by Jane Jamison
“Yeah, it was. I’m not saying I got much done while they were there, but I wasn’t about to complain. Don’t go making it a big deal, though. I’m sure they were just helping me to be nice. You know, doing they’re civic duty to support a new business in town.”
“I think it’s more than their civic duty.” Emeline’s eyes sparkled as though she had a secret.
“Trust me. Three men who look like that don’t want a girl like me.”
Raven’s heart hurt for Betsy. As a larger woman, she had to face criticism every day. Most of the time Betsy was boisterous and confident, but every once in a while she let the pain she felt deep inside show. “A lot of men prefer women with curves.”
“Fluffy,” added Betsy.
“What?”
“It’s called being fluffy.” Betsy scoffed and took a sip. “Curvy, fluffy, chunky. They all mean the same thing. Fat.”
Raven and the other girls hurried to protest, but Betsy wasn’t having any of their polite denials. “It’s okay. I like the way I am. Most of the time, anyway. Screw the guy who doesn’t want a real woman.”
“Yeah. You’re right,” added Heather. “Screw him.”
Raven lifted her bottle to toast with the others then shifted toward the dance floor. Her heart did a little skip when she saw the Hardwick men leaning against the bar and staring her way.
What was it about them that had her feeling like a school girl with her first crush? Especially since she was crushing on all three of them? Sure, it had been a long time since she’d been with a man, but she hadn’t felt hard-up. She still wasn’t. Most men weren’t interesting enough to risk her heart again, but the Hardwick men were different. Those three men could make her feel more than all the men in her past combined.
She wanted them, and not only in a sexual way. Since the first time she’d seen them, she’d started thinking about them. It hadn’t even dawned on her what she was doing until Heather had mentioned that she’d been asking around about them. What she’d found out made their stunning, rugged looks seem like a bonus to an already terrific package.
Drake was the sheriff who could handle any man, any time, and yet he also had a reputation for being fair and for giving people second chances. He never abused his position of authority and, in fact, tried to play it down, often leaving his badge at home. He was kind to animals and fiercely protective of those who were weaker. She’d been wary of him finding out about her past, but couldn’t she hope he’d give her a second chance?
Her attention slipped to Dugan. He was the youngest of the three and still had a lot of boy in him. Not in his appearance, however. Like his brothers, he was all masculine man and then some. Still, he had a quick grin and an even quicker wit. He loved to have fun and never missed a chance to liven things up. Like Drake, who he seemed to emulate, he had a soft heart for animals and children. She’d even heard how he’d climbed into a tree to get Mrs. Walkman’s cat down. For his effort, he’d ended up with a lot of scratches on his handsome face, but had said he’d do it again in a heartbeat “even for a damn cat.”
Harrin was the more mysterious one. He had dark eyes like his brothers, but there always seemed to be a hint of mystery in them, and maybe, just maybe, a little hurt, too. Had a woman already taken his heart and broken it? He was a stand-up kind of man who didn’t like to take credit for his good deeds. She’d heard that he mentored high school teens in accounting and had even set up a foundation that contributed to their college tuitions.
Still…She frowned. They were just too damn good to be true. If that was right, then maybe she should stay the hell away from them. “Too good to be true” often turned out to be a solid-gold truth.
What secrets were they hiding? They looked like the typical rancher in Fate. Hardworking, callused hands, worn boots, and a shiny belt buckle. But did they have another side to them? A darker side? Or was she jaded after what she’d gone through with Robert?
The chatter of the other women drifted into background noise. All her attention, every thought, every feeling was on the Hardwick men. Gone was the past and the future was now. Could she get up enough nerve to ask one of them to dance? Should she? What if they turned her down?
And then it happened. Faster than she would’ve believed possible, Dugan was beside her, taking her hand and pulling her off the high stool.
“Come on, sugar. Let’s kick up our heels.”
