Brides on the Run (Books 1-4): Small-Town Romance Series

by Jami Albright

  He nipped her finger. “I wouldn’t want to do that.”

  “Why is that?”

  “Put your lips where your hands are, and I’ll show you.” He lifted her higher. “And wrap your legs around my waist.” She did, and the heat of her nestled around him perfectly.

  She gave a little wiggle. “You like that?”

  He closed his eyes and took several long breaths through his nose. “So much.”

  Her fingers went into his hair. “Hey, look at me.”

  The seriousness of her tone had him flicking open his lids. “Yeah?”

  “I have to make sure Newt doesn’t mind. When were you thinking we’d leave?”

  “What’s best for you?”

  “Thursday morning?” She rested her forearms on his shoulders. “I need to get my orders in and make sure they’re ready for the weekend. Thankfully, I’ve already booked the talent to play, since mine is skipping off to play hooky and be a famous, award-winning country music star.”

  He couldn’t control the grin that pulled his lips up at the corners, even though he knew the chance of him winning was slim. The competition was just too stiff. But it did something to his heart to know she believed in him. “Yeah, well. It’s hard to find good help these days.”

  She unhooked her legs from around his waist and slid down his body. He knew by the wicked glint in her eye that the slide down the front of his jeans was intentional. She wove her fingers with his, traced and kissed his knuckles, then brought their joined hands to her heart. Her eyes were full of something new when she raised them to his. “Stay.”

  “What?”

  “Stay with me.”

  He couldn’t have heard her right. They were never together when Lottie was home. “But Lottie…”

  “Will be fine.”

  “If that’s what you want.” He smoothed her hair from her face. “You’re sure?”

  “I’m sure.”

  It was all he could do not to pick her up and run down the hall to her bedroom before she changed her mind. But the look in her eyes said this meant something to her too, so he let her lead the way.

  Hailey led Beau into the bedroom and closed the door. “Sit.” This was important. She wanted to show him how much she loved him even if she could never tell him. Telling him how she felt would be a gross violation of the rules. Rules she’d created.

  He sat on the end of the bed and leaned back on his hands. “Whatcha up to, Hailey, girl?”

  “You’ll see.” She turned the bedside light on and kicked off her shoes. The air caught in her chest at the sight of him. Like a derelict king, he leaned back on his hands, his long legs spread in front of him. His tracked her movements like he was an addict and she was his next fix.

  She picked up one foot and pulled off his boot, then his white athletic sock. She did the same to the other foot. He never spoke, only continued to stalk her with his lust-filled gaze.

  She positioned herself between his jean-clad legs. “You’re awful quiet, cowboy.”

  His Adam’s apple bobbed twice before he spoke. “Just enjoying the show.”

  “Oh, you want a show?” She grabbed the bottom of the lace camisole she wore and pulled it over her head. “How’s that?”

  The groan that rumbled up from his core fueled her exhibitionism. “What if I did this?” She flipped the front clasp of her bra, then slid the straps from her shoulders. The black lace fell into a puddle on the floor. He never took his eyes from hers. Smoldering steam pulsed between them, and caught them in a rhythm of pounding hearts and ragged breaths. She pointed at him. “Now you.”

  He reached behind him and yanked his t-shirt over his head. So. Freakin’. Sexy.

  His hands went back to the bed, so his chest was on perfect display. He kicked his chin up. “Your turn.”

  She slid the button of her pants through the hole and wiggled them over her hips and down her legs. A quick kick and they were out of the way, and she stood in nothing but a black lacy thong.

  His chest rose and fell in hard, labored respiration. His hungry gaze ate her up from her head to her toes. Powerful. The word flashed in her brain. With him, she was powerful.

  “Turn around.” It was a command not a request. “Fuuuckin’ hell,” he growled and went to his knees behind her. Two big hands palmed the globes of her butt. The heat of his mouth on her lower back stoked the desire burning her alive, until she was pliable and willing in his hands.

  His lips replaced his hands on her ass. “Beau.” Her needy plea reverberated off the walls of her bedroom.

  “Shhh. I’ve got you. Put your hands on the wall.”

  She did as she was told. Every nerve ending fired at once when his fingers went to the top of her thong and he slid it down her legs. He worshiped her from her backside to her feet. With every lick of his tongue, every caress of his lips, she fell a little more in love with him.

  Careful, girl. This will not end well.

  She shoved that thought far, far from this moment in this room with this man. There was only one thing she knew for sure. She’d never regret one minute she spent with him.

  “Spread your legs, baby.”

  She didn’t hesitate to comply.

  His finger glided down the cleft of her ass and didn’t stop until he was at her entrance. His clever fingers teased and played, making her crazy with need. She dropped her head to the wall in front of her and concentrated on staying upright. He stole her ability to think and left her only with the golden glow of sensation. “Beau.”

  “Hmmm?”

  “I… I want…” He slid his other hand up her back then scraped his blunt nails down her spine and she almost came right then.

  “What do you want, Hailey?”

  “I want your mouth.”

  “Where?”

  “Where your fingers are.”

  He drummed his fingers on her lower back. “Here?”

  “Beau, put your mouth on me right now or I swear I’ll kick you out of here right this minute.”

  He chuckled. “I’m not going anywhere, baby.” He stood and hooked his arm under her legs, while his other arm caught her around the back. Their faces were mere inches from each other. Electricity crackled and flashed between them. His lips crashed down on hers. Her fingers tangled in his hair. All of her love lived in that kiss. She communicated everything she wanted to say, and never uttered a word.

  He lowered her to the bed without breaking the connection. The bed dipped when he placed one knee on either side of her. The golden cage of his arms and legs as he held himself above her was everything she ever wanted.

  “I believe you gave me an ultimatum.” The devil danced in his eyes.

  “I did.”

  “Then I better get to it.” His lips were an inferno on her skin. He slid down her body leaving fire in his wake. It was the hottest thing she’d ever lived through, until he pressed his mouth to her core, and she forgot she’d lived before that moment.

  Her fingers dug into the comforter. “Beau.”

  He glanced up her body at her. His hair hung in his eyes. He grabbed his bangs and pulled them out of his face. “Do you need a minute?”

  She needed forever, but she’d take right now. “No. Now. Right now.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  Time ceased to exist. He could’ve been there five minutes or five hours, she had no idea, she was too busy riding on a surge of desire so intense that she thought it would consume her. Then the wave crashed, and she broke into a million pieces. “Ohhhhh.” It was the only sound she could make. On and on it went. He stayed with her and never let up until she came back to herself.

  Then he crawled up her body. “Hey.”

  “Hey.” His mouth glistened, his eyes blazed, and his hair was a total mess—perfect. “Kiss me.”

  Warm, strong hands cupped her breasts. The combination of his mouth on hers and his fingers toying with her nipple wound her need for him tighter and tighter. “I want you inside.”

  He s
tood up and reached for his jeans. The cool air of the room blew over her overheated skin. The loss of his body on hers physically hurt.

  There was a rip of foil, then he moved over her. “Mmmm. Missionary, nice.”

  A hot flush rushed up her neck and burned her face. “I’m…we can…we can do something else…if it’s too boring.”

  He silenced her with his lips. “Hailey, I’ve been dreaming of laying you out on a bed and making love to you right and proper since the first time I touched you. This isn’t boring, it’s all my fantasies come true.”

  “Oh.” Tears pinched her eyes. She’d never been treated so sweetly or carefully. No wonder she was crazy in love with him.

  Slowly, torturously, he entered her. “This never gets old. It’s like coming home.”

  They stayed like that for long seconds. Him inside her, their hearts pounding as one, with him looking at her like she was the most precious thing in the world. And she knew this would be the moment she relived when she was old and grey.

  When he began to move it all changed. The sensation that’d taken over her soul grew, multiplied, and infused every cell in her body. She didn’t fight it. She welcomed it, reveled in it, and held it close to her heart. This was her choice and it was the best decision she’d ever made.

  He moved his hand between them and began to circle the bud of nerves that sent her over the edge again. “Beau.”

  “I’m with you, Hay.” He pumped into her faster and harder. His groan came from deep, deep inside him. Then his big body collapsed on top of her. “I’m with you.” The whispered declaration fanned across her neck.

  His weight pinned her to the mattress. It was hard to pull air into her lungs.

  Who cared?

  She was exactly where she wanted to be.

  Chapter 28

  Beau slowly peeled open his eyes in the bright morning sun. It took him a few seconds to realize he wasn’t in the slut hut. A throat clearing had him sliding his gaze to the right. A dark-haired beauty with a plastic tiara in her curls stood with her arms crossed over her chest, the toe of her fuzzy slipper tap, tap, tapping the hardwood floor.

  A quick check to make sure the blankets covered all the necessary parts. Hello, déjà vu. “Whatcha doin’, Lottie?”

  She didn’t say anything, just gave him the same mutinous glare she’d given him the morning she found him in the princess bed.

  “Darlin’, are you alright?”

  “No.”

  Crap. Where was Hailey? He heard the shower and knew his lifeline was not coming to his rescue. He pushed himself into a sitting position. Hailey’s pillow went into his lap to cover any sensitive parts. “Wanna tell me about it?”

  “You had a sleepover.”

  He caught his hair in his hand and pulled it out of his face. “Yeah. Well, it wasn’t exactly a sleepover.”

  “Did you sleep here?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then you had a sleepover and didn’t invite me. I invited you to my birthday party, but you didn’t invite me to your sleepover. That’s not very nice, Beau.”

  He bit the inside of his lip. It would be terrible if he laughed right now. She was so sincere. “You’re right. I’m sorry.” What else could he say? He wasn’t a fool. The best defense was always to agree with a woman.

  That seemed to mollify her. She uncrossed her arms and crawled onto the bed to sit next to him. He thanked the good Lord he’d slipped his boxer briefs on before he and Hailey fell asleep. Even so, they felt woefully inadequate at the moment. He moved over to give her plenty of room to sit, but she lay down on her side with her head toward his feet and her fuzzy slippers at his hip. She rested her head on the hand of her crooked arm. “I think ice cream would make me feel better.”

  He busted out laughing.

  The mischief in her eyes and her smile looked so much like Hailey that his heart did a double two-step. “Good try, kid.”

  She flopped onto her back and cracked up. Her happy giggles filled the room, and he was pretty sure he could live off that sound for a good long time.

  He relaxed and stuck another pillow behind his head. “You were a superstar last night, gal. You know that, right?”

  Rosy marks bloom over her cheeks. She returned to her side and rested her head in her hand again. “Thank you.”

  “But I want you to know that you never have to sing like that again if you don’t want to. Or you can.” He grabbed the toe of her slipper and jiggled her foot back and forth. “Either way, I think you’re pretty awesome.”

  She shrugged one shoulder like it was no big deal, but the pink in her cheeks had gone a darker shade of red. She also couldn’t hide her smile. “I had fun. Did you see all those autographs I signed? I signed almost as many as you.”

  He scratched his chest. “I know. If I didn’t like you so much, I might be jealous.”

  She laughed again. “You’re silly, Beau.”

  “I am.” He didn’t hear the shower anymore. Where was Hailey? He could use a save right about now. He loved Lottie, but he’d rather be clothed.

  “Are you going to be my dad now?”

  He whipped his head toward her so fast that his brain rattled in his skull. “What?”

  “Are you going to be my dad?”

  Tread lightly, Callen.

  “Darlin’, you already have a dad, but I’ll be your friend.” He squeezed her slipper-clad foot again. “We are friends, right?”

