by Ciana Stone
Blood flew and he howled as she jerked her right knee up as hard as she could and caught him solidly between the legs. His howl turned into a choked gurgle and all the color drained from his face. She snatched the gun from his hand and quickly kicked Williams’ gun across the room.
“We’re clear!” she yelled as she stepped back, keeping the weapon at ready.
Two seconds later, the door opened and SWAT rushed in. They took one look and their leader spoke. “Stand down. We’re secured.”
He turned to Charli. “Nice work, Deputy.”
She gave him a nod. “You got this?”
“We do.”
She surrendered the weapon and headed outside.
Chief Greene was waiting beside his car. “So much for waiting on backup, Sampson.” He held out her service weapon to her.
Charli took her weapon, clipped it on her belt, and then reached up to rub at her temple. She’d probably have a nice bruise tomorrow if the throbbing was any indication. She wished she could rub her stomach where nausea was starting to bubble. Violence always left her with the need to vomit.
“Take disciplinary action if you feel it’s warranted, Chief. I apologize for any lapse in judgement. I should have waited.”
“Well, it all worked out, didn’t it, Deputy.”
“Yes, sir, it did.”
“Then head back, write up your report, and take the next two days off.”
“I don’t need time off, sir.”
“No, but it’s policy, so that’s what you’ll do.”
“Yes, sir.” She started to turn away, but he touched her arm and stopped her.
“Good work, Charli.”
Charli smiled in gratitude. “Thanks, Chief.”
With that, she got in her vehicle and headed home. Ten minutes into the drive, her nausea mercifully started to subside, and she realized with surprise that rather than being all wired from the fight, or having a case of after-fight shakes, the thing uppermost on her mind was to wonder if Grady Judd stopped by the station to talk to her about their possible date and whether he’d try again if she wasn’t there.
She hoped so because she damn sure wanted that date.
Chapter Seven
Grady had just gotten out of his truck when he heard the sound of a vehicle. He turned to look, and a smile broke out on his face.
Kyle Sadler got out of his truck and extended his hand as Grady walked over. “Long time, Captain.”
“Just Grady,” he said as he clasped Kyle’s hand. “How you doin’, Kyle?”
“Good. Finally. I’m good.”
“I heard you got married.”
“I got saved.”
“Even better.” Grady thumped his hand on Kyle’s shoulder. “I’d planned on getting up with you but needed to get things squared away here first.”
“For real or show?”
“A little of both. You know the drill. When Uncle Sam, calls I hit the bricks.”
“And I hear you’ve graduated to the big leagues.”
Grady dismissed that with a wave of his hand. “Just another man in service to his country, buddy. And rancher. At least, I was. My stock’s a sorry lot these days. Looks like I need to hire on a few more hands to help Al out.”
“I can help you find some dependable hands if you want.”
“I’d appreciate it, Kyle. So, tell me about your wife. Liz, right?”
“Yep.”
Grady listened to Kyle talk about his wife and their life together. He was, frankly, shocked. He’d met Kyle some years back. Kyle was in Special Forces and as good an Operator as Grady had ever met.
Until he saw the woman he fell in love with and her child blown up right in front of him. Then he changed. Grady heard Kyle had left the service and was living like many of their kind did once war broke them—alone with their ghosts.
He was glad to see that Kyle had been able to find love and to put his ghosts to rest. Grady wasn’t sure he’d ever be so lucky. With skill born of years of practice, he tucked his past away where he could be safe from it for a while.
He invited Kyle in for a beer, grabbed two cold ones from the refrigerator, and they took a seat on the covered front porch of the house.
It was hot, but the ceiling fan at least stirred the air. Grady took off his hat and hung it on the back of a vacant chair. “So, I was in town and met the new deputy.”
Kyle cut him a sly smile. “Yep, she’s in a class all her own.”
“You can say that, and a whole lotta woman. What you think, five ten and one fifty?”
“Something like that—probably one-seventy. She’s solid.”
Grady tilted his beer up for a long draught. “I think I have a date with her this weekend.”
“You think?”
“I was supposed to stop by the station sometime to see if she’s free on Friday, but I haven’t had a chance to stop by yet.”
“Well, she’s not on duty so you wouldn’t have seen her.”
“Oh yeah?”
“You didn’t hear?”
“Hear what?”
“Some of the roughnecks have been causing trouble over the oil site closing. Two of them got liquored up and tried to take the foreman and site manager’s secretary hostage, to force the Legacy company to keep the site open.
“The chief sent Charli in first and instead of waiting on backup, she took the situation on alone.”
“And?”
“And she walked away unharmed, along with the hostages.”
“And the two men?”
“One shot by the other’s gun and the other with a busted ball and broken nose.”
Grady winced. “Damn.”
“Yeah, seriously. Anyway, the Chief sent her home for the rest of the week. Department policy. Liz said Charli wasn’t exactly happy, but mainly bored.”
“Bored, eh?”
“Yep.”
“Well, I reckon I could find out where she lives and drop by. Seeing as how she’s not at the station. I don’t want her to think I’m not a man of my word.” He considered it for a moment. “But I would hate to show up and find her shacked up with someone.”
“What, you losing your mojo, bro? Think you can’t out-charm some local yokel?”
Grady chuckled. “Maybe. Who knows. There’s a whole lotta young bucks out there that are probably sniffing around.”
“Oh, there are, but so far, she’s shot ‘em all down.”
“And you’d know that how?”
“Liz. And Charli and I are old friends. She’s ex-military, you know.”
“Oh?”
Kyle nodded. “One of the few women Operators in Delta.”
“No shit?”
“No shit, brother. She’s a badass and carrying a whole lotta darkness.”
“What Operator isn’t?”
“True, but tread careful. The way I hear it, she isn’t looking for love. At all. In fact, Liz says Charli’s the biggest player she’s ever met. She lures men in, uses them up, and walks without batting an eyelash.”
“You make her sound like−“
“Us.”
Grady hated to admit it, but Kyle was right. While Kyle might have mended his ways, buried his ghosts, and found his redemption, others, like himself, had not. If Charli Sampson was a kindred spirit in that respect, maybe rather than tread carefully, he should dive right in because they just might be birds of the same feather.
*****
Charli saw him as she rose from beneath the water’s surface. He stood on the shore at the tailgate of his truck, far back enough that his booted feet didn’t sink into the soft dirt at the water’s edge. She kept her eyes on him, waded to the lakeshore where she stopped to take off her flippers and carry them in one hand.
She’d be lying if she said she hadn’t thought about him. She’d given him way too much thought. In fact, he was part of the reason she’d run six miles, swum six, and planned on biking twice that much. If she didn’t exhaust herself, she’d never get to sleep,
and the lack of sleep was starting to make her real irritable.
Maybe she should have taken Cody’s advice and hooked up with one of the local guys who’d been after her. But Charli wasn’t interested. She wasn’t opposed to sex for the sake of sex, but damn it, she wanted it to be sex with a man who made her warm just to look at him.
Like Grady Judd. Good God, that man made her think of at least half a dozen ways to sin.
“What brings you here?” she asked as she walked up to him, noting the way his eyes raked over her.
“Nice day for a swim?”
“It is.”
“You done for the day?”
“Maybe. I planned on biking.”
“It’s hot.”
“Yeah, it’s West Texas.”
He smiled and she felt her body heat rise. Damn, if he wasn’t about the sexiest thing she’d ever laid eyes on. “So, like I said before, what brings you here, Grady Judd? Just passing through?”
“Hardly. I told you I’d stop by before Friday, but since you’re not working, I figured I’d come here. This is a nice place, by the way.”
“It is. Liz Redgate— Do you know her? She’s married to Kyle Stadler. Anyway, her brother, Cooper Quinlan, one of the original owners of the Cotton Creek Energy Company, bought it and intended to bulldoze the cabin down and rebuild, but then decided he didn’t want it. So, he sold it to me.”
“Sweet.”
“Indeed. So, about Friday…”
“Yeah, about Friday. You free?”
“I am, but you know I’m not one to waste time or an opportunity and we’re both here now so…”
Charli was thinking entirely with her libido, and perhaps with her ego. She knew men were attracted to her and she used it to her advantage when the need arose. And the need had arisen. She dropped her flippers as she closed in on Grady.
He didn’t blink or budge as she looped her arms around his neck and pressed her wet body against his. It wasn’t until she pressed her lips to his that he moved. Swift as the strike of a rattler, he had one arm around her with his hand firmly gripping her butt cheek to pull her tightly against him. His other hand claimed a spot on the back of her neck.
Charli thought she was the aggressor until his lips parted against hers and then she realized something important about Grady Judd. He was naturally dominant. It would take a lot for him to cede control.
That excited her. As did his kiss. When he pulled back, they were both breathing a bit harder. “Want to come in?” she asked.
“Obviously, I do, but I won’t.”
That shocked her. She could feel the evidence of his arousal through his jeans. She knew he wanted her. “Why not?”
“Because you can get that from anyone, sugar and I’m not anyone. I will, however, pick you on Friday at half past six. Riley Morgan and his band are playing at the Honky Tonk and I haven’t had good barbecue or danced with a beautiful woman in a while. I’ve got a hankering to do both.”
“Sounds good, but you still don’t have to leave.”
“Oh yeah, I do. Like I said, you can get that from anyone.”
“I don’t want just anyone.”
“Then you’re gonna have to wait, baby.”
“I’m not good at waiting.”
What happened next shocked her. Before she knew it, Grady had her arm twisted behind her, holding her immobile with one hand as his free hand moved between her legs to cup her sex.
“But you’ll wait. You won’t even take care of this yourself. You’ll wait because you know I’m going do it.”
“Do what?”
“What you want.”
“And what might that be?”
“Make you submit.”
Christ on a crutch. She nearly climaxed. What the hell? She’d never been a woman who would relinquish control. What made this man think she’d submit to him?
“Well, we’ll just see about that, won’t we, Grady Judd?”
“Indeed we will.” He gave her another toe-curling kiss, then backed away. “See you Friday, Charli.”
“Half-past six,” she said and stepped away from the truck.
Grady smiled, got in his truck, and pulled away with a wave.