She didn’t have a chance to refuse. Not that she would have. It was as though he’d been listening to her thoughts and had known she wanted to dance.
Dugan’s arm slipped around her waist as they swaying to the music. She’d never dance that way before, close, yet moving quickly around the floor. It was part ballroom and part country.
“What’s this kind of dancing called?” She had to talk loudly for him to hear her over the music and the noise of the crowd.
“It’s called the Two Step.” He squeezed her hand held in front of her and kept his arm around her back with his palm resting firmly on her hip.
“I’ve never done this before.” She laughed, thoroughly enjoying herself.
“You’re kidding.” He twirled her around then came back to hold her the same way. “Then you must be a natural, sugar.”
They moved around the dance floor following the other couples. She didn’t try to mimic the other women. Instead, she gave control to Dugan as he expertly led her, spinning her then gliding her along in the circle.
“Do you mean the Texas Two Step?”
He feigned a horrified expression. “God, no, sugar. This is Georgia and the way we do it. We Georgia boys do everything better than those Texas turds.”
She laughed again, feeling lighter, freer than she had in a very long time. This was what life was about, having fun in the arms of a sexy man, not worrying about anything bad that might happen.
By the time the song ended, she was out of breath, but still smiling. “That was fun. Thanks for asking.” Although, technically, he hadn’t actually asked, but who cared?
Dugan pulled her closer, putting both his hands on her hips. His fingers were so close to the crack in her butt that she could easily imagine him slipping his hands underneath her short skirt and finding their way to her dark hole.
Robert had wanted to fuck her that way and she’d refused. Just the thought of his cock inside her ass—She mentally jerked her mind away, unwilling to let memories of Robert ruin the night.
Dugan bent over her, tilting his head in that way that meant he was about to kiss her. Although she’d thought her body was fully alive, it zipped to a higher plane of passion. His full lips, so masculine yet so kissable, came closer and she parted hers, ready to taste their first kiss. Everyone, especially all the girls, would see, but she didn’t give a damn. Everything she wanted was in that kiss and she’d do whatever she could to have it. She closed her eyes, oh-so-ready.
“Hey, little brother, move aside. Raven needs a real man to show her how it’s done.”
Harrin jerked her out of Dugan’s embrace and pulled her against him. A growl floated over her shoulder. Was there a dog in the bar?
Harrin’s kiss took her by surprise. At first, she resisted only because it came so fast and hard, but then instinct took over. She moaned and leaned against him, pushing her breasts against his hard chest. He gripped her shoulders, firmly holding her.
Harrin’s lips were just what she’d thought Dugan’s lips would be like. Hard, yet soft. Demanding, yet giving. His tongue a forceful tool he wielded like a master craftsman.
Her head spun as he ravished her mouth, taking her tongue then giving her his again. He forced her head back, giving him better access, then took her completely under his command. She moaned again, the sound strange to her ears.
“When will you boys learn to share?”
She barely had time to catch a breath when Drake grabbed her behind the neck and tugged her out of his brother’s arms and into his. She was being tossed around like a rag doll, but oddly enough, she loved
it. When had any man ever taken such control over her? When had any man made her feel small and vulnerable, yet so powerful at the same time?
Drake crushed his mouth to hers and she gave him a moan. His hand cupped one of her breasts. Vaguely, she wondered if everyone saw, and she didn’t care one damn bit if they did.
She couldn’t kiss him back hard enough, couldn’t cling to his strong body hard enough. She gave it all she could and prayed it would be enough. Her head’s spinning seemed almost normal and her body revved like a well-oiled machine under a mechanic’s hands.
Please, take me. Right here. Right now. Please.
The band started playing another song. She could sense the other couples begin to dance and yet she made no move to break the kiss. Drake’s hand on her breast covered all of it, proving his hands were the perfect size.
Someone shoved against them. At first, she imagined Dugan coming back to claim a kiss of his own. Instead, she lost her balance and fell sideways. She let out a yelp as she landed in Dugan’s arms. He caught her in the nick of time, seconds before she would’ve ended up flat on her butt.
