by Hailey Storm
“When are you gonna learn to leave her alone? When are you gonna learn to not put your hands on a woman when you’re angry?” The red haze I’d been succumbing to grew. There was no one else around; it was only me and Bret.
It was time someone taught him a damn lesson. One on manners, and one on respect for women.
“Don’t, Tex,” Lilla insisted. Her tiny hands squeezed my shoulders, pulling me back. “Let’s just get out of here, okay?”
I pulled in a deep measured breath and exhaled slowly. “Yeah, okay. Let’s get out of here.”
Lilla grabbed my hand and tugged me toward the exit. I went freely, knowing if I didn’t follow her I was going to beat Bret within an inch of his life. We retrieved our coats from behind the bar and headed outside toward my truck. I expected Bret to come after us, but he didn’t. I wasn’t sure if it was him being smart or if someone was holding him back.
Either way, it was for his own good. I would have killed him otherwise.
Outside, we climbed into my truck and I cranked the engine but didn’t go anywhere. I sat with my head against the seat and my eyes closed, breathing deeply through my nostrils.
“I didn’t know he was there. When I came out of the restroom he was waiting for me.”
“You don’t have to explain. I’m not angry with you. I’m pissed at myself because I nearly lost my cool back there.”
I heard her release a shaky breath. “Don’t be. I’m glad you were there. He would have hit me again if you hadn’t been. Nobody else was going to break us apart or put him in his place. They were all standing there, watching, listening. It was like they were soaking up the drama.”
“I’m glad I was there, too.” I shifted into reverse and backed out of our parking space. “We should get out of here before he heads out the doors and decides to pick up where he left off. I don’t know that I’ll be able to hold back a second time.”
“I don’t know that I’d ask you to.”
“Good to know,” I said as I shifted into drive and exited the parking lot.
As we passed the front door to the building, Bret stumbled out. There was a guy with him, but I couldn’t be sure if it was one of his buddies or a good Samaritan ready to help him home.
“As much as I can’t stand him, I hope that guy helping him out is going to give him a ride home. He’s shitfaced and doesn’t need to be on the roads,” Lilla insisted.
“Me too.” It was the truth, but only because of her. I knew if Bret died tonight she’d care. While it might not be much, she would still care. It would hurt her and I didn’t want her to hurt.
“Where do you want to go now?” she asked after a few minutes passed.
I realized then I was already headed toward my place. It must be some sort of autopilot. “My place, I guess. But, we can go anywhere you want, though. I could drop you off at your house if you prefer to call it a night.”
“No, your place sounds good. Do you have any alcohol, because I was really wanting that second drink?”
The tension in my muscles loosened. I hadn’t wanted our night to end so soon. Not because of her asshole ex. “We can make a pit stop.”
“Sounds good.”
I cut a right at the next stop sign, heading toward the liquor store. Bret might not have ruined our night after all. In fact, he might have made it better.
Chapter Eleven
Lilla
“This is your house?” I gazed through the windshield of Tex’s truck, looking at the rustic log cabin we’d come to a rolling stop in front of.
“Yep.” He cut the engine of his truck and reached for the brown paper bag we’d picked up from the liquor store.
“Is it in a log cabin trailer park or something?” I asked.
It wasn’t like it mattered, but I found the cluster of cabins surrounding a larger house to be strange. It had me on edge. For all I knew, Tex could be part of a weird cult.
“Not really, no. It’s more like a community. A family.”
The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. It sounded exactly like he was part of a cult.
Wouldn’t it be my luck to go from a guy who was verbally and physically abusive to one who was certifiably insane?
Damn it, and I was really starting to like Tex, too.
“It’s nothing creepy or scary if that’s what you’re thinking,” he said, his eyes fixated on me. “These people are just the closest thing to a family as I’ve ever had. I’ve been with them since I was a teenager. They’re a part of who I am.”
There was something endearing about the way he said it. Something that made me want to meet these people who made him who he was. My tension eased and I found myself gripping the handle on my door, ready to step inside his house and truly get to know him. After all, there was no better place to get to know someone than between the walls of their own home.
I slammed his truck door shut and started up the steps to his front porch. A chilly breeze bit at my cheeks and I shivered as I quickened my pace.
“Are you cold or something?” Tex teased as he unlocked the front door.
Warmth floated over me as he swung the door open. I noticed the orange glow of a lit fire as I stepped inside. While Tex’s house didn’t feel as though it was lacking in décor, it did feel simplistic. All I had to do was look around at the bare walls and minimal amount of furniture to realize he wasn’t a man of material possessions.
“Is it everything you thought it would be?” he asked as he made his way to a tiny kitchen.
My eyes settled on a rustic metal Texas star hung above the fireplace mantle. A big smile stretched across my face at the sight of it, because it was exactly the style I envisioned him having. “It actually is. You’re everything I thought you would be.” I left off what I wanted to add, the words and then some.
I could feel his heated gaze on me, but I refused to glance at him, afraid of what expression might be on my face. What if he thought I was nuts?