  Her pretty blue eyes wouldn’t meet his. “Yeah, but he’s not a very good dad.” The whispered confession seemed to be the stopper on a bottle pent up with a long list of grievances. “He never takes me to get ice cream, or to the movies, or the park. He yells at me if I ask too many questions.” She sat up and crisscrossed her legs. “And he and Ariel are always talking about something called paternity. I don’t know what it means, but when I hear them talking about it, it makes my stomach hurt.”

  All he wanted to do was bundle her into his arms and never let her go. That jackass Derek didn’t deserve this child with the beautiful heart. “Have you told your mom?”

  She trained her gaze on her lap and picked at the purple polish on her short nails. “No. I don’t want her to know he doesn’t like me.”

  Well, shit. Screw it. He grabbed her by the arms and pulled her to his side. “Lottie, I’m so sorry. I’m not going to try to tell you that your dad does like you, cause your feelings are real to you and grown-ups can be messed up. Half the time, we don’t know what we’re feeling, so how can we expect a kid to understand?” He kissed the top of her head and saw a tear drop onto her leg. “Look at me, Lil’ Bit.”

  Her teary gaze turned up to his.

  “I think you are the best person I’ve met in a long time. You’re fun and smart and a pretty good con artist.”

  Her watery laugh lifted the weight on his chest.

  “But I’m sorry your dad isn’t…more. I know that hurts. But if you need to talk to anyone about it, you can always talk to me. That way, you don’t have to keep it bottled up. Okay?”

  A quick nod that made her curls bounce. “Okay.”

  “I still think you should talk to your mom about this, too, but I’m here until you’re ready to do that.”

  She crawled up on her knees and threw her arms around his neck. “Thank you, Beau.”

  He patted her back. “No problem, Lil’ Bit.”

  A kiss on the cheek, then she scrambled off the bed. When she got to the door, she turned back to him, and the old Lottie was back. “You know what would make me feel better?”

  “What?”

  “Ice cream.”

  He threw the pillow toward the door. “Get out of here.”

  She squealed and ran down the hall. The sound of her laughter wrapped around his heart and refused to let go.

  Hailey went through the mail at the bar without thinking about it. Her mind was still back in her bedroom, both because of what she and Beau had done, and because of the conversation she’d overheard betw
een Beau and Lottie. She still wasn’t breathing regularly even two hours after hearing her daughter’s brokenhearted confession.

  She knew what it felt like not believing your dad liked you. The only difference between her and Lottie was that she knew her dad didn’t like her. He’d made that abundantly clear ten years ago. His cutting words would always be lodged in her heart. They’d been there so long that they’d become part of her DNA.

  The last thing she wanted was for Lottie to feel the same way. She had an overwhelming desire to hold her girl and protect her from the world. That was why she’d almost said no when Charlie and Hank had called to see if they could take Lottie to Austin for the day. But if she was going with Beau this weekend to the awards show, then she needed to try and get ahead on her work.

  An envelope with “Time Sensitive Material” stamped on it in red jumped out at her. She slid the letter open along the seam and withdrew the pink notice. A cold dread skated down her spine. Her insurance premium was past due. Shit. She’d meant to call them last week but forgot.

  She grabbed the phone and called Sandra Caplan at Southwest Insurance. “Sandra, it’s Hailey Odom.”

  “Oh, hello, Hailey.” Under the best of circumstances, Sandra wasn’t effervescent, but since Hailey owed her money, she was downright sour.

  “Hey, I meant to call you last week, but forgot. I…um…I don’t have the money right this minute to pay the premium, but I can pay it next week.” She hoped like hell she wasn’t lying. Things were so much better at the bar, but with the walk-in cooler’s compressor going out two weeks ago, cash had been tight.

  “That’s fine.”

  Relief flooded her bloodstream. “Oh, thanks for the extension.”

  “I’m not giving you an extension. Your policy will expire Friday, but we’ll let you renew if you pay next week.”

  “But that means I could be without insurance for four or five days. Can I give you a postdated check?”

  “No.”

  Just like that? “Is there anything else I can do, Sandra? I can’t be without insurance.”

  “Pay your bill by Friday. I have to go, Hailey. Goodbye.”