She’d just finished breakfast when the doorbell rang. Heath was early. She jogged to the door and pulled it open.
Wade came instead. “Where’s Heath?”
His hand slapped his chest. “You wound me. Heath’s busy and sent me instead. Can you handle that?”
She couldn’t tell if he was challenging her or not. “Sure.”
“You ready?”
“Let me get my wallet.”
She rushed back inside. In case she wanted to buy something, she wanted cash. As she walked out, she pulled her hair into a ponytail. It was great to be able to fix her own hair for a change.
“How about leaving it down?”
From the way his eyelids lowered, he wanted her to be more feminine. Maybe she should not worry about image so much and start acting herself. “Sure.” She pulled the tie out and threaded it over her wrist.
She stopped short when she spotted his motorcycle. “You drove that?”
He shrugged. “It’s easier to park. The entire town will be there and finding a spot will be hard. We can take your truck if your arm isn’t strong enough to wrap around my waist.”
She clasped her hands together and tugged. “It’s good. As long as you don’t go too fast around any dangerous curves, I’ll be fine.”
“Super.” He handed her a helmet. “Put your jacket on. It’ll give you more protection.”
She wasn’t sure about riding into town on the back of Wade Watson’s bike. He was considered a bad boy by some, despite his excellent track record of being a successful rancher. Wouldn’t the rumors spike if Jake saw her. Who cared? She hopped on up.
“You ever been on a motorcycle before?”
Once. “Sure.”
He cocked a brow. “Hold on tight and lean the same way I do.”
Lean the same way I do. He acted like she was ten and clueless. She slid behind him and grabbed hold of his waist, trying not to touch him too much. He took both of her hands and overlapped them. His rough palms scraping against her skin sent her senses soaring. For a split second she imagined what it would be like to have those palms on her tits.
Stop it. Focus.
Purely for safety reasons, she locked her fingers. Now her chest was pressed tightly against his back. Could this get any more embarrassing? Or exciting?
As soon as he started the engine, he took off, and she had to tighten her grip. The dirt road leading out of her ranch jostled her around and her muscles tensed. As soon as he swung onto the main road, she was able to relax and take in the scenery.
While she got a thrill from galloping across the plains, there was something exciting about racing around the road on a motorcycle. As they got closer to town, he had to slow down because of the traffic. She spotted Jake’s red truck ahead on the road and prayed her foreman wouldn’t spot her in his rearview mirror. She wasn’t sure why she didn’t want him to see her holding on to Wade, but she felt too much like a woman behind the powerful man.
Wade found a parking spot in no time. He helped her off and pulled a bag out of his saddlebags. He held out his hand. “Come on.”
The parade would begin at the courthouse and proceed the fifteen blocks down Main Street. The sidewalks were already packed with families, so they had to weave their way to the start point. She wasn’t sure why they had to be at the beginning of the route, but there was no use questioning Wade. He had a mission, and nothing was going to stop him.
When they arrived on the grassy area in front of the courthouse, she spotted his foreman, Wilt, standing in front of a bunch of grocery store carts wearing a Groucho Marx mask. He looked ridiculous. Wade pulled her closer.
“You ready?”
“For what?”
He tugged on her hand to bring her closer. From the bag he took from the pouch, he lifted two Groucho Marx masks and handed her one. “Put this on.”
“No way.”
He slipped his on. “Why not?”
Wade looked outrageous but somehow managed to look sexy at the same time. She couldn’t help but laugh. “Someone could see me.”
He took the mask from her hands and placed it over her face. The big nose and mustache tickled, and the glasses sat lopsided on her face.
He grinned. “You look cute.” From the stack in front of Wilt, Wade pulled two grocery carts toward them. “We’re pushing these.”
She tore off the mask. “There is no way in hell I’m going to walk down the street like this pushing that cart.”
“You afraid people will see you as weak?”
What was up with these guys? They seemed to think she had problems with her self-image. “No.” She was fine as long as none of her men saw her do this. Maybe no one would recognize her in this disguise. Since none of her workers had seen her with her hair down, maybe she’d go unnoticed.
The music from the high school marching band began. Wade leaned over. “It’s showtime, babe.”
“I’m not your babe.”
“Ouch.” He winked.
The man was insufferable. She should rip off the mask and duck into the crowd, but then someone was sure to spot her. She was probably safer looking like the fool. Who would guess Samantha Callen would walk down Main Street in a mask, pushing a grocery cart, looking almost like a homeless person?
He elbowed her. “Here we go. Happy Fourth of July.”
“Why are you so cheerful?”
“I love America.”
Now she was speechless. He waved to the crowd, and then he turned his cart into hers.
“Hey!” She banged his back.
The two of them got in a pissing match, smashing their carts against each other. Wade started laughing, which got her laughing. There were about fifteen Groucho Marx wannabes, all of whom worked for Wade. As they followed the group in front of them, they got sillier and sillier. Wade even started acting like Groucho and quoting the man.
“You are so annoying.” She slapped his arm.
“Here’s another one. ‘Only one man in a thousand is a leader of men. The other 999 follow women.’”
