by Susan Stoker
She didn’t blame him one bit. She also couldn’t leave it at that. But Sam cursed and marched after him. She’d have to wait her turn.
Knight’s lips thinned and he shook his head. “Stubborn as always.”
“You don’t know the half of it.” Burly sighed. “Can I get you something to drink, Mr. Knight?”
He smiled. “Jameson, please. And yes, I’d love a cup of coffee. Just let me have a word with the FBI.”
Burly headed back to the house, grabbing the kittens playing near the porch.
Brooke scoffed as the four black SUVs pulled up the drive. “They’re always late to the party.”
Her friend patted Tarah’s arm, then followed their boss toward the disembarking men in suits. She sucked in a ragged breath and watched Sam cup Rook’s shoulder before he, too, headed toward Knight.
“Give my brother some time, Tarah,” Remy said when they were alone. “His last girlfriend lied to him constantly when he was deployed, claiming to be at a friend’s when she was at a crack house getting high. So, his intolerance is deep seeded.”
She closed her eyes and the action pushed tears down her face. “Great. He’s never going to forgive me.”
“Yes, he will.” Remy lightly grasped her upper arm and she opened her eyes. “He cares too much about you to let you go. I’ve never seen him look and act the way he does around you. Trust me. He just needs some time.”
“I hope you’re right.” She smiled and cupped his hand. “Thanks, Remy. And I’m so sorry you were all put in harm’s way because of me.”
“Hey, none of that was your fault. You did the right thing protecting your client, and we did the same.” He gave her one of his rare brilliant smiles, kindness and friendship alight in his eyes. “We’re good.”
More tears spilled down her cheeks. She sniffed and brushed them away. “Good. I’ve got to talk to Rook. I can’t leave it like this.”
He nodded. “Just be patient. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’d better go help the others get a start on the debris.” He turned and walked toward a group of trainees heading toward the back of the house.
Tarah’s gaze fell to Rook and she began walking to him, unable to let things be. He was picking up debris and stacking it in a pile near a fence.
“Rook, I’m sorry.”
He stiffened then continued to work. “I don’t want to get into this now.”
She stepped in front of him and grabbed his arms, curling her fingers around his biceps. “We need to. I can’t leave it like this. I didn’t want to hurt you.”
“What do you want me to say, Tarah?” He broke her grasp and stepped back. “That I hope you had a good laugh at my expense? Pretending to be a schoolteacher when you were a colleague? Jesus, you had me considering leaving my family, my job, my past, my whole damn life behind to follow you into the system.”
She sucked in a breath as her vision blurred. “You were going to join witness protection with me?” Her chest squeezed so tight she could barely breathe.
“Yeah. Fool that I was,” he growled. “I thought what we had between us was real. Not wrought with lies. I don’t like liars.” He turned to pick up more broken tree limbs.
She followed. “I never lied to you, Rook.”
“Jesus.” He tossed the brush and twisted to face her, eyes cold and stormy. “You’re doing it now.”
“No, I’m not,” she insisted. Emotions fast and fierce funneled through her tight chest. “The only thing that wasn’t true was my last name and occupation. Everything that happened between us, it was all real. All of it, Rook. I swear.” She chanced lifting her hand to touch his face.
He drew back. “That spiel about your drunk mother and younger brother. You played me good with that one. Was that true?”
She nodded, stepping closer. “Yes. Every bit.”
He studied her, jaw working, gaze intense.
“Despite my orders, I tried to tell you, several times, but then you’d cut me off with a kiss, or touch me, and I just can’t think straight when you do that. Everything fades away.” She trembled from head to toe, standing there, baring her heart and opening up to him while she held his dark gaze.
He continued to stare at her in silence.
“If I had to do it again, I would, because your safety was most important to me. I couldn’t bear it if anything had happened to you.” She shoved a hand through her tousled hair and exhaled. “If you would’ve only allowed Knight to send me here as your colleague out in the open, the only thing that would’ve been different was my name and occupation,” she repeated. “Because the chemistry, the way I feel about you, the way I feel when I’m with you, that would all be the same crazy, out of control, wonderful feeling I get when you’re near.”
His expression appeared to soften from granite to concrete and his gaze opened enough to reveal pain, and anger, and a slice of hope.
Progress.
“Tarah, sorry to interrupt,” Brooke said as she approached. “Feds want to speak to you now.”
Damn. Just when he had started to open up.
A veil dropped down over his features. “You’d better go. They’re waiting. And I’ve got work to do.”
She swallowed and blindly turned around to get her interrogation over with. She just hoped Rook wasn’t going to let her leave without finishing that conversation.
Chapter Thirteen
‡
Two hours later, Tarah was tired, her head and arms ached, but not more than her heart. The Feds had finished questioning her forty minutes ago. She’d gone upstairs and packed, and was now sitting in the kitchen with Brooke, Sam, Knight, and Remy, drinking coffee, unable to eat the food Burly placed before her.
Her stomach churned too much.
Rook was still outside. Avoiding her. Keeping his distance.
