodded.
“I’m done sitting back and waiting for him to kill me.”
Rhys cringed at her choice of words.
“And I can’t sit back and let Jo’s death be in vain.”
Rhys leaned forward and took her hand, linking their fingers. Yes, they were in public. In the diner, for crying out loud. Probably no more of a public place right in the heart of the gossip grapevine than right here, but Rhys didn’t care. He could still hear Calvin’s words ringing in his ears. Family. That was what was most important.
Which meant he would deal with the fallout when it came, and he knew Wolfe and Amy would be right there beside him.
“You are the strongest woman I have ever met,” Rhys told her, his voice rough, his chest aching from the churn of emotion that built whenever he thought about all she’d been through.
Amy shook her head, but Rhys silenced her by pulling her closer. He pressed his mouth to hers. “It wasn’t a question,” he told her. “It’s the truth. And whatever you wanna do, we’re right here. At your side.”
Wolfe leaned in and took her other hand.
Of course, he happened to do so at the exact moment that Donna walked up to refill their coffee.
“Sheesh,” the older woman said, chuckling. “I shoulda known.” Donna peered down at Amy. “Girl, if anyone can keep these ol’ boys straight, I think it’ll be you.” She topped off two of the cups, then patted Amy on the shoulder. “Good luck, hon.”
A smile formed on Amy’s lips and it grew wider as she stared back at the two of them.
“I’m not sure anyone can keep you boys in line.” She leaned in closer. “But I’m damn sure willing to try.”
Wolfe lifted an eyebrow and glanced over at Rhys.
“Amen.”
31
__________
Two days later
“You ready to head home?” he called up to Amy.
“In a minute!”
What in the world was that girl working on? She’d been locked away in her office for almost two hours straight. He hadn’t seen her since the last time she came down to use the restroom and clean out the coffeepot.
The most confusing part was the fact that she had called Rhys to come over, and he’d been up there for the past half hour with her, doing God only knew what.
Figuring they’d be down in a minute, Wolfe started reorganizing his work area for tomorrow. He went to the far corner and grabbed a small can of stain—red oak—for an armoire he was working on. As he was walking back, his cell phone rang.
He glanced down to see that it was…
Wolfe stopped walking. “Hello?”
“Hi,” Amy greeted, her voice smoky and seductive.
Oh, hell.
“Remember how you told me one day I’d call you when Rhys and I were … you know?”
“Yeah.” His throat was dry as he tried to swallow.
“Well, this is that day.”
He breathed out heavily, then leaned against one of the tables that needed to be taken over to the store. “Is it now?”
“It is and … oh, God,” she hissed softly. “Rhys…”
Son of a bitch.
Wolfe’s dick hardened instantly at the sound. “What’s he doin’ to you, darlin’?”
“He’s…” Amy moaned softly. “I’m on the couch. Naked. And … and Rhys is kneeling on the floor in front of me… He’s … oh, yes.”
“Don’t stop,” he insisted. “Keep talkin’.”
Wolfe’s gaze swung up to the second floor. He could see the break room door was closed, and he could practically picture the two of them in there. Amy laid out on the couch with Rhys’s head between her splayed thighs.
“His tongue is…” Another moan.
“Is Rhys dressed?” Wolfe had to know.
“Yes. Fully. But I’m…”
Naked. He knew.
Holy fuck.
“What’s he doin’ to you?”
“His tongue is licking me and … God, it feels so good.”
“Where’s he lickin’ you?”
“My … my pussy.” Her words were softly spoken and Wolfe could hear the embarrassment.
He had to give her credit for trying.
“I wanna watch, Amy,” Wolfe told her. “I wanna watch while he licks your sweet pussy.”
“Oh, my … Rhys … don’t stop.”
“Can I watch, baby? Can I come upstairs and watch while Rhys eats your pussy? While he makes you come?”
Wolfe didn’t move from where he was, despite what he said. He wasn’t sure his legs would hold him up, and the friction from his jeans against his dick would likely have him coming. Probably not a wise move here in the warehouse.
“Talk to me, baby,” he urged. “Tell me how it feels. How his tongue feels sliding against your clit.”
“Good … so good. Oh, God! Now he’s… Rhys … your fingers … they feel so good.”