“Oh! Thanks. I was almost—”
Before she could finish speaking, mayhem broke out around them. Shouts and screams filled the air.
Chapter Four
Raven hung suspended in air, secure in Dugan’s arms, her back parallel to the floor. She stared up at the grinning man.
“Hey, sugar, are you okay?” He ducked a second before a chair whisked past his head.
In the next moment, he had her back on her feet, keeping hold of her until she was sure she was stable enough to stand on her own. “What’s going on?”
He gave her a quizzical look then drew back his arm and struck out. She gasped as his arm passed inches from her head and landed a punch in a man’s face. The man staggered away into the fight. “Don’t worry. It’s just a little disagreement.”
Wrapping his arm around her waist and holding on tightly, he shoved, pushed, and beat his way to the nearest wall. Heather was already at the wall as he settled Raven next to her friend.
“You girls stay out of it.”
“But why is everyone fighting?” From the looks of things, both men and women were in the mix of the battle.
“Beats the hell out of me.” He grabbed her again and slammed his mouth against hers. The kiss was hard and fast, and left her head spinning again. “Stay put. I’ll be right back.” With a wicked grin, he whirled around and strode into the fighting, shouting crowd.
“Where are Emeline and Betsy?”
Heather pointed to the other side of the room. “There’s Emeline. She just bumped into Evan Grange, one of the men she likes.” Emeline’s eyes grew round as she backed toward the wall and ran into a tall, sexy man.
“Good for her.” Raven let out a small cry and jumped out of the way as a man stumbled past them. Blood ran down his chin as he spun around then threw his body at his attacker. “Does this happen a lot?”
“Your guess is as good as mine. Holy hell. Look at Betsy.” Heather pointed toward the edge of the crowd.
Betsy looked like she was an Amazon warrior. She stood with one hand on her hip and the other one holding a bottle. As a big bear of a man rushed toward her, she brought her arm down hard, breaking the bottle over his head. The man went to his knees.
“Go, Betsy,” shouted Heather.
Whether or not their friend heard her was unclear. Still, as Raven looked in their direction, a well-built man with a shaved head grabbed Betsy’s arm and forced her along with him toward the exit.
“Should we go after her?” Who was the man? Would he hurt Betsy?
“No. She’s fine. That’s Scott Branton. If she’s not safe with him, she’s not safe with anyone,” shouted Heather over the din of the fight.
“Good to know.” Raven hugged the wall, doing her best not to get drawn into the fray. Although they were fighting, she had the impression that none of the combatants were actually very angry. Some even seemed to be enjoying themselves.
A man with wild red hair rolled toward them then pushed to his feet. He grinned at Raven, his eyes glowing with a strange amber color. He snatched up a bottle from a nearby table and smashed it over another man’s head. They grappled together, going to the floor.
Raven stared, sure she must’ve seen it wrong. How could anyone have eyes that color? Were they contacts? Or a weird thing with the overhead lighting?
“Did you see his eyes?”
“No.” Heather turned toward her. “Why?”
And his teeth. Something had been strange about his teeth, too.
“He had really pointy teeth.”
Heather gave her an incredulous. “You’re looking at people’s teeth right now? While all this is going on?”
Obviously Heather hadn’t seen anything. Now she wasn’t sure she wanted to say anything else. Why make her new friend think she was seeing things? She wanted an explanation, but now was not the time to try and get one. “Forget it.”
Then she saw him. As soon as she did, a chill flushed over her.
What the hell is Robert doing here?
He stood away from the ruckus at the far end of the bar. His gaze locked to hers and his mouth twisted into a smirk.
Why is he doing this to me? Why can’t he leave me alone? And why now? Why after all this time?
“Raven, what’s wrong? You look like you see a ghost.”