Her boss and the others were leaving in five minutes. She didn’t want to go without talking to Rook again. Didn’t want to go without touching him again.
Didn’t want to go.
Period.
She liked it there. Felt at home there. And for the first time in her life…she belonged.
Why couldn’t he see that?
“Well, thank you for your hospitality, and great coffee, Burly.” Knight rose to his feet.
Sam and Brooke did the same.
Her mind screamed, No. I’m not ready. And stomach churned at the thought of leaving. But somehow, Tarah made it to her feet.
Then Rook walked in.
“Glad you came in,” Knight said, holding out his hand. “Another great job. Am I still keeping you on the books?”
Tarah held her breath, studying his closed face. He gave nothing away.
“Yes, of course, sir.”
“Great.” Knight slapped his shoulder. “Take whatever time you need to clean up here and come back to Virginia when you can.”
Rook nodded, said goodbye to Brooke, shook Sam’s hand, and her friends left her to say her goodbyes.
She couldn’t move. Wanted to. Badly. But her damn feet were rooted to the kitchen floor.
“Remy, what do you say you help me with these dishes?” Burly headed for the sink.
Remy followed.
She finally got her feet to move and they took her to Rook. Inhaling deeply, she held his troubled gaze and forced out the question burning her mind.
“Are we going to be okay?”
He stared at her a long moment, need and anger and understanding all churning in his gaze. Finally, he lifted a shoulder and tipped his head. “I don’t know. We’ll talk about it when I get back to Virginia. I need time.”
Not what she’d hoped, but it wasn’t a no, so she nodded. Forced herself to say goodbye to Burly and Remy. She didn’t cry.
Much.
Then she grabbed her cases and walked past him toward the door, stopping to pick up each kitten from the couch to place a kiss on their precious little heads. By the time she stepped onto the porch, her heart ached so bad she shook and tears streamed down her face
.
She didn’t care.
They were too hard to hold back any longer. Her feet refused to leave the porch, so she set her bags aside and dropped onto the swing, staring out at the helicopter sitting in the pasture, blades whirling. Waiting for her.
She still couldn’t move.
She just needed another moment. A few more deep breaths of Texas air. Of Rook’s air.
He burst out the door, waving at the chopper. “Tarah, wait!”
“I’m right here.” She jumped to her feet, heart slamming against her ribs.
He turned to face her, his gaze frantic, until he blinked and rushed closer. “Thank God. I changed my mind. I don’t need more time. I’m sorry.” He drew her in tight against his thudding chest, and she burrowed into him. “I’ve fallen for you, Tarah, and it threw me off balance. I’ve been such an ass. Please forgive me.”
She drew back a little to stare into his eyes. “I’ve fallen for you, too, Rook. So hard. And you don’t have to apologize. You had every right to be angry at me. I was angry at me.”
“You were just doing your job.”
Tears overloaded her eyes and spilled down her face again. “But you mean so much more to me than my job.”
“And you tried to tell me, but I was too stupid to let you.” He cupped her face and gently kissed away her tears. “From now on, no more secrets, even if they’re for my own safety. Okay?”
She smiled into his eyes. “Okay.”
He kissed her then, hungrily, desperately, perfectly, crushing her closer, and her heart lifted like the helicopter rising from the pasture.
Tarah was where she needed to be. Wanted to be.
In Rook’s arms.
Exactly where she belonged.
The End
If you enjoyed Cowboy Lawe, please consider leaving a review. Thank you.
The danger began in Lisa’s story, Knight’s SEAL, and continues in Nikki’s story LOCKE and Load, Tarah’s story, Cowboy LAWE, (part of Cowboy Justice 12-Pack boxed set, and will continue with:
Sharon’s story, Rescued HARTE
Brooke’s story Hungry for JUSTICE,
and Kenzie’s story Forbidden KNIGHT
all coming soon in the Dangerous Curves Series.
Visit Donna Michaels’ website and sign up for her Newsletter. Enjoy exclusive reads, enter subscriber only contests, and be the first to know about upcoming books!
About the Author
Donna Michaels is an award winning, New York Times & USA Today bestselling author of Romaginative fiction. Her hot, humorous, and heartwarming stories include cowboys, men in uniform, and some sexy, primal alphas. With a husband in the military fulltime, and a household of nine, she never runs out of material. From short to epic, her books entertain readers across a variety of sub-genres, and one is even being hand drawn into a Japanese MANGA.
