Love Found a Way (Hell Yeah! Book 0)

by Sable Hunter

  She could think of only one thing to do. Scream like crazy.

  “Help! Help!”

  Just around the bend…T was minding his own business.

  “Help!”

  The scream reverberating through the swamp broke the spell entrancing T-Rex. Immediately his senses were on high alert. Feelings of déjà vu washed over him. This wasn’t Alice, he had no illusions of that. The idea of a woman in trouble slammed his mind back to a place he had no desire to go. Still, there was no way he could ignore the cry for help. Cocking his head, he tried to hone in on the direction. “Hello?”

  “Help me!”

  He was close. Using the strength of his strong arms and torso, T moved the boat along with powerful thrusts of the pole into the soft bottom of the bayou. “I’m here!” he yelled, as he covered the remaining distance and spotted a woman standing stock still in the water. The reason for her distress was apparent – coming in her direction and closing fast was a huge alligator. Why was she just standing there? “Move!” he cried out.

  “I can’t. I’m stuck!”

  Two things became evident. First, he had to rescue her. Now. There was no time to waste. And second. The damsel in distress was Glory Bee Hudson.

  Of course, it was. Dammit!

  “Hold on!” he yelled.

  Terror was the main emotion throttling Glory, but even with the scaly cold fingers of death seemingly around her throat, she couldn’t miss the fact that her rescuer was T-Rex Beaumont.

  Heck, yeah! Her luck was changing. If she was about to die, at least she’d have the consolation of gazing at her heartthrob’s face one more time.

  T dove off his boat and began swimming toward her with mighty strokes, his big body powering through the water with incredible speed.

  Glory felt surrounded. She knew he wouldn’t be pleased when he discovered he was coming to her rescue. Which was worse? Him or the gator? The answer came to her quite easily - when the water rose on the back of her thighs, she was too horrified to look, knowing what was behind her – its big mouth opening wide…

  Microseconds seemed like an eternity, each moment blurring between reality and possibility. As if in slow motion, Glory turned to look over her shoulder, dreading what she’d see. The sight that met her eyes could’ve been from an old-fashioned Tarzan movie, the big man in the water, hurdling toward a primeval creature with no thought in its head but to devour. A great splash heralded their meeting and soon there was a twisting turning confusion. The gator reared up and T-Rex wouldn’t let him go, the blade of the knife in his hand catching the light of the sun making its way across the western sky. “Help him, God, please” she prayed, even as she saw his arm move – again and again – as he plunged the blade through the thick armored flesh.

  Finally, when he let go and the big reptile slid from his grasp to sink beneath the water, Glory allowed herself to release the breath she’d been holding. “Thank you, you saved me!” Are you all right?” she asked, her eyes roving over his body to check for injuries as he sloshed through the bayou toward her, his face a thundercloud of consternation.

  T wiped a chunk of mud off his face. “I’ve been better, Glory Bee. What in the hell are you doing wading around in these waters?” He bit the words off, demanding an explanation. “Do you know the odds of me just happening along in time enough to save your pretty ass?”

  Her ass was pretty?

  Yea, she knew the foolishness of keying on that part of his question. “I can’t dispute my good fortune for your timely arrival. I was checking my crawfish traps. One got hung, I came in after it and fell. Somehow I wandered into this mud hole…speaking of, I still seem to be sinking here if you don’t mind.” Glory held out her hand to him. When he hesitated, she bristled. “You aren’t just going to leave me here, are you?”

  T-Rex crossed his arms over his broad chest. “I don’t know. It’s tempting.” He glanced over his shoulder to where the carcass of the big alligator could still be seen under the water. “The price of alligator hides is at a new high, and you do make pretty good gator bait.” Glory huffed, her chest rising and falling. T couldn’t help but notice how her damp top was molded to a pair of round, sweet tits which moved and jiggled in their natural splendor with every breath she took.

  Their mini stand-off didn’t last as long as the thoughts in her head made Glory think it did, but while they surveyed one another in this odder-than-fuck scenario…a couple of things became apparent to her…

  T was staring at her breasts with a desperate heat in his eyes, and when he’d look up into her face, his eyes would immediately be drawn back down. This revelation led to her own observation that despite his battle with the monstrous reptile and the dunk in the waters of the Chene – the man had a hard-on, a big one.