In a way, she had. He was a ghost from her past, a ghost she’d prayed would never haunt her again. She couldn’t find her voice. The noise surrounding them faded into nothingness as her full concentration centered on the man who had done her so wrong. He’d cost her not only her reputation, but her freedom as well.
“Who is that guy staring at you?”
She had to tell Heather. Had to tell someone, if only to make sure she wasn’t imagining him.
“That’s my ex-boyfriend.” Should she tell her the rest? Should she let Heather and the rest of them know about her time in jail? She’d come to Fate to find a new life just as the other women had. Would telling them ruin her chances at a fresh start? Fear held her back. She couldn’t risk it.
“Is he stalking you? Why is he here? Did you call him?”
Just the thought of her calling him made her stomach clench. “Hell no. I don’t know why he’s here.” Maybe she could tell her friend some of it without having to tell her everything. “He showed up the other night at my rental house. I threatened to shoot him to get him away from me.”
Damn it, Robert, why didn’t you leave town?
She searched the mass of men, flailing arms, and fists flying, but couldn’t find Drake, Dugan, or Harrin.
“Seriously? He’s a bad guy?” Heather took her hand. “You have to tell Drake and his brothers.”
She was already shaking her head before Heather finished speaking. “No way. I’ll deal with him on my own.” The less people who got involved with Robert, the better. If they found out about him and their past, then she might as well pack up and move on.
“But Drake’s the sheriff. He handles this kind of thing, right?”
She wondered what Drake would do. Had he come up against the likes of Robert in a small Georgia town? “No, and don’t you go telling anyone, either. Do you understand? Please promise you won’t mention Robert at all. As far as you’re concerned, you never saw him.”
“Raven, I think—”
She confronted Heather, urgency stiffening her body. “No. Promise me. Right now.”
Before Heather could answer, they were surrounded by three very handsome, sexy men. Men who were almost as hot as the Hardwick brothers.
“Are you two all right?” The one with the blond hair and light blue eyes checked first with Heather, then with her.
She shot Heather a hard look, hoping her friend would keep her promise. Pleading with her eyes, she waited for her to answer.
Heather swallowed then nodded. “We’re fine, Brogan.”
The men put their b
odies between the girls and the fight. The second man, slightly shorter than the first one, glanced over his shoulder, then back. “You’re Raven Reynolds, right? I’m Sterling Wilson and these are my brothers Brogan and Garner. If you want, we can pull one of the Hardwick boys out of the fight.”
Why would they assume Drake, Dugan, or Harrin would want to help her? Did the entire town think they were together?
“No thanks.” She eased past Sterling.
He took her arm, gently, but firmly. “You’d better stick here until it’s over.”
Her gaze slid back to where Robert had been standing.
Damn it. Where’d he go?
The men of Fate would protect her, but if they did, they’d want answers. “I need to get out of here. You three take care of Heather. I’ll be all right.” She had to get away, away from the craziness, and more importantly, away from Robert.
She pushed against the double doors leading out of the bar and burst into the night. A few overhead lights provided minimal lighting for the parking lot, but she remembered where she’d parked her car. If she could make it to her car and lock the doors, she’d feel a whole lot safer.
The urge to turn around and go back inside to look for the Hardwick men had her slowing down, but what would she tell them? That she needed their help with her ex-boyfriend? The one who had used her and left her to do the jail time that was rightfully his? The one she’d thought she’d loved and had been ready to do almost anything for? The one who had royally screwed her over?
Part of her knew she should tell them. If they were really interested in her, they had a right to know about her past. But she couldn’t. Not yet. If they liked her, they’d have a damn good excuse to forget about her. If they didn’t, then she would’ve spilled her guts for nothing.
Clicking the button on her key remote to unlock her car, she heard the high pitched beep, and crossed the few remaining feet to safety. She sensed danger a moment before Robert grabbed her and threw against her car. He bent her over the hood, pressing his hand in the middle of her back. She struggled, but she was no match for him.