“What do you mean?” His tone sounded different, off. It sounded as though he’d suddenly thrown up walls.
“Well, for starters you drive a truck that’s older, which is exactly what I thought you’d drive. You don’t seem like you enjoy flashy new things, which is why I didn’t think you’d live in a sprawling, modern mansion. Although I hadn’t pictured you in a log cabin, I did guess there would probably be a big Texas star somewhere in your décor.” I pointed to the star above his fireplace. “And it looks as though I was right. You do you happen to be a little predictable.”
Amusement flickered through his golden eyes as a lopsided grin formed on his face. “I like that you think you have me figured out.”
“Why is that?”
“Because it means I have room for surprises.” His low tone sparked my libido to life.
Suddenly it was too hot to stand as close to the fire as I was. I peeled off my jacket and made my way to his leather couch. Once I was seated, I draped it over the arm and slipped off my shoes to tuck my feet beneath me.
Tex walked to where I was sitting, holding a glass in each hand. He passed me mine as he situated himself on the couch. “Rum and Coke.”
“Thanks,” I said before taking a small sip. It tasted better than the one the bartender had made. Then again, maybe anything Tex made would taste better. There was something about him that made me think it was possible. “You know, all things considered, I have to say this has been one of the best Valentine’s Days I’ve had in a long time. If not the best.”
He lifted his glass to clink against mine. “I can drink to that.”
“Tell me more about your family you live here with.”
He took another swig of his whiskey, sucking one of the ice cubes into his mouth. It was quite possibly the sexiest thing I’d ever witnessed. Normally, I hated when people crunched on ice, but this man could do anything and I doubted it would get on my nerves.
“There’s not a whole lot to say, really. We’re basically a bunch of misfits who happened to band tog
ether.” His words were simple and so was his tone. They made it clear his “family” wasn’t something he was willing to talk about in detail. At least not tonight. I could respect that. I would respect that, because Lord knew there was loads I’d rather not talk about that involved my family and people of my past.
We drifted into silence as we continued to sip on our drinks and gaze at the fire. It was another one of those comfortable silences I found myself enjoying. The only thing that would make the moment more perfect would be if we were closer on the couch. I suddenly had a strong desire to be tucked into the side of his body with his arm wrapped around me.
Somehow, almost as if by magic, seconds later I found myself in that exact position.
“God, I’d forgotten how good it could feel to be wrapped in someone’s arms.” The words slipped past my lips before I could stop them.
“I’d forgotten what it felt like to hold someone,” he said as he squeezed me tighter.
Warmth flowed through me as I pulled back to look him directly in the eye. “It’s nice, isn’t it?”
“It is.” His golden eyes heated.
When they hooded with lust and he licked his lips, I knew exactly what he was gearing up to do and grew excited. The warmth I felt expanded until it consumed my entire body and mind. I leaned in as if pulled toward him by some unseen divine energy. It amplified the crackling in the fireplace, soothed the butterflies flopping in my stomach, and flushed the alcohol from my system so I could clearly focus on the moment we were sharing.
The instant Tex’s lips touched mine, I felt the entire world as I knew it burst apart at the seams to morph into something magical and beautiful. Emotion swelled up inside me and I knew it was all because of this man—because of this moment.
Everything in my life had led up to this clip of time.
All the hardships I’d endured. All the letdowns. All the moments when I’d felt like life had been stacked against me. All the moments when I’d secretly wished Bret could be something he wasn’t. I realized then that it had all happened for a reason. Each experience I’d wished my heart hadn’t had to endure had led me to this moment. They led me to this man, and for that I was thankful.
All my life I’d been a hopeless romantic. I’d always dreamed of being with someone who absolutely adored me, someone who would allow me to be me. Someone who would give me permission into grow into the person I was always meant to be without judgement.
I’d always wanted to do more than settle, which was what I’d done with Bret.
Maybe that was how life was supposed to happen for me. Maybe it was the only way for me to truly know bliss when I felt it.
That’s what this moment with Tex was, bliss.
As his lips continued to work across mine, emotions I hadn’t felt in too long rocketed through me. I intertwined my fingers through his sandy-colored hair, allowing myself to become lost in the moment—in him. I deserved to. There wasn’t anything in the world I believed more.
His hands came up to cup the sides of my face and I knew right then that no matter what happened after tonight, whether we parted ways and never saw one another again, I would always remember how I’d felt—loved.
Tex moved his hands along the sides of my neck, down my shoulders, and alongside my abdomen until he reached my hips. Then his large, warm hands slid beneath me to cup my ass and lift me into the air. He gently placed me in his lap, and his arms wrapped around me as he pulled me close and continued to work magic on my body with tender brushes of his lips across mine. His tongue skimmed my bottom lip, sending chill bumps erupting across my body. I opened my mouth wider and marveled at the sensation of his tongue stroking against mine.
Not only had I forgotten how good it felt to be held by someone, but somewhere along the line I’d also forgotten how it felt to make out with someone so passionately.
