by Bella Juarez
“Are you checking out my sister, man?” Davey asked.
“I check out anything female,” Friday said.
Dan shot Friday a warning look. That bastard had better not be having visions of his Rio. Friday was totally wrong for her and would never understand her, not the way Dan would. She needed someone who would let her be herself and not try to smother her commanding personality. His SEAL buddy pissing in his territory made him want to pick up the lame fucker and throw him across the room. He realized he’d dropped his guard when he caught Davey and Friday looking at him with some concern.
“What the hell’s wrong with you? Why are you looking at me that way?” Friday took a defensive posture.
“I thought you two were friends?” Davey’s gaze moved from one to the other. “If you want to kick his ass, take him outside.”
Dan shoved his chair backward and stood. “I’m getting another beer.”
“Why? The one you have is full,” Davey said, holding the bottle up.
Dan stalked to the bar in an attempt to cool off before he bitch-slapped Friday and Davey. Reminding Dan about fucking up his chance to take Rio to the prom brought back a landslide of regrets. And just when Dan knew his day couldn’t get worse, the tavern door opened to admit Rio and her crew. Dan closed his eyes and groaned.
As she walked by, she glanced at him and smiled. He could live for that smile and would do anything to keep it on her face. He’d also fuck with her to see her posture and growl the way she had yesterday. Seeing her in uniform again made his cock come to life as his gaze ran from the rank insignia on her collar down to her boots. The olive-drab uniform she wore was sexier than any Victoria’s Secret ad he’d ever seen. He inhaled sharply as his dick came to full attention in record time. His cock lurched at the sight of her handcuffs on her tactical belt, and he knew right then he needed to have a serious talk with the uniform whore between his legs.
She approached her brother and Friday. He grabbed his beer and returned to the table. He’d be damned if he’d leave her alone with Friday. He took a seat, and Davey smiled at him as he put his arm around Rio’s waist.
“Hey, look who’s here.”
“Hey, guys, how’s it going?” Rio asked. Friday and Davey burst out laughing, and Rio looked at him puzzled. “Did I say something funny?”
“They’ve been stupid all day,” Dan said, taking a drink.
Standing no more than maybe five feet three inches, she couldn’t have weighed over 120 pounds soaking wet in her heavy uniform and boots. He recalled seeing her with her long dark brown hair down when he’d gone to tell her about the men he’d seen yesterday. The thick and wavy mane, framing her round face and big brown eyes, and he had to curl his fingers and fight the urge to run hands through it. The Jensen siblings’ mixed Scandinavian and Latin heritage reflected in her light olive skin that seemed to glow against the dark green uniform. It suddenly occurred to him how asinine he’d been when he’d shown up on her doorstep. He looked up, and their eyes locked just like they had yesterday when he’d gotten a massive hard-on watching her wrap her tactical belt around her waist. Knowing she’d always had a knack for seeing right through him, he knew if he stared any longer, he’d betray his dirty mind. Somehow she knew how to make him want to stroke himself with just a glance.
She could always read his mind. He’d start talking, and she’d instantly understand and know what he needed to do. Seeing her again, he realized what a loss her friendship had been to him. He’d let something special slip from his grasp. He’d been stupid to try to move on with his life without her in it. Well, by God, he was here now and she wouldn’t get away again.
“I’ve got to go. It’s Van’s birthday, and we stopped in to celebrate with him,” she said, turning toward the bar.
“Are you coming out to the ranch this weekend?” Davey asked, looking at Dan and catching her before she walked away.
“Why? Do you need a maid and cook?” she asked, sounding as if he’d put her out of her way. She was just as he remembered, witty and snarky. “I’ve got the next four days off all to myself,” she said, looking toward the bar where the other CBP agents called to her. “I’ll see you guys later.”
The opportunity he needed to get reacquainted and close to her again had just presented itself. He watched her interact with the men she worked with and knew he had to do something to make up for lost time. His vision of tasting her lips was rudely interrupted when the door suddenly flew open and three men stepped inside the tavern.
