by CP Smith
Irene shook her head. “Not a soul. Boris and Natasha are as kind as they come. I can’t think of anyone who’d want to hurt them.”
“Looks like we’re back at square one,” I sighed. “We can go back to the hotel if you want.”
“Might as well stay and have some cake,” Irene said. “It’s rainin’ now, and the wind’s kicked up. You’ll get drenched.”
I glanced outside. Tree limbs were being blown back and forth as rain swirled around them.
“She’s right,” Poppy said. “We should wait out the storm.”
“This must be the storm Troy was talkin’ about. The reason they wanted the cattle moved.”
“It’s that hurricane that’s been sittin’ off the coast for days,” Irene stated. “It finally came inland. If invitations hadn’t already gone out, Buck would have cancelled, but it was too late to call off the weddin’.”
“Should we be worried?” I asked, staring out the window.
Lightning streaked across the sky like tiny fingers and we jumped. The storm had come out of nowhere. One minute the air was muggy, the next all hell had broken loose.
“Nothin’ to worry about. There’s a shelter beneath the diner. If the sirens go off, we’ll just head downstairs.”
I looked at Cali. “Maybe we should call the men, so they won’t worry.”
She nodded in agreement and pulled out her phone. “The call’s not goin’ through. It says there’s no cell service.”
A resounding crack echoed through the night air, and then the lights went out, covering us in inky darkness. Everyone went still, hushed voices filtering throughout the diner as we waited to see what would happen next. A low moan that increased in intensity and volume broke the silence and everyone began to scatter like cockroaches. A tornado siren was warning us all to take cover.
Cali and I scooted out of the booth, grabbed Poppy and Irene’s hands, and began moving with the crowd as they headed toward the back of the diner. Minutes later, we filed into a concrete bunker with muted lights. We were sandwiched in together like sardines in a can, waiting for the storm to pass.
Fifteen minutes later, when the sirens stopped blaring, we began to filter out from beneath the bowels of the diner with flashlights leading the way. Tree limbs were scattered about the streets willy-nilly, but no damage to the surrounding buildings could be seen. The storm had been all bluster, like a child throwing a tantrum.
“Should we risk it?” I asked the girls.
“Let’s give it ten more minutes and make sure the worst is over,” Cali said.
The lights came back on in a blinding light, causing everyone to cheer as the music blared.
“Generator finally kicked in,” someone shouted. “Took it long enough.”
“Beer’s on the house,” another voice added. “Let’s get this party started.”
The crowd began moving toward the bar in a crush, so I pulled the girls to the other side so we could watch the storm.
“If all the streets are littered with limbs, we might have a hard time driving back to the hotel,” I stated.
“How far is it on foot?” Poppy asked
“Less than a mile,” Cali said.
I shook my head. “Too far to risk. Let’s wait it out and then try to drive there. If we’re lucky, the guys won’t even know we were gone.”
I felt a tap on my shoulder and spun around. Three women stood behind us smiling.
“Can I help you?”
“Take a turn on the dance floor with us,” one with bright red hair said. “Now that the storm has passed, it’s time to have some fun.”
“Take a turn . . . are you askin’ us to dance?” I squeaked out.
“Oh, boy,” Poppy mumbled.
“But we’re not, you know, lesbians,” Cali stuttered.
One of the women, who looked like she pumped weights on a daily basis, grinned knowingly. “We know you aren’t . . . yet.”
Yet? Oh, dear Lord.
“Then why do you—”
“‘Cause we like to dance,” the redheaded woman interrupted, grabbing my hand and pulling me to the dance floor.
This was a first for me. I was uncomfortable, but didn’t want to cause a scene. I also wasn’t sure where I was supposed to put my hands. Was she leading or was I?
Red decided for me, then began leading me around the floor to Jason Aldean’s “She’s Country.” I tripped a few times, giggling nervously and repeating, “I’m so sorry,” before I got the rhythm of the two-step. Cali and Poppy were laughing, too, enjoying the lighthearted atmosphere as they were spun around the floor. On the third pass around the dance floor, I stopped dead in my tracks. Bo, Devin, and Nate were standing at the front of the diner, and Bo’s eyes were locked on me.
I started to wave, relieved to see him, but he shook his head slowly and began making his way through the crowd. When he stopped in front of Red and me, Red scanned him from head to toe, then asked, rather grumpily, I might add, “Is this your man?”
Bo scanned Red from head to foot and back, then took my hand and drew me closer, locking his arm around my neck to keep me close. “I’m her man,” he answered low. “Thanks for keepin’ an eye out.”
Red jerked her head at Bo, then looked at me with a slow, heated smile, and winked. “If you get tired of flyin’ straight, you know where to find me.”
I blinked, and my eyes grew wide. “Right. Good to know. Thank you for the, ah, dance.”
I could feel Bo’s chest shaking, so I looked up. I expected him to be angry, but his eyes were glittering with laughter.
“What?”
“Only a Wallflower would have both sides chasin’ after her.”
Whatever.
I stepped back and crossed my arms. “We told them we were straight, I’ll have you know, but they didn’t listen.”
Bo reached out and snagged my hand with a tug. I slammed into his chest, and he began to dance me around the floor. “You didn’t stay put,” he accused, keeping perfect rhythm with the music. To say I was shocked he could dance was an understatement.
“We didn’t think askin’ questions in a crowded diner was life-threatenin’. Besides, I’m capable of takin’ care of myself.”
“That remains to be seen,” Bo murmured. “Evidence suggests the opposite.”
I narrowed my eyes. He was so damn arrogant, I wanted to, well, kick him hard enough that he’d know he’d been kicked.
“You know, before you came along, I did a pretty good job. I don’t understand why you think I’m some feeble woman who cowers at the slightest noise.”
“You? Cower?” Bo chuckled. “Not likely.”
“Then why do you insist on keepin’ me in a corner while you battle the world?”
“Because I’m a man,” Bo bit out. “It’s my job to keep you safe.”
“Even if I don’t need you to?”
“I need you to,” was his cryptic answer.
“I’m lost,” I replied. “You need me to what, exactly?”
“It’s who I am. I need you to let me be the one who stands between you and everyone else.”
“You’re sayin’ that whether or not I can take care of myself isn’t the point. That because of the type of man you are, you need to be the one who protects me?”
Judging by the look on Bo’s face, you’d think I’d asked him a trick question. He watched me for a moment, taking in my measure, then nodded sharply, replying, “That’s about it.”
I opened my mouth, then shut it. I didn’t know how to respond to such a caveman attitude.
“So you don’t think I’m feeble?”
“Feeble? No. A magnet for trouble? Hell, yes!”
Considering the past few days, he may have a point.
“Okay.”
“Okay, what?”
“Okay, you can protect me.”
“Babe . . . it wasn’t a choice.”
And I was back to wanting to kick him again.
Bo must have decided the discussion w
as over, because he asked, “Did you learn anything tonight?” as he moved his leg in between mine and spun us around, grinding me down on his thigh.
I gasped and looked up at him. He raised a brow, waiting for me to answer. “We, ah, we spoke to an Irene Ledbetter, who said the only person she could think of who would want to ruin Boris and Natasha was their son.”
With another quick flick, Bo dipped me back fully, then snapped me around until I crashed back into his chest. “But you don’t think it was him,” he rumbled low into my ear. His hot breath on my neck caused my concentration to wander. It was clear he was trying to keep me off balance for some reason, and it was working.
“What?” I asked breathlessly.
Bo ran his nose down the side of my neck, then tasted the skin near my shoulder, asking again, “The son. You don’t think it was him?”
I shook my head. “No,” I groaned out. “Cali pointed out if he’d burnt down the house and set the cattle free, he’d be devaluing the ranch. He’d lose the money he wanted for his investment.”
“Makes sense,” Bo muttered, then undulated his hips, keeping mine pressed close to his. I could feel him hardening through his jeans, and my breath caught. “But it could be it’s the land he wants, not the assets attached.”
It hit me then he already knew about the son. “You already knew, didn’t you?”
Bo dipped me back until my neck was bared, then he leaned down and kissed his way back to my ear. “Yeah, I already knew. But it took diggin’ into records at the courthouse to find out. You got the information in half the time.”
Wrapping my arms around his shoulders, I nuzzled his neck until I heard his own breath catch. Two could play this game. Flattery worked better on men than honey drew bees to a hive. “You’re very resourceful gettin’ into the courthouse after hours. That’s impressive. Did you find anything else?”
He paused for a moment, contemplating his answer, then rumbled low, “Yeah. A geological survey was performed by a company based out of Florida last month. It was filed with a real estate company for any future sale.”
Florida? Something about that clawed at my memory. Then it hit me, and I burst out with excitement, “Clint Black said he was from Florida. That can’t be a coincidence.”
Bo disengaged from me and scanned the room, calling out, “Hawthorne!”
Devin was dancing with Cali on the other side of the floor, so he pushed through the crowd, dragging Cali behind him.
“Black was from Florida,” Bo announced when Devin stopped beside us. “Moore left out that tidbit of information when we called him.”
“The pieces are comin’ together,” Devin replied. “I bet if we dig deep enough, we’ll find a connection.”
“Let’s get the Wallflowers back to the hotel, then head over to the station. We can dig into Shelton Geological and see if Black worked for them.”
“Where’s Nate?” Devin asked, ready to go.
I turned and found him in a corner surrounded by several men, and bit my lip to keep from laughing. He looked ready to bolt.
“Does he know this is a gay weddin’?” I asked, pointing him out for Devin.
“He does now,” Devin chuckled, then whistled between his teeth and waved him over.
“Poppy’s still dancing,” Cali shouted over the music. “And we’ve got our own car. We can find our way back to the hotel. You go on without us.”
Bo looked over his shoulder at the downed limbs on the road, then back at me. “Remember what I said about being a magnet for trouble?”
“You can’t blame us for Mother Nature.”
“With your luck, you should have known somethin’ would happen.”
I bobbled my head back and forth, then nodded. “Your argument does have merit.”
“Do you promise to go straight back?” Devin asked Cali.
She rolled her eyes, then crossed her heart, grinning. “I promise.”
Devin looked suspicious, but nodded, then turned to Nate as he walked up. “We’re headed to the station to see what we can dig up on Shelton Geological.”
“Thank, Christ,” Nate grumbled. “I’ve been hit on three times and got two phone numbers in my back pocket.”
“Were they cute?” Cali asked, then burst out laughing when Nate growled at her and then stormed off toward the door.
Bo watched him leave, chuckling, “It’s the hair. If he cut it, he’d have less trouble.”
Cali and I snorted. “Don’t kid yourself. Hair or not, that man will turn heads,” I shouted over the music.
Bo raised a brow at me, and I smiled innocently. I might be his woman, but I wasn’t blind.
Shaking his head, he curled me into his body, drawling low, “Be safe,” before brushing a kiss across my lips.
“You, too. Remember, you’re the one chasin’ a killer. We’re just fendin’ off women.”
Bo bit his lip to keep from laughing.
“What?”
“Never thought I’d hear you say that.”
“What? Be safe?”
“No. That you’re fendin’ off women with romantic intentions.”
I shoved his arm, and he kissed me again, laughing against my lips.
I watched him leave, wondering how late he’d be, then turned back to Cali. As I searched the room for Poppy, my eyes landed on Red, and she winked at me again. Leering almost.
“Um. Did you see that? The woman is definitely persistent.”
“Oh, yeah. I’ll get Poppy so we can leave,” Cali stated.
“I think I’ll meet you in the car.”
Bo might have thought it was funny I was being pursued by a woman, but Red left me feeling vulnerable.
So vulnerable, the hairs rose on the back of my neck.
Eleven
WALLFLOWERS DON’T LEAVE A WOMAN BEHIND
HEAT HIT MY BACK SOMETIME before dawn, and I relaxed into Bo’s chest. Arms like steel covered with warm flesh pulled me deeper into his body, then hands that had only known hard work began to bring me to life. I arched my back when a single finger brushed seductively over my warm heat, teasing, stoking a need in me until I shook, so I grabbed Bo’s hand to keep it where I needed it most.
Lacing his fingers with mine, Bo slipped them inside my panties and urged me without words to touch myself. Anxious to please him, I ran a finger through my wetness, then found my clit and rolled it, moaning as prickling sensations rocked my body. My panties disappeared moments later, then Bo lifted my leg as I kept working my clit. With a muffled groan, Bo slid inside me, burying himself completely in a single thrust. I almost came instantly from the beauty of it.
“Been waitin’ my whole life for this,” he breathed into my ear. “Been waitin’ my whole life for you,” he continued. “With you, I feel whole again. Like the past doesn’t matter,” he groaned, then turned my head and claimed my mouth. Our tongues danced frantically as he worked my body into a shuddering mass.
Moments later, light exploded behind my eyes, the colors swirling together as I ignited for him, and I called out his name into the inky darkness of our room.
Bo didn’t follow me into the sweet abyss; instead, he kept at me, ordering, “Say it again,” as he drove deeper inside me.
I gasped out, “Bo,” like he asked, but he grabbed my shoulders, anchoring himself deeper inside me, thrusting harder as he hissed. “Say it again, goddamnit.”
With each thrust, I was coming apart at the seams. I was on the precipice again, but Bo wouldn’t let me fall. I needed to release the building orgasm before I split in two, so I shouted, “Bo!” louder this time, hoping he’d finish me off.
With a frustrated growl, Bo jerked up, rolled me to my back without a word, and sank back inside me, caressing my walls with his cock agonizingly slowly. I was confused and frustrated to the point of screaming.
“Bo, please,” I cried out, bucking hard, trying to find relief as my eyes welled with tears.
“Not ‘til you say it again,” he hissed as I scored his ba
ck.
“I did!” I shouted.
“You said my name,” he whispered, laying his forehead against mine, “I want the other words.”
My breath caught in my throat at his tenderness, and I thought back to what I’d said. I began to shake with awareness. I hadn’t said his name before, I’d begged him to love me.
There was no turning back now. No shielding myself. I’d said it, and he wanted me to repeat it.
Reaching up, I cupped his face and brought his mouth to mine, begging once again like I had before. “Please love me.”
Bo’s eyes flashed with heat, and he drove in deep until he was buried to the hilt, vowing in a hoarse voice full of emotion, “Every fuckin’ day for the rest of your life,” before slamming his mouth over mine. What my parents had broken inside of me, after years of neglect, sealed shut with Bo’s uttered vow.
They say time heals what reason cannot, but I think the Bible said it best. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Or, simply put, love conquers all.
Time ceased to exist as we rolled around the bed, touching and tasting each other. Bo moved slowly this time, building the heat again until a thick sheen of sweat covered my body. We were both shaking with need when he thrust deeply one final time, igniting the ember to a white-hot flame. With no words spoken, love spilled between those sheets and healed us both, wrapping us in a cocoon that neither time nor space could weaken. For the first time in either of our lives, we were finally home.
Finally secure.
Finally loved for who we were.
I stared at my coffee mug, groggy from lack of sleep, but I didn’t mind. Today, I’d woken with a new sense of belonging. The feeling was foreign to me, but I wrapped it around me like a shield. For the first time since I was a child, I felt like I could take on the world and win, thanks to Bo.
Years of reading romance novels still hadn’t prepared me for a man like Bo. Fictional heroes seemed perfect, but with Bo, the perfection came with knowing that like me, he had a past that molded him to be the man he was. As Jolene had said, “They’re just words on a page. Real men come with baggage you gotta fix. Muscles that keep you safe. And hearts that beat only for you.”