by Reina Torres
“Come on.” He tugged on her hand, and when she looked up at him, he gave her a smile. “Come dance with me.”
She didn’t pull her hand away, but she didn’t move closer either. “I don’t dance.”
His laugh came out more like a snort. “I went to about six dance shows in high school that would make you a liar.”
Her cheeks reddened at the comment. “That’s different.”
Now it was her turn to stare at him like he was lying. “Ballet, tap, that thing that Paula Abdul did.”
“Jazz?” She laughed when he nodded. “I was never that good.”
“You were to me.” Just the thought of her in some of those outfits. Yeah, he was glad the lights were low. “The way you look in tights made for some sweet dreams.”
She dissolved into laughter and managed to take a good-sized sip from her glass before she set it down. “Now I know you’re lying.”
“Now I know you’re avoiding the issue.”
She gaped at him in outrage, but he knew it was only her defense. Blyss had skills when it came to keeping her feelings inside, tightly locked away. He had a way of doing it too, but he just covered differently.
He kept his hold on her hand as he slid out off the bench seat, drawing her along with him. The sound system changed and the lights dropped a bit. By the time he had her on her feet, he pulled her closer, and wrapped his left arm around her waist. Then all he had to do was lift his right arm and there they were.
Owen didn’t move his feet at first. It was enough to sway slowly back and forth, not even moving more than an inch in either direction. Just letting her adjust to the feel of being in his arms.
He needed it too.
He hadn’t realized what it would be like to hold her.
Just her hand in his and his arm around her body, he wasn’t prepared for the world to move under his feet.
Somewhere above their heads, Dierks Bentley crooned a song about loving a woman, having her say his name, holding her tight.
And it felt like that. Holding her.
It felt like it was just him and her.
Then they were moving. Swaying together.
Leaning into each other.
Her head on his shoulder.
When he felt her cheek on his shoulder, her breath on his neck, it almost knocked him off his feet.
He pulled her closer and felt her body press against his, thighs to chest. Her breath on his skin.
Owen couldn’t help the instinct to hold her closer.
To protect her from the world.
From the horror that she had just seen.
But who would protect him from the feelings that were sneaking into his heart?
No, that wasn’t true.
The feelings were already there, he just hadn’t allowed himself to see them.
If he had. If he’d allowed himself to feel this… need inside of him, it would-
What? What had he been hiding from?
Feeling like this?
Just holding Blyss in his arms, dancing with her to the soft sounds of a love song, made him feel ten feet tall. Made him feel like a damn hero. And that was a lie. He’d lived his life for so many years like an ass. So many years he’d lived like the devil-may-care playboy who could have any woman he set his eyes on.
But none of that. Not a single moment of time that he’d spent with any of those women felt like this.
No one had made him feel like the ground could open up under his feet and the skies could fall down around his ears, but as long as the woman in his arms was safe and happy, that was all that mattered.
“Owen?”
That voice. How many times had he fallen asleep wishing to hear that voice in his ear?
“Yeah?”
She lifted her head and met his gaze with her own.
He swore he saw stars in those beautiful eyes, but he wasn’t even sure he was still breathing. Not when he felt her warmth steal over his entire body.
“I think…”
He smiled, and he knew it was crooked, but there was something so sweet about the soft wonderous tone of her voice.
“Yeah, bébé? What do you think?”
Owen felt her hand gently sweep up his arm and stop as she wrapped her fingers around his bicep. And yes, he gave his muscles a little flex because he wanted to. He saw the corner of her mouth quirk up, and then she answered his question in the sweetest way.
It was as if he felt the truth move from her body to his through the simplest touch. Eyes. Hands. Breath.
And heaven help him, his heart.
“I think I like dancing.”
Chapter 5
The world seemed different somehow, as if one dance… or rather one night of dancing with Owen, had changed everything around her. It didn’t make it any easier that she wasn’t just working with the wardens. When Conor called her and asked her to join him at the local Texas Ranger’s office, she knew things were definitely changing for her.
By the time the meeting was over, she walked outside with Conor and found herself standing on the curb in the parking lot trying to process all the information that they’d been given. Conor stopped at her shoulder and gave her a little nudge. “You look a little lost in thought.”
“Try stunned and a little freaked out.”
“It’s a lot to process.”
She turned and looked at him. “Did you know about all of this before today?”
His shrug spoke volumes before he said a word. “Some.”
Turning her head one way and then the other, she saw that they were alone outside. “How big is this?” When he looked a little confused, she tried to rephrase which wasn’t easy since she didn’t know what she didn’t know. “Is this… do you think these are the same people that went after Miranda? Oh!” Her heart hiccupped in her chest. “The smugglers that Hildie got wrapped up in because of her client?”
Her face felt cold and she moved over a few feet to sit down on the stone bench near the bicycle rack. “That’s what they’re saying, right? This is all probably related to the same group of traffickers.”
Conor’s expression looked as dark as she felt. “That’s what it looks like.”
