She rolled her eyes, her back stiffening again. “Yes, supposedly they spent the night with her…together.” The last word she stretched out, giving him a sure hint Hart and Wes had had a threesome. “Hart came home, my brother stayed behind to spend the weekend with the woman.” She leaned back. “That’s about all I could take. Any more from Hart and I’d be in the jail for maiming him.”
He leaned back, matching her. “That about sums up what I got too, including the maiming part.”
“So what now? I know I’m a bitch. I know I’m not a nice person, but my brother is. He’s all that I have left and regardless of how insane he drives me, I do love him. I want him back and will do anything and everything to find him.” Her eyes searched his, and he knew she meant every word.
Pure grit.
God he’d never dreamed she’d turn into such a determined woman. He liked it and that scared the hell out of him.
“Umm…I suggest…” What did he suggest besides running as far from her as he could? She was dangerous to him. “Just head back to the ranch. I’ll call you when I get back from Hamilton.”
She rose and he breathed in deep, finally filling his lungs with the air he hadn’t been able to inhale. “I don’t think so.” She slung her bag over her shoulder, striding toward the door. “I’ll be in the county Tahoe waiting. We’re going to Hamilton.”
Before he could argue with her, or even say a word more, she slammed the front door. Shit. The Tahoe door opened and closed and he knew he wasn’t going to get her out of the vehicle, short of dragging her out.
Damn it to hell. Six hours in a car with her was going to get one of them killed. He’d better call his lawyer first.
Chapter Two
Mavis sank into the tan leather seat. What was she doing? Why on earth had she stormed out of the office demanding she go with Bowie? Insanity. Surely that would be a good defense. She was going to need one, because no way would they both survive the trip to Hamilton and back. Bowie still had the power to make her do and say things she knew better than to. He’d always had a way about him that kept her on edge. As a kid she’d hated it, and him. As a teenager hate had turned into love and passion, but they both learned a lesson about passion and emotions. Now he threatened to make her forget that lesson with just a few words.
The last thing she’d expected to find when she came back to Tanem was Bowie as sheriff. Why the hell had his father retired? Dirk Sinet should be the one looking for her brother and not his son, who had a gift for unnerving her.
She squirmed in the seat, trying to get comfortable. Maybe she should get her laptop out and try to do some work while they drove. It might just save her from having to talk to Bowie or even look at him. Determined to not give him the satisfaction of knowing how deep his words had hurt her or how much he still affected her, Mavis buckled up and powered on her computer. She would show herself and him she wasn’t the young, innocent, scared little girl who needed a savior anymore. She’d saved her damn self and would continue to do so.
The driver’s side door opened. Bowie stared across at her. She raised one eyebrow, lifting her sunglasses slightly to stare back at him. “Problem sheriff?”
They glared at each other. She could see by his clenched jaw he wanted her out of the vehicle, but they both knew it wasn’t going to happen. Seconds passed as he stood brooding.
“You may not like what we find.” His voice edged with warning.
What would she do if they did find her brother dead? A sliver of panic and grief ran through her. She had no idea and didn’t want to even think about it.
“I may not like it, but I can’t stay here and wait for someone else to find him. Plus, you need me.” She pushed her sunglasses back down and started typing on the computer again.
He barked a harsh laugh, before sliding onto the seat. “In the seventh level of hell I would need you.”
She grinned and turned to him. “Good thing we’re not in hell then.”
“Says who?” The engine roared to life as he tuned the key.
“I don’t know, but wouldn’t hell include my father?” She shrugged, glancing over at him. “Let’s just find my brother and then I’ll leave Tanem, never to return again.”
Silence hung in the air as she stared down at her computer. Why did the past keep coming up? Yes, they had unresolved issues, but still. Shouldn’t they both be over it? She sighed. She doubted she would ever get over her past, no matter what happened in the present or future.
“Your dad’s dead.” The Tahoe sped toward the road leading out of Tanem. “Stop running from his ghost. Your brother needs you.” He turned on a back road, traveling past Sin’s Bar and Grill.
What did he know of ghosts? Mavis fought back the urge to jump down his throat. He had no idea about ghosts, and somewhere deep inside her she was happy for him. “My brother is the only reason I’m back now.”
“No he’s not. The reason you’re back now is because of guilt, not because of him.”
Guilt? What the hell did Bowie Sinet know about her or the guilt she carried? Nothing. Not a damned thing. Anger rose within. He had no idea of guilt or ghosts or any other fucking thing.
“Did you get shot in the head or something?” She tried to rein in her temper. “Of course I’m back because of my brother. He’s the only person in this world that means a damn to me.” Rage edged out of her.
“Keep telling yourself that. It’s a lie and we both know it.” His calm ’know it all’ voice grated on her nerves.
“What the fuck are you, a shrink or a cop?” She slammed her laptop shut. “I pay a lot of money every month to see a professional, and believe me my conscience is clear.” In fact the day she’d destroyed her father she’d cleared her conscience.
“I’m a cop, but I also know my brothers, parents and Laney mean something to you.” He glanced at her. Smugness vibrated from him.
He was right. She hadn’t spoken to his parents in years, but she loved them. They’d been a lifeline for her as a child and she’d never be able to fully repay them.
“Just shut up. If I wanted to spend my time examining my thoughts and feelings I’d have gone to my shrink.” She reached into her bag, pulling out a set of headphones to drown him out. “Let’s just find my brother.”
The roar of the tires on the road echoed in the cab. An uneasy silence fell between them. Mavis plugged in her headphones and turned her laptop back on. There was a ton of environmental paperwork she still had to file before her next drill.
“So Mavis Tanem got her wish after all?” His words weren’t spoken with sarcasm, as she’d expected. Instead she’d caught the hint of pride hidden in his tone.
“A few of them, not all though.”
“I read where your company just bought out one of the largest drilling companies in Texas. That’s major, Tanem.”
It was. She’d worked damn hard to make the deal push through. “It’s not bad. I’ve got a good group of employees, who spend a great deal of time making sure I get what I want, and I wanted to expand. That company has equipment that will drill in the Dakotas.”
He turned slightly, glancing at her. His drawn–together eyebrows told her he didn’t understand. Most people didn’t.
“Texas has big oil, we all know it, but other states have big oil too, it’s just a matter of finding it.” She opened a file on the latest preliminary drill results.
“And you think you can find it?” A smirk played on his kissable lips.
For the first time she took him in, really took him in. Her eyes appraised every inch. Where she’d gotten wrinkles and packed on the pounds, he had only gotten more muscular. Bowie still had a panty–dropping sexiness to him. He also had a hard edge that drew her to him. His black hair curled out from under his hat. She grasped her hands together, fighting the urge to run her fingers through it. She’d once loved the feel of her hands in his hair as his lips skimmed over her neck.
She swallowed. Good lord, what was she doing? She had no business
remembering anything about his mouth on her. Those memories would only lead her to trouble. Yet the slight five o’clock shadow on his square jaw only attracted her more. She met his gaze, as he turned to catch her staring. The air sizzled between them. She’d been busted.
“So…” He looked away, breaking the heated moment.
At least one of them had some sense.
“You’re on the hunt for black gold?” His voice flowed thick with a mixture of apprehension and temptation.
She wasn’t sure what was happening. He was joking with her? Not something she’d expected.
“Always.”
He nodded. “Thick and black like Texas oil.”
This time she smiled. He remembered. “Through and through.”
“So why are you leaving Texas to go to North Dakota then?”
She cocked her head to the side. She hadn’t said she was going to North Dakota. The only way he’d know about her next drill site was if he’d read the blog on the company website. One she’d only posted a few days before heading to Tanem.
“I never said anything about North Dakota.” She turned, watching his expression never change. He was good, but she knew he’d let it slip that he’d read her post. “So, you keep up with my company?”
“No.” The word came out too harsh and rushed. He was lying.
“Hmmm.” Why she felt the need to push the issue she didn’t know, but couldn’t stop herself. “Oh, so you keep up with me then? That’s even better.”
The Tahoe swerved to the left. She couldn’t hold back the laugh bubbling up inside her. She’d gotten to him.
“Funny.” He huffed a breath out, getting the Tahoe back in the right lane.
“Glad you agree.” She smiled, looking down at the laptop. She hadn’t read a single word of the report, instead she’d been so tuned into Bowie she’d forgotten all about her work. “It’s okay. I imagine you knowing about North Dakota has more to do with my brother then me.” She put her headphones on her head. “You drive, I’ll work and stop irritating you.” She didn’t wait for a response. Mavis had to get some work done and get her mind off of him. While she’d been messing with him, trying to provoke him out of his cool demeanor, she’d worked herself up instead. It was time for some distance between them before she really did or said something she’d regret.
Bowie stared at the long, empty road ahead of them. For the last two hours it had been just the two of them. A few times it had seemed as if they were the only ones left on the planet. They’d even gotten into a comfortable banter. In those moments it felt like they’d never been apart, like her father hadn’t caught them and nearly killed her.
Bowie had accused her of running. Maybe she was running from her father’s ghost, but he was still running too. The night her father had caught them in the barn he’d destroyed what had been left of Mavis after her mother’s death. Bowie had tried to stop it, but he’d been too weak.
From that day on he’d sworn he’d do everything in his power to never let that abuse happen again to a woman or child. His hands tightened around the steering wheel as he noticed the scars on her wrist shining while she typed on her laptop. Damn.
Her leaving had almost destroyed him. Her father had tried his best to finish the job with him. In the end, both Mavis and Bowie had turned out okay. She’d lived, thrived even, and Bowie had kept his promise to himself. Still his gut clenched every time her green eyes met his. If only he’d have refused to go to the barn with her that night, things would be different now.
“Mavis…” Her head bobbed slightly to whatever she had playing on the computer. He didn’t dare touch her, a touch had been what spiraled their lives out of control. “Mavis.” This time he leaned toward her, repeating her name louder.
Her head stopped bobbing. She glanced over at him. “Huh?” She kept the headphones on, causing her voice to be ten times too loud.
He shook his head. She’d always loved music. Maybe she’d zone out and start singing along. Her voice was radio worthy.
“Weston once told me he had a cabin on a lake. Boar Lake isn’t too far from here. Has he ever mentioned having a place there?”
She shook her head sending the sweet, fresh smell of her shampoo through the cab. “Not that I remember. It’s worth a shot though. There aren’t too many cabins around.”
“On the other side of Hamilton there are two more. I want to check Boar Lake out before we go on to Hamilton.”
She bit her bottom lip. “Alright.” Worry creased her forehead.
“You alright?”
She nodded, not looking at him. “Yeah, fine. Just didn’t know there was so much about my brother I didn’t know.”
He understood. Having three brothers himself, he knew how easy it was to believe you knew them when you really didn’t. “It’s not just you and your brother. Everybody has their own secrets.”
Her eyes slowly met his. Fire burned behind the bright green. “Even the sheriff?”
He swallowed. He had more secrets than he’d care to admit. “Especially the sheriff.”
A slow smile spread across her lips. He was screwed. If she asked him for the moon he’d be out there stealing a rocket to try and get it for her. After all the years of believing he’d moved on, believing she was just a part of his past, he never expected her to draw him back under her spell. What was it about her?
“Let me guess, you’ve fucked Corrine because you can’t get me out of your head? I don’t think that’s much of a secret, except maybe that last little part. Most folks think…” Her voice held an edge to it that he knew too well. He’d heard that need before, many times, and matched it with a need of his own.
He slammed on the brakes. Every cell in his being was on fire with anger, resentment and need. Yeah, he fucked Corrine and every other damn woman he could to get relief. And yeah, he still hadn’t gotten Mavis Tanem out of his goddamn head.
The computer in Mavis’s lap slammed onto the floorboard. Her body jerked forward against the seatbelt.
“What the hell?” Anger flared in her voice.
What the hell indeed. She wanted to talk about him fucking women to try and forget about her, then she needed to know there was no forgetting her. She tormented him every day, whether she’d meant to or not, and it was damn time she learned.
He jerked the truck into park and got out. Her eyes were wild as he watched her through the windshield while marching around the truck. With each step toward her his dick hardened. He’d waited ten years to touch her again and, by god, he was about to do more than just touch her. Her chest heaved up and down and he knew he wasn’t the only one who hadn’t been able to get the other one out of their head.
His hand grasped the door handle and he jerked it open. His breath came hard and fast. There wasn’t enough oxygen in the air to fill his lungs and calm him down.
She opened her mouth, no doubt about to ask him what he was thinking. His hand cupped the back of her neck, pulling her head toward his. Her eyes widened even farther, but she didn’t pull back. Instead, her mouth found his. Hell on earth had just found him.
With one hand cupping her head, holding her from pulling away, he wrapped the other arm around her waist, twisting her toward him. She fought at her seat belt, jerking wildly to get it off. Insanity had settled over them both.
The more she moved to get out of the seatbelt the more her body teased him. One hand crept along the underside of her shirt, sliding up her back. Mavis’s skin burned against his palm. Her body twisted to face him, her legs opening to let him stand between them. God he wanted her. Years had done nothing to extinguish the fire she ignited in him.
Her lips parted and he hesitated, waiting to see if her need matched his. He stared at her, praying for relief one way or another. Her eyes slowly opened, fire blazed within them. She stared at him. Neither one moved for a long second. He didn’t know whether to pull away from her or to slide her closer to him. He was lost. Lost in her.
Mavis’s hands slid to his w
aist. She grasped his shirt and he clenched his jaw, waiting for her to push him away. Instead she yanked his shirt out of his jeans and her palms flattened against his stomach, slowly gliding up to his chest and toward his back. Her short clipped nails skimmed over his burning flesh, and he jumped with each touch. No one brought him to life like her. Hell, he’d tried so hard to find someone, anyone to make him feel the passion again. No one could. Just her.
Her fingers inched lightly just under the waistband of his pants and his breath caught. He couldn’t move. If he did he’d rip her goddamn pants off and fuck her long and hard on the side of the road for anyone to see. He closed his eyes, silently begging for her to make the next move. He froze as her scalding touch left his body.
He opened his eyes to stare down into hers. Her eyes searched, appraised, and whatever she found deep within his must have satisfied her. She clenched his shirt in her hands and instantly her lips found his again, her tongue skimmed his bottom lip before her teeth lightly nipped it. He sighed, loving the way she went wild in a split second. His hands left her neck to grasp her hips and tug her to him as close as he could. The heat flamed between them, surrounding their bodies. He opened his mouth, sliding his tongue against hers. The kiss deepened and both came up for air panting. His mouth found her neck and she squirmed even closer, pushing out the air between them.
His dick pushed against the denim holding it back. Jesus, he wanted inside her. His hands jerked at the button of her pants, even as hers slipped under his waistband. He nipped her collarbone, earning a loud moan of pure pleasure from her.
“Mavis…” He slipped one hand into her pants, sliding it lower, toward her pussy. The soft lace of her underwear caressed his palm. With all the willpower he had left in him, he stopped, eased back and gazed into her wild eyes. “When I slide my dick into you again it won’t be in this damn truck on the side of the fucking road. Make no mistake, your memory has tormented me for ten goddamn years and soon, very soon, I’ll be tormenting you for hours.” He eased away from her, his body aching. Damn he wanted inside her.
Brought to His Knees-Tough Guys Laid Low By Love Page 78