Cuffed & Claimed

by Lori King

  “Apology accepted, now, what can I get for you?”

  Colby stared at her for a moment, a look of disappointment on his handsome face. Then he pushed the menu in her direction and said, “Eggs in a basket, and an extra side of bacon.”

  “How do you want your eggs cooked?” She didn’t even look up at him as she wrote his order.

  “Runny. I like to dip the bacon in it,” he explained.

  She could sense the smile in his voice, but she didn’t acknowledge it. Instead, she acted like a total bitch and grabbed the menu from the table, and scampered away without another word.

  She knew before she’d taken two steps that she’d acted badly. Colby didn’t deserve to be treated poorly because other men had hurt her. He’d been nothing but pleasant every time she’d seen him since he’d come back to Montford.

  Damn it. Now it was her turn to apologize, and she hated eating crow.

  * * *

  Colby cursed when Elizabeth walked away from him. He’d meant to say something romantic and leave her feeling flattered. Instead, he’d pissed her off. As beautiful as she was when she was in a temper, it wasn’t the best way to approach a woman when you were trying to ask out.

  As a teenager, Elizabeth had been stunning, but quiet and shy. A bookish girl, with big dreams that should have taken her far from North Dakota, if he remembered correctly. He was dying to ask how she’d ended up stuck working in the diner for Necee instead.

  For months, he’d been stopping in the diner for breakfast in the hopes she would warm up to him and make it easier to ask her out. It wasn’t like he’d never asked a woman out, but for some reason, Elizabeth was different. She’d always seemed out of his league, and even now he knew he wasn’t worthy of her, but he couldn’t seem to convince his smaller head that the chase was futile.

  Each time his eyes landed on her, she took his breath away and made his heart race. The first time he thought it was acid reflux, but after multiple encounters, he had to admit he wanted her.

  Patiently, he waited for her to return to his table, this time with his food in hand. As she placed his plate in front of him, they both spoke.

  “I’m sorry—”

  “I’m sorry—”

  Elizabeth flushed a pretty pink color again, and his cock twitched in response. Clearing his throat, he tried again to make a smooth impression. “You have nothing to apologize for. I was inconsiderate and rude. Please, forgive me, Bethie.”

  “You weren’t rude, I was. I’m a little overly sensitive when it comes to flirting, so if you could just refrain, I’d appreciate it,” she said, shifting her weight to her back foot. He’d noticed it was her tell for when she wanted out of a situation. Like her first move of escape was to step back and then she’d disappear.

  Slowly he shook his head, staring straight into her eyes. “I can’t make that promise.”

  Her forehead wrinkled and her delightfully plump bottom lip stuck out a bit. He wanted to suck it into his mouth so badly he could taste it. “Why not?”

  Shaking off his fantasies, he reached out and took her hand, clasping her palm against his so that they were connected skin to skin. “Have you ever wanted something so bad that you’d risk anyone’s wrath to have it?”

  Her eyes widened, bouncing between his face and their clasped hands, before she nodded.

  “And were you able to get what you wanted? Even though someone told you no?” he asked, genuinely curious about what the innocent preacher’s daughter might have wanted so badly. When she tipped her head in acknowledgment, he continued. “That’s how I feel right now, Bethie. I’ve been hoping you’d warm up to me and give me a chance to take you out on a date sometime.”

  “A date?” she squeaked, tugging her hand free. “I don’t date.”

  Amusement filled him at her genuine surprise, but he bit back his laughter. “I’m glad, because that means it will be even more special when we go out.”

  “What?” She gaped at him in surprise, and he decided to keep pushing her. Wooing hadn’t worked, and neither had flirting, so maybe it was time for the more direct approach.

  “When’s your next day off?” he asked, picking up his silverware and cutting into his eggs.

  “Thursday,” she said simply.

  “Good, I don’t go in until eleven. I’ll come by and pick you up at six. We can grab dinner and maybe a movie?”