“I’m not sure I’m ready for this.” She blinked back tears. “You must think I’m being silly.” She blew out a breath. “We’re trained law enforcement, right?”
“Don’t.” Conor looked straight into her eyes. “Don’t think like that. This isn’t our everyday thing, but we do what we have to, so we can get home to the people we love.”
Blyss heard the strength in his words and saw the hard line of his jaw, and she remembered the hell that Conor had gone through when someone tried to hurt his wife. It had been before they were married, but still, so many crazy things could happen just in their normal lives. Who was she to shy away from an investigation like this when the people she had sworn to protect were people that were being hurt by these criminals?
“I get it,” and she did. “We’re just going to do what we always do. It’s just that now we’re going to keep a closer eye on folks. Looking for trends. Like that inflatable craft. If it hadn’t turned over, and those tourists hadn’t seen it, we might never have found it.”
Conor agreed. “And now they’re short about a hundred thousand dollars of product.”
Just the idea of that much money made her insides twist. “I can’t imagine what that’s like. All of that money.”
“And we’re going to have to keep whittling away at their business if we’re going to stop these people from bringing drugs through Texas.”
Blyss felt nauseous. “Not just through. I bet a bunch of it is staying here. People are buying it on the streets.”
“And we’re going to help stop them.”
Hearing the conviction in Conor’s voice helped her own resolve strengthen.
“Yes, we will.” She looked over at her friend and lowered her voice, almost afraid to say the words in her head. “Are you… I mean, here I am worrying l
ike this, almost in tears. Do you think I’m too weak for this?”
“Hey,” he reached out and put a hand on her shoulder, “I’d be worried if you weren’t considering what all of this means and the kinds of danger we’re in during this investigation.”
He lowered his hand and met her gaze with his own. “It’s the reason I wanted you to come to this meeting. You’re a great Game Warden, Blyss. The first time I worked with you after you finished your training, I knew you would be. You have a sharp eye. You stay calm in tense situations-”
“Right, just like today.”
“Seriously,” he gave her a pointed look. “You’re awesome in the field. Those moments when we feel weak? I think we need those like releasing steam in an old engine. If you don’t let go of the tension in moments like this, that’s why people lose it in the moments when we’re most needed to be strong. I trust you to know when that is, Blyss. It’s the reason why I turned Lance down when he wanted to come to the meeting.”
That struck her as odd. “He wanted to come? How did he know about the meeting, I mean the reason for it?”
“He didn’t, I mean there was a little buzz about the meeting because it was going to be an inter-departmental meeting. They’re always about big operations.”
She nodded. She was curious, sure, but she wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth. “Well, you can count on me to keep this quiet and keep my eyes and ears open for information. Now that we intercepted some of their product, they’re going to have to try again. They probably had buyers already set for the drugs.”
Conor nodded in agreement. “The loss of cash is probably causing them some issues.
“The man who escaped with that car, I can only imagine that they’re going to be more prepared to defend themselves and make sure that they keep their product. I think you need to be wearing your vest pretty much all the time when you’re on the road.”
She was already preparing herself for the elevated danger level, but having Conor just put it out there, really sank it home. “Yeah. We’re going to have to assume that anything could turn dangerous. What about the others. They’re not part of the taskforce, but we’re going to have to tell them something.”
“The office will put out a notice about increased presence of violent crimes in the areas where we’ve seen the most activity, and they’ll add a general warning to the others about being more vigilant on the road and on calls.”
“It’s an edge that we don’t usually work under, but then again with all the hunters we work with, there are always dangers. If they said more to everyone…” a strange feeling struck square in the center of her chest. “You know, I need to get going. I have a few fishing areas to check before I finish up my shift.”
She stood and Conor called after her when she was only a few feet away.
Turning back, she saw his reassuring smile and it really helped to calm her down. “When I told Erin I was going to see you, she reminded me that we hadn’t had you over in a while. Once this is over, let’s fix that, okay?”
Blyss nodded. “Great! Now I have something to look forward to.”
When his father came knocking on his door late in the afternoon, Owen narrowed his eyes at his father’s smile. “What?”
Leon dropped a heavy hand on his shoulder. “You should be nicer to your father, boy.”
“I’m plenty nice to you, papa.” He stepped back and held open the door, so his father could step inside, but Leon remained on the porch.
“I’m not coming in. I’m here to tell you to bring yourself over to my place tonight. We’re having a little fais-do-do at the house.”
Owen paused for a moment. Normally the idea of a party and dancing would be top on his list of ways to spend an evening, but he had other plans. “I’m sorry, Papa. I’ve got somewhere I need to go.”
His father’s eyes fixed on his face. “And where do you have to go that’s so important when friends are coming by?”
Wanting to keep his destination to himself, Owen hesitated and then looked at his watch. “I can help you set up before I leave.”
Oh, his father’s sigh was tailor made to guilt him. He’d used it a time or two… or a thousand. And like a surgeon, his father knew just how to cut and leave him bleeding.