  For her? Okay. Interesting.

  Something was going on here and she was determined to find out what exactly made this man tick. He’d just saved her life, obviously, so she owed him her undying gratitude and the benefit of the doubt. Like a blast from the past, a game she and her real father used to play came back to her. Glory had no doubt he’d save her, he’d already proven he was a hero of epic proportions.

  What she was after now was…more. “I’ll tell you what, if you’ll pull me out of this miry mess, I’ll grant you three wishes.”

  A surprised chuckle erupted from T’s lips. “Oh, really? What are you? Some evil little swamp genie sent to worry the shit out of me?”

  Oh, she could be a lot of things to him if he’d just give her a chance. “Come on. Take a chance.” She stretched her hand out farther, daring him to take a risk. “You have all the power.”

  T-Rex didn’t feel like he had the power. When she turned those big violet eyes toward him, he felt completely at her mercy. “Come here, troublemaker.” He waded over to her, took Glory in his arms and pulled.

  “Oomph,” She felt the air rush from her lungs as he squeezed her tight. The sucking clay had no defense against his strength. Unbidden, her arms twined around his neck and she was struck by how solid he was and how safe she felt nestled against him. When he set her on her feet, she gave him a dazzling smile. “Thank you, kind sir.”

  T felt like he’d been burned. Holding her close had just reminded him of all he did without. “Don’t take a risk like that again, it’s foolish.”

  “Hey, a girl has to make a living.” She knelt to scrape the bulk of the mud from her sneakers with a few oak leaves. “Heck, these are ruined.”

  “Find another way to make a living,” he suggested. “Something not quite so dangerous.”

  “Like a secretary or a waitress?” She slipped off the shoes and stood up, dangling the nasty things from the end of her fingers. “Nope, I belong here. I love the food, the landscape,” she pointed at the palmetto swamp, “I even love the legends and lore. I’ve made up my mind, this place is going to be my home. I belong here.”

  T-Rex narrowed his eyes, studying this small slip of femininity. “You living over in Calvin’s old place, the one next to Warren and Norton’s trailer houses?” The Boudreaux brothers were as dangerous as cane break rattlers and twice as crooked. Their father’s bait and tackle shop had once been a front – a front for illegal trapping and drug running, if what he’d heard was true, and he had very little reason to doubt it.

  “No. I need to be closer to the bait and tackle shop. Besides, Warren and Norton pulled up stakes and moved to Houston. Everything they owned is up for sale except what Uncle Calvin is letting me use.” Knowing he probably wasn’t interested in her family news, Glory pointed toward his boat. “Buford looks like he’s getting impatient.”

  The dog’s tail was going a mile a minute, a reaction Buford seemed to have every time he saw Glory. “I’m glad he’s tied, or he’d have already tried to come ashore.” What was he waiting on? “I guess I’d better jump back in, it’s not like he’s going to bring the skiff to me.”

  Just wanting an excuse to touch him, Glory ran her hand down his arm, loving the
feel of hard muscles. “I’m sorry about your clothes.”

  “I’ll dry.” Feeling decidedly uncomfortable, T stepped back a few feet, putting a bit of distance between them. “So, you’re staying in Calvin’s old hunting cabin?”

  Glory smiled. He was interested in her; she just knew it! “Yea, it’s not far from here, there’s a game trail that runs all the way from there to the bayou.”

  “Shit.” T-Rex let out a long breath. “The sun will be down soon, there is no way I’m letting you walk home alone. Stay here.” Before he could change his mind, he waded back into the bayou and boarded his small vessel, guiding it to shore. “Come on, Buford. We’ve got a little chore to do.”

  Glory couldn’t help but bounce a little on her toes. Who would’ve thought almost being eaten by an alligator could be a good thing? “Thanks, I appreciate all of this,” she spoke loudly enough he could hear her over the distance.

  T just nodded. From the moment he’d seen her standing there in mortal danger, his heart had been in his throat. What if he hadn’t made it in time? The tragedy of a light such as Glory being extinguished was unthinkable. By the time he’d pulled the skiff up far enough on the bank to keep it from drifting off, he’d settled down. Buford, on the other hand, was grateful to get on shore and equally thrilled to see his new friend once more. “Down, boy,” he chided his dog as he jumped up on Glory to greet her.

  “He’s okay.” She stopped to give his ears a rub. “Let me get the crawfish, to lose them after all of this turmoil would be a shame.”

  T waited until she’d emptied her catch into the cooler. When she started off with it, he took it from her. “Allow me.”

  “Thanks, again,” she said, “I really don’t like to think what would’ve happened to me if you hadn’t come along.” Glory sighed. “Seems like fate.” This train of thought went along with the tingling kismet type feelings she’d had about meeting him earlier.

  “Right place, right time,” he said, almost offhandedly, trying to avoid looking at her. Despite her similarity to a drowned rat, Glory Bee Hudson was still the sexiest woman he’d seen in his lifetime. As they walked, he held tree limbs off her face, letting her walk just ahead of him. “Be careful where you step.” Damn, this wasn’t going to work. Abandoning the cooler, he swung her up into his arms.

  “Hey!” She offered a token protest before allowing her arms to go around his neck again. “I could walk you know.”

  “I’ll come back for the cooler. All we need is for you to get snake bit,” T-Rex mumbled. “One fell in my boat earlier; this swamp is full of them.” When she shuddered in his arms, he had to suppress a smile.

  The walk to her small cabin wouldn’t be nearly long enough to please Glory. “What were you doing in my neck of the woods, Mr. Beaumont?”

  Trying to remain unmoved, T stoically walked on, concentrating on getting where he was going without succumbing to temptation. “My place is just down the bayou,” he admitted reluctantly.

  “We’re neighbors!” she exclaimed happily. “How wonderful.”

  No, it wasn’t wonderful. He needed to put as much distance between himself and this sweet armful as quickly as possible. The sun had almost sunk to the tips of the moss draped trees, washing the horizon in purple and gold. Trudging on, T was grateful to see the small cabin straight ahead. He’d had little reason to come here before now, only having drew near when he’d been tracking a deer or doing surveys for the Corp. “You’re living here?” His lips asked the question before his brain could think twice. A good wind or a heavy rain would bring the old ruin right down on top of her.

  His tone caused Glory to feel defensive. “Yes. I know it needs some work and as soon as I save a little money, I’ll find someone to help me get it into shape.”

  An offer was on the tip of his tongue, but he bit it back. Being her knight in shining armor appealed too much to be wise. “Good idea.” When he came to the steps, T watched where he placed his weight, not wanting to crash through the rotten boards. Leaving her here, alone, grated against his every instinct. But he had no choice, taking her with him was certainly not an option.

  “Since you’re here, I’d be glad to feed you. I have some etouffee almost ready, it only needs to be warmed up.” As he set her down, she was reluctant to let him go. Being near him like this was absolutely delicious.

  “Nope, thanks. Buford, stay.” He turned abruptly. “I’ll be right back with the cooler, then I’ve got to head out.”

  While T stalked off, Glory wasted no time. “Come on, Buford.” She held open the door and she and the mutt ran into the house, her going straight to a mirror, cleaning the mud off her face and applying a bit of mascara and lip gloss. Why she was so drawn to this man, she didn’t understand. All she knew was that she couldn’t get him off her mind and every time she was with him, he made her feel more alive than anyone ever had – even when he was grumpy – which was every time they were together. Only in her dreams was he glad to be with her, and the impact of those fantasies was what kept her pestering him to spend time with her.

  “Buford!”

  “He’s in here with me!” she yelled, taking Buford by the collar and guiding him back out, being careful to step clear of the small hole in the floor. She’d covered several holes with some wire mesh to keep snakes out, but if she stepped directly on it, her weight might be enough to break through. All she needed was to break a leg, then T would have to… “Hmmmm.” She laughed at how her own mind worked. “Surely, I won’t have to break a limb for him to notice me.”

  Putting a little extra swivel in her walk, she tried to look alluring when she joined him on the porch. “Thank you, T-Rex. You’re so strong.” She batted her eyes at him. “Hungry?”

  Hell, yeah. He was hungry. “No, gotta go. Try to stay out of trouble.”

  “Wait!” Glory called to him. “How about your three wishes? Isn’t there anything I can do for you? Anything at all?”

  T froze, put his hands on his hips, then turned to glare at Glory Bee Hudson. “Look. I hate to be rude, but I don’t know how else to do it.” He took a deep breath, and lied through his teeth. “I’m not interested in you.” T let his eyes rake over her body. “I don’t find you attractive. At all. I like my women to be a little more…womanly.” He could see the pain he was inflicting reflected in her eyes. His goal of hurting her enough that she’d relent in her pursuit of him was near…just a little harder push. “Those wishes you granted me, I’ll take one.” When she lifted her head a bit to hear him better, he lowered the boom. “My wish is that you’d just leave me the hell alone. Don’t be nice to me. Don’t offer me food.” He managed a sneer. “Try to salvage whatever pride you’ve got left and don’t offer me anything else you might have. I don’t want it. I. Don’t. Want. You,” T said the last four words slowly and succinctly. “Got it?”

  Glory didn’t say anything. She wrapped her arms around herself and hugged tight. This wasn’t the first rejection she’d experienced in her life

  T waited a second, then turned to go. Maybe now he’d have some peace. Every time she tempted him, he felt his resolve fading. This way, maybe she’d back off and he could get on with his miserable, solitary existence.

  “T-Rex?”

  He heard her soft voice. T stopped, but he didn’t turn around.

  “I don’t believe you. You like me, I can see it in your face.”

  He took one more step, then two.

  “Your mouth might lie, but your eyes don’t.”

  Another step away from her.

  “And neither does your dick, you were hard for me. I saw it.”

  Hell.

  “Come on, Buford.” He picked up speed, wanting to run while he still had the strength. If he didn’t put distance between him and Glory Bee Hudson, he’d take her up on her offer.

  And if he did, he might not have the strength to let her go.

  CHAPTER THREE

  After the humiliation of her last encounter with Mr. Beaumont, Glory cried a buc
ket of tears. The parting comments she’d thrown at him were full of bravado, but her heart had been breaking inside of her chest. All the self-confidence she’d built up, all the assurance Glory had in her worth as a woman had taken a monumental hit.

  “He doesn’t know what he’s missing,” she grumbled. “I’m a living doll. I would turn that man inside out if he gave me half the chance.” Her assessment of her own, as yet untried, sexual talents amused Glory enough that she giggled. “I’m a sex kitten, Mr. Hot Stuff. I’d make you glad you were a man, have you eating out of my hand…or maybe…somewhere else.” She ducked her head, surprised she could make herself blush.

  “How sad. I’m talking to myself.”

  She didn’t like to admit it, but she was lonely. Maybe she should get a dog like Buford. She sat on the floor, cleaning crawfish. Her gig with Swamp Life was in a couple of weeks. She planned on freezing these babies. All she lacked was one more trip to town to get some fresh herbs that she planned on planting outside, then she’d be all set.

  As she shucked the shells from the crawfish, Glory jumped when she heard it thunder. Without television, a radio, or even a phone, she had no idea what the weather held in store. Rising, she grabbed a paper towel and wiped her hands. Before she could get to the door, Glory heard a bolt of lightning rip through the sky, sounding like it struck the ground right outside the door. “Good grief!” she murmured as she stepped out onto the narrow porch. The southern sky wasn’t just dark, it was black and navy blue, pulsing with movement and streaked by wispy gray clouds that highlighted the rate that the storm was traveling. “This doesn’t look good.”

  In the next breath, the bottom fell out and a wall of wind hit hard enough to push her back against the wall. With a squeal, Glory turned, heading back in and slamming the door against the pelting onslaught. A billowing curtain and rain hitting the wooden floor, made her run to shut a window. “I’m in trouble,” she announced to the empty room. “Is this a hurricane?” Standing in the middle of the floor, she wrung her hands as the very walls of her little shack groaned when the wind hammered against it.