Tie Me Down Tight (Breaking the Rules)

by Cathryn Fox

  Oh God, she never should have come tonight. Never should have allowed herself to believe there could be more between them. Dylan had asked for a week of sex. Why oh why, did she have to go and fall for him—to believe he was more than a Hollywood playboy? He said lies were printed about him everyday, but maybe they weren’t lies at all. And maybe she really and truly wasn’t good enough for long-term.

  Tears pricked her eyes as cheers and laughter erupted in the crowd gathered to see the stars, and cameras flashed like crazy, no doubt wanting to capture Dylan and his new love interest.

  She needed to get out of there. She spun and came face-to-face with the man she was hopelessly in love with.

  What? How?

  She glanced back over her shoulder to see Dylan’s twin standing there laughing as he pointed a finger at them. Except on closer inspection, it wasn’t his twin, it was his cousin.

  Oh God, it was Chase kissing some woman, not Dylan.

  Her heart missed a beat as she tuned back to Dylan, her mind racing a million miles an hour. With a grin on his face, he stood there staring at her, and she kicked herself for believing the worst in him. Over the week he’d been nothing but sweet, attentive, and caring. He gave her no reason to second-guess him. It was her own fears, her own insecurities that filled her mind with the worst. Maybe Eden was right, and maybe it was time to stop living in the past.

  “Hey,” he said.

  At first she didn’t register what he was wearing, or why the crowd was going crazy. She swallowed and let her gaze drop. Oh. My. God.

  “What are you doing?” she asked, her voice a breathless whisper.

  He took a step closer to her and the cameras flashed faster. “I’m glad you came.”

  She eyed him as the pieces fell together. “Eden and the girls. You put them up to this, didn’t you?”

  “Yes. You once told me there was a part you wanted to play, with a good old-fashioned man with values.” He held his arms out to his sides. “I just wanted to prove to you I am that man. I’m just a small town cowboy who wants a small town cowgirl.”

  Her tears fell harder, and her sniff turned into a laugh as he slowly turned in a circle, showcasing his perfect jean clad backside in a pair of assless chaps.

  She covered her mouth, and shook her head. “Dylan, I can’t believe this. You wore these…for me?”

  He laughed. “Yes. And I promise to remove the jeans when we get home. I didn’t want to get arrested for indecent exposure.” He captured her hands and held them in his. “I also know you’re not into public displays of affection, and I’m sorry if this is embarrassing you, but I can’t help it. I want the world to know how I feel about you.”

  Cheers erupted in the crowd, the thunderous clapping making it hard to hear what he was saying. He stepped closer and pulled her into him. “I’m crazy about you, Angel.”

  She placed her hand on his chest and felt his strong heartbeat. It filled her with comfort, warmth, security, and love. “I kind of feel the same.” That’s when she remembered what tomorrow brought. “But you’re leaving tomorrow. A long distance relationship can never work.”

  He held his arms out. “I’m not going anywhere.” He winked, removed his lasso, spun it a couple times, then swung it over her shoulders. As he tightened it, he walked toward her. “Because I want to be tied down with you.”

  She wet her mouth, her mind racing back to the night they met and what he did with that lasso. Any man who’d do this and make a fool of himself in public was definitely a man worth having, but…

  “Dylan, you can’t stay,” she said, not wanting him to change his life and end up resenting her for it. “Your life is in Hollywood.”

  “Not anymore. I wasn’t happy there. You know that, Angel. I’m happy here, with you.” He looked past her shoulder, and she turned to see Chase giving them the thumbs up. “And I want to be closer to Chase. Family is important to me.”

  She looked at her feet. “I never had a real family.”

  He touched her chin and lifted it until her eyes met his. “You do now, Angel. And believe me, my mother is going to love you.” He pulled her in and placed the softest kiss on her mouth. Her heart squeezed with the love she felt for him, the things he was offering her.

  “I made a few calls, and there is a new cop series starting in the fall. We’d love it if you came onboard as a consultant. You’d still do Devious Women, of course. I talked to Cameron and they said they could work around your schedule so you can consult.” He kissed her again. “That way we can be together every day.”

  The love she saw shining in his eyes filled her heart. She couldn’t believe he went through all the trouble, even checking with Cameron. Honestly, she’d love to be the legal consultant on a cop show, and be with him everyday. “You’re serious?”

  “As serious as a cowboy on a cattle drive.”

  Her heart swelled with the love she felt for him. She chuckled and kissed him, finding solace in the heat of his mouth. “Well, that’s pretty serious.”

  “Say yes.”

  “One condition.”

  He angled his head, worry moving into his eyes. “Name it.”

  She touched the lasso around her shoulders. “You promise to bring this into the bedroom tonight, because I, too, want to be tied down with you.”

  Dylan picked her up and spun her around, and the crowd went insane. He kissed her hard then set her back down. He put his mouth close to her ear. “Think we can sneak out of here without anyone noticing?”

  She glanced at the growing crowd. “Uh, no!”

  “Wanna bet?” he teased, winking as he slipped his thumbs through the belt loops over his chaps, drawing her eyes to them. “Now that you know I follow through with a wager, I thought you might like to make another.”

  She grinned, and as she stared at the playful, yet sincere, man in chaps, one who was offering to tie her down tight and everything else she’d ever wanted, she knew she found her happily ever after.

  “You’re on,” she said.

  Epilogue

  One year later

  “Ready for lunch?”

  Angie glanced up from her desk to find Dylan leaning against the doorjamb, and her heart missed a beat. She was sure she’d never get used to the fact that he was hers and she was his.

  “You know,” she began, as she powered down her laptop, unable to take her eyes off him. “As much as I like you in your chaps”—she paused and let her gaze travel the length of him in a slow perusal—“I have to say this cop uniform is really working for me.”

  He grinned, pushed off the doorframe, and stepped toward her. “Oh, yeah? Maybe I’ll bring it on the honeymoon, and the lasso and chaps.”

  “A cowboy cop. I think my ovaries might explode.”

  Dylan laughed and held his hand out. She reached for it and he pulled her up. As her body collided with his, his arms went around her. She sank into his touch, hardly able to believe the part she’d soon be playing—his wife. This time next week, she and Dylan, along with their best friends and family, were all headed to Mexico for a secret destination wedding.

  Not only was she excited to be marrying the man she loved, but her brother Nick was going to be there, too. She couldn’t wait to see him and catch up.

  She moved her hips and pressed against him. “Is that a billy club, or are you happy to see me?”

  He laughed. “You keep talking like that and we’ll never make it to lunch.”

  She grinned. “Actually, I’m starved. Want to head to our favorite spot?”

  He arched a brow. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”

  “If you think I’m saying let’s go back to our place for lunch in bed, then yes.”

  “Good, because there really is only one thing I’m interested in nibbling on.”

  Catching her by surprise, Dylan picked her up. He planted a kiss on her mouth as she wrapped her legs around him. Two weeks ago they’d moved into a cozy apartment in the Village, one with an extra bedro
om, for another role she wanted to play.

  He carried her from her office to the parking lot. Cast members walked past them and someone shouted, “Go find a bed already.”

  “We’re on it,” Dylan said through kisses.

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  Acknowledgments

  To all the gals at Foxy Fiction who help me shape a book, from helping with character names, early readings, to reviews and spreading the word on release day. You all mean so much to me. Thank you!

  About the Author

  New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Cathryn Fox is a wife, mom, sister, daughter, and friend. She loves dogs, sunny weather, anything chocolate (she never says no to a brownie), pizza, and red wine. Cathryn has two teenagers who keep her busy and a husband who is convinced he can turn her into a mixed martial arts fan. When not writing, Cathryn can be found laughing over lunch with friends, hanging out with her kids, or watching a big action flick with her husband.

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