by Lexi Blake
Siren in Bloom
Texas Sirens, Book 6
Lexi Blake
writing as
Sophie Oak
Siren in Bloom
Texas Sirens Book 6
Published by DLZ Entertainment LLC
Copyright 2018 DLZ Entertainment LLC
Edited by Chloe Vale
ISBN: 978-1-942297-04-8
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights.
This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination and are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or establishments is solely coincidental.
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Table of Contents
Dedication
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Author’s Note
Siren Unleashed, Coming Soon
Pure Bliss, Coming Soon
About Lexi Blake
Other Books by Lexi Blake
Dedication
For Shelley Bradley—who is sitting somewhere plotting revenge...I hope I caught your bratty, sweet, lovingly loyal spirit. My life would be so much less without your friendship.
2018 Dedication
So it’s been six years since I wrote this book and a lot has changed. We’ve gotten older and hopefully wiser. We’ve gone through a lot in those years, but one thing hasn’t changed and that’s how much I value you. You’ve always steered me in the right direction, given me space when I needed it and a hand to hold when I needed that, too. I’ve gotten the joy of watching you find a new place in this business. You continue to inspire.
This book is now and always will be dedicated to my friend Shayla Black.
Prologue
Deer Run, TX
Leo Meyer stared at her, the one woman who’d ever tempted him beyond measure, the one he couldn’t help but open himself up to. Unfortunately, Shelley McNamara Hughes had already opened herself up to another man—her husband.
She stood in front of Aidan O’Malley’s desk, leaning against it, her lovely body tense. Her glossy black hair hung in a long wave over her shoulders, her brown eyes tired. She was fucking gorgeous, but he couldn’t believe the words that had come out of her mouth. “What did you say?”
Her eyes slid away from his as they often did when he put that hard tone into his voice. It was one of the sure signs of a submissive. He’d taken one look at Trev’s sister two years before and his fucking heart had flipped. And then he’d found out she was married.
“I said you should leave.” The words came out quietly, but there was power behind them. “You should go back to Dallas.”
Leo crossed his arms over his chest and stared down at her. What the hell was she thinking? The last couple of days had been hard. She was worried about her brother, and Leo believed she had every right to be. Trev McNamara had come back to Deer Run after a long absence, and someone wasn’t happy about it. “You think I should leave when someone is obviously after your brother? You’re the one who called me down here. You got me up in the middle of the fucking night because you were sure Trev was slipping.”
She’d called two nights before when her brother hadn’t come back to her place. Trev was a recovering addict and it had been his first time on his own. Leo had hopped in his car and gotten his ass down to Deer Run. He hated to admit it, but his haste had been as much about Shelley as it was about Trev. He’d been willing to leave the search for his wayward patient to the McKay-Taggart employee he’d brought with him. He’d gone to be by Shelley’s side. It looked like she didn’t want him there.
Dark, midnight-black hair shook. “No. Trev is strong. You did an amazing job with him. He won’t slip up. I know that now. I trust him. I was wrong to bring you here. You should go back to Dallas.”
“When all these people are harassing Trev? Sweetheart, I don’t think that’s a good idea.” He softened, everything inside him responding to Shelley’s obvious despair. It was there in the slump of her shoulders, the tightness of her eyes. He’d made a study of this woman. He’d greedily taken her in every time he got near her. When she would visit her brother, he would make excuses to see her, and then he would stare at her like a student studying a work of art.
She sniffled, and he couldn’t handle another second of it. He reached out and pulled her into his arms. God, it felt like the right thing to do.
She was stiff for a moment, but then she melted into him, her arms going around his waist.
It was the first time he’d touched her in this way. He inhaled her scent, the citrus of her shampoo, the clean smell of the soap she used. He sank his hands into her hair.
He was done. He’d seen what her husband was really like. He wasn’t going to let her marriage vows to a man who behaved like Bryce Hughes hold him back. He was crazy about her.
Fucking hell. He loved her. After all these years, a failed marriage, and countless flirtations, he’d finally found the right woman.
“Shelley.” He whispered her name. God, he even fucking loved her name. “Baby, it’s going to be all right.”
Her head tilted up, her eyes bright with tears. What the hell had that monster put her through? Bryce Hughes was a son of a bitch who was about to get the full treatment. He would call in some investigator friends, and by the time Ben and Chase Dawson were done, Leo would know everything about Bryce Hughes. He would know every dirty secret, and he was damn sure there were many. Something about the man was filthy right down to his core.
Her lips trembled. Leo knew he shouldn’t, but his decision was made. Her marriage didn’t matter. Hughes had given up rights to his wife by treating her like shit. He would have Lucas start divorce proceedings immediately, so it wouldn’t matter if he had this one moment with her.
He lowered his lips to hers. A gasp escaped her, a soft, submissive sound that had Leo’s cock tightening. She was everything he could want. And all he had to do was take her.
His fingers sank into her hair, pulling it back slightly. He took her mouth, letting his tongue run across those plump, sensual lips, demanding entry. Her body pressed to his, and her mouth opened with a sigh. Leo invaded, the taste of her heady and encompassing. He inhaled her. After years of longing, this was what he needed. He needed to sink into her, to know that she was his. His tongue found hers and he dominated, taking over, slanting his mouth again and again. He thrust his tongue deep in a naked imitation of what he wanted.
She gave as good as she got. Her hands tightened on his shoulders, fingers sinking in. If he hadn’t been wearing a shirt, he would have half-moon indentions on his flesh, and he would have shown them off pr
oudly. He wanted to bear her mark, even as she would bear his. Her ass would be red from his hand, his paddle, his whip. He would make her his submissive, his wife.
Oh, she was going to be his wife.
“Baby, I’m going to take such good care of you.” He ran his hands down her back and found the round globes of her ass. He cupped that gorgeous rear and pulled her close, letting her feel how much he wanted her. “I won’t let him touch you again. Lucas can draw up papers today. As soon your divorce is final, we can get married.”
She seemed to come out of her daze, her eyes widening and those chocolate brown orbs glistening. “Leo, no.”
He pulled her closer, slightly afraid that if he let her go, he could lose her. “You have to leave him.”
Her head shook, and her hands came down from his shoulders to press against his chest. “No. I’m not leaving Bryce. I’m sorry. You completely misunderstood me.”
The words didn’t penetrate. He couldn’t quite make himself let her go. “He’s not good for you.”
She sniffled, but an air of resolve descended over her. Her shoulders straightened and set, her chin coming up in a stubborn tilt. “He’s my husband.”
“He doesn’t have to be. Baby, I know you’re scared, but I’m going to take care of you.” She had to understand. Bryce had her terrified.
But she didn’t look terrified. She looked annoyed. “You have to stop. This was a huge mistake. Please let me go.”
She pushed at his chest again, and he had no choice. He released her and took a step back. What the hell was going on? For years he’d watched her. He’d caught the way she’d looked at him. He couldn’t have been mistaken. She felt the same way he did. Didn’t she?
He forced his hands to his sides, and took another cautious step back, hoping distance would bring some sanity back to the situation. “Tell me you don’t want me.”
He wouldn’t believe it until he heard it.
“I can’t.” She smoothed back her hair. “I want you, Leo. I just don’t want to leave my husband.”
“You want an affair?” The thought turned his stomach. The reason he’d never laid a hand on her was his deep distaste for cheating. He flirted. He flirted all the time with unavailable women, but he would never actually touch one. His own wife had divorced him after she’d had an affair with a coworker. Shelley couldn’t be asking him to be the other man.
“No.” She turned away, staring out the window that overlooked the vast O’Malley Ranch. “I don’t want that. I’ve never cheated on Bryce, and I never will.”
Thank god he hadn’t misjudged her. He took a deep breath. “I understand. I’m sorry. This got out of hand. Look, it’s my fault. I had a rough night. Let’s take this slow. The first thing we can do is sit down and talk to Lucas about your options. He isn’t a divorce lawyer, but he knows enough to advise you. When the time is right, we’ll find an excellent divorce attorney for you. And we won’t touch again until you’re comfortable.”
It was better this way. Everything would be aboveboard.
She didn’t turn, merely stared out the window. “I’m not getting a divorce.”
“Bryce is dangerous. Something is going on with him. I don’t know what it is yet, but I will find out.”
Now she turned, and there was a cold look on her face. “Don’t. Leave him alone. I’m not one of your patients. Stay out of my marriage.”
“Did he say something to you?” Had Bryce threatened her? “He can’t hurt you.”
“He has never raised a hand to me. Get that through your head. You’re seeing what you want to see. You’re a good-looking man. I can’t help but be attracted to you, but I’m not going to ruin my marriage over what would only be a short-term fling. We’re from two different worlds.”
“Are you telling me you want to stay with Bryce?” He couldn’t believe it. Bryce was a douchebag, and Leo was pretty sure he was involved in something criminal.
“Is that surprising? I married him.”
“Do you love him?” He searched her face. It was as blank as a doll’s.
“That doesn’t matter. I have to live in this town. I’m not leaving here. Bryce and I make sense. I like our life. I’m certainly not going to give it up. What could you offer me? Do you want me to live at a BDSM club? I can’t do that.”
He felt like she’d punched a hole straight through his chest and ripped his fucking heart out of his body. This was about money? This was about the lifestyle? She didn’t want him because he worked in a club? “I guess you’re right. I can’t offer you what Bryce can. Bryce is rich.”
She nodded. “Yes, he is. I’m in a good place. I would be a fool to throw it all away. I have a big house and the respect of everyone in the community.”
He doubted that. Oh, the house was big enough, but he’d heard rumors about Bryce’s infidelity. He would bet there were a lot of people in this tiny piece-of-crap town who felt sorry for her. But if this was what she wanted, who the fuck was he to take it from her? After all, he was an idiot with a PhD who worked in a BDSM club.
He took a deep breath, seeking that place where he found peace. He’d learned long ago to let go of the things he couldn’t control. He couldn’t force Shelley McNamara to love him. Hughes. He had to start thinking of her that way. She was Bryce Hughes’s wife. And that was right where she wanted to be.
He was going to stop making a fool of himself.
“I wish you well. Please let your brother know I’m always here for him.” He let the real meaning lie there between them. He would always be there for Trev McNamara, but they were done. He wouldn’t take her phone calls. He wouldn’t answer her e-mails. He was through.
She nodded and turned back to the window, dismissing him utterly.
Leo walked out of the room, a coldness settling around his heart. He wouldn’t try again. He’d been wrong to try this time. He would go home and do what he did best—help others find peace and happiness.
There was neither in the world for him.
* * * *
The minute the door closed behind her, Shelley broke down. She thrust her fist over her mouth to muffle the sound or the sob would have echoed through the house, giving away the game she was playing.
She’d lied. God, she’d lied about everything.
Tears coursed down her face.
She wanted to run after him, to beg him to stay, to take her away with him. She’d never loved anyone the way she loved Leo Meyer. She’d known it the minute she’d met him.
And she loved him enough to keep him alive.
Bryce was a monster. She knew that now. She could still feel his hand punching her gut. He’d laughed when she’d fallen to the floor and explained that he wouldn’t touch her face because it was too pretty. He needed a pretty wife since she’d been useless in every other way.
And he’d explained that he would kill Leo Meyer if he caught her even thinking about him again.
Shelley let herself sink to the floor.
She’d done what she had to do.
Chapter One
Dallas, TX
15 months later
“No. Absolutely not. Can’t you see this is a very bad idea, Julian?” Leo Meyer looked at his boss trying to convey his deep belief that impending fatherhood was obviously affecting Julian’s brain. Ever since Danielle Lodge-Taylor had announced her pregnancy six months before, Julian’s brain had gone soft, and his current request was merely proof that the situation was getting worse.
Julian looked up from the papers he was studying, that single eyebrow arching. He could tell a lot from his boss’s eyebrow. Where most people wore their expressions on their mouths or their eyes, Julian was all about that single arching brow. This particular time, that brow told Leo that Julian was getting frustrated with his stubbornness.
“She’s merely put in a simple request, Leo.”
There was nothing at all simple about Shelley Hughes. “I thought you hired Mrs. Hughes to redecorate the penthouse. Not to play around in The C
lub.”
Julian leaned back, a frown on his hawklike face. Despite his money and privilege, Julian had come up the hard way. Leo had made a long study of his boss, but the last few years had shown a deep and abiding change in Julian Lodge. Loving Danielle and his partner, Finn, building a life with them, had turned Julian into a meddling old matchmaker. “You know The Club is a place for exploration. I’m a bit shocked that you think I would turn down a woman in need.”
Leo felt his jaw drop open. Julian didn’t run a soup kitchen. He ran a BDSM club, and a ridiculously exclusive one at that. “She’s not a member of this club. Have you started a pro bono fund? Because I don’t think Mrs. Hughes can afford the membership fee.”
Julian’s eyes rolled. “Good lord, you’re transparent, Leo. She’s not married anymore. And she’s taken her maiden name again.”
He was well aware of that. Her husband, Bryce Hughes, had been killed a year before. Did she still mourn him? She said no, but then she’d lied before. “Good for her. It doesn’t explain where she got the money to buy her way into this club.”
“Sometimes I allow people in for other reasons than simple money. Lexi couldn’t afford this club. Neither could Aidan. Your new charge certainly can’t.”
Logan Green. He was coming in this morning. The big guy from Colorado had some serious problems, according to his brother. God. He had to deal with Wolf. The last thing he needed was Julian trying to force him together with Shelley. He’d let it go. He’d let her go. Why had she come to Dallas? She’d made herself plain enough that day at Aidan O’Malley’s ranch. She didn’t need anything he had to offer.
“Wolf thinks Logan needs this place,” Leo said absently.
“And I think Shelley needs it.” Julian tapped a file folder in front of him. His desk sat in front of a large window with a spectacular view of the Dallas skyline. “I want you to be honest with me. I trust you, and if you tell me differently, then I will deny her request. I’m going to give you a scenario. A smart woman, who happens to be related to a man I respect greatly, comes out of a difficult marriage. She was used by her husband to cover his many crimes. She’s utterly disillusioned and heartsick. She watched the man she’d married be brutally murdered. She was taken hostage herself and was only saved by the actions of her brother. She’s been in a deep depression. Her husband was the only man she’s ever had a relationship with. She married young and never explored her own sexuality. She’s obviously submissive but has had no chance to discover this part of her personality. She’s sweet and kind and I worry that if something doesn’t change for her, she will fade away. If you had no idea who I was speaking of, if you merely had these facts in front of you, what would you recommend?”