  “I don’t think—”

  He grinned. “That’s the best part about movies, you don’t have to think. They hand feed it all to you. Are you still living with your dad?” He knew full well she was, but he wanted her to be a willing party in the adventure they were about to go on.

  Elizabeth’s jaw flexed, and she stood a little taller. “Yes, technically I still live with my father, but I live in the guest house behind the parsonage. Reverend Newcomer? You remember him?”

  Colby refused to fall for her bait, so he just grinned and nodded. “I don’t think I could forget him. His face was burned into my brain after the lecture he gave me, Romeo, and Hawke for egging the old Kilburn farm.”

  The reminder did the trick, easing the tension that lined her body, and her lips curled up slightly. “I remember that. We were heading home from youth group when you three came barreling out of the fields, arms full of egg cartons.” A giggle escaped, and she shook her finger at him. “You three weren’t very smart back then.”

  “I’m not so sure things have changed much, but a guy can hope,” he responded with a shrug. “Thanks for breakfast; it’s delicious.”

  Elizabeth’s face was beautifully relaxed, and she was smiling for real when she walked away. He was pleased as punch. Just making her happy for a moment was fantastic, but he was even more determined now.

  2

  The whole house smelled like antiseptic and stale coffee, and it made Colby’s stomach churn. Coming home each morning was horrible, but leaving each evening was even harder.

  His mother slept peacefully, so he left her alone. She’d be awake and needing him soon enough, and right now all he wanted was a hot shower and a date with his pillow.

  It was the same routine every day. Nothing changed except the level of his mother’s lucidity and his own spirit. Lately, it felt like each monotonous day drained a bit more of the joy out of his life, and he couldn’t decide if it had to do with his mother slowly disappearing before his eyes, or his lack of a social life. Both were painful for a man who thrived on other people’s emotions.

  His uniform was neatly hung in his closet, ready for the trek to the dry cleaners. He’d learned the hard way that it was cheaper for him to pay someone to launder his uniforms than to attempt it himself. Standing in the bathroom in just his jockey shorts, he twisted the handle until steaming water spilled from the shower head. The small room quickly fogged up, and just before his face disappeared behind the fog on the mirror he caught a glimpse of the gold chain hanging around his neck.

  His fingers went to it automatically, rubbing over the smooth metal in a habit as old as time. The piece of jewelry hadn’t left his throat since the day he’d left Montford, and yet the promise that went with it had long since been broken. He could still feel his mother’s hands placing it around his neck as she made him promise to follow his dreams, no matter where they led. They’d led him around the world via Navy ship, and all the way to San Francisco before real life had stepped in and pulled him back to North Dakota.

  Cursing his sentimental thoughts, he dropped his shorts to the floor and stepped into the shower. His conversation with Elizabeth ran through his mind over and over like a song on repeat, and the more he tried to understand her hot and cold vibes, the less he knew what the fuck she was thinking.

  Just being around her was intense. He wanted to put his hands on her, and not in a hey-old-friend-good-to-see-you kinda way, either. More like a damn-I-need-to-see-if-those-curves-are-real way. He envisioned pressing against her soft breasts with his chest, feeling their fat nipples dig into his pecs. She tried to hide her
physical response from him, but he wasn’t stupid. Whether her brain knew it or not, she wanted him. The physicality of her desire made his even harder to combat, and even now he stood alone in his own shower gripping his throbbing cock in his hand as it ached with need for her.

  What would her hands feel like on him? Would she have a soft touch or a firm grip? Would she be playful and experimental in bed, or shy and skittish? Not that it mattered. If she was shy, he’d ease her into it.

  She’d been married before, so surely she was experienced. He could envision her being a true wildcat in bed. Taking what she wanted and exploding with passion around him.

  His cum splattered across the shower wall, and he hissed with the electric jolt that always came with a fantastic orgasm. The only way it could have been better was if he’d been with Elizabeth and not just thinking of her.

  When he fell into his bed, he drifted to sleep with her image in his brain. He had so many plans for her that he wasn’t sure where he’d start, but he was damn sure he wasn’t going to let her keep her distance.