“Is he fingering you? How many fingers is he usin’?”
“Two. He’s … fucking me with two fingers and his tongue is flicking my clit. Wolfe … it’s … it’s too much.”
Amy was panting through the phone and the sound was so damn sweet, it was as though she were breathing right on his dick.
“Rhys … oh, yes … right there. Right there!” Amy cried out and Wolfe closed his eyes, picturing how fucking hot she was when she came.
Son of a bitch.
And to think, all this torture had been his own damn fault.
Not that he was complaining.
Not one single bit.
When Wolfe heard the door open at the top of the stairs, he was still leaning against the table. As soon as they both appeared on the landing, he waved toward the door.
“Time to go home,” he said gruffly.
“Yeah?”
“Oh, yeah.” He smiled at the pair of them. “Then it’s my turn.”
Kelly sat in his SUV, watching as Amy and two men came out of the oversized warehouse. He had watched the tattooed cowboy he’d seen the other night come out about an hour ago. A little searching on his phone and he found out who the owners were and what it was they did there. It didn’t take much to realize Amy was working there now.
He had been a little surprised to see the sheriff disappear inside a short while ago. And now the three of them were walking out together, the sheriff’s arm around Amy.
Granted, that wasn’t all he’d noticed during his trip to Embers Ridge today. There were a couple of additions to this town since the last time he’d been there in the form of security agents.
Kelly figured they were there to protect Amy, possibly even looking for him specifically.
He should’ve known she had opened her big fucking mouth.
He’d known it was only a matter of time before she went spilling her guts to anyone who would listen.
Kelly tilted his head down, cell phone to his ear as he mouthed a pretend phone call when two guys walked out of the gas station directly across the street from the furniture warehouse where Kelly was parked. They looked like cowboys, but their eyes were trained to take in their surroundings.
Yep. These guys certainly weren’t amateurs.
But even so. What could they do? Approach him? It wasn’t like Amy could prove anything. If she did decide to speak up, it wasn’t like anyone was going to believe her over him, anyway. Hell, he was the chief of police of Houston. He had the entire fucking department behind him.
However, it did mean he was going to have to lie low for a while.
But not for long.
After all, he’d never been the kind for loose ends.
♥▫▫▫▫♥▫▫▫▫♥
Don’t hate me!
I know, I know. You’re probably thinking: The story ended there? What? She can’t be serious!
In the meantime, I hope you enjoyed Wolfe, Amy, and Rhys’s story. Hard to Hold is book 1 of this 2-book series, which you might’ve noticed is a spin-off from my Alluring Indulgence and Coyote Ridge series’.
Want to see some fun stuff related to the Caine cousins and Walker brothers, you can find extras on my website. Or how about what’s coming next? Find more here.
If you’re interested in keeping up to date on the Pier 70 crew as well as receiving updates on all that I’m working on, you can sign up for my monthly newsletter.
Want a simple, fast way to get updates on new releases? You can also sign up for text messaging. If you are in the U.S. simply text NICOLE to 64600 or sign up on my website. I promise not to spam your phone. This is just my way of letting you know what’s happening because I know you’re busy, but if you’re anything like me, you always have your phone on you.
And last but certainly not least, if you want to see what’s going on with me each week, sign up for my weekly Hot Sheet! It’s a short, entertaining weekly update of things going on in my life and that of the team that supports me. We’re a little crazy at times and this is a firsthand account of our antics.
Acknowledgments
Sometimes a story simply comes. This was one of those times and I have to say, I am so lucky to have such a great group of people who back me when it comes to my crazy thought process.
First and always, I have to thank my wonderfully patient husband who puts up with me every single day. If it wasn’t for him and his belief that I could (and can) do this, I wouldn’t be writing this today. He has been my backbone, my rock, the very reason I continue to believe in myself.
Chancy Powley – If you don’t like something, you tell me. And that, my friend, makes a truly fantastic beta reader. It’s hard to believe that we’ve been doing this for 4 years now. I can’t wait to see what the next 4 has in store.
Allison Holzapfel – Girl, I am so lucky to have you along on this crazy ride. Thank you for being there for me and for making me laugh.
