by Piper Stone
Go for it. “When you finally tell me why, then I’ll consider laying low.”
“Hardheaded bastard. I’ll see if I can find out anything. That’s a big if. You didn’t give me much to work on.”
I eased out of the parking space, moving toward the exit. “I know your skillset, my friend.”
“You owe me a twelve-pack and a juicy steak, minimum.”
“Yeah, yeah. Later.” I eased the phone onto the dashboard and gave sleeping beauty a glance. At least she would sleep it off. When I looked back into the rearview mirror, I could see him in the shadows. Watching.
Waiting.
Planning.
And just as I was ready to turn out of the parking lot, another car came, shining its lights onto the bouncer.
And the outline of his gun.
Chapter Twelve
Holland
“You’re such a bad little girl. You know what you deserve, now, don’t you?” His velveteen voice washed over me, creating a series of tingles between my legs. I was taken aback by the darkness in his eyes, ever so dominating in his demeanor.
But he was right.
“Yes, sir. I know that, sir.”
“Then tell me exactly what you need.”
“I...” I bit my lip, lowering my head. The answer was easy. “A hard spanking.”
“Mmm...” I shifted, feeling the kind of warmth all around me that was comforting. Amazing. Stretching, the visions remained in my mind. The two-day stubble highlighting his angular face and those luscious lips and...
I finally managed to open my eyes, savoring the moment as my hand slipped between my legs. I was so wet, my thighs slickened. What a wonderful dream. Then I realized I wasn’t in my bed. The same ugly cowboy painting came into view. A second night I’d woken up in his house.
In his bed.
The second I sat up, the entire world swirled around me and not in a good way. “Oohhh...” My head was splitting, hammers knocking at the area just behind my eyes. Even my stomach lurched, the nausea overwhelming.
I very slowly eased back down, staring up at the ceiling, unable to remember much of anything. The way my mouth was almost glued shut gave me an idea. Alcohol. Copious amounts. What in God’s name had I done?
As I brought my hand to my head, I felt the roughness on my palm. It took every ounce of effort not to vomit from the light swimming in through the open blinds. My hand was chafed, scarred. I brought the other one from the covers and groaned. They both looked like I’d taken a tumble across a long patch of gravel or maybe had initiated a bar brawl.
And my knees.
I reached under the covers, realizing my knees were scuffed at the same time I figured out I wasn’t wearing any clothes. Biting back a yelp, I tugged the covers under my chin, taking deep breaths. I could remember the restaurant. Montana. We’d gone out to dinner and I’d had a glass of wine and... And...
Tequila.
Oh, God. What stupidity had I gotten myself into? A few fleeting images rolled into the back of my mind, enough that I certainly didn’t want to look myself in the mirror. Haggard wasn’t going to be the word. The cat had no doubt dragged me several miles as evidenced by the scrapes across various portions of my body.
I turned over, staring at the clock. “No. No!” It was after ten in the morning. What day of the week was it? Hell, what month was it? Better yet, what had occurred the night before? I bit back a moan as I slid my hand under the covers once again, fingering my pussy. I was wet, but not enough to indicate Montana and I had... I couldn’t even think about the concept. Had he taken advantage of me in this condition?
No. He couldn’t have.
He wasn’t that kind of man. Maybe. I wasn’t sure.
I took gulping breaths, glancing around the room. He’d placed a bottle of water on the nightstand and thank God, a bottle of Tylenol. I struggled for a solid five minutes before I was able to sit up and reach for both of them.
Where were my clothes? Oh, this was a total nightmare. As I finally was able to place my feet on the floor, my stomach churning, I closed my eyes, trying to remember. The way the sheets slipped across my naked bottom was a direct hint.
He’d spanked me.
Again.
A bar. Wine.
Tequila.
Karaoke.
A strip tease.
Oh, dear God.
I was forced to hold my stomach as I shuffled toward the bathroom. I wasn’t a big drinker, not really. Mixing red wine and tequila? A death sentence.
The mirror told no lies about the kind of night I’d had. Reckless. Stupid. Childish. Twisting, I bit back another whimper seeing the red marks covering pretty much every inch of my bottom. This was getting to be a habit, my bad behavior.
I managed to wash my face then found a robe on the back of the bathroom door. I had little choice and I wasn’t going to slip on the red dress, probably ever again.
The moment I eased out into the shadowed hallway, while I didn’t hear anything, I did smell bacon. There was no way I could eat anything. Maybe ever again.
I’d made some big promises already this morning. As I walked toward the kitchen, the guilt began to take over, dragging at my breath. I was furious with myself. I never let my guard down and I certainly never made a fool of myself in front of an entire crowd. Had the conversation with Montana been difficult?
More than I wanted to admit.
He didn’t need to hear all the gory details of my wretched family life. And I certainly didn’t need to bring back the sadness and the anger.
Then there was the phone call. Or maybe I should say the emptiness on the other end of the line. I knew there’d been someone there. They’d invaded my space, trying to scare me. I pushed it aside at least for now until I could even begin to think rationally. That didn’t seem like it was going to be today.
I stood outside the door watching him as he made breakfast. He’d set two plates, juice, even coffee on the small table and was humming while he cooked. It seemed so out of character for a larger than life man who took no shit from anyone. I was used to the rough and tumble cowboy with a giant attitude and a hatred for most people. The way he looked in the tight black jeans, accentuating the same sexy ass I was used to seeing on the circuit, a cerulean blue polo that I knew would bring out his eyes, and steel-tipped cowboy boots was enough for any girl to fantasize about.
He was perfect for any woman longing to be taken care of. As long as they wanted to surrender to him body and soul. Everything about this man seemed to catch me off guard. Even the melodic hum was beautiful, serene even in its sexiness.
“Hi.”
His shoulders tensed and he tipped his head, glancing all the way down the length of my body before giving me a smile. “How do you feel, sunshine? How are the scrapes?”
Of course he had to taunt me for my shameful behavior.
“Don’t ask. Did I take a dive into the parking lot?”
“That’s exactly what you did. I used some antiseptic, so they should be good as new in no time. I bet that bottle of tequila tasted better than it does now. A little red wine chaser,” he teased.
“Don’t remind me,” I whispered and managed to sit down on one of the stools. “Do I need to ask what I did last night? Are you going to turn me into the sheriff, cowboy?”
“While nothing illegal, I don’t think you really want to know.”
I dropped my head into my hand. “Then don’t tell me. But if it ends up in the morning paper, I’m moving to Canada.”
Montana chuckled, shaking his head. “You need to eat some food. Doctor’s orders. You’re still in recovery so drink your juice.”
“Did we... I mean did you... I mean...” I tugged the robe, hating the way I was fumbling for words that made any sense.
Montana turned off the stove, reaching for his cup of coffee. “I might be an asshole to pretty much everybody you ask, but that’s not something I will ever do. Having sex with an unconscious woman isn’t on my bucket list.”
“Oh, no. Unconscious?”
“Snoring on the way home. Really cute little snorts. I should have recorded them for posterity.”
Shit. Shit. Shit. “Look, I’m sorry. I don’t drink often and I don’t know why I chose last night to break my own rules. I hope I didn’t do anything damaging.”
“Damaging. Hmmm.” He shook his head and served me a plate of scrambled eggs and bacon, even adding chives on top. “You are to eat or you’ll sit here until you do. I might even cuff you back to the bed if you refuse. Then again, it would be interesting to try and feed you. Granted, you might bite the hand of your feeder.”
“Yes, Daddy.”
“Very funny, although I do like the sound of that. Let me think.”
“Never going to happen. Other rules you might insist on but forget it.” Why did his eyes have to bore into my very soul? And why were my nipples so freaking hard?
Winking, he fixed himself a plate and as he sat down, the normalcy of being in his kitchen in a bathrobe was startling.
I almost felt like I belonged.
“I’m sorry, at least for what it’s worth.”
He gave me a single look before digging in. “For what?”
“First off for embarrassing you last night. Then I can go over the entire list if you’d like. Lying to you. Breaking into your house. Punching you.”
“That’ll do for starters,” he said, rolling his eyes afterwards. “We’ll talk further about all the rules you’re going to follow from now on.”
“For how long?”
He rubbed his jaw, hemming and hawing. “Two serious infractions, other minor issues. Two years will be enough.”
“Two. Years?” The man had to be joking.
As he leaned over, the scent of him, all masculine and ripe with fresh testosterone was practically intoxicating. “Well, I might consider a reduction in the time for very good behavior. In. Every Manner.”
I kicked him under the table then attempted to eat, hiding from his infectious grin and the command he had over every inch of my body. “There’s a rodeo event tonight? I hadn’t heard about anything.”
“An exhibition and before you even think of asking, you are not participating.” He held out his finger, unblinking.
“Let me guess, I’m not good enough for the hoity-toity types.”
“Has nothing to do with that. Truth is, your skills have improved significantly, even if you are a bit of a hot-dogger, which could very well get you killed.”
“Oh, come on!”
He held up his index finger, wagging it back and forth. “Let me finish, hothead. I could see you as a champion one day, if you practice long and hard and have the right teacher.”
“The right teacher, huh?”
Shrugging, he wolfed down the majority of his plate. “Yep.”
His words surprised me, although he certainly wasn’t going to commit to anything. “But I wasn’t invited to the exhibition.”
“Hell, I only was at the last minute. I think they threw it together for some bigwig coming in town. The organizer and I don’t get along.”
“Then why agree?”
Montana swiveled his juice. “I honestly don’t know. All proceeds go to charity. I guess maybe you inspire me.”
“Nice try; however, that’s not the reason you agreed, is it?” I allowed the question to be more of a purr.
“You think you know me so well,” he whispered in his sexiest voice. “I don’t like the guy. Maybe I wanted to show off. I don’t know really. Knee jerk reaction, I guess.”
“What did you do, perform a bad surgery?” I hadn’t expected the shadow crossing his face or the way he seemed to shut down instantly. “Montana, I was just kidding.”
“There’s no story here. Just some bad blood between us.” He scooped up several additional bites then jerked to a standing position.
“You’re leaving?”
“Have surgery in an hour. Left your keys and purse in the living room. Help yourself to a tee shirt, shorts, or whatever you need. We’ll talk later.”
After he walked out of the kitchen, I sat still, dumbfounded at his reaction. The yin and yang of him was getting on my nerves. Well, maybe his dark behavior was a bit enticing. I took a couple of bites before pushing the plate away, my stomach in knots. How had everything gotten so off track?
I moved to the window, gazing out at his backyard. No more rattlesnakes for me. I enjoyed being here, pretending, but I also preferred being in my space. At least some of the time. Chuckling, I walked into the living room.
When I grabbed my purse, I heard the sound of my phone and stiffened. Even my hand was shaking as I reached inside. I stared at the unknown status on the display, my throat tightening.
“Aren’t you going to answer that? Hell, it rang at least four times last night alone.” Montana stood with his arms folded, studying me intently.
“Probably just Julia checking on me. Nothing more.”
“Then why are you sweating?” He moved closer, narrowing his eyes. “Answer it.”
“I...”
“Answer the phone, Holland.”
I dragged my tongue across my lips, cringing as the single bead of perspiration trickled down the side of my face in full frontal view. “Hello?”
At first there was nothing. No breathing. No sounds. Then I heard what had to be the magazine of a weapon slammed into a gun. I’d know the sound anywhere.
“If you think the cowboy is going to protect you, then you have another think coming.” The voice was obviously disguised, but no less evil, the threat ringing in my ears.
Bam!
The gunshot was loud, enough so that Montana must have heard, grabbing the phone out of my hand.
“Wait. Wait!” My calls were unheeded as he backed away from me.
“Who is this? Look, you motherfucking asshole. If you ever try and threaten her again, I will hunt you down!” Montana was red-faced, shaking from his raw anger.
I slumped down on the couch, unable to hear if there was any response. I was shaken to my core, panic settling in. They’d found me. There was nowhere I could run, no place to hide. I had to get my act together. I had to think. Breathe. Montana couldn’t be involved in this. I refused to get him...
Killed.
I’d been warned and I hadn’t heeded the information well enough.
“Fuck this shit. What is going on?” Montana demanded.
“Just some asshole.” I heard the rigorous tremor in my voice. There was no disguising my fear.
“Just some asshole who decides to shoot off a gun as a warning. Do you expect me to believe that shit? And that better not have anything to do with your father. Talk to me!” His demand was even more aggressive.
“There is nothing to say.” I almost regretted spilling details about my past. I was far too vulnerable.
I heard his boots thudding against the hardwood floor as he paced. “This isn’t the first time, Holland. The flowers. A phone call with no one on the other end of the line. Now this?”
“I shouldn’t have said anything. I’m certain it’s nothing. Besides, why do you care?” As soon as he went silent, I closed my eyes. “Shit. That wasn’t fair and I’m sorry. The truth is, I didn’t tell you everything about my childhood, the difficult times. There are some issues that I can’t seem to wrap my hands around.”
“Issues. What a load of shit. You need to trust me. Is that why you ran, made such ridiculous rash decisions?”
“What?” I eased to my feet, moving quickly around the edge of the couch. “I told you why I purchased the clinic. That wasn’t a lie. I also told you about my love of animals and needing to get a fresh start. That was very much the truth.”
“Maybe you really are a criminal running from the law.” He got in my face, his jaw clenched.
The tension was horrific, thick and suffocating.
“That’s not true,” I managed after what seemed like an eternity. “Please don’t think that way.”
&nb
sp; He took a deep breath, his beautiful blue eyes unfocused from the level of concern.
He did care for me.
“Then what is? That call terrified you, Holland. You don’t deserve that, but I can guarantee you that whatever you’re mixed up in you can’t handle alone.” I could still hear the twinge of anger.
Just like the man himself.
I couldn’t be drawn any further into his web. He wasn’t my savior. There wasn’t going to be any additional blood spilled on my hands.
No one could save me from this.
And I loved him too much.
The realization was startling, frustrating in every way. I couldn’t fall in love with him. I wasn’t even certain if I was capable of love.
He was so angry, fuming to the point I had no idea what he was going to do. “You’re infuriating.”
“Let me guess, you want to spank me,” I snapped, more out of exasperation.
“Hell, I should.”
“Then do it. Tie me to your bed. Keep me locked away. That’s really what you want to do, isn’t it?”
His shoulders heaved, his eyes flickering but I stood my ground, crowding his space. Both huge hands grabbed my shoulders, shaking me. “Damn you, Holland.”
His next move was unexpected, shocking me to my core. He yanked me against the heat of his body, my breasts pressed tightly to his chest, enough to feel the beating of his heart. As he wound his fingers in my hair, tangling them, fisting and pulling, I became lost in the moment.
He crushed his mouth on mine, taking exactly what he wanted. This wasn’t about punishment or the intense game we’d been playing. This was about unrequited passion, all the pent-up desires that had connected us in a blazing fire of need for months. I’d crossed the first line, creating a volcano between us.
Now, he was crossing the second, delving into deeper waters, treacherous darkness that we could both drown in. But there was no denying our desires, deep-seated longing that thwarted every concept of reality.
Or danger.
The kiss became unbridled, his rugged fingers sliding ever so slowly down my back, cupping my bottom and lifting me onto my toes.