And there he was. Standing politely on the porch, waiting for Melissa’s answer. He saw Lindsey, and his expression lightened. Heated. “Seems she is.”
Melissa turned far enough to look at Lindsey. Her eyes narrowed. “And seems there’s a tale or two someone missed telling.”
Uh-oh.
When Melissa glanced at Zander, uneasiness filled her face, but she moved away.
Lindsey managed a step forward before Zander’s steady gray-green gaze made her hesitate. She stalled, unable to more. “You’re here.” Her words were only a whisper. “You came.”
Satisfaction filled his gaze; nonetheless, he hesitated. “Maybe this isn’t a good time…”
She threw herself at him.
He caught her easily, only a grunt betraying his injuries.
“Oh shit.” She froze and started to step back. “I’m sorry—I forgot about your ribs.”
“Fuck my ribs,” he muttered and yanked her closer, holding her carefully enough he didn’t hurt her stomach—and so firmly she knew she’d never escape. Thank you, God.
Each breath she took was filled with his clean masculine scent, and when he buried his face in the curve of her shoulder, she burrowed even closer. “I missed you so, so much.”
“You might not feel so friendly”—the voice was that of Dark Haven’s sadistic Enforcer—“after I whip your ass for disappearing.” Then he sighed and added, “I missed you too.” He kissed her, slowly and thoroughly, before looking over her head. And stiffening.
Lindsey glanced back and smiled at her stunned mother and sisters. Mandy stood behind Melissa.
Zander cleared his throat. “I’m Zander deVries.” He studied her family for a moment and accurately pegged them. “Mrs. Rayburn. Melissa.” He turned to her littlest sister. “And Amanda?”
“You and your damn search programs,” Lindsey muttered. “That’s right.”
“It’s good to meet you, Zander.” Melissa gave Lindsey another of the sisters-who-hold-out-on-the-good-stuff-get-hurt stares. “Obviously, you know more than we do. I’m not sure why Lindsey hasn’t told us anything about you.”
He raised an eyebrow, and Lindsey flushed. “I didn’t because—” She smacked him hard on his uninjured shoulder. “You bastard. I’ve been calling you. Why aren’t you returning my calls?”
One corner of his lips tipped up. “Busted my cell diving into a hunting cabin. I called you; you’re not answering your phone. Left messages here you didn’t return.”
“Oh jeez.” She leaned her forehead against his chest. “The ranch voice mail is full of reporters. And my phone is in a snowbank somewhere down the road from Serenity. Morales didn’t want the GPS around.”
He snorted and lifted her chin. “I see we still have a bit of a trust issue here.”
“I…was worried. A little.” A lot. Her lips curved. “And you weren’t?”
“Hell, yeah. Difference is I know I’m not letting you go.”
“Doms,” she said under her breath.
* * * *
Little Tex had a crazy family, deVries thought a few hours later as they sat in the great room and chatted. They’d been cautious around him at first…until after supper. While the women were cleaning up, Lindsey had dumped the baby girl into his lap. Almost scared the piss out of him. Melissa had started over to fetch her child—although her husband, Gary, hadn’t made a move.
But Emily had chortled, grabbed his T-shirt, and pulled herself to her feet so she could pat his face and explore his mouth and beard stubble with her tiny fingers. And laugh. The kid had Lindsey’s infectious laugh in a baby-size portion.
Fucking adorable.
Melissa had resumed her work.
Lindsey had winked at him. Yeah, he was going to beat on her for that one.
The evening was getting late; however, no one seemed to care—probably because they’d all shared a pitcher of margaritas, the Rayburn household drink. Melissa was regaling everyone with tales of Lindsey’s younger days—his Tex had been a hellion—and stories of sisterly catfights.
Catfights. Be a hell of a thing to watch. He and Gary grinned at each other.
“Well, I need to retire for the night.” Tammy rose and kissed her daughters. “Y’all go ahead and party.”
“I should be going,” deVries said, wondering how to get out from under the sleeping baby on his lap.
With a snort, Gary claimed his child. “She needs to be put to bed anyway, but I thought you were staying.”
“He is.” Melissa gave him a happy smile. “Mom and I made you up a room upstairs.”
“Yes, we put you next to Lindsey’s bedroom.” Tammy frowned at her daughter. “However, don’t you get him…excited. We don’t need any fatalities on Christmas Eve.”
Fatalities? DeVries gave the woman a puzzled look before hilarity burst out from the three sisters.
Lindsey was giggling so hard her face had turned purple. She was wearing the fuzzy hoodie he’d bought her, and the teddy bear ears were bouncing up and down. Damn, some women couldn’t handle alcohol well at all.
With a grin, he scooped her off the floor and settled her onto his lap.
Fucking A, this was where she belonged. He rubbed his chin on her hair, feeling her giggles like tiny vibrations against his chest.
“I almost forgot. We’re going to need more milk, honeybunches,” Tammy said to Lindsey. “Can you make a quick trip to the store in the morning?”
“Sure, Mama,” Lindsey wheezed. “I can—”
“Not without me,” deVries said.
“What?” Laughter slowing, she frowned up at him. “Agent Bonner said I should be safe now. And—”
“No.” The thought of her in danger again sent an icy dagger into his gut. “Bonner can’t guarantee they got everyone. Could be a cop or two—or anyone—who might resent your involvement.”
“But—”
“Argue all you want. You don’t go anywhere alone. Not in Texas.”