“Ah, fuck, that’s why I wanted you to go and see my sister,” Davey said.
“Jax Macey’s a deputy sheriff? Were they that desperate?” Dan asked.
Jax Macey and his gang had moved on into adulthood and apparently still hung together. He’d been the school bully, and by the way he and his buddies were moving around St. Elmo’s, nothing had changed. He noticed Jax glance at the bar and zero in on Rio. Sensing the threat to her, his fist clenched in anger, and he sat up in alarm. He knew that look on Jax’s face and knew that his woman had become a target. The way she avoided Jax didn’t get past him, either. Even though his logical thinking brain knew she could take care of herself, his heart wasn’t buying into it.
If that bastard made a move toward Rio, he’d have to do something, because he wasn’t about to let her fend for herself. It didn’t matter that a group of men more than capable and willing to protect her, surrounded her. She was his, not theirs. Everything in the small tavern went still as Jax got up and walked toward the group of CBP agents. The switch from hometown boy to badass Navy SEAL flipped in less than a millisecond when he saw Rio close her eyes and stiffen. The imminent threat to her now became his primary focus.
“Danny, there’s something I need to tell you…”
Not hearing the warning he got up and went to protect what was his.
* * * *
Rio cringed when she saw Jax get up and walk toward her. For some reason, he’d recently been struck with the idea that they were a couple. He’d gone out of his small mind if he thought she’d ever hook up with him. When they were growing up, he’d constantly bullied one of her best friends in high school making her a collateral target most of the time. She hated this man for every humiliating moment he’d made others endure, and her long memory was short on forgiveness. The CBP agents with her fell silent with Jax’s approach. No one wanted a confrontation.
“What are you doing here with all these men?” Jax demanded.
The bar fell into a tense silence, and she wished he would go away. Her first instinct was to get in his face and tell him to fuck off, but men like him never took the hint and were too stupid to take no for an answer. She took a drink of her Diet Coke as she thought about how to defuse this situation. By the way he was acting, a clash would be unavoidable, and she didn’t want to humiliate him by kicking his ass in front of everyone.
“Walk away,” she said quietly.
She didn’t need to look at him to know her words had made him red with rage because she wasn’t obeying him. “Rio, no woman of mine—“
“She said, walk away.”
Looking in the direction of the voice, her heart skipped a beat when she saw who’d spoken.
“Well, lookie here, boys, it’s little Danny Gamez,” Jax said with sadistic amusement as his gang laughed.
Now Jax had her attention. Danny had been mercilessly bullied by Jax most of his life. The intended insult made her turn and narrow her eyes at him. If Jax didn’t back the hell up she’d use her boot to put his balls in his throat. It pissed her off whenever he’d fucked with Danny, and it made her even madder when Danny would try to neutralize Jax with humor or a joke. She didn’t need Danny the comedian right now. Jax was too stupid to see the humor in anything but hurting someone smaller and weaker. She balled her fists in rage. Maybe it was time she made this stupid ox understand that things would never go the direction he’d like to believe they would.
“Don’t help me,” she insisted as she st
ared Jax down.
Right before she lost her shit, someone grabbed her elbow and moved her aside. Danny took her place in front of Jax.
“Go finish your drink, Rio,” he said as he stared at Jax. When she didn’t move immediately, he said, “Get her out of the way, Van.”
The sudden uptick in her heartbeat became impossible to ignore. His commanding tone took her by surprise. Her jaw dropped in shock. His assertiveness left no room for discussion, and for the first time in her life, she backed down.
“Let’s move, Lil’ bit.” Van put his arm around her and shifted her away.
