by Shirl Anders
“Hey, Finn,” she said. “Glad you could make it.” Carly tagged a longneck passing by on a server’s tray, and she swung it toward Finn. “Have a beer.”
His long tan fingers grabbed it. “Thanks, doll. Can’t stay long, but wanted to stop by my neighbors.”
Tess tapped Finn’s shoulder. “No way. Out here? You too?”
Finn nodded. “Yeah, fixing up a place in the next cove over.” Finn cast his electric green eyes around. “Nothing like this palace, though. Seriously, doll, you do lake house up like great shit.”
Carly felt things inside her easing. No one seemed to think she was being pretentious at all. “Thanks,” she said, sincerely.
Finn lifted his beer in salute and took a sip, then asked, “Zeb around? I wanna tag him before I go.”
“They’re all at the dock making sure the younger people don’t get crazy with the ski boats, jet skis, water trampoline, paddle boards, tubes, and floating party lounge,” Tess said with a wicked grin.
“No shit,” Finn uttered, looking out at the people and open doors. “Damn, never have time,” he muttered.
Carly nudged his shoulder. “Half that stuff we rented, half we are keeping. You come over anytime and borrow anything we have for the lake you like.” Finn’s amazing eyes lit on her, as she whispered, “Thanks for the help, babe.”
Finn outright laughed at her calling him “babe,” while she and Tess enjoyed a smoking hot man looking even better than that, because he was laughing.
“Thanks, I’ll see you,” Finn said, after he stopped laughing, and to Tess he said, “You look happy, babe. I’m really glad.”
Tess slugged his arm. “Thanks, honey, I so am.”
After Finn went to find Zeb and the boys, Carly and Tess made their way to the indoor bar, where they both got a frozen margarita, light on alcohol, as it would get them through the night. While eating nuts at the bar, Tess had just been explaining to Carly that Cabe had taken Rusty from the party for a while to surprise her about something important.
Tess had whispered it might be “the question.”
But before Carly could exclaim in excitement, someone to the side of her said, “Sugar, you people around here sure do the best celebrations.”
Carly turned and saw Coco. “Coco, so good of you to come,” she said, thinking how pretty Coco looked in an airy yellow halter top dress with high wedged sandals.
“Carly,” Coco said, and they air-kissed.
“Coