Hell on Wheels

by Karen Kelley

A laughing woman came up beside him. “I think you’ve finally made James speechless with your warm outpouring of love and generosity. I think what he’s trying to say is how very much we appreciate each and every one of you.” She turned and reached behind her. “All our family, isn’t that right, Madison?”

  A young woman about Cody’s age stepped from the shadows. “Yes, we’re all very grateful.”

  Rather than looking at the crowd, her gaze went straight to Cody—and stopped. She’d been watching from her corner in the back and had seen her, maybe before her father had.

  And she knew.

  Madison’s gaze swept over Cody. Did she note the differences between them? That one wore a white gown that sparkled with jewels and had diamonds around her neck? That the other wore a pair of faded jeans and a T-shirt?

  When their gazes locked, she saw the sadness reflected on Madison’s face. Maybe her life hadn’t been much better. Cody looked at her father. Were there other affairs littering his life? Other children?

  She shook her head. This was the man she’d wanted to know? The man whom she’d dreamed about? That he would one day walk into her life and tell the world he was her father and how proud he was of her?

  Damn, what a lot of wasted hours. He wasn’t worth it. She looked at her sister and smiled. The girl returned it with one of her own. Maybe they would meet someday. Who knows, but she damn sure wouldn’t hold her breath. They were from two different worlds.

  She turned, and with no regrets, she walked away.

  Moji looked at her as if she’d grown two heads or something. Cody had no idea what his problem was, but she had no doubt he would tell her.

  “You finally met your father during a big, snazzy party and all you did was walk away? Girlfriend, did I not teach you better? That would’ve been the perfect time for revenge. You could’ve at least shouted, ‘Hi, Daddy.’ Oh my god, that would’ve been priceless.” He laughed. “Can anyone say…massive coronary’?”

  She lifted the dumbbell toward her shoulder, breathing in. “I didn’t go there for revenge.” She slowly lowered the ten-pound weight, exhaling as she did. “I was only curious. I saw him and I wasn’t curious anymore.” And it was the truth. There was no sense in wishing for what might have been. Her secret fantasy of a normal family would never happen.

  Still, she did wonder just a little about Madison. She hadn’t seemed overly surprised, but Cody knew damn well her half sister guessed the truth.

  “I don’t know, I think I’d have still shouted out something.” He rearranged some of the weights on the rack. “I spoke with your mother this morning.”

  Great. She still couldn’t figure out why they’d become the best of friends. They were nothing alike. Now they were calling each other every day.

  She replaced the weight, grabbed her towel, and wiped the sweat from her brow before tossing it down and eyeing him.

  “And?” she finally asked.

  “She just happened to let it slip that you and that hunky bounty hunter got married. I would think that since I wasn’t invited to the wedding you’d have at least mentioned the fact you two got married.”

  “Oh, for heaven’s sake, we’re not married.”

  His eyebrows rose. “So, you didn’t get married.”

  “We got married. We’re also getting divorced. End of story.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “And what’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Nothing. Nothing at all.” He waved his arms about. “Oh, look, there’s Tim. God, he’s so beautiful. I’m thinking about giving him a year’s membership.”

  “Take it out in trade?”

  “You got it, honey.” He smoothed his hands over the sides of his hair. “Ta-ta, sweetie, and don’t make any rash decisions. Maybe fate stepped in to put you two together. Stranger things have happened.”

  “Not to me,” she mumbled, and headed for the dressing room.

  But as she stood under the cool spray of the shower, her thoughts turned to Josh. Even if she could have stopped them, she wasn’t sure if she wanted to.

  She pushed her wet hair out of her face and grabbed the soap. As she ran the bar over her naked skin, she imagined Josh caressing her. His hands lathering the soap over her breasts, circling around her tight nipples.

  She bit her bottom lip as her hand slid lower, over her stomach, down to the thatch of dark curls. His hand had parted the folds, exposing her sex. She swallowed past the lump in her throat remembering how his tongue had grazed her before taking her into his mouth and gently sucking.

  With one hand raised, she leaned against the wall of the shower, and with her other hand she slid the soap up and down, pressing the bar against her sex.

  “Ah, Josh…” she groaned as her body began to tremble, but when she reached for him, he wasn’t there. The soap landed on the shower stall with a thud. Tears of frustration burned her eyes. If anything, she was more wired than before.

  She’d known better than to get mixed up with him. He was a player. Even though she hadn’t seen him in the last few weeks, she assumed he’d moved on, and that she’d be getting divorce papers any day.

  Damn it, why did it have to hurt this much?

  The shrill ring of the phone echoed through Cody’s apartment. She sucked in a breath, then chastised herself. It wasn’t Josh. It had been a month since she’d last seen him.

  As she walked past, she glanced at the black X’s drawn through the days on the calendar. One very long month.

  She picked up the phone. “Hello?” Did her voice sound anxious?

  “Hello,” Pearl said.

  The breath left her body for an instant. She closed her eyes and dropped into one of the kitchen chairs. Not Josh. Damn.

  “Hi…Mom.” Why did she still stumble over calling Pearl “Mom”? Her mother had been doing great the last few weeks. She was even shopping for herself and had applied for a job at one of the local convenience stores.

  “I got the job.” Pearl’s excitement crackled over the phone.

  “Oh, Mom, that’s wonderful. I’m so proud of you. We’ll have to celebrate. Maybe go to a nice restaurant for supper this week.” She smiled. Her mother was going to make it. She just knew it.

  “That sounds like fun. We could invite Moji, too.”

  “Heaven help us if we leave him out.”

  They both laughed.

  When the doorbell rang, Cody went to answer it, asking questions about her mother’s job as she looked out the peephole. She didn’t recognize the man. Wrong apartment?

  “Hey, Mom, can I call you back? Someone’s at the door.”

  They said good-bye and she laid the phone on the table before opening the door.

  “Yes?”

  He nodded. “Ms. Pierce?”

  “Yes.” The hairs on the back of her neck stood up.

  “I’m with the firm of Jacob and Anderson…lawyers. I normally mail papers, but I’ve known Josh for a while and he wanted this matter taken care of as soon as possible. Since it was on my way…” His words trailed off as he handed her a large, thick envelope.

  Chapter 25

  Cody swallowed past the lump in her throat and took the papers. The lawyer smiled before he turned and left. She closed the door of her apartment and made her way to the sofa, dropping the papers on the coffee table and plopping down.

  She sat there, staring at the envelope.

  So, this was it. The end of her love affair, her marriage. She choked on a laugh. It sounded more like a sob. “Damn it, Josh, I loved you.”

  There, she’d finally admitted it to herself.

  She fell back across the sofa and grabbed a pillow, pulling it tightly against her, and stared at the offending manila envelope.

  All she had to do was sign the papers and mail them back. Her life would be like it was before Josh. No, she knew it would never be the same again.

  Reaching out, she fingered the edge before pulling it toward her. What if she didn’t sign them?

  And where woul
d that get her? A marriage in name only. No, she wanted all or nothing.

  With a heavy sigh, she sat up and opened the envelope, pulling the stack of papers out. She began scanning through them.

  “What the hell?”

  Had there been a mix-up? These weren’t divorce papers. She went back to the start and began skimming through the document. Business on the northeast corner…co-owners…Mr. and Mrs. Josh Pierce.

  She came to her feet. What?

  This had to be some kind of mistake. They didn’t own a business. She slipped the papers back into the envelope and rushed to the door. Maybe she could catch the lawyer before he left the building. She opened the door—and screamed.

  Josh leaned against the frame. “Is that any way to greet your husband?”

  “What?”

  He looked at the papers in her hand. “I see you got the paperwork. So what do you think?”

  She shook her head as he meandered inside. “Think about what?” Think? Hell, she couldn’t think about anything except how damn good he looked.

  “Our partnership, of course.” He turned back and looked at her. His gaze made her skin go from hot to cold and back to hot. “Damn, I’ve missed you.” He walked back to her and took her in his arms. His mouth lowered to hers, his tongue searching.

  She melted in his arms, not wanting to think about what this meant. When the kiss ended, they were both fighting for air and clinging to each other.

  “I’ve missed you,” he said close to her ear.

  “Then why have you stayed away?” Her voice caught in her throat. She hated that she sounded so blasted pathetic, but she couldn’t help it.

  “I knew you would always wonder if I’d come home each night. Too many people have walked out of your life. So I decided to prove that I’ll always be there for you.”

  “And?”

  “The papers. I bought a small building. At least, I paid a hefty amount down on it. Our building, our own agency. Yours and mine.” He chuckled. “We’re in hock up to our eyeballs so I couldn’t leave you if I wanted to.”

  She looked at him. “How?”

  “For one, I sold the Mustang.”

  She could feel the color leaving her face. His pride and joy. “But you loved that car.”

  He shook his head. “No, I love you. The Mustang was only metal and rubber. You’re flesh and blood. I love you.”

  She sniffed back her tears. “I love you, too.”

  He kissed her forehead. “You are my life.” He kissed each cheek. “I will always be there for you.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “I’ll never walk out of your life.” He kissed her lightly on the lips. “Because if I did, I would surely die of a broken heart.”

  She wrapped her arms around his neck. “I love you,” she whispered as tears formed. Oh, how she loved this man.

  Here’s a peek at Lori Foster’s

  “Luscious” in

  BAD BOYS OF SUMMER

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  With that parting remark, Lucius made his escape, putting much needed distance between him and Bethany.

  When he’d first bought the apartment building of six units, he hadn’t figured on renting exclusively to women. Yet that’s what he’d done. He’d surrounded himself with ladies.

  Was he nuts? A masochist? Or too damn partial to those of the feminine variety? Probably the latter. He did love women, all ages, all professions, all sizes and personalities.

  Fellow cops ribbed him endlessly over his circumstances. They nicknamed him sultan, which he supposed was better than Luscious. If they knew about the twins, he’d never hear the end of it, because they weren’t just twins. They were really hot twins—and one of them currently wore only panties and a T-shirt.

  But oddly enough, it was the other twin who had him twitchy in the pants.

  The one with the smart mouth and quick wit.

  The one with the attitude.