“Well, I think you’ll be missed if you don’t come. I know how much you like to dance with the ladies.”
And he did, but after the other night, the only lady he wanted to dance with was the one he intended to visit. “Well, maybe I’ll bring someone back. Would that make you happy?”
He’d expected a smile from his father who was always bothering him about finding ‘the one.’ Instead, the older man looked concerned. “Oh… hmm… then maybe I should call Blyss before she leaves her house.”
That caught his attention. “Blyss?”
His dad gave a little half-shrug. “Nora thought we should invite her over, but if you’re going to bring someone home-”
“No, no.” He stepped close and grabbed his father by the shoulders and kissed him on both cheeks. “I was going to go see her tonight.”
“Well, she’s coming to us.”
Owen looked down at his watch. “When?”
With a ponderous sigh, Leon looked down at his old watch and huffed. She offered to help set up so… twenty minutes?”
“Love you, old man.” Owen kissed his father’s cheek again.
Leon gave him a playful shove and muttered under his breath. Owen wasn’t sure he heard him right, but it sounded like his father had a few choice words for his son.
Laughing as he dashed inside to get a shower, Owen knew he had a lot to make up for.
A few hours later, Owen was regretting his earlier mood. Sure, his father had invited Blyss over, but it seemed he’d invited over every Cajun in the vicinity.
Correction, every Cajun male in the vicinity, and they’d all taken a shine to Blyss. If he had to hear one more cheesy pickup line using her name, he was going to start breaking chairs and bones.
That wouldn’t be the best impression to leave her with, but since he hadn’t been able to get within ten feet of her since the party started, he didn’t think she’d notice. By then, he was sure a bunch of people he knew had snuck in somehow. The crowd was too large for the area and a number of faces weren’t at all familiar to him.
It wasn’t until his cousin Cedric broke out his bass guitar along with his friend’s accordion that he got his chance to make his way through the crowd, as folks got up to clear the ground for dancing. Skirting along the edge of the yard, he followed the sight of her sun streaked, chocolate brown hair as she was whisked away with the crowd.
He was more frustrated when he got close enough to hear one of Cedric’s friends trying to sweet talk her.
When he got close enough to see the man’s hand on her lower back, he felt a knot form in the center of his chest.
“Okay, you can stop now.”
Blyss was too nice to begin with, but even with the sound of the moving crowd, Owen heard the tightly strung tone of her voice.
“You’re going to want to move your hand.”
He found himself shouldering people aside and that was when he saw it. The man crowding her was trying to maneuver her into a dark corner.
“I’ll move my hand alright.”
His hand slid from her lower back over the curve of her ass.
Owen saw red.
He felt rage ride along his spine and his hands itched to strangle the man to within an inch of his life. But before he could get a hand on him, Blyss pulled back her hand and clocked him in a punch that rocked the stranger’s head back.
“Keep your hands off me!”
Owen was closer to the man, but he bypassed him and wrapped an arm around her waist and moved her back. “Hey, hey…”
“No!” She met his eyes and he could see at a glance that they were glazed, her pupils dilated. “He deserved it!”
“Hold on, Tiger.” He gave her a smile. “That’s som
e right hook you got.”
Once he said the words she looked down at her hand. “Ow. Owww.”
He couldn’t help the anger that was still coursing through his body, but Blyss certainly was something.
There were some angry voices behind him. Cedric’s among them telling the man to get the hell out.
He could tell the jerk was angling for a fight, but that wasn’t a matter for him, not at the moment. Instead, he lifted her right hand to his mouth and placed a kiss on the back of her hand, avoiding the knuckles that would be sore in the morning.
“Come on, Blyss. Let’s get you home.”
Normal Blyss was great. Drunk Blyss was more than a handful.
It wasn’t until they walked out of the gate and she saw all of the cars parked on the grass that Blyss regained some of her natural gait. “We’re leaving?”
Bless her, he shook his head. “Yep. We’re leaving.”
Her pout didn’t affect him as much as the sight of her plump bottom lip. He doubted she was wearing any makeup at all and still her lips looked good enough to eat. Ripe berries to pull between his teeth.
And just like that, he was hard.
Fuck.
They stepped up to her car and he leaned her against the passenger side of the vehicle.
He met her shining gaze with a curious one of his own. “Blyss, where are your keys?”
Her eyes widened, and she gave him a soft smile. “Keys? For what?” She leaned forward and reached out a hand. She grabbed a hold of the front of his shirt and pulled him closer. “Are you coming in with me?” Her other hand gestured behind her. “You can come in and get some sleep,” she sighed, “if you’re too drunk to drive home.”
“I need your keys to drive you home.”
The skin between her brows furrowed and her eyes blinked at him. “Oh. Okay.” But she didn’t answer him or hand over the keys, leaving him to make a decision, or call a car to pick them up.
“Baby, I need you to hold still.”
Her smile was too sweet for words. “I didn’t think I was moving.”
