Because I Said So: (A Texas Heroes Crossover Novel) (The Hell Yeah! Series)

by Sable Hunter

  “I’m sure he’s proud. Really, this doesn’t even look like Texas, it looks like Tuscany.”

  “Oh, you’ve been to Italy?”

  “No.” She laughed wryly. “I haven’t been anywhere, really. I’ve spent my life working. Someday I’ll be able to afford to go on a fancy vacation. So far, I’ve just been paying for school, mine and my ex-husbands.”

  “Jerk.”

  “I can’t argue with that assessment.” Shane rubbed her arms.

  “Are you cold?” He reached to adjust the temperature.

  “No. I’m good.” She was uneasy. “Just a little in shock about all of this.” As much as she’d wanted something like this to happen, she was totally unprepared for it. Sitting next to him, knowing this was some undefined turning point in their relationship, made Shane wonder what the night would bring.

  Brodie felt a tinge of shame. For all intents and purposes, as far as anyone else would be concerned, he was dating this woman. In the past few weeks, he’d been inside of her as many times as possible. When he wasn’t there, he would ache until he could have her once again. For her to be uncertain and wary of him, unable to accept that he’d want to take her out, show her a good time was unthinkable to him. What had he become? “Let’s just have a good time. Okay?” Brodie reached over and covered her hand with his, finding it a bit cold. “Feeling any better?”

  Shane gulped in a breath of air. Just a simple touch from this man was enough to make her whole body throb with longing. “I’m better. I’ll be back to normal after I eat something.”

  “Well, we’re about to fulfill that hunger.” He squeezed her hand. “Aiden says he’s reserved his best table for us. I’ll take care of the rest of your appetites after dinner.”

  She still gave him an assessing stare, as if she was trying to read between the lines of a book written in a language she couldn’t comprehend. With a small smile, she again gave her permission. “I look forward to it.” When she refocused on the road ahead of them, she saw the villa in the distance. “How beautiful!”

  Brodie agreed with her observation, only he wasn’t looking at his surroundings. Finding a place to park, he was disappointed when she exited the vehicle before he could make it around to assist her. Meeting her by the sidewalk, he placed a protective hand on her lower back. “I thought we’d have dinner, then a moonlight carriage ride over the grounds and down to the lake.”

  “As long as I don’t have to ride a horse.”

  Still trying to make her smile, he leaned down to kiss her neck. “Save a horse, ride a first responder.” He succeeded. She giggled, which made him happy.

  “Brodie, we’re glad you two are here!”

  Glancing up, Shane found herself facing a handsome man accompanied by an equally beautiful woman. They were so perfect, both tall, golden, and fit, Shane glanced around checking for the paparazzi. Next to this couple, she felt plain and boyish. As they welcomed Brodie, it was obvious he fit with them, whereas she did not.

  “Aiden, Porsha, this is my friend, Shane Wilder. Shane this is Aiden Blair and Porsha Swann, vintners extraordinaire.”

  Shane accepted their handshakes, murmuring her greetings. “It’s so nice to meet you both.”

  “Come! We’ve set you up in the courtyard and our very best bottle of wine awaits.”

  As they strolled to the rear of the restaurant, past dozens of elegantly set tables filled with elegantly dressed people, Shane felt sadly inadequate. “Aiden tells me you are an EMT, working with Brodie.”

  “Yes, we’re in the same unit,” Shane affirmed, noting the huge engagement ring on Porsha’s finger. The sight of the big diamond made Shane cover her right hand with her left. She didn’t know why she was so self-conscious, she’d been married once and wasn’t anxious to find herself bound by the bonds of holy matrimony again. Liar. Who was she kidding? If Brodie got down on his knees and proposed to her today, she would be the happiest woman in the world.

  But that wasn’t going to happen.

  She struggled to find something to say to Porsha, who seemed to know everyone they encountered and each person seemed to be totally entranced by her.

  Once they reached their table, Aiden opened the wine and poured it for them. “After you finish dessert, your carriage ride will be awaiting you. And for dessert, I highly recommend the Torta Cioccolata con Caramella, a Sicilian sea salted caramel layered between rich chocolate cake.”

