“Why does he hate you so much?” Maddie asked, cocking her head to one side. “I’m no sports’ expert. But it seems like you’re doing a pretty good job as head coach.”
Theo sighed. “It’s an old rivalry. Decades old. You know all those pictures you saw of me at the school office?”
“Of the track and field championship?”
“Yeah, those pictures. Steve grew up here too, and he was on the same varsity track team as me. We were both really good, and we had this friendly rivalry going on about whose performance was going to clinch the state championship for our team. At least, it was friendly, until he got injured. About two weeks before the state meet, he tripped really badly during practice while going over the hurdles. He broke his leg, which obviously put him out for the rest of the season. For some reason, he got it in his head that I somehow sabotaged him and rigged the hurdles to be too high so that he would injure himself.”
“Why would you do that to your own team member?” Maddie asked, her eyes widening. “That doesn’t even make any sense.”
“No, it doesn’t,” Theo said. “But one thing you’ll quickly learn about Steve, if you haven’t already, is that he’s stubborn as the day is long. Once he gets an idea in his head, it’s impossible to get it out. He was convinced that I wanted all the glory of the state championship for myself, so I injured him. I would never have done that, though. Sure, we teased each other, but it was all in good fun. And he was talented. Without him, we nearly lost the championship. A sophomore from our junior varsity team stepped in to take his place and did an okay job, but I really had to step it up for us to win without Steve. Of course, this resulted in my being deemed a hero, which in Steve’s mind proved that I was only after my own fame and glory. I swear he started that newspaper with the sole purpose of defaming me in any way possible.”
Maddie’s eyes glazed over a little bit as Theo finished his explanation. “You guys really take your sports seriously out here,” she finally said.
Theo chuckled. “Yeah, to put it mildly. In my younger days, it was all about winning. And winning still matters a lot to me. But these days I’m also interested in the discipline sports teaches to my boys. It instills good values in them, you know? Hard work, perseverance, teamwork. All that good stuff.”
To Theo’s surprise, Maddie’s face broke into a grin. “Can I quote you on that?” she asked.
Theo rolled his eyes and shook his finger at her. “Don’t you dare,” he said. “Which brings me back to my original question. Now that you know how awful Steve actually is, what are you going to do? You’re not going to continue working for him, are you?”
Maddie sighed and looked down at her feet again. Her long hair fell around her shoulders, blocking his view of her face for a moment. He could still see her gorgeous curves, though. The long-sleeved, deep purple shirt she was wearing tonight was fitted and had a v-neck cut that drew his eyes down toward her chest. He tried not to stare, but it was hard to keep his feelings in check when his dragon was stirring within him. He mentally chided himself for thinking about her in any sort of sensual way. Even if it was unintentional, she was working for the enemy. It wasn’t a smart idea to get too close to her. But damn, the way her skinny jeans hugged her thighs was mesmerizing.
“I can’t just quit my job,” Maddie said. “I need the money. This was the only job I could get after months of searching. I drained my savings dry trying to survive.”
She looked back up at him with an embarrassed look on her face. Theo let out a sigh of his own as he hopped back off the hood of her car again. He hated the idea of Maddie working for Steve, but he understood being short on money. After his dad had died, his mom had suddenly been faced with the responsibility of providing for three hungry dragon boys on her own. It hadn’t been easy, and his mom had worked whatever jobs she could find just to make ends meet. Theo’s heart tightened a little in his chest at the sight of Maddie’s worried face.
“Don’t worry about it tonight,” he said gently, with a warmth that was a little uncharacteristic for him. “Come inside and hang out with my brothers and me. My best friend Max will be here soon, too. Drinks on me. I can tell you’ve had a stressful day, and I’m sorry if I added to that stress just now. Take a night to relax and you can think more about what you want to do in the morning.”
Maddie hesitated, and, for a moment, Theo thought she was going to refuse his offer. But then a look of relief passed over her face, and she nodded.
“Okay,” she said. “I could use a night to relax. It’s been a while since I’ve had one.”
Theo grinned. “Just one rule, okay? Don’t quote me on anything.”
Maddie rolled her eyes and Theo laughed as he gave her a little push in the direction of the bar.
Chapter Four
Maddie felt all eyes turning to watch her as she made her way into the dimly lit bar. Theo had his hand on the small of her back to guide her toward his table, and she could feel a deep warmth emanating from the spot where he was making contact with her body. She wasn’t sure if everyone was watching her because she was new in town, or because Theo was acting undeniably possessive of her. Neither one of them had brought up the fact that he’d asked her on a date yesterday, and Maddie certainly didn’t consider this little outing a date. But the way her body was reacting to his hand on her back made her wonder, what if?
It had been a long time since Maddie had been touched by a man, and even longer since she’d felt a thrill of excitement from a man’s touch. She’d been through a series of lackluster relationships and messy breakups, and she’d finally given up on hoping for a boyfriend. She told herself that she was busy with her job search, and, then, when she ended up in Persimmon Springs, she told herself that it was unlikely she would find a man here. After all, it was a small town. Besides, she wasn’t planning on staying here forever. She was only here to make ends meet until she could find a job in New York. Or at least in a big city like Chicago or Los Angeles. She had big dreams, and this place couldn’t support them.
And yet, with Theo’s hand on her back, she couldn’t keep her mind from wandering to places she knew she shouldn’t let it. He was so tall, and she had always been a sucker for the tall, dark, and handsome look. And he was strong. His biceps bulged against the sleeves of his long-sleeved t-shirt, and Maddie was willing to bet that his broad chest was a sight to see when it wasn’t covered up with fabric. She wondered what it would feel like to run her hands across his bare chest, letting them run down to his abs, and then below the waistband of his pants…
Maddie’s cheeks flushed pink at her mental wanderings, and she snapped her attention back to the present moment. Theo was nudging her into a large booth, where two men were sitting across from her. The men were obviously related to Theo, with the same dark hair and piercing green eyes.
“These are my brothers, Zane and Drake,” Theo said. “Guys, this is Maddie. She works for the Gazette.”
Maddie watched as a shocked expression passed over both of their faces. They did their best to quickly school their features and hide their surprise, but the look had been undeniable. Maddie sighed. She might as well just confront the elephant in the room.
“I didn’t actually write that,” she said. “My boss took my article and completely rewrote it.”
Zane and Drake both looked relieved, and Drake extended his hand across the table to Maddie.
“Steve’s a jerk,” he said. “Don’t take him too seriously.”
Maddie nodded gratefully, not bothering to point out that she had to take him at least a little bit seriously if she wanted to keep her job. She didn’t want to complain too much and be a buzzkill.
Zane reached across the table and shook her hand as well. “You can call me Z,” he said. “All my good friends do.”
Maddie smiled and nodded again, and then the server showed up.
“Hey doll,” she said with a smile. “I’m Cassie. Can I get you something to drink?”
Maddie glanced
up at Cassie, who was wearing perfectly tailored jeans and a red plaid button down shirt. She looked adorable, and she had one of the kindest faces Maddie had ever seen. She also looked like she was about Maddie’s age, and Maddie silently wondered if Cassie might be a potential new friend for her. It would be nice not to feel so alone in this small town.
“Um…Miller Lite?” Maddie said. This earned her a series of gasps from the table.
“No way. No one at our table drinks that piss water,” Zane said. “If you want to sit here, you have to order a real beer.”
“Come on, guys, give the girl a break. Let her order what she wants,” Theo said. But his brothers wouldn’t hear it.
“Have you ever had Shiner Bock?” Drake asked.
“Shiner what?” Maddie asked. Zane and Drake laughed.
“Cassie, get this girl a Shiner,” Drake said, and Cassie rolled her eyes.
“I’ll get you a Shiner, dear. If you don’t like it, you can exchange it for a Miller Lite. Don’t let these boys bully you around. They like to act like beer snobs, but they’re all talk.”
This brought a chorus of laughs from the table, just as Max walked up. Maddie recognized him from the football game, but Theo introduced him anyway.
“Maddie, this is Max, my assistant coach and best friend. Max, meet Maddie. She’s new in town. She just took a job for the Gazette.”
Max raised an eyebrow but didn’t comment, and Maddie didn’t feel like explaining herself again. He reached over Theo to shake Maddie’s hand, and then glanced at Cassie.
“I’ll take the usual, hun,” he said.
“You got it,” Cassie said, then disappeared to get their drink orders.
Theo scooted in closer to Maddie so that Max could fit into the booth as well. The bench was plenty long enough for three people, but that didn’t stop Theo from scooting so close to Maddie that his thigh was pressed against her thigh. She bit her lip, again enjoying the little thrill that passed through her body when it contacted his. Their beer came, and Maddie had to admit that Shiner tasted a whole lot better than Miller Lite. She didn’t really like Miller, anyway. She’d just gotten used to ordering it when she didn’t have a job, in an effort to save money. Miller Lite was almost always the cheapest thing on the menu.
For the next several hours, Maddie downed Shiners and laughed harder than she had in ages. Theo and his crew were witty and loved to poke fun at each other. The conversation was lively, and the men discussed everything from whose cows were escaping this week, to when their next trip to the big city (Dallas) would be, to politics, and, of course, football. Maddie felt herself relaxing as the room started to get a little bit blurry. She was at that point of joyously tipsy, that spot right before truly drunk where you still had a reasonable amount of your senses about you, but everything seems happy and pleasant.
The men included Maddie in their conversation where they could, but, for the most part, she was content to sit and listen. Especially when Theo slyly slid his hand onto her thigh under the table. He rested his palm across the top of her leg, and used his thumb to gently stroke the side of her leg. Maddie felt her face turning red again as a rush of heat flooded her body. Theo continued talking and laughing, giving no indication to the others of what his hand was doing under the table. For her part, Maddie was glad she wasn’t expected to talk that much, because she wasn’t sure she’d be able to squeak out any words right now.
Her logical brain tried to cut in briefly, telling her that getting involved with Theo was a bad idea. But her heart didn’t care, and her heart was feeling especially bold right now thanks to the beers she’d consumed. Her heart rate increased and she wanted nothing more in that moment than for Theo to lean over and kiss her. She knew it was ridiculous to wish for that. He wasn’t going to make a show in front of his crew. But all Maddie could focus on was how wonderful his lips would feel on hers.
Maddie lost track of time as she relished the moments of being so close to Theo. Before she knew it, the bartender was loudly yelling “Last Call!” across the bar. Apparently, she wasn’t the only one surprised by how much time had passed, because Theo looked at his watch and raised an eyebrow.
“Damn, it’s two a.m. already. Anyone want a last round?”
“Naw, I’m out. I’ve gotta get up early tomorrow,” Zane said. “I’ve already stayed out way too late.”
Drake and Max declined as well, so they closed out their tab and started heading toward the door. As soon as Maddie stood up, she realized that the beers had affected her a little more than she thought. She stumbled a little as they got to the door, and Theo reached out to steady her with his arm.
“You okay?” he asked, looking over at her with concern.
“Yeah, just had a beer or two more than I intended,” Maddie said with a weak smile.
“I don’t think you should drive,” he said, narrowing his eyes at her. “Let me take you home in my truck.”
“But my car,” Maddie protested.
“Just leave it here. You can come pick it up in the morning. Trust me, it happens all the time. They’re used to it and don’t mind at all. You’re not safe to drive right now.”
“You had just as many beers as I did,” Maddie said. She was trying to focus on Theo’s face, but it was swaying in front of her. Or maybe she was the one swaying. She couldn’t tell.
“I can handle it a lot better than you. I’m a big guy, and I’m…” Theo trailed off. “I can just handle it better. Don’t be an idiot Maddie. Let me drive you home.”