She rolled her eyes, though she had to admit she liked the phrase. They were halfway to the end of the parade route when Wade veered to the right. She followed, though she had no idea where he was going. “What are you doing?”
Everyone was looking at them as they left the parade. Wade wheeled his cart around a few people until he reached the sidewalk. “Excuse us.”
She debated ducking back in line behind Wilt, but she was curious what crazy Wade was going to do next. She’d never seen him act like this. In the past, he’d been more reserved, as if he, too, didn’t want anyone to see him be anything other than the boss man.
He stopped in front of the grocery store and went into the entranceway. “Leave the cart here.”
She was happy to get rid of that encumbrance. “Now what?”
“The best part.” He checked his phone. “It’s time for the tobacco spitting contest over on Fourth Street.”
When Sam was a little girl, her dad liked to watch that event, but she’d forgotten about it in recent years. Once more he clasped her hand in his as if they were a couple. This sudden change of heart confused her. Yes, he was seductive in the whirlpool, but ever since she went riding on her own, he’d been distant, almost as if he feared she really would get reinjured.
Did he like her? Nah. His statement all those years ago that he and Heath would claim her as their own one day had surely been a comment to make her squirm.
A large group was gathered, cheering the competitors. Tape had been placed across the road with distance markings on them. There was a second area taped off, too. “What’s the other group doing?”
“Accuracy contest.”
“Only in Intrigue.”
He faced her. “Are you kidding? This is a national pastime. I heard there’s one in Missouri that has us beat.”
A roar went up. Wade swung her in front of him, placed her back to his chest, and pulled her close. She seemed to melt into his arms. T
he security of having him surround her took her by surprise. It was nice for a change not to be in charge.
“Look at that.” Wade pointed to the brown spit on the twenty-five-foot mark.
She laughed. “This is a necessary skill because?”
“It’s a man thing. You wouldn’t understand.” He leaned over her shoulder. “Or would you?”
Enough was enough. She swiveled in his arms. “In case you haven’t noticed, I am not a man.” He was goading her, but she didn’t care. She’d had enough of the man comments.
He leaned close. “I guess you’ll just have to prove it.”
Her face burned, and she swiveled back around. She recognized the next man up. He worked in the lumberyard. “Go, Nathan.”
Wade tugged her waist and laughed. Damn him.
Once the competition was over, they wandered back to the parade, which was close to the end of the route. “Is Heath here?” They hadn’t run into him.
“No. He wanted to organize the party at the house. Speaking of which, we ought to get back and help before the crowd descends. You mind?”
“No.” In fact, being around so many people made her a bit claustrophobic.
“I’ve got to set up the fireworks.”
She stiffened. “Isn’t that dangerous?”
He looked down at her and smiled. “You worried about me getting hurt, babe?”
Yes. “No.” If anything happened to him, she’d be devastated.
He chuckled and led her back to the bike. To avoid the crowds, he took the back streets out of town. She was relaxed enough with Wade that she could enjoy the ride back even more. Too soon they arrived at his house. He parked in front and helped her off the bike.
He took the helmet from her and she shook out her hair.
“You should wear it down more often. You’re beautiful.”
Had Wade Watson said those words? Ever since high school she’d dreamed of catching his attention. It wasn’t until he announced his ménage plans for her that fateful day that she’d blocked him from her mind. Or at least she’d tried to all those years. She’d mostly succeeded at keeping the image of her with the two brothers at bay until her accident. Now he and Heath never left her thoughts for long.
“Thanks.” She nodded to the fire truck parked in front. “What’s that doing here?”
“I asked Shane to help me with the fireworks. In case anything gets out of hand, he can save the day.”
Damn. Shane, a local firefighter and arson investigator, was her brother’s best friend and roommate. She needed to do some damage control before word got back to her family.
Wade led her inside and walked her straight through to the back of the house. There must have been fifty people bustling about getting ready for the party. Tables were set up next to kegs of beer. American flags were hung from every perch.
She spotted Heath. “I’m going to see if Heath can use my help.”
“Sure.” He sounded a bit disappointed, as if he liked hanging out with her.
Was he really interested? Now that her cast was off, his job as protector was done, though despite their differences, they’d built a strong connection between them.
She wandered across the yard. “Hey, Heath.”
He spun around, and she nearly melted on the spot. He was wearing cargo shorts and a tight T-shirt. He looked so GQ.
“You came! Sorry about the switcheroo. I thought I had everything under control, but at the last minute, a couple of people cancelled.”
Initially, she hadn’t been happy that Wade took his place, but she’d had a wonderful time. “I lived.”
He leaned over and kissed her forehead. “I’m glad.”
Her pulse rate dove. She wanted him to really kiss her, only she didn’t have the guts to make the first move. “What can I do to help?”
He lifted her chin. “I can think of a lot ways to help me, but why don’t you see about the kids’ area.” He lowered his gaze. “You do like kids, don’t you?”
His chest inflated, almost as if he was holding his breath. “Yes. I’ve got six siblings, remember.”
He grinned. “How many are you planning on having then?”
What was he getting at? “I haven’t thought about it.”
