by Sable Hunter
Beau wanted to come to her house? Harley didn’t know if this visit was such a good idea. The more she thought about it, the more she was questioning the wisdom of spending a lot of time with him. To her surprise, she was feeling urges she thought were long dead, and with her history that couldn’t be good. Still, he was looking at her with such heat; all she wanted to do was draw closer. Like a moth to a flame. “That sounds okay. I just moved into Willowbend.” She was about to tell him where it was located, but his knowing chuckle stopped her. “What?”
“So, you’re the one who moved into the old Sonnier place. I wondered about that. You do know it’s haunted, don’t you?”
“Well, I do now.” Her tone was chastising. She couldn’t help but smile back at him. “I could have done without that particular piece of knowledge, thank you. Now, I’ll jump at every creak and groan the old house makes.” She might be brave when faced with a live bomb, but ghosts and snakes were another matter entirely. Stepping backwards, Harley tripped over a pile of gun manuals. If Beau hadn’t reached out to grab her, she would have fallen.
“I’ve got you,” Beau caught her and hugged her close, glad for the opportunity to get his hands on her. He swayed a little bit, just enjoying how she felt in his arms. God, nothing had ever felt so right. The only thing that could be better would be to have his cock buried balls deep inside her sweet body. Now that was a dream worth having. “Ah, love I’ll protect you from the boogeyman. Just wait until you hear the loup garou howl deep in the night as he slinks through the swamp hunting his prey.” He was teasing her now, and loving every minute of it. Thank God, Dandi had showed enough manners to leave them alone. It was time to make his move.
Harley’s whole body went on alert. She hadn’t been this close to a man, not willingly, in a long time. An overwhelming urge to pull away assaulted her. But she didn’t want to make a scene. Calling upon every inner strength she had, Harley pretended to be normal. “Stop that,” she playfully punched him on the shoulder. “You’ll have me too scared to sleep there alone at night.”
Before he could talk himself out of it, Beau did what he had wanted to do since the moment he saw her. He kissed her. Oh, not on the lips, like he longed to do but tenderly on each eyelid and at the corner of her captivating mouth. “That’s the idea, love. That’s the idea.”
Burning Love - Cajun Style
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A scene from…
THUNDERBIRD
(Hell Yeah! Equalizers)
Soulmates. Twin souls. Two people destined to be together. Their journey to love is never an easy one, but when they meet – their hearts beat only for one another.
“Damn, he’s handsome. I love a man in uniform.” Natalie sighed. “He’s a flyboy too, look at those wings.”
“How do you know these things?” Hannah was, at the same time, bemused and nervous as heck.
“My dad was a Marine. Semper fi.”
Hannah laughed at Natalie’s seductive tone. “I can’t believe you made the Marine slogan sound dirty.”
On stage, the lead singer doffed his cowboy hat and introduced the next number. Neither girl paid him much attention. They only had eyes for the man moving through the dense crowd. He stopped to speak to three girls at a table who grabbed his arm. They were obviously trying to flirt with him, offering to buy him a drink, but he seemed to politely decline. The next moment he caught Hannah’s gaze, smiled and continued on his way toward them. Dios, he looked better than any guy had a right to—well over six feet, a killer smile and a body which could make a good Catholic girl forget her upbringing. “Is he coming over to talk to me or you?” Hannah asked her friend.
“It’s not me he’s eye fucking, it’s you.”
Natalie’s blatant use of the F word made Hannah blush. “Natalie!”
Natalie looked at her with a mix of amusement and jealousy. “What? He is.”
“If he tries to talk to me, I may throw up.” Hannah held on to her drink with both hands. What was she doing here? She was twenty-three years old and had never been in a bar before. This was all so foreign to her. Hannah knew there were seventy-five species of hydrangeas and she was highly adept with a sword, but flirting with a guy in a bar was way out of her comfort zone.
“Oh, hush. This is what we came for. I’ve never been to this place before, but you can bet your bottom dollar I’m coming back.” Natalie put her hand on the small of Hannah’s back and pushed. “Now smile, and go get him!”