The way it ferociously lit embers of a dimmed down libido was mystifying. The way the excitement increased a person’s heart rate and made their mind go free of any and every thought was spellbinding.
Tex dipped his head and began trailing soft kisses along my neck. He pulled the neckline of my sweater lower, revealing my lacy bra and the tops of my breasts. I let out a long sigh of contentment when he dropped his head and kissed the top of both. When his fingertips reached for the hem of my sweater, I lifted my arms so he could peel it off easily. His head dipped toward my breasts again. I gazed down and watched as his mouth licked and sucked along the tops of them. His rough fingers peeled back the fabric of my bra and his mouth descended on my right nipple while his finger and thumb worked my left. I sighed and tangled my fingers through his hair, tugging just a little. Tex groaned. His teeth scraped across my pebbled nipple and I thought I might lose myself completely. A soft moan escaped me as my arousal shifted into something needy and all-consuming.
I craved more of his touch. I craved more of him.
His masculine, earthy scent intoxicated me as he explored my breasts with his mouth. Never had a man taken such care and time when touching me. It had me surrendering in a way I’d never thought possible.
Tex unclasped my bra and tossed it to the floor on top of my sweater. His eyes roamed over the newly visible parts of my body and I sat there, letting him. For the first time in my life, I felt beautiful under the gaze of a man’s eyes. I reached for the edge of his long-sleeved shirt and peeled it up over his head, eager to see his flesh. I’d often fantasized about what waited beneath the cotton fabric of his clothes and when I was finally able to see for myself, I was not left wanting.
Tex was tanned and toned in ways that made him drool-worthy.
I trailed my fingertips down the length of his chiseled abdomen in an attempt to memorize each beautiful crevice and indention of his body. He leaned forward and pressed his lips against mine. They were warmer than before, needier.
Lust was pulsing through his veins, desire was crackling in the air, and we were about to surrender to both.
I fumbled with the buttons on Tex’s jeans, ready to see the rest of him. To feel the rest of him. His warm hand clasped over mine, steadying it in its rushed movement. He unfastened the buttons himself and I lifted up so he could slide out of his jeans. I moved to remove mine as well, but he stopped me.
“I’d like to do that, if you don’t mind,” he muttered, his voice velvety smooth and hypnotic.
Jesus, the man could tell me to do anything and I would have.
I was lost to him.
When he undid my jeans and shimmied them down my thighs, his thumbs skimmed along my heated skin in the process and I couldn’t help the tiny whimper that escaped my lips. I stepped out of my jeans and watched as Tex’s blond head dipped to trail sweet kisses along my inner thigh. He made his way to my center, and then bypassed it to skim his warm lips along my abdomen until he was standing in front of me. His boxers were tight, suppressing his erection. I reached out and released it from the plaid fabric. My hand pumped the length of him. A low groan filtered past his lips. His hand slipped past the waistband of my panties and the pads of his fingers grazed along my slick center.
My body shuddered at the sensation. It had been nearly a year since I’d felt the touch of a man.
“Does that feel good?” His deep voice rumbled through the air.
I closed my eyes and nodded. My lower lip caught between my teeth as he stroked along my most sensitive area, heightening my pleasure and driving me closer to the edge of a climax.
“Good,” he groaned.
Just when I thought things couldn’t feel any better, Tex slipped one finger inside me. My entire world broke apart as pleasure built inside my lower stomach. I pumped him faster and harder, wanting him to feel even a fraction of what I was. Desire knotted low in my stomach as another moan spurred past his beautiful lips.
It sent me over the edge.
My body shattered and I tipped my head back, panting into the air. My sex pulsed as waves of pleasure rocketed through to me. My breathing quickened.
>
“Yes! Oh, don’t stop!” The words forced their way past my lips.
“I have no plans to, darlin’,” he whispered as he licked and sucked along my earlobe.
My knees grew weak as the final waves of my climax were milked from me while Tex gently massaged my clit. My head fell forward to rest on his shoulder and my grip on his shaft loosened as I struggled to catch my breath.
“That was amazing,” I whispered against his skin.
“And the night is still young.”
He cupped my ass and lifted me into the air. I wrapped my legs around his waist and secured myself to his body. He carried me across his rustic cabin, only setting me down once we reached his bed. It took up the bulk of his bedroom. The blankets and pillows were fluffy and soft, albeit chilly against my bare skin.
“Don’t worry, I’ll have you warmed up in no time,” he promised in a husky whisper.
Moonlight filtered through his bedroom window, painting the room silver. Tex’s lips brushed against mine before making their way down the length of my body for a second time. He spread my knees wide and licked against my slick center. I squirmed at the sensation it caused to rush through me. Another climax flirted with me, but remained tantalizingly out of reach as he continued. He seemed to know this, because when his honey-colored eyes lifted to lock with mine again there was amusement swirling within them. Without a word, he lifted until he was hovering above my body, leaving me quaking in the wake of his tongue’s absence. He licked his lips and moaned, enjoying the taste of me tainting them.