“Then you better start.” He winked. “Now go make sure the kids’ area is safe.”
Someone called to him, and he trotted off. Her feet remained glued to the ground. Why did he want her to think about how many kids she wanted? Was he volunteering to be the dad?
Sam inhaled and headed toward the large, inflatable house. Both Heath and Wade had been acting strange since her cast came off, but she didn’t have time to ponder their actions today. As she headed across the lawn, she wiped the sweat from her forehead. She couldn’t remember the last time Intrigue got into the mideighties. She hoped this wasn’t an indication that the rest of the summer would be as hot.
As she got near her destination, she spotted Shane by himself clearing the area for the fireworks. Since Wade wasn’t nearby, she sauntered over to him.
“Hey, Shane. What’s going on?”
“Sam. What are you doing here?”
She wanted to know the answer to that question herself. “Helping out.”
“Good.”
Shane was probably the least emotional person she knew, which made him a great firefighter, but she wasn’t convinced he wouldn’t mention her being here. “Do me a favor and not mention that you saw me to Cody.”
He shrugged. “Sure.”
She smiled and eased away. Shane was as good-looking as Wade and Heath, but he held himself back way too much as if he was afraid of letting loose. She could almost see invisible fingers pointing at her, as if she, too, had put a wall up around her.
“Not true.” She quickly glanced to make sure no one heard her talk to herself.
She’d promised Heath she’d check on the jumping house. The workers turned on the air pump, and she got to watch the house grow to its full ten-foot height. Once it was inflated, the men went on another part of the property. She stuck her head inside. The odor of plastic was rather intense.
“Want to try it out?”
She spun around. “Wade.”
“Come on. Take off your boots.”
Dare she get in the enclosed area with him? He tugged his shoes off. It was now or never. As soon as she removed hers, he pulled her inside. A bubble of laughter escaped. When was the last time she got to act like a kid? Okay, at the parade, she was totally silly. Growing up, she’d felt she needed to set a good example to her younger sisters.
His first jump made her stumble, but he caught her before she tumbled on her butt. Wade held her hands. Together they jumped up and down until laughter took her breath away. He lifted his legs, tilted backward, and landed on his butt and back. He let go of one of her hands, but the force was still enough to drag her down. She landed next to him and bounced. She’d landed on her injured arm, but surprisingly she felt no pain. Wahoo!
He pulled her on top of him and the world seemed to stand still. His lips parted and his eyelids lowered. Cupping the back of her head, he pulled her closer. The moment their lips touched, every nerve exploded. Wade shifted, and his cock settled between her legs. Oh, my.
She expected tension to ripple through her, but instead, a strong desire to experience him swept through her. Go for it. She ran her tongue along the seam of his lips. He groaned and opened up, but it was his tongue that took charge. Their breaths came out fast and furious, and his hands ran all along her back.
“I want you.” He moaned and captured her mouth again.
“Me, too.”
Dear God, I never should have said that. It just came out.
Her panties got wet thinking about what it would be like to have Wade Watson, man extraordinaire, inside her pussy, pumping hard. She arched up to get a good look at him. He was a gorgeous, hot, hunky man. Sam shut off her brain and thought only with her body. His hand cupped her breast and lightly squeezed.
She rolled off him and punched his arm. “You can be such a jerk.” He still seemed to think of her as a guy. Is that why he kissed her? He wanted to see her reaction? Well, she’d show him a reaction. She laughed at him then kissed him quick.
He clasped her shoulders and looked up at her, his intensity off the charts. Uh-oh. If they didn’t stop right now, there was no telling what she might do. She could definitely imagine what would happen if they were buck naked. Most likely a bunch of kids would arrive early and have a different kind of show.
Kids’ giggles registered, and he sat up. “Come on. We’ve gotta get out of here.”
No kidding.
After they put on their boots, the masses descended. “Just in the nick of time.”
He straightened and pinched her butt. “We’ll continue this later.”
Her stomach did a somersault. When he walked off, she wondered if she’d just made the mistake of her life.
Chapter Eight
For the next several hours, Sam monitored the jumping house. Finally, one of the mothers came over to relieve her.
“Go get something to eat. I’ll make sure the kids behave.”
As much as Sam liked listening to the children laugh and screech, she didn’t mind taking a break. Throughout her chaperoning duty, she’d only spotted Heath and Wade periodically. Since both seemed incredibly busy, she decided to wander about and enjoy the atmosphere. She was hungry and tried out the food. Everything was fabulous. Heath had spent quite a long time grilling up barbecued ribs, chicken, and steak. A local shop had catered the rest of the food.
The beer flowed freely, and there were groups of men tossing a football, a few playing a bean toss game with their children, and others milling about. All in all, the party seemed to be a huge success if the laugher was any indication.
She wandered over to the pony trail. It was getting dark, but Wade had set up torches to keep the place well lit. Two men seemed to be in charge of walking the ponies around in a circle. The black pony in front carried a four-year-old, and the one in back had a kid who looked about eight.
Monroe, Melody Snow - Leather and Lace [The Callens 1] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 7