Instead she went through the hallway to the restrooms.
Dammit. Of course she wouldn’t do the sensible thing and head for home. No, she’d hang around and give the men who’d been eyeing her all night time to muster up their courage to do something stupid. He glanced in the mirror. The beefier guy, dressed in a plaid shirt, faded jeans and the Gone Fishin’ baseball cap leaned across to his buddy and whispered something. Tall and skinny, with the stocking cap on, grinned and nodded in the direction Bobby had just headed.
Yep. They were going to do something stupid.
He ate one last fry, looked at his bill and fished the money out of his wallet. He laid them both on the bar next to his plate and fixed his sheriff’s badge onto his front shirt pocket once more. Leaning back in his chair, gaze fixed on the hallway, he waited.
Bobby took a deep breath before opening the restroom door. Despite what her dinner companions suggested, she wasn’t going to dance tonight. Maybe if she were lucky, they got tired of waiting and left the tavern. If she were going to wish for the impossible, she might as well wish the sheriff gone, too.
She couldn’t believe it when he’d walked into the tavern. For a moment she’d been relieved that he’d come and rescue her from the two truckers who’d cornered her. But no, he planted himself at the bar instead. At first she thought she’d been mistaken and he hadn’t really seen her, except she’d caught him watching her in the mirror. He’d seemed rather pleased by her dilemma.
So much for a knight in shining armor. She hadn’t needed a man’s help since her father died, and she could get herself out of this pickle without one now.
Okay, what’s the plan?
Make a beeline straight for the door. Don’t talk to anyone. Don’t look around to see if the sheriff is watching. Once outside, get in the car. Lock the car doors. Head back to the motel.
Right. Simple.
She pulled the door open, clutched her purse by the strap on her shoulder, and headed toward the tavern door.
Another country song suddenly blared from the jukebox.
“Hey there, little lady,” someone grabbed her by the arm.
She looked up to see Carl—at least she was pretty sure that’s what the bigger of the two men had called himself—grinning down at her.
“How about we have us a little dance?”
“Um,” she tried to pull away from the grip he had on her arm, at the same time keeping a smile plastered on her face. “I don’t really know how to do country dancing.”
“That’s okay, sweetheart.” He pulled her up against his body, and grabbed hold of her other hand. “I can teach ya everything ya need to know.”
“Carl, I really need to head home.” She straightened her arms to put some much-needed breathing room between her and her dance partner. The combination of body odor and too many beers threatened to have her revisiting her dinner.
“The night ain’t over, yet. Me and Slim want to dance ‘til dawn.”
“Um, don’t you have to get your cargo to California?” She closed her eyes as he whirled her around. She wasn’t going to fall and cause a scene. Especially with the sheriff sitting at the bar watching them. Once Carl had stopped trying to twirl her like a top, she opened her eyes, meeting Gage’s amused gaze in the bar’s mirror.
The big lug still wasn’t going to help her. Okay. She didn’t need his help. She could get herself out of this. Things weren’t that bad. The two truckers simply wanted a dance.
“We ain’t got nothin’ perishable in our trucks this time, so we can be a day later if we want.” Carl tried to pull her closer again.
This time she was ready for him. She straightened her arm and at the same time brought her shoe down hard on his foot. Which immediately gained her another inch of space. “Oh, I’m sorry. I never was good at dancing.”
“That’s okay. We’ll just slow down a little.” With those words, he slowed to a short step of a waltz, released his hold on her waist and slipped his hand down to cup her butt.
No way was she going to let him maul her in a public place. “Now, Carl, I agreed to a dance.” Actually she hadn’t but couldn’t see that argument getting her any closer to the door. She slipped her free hand down, pried his fingers loose and attached his beefy hand back to her waist. She smiled to ease the message. “But only if you’re a gentleman.”
When he turned her once more, she glanced at the sheriff. He’d turned on his barstool and sat watching them. The brim of his baseball cap and the bar’s dim lighting prevented her from really seeing his eyes, but it looked like all traces of humor had left his face.