  And those big blue eyes…Of course, they both had pretty blue eyes. And silky, baby-fine brown hair. Lean bodies with understated curves. Soft, full mouths…

  On Marci, he appreciated the beauty, just as he liked the scenery in the park. Nothing more.

  On Bethany, the combination made him wild with lust.

  Lucius held his breath. If he didn’t, he breathed her, and he couldn’t deal with that on top of no sleep and a traumatized, newly adopted dog. Bethany smelled warm, and spicy, and she left his insides churning.

  She also made it clear that she didn’t want to get too cozy with him, and just as he loved women, he respected their decisions. Even when it pained him to do so.

  Bringing the dog home had been a spur of the moment decision prodded by some inner Good Samaritan heretofore unrecognized. Now, dead on his feet from exhaustion and, thanks to his eccentric neighbor’s sister, tweaked by horniness, he…still didn’t regret the decision.

  One look at the dog and he knew he couldn’t have done anything else. Hero deserved a cushy life. He deserved regular meals and pats of affection and security. No way could Lucius have left him behind, or dropped him at a shelter.

  However, he could ignore Bethany. And he would. Somehow.

  She only showed up about once a month. She’d stay a few days, and then take off again. Surely he could last that long.

  But…this was August. And a school secretary probably didn’t work during the summer. So how long would she be around this time? Long enough to make him completely insane?

  He’d just gotten another closet door off the hinges when he sensed her presence. In his bedroom. Real close.

  He stiffened—in more ways than one.

  Without looking at her, Lucius asked, “What do you want, Bethany?” And he thought, say me, me, me. Tell me you want me, tell me—

  “I was thinking…”

  “Yeah? About me?” He lowered the door and shoved it under his bed then moved to stand right in front of her, as near as he dared without getting smacked. “I figured as much.”

  “No—”

  “Don’t fight it, Bethany.” He tried to look serious, but the expression on her face made him want to laugh. She riled so easily. “It’ll only make it harder on you.” And harder on me, too.

  “You are so—”

  “What?” He made his tone intimate, provocative. “Tell me.”

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  AUSSIE RULES

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  From the other side of the aircraft, the door opened. A set of stairs released. A moment later, two long legs emerged, clad in dark blue trousers, clean work boots, and topped by a most excellent ass. Not averse to enjoying a good view, Mel stayed in place, watching as the rest of the man was revealed. White button down shirt, sleeves shoved up above his elbows, tawny hair past his collar, blowing in the wind.

  Yep, there were a few perks to this job, one of them catering right to Mel’s soft spot.

  Pilots. This one looked more like a movie star pretending to be a pilot, but you wouldn’t hear her complaining. And just like that, from the inside out, she began to warm up nicely.

  The man held a clipboard, which he was looking at as he turned, ducking beneath the nose of the plane to come toe to toe with her, a lock of tawny hair falling carelessly over his forehead, his eyes shaded behind aviator sunglasses.

  And right then and there, every single lust-filled thought drained out of Mel’s head to make room for one hollow, horror-filled one.

  No.

  It couldn’t be. After all this time, he wouldn’t dare show his face.

  His only concession to the surprise was a raised brow as he lifted his sunglasses, his sea green gaze taking its sweet time, touching over her own battered work boots, the dirty coveralls, the fiery, uncontrollable red hair she’d piled on top of her head without a thought to her appearance. “Look at you,” he murmured. “All grown up. G’day, Mel.”

  Yeah, he’d grown up, too. He was bigger, broader, and taller than the last time she’
d seen him, but she couldn’t mistake the smile—of pure, devilish, wicked trouble.

  Australian accent, check.

  Heart-stopping green eyes and long lashes to match the long, thick tumble of light brown hair falling in said eyes…check and check.

  Curved mouth that could invoke huge waves of passion or fury…CHECK. “Bo Black,” she whispered, getting cold all over again.

  Cocking his head, he let out a slow smile. “In the flesh, darlin’. Miss me?”

  Miss him? Yeah, she’d missed him. Like one might miss a close call with a hand grenade. “Get off my property.”

  As if he had all the time in the damn world, he leaned back against his plane, slapping the clipboard lightly against his thigh. “No can do, mate.”

  “Oh, yes you can.” Staggering at a strong gust of wind, she planted her feet more firmly as she pointed to his plane. “You just get your Aussie ass back inside that heap of junk and fly it the hell out of here.”

  “Heap of junk?” Instead of being insulted, he laughed good over that, the sound scraping at her belly because it’d been a long time since she’d heard it.

  Of course, she hadn’t seen him in ten years, and the last time she had, he’d been eighteen to her sixteen, all long and lanky, not yet grown into his body.

  He was grown into it now, damn him, and how. Reaching back, he lovingly stroked the steel of the plane, making an entirely inappropriate thought take root in her brain: did he stroke a woman like that?

  Clearly she needed caffeine.

  And a smack upside the head.

  “You know exactly what kind of plane this is,” he noted easily. “And how valuable.”

  “Fine,” she granted. “Your toy is bigger than mine, you win. Now you can go.”

  Tossing his head back, he laughed again, and she made no mistake—he was laughing at her.

  Nothing new.

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