  * * *

  Elizabeth was climbing into her car later that morning, when the sound of a police siren made her heart thump harder. A sheriff’s vehicle skidded into the parking lot, and she froze in place, one foot out of the car and one foot in. She watched as Deputy Patrick Lord jumped out with Deputy Thomas Whitaker hot on his heels. They shoved into the diner, and she watched through the window as they made their way to the counter, guns drawn. What in the world was going on?

  Without considering that she might be putting herself in danger, she hopped out of her car and marched into the diner. She arrived just in time to hear the explanation for their arrival.

  “No one called nine-one-one that I know of, Deputy. Nothing’s happened.” Necee was standing next to the counter with her hands on her hips, looking concerned and irritated all at once. Her dark brown hair was drawn up in a tight bun on top of her head, making her look like a school marm as she stared down the two officers invading her establishment.

  “Maci reported that she received a nine-one-one call from this location. No one was on the line, but she could hear a crash and a scream of pain,” Deputy Lord explained.

  Necee’s eyes lit up in understanding, “While I don’t know who would have dialed y’all, I can explain the crash. Dot knocked a stack of trays off the counter a few minutes ago.”

  “And the yell?” Deputy Whitaker asked, turning his attention toward the skittish waitress in question.

  Dot blushed furiously under his scrutiny and murmured, “It was me. The crash startled me, and I screamed. I’m so sorry.”

  Both deputies seemed to slump with relief at the explanation, and it sent Elizabeth’s mind reeling. They’d come into the diner not knowing what faced them. It could have been a shooter, or a robber, or well, anything, but it hadn’t stopped them. They’d walked into danger without hesitation. Colby did that every day. It was his job.

  Shuddering with a mix of fear and nausea, she turned away from the now-sorted scene and headed back to her car. She couldn’t imagine handling that pressure on a day-to-day basis, much less being in a relationship with someone whose career put them at risk all the time.

  Her dreams and fantasies of the future had always centered on stability, and clearly, Colby was as unstable as they came. Hell, he wanted to date her. It didn’t get crazier than that. Somewhere along the line he must have cracked his head and lost all sense. As good-looking as he was, he’d attract a woman with more boobs than brain and a less restrictive family scene. If she was smart, she’d call off the date immediately.

  She shifted in her seat uncomfortably at the thought of disappointing him. She could envision his full lips tipping down in a pout as sadness and hurt filled his gorgeous coffee-colored eyes. It shouldn’t make her vagina clench, but it did. Everything about him made her clench, and squirm, and moan, and…God, she was a mess. She was lusting after him.

  For a moment she pondered that in itself. Colby was the first man she’d felt anything for since her divorce. Not that she hadn’t appreciated a nice-looking cowboy every now and then, but she hadn’t had this stirring in her blood for over a decade.

  It really wasn’t fair to him or to her. She didn’t want to risk her heart ever again. Dating someone without having any interest in a future with them seemed wrong, and if she was really honest with herself, at this moment, when she looked at Colby, all she saw was red-hot lust.

  She envisioned his thick arms lifting her against a wall as he had his way with her, and his broad thighs flexing as she straddled his lap and had her way with him.

  A white hot burst of desire filled her belly, she groaned and dropped her head on her steering wheel. No matter what, she was in deep shit with Colby Bricker.

  3

  Colby was a true gentleman Thursday evening, picking her up at her door with a bouquet of flowers in hand. He opened the truck door, helped her out of her coat, and even held her chair in the restaurant. By the time they’d eaten dinner and dessert, Elizabeth was ready to jump out of her skin with the intense lust zipping between the two of them. He’d done nothing out of line, but her body ached as if he’d been touching her the whole time. Maybe it was because she’d gone so long without a man in her life, or maybe it was because her biggest high-school crush was sitting across from her, flirting like an old pro.