  Porsha hugged Shane. “When Brodie told us he was kidnapping you and bringing you here as a surprise, we were thrilled.” To Shane’s amazement, the beautiful woman kissed her on the cheek. “Enjoy.” She leaned even closer to whisper, “we are thrilled beyond measure that he’s finally beginning to live again. You are a miracle worker.”

  Shane blushed, watching Brodie noticing his friend whisper in her ear. She didn’t know what to say, so she said nothing – just smiled. If Porsha knew how wrong she was, she wouldn’t be treating Shane like a long-lost girlfriend.

  Once their host and hostess were gone, Brodie lifted his glass for a toast. Shane swore to herself that if he said, ‘to us’, she’d choke.

  “To a lovely evening.”

  This innocuous sentiment seemed appropriate for the Brodie she knew so well. She clinked her glass with his and repeated. “To a lovely evening.”

  And it was.

  When Brodie wanted to, he could charm the stars from the sky. He just hadn’t allowed her to see this side of him too often.

  “Tell me more about when you were a little girl. I bet you were a corker.”

  “Aunt Bess said I was a terror. I calmed down a little by the time I was in high school.”

  “I bet you drove the boys crazy.”

  Shane laughed. “Hardly. I was pretty smart and fairly athletic, I played baseball and volleyball. I was on the annual staff and in the drama club, but I didn’t get asked to the prom.”

  Brodie sobered. “Well, that’s a damn shame.” He looked around. “If there was music, I’d ask you to dance here.”

  “Not necessary, I’m absolutely over it.” Shane took another sip of wine as the waiter removed the dishes and informed them dinner was on the house. “I bet you were the captain of the football team and the prom king. I’m sure the girls chased you ragged.”

  “You’re partially right. I was a right guard instead of quarterback. The only reason I was prom king was because I was dating the most beautiful girl in…”

  He dropped the sentence and Shane regretted introducing the topic. The last thing she wanted was to invite Mary’s memory into the picture, Shane would end up being a third wheel. “Is it time for the moonlight ride?” What they needed was a change of scenery.

  Brodie seemed relieved. “Yes, I think if we follow the sidewalk to the gazebo under the hill, we’ll find our carriage.”

  To Shane’s surprise, Brodie grabbed her hand and held it, twining their fingers together. She couldn’t help but wonder what had come over him. Why was he suddenly acting as if she mattered?

  Brodie could tell he was confusing Shane. Hell, he was confusing himself.

  “Oh, look.” She pointed. “How neat!” At the bottom of the hill, a horse drawn carriage was parked next to the gazebo. “There’s no driver, are we going alone?”

  “Don’t you think I can handle it?”

  Oh, he could do anything – if he wanted to. “I don’t know, Mr. Walton. This horse appears to be female. I’m not sure you can handle a spirited filly.”

  Brodie chuckled, helping Shane into the carriage. “I take your words as a personal challenge, Ms. Wilder. Before the night is over, I’ll show you exactly how I handle a spirited filly.”

  “Promises. Promises.” She boldly teased as he climbed onto the seat next to her. As usual, she felt dwarfed by his bulk. The man was just massive, a perfect male specimen. When she was with him, he made her forget the tomboy moniker. Brodie made her feel like a woman.

  Guiding the horse across the drive and down a small country lane, Brodie tr
ied to come to terms with his own needs and desires. Fear had led him to step outside his comfort zone, to break his own rules. He, who never intended to date another woman again, was escorting one on a romantic moonlight carriage ride.

  “Look at the stars,” she murmured. “Aren’t they beautiful, Brodie?”

  Brodie choked. This was where he was supposed to say something romantic about her hair in the moonlight. And saying it would be easy, when she looked at him, the stars were reflected in her gorgeous eyes and he wanted to cover her mouth with his and kiss her until the tension melted away. The truth was – when Brodie was with Shane, he felt alive. If he were to take her in his arms right now, him breathing the same air, close enough to forget everyone else...this would be the most honest truthful moment of his life.

  Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Brodie felt like he was smothering. Turning his head away from her, he gulped in big mouthfuls of oxygen. This was not right; this was not how it was supposed to be. Remorse ate at his heart. Grabbing the first words he could find, he tried to lighten the moment, retelling a tale he’d read on a local friends Facebook page.

  “Let me give you a few words of warning, Ms. Wilder.”

  “All right.” She was listening.

  “If you’re ever traveling between Johnson City and Blanco on 281, and see someone hitchhiking on the side of the road with a large bloodstain on his shirt, don’t pick him up.”

  Being an EMT, Shane was confused. “Why not?”

  “I’m just telling you not to. Okay? Call 9-1-1, if you want to be sure. Just don’t stop, especially if you’re all by yourself. Because if the stories I hear from other paramedics are true…he’s already dead.”

  “What are you talking about, Brodie? Are you crazy?” What was he doing? She crossed her arms over her breasts. Was this some kind of childish teenage prank? “Are you trying to scare me so I’ll grab onto you?” Shane laughed. “I hate to tell you this, Walton. But this is unnecessary, I’m sort of already a sure thing.”

  He ignored her come-on for now.

  “You see his name is Maxey and he’ll probably be holding a great big butcher knife.”

  Okay, Brodie was trying to scare her. Maybe to distract her from the fact that they were alone, the moon was bright, and romance was in the air. She could play this game. Probably not the way he was expecting, but she could play. She let her voice get low and breathless. “A knife?”

  “Yea, legend says that long, long ago, a man named Maxey killed his family. He stabbed them all, one by one, until they were dead. The Sheriff came and arrested him, put him in the Blanco jail.”

  “What happened next?” she whispered, her hands going around his arm. His bicep was so big; she couldn’t reach around it with both hands.

  “Well…one night, a group of vigilantes showed up at the county jail with a buckboard. No one knows who they were, maybe friends of those he killed. They refused to wait for him to be tried for his crimes. Taking a gun, they forced a jailer to release him, tying Maxey up and throwing him in the back of the wagon. Not far from where we are right now, they hung him, strung him up like a dog. His final words were, ‘If you let me down and turn me loose, I’ll get a knife and finish what I started.’”

  Brodie paused for effect. “Unfortunately for Maxey, he didn’t die right away. The rope was a thin lariat and the force of his weight made the rope cut deep into his neck. Blood covered his white shirt.”

  Shane gasped and shivered.

  “Maxey wasn’t found until the next day. No one claimed his body. He’s buried in an unmarked pauper’s grave. But people who drive these roads late, late at night, they know not to pick up a hitchhiker. It just might be Maxey.”

  Shane pounced. “Oh, Brodie!” She nestled close and buried her head in his shoulder.

  Brodie smiled. He’d accomplished his goal without having to expend any romantic energy at all.

  Shane really wanted to bite him, but she had another idea.

  All of this time, even though she’d always been an enthusiastic participant in their sensual bouts, she’d never initiated or controlled an erotic encounter.

  Well, that was about to change.

  “Brodie, could you stop? Pull off the path?”

  Thinking she needed to…do whatever ladies did in the bushes, he complied. “Couldn’t wait?”

  “No,” she murmured under her breath. “I can’t wait.”

  “Let me help you down.” Brodie moved to dismount.

  “No.” She reached over to stop him, but instead of grabbing his shoulder or his arm, she placed her hand right over his crotch and cupped his package. “Don’t you dare move.”

  He halted his movements. Post haste.

  Immediately.

  “Shane?”

  He straightened in the seat again, and when he did, Shane moved onto Brodie’s lap, one leg on either side of his. “I want to do more than look at the stars and tell ghost stories.” Taking his face in both hands, she whispered, “like you said – let’s save the horse, I want to ride the first responder.” Shane crushed his mouth with hers.

  Brodie’s eyes widened and his cock stiffened. He wasn’t kissing, he was being kissed. He wasn’t seducing, he was being seduced. His whole body flamed. Of their own accord, his arms rose to crush her to him.

  But his hold on her didn’t stop Shane from showing him what she wanted. As they kissed – deep, wet, passionate, breathless kisses – she began to grind on the top of him, moving her pussy slowly and deliberately over the ridge of his manhood. The material of her panties was so thin, she could feel everything – and it felt so good. Her motive for this moonlight ambush was to catch Brodie off-guard, to shake him up – to make him see her in a way he hadn’t before. Instead, she was losing herself in the pleasure, losing herself – in him.

  All thoughts evaporated from Brodie’s mind. His hands found her sexy bottom, cupping the round cheeks, helping her push and pull as she scrubbed her hot little pussy over his groin. With a groan, he bucked his hips up, needing harder contact. Even through his pants, he could feel her heat – and he wanted, more, More, MORE!

  “Do you want…” She slipped a hand down his chest, fumbling with his zipper.

  “God, yes…” He helped her, undoing his pants as she held herself back, giving him enough room to work. Once his cock was free, standing up straight between them, he threw her skirt up and found her panties, tearing the satin and lace from her body with one big rip.

  “Brodie!” She gasped, her fingers finding his dick, stroking, her hips still moving – her hot core achy and empty. “Now?”

  “Now!” he spoke forcefully, taking his cock in hand.

  Shane held onto his shoulder with one hand, while she raised herself up on her knees, their fingers meeting and clashing as they each sought to guide him to the spot they both wanted him to be. “So much. I need you so much,” she whimpered, as she sank down on him, impaling herself on his thick shaft. Bowing her head, she rested it on his shoulder, absorbing the complete pleasure of being filled and taken by Brodie Walton.

  “Ride me, girl,” he urged her, his hands moving up and down her back as she moved up and down on him. He almost couldn’t breathe, the ecstasy swamping him was so intense. His head rolled back and he shut his eyes as her tight walls closed around him again and again.

  Shane became feverish in her quest to gain release. What started out as an object lesson had turned into a mindless mission to reach a passionate pinnacle of ecstasy. Raking her fingers through his hair, she ate at his mouth, sliding up and down his cock, completely intent on her own pleasure.

  Gasping for breath, Brodie tore his mouth from hers. “Let me,” he mumbled as his hands pulled at her neckline.

  “Oh, God, yes.” The thought of his mouth and hands on her breasts made Shane’s nipples tingle. Uncaring for the delicate seams, she tugged the dress from her shoulders and wiggled her arms out the holes, baring her top save for the strapless bra – which proved to be no barrier to Brodie. He curled his
fingers into the top of the cups and pulled down. Her small breasts popped out, the tips puffy and swollen.

  Shane lifted her breasts, feeding them to him, every pleasure receptacle in her body on complete overload. A growl of hunger burst from Brodie’s mouth as he bent his head to capture a nipple between his lips.

  Feasting on her tits, his cock being milked by her tight pussy – there was no way in hell Brodie was going to last much longer. The woman was turning him inside out. Nothing in his experience had prepared him for this. His role was the aggressor; he was always in control.

  Not now. He was totally and completely at Shane Wilder’s mercy.

  Shane rested her head against his as she rode him. With every rise and fall, her clit received an electric zing. With every suckle of her breast, that zing was doubled. “God, Brodie,” she moaned, moving her head enough that she could sink her teeth into the strong cord of his neck, sucking and nipping.

  The feel of her little teeth, the way she was taking what she wanted – the sweetness of her nipple on his tongue – all of these things culminated in an explosion he couldn’t contain. He felt his body surrender as his cum boiled up from his balls, shooting forth in throbbing, pulsing jets.

  Holding him so close, him buried deep inside of her, there was no way Shane missed his climax. Elation flooded her body, that she was able to affect this man so, was a pleasure in itself. Euphoric heat rippled up from her sex as her own orgasm hit hard and fast. “Brodie, my Brodie,” she whispered, not even realizing what she was saying.

  Brodie had been holding her close, his own aftershocks racking his body. Yet when he heard her whisper, the possessive way she said his name, the tender way she clung to him – he panicked. Placing his hands at her waist, he lifted Shane, depositing her back into the seat beside him.

  The sudden deprivation of his closeness was a shock to her system. One moment she was hot, the next she was cold. One moment she was in his arms, the next she was separate and apart. A clearer message she’d never received. A fresh bloom of heat rose on her cheeks as she adjusted her top and picked up the remnants of her panties.