Gary winked at his wife before nodding at deVries. “You’ll do, partner. You’ll do.”
“That could be argued,” Lindsey muttered grumpily. But she huffed a laugh, leaned in, and whispered, “Stubborn Dom,” before kissing his cheek.
He hugged her closer, feeling that odd warmth in the center of his chest. My woman.
Was she? It was damned well time to nail her down and find out where they stood. As Mandy and Melissa argued about a Cowboys’ play, deVries leaned back and repositioned Lindsey so she straddled his legs. So he could see her face.
She wrinkled her nose at him. “You look awfully serious.”
“Yeah.” He stroked his knuckles over her cheek and watched her brown eyes go soft. “Now things are settled here, are you staying in Texas or coming back to San Francisco?”
LINDSEY HAD BEEN listening to her sisters bickering, and Zander’s question came as a surprise. She blinked and stared at him. “Um.”
His jaw was tight, and the lines fanning out from the corners of his eyes had deepened. “Gotta do better than um.”
He had a point. Everything had been too unstable for the past few months to make real decisions about her future. Still, she’d had dreams and longings. Wanting to come home. And building castles in the air around a life with Zander.
Her brows drew together. “What would you do if I said Texas?”
“Find a job down here.”
Her mouth dropped open. “Really? B-but you love San Francisco. You told me that.”
“Babe, I didn’t even like being a couple of miles from you. I might miss California, but I’m sure as hell not going to live all the way across the country from you.”
“Oh,” she said, the word almost a sigh. He’d let her decide. She could stay here where her family was. Where she’d grown up. Texas was her home. Isn’t it?
Yet Mandy would be going off to college. And, no matter how much she loved Melissa, she didn’t want to live on a ranch. Or work in a small town. The kind of career she wanted was more suited to
a city. She bit her lip.
Silently, Zander curled his hands around her hips, holding her steady…and letting her think.
What was her other choice? She could return to San Francisco, where her two best friends lived—ones who would drop everything to support her.
Return to where she had an awesome job and a fantastic boss.
Return to where she had a club to play in and a duplex she loved. And where she could watch the ongoing saga of Dixon and Stan. Her lips curled up. How could she resist?
“Isn’t this strange? I’ve wanted to come back to Texas and take up my life again, and somehow, without realizing it, I made a new life. New friends. New family.”
His hands tightened painfully on her hips. “Go on,” he said softly.
“I want to live in San Francisco. With you.” She put her hand on her chest, feeling breathless. God, she was insane—nonetheless, it was true.
He nodded as if he hadn’t cared one way or the other; slowly his fingers relaxed.
She narrowed her eyes at him. “You really were willing to live here in Texas?”
“Yeah. I came close to buying the farm last week—but I wasn’t fucking about to leave you. I figure you dragged me back to the living.” He curled his hand around her nape. His grip hadn’t changed a bit—unbreakable and determined—just like his words. “I go where you go, Tex.”
“Same here.”
Whatever he saw in her face made him smile. He drew closer, rubbed his cheek against hers, then took her lips in a kiss so deep and wet that she heard her sisters cheering—before the roaring in her ears washed them away.
No, home wasn’t a state—not California or Texas. Instead, her home was one damn big Dom. Rough-hewn, and deadly when crossed. Blunt, grumpy at times, dominating and possessive.
Yep, right here, wrapped in the Enforcer’s arms, was where she belonged.
Loose Id Titles by Cherise Sinclair
Master of the Abyss
Master of the Mountain
My Liege of Dark Haven
The Starlight Rite
* * * *
The DOMS OF DARK HAVEN Series
“Simon Says: Mine”
Part of the anthology Doms of Dark Haven
With Sierra Cartwright and Belinda McBride
* * * *
“Welcome to the Dark Side”
Part of the anthology Doms of Dark Haven 2:
Western Night
With Sierra Cartwright and Belinda McBride
* * * *
My Liege of Dark Haven
Edge of the Enforcer
* * * *
The MASTERS OF THE SHADOWLANDS Series
Make Me, Sir
To Command and Collar
This is Who I Am
If Only
Cherise Sinclair
Now everyone thinks summer romances never go anywhere, right? Well…that’s not always true.
I met my dearheart when vacationing in the Caribbean. Now I won’t say it was love at first sight. Actually, since he was standing over me, enjoying the view down my swimsuit top, I might even have been a tad peeved—as well as attracted. But although our time together there was less than two days, and although we lived in opposite sides of the country, love can’t be corralled by time or space.
We’ve now been married for many, many years. (And he still looks down my swimsuit tops.)
Over the years, I’ve lived in many states and worked at a multitude of jobs before settling down to writing. Finally meeting other authors was a huge relief; apparently I’m not the only person to have a mind populated with characters talking, arguing, and having hot sex.
Nowadays, I live in the west with my beloved husband, two children, and various animals, including three cats who rule the household. I’m a gardener, and I love nurturing small plants until they’re big and healthy and productive…and ripping defenseless weeds out by the roots when I’m angry. I enjoy thunderstorms, playing Scrabble and Risk, and being a soccer mom. My favorite way to spend an evening is curled up on a couch next to the master of my heart, watching the fire, reading, and…well…if you’re reading this book, you obviously know what else happens in front of fires. :)
—Cherise
Visit Cherise Sinclair on the web at http://www.cherisesinclair.com
Edge of the Enforcer Page 31