Unable to look away, she watched Danny’s muscular forearm flex as he curled his fist. The sideways defensive stance he took told her he knew exactly how to handle himself in a fight. She watched in fascination as his hard body tensed, and the deadly stare he’d mastered left no doubt he’d taken on more than one badass and come out on top. Frightening, primitive power fit him like a glove and made him the most attractive man she’d ever seen. Danny was no longer the beta in this pack. He was the alpha in more ways than one, and his commanding self-assurance let everyone in the room know he had full control of this situation.
This time, she took a more-than-passing glance at him. Something huge had changed since high school, and it was sexy as hell. Her heart skipped a beat with primal excitement as she saw him raise his jaw slightly, daring Jax to swing. Unlike when they were growing up, he actually looked like he could kick Jax’s ass without breaking a sweat. The fierce protectiveness Danny displayed did something to her that was hard to identify. It softened her, and she longed to feel it surround her every day for the rest of her life. The wave of heat that washed over her made her breathing heavy, and her chest rose and fell as she looked on. She vividly recalled when he tried to stand up for her back in the day. Things had definitely changed, and as she studied him, it was clear that his body was something he’d worked religiously in order to make it a prime fighting machine. He’d honed his tactical skills and had perfected the art of intimidation.
For the first time, everyone watched Jax blink, and little Danny Gamez had been the one to make it happen. Jax seemed dazed by the fact that his scare tactics had no influence on someone who’d been brutally abused by him for so long.
“Stay away from my woman, nerd!” Jax said.
Danny’s lack of fear made the statement sound lame and juvenile. Instead, he got closer and, with a menacing stare, antagonized Jax further by entering his personal space. It reminded Rio of watching two boxers bow up and stare each other down before a fight. She watched with pleasure as Jax’s eyes widened in astonishment. No one had ever confronted him this way.
“She’s not your woman and never will be.”
Danny’s quiet statement echoed in the room. A pin dropping would’ve sounded like a metal beam crashing to the dirty concrete floor. She’d wanted to protect herself from being left behind by him again and had made the decision to guard her heart. Nevertheless, in this moment, she wanted Danny more than her next breath. To the astonishment of everyone watching, Jax dropped his fists in bewilderment. Little Danny was no longer the victim who’d always tried to make peace and used humor to pacify him. His hard demeanor and the physical changes made it crystal clear that making a deal was an option that had been taken off the table long ago.
Jax glanced at her, confused. “Rio—”
Danny cut him off. “She told you to get lost, now I’m telling you, get fucking lost.”
The air in the small tavern evaporated as the men stood staring at each other. Danny had just crossed the line and left Jax no alternative but to lash out or lose face. The tension in the small room was palpable. Her fellow CBP agents tensed while they watched the two men square off with each other. Everyone in the bar sat on edge waiting for the next move. Some of them who had grown up here knew the risk Danny took, and he wasn’t just fighting for her. He fought to give them all righteous justice. To a person, the patrons in the tavern were backing Danny. Everyone’s silent support and Jax’s confused demeanor made Danny the clear victor. He’d been smart enough to sense a dangerous change in Danny, but Rio knew this wasn’t over, and they’d need to be vigilant. Jax never gave up that easy.
“Jax, go sit down with your buddies and relax. We’re just celebrating my birthday. Rio isn’t doing anything wrong, neither is Danny,” Van McKay said.
Van was as big and mean as Jax could be, but he chose to throw his weight in the right direction. Jax eyed Danny and Van before he stomped away.
“Man, that guy’s an ass!” Alan mumbled into his beer.
The feral, tiger-like stalk Danny took on as he approached Rio made her back up against the bar. He placed one hand on the bar next to her effectively blocking her path from that direction. She knew if he placed his free hand on the other side, she’d be trapped. He’d force her to make a choice—escape or surrender. A slight tremor ran through her because his territorial body language left no doubt she belonged to him, and nobody better fuck with her again. It reminded her of an alpha wolf protecting his mate. He smiled at her as he tucked the strands of her hair that had slipped out of her scrunchie behind her ear. His soft touch made her blush. No man had ever made her feel this secure and prized.
Looking down at her drink, he waved the bartender over. “Tim, can you get her another one?”
“Sure thing, Danny,” he said, clearing away her watery drink.
She didn’t need to turn around and see Jax scowling at them as Danny handed her another Diet Coke. In fact, it made her want to rub it in that much more, and she sincerely hoped Jax would take the hint and leave her alone from now on.
“It’s good to see you, Danny. How’s the Navy?” Van asked as he stuck out his hand.
“It’s been good to me,” he replied as he shook Van’s hand. He nodded toward Jax and his gang. “I guess some things never change.”
“Watch yourself. He’s still a mean bastard,” Van warned.
“I will.” He smiled at Rio, and she had to curl her fingers and fight the urge to touch his heart-melting dimples. “How about I take you home?”
It was more of a statement than a question. He left no doubt in her mind that he’d be taking her home tonight, and she’d let him.
“I think that’s a damn good idea,” Davey said as he walked up to the bar. “Maybe dumbass will get the idea and back off.”
When Friday joined them, he handed the car keys over to him and told him he’d call him later. Danny caught up with some of CBP agents that he’d known in school, and after a few more minutes of conversation he asked her if she wanted to leave. Despite the teasing catcalls from her men nothing would’ve kept her from being with him even if it was for the ride home.
While they were walking to the car, she thought about what had happened, and her suspicious nature began casting doubt on his motives. Had he done this to finally put his demons to rest with Jax, or did he really want to be with her? When they got to her Jeep, she decided to test his resolve. After all the times he’d left her behind, she needed to ensure she wasn’t just reading things into his actions that might not be there.
“Danny, I appreciate what you did in there, but I’m fine. You don’t need to take me home,” Rio said.
The feral tiger returned and backed her up against the vehicle. Her eyes widened when he stepped into her space. He planted his hands on either side of her and stared for a moment. When he leaned in closer, her heart sped up because for a split second she thought he’d kiss her.
“Do you think giving him a wet willie would’ve really pissed him off? I’ve always wanted to do that,” he said.
The picture of Danny giving Jax a wet willie threw her into fits of hysterical laughter. Just as she’d done when they were growing up, she pushed on his chest to move him away.
“You’re such a clown,” she said.
“Give me your keys.”
“Why?”
“So I can drive.”
“I know how to drive.
”
As she rested her hand on his chest, acute awareness of the hard muscles under his thin T-shirt radiated through her. She wanted to take his shirt off and run her hands over every inch of his hard body. Touching him now sent an even more violent need racing through her. Her whole body flushed and heated as she held her hand against his chest. He glanced down, and when she tried to move her hand away, he caught her wrist and stopped her. The glazed look of desire and his increasing heartbeat under her palm told her he wanted her touch as much as she wanted his. She ached to kiss his Adam’s apple as it moved up and down with the hard swallow he took. The rush of moisture between her legs dampened her panties and reminded her of the deep carnal need he drew from her every time he looked at her that way.
“Give me the keys,” he whispered, releasing her.
Hypnotizing her, she couldn’t deny him, so with regret, she drew back her hand and fished the keys from her pocket. He laced his fingers into hers as he led her to the passenger’s side and opened the door for her. The small show of affection reminded her that she was in good hands. He’d already demonstrated he’d take good care of her. She couldn’t remember the last time a man opened a door for her, much less fought for her.
“Ow!” he cried as he climbed into the driver’s seat.
“What?”
“I hit my knee. You have the seat all the way forward. Do you have blocks for the pedals when you drive?”
“Shut up! I’m not that short,” she said, giggling. “I told you I’d drive.”
Chuckling, he slid the seat back. After leaving the parking lot, when he took the first turn, he made it apparent he had no intention of taking her home. She attempted to hide the smile that played on her lips and wanted to ask what kind of prank he intended to pull now.
“Are you lost?” she asked.
“No, why?”
“Because I live the other way. Where are we going?”
“I’m hungry.”
“You just assumed I’d go with you?”