Interesting. Wonder what caused that reaction?
“Didn’t you say you had a girlfriend in California?” She smiled up at Carl again. No reaction from Gage.
“Yeah. I got one there and in South Carolina, too. I just got too much lovin’ not to spread it around.” He leered at her once more and slipped his hand down to her butt again.
This time she hesitated a moment before moving the man’s hand back to her waist. A movement from the bar caught her attention. Gage had left his seat, his attention focused on the dance area. For some reason she couldn’t fathom, he didn’t want the trucker groping her butt any more than she did, which was odd. Nearing forty she’d given up hope of having buns of steel some time ago. And wasn’t that what all men wanted? At least TV and magazines said so.
After a moment, Gage made a beeline straight for them, a scowl on his face. Apparently he’d decided to intervene. Too little, too late. No way was she going to let him think he’d rescued her.
“Now, Carl. As much as those two ladies don’t mind sharing you, I’m not really looking for a new friend.” She pushed back as the song came to an end and pulled her hand out of his. “It’s time for me to go now.”
“But little lady, Slim needs a dance, too. Don’t ya’, Slim?” Carl stepped forward, corralling her toward his buddy.
Bobby held her ground. “I said, I’m done, now let me go!” She shoved him back, at the same time keeping an eye on Gage’s approaching form.
“The lady said she wants to leave,” he said in that deep, I’m-in-charge-here voice of his. “I suggest you let her leave.”
“Look, buddy, this little lady’s ours. Go find your own…” Carl stopped mid-sentence as he turned. Beads of sweat suddenly popped out on his forehead and all the blood rushed out of his face, leaving him a large mass of pale, quivering flesh looking into the face of imminent death. “Uh, hey, Sheriff. We wasn’t causing no trouble.”
“If that’s the case, I suggest you move away and let the lady leave.” The command had Carl stumbling two steps out of the path between Gage and Bobby.
Gage reached over and grasped her elbow, pulling her toward him and the door. “It’s time to leave, Bobby.”
“Now look here, Sheriff.” She tried to pull her arm away. “You can’t order me about. I’ll leave when I’m ready.”
“Now.” He gave her a little shove toward the door, releasing her arm. “Before I have to cite you for disturbing the peace.”
She wanted to ask him whose peace he thought she was disturbing, but the threat of the small jail cell in her future stopped the retort on the tip of her tongue.
Except for the new song playing on the jukebox the tavern fell silent. The pool players moved closer, leaning on their cues, waiting to see what would happen next.
Bobby glanced around then back at Gage. She could stand and argue with him and cause a bigger scene, but the intense anger rolling off him suggested she pick her battles with this man very carefully. Tonight, retreat seemed her best option. Straightening her back and holding her head high, she turned and marched out the door, heading to her car with all the dignity she could muster.
Stupid man.
Despite what he thought, she could’ve handled the situation just fine on her own. She slammed her car door shut and started the engine. For a split second she considered driving right over his motorcycle as she pulled out, but she
’d enjoyed riding on it so much she hated punishing it for its owner’s overbearing treatment.
She did let a little gravel spin out beneath her tires as she left the parking lot onto the county road once more. With a quick glance in her rearview mirror she saw Gage leave the bar and climb on his Harley. At least he left the bar before anyone got hurt. Well, almost anyone. Humiliation was never her strong suit.
How dare he treat her like some inane child who’d been caught drinking in a bar by her daddy? She’d been on her own since she was nineteen and raised her younger sisters without his or anyone else’s help.
The streets of Westen were deserted as she drove through them. Good thing. Her mind swirling in a jetty of anger, she wasn’t quite sure when she pulled onto the highway and headed west toward her motel room.
Just as she turned into the parking lot, the rumble of a motor sounded behind her. She looked in her rearview mirror once more to see Gage’s motorcycle arriving right behind her.