  She was on the verge of begging him to put his hands on her throughout dinner, and after two hours of small talk and catching each other up on their lives, she’d had enough. Scooting her chair back, she placed her napkin on the table. “Well, thank you for dinner, Colby. It was delicious.”

  His eyebrow rose. “Is that your way of saying the date is over?”

  She felt her cheeks heat. “Well, you do have to go to work later.”

  Nodding, and grinning with his dimple flashing temptingly, he said, “I do, but that doesn’t mean I’m ready to cut our time short. How about that movie?”

  She shook her head. “I’m not really in the mood for a movie…”

  Her attempt to end the night before her heart grew any more invested was cut short because Colby wasn’t having it. “No movie then, but Bethie, I really am enjoying your company.”

  The words socked her in the gut as she realized how much they meant to her. Returning his smile, she tipped her head in agreement. “So am I. It was nice to catch up. You’ve done so much since high school. I’m sure your mother is proud of you.” She grimaced when she realized what she’d said. “Sorry. I can imagine it’s hard on you and Abby now that she needs so much care.”

  “Yeah – it’s not easy, but she’s my mom. I wouldn’t be anywhere else.” He flagged the waiter down and paid the bill before standing and holding out his arm chivalrously. “My lady, would you care to take a walk with me and enjoy the evening air?”

  Giggling, she accepted his arm, trying not to flinch at the sizzle when skin touched skin. “Okay, but only a short one. I’d feel terrible if you were late to work because of me, and besides, I have the early shift tomorrow, so I have to get some sleep tonight.”

  They walked into the night air, and Elizabeth immediately shivered. Colby’s face puckered up, and he shouldered off his coat. “I guess that cold front came in sooner than they expected. So much for our walk.”

  “Why don’t you just come back to my place for a cup of coffee? We can sit and talk a little more before you have to go.” Elizabeth heard herself say the words, but she couldn’t fathom why she was doing it. She had no intention of letting this thing between her and Colby become anything more than friendship, no matter what her body wanted. So why was she encouraging him?

  “Sounds perfect.” Colby was quick to agree and even quicker to get her into his truck and home before she could say she’d changed her mind.

  Her tiny place seemed even smaller with his large frame sitting at her two-person table, but instead of feeling overwhelmed, Elizabeth she was at ease. There was something about him that just eased he
r soul.

  “Why are you out here in the guest house, rather than in the big house?” Colby asked. Her head jerked up, and she frowned. Regret showed on his face instantly. “Sorry, I guess that came out a little rude.”

  “No, I’m just being silly. I moved out here after my divorce. We sold our house and split the money, and I wanted my privacy and personal space. No big deal. My parents were fine with it, and it’s worked out well. How is it living with your mom and your sister again?” she responded, bustling through the kitchen as she fixed a pot of coffee and carried it to the table.

  “Rough,” he said with a snort. “After living with the guys in the Navy and then alone in San Francisco, sharing my space with Abby is like hell on Earth.”

  She giggled. “Your sister has always been…unique.”

  “What you mean is that she’s a bitch,” Colby said with a grin. “Don’t be afraid to tell it like it is. I love Abs to death, but she’s always had a prissy attitude, thinking she’s better than most. Mama spoiled her rotten after our dad died. I think it was because Abby was so little.”

  Elizabeth wasn’t really sure what to say, so she sipped her coffee, hissing when the liquid scorched her tongue. The cup jostled in her hands as she rushed to set it down, and more boiling coffee spilled onto her fingers. “Ouch!”

  “Aw, no, Bethie. Damn, that’s gotta hurt.” Colby’s large hands engulfed her injured digits, and he drew them to his lips, pressing a gentle kiss on the reddened flesh.

  The gesture was meant to be soothing; instead, the touch of his soft lips on her skin sent fire coursing through her veins. She heard herself squeak in protest, but she didn’t move a single muscle to withdraw from his grip. Their eyes clashed as his mouth hovered near her hand, and a slow predatory smile curled his lips upward. “Are you okay, sugar? Should I kiss it again?”