Charli returned the wave and then let out a breath. Holy shit. Part of her scoffed at Grady’s promise, but another part, one she’d never been introduced to until now, was filled with a hunger she’d never known.
And quite honestly, didn’t know what to do with.
Chapter Eight
At twenty-five minutes past six, Charli gave her appearance in the mirror one last look. The white, spaghetti-strap top and short denim skirt showed off her assets in a sexy casual way. She first thought about wearing cowboy boots but decided against it.
Most women her height were hesitant to wear high heels because it made them tower over everyone but the tallest men. That’s exactly what she wanted. With the heels, she’d stand eye-to-eye with Grady Judd.
Charli understood that she was trying to level the playing field with high heels, to reestablish a measure of control. That didn’t bother or embarrass her. Grady had leapt way forward in the control department at their last encounter and it was important for her to reestablish that no one controlled her.
Unless she allowed it. Which was another way of saying that she was the one in charge.
She turned her back on her reflection and walked out into the living area to unplug her phone from where she had it charging on the desk. Just as she was tucking the phone into the shoulder bag that contained her billfold, lip balm, badge, and handgun, she heard the sound of a vehicle.
Charli walked to the front door, opened it, and stepped out onto the porch to lean against the support at the top of the steps. The truck stopped, turned off, and the door opened.
It was a real pleasure watching Grady climb down from the truck and shove the door closed with one hand as he started toward her. It struck her that while Grady had that cowboy thing going for him, there was something else in that sexy mix.
She didn’t have time to ponder it, and at the moment didn’t want to. He smiled at her and she enjoyed the little clench of her insides and that tingle of excitement. He’d chosen a casual look as well, and definitely dressed to show his own assets.
His white t-shirt was tight, displaying his musculature and providing a contrast with his tanned skin. His jeans looked soft and worn, his belt well used, and his boots a bit scuffed at the toes.
This evening his hat was white rather than the worn, brown Stetson she’d seen him wear previously. He looked like the hero of a romance novel. All male brawn and beauty. If he’d dressed to impress, then his goal was achieved because what was on her mind had nothing at all do to with barbecue or boot scootin’.
He stopped at the bottom of the steps and his eyes moved from her face and slowly down her body. Charli entertained the fantasy of him possessing superpowers for the length of time it took his gaze to return to hers because her body felt heat from the journey of his eyes on her skin.
“Damn, sugar.” He mounted steps until he was one below her, putting her a good six inches taller than he was.
“My thoughts exactly.” She gave him a smile. “Sure hope there’s no hard drinking going on with the ladies tonight or I just have might have to wrestle a few to keep ’em off you.”
“I’d pay good money to see that.”
Charli laughed. “I bet you would.”
“You ready to ride?”
Hell yeah. Boy was she ever, but she didn’t say so. Instead, she replied, “Just need to grab my bag. Be right back.”
Charli fetched her bag, locked the front door, and turned to face Grady. He had one hip propped on the stair rail and a look on his face that mirrored what was going on inside her. Lust. It was a look she recognized.
She stepped down onto the same rung and ran the fingertips of her hand along his jaw. He grinned, captured her hand, placed a kiss on her knuckles, and then tucked her hand into the crook of his arm. “Let’
s do this, gorgeous.”
She smiled and he escorted her to the truck, opened the door for her, and watched with a sexy smile as she climbed in. If nothing else came from this, Charli loved the boon it gave to her ego to have someone as fine as Grady look at her with obvious desire. She hoped, however, that she would get more from him than an appreciative look because she couldn’t remember wanting a man as much as she did Grady and she would sure hate to miss the chance to be with him.
To his credit, he didn’t ask about her past, or bring up his own. Instead, he asked her impression of Cotton Creek and the people who called it home. She enjoyed hearing him talk about the people. It was clear that he cared about others, and she wondered if he realized that he was showing his heart.
They had some good laughs over some of the stories he told about Cotton Creek residents, most of the laughs at his expense, however. She was surprised at how fast the drive passed.
She was also surprised at how busy the Honky Tonk was when they arrived. She shouldn’t have been. They packed in the crowd every weekend, but of late, the crowd had started to thin as the jobs ended at the oil site and the wildcatters gave up trying to get to the oil that had made it necessary for a huge company to undertake a major fracking operation.
“Looks like the whole town is here,” Grady commented as he turned off the truck. “What’s the event?”
“Maybe they’re just here to welcome you home.” She smiled and opened the door to climb out.
Grady laughed, got out, and met her in front of the truck where he put his hand on the small of her back and escorted her to the door.
Billy Sweet, the founder of the bar and grille, sat at the door. “Grady Judd, as I live and breathe. How you doin’, son?”
“Just fine, Mr. Sweet. How ‘bout you, sir?”
“Any better and I’d need me a manager. Good to see you. And you, Charli.”
“Thanks, Billy. Is Stella here tonight?”
“Naw, she and KC are busy shopping this weekend for KC’s move to San Antonio.”
“Oh, that’s right. She’s leaving for college in a couple of weeks, right?”
“Indeed she is. Gonna be mighty quiet without that girl around.”