Maddie nodded, feeling somewhat foolish. It wasn’t like her to drink so much that she wasn’t safe to drive. But Theo was right. She’d had too much, and she didn’t want to put her own life, or, worse, someone else’s, at risk. Theo said goodbye to his brothers and Max, and then helped Maddie into his truck. The thing was giant, lifted several feet off the ground, with an extended cab and super long bed. Maddie couldn’t resist commenting as Theo fired up the engine.
“So, how often are you hauling stuff that you actually need a truck this big?”
Theo gave her a longsuffering look. “It’s not about need. A man’s truck says something about him. I can’t just drive around a puny truck, you know?”
Maddie giggled, then hiccupped. “What is your truck saying about you?” she asked.
Theo rolled his eyes at her. “You’ve got a lot to learn about Texas,” he said. “Now tell me where you live.”
Maddie rattled off her address, then settled into her seat as Theo drove in the direction of her small, two-bedroom house. They spent the rest of the short drive in silence, and Maddie stared out the window at the bright, glittering sky. She loved the stars out here. There was at least one benefit to living in the middle of nowhere. Maddie glanced over at Theo for a moment. Okay, maybe two benefits. Theo pulled into her tiny driveway, his truck taking up the entire stretch of it, and then he hopped out and rushed around to open her door. He held out his hand to help her jump out, which, besides being a gentlemanly thing to do was necessary for Maddie in this unsteady state.
She started fishing her keys out of her small clutch, and then turned to walk toward her front door.
“Do you want to come in and have a drink?” she called over her shoulder as she struggled to get the key in the lock. Everything was still a little bit blurry. Normally, she wouldn’t have been bold enough to ask Theo inside, but the strong buzz she had was making her a little more forward than usual. There was no answer for a moment, so she looked over her shoulder at him. His eyes were intense, and he seemed to be weighing his options.
“I’ve already had a lot of drinks,” he said, his voice low and husky. The sound of it sent a fresh thrill of heat through Maddie’s body.
“Drinks aren’t the point,” Maddie said.
The heat in Theo’s eyes intensified. He looked right and left warily, then back at Maddie, still considering.
“Are you embarrassed to be seen with me?” Maddie asked, trying not to feel hurt but sounding wounde
d anyway.
“No,” Theo said. “But I want to protect you. I’m not sure you realize how intense the gossip mill can be around here. I’ve probably already set off rumors by parking my truck outside your house.”
Maddie looked around. Her neighbors houses were dark and quiet. She shivered a little from the crisp December air.
“Oh, to hell with it,” Theo said. “I have to at least make sure you get inside okay, right?”
He crossed the space between them in two giant steps, and gently pushed Maddie into her house. His lips were on hers in an instant. He pushed the door shut behind them with one arm and used the other arm to push her up against the wall. His whole body pressed against her, and Maddie could feel his erection through his jeans. He held her face in his palms, and his tongue slipped past her lips, searching hungrily for her tongue.
Maddie let her hands run down his chest to his abs, then slid them behind him to feel his strong back. Her body felt like it was on fire. In every place where his body was making contact with hers, she could feel an electric heat running between them. She had never experienced anything like this before.
He kissed her deeply for several minutes, the stubble on his chin scratching against her own smooth skin and sending fresh tremors of ecstasy across her body. She was in heaven.
And then, he pulled away slowly. Maddie panted, happy to catch her breath but wanting more. He reached out and gently ran a finger down the side of her face, looking at her with such affection that she felt like her heart my burst.
“Theo?” she asked softly.
“I should go,” he said, his voice barely more than a whisper.
“What? Why? Don’t go,” Maddie said, her voice growing urgent.
“You’re drunk,” Theo said. “And my mama would beat the shit out of me if she knew I slept with a girl for the first time when that girl was drunk. It’s disrespectful.”
Maddie giggled. “Your mama doesn’t have to know,” she said.
Lone Star Dragon (Shifters in the Heart of Texas Book 1) Page 3