“Hey!” She stumbled forward, but the handsome marine caught her easily. Her drink sloshed, narrowly missing spilling strawberry daiquiri on his uniform.
“Give me that, klutz.” Natalie took the drink from her hand, setting it on the bar.
“Excuse me. I’m so sorry.” She flushed, looking up and up into his intense brown eyes.
A deep voice with a slight Southern drawl flowed over her senses. “My pleasure, sweetheart.” When he touched her face and pushed her hair over her shoulder, Hannah lost the ability to breathe. She could smell liquor on his breath, but he didn’t appear to be drunk. He appeared to be perfect to her young eyes. His shoulders were wide, his face was gorgeous and Hannah’s whole body tingled from head to foot with excitement.
He offered his hand, holding her gaze captive in his. “May I have this dance?”
His question stole her words. To him this was probably routine. For her it was momentous.
“Yes, you can,” Natalie answered for her. “She’d love to.”
His eyes still never leaving Hannah’s face, he asked for confirmation of Natalie’s statement. “Is this true, earth angel? I bet you’d feel like heaven in my arms, but I believe in only taking what’s freely offered.”
“Smooth.” Natalie giggled, approvingly.
“Please, Natalie.” Hannah shushed her friend. If Natalie didn’t stop teasing, Hannah was going to sink into the floor from embarrassment. More than anything, she wanted to make a good impression on this man. Looking into his eyes, she answered. “If you are sure, I’d love to dance with you.” Holding up her left hand, she offered it to him as if they would be performing a waltz.
A big smile covered his face and he gave her a slight bow, twining his fingers with hers. “It will be an honor.”
The crowd parted for them. Hannah wasn’t surprised. This man would command attention wherever he went.
“God, you’re beautiful,” he said softly near her ear.
Hannah gulped and stuttered. “Th-thank you.” He was totally focused on her and she knew the attention could become absolutely addictive. Everything around her faded to a blur as he put one large hand to her hip and pulled her up flush against his body. A gasp escaped her lips when she felt her breasts graze his hard chest. Even though it was through the thin material of her blouse, the sensation was electric and her nipples swelled. Hannah jerked back, not wanting him to realize the reaction her body was having to his.
“Easy, baby.” He steadied her. “Don’t be nervous. I wouldn’t hurt you for anything.”
His hand pressed at her lower back, urging her to move closer. Hannah let her body relax against him.
“It’s okay. We can’t help the way we make each other feel,” he told her, his lips moving near her temple.
She could feel his breath on her skin. Hannah almost couldn’t be still. This was nothing like she’d ever experienced before. With a sigh, she let her head rest lightly on his chest, her fingers gripping the material of his jacket. It was then that she felt his erection brush against her. Dios! Innocent she might be, but Hannah knew what the swelling of his manhood meant. This magnificent man was as aroused as she was! Hannah didn’t know whether to be flattered or flustered. She swallowed hard, nervous. Flustered seemed to work.
Quickly, she eased back, struggling to find something to say. “Natalie says you’re a pilot. Is that right?”
He grinned and winked, seeming to know exactly what she was thi
nking. “I was a pilot, but I resigned my commission. I’ve come home.”
“Welcome home, I’m glad you’re safe,” Hannah whispered. They swayed to the music, barely moving.
“I think you’re going to make my homecoming very special.” He gave her the lightest of kisses on the top of her head.
She blushed, anew. “I hope so. I’d like to think I could.”
“Do you hook up with a lot of soldier boys? With Lackland AFB, Randolph Field, and Fort Sam Houston all nearby, I’m sure the bars around here are full of them.”
“What?” Did he think she was easy? “No, no, my friend Natalie has mentioned meeting some nice men, but I don’t get out very much.”
“You don’t?” Hannah jumped a bit as he rubbed his lips on the edge of her hairline. And when he placed another small kiss there, she shivered. A low rumble of approval sounded from his throat. “Well, I’m very glad you came out tonight.”
“Me too.” She didn’t want him to see her as a nun, but she didn’t want him to have the impression she did this all the time. Hannah wanted to be special in his eyes. “What’s…what’s your name?”