Cowboys, Military & More…
To learn more about Donna Michaels and her books, or to join her mailing list, visit www.DonnaMichealsAuthor.com
Connect:
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Thanks for reading,
~Donna
Also by Donna Michaels
Amazon.com/Donna-Michaels/e/B008J24XR2
~Citizen Soldier Novels~
(Harland County Spinoff Series)
Wyne and Dine (#1)
Wyne and Chocolate (#2)
Wyne and Song (#3)
Wine and Her New Year Cowboy (#4) (Harland County Crossover Novella)
~Harland County Series~
Harland County Christmas (Prequel)
Her Fated Cowboy (#1)
Her Unbridled Cowboy (#2)
Her Uniform Cowboy (#3) (Award Winning)
Her Forever Cowboy (#4) (Award Winning)
Her Healing Cowboy (#5)
Her Volunteer Cowboy (#6)
Her Indulgent Cowboy (#7) (Rel. 6/16)
Her Troubled Cowboy (#8) (Citizen Soldier Crossover Novel/Keiffer/Rel. 11/16)
~Dangerous Curves Series~
Knight’s SEAL –KW (#1)
Locke and Load (#2)
A DAYE with a SEAL—KW (#3)
Cowboy LAWE (#4)(Cowboy Justice Boxed Set)
~Time-shift Heroes Series~
Captive Hero (#1)
Future Cowboy Hero (#2) (tba)
~Related~
Cowboy-Fiancé (formerly Cowboy-Sexy)(being hand drawn into a MANGA, avail. 10/16)
Cowboy Payback (sequel)
~Do-Over Series~
Valentine’s Day Do-Over (#1)
Valentine’s Day Do-Over Part II: The Siblings (#2)
~Novels~
She Does Know Jack
Royally Unleashed
The Spy Who Fanged Me
~Novellas~
Thanks for Giving
Ten Things I’d Do for a Cowboy
Vampire Kristmas
DonnaMichaelsAuthor.com
Cowboy’s Best Shot
Poker Flat Series
Book #3
Lexi Post
‡
Cowboy’s Best Shot Poker Flat Series, Book 3
By Lexi Post
Cowboy Hunter McKade is former military police who survived two tours overseas. When he came home, his wife and his life as he knew it, disappeared in an instant. Now a security guard at Poker Flat Nudist Resort, he exists in his dark place, requiring little social interaction – until the night he breaks the barrier that separates him from her.
As a former prostitute from a high-end bordello, Adriana Perez loves sex – any kind, anywhere – and her rules are few. Her new bartending job at Poker Flat gives her lots of hospitality opportunities, so why is someone trying to get her fired? Baffled, she gratefully accepts Hunter’s help and protection, and is more than willing to show him her appreciation. But the man has far too much control.
Pushing Hunter beyond his boundaries becomes Adriana’s satisfying distraction. But the evidence against her mounts, and she ignores her gut to take matters into her own hands. Unfortunately, her best shot at fixing this may not be enough to save her job…or her heart.
Keep up with Lexi Post Updates by signing up for her monthly newsletter here.
Copyright © 2016 by Lexi Post
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the author.
For information contact Lexi Post at www.lexipostbooks.com
Cover Image by Royal Touch Photography
Cover design by Syneca Featherstone
Acknowledgments
For Robert A. Fabich, Sr., former Air Force Security Police and present day hero of my heart. And for my sister Paige Wood, who’s always willing to listen whenever I need an ear.
A special thank you to Army Captain Robert A. Fabich, Jr., for serving our country and for sharing his experience and knowledge with me.
I don’t know what I’d do without my wonderful critique partner, Marie Patrick, who is the only known antidote for my severe allergy to question marks. Thank you!
Lastly, thank you to Grace Bradley, my editor, who teaches me something new with every book.
Author’s Note
Cowboy’s Best Shot was inspired by a story and a meditation. The short story is Bret Harte’s The Outcasts of Poker Flat, first published in 1869. In Harte’s story, four members of Poker Flat society—a gambler, a prostitute, a madam, and a drunk—are banned from the western settlement when a sudden urge to be virtuous overtakes the citizens. On their way to the next settlement, the outcasts stop to rest at the base of some high mountains. An
innocent couple comes down from the mountains and rests with them. This cast of characters explores the relationship between the innocent and the tainted in Harte’s story.
But what happens when the innocent becomes tainted? Can he ever go back? Does he want to? And is love still a possibility, or is it just a shot in the dark?
The meditation is by 17th Century poet John Donne and is titled Meditation XVII from Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions. The two phrases most quoted from this work are “No man is an island” and “for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.” It focuses on the idea that all men and women are connected to each other because they are part of the human race.
Can an individual live among others and remain unconnected, an island, if she wanted to? If she could, what would be the benefits and shortfalls of such a life?
Chapter One
‡
Adriana Perez pulled against the ropes that bound her wrists to the foot of the bed as lube ran down her crease. Being tied wasn’t her favorite sex play, but a little was okay on occasion. She was just too far from being a submissive to really enjoy it.
The threesome staying at Poker Flat Nudist Resort was proving to be one of the better hookups she’d had in a long while. They at least had experience and appeared to be taking her challenge to them seriously—make her come.
She stood bent over, her wrists tied to the short footboard of the bed. The inside of the casita was lit by three lamps, leaving them all on display in the sliding glass door to her right. Not that it mattered, it was a nudist resort, and most of the guests were in their own casitas probably having their own fun. Besides, it was well after 1:00 a.m.—as that’s when she’d closed the bar for the night.
The woman sitting on the floor beneath her had picked out two toys to use. The man behind her spread her ass as the cool liquid ran across her anal star and followed her flesh until it dripped to the floor.