Amber Willis – I’m not sure what I would do without you. You’ve been through a lot lately, yet I know that you are there for me whenever I need you. So, thank you for that.
Karen DiGaetano – Thank you for telling it like it is. I’m looking forward to the friendship growing.
Wander Aguiar and Andrey Bahia – You two are class acts in every way. Thank you SO much for giving my characters life. Working with you is a true pleasure and I look forward to what the future has in store for us.
Thank you to my proofreaders. Jenna Underwood, Annette Elens, Theresa Martin, and Sara Gross. Not only do you catch my blunders, you are my friends and it is an honor to call you that.
I also have to thank my street team – Naughty (and nice) Girls – Your unwavering support is something I will never take for granted. So, thank you Traci Hyland, Maureen Ames, Erin Lewis, Jackie Wright, Chris Geier, Kara Hildebrand, Shannon Thompson, Tracy Barbour, Nadine Hunter, Toni Thompson, and Rachelle Newham.
I can’t forget my copyeditor, Amy at Blue Otter Editing. Thank goodness I’ve got you to catch all my punctuation, grammar, and tense errors.
Nicole Nation 2.0 for the constant support and love. You’ve been there for me from almost the beginning. This group of ladies has kept me going for so long, I’m not sure I’d know what to do without them.
And, of course, YOU, the reader. Your emails, messages, posts, comments, tweets… they mean more to me than you can imagine. I thrive on hearing from you, knowing that my characters and my stories have touched you in some way keeps me going. I’ve been known to shed a tear or two when reading an email because you simply bring so much joy to my life with your support. I thank you for that.
By Nicole Edwards
The Alluring Indulgence Series
What’s hotter than a Texas cowboy? Seven Texas cowboys.
All with a heart of gold and a sexy, devious side.
Kaleb
Zane
Travis
Holidays with the Walker Brothers
Ethan
Braydon
Sawyer
Brendon
The Austin Arrows Series
The Austin Arrows know what it’s like to be the best in the NHL. They’ve been there.
Now they just need to figure out how to get back.
The SEASON: Rush
The SEASON: Kaufman
The Bad Boys of Sports Series
Meet the most wanted players in sports . . .
one ridiculously hot alpha male at a time
Bad Reputation
Bad Business (2018)
The Caine Cousins Series
Give me some knuckle-scraping bad boys, please.
Hard to Hold
Hard to Handle (July 2017)
The Club Destiny Series
Come see how hot these powerful men and their lovely ladies can get.
All from the comfort of the infamous Club Destiny.
Conviction
Temptation
Addicted
Seduction
Infatuation
Captivated
Devotion
Perception
Entrusted
Adored
Distraction
The Coyote Ridge Series
The Walker brothers started it, but it ain’t over yet.
Curtis
Jared (series crossover)
The Dead Heat Ranch Series
Love cowboys?
Love smokin’ hot cowboys and the sweet, sexy cowgirls they love?
Come on in and stay a while.
Boots Optional
Betting on Grace
Overnight Love
Jared (series crossover)
The Devil’s Bend Series
Sexy is just the beginning for these down home cowboys.
Add in a little country music, some big dreams and you’re in for a ride.
Chasing Dreams
Vanishing Dreams
The Devil’s Playground Series
Come hang out at Devil’s Playground - the hottest nightclub in Las Vegas, Dallas and New York!
This is a spin-off series from Southern Boy Mafia, featuring those who work at Max Adorite’s nightclub, Devil’s Playground.
Without Regret
Without Restraint
The Pier 70 Series
A day on the lake... who knew it could get this hot? This is a m/m series.
Reckless
Fearless
Speechless
Harmless
The Sniper 1 Security Series
The Kogans and the Trexlers are in the business of protecting those who need to be protected.
And their motto is: Protect... by any means necessary.
Wait for Morning
Never Say Never
The Southern Boy Mafia Series
Everybody loves a bad boy!
Beautifully Brutal
Beautifully Loyal
Standalone Novels
Just to spice things up a bit!
A Million Tiny Pieces
Inked on Paper
Writing as Timberlyn Scott
Unhinged
Unraveling
Chaos
Naughty Nice Holiday Novellas
Because naughty holidays can be oh so nice
2015
2016
Because Naughty can be oh so Nice®
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