“Kyle, but the guys call me Thunderbird or Chief, or a whole bunch of other things not suitable for female ears.” He chuckled as he continued to rub his face on her hair. “God, you’re soft, baby girl. What’s your name?”
“An…Hannah.” She almost messed up. Hannah noticed he hadn’t given her a last name, so she wouldn’t either.
“Anna. That’s a pretty name, sort of old-fashioned.”
“Thank you, but its Hannah.” She corrected him with regret. Her real name on his lips sounded wonderful. Or he could have kept calling her baby girl and earth angel, the terms of endearment made her heart sing. No one had called her pet names since her mother passed.
“Sure, that’s right. I remember. Sorry.”
“It’s okay.” Hannah thought she could forgive him anything, just as long as he continued to hold her. The tempo of the music was fast, but Kyle was leading her in a nice slow dance. It didn’t matter to her. She just enjoyed being held. “What color is your hair?” she asked before she thought. His eyes were mesmerizing; they looked like they held the answers to all of life’s questions.
Kyle grinned, not seeming to mind her inquisitiveness. He pulled off his cap and tossed it toward a man at the bar, who caught it easily. “Thanks, Saxon.” His friend put the hat on his own head and raised his drink up in a salute. “Saxon is a good friend.”
She was sure he was, but Hannah only had eyes for Kyle. “Your hair is sable brown. I like it.” Unable to resist, she feathered her fingers through the close cropped strands. Híjole! She was being bold!
“I don’t have much hair right now, thanks to the Marines, but it’ll grow. My mother is Native American and my father is Scottish. The color is dark, but if I’m out in the sun it tends to get a few streaks in it. I guess I’m a diplomatic son.”
“My mother was Irish, that’s why my hair has a red cast to it.” She offered, knowing they were just making silly conversation. Hannah didn’t mind, she was having a good time.
“Does it? Let’s see.” As they danced, he led her under one of the hanging lights. Sure enough, he could see highlights the color of red jasper, a jewel his mother loved to wear. “You have lovely hair.” He touched one of the silky strands which cascaded down her shoulders, framing a delectable heart-shaped face. “Where have you been hiding all my life, Anna?” Kyle almost winced at the corny line. He should’ve been able to do better, but the booze muddled his thinking.
Instead of answering, she buried her head in his chest and his heart swelled. “Look up at me,” he commanded and she did. “Wow. Are your eyes really that blue? Or do you have on colored contacts?” When Kyle fell in love with Nina, he’d laughed off his mother’s prophecy since Nina had been a blonde with green eyes. But now as he ran his fingers through auburn silk and stared into incredible lapis eyes, Rachel’s words came back to him full force.
“No, no contacts. They’re mine. Mama called them Blue Spanish Eyes, like the song.”
To her delight, he began singing the song in her ear. The old Willie Nelson tune she’d heard all her life sounded new and fresh. And when he got to the part when the guy asked the girl with the Blue Spanish Eyes to wait for him, a lump came into her throat.
“I like you, Kyle.” She couldn’t hold back the words if she’d tried.
“I like you too,” he growled in her ear. Too much. Too damn much. Kyle was confused. Returning home, finding out about Nina’s death, all of this was almost too much. The mistakes he’d made were eating him alive. Maybe he was grabbing on to anything or anyone who could make him forget for a few minutes.
“When I came out tonight, I didn’t know what to expect.” Hannah didn’t know if it was the few sips of alcohol she’d consumed or if it was Kyle going to her head. He was definitely intoxicating. “I know I didn’t expect to meet someone as nice as you.”
Kyle’s heart thumped hard in his chest. He couldn’t turn back the hands of time and he couldn’t change the past. An odd feeling of providence came over him. He felt as if he was looking into the future and he liked what he saw. “Will you spend the evening with me?”
Shivers of chill bumps covered Hannah’s body. This handsome man was interested in her? Lord in heaven, it felt good. Here she was, going on twenty-four and never even been on a real date. Now in Kyle’s arms, she felt like a princess in a fairy tale. “Yes, I’d love to.” Cinderella had nothing on her.
“I get to make time with the most beautiful woman in Austin? What did I do to get so lucky?” Kyle gave her one of his best lines as he struggled to maintain control.
“I don’t know.” Hannah licked her lips and when he groaned at the sight, she smiled. “I think I’m the lucky one.” Tonight was turning out so much better than she’d expected. Kyle hugged her tight. How glad she was that Natalie had talked her out of her shell. Throwing caution to the wind, she put her arms around his neck and hugged him back. As much as she loved her brother, Hannah was tired of just watching life pass her by.
“You’re a tiny thing, are you sure you’re old enough to be here?”
Hannah felt her face grow prickly hot with nerves. Dios, she was going to lie. “I’m legal,” she answered. Well, maybe not exactly, sure she was old enough to drink, but she wasn’t legally supposed to be in this country. If her father had any idea she was dancing with a strange man in a bar, he would explode with rage. Hannah had no intention of telling her father anything that transpired tonight. What Raoul didn’t know, wouldn’t hurt her.
Kyle was intrigued and horny as hell. From across the bar, he’d spotted this sweet little thing. “Do you know her?” he asked Saxon, who’d been back in Austin a few weeks longer than Kyle.
“I will before the night is over,” his friend had murmured, gazing at the object of Kyle’s desire with appreciation. “She’s hot.”
“Not a chance, I saw her first. Tag.”
“Tag?” Saxon grinned. “Who do you think you are? A McCoy?”
“No, but the McCoys were never short of women.” Kyle remembered playing Longhorn ball with Aron and Joseph. He and Saxon had always been amused watching the McCoys compete for women without stepping on each other’s toes. When one of them would spot a girl they were interested in, they’d yell ‘tag’ to warn the other brother off. “Plus, their strategy seemed to keep them from killing each other.”
Saxon sipped his whiskey sour, cocking his head toward the girl in question. “You do realize while we’re sitting here discussing cowboy wing-man protocol, another dude is about to beat you to the punch.”
Kyle looked up and sure enough a muscled up asshole was eyeing her from across the bar. “Damn, I’d better make hay while the sun shines.” He set his drink down. His friend understood how he was suffering and agreed they needed to come out tonight and party hard.
Saxon drained his drink and held up his hand for another. “Good idea. Go g
et her, Chief.”
And so he had. Now, here she was in his arms and it felt better than right. “I’m glad to hear you’re legal, because you’re definitely what I need tonight.”
“What do you need?” Her words came out in a husky whisper.
“I need to taste your lips.” Kyle couldn’t take his eyes off that pouty lower lip of hers. “I think you need nibbling.”
She couldn’t contain the giggle. “A kiss would be…nice.” Hannah was almost vibrating with anticipation. She couldn’t wait to find out what it was like to be kissed. Holding up her face, she closed her eyes, pooching her mouth just a bit…and waited.
Kyle chuckled. “Now, how could I refuse such a tempting invitation?” He brushed his lips across hers, groaning as a searing heat lanced through his sex. God, it had been too long. He needed a woman tonight. This woman.
Hannah couldn’t hold back the “mmmmm,” if she tried. She cupped the back of his neck as Kyle kissed her, his hard lips pressing firmly against hers. A sense of wonder bombarded her senses as he gave her a first kiss worthy of every girl’s fondest dream. When he slid his lips from her mouth to her neck, scraping his teeth over her collarbone, Hannah stumbled a bit, but Kyle didn’t let her fall. “Sorry, I’m not very good at this.”
“You’re perfect.” He rubbed his hand down her arm, bringing her palm to his lips. “Where did you come from, sugar?” Lord, he loved the feel of those perfect globes rubbing against his chest.
Hannah knew she was completely out of her depth. She felt as if she might drown in the sensual onslaught to her senses. Sinking into the pleasurable warmth of his attention, Hannah valiantly tried to keep her head above water. “I live in Austin, do you?”
“My family lives nearby.”
He was being vague, Hannah realized with a sinking feeling. Oh, well. “I’m not sure where I’ll end up.” She offered quickly to fill in the gap of his missing words. What she said was the God’s truth. Hannah’s life loomed ahead of her with total uncertainty.