Now what?
Why was the man following her? She certainly didn’t need an escort to her motel. Didn’t he trust her to go there? The man’s arrogance knew no bounds.
She pulled to a stop in front of her room door, grabbed her purse and climbed out of the car. She slammed the car door and stalked around the rear just as Gage pulled the motorcycle to a stop.
“What do you think you’re doing?” she said, punching him on his shoulder with her finger.
“I’m making sure you weren’t followed from the tavern.” He twisted around, dismounting and forcing her to take a step back or get knocked to the ground.
Crossing her arms over her chest she waited for him to turn and face her. “Exactly who did you think was going to follow me?”
“Your dinner buddies for one.” He grasped her by the elbow and tried to turn her toward her room. “And any crazy out on the road this late at night for another.”
She dug her heels in and jerked her arm free. “Quit that. You’ve been manhandling me all day. And quite frankly I’m a little tired of it.”
He turned and took a step forward, pinning her between her car and his body. “Look, I know you’ve come from the big city to a small town and think nothing bad can happen to you. Open your eyes and look around you.” He waved his arm toward the parking lot filled with big rigs. “You’re in a dark and secluded area. Most of these truckers are hardworking guys who won’t bother you. But there may be someone like the two guys back at the tavern who might just decide to take more than you’re willing to give.”
“I don’t think they meant to harm me.” She leaned back, the feral look in his eyes warning her she’d crossed the line with his patience.
“You don’t think so?” He loomed closer. “His hands all over your ass seemed harmless to you? You didn’t mind him forcing you up against him? Or maybe you’d rather he’d done something like this?”
Gage grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her hard against his body. He hesitated a moment. “Oh hell,” he growled out before capturing her lips with his.
The fierceness of his embrace and kiss startled her. She gripped his arms and tried to push him away. What happened next completely confused her. He changed tactics. His lips softened against hers, his tongue slipping out to tease her. He slid one hand down her back to press her closer, while he let the other slide into her hair to hold her head still.
Heat started in her chest and spread outwards. She clutched his denim jacket to pull him closer. Never in her life had she wanted a man as much as she suddenly wanted this man. She wanted him to claim her and keep her. She wanted to strip him naked, and taste every inch of him.
“Yes, baby,” he moaned against her mouth. Slowly he slid his lips to her jaw and over to nibble on her ear. The grip in her hair tightened as he turned her head to the side, arching her neck and skimming his teeth against the sensitive flesh he’d exposed.
She bent one leg and curled it around his jean-clad thigh, pulling him in tighter. Was it possible to get any closer? She didn’t know, but the hard bulge in his jeans felt delicious rubbing against her. A moan escaped her.
He released his hold on her hair and reached down with both hands to cup both her butt cheeks. As he pulled her in tighter, he sank his lips into the juncture of her neck and shoulder. For a minute he ground himself against her as he nipped at her pulse, sending wave after wave of heat coursing through her.
Slowly he eased his mouth from her sensitive flesh. Her heart pounded so hard in her chest the people in the next county could probably hear it. She gulped in air and turned to stare at him. Passion filled his eyes and he seemed to be having trouble controlling his breathing, too. He hadn’t released his grip on her bottom. In fact, he’d begun kneading each cheek with his hands.
“I wanted to knock that trucker on his ass when he grabbed you here. I didn’t want to see another man’s hands holding you like this.”
The anger and possessiveness he implied with those words both thrilled and surprised her. No man had ever shown any jealousy over her, especially not one she’d known less than twenty-four hours. The reality of the situation hit her. She was standing in a motel parking lot, making out with a man she barely knew, and he was mauling her like some common streetwalker. Worse, she was enjoying every second of it.
She dropped her leg, and pushed with all her might against his shoulders. “Let me go.”
He released his hold on her and braced both hands on either side of her against her car, virtually trapping her between them. He leaned in until they were practically eye-to-eye. “Scared, aren’t you?”
All she could manage was a swallow and a nod.
“And you should be. You don’t know me any better than those truckers in the tavern tonight.” He reached up and smoothed a loose strand of her hair from her cheek. “This isn’t the safe little classroom, Bobby. There are all kinds of dangers out here in the real world. You’d better open your eyes and pay attention before you get hurt.”
Before she could say anything else, he pushed himself away from her, waving his hand at the parking lot filled with both cars and big-rig trucks. “See all these vehicles? Every one of them belongs to a stranger. Most of them are innocent people just looking for a place to rest before continuing on their journey, but any one of them could be a potential killer traveling the back roads looking for an easy victim to prey upon. You picked a spot where no one knows you, no one knows the people here and it’s isolated from any sort of help. This is the worst place for a woman alone to spend the night.”
Okay. He’d already made his point. He didn’t have to make her feel more stupid. She stepped to the side and fished her keys from her purse. “Well, it’s a little late to get a room in town, isn’t it?”
She looked around a minute before trying to unlock her door. Her hand shook so badly she couldn’t fit the key in the lock.
“Here, let me.” Gage took the key, unlocked the door and opened it. Then he walked in and checked out the bathroom and the small closet. “No one’s here.”
Still scared, she stood just inside the doorway. She should be angry he’d frightened her, but was glad he’d checked the room out anyway. “Thank you,” she managed when he handed her back her key.
“Hey. You’re going to be okay tonight. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
Whoa. Wait a minute. She hadn’t invited him to stay. “You aren’t staying with me.”
The corners of his lips turned up in a slow smile and he swept his gaze from her eyes down to her toes and back up again, sending sexual awareness sizzling over her once more. “Tempting as that might be, you’re right. I’m not. I’ve got the room next door.” He pointed to the wall behind her bed. “You need anything, or hear anything, you pound on that wall. I’ll be here in a flash.”
He started out the door, then paused. “And Bobby?”
“Yes?”
“Don’t forget, my office first thing tomorrow morning. Sleep tight.” He winked at her and closed the door behind
him.
She hurried over, clicked the dead bolt and slipped the chain in place. Pressing her back against the door, she breathed deeply. Sleep tight? The man just kissed her senseless, scared the living daylights out of her and he expected her to sleep at all? And he thought she was delusional.
***
The lights off and the engine as quiet as fog rolling through the low Ohio hills, the black sedan pulled out of the motel’s parking lot without disturbing even the gravel on the semi-paved surface and headed back toward town.
Damn that man. With the sheriff in the next room it would be impossible to get to the snooping woman. For some reason she’d been rifling through the bank’s trash today. Her curiosity could ruin everything.
For months the sheriff’s apathy for his job had played right into his plans. One wrong move or one slip of the tongue and everything could collapse. He’d have nothing. And worse, his partners would demand payment—in either cash or his blood.
He needed to find out just what she knew and silence her. He also needed to tie up some loose ends to be sure she didn’t get any answers to her questions. Starting tonight.
Miles from the motel, the sedan’s lights came on, resembling a dark predator prowling the lonesome highway.
Chapter Five
Footsteps sounded hard and fast behind him. His warm breath puffed into the winter air as he ran.
The corner. Turn the corner. Find a spot to hide.
One step.
Two.
Just a little farther.
Pain seared into his chest like a bolt of lightning as he cleared the brick wall. The impact swung him around.
Bells rang.
A second wave of pain hit him in the belly. A third, in the other side of his chest. He fell to the ground, his face pressed into the snow. The smell of his own blood mixed with the leftover remains of someone’s fish dinner.
Bells rang.
Gage came awake with a lurch, sweat pouring off his body. He landed back onto his pillow, wiping one hand over his face. The nightmare again. Hadn’t had one in a month. Three years ago in the hospital, he’d had them nightly. The doc said the culprit was post-traumatic stress.
Close To The Edge (Westen #2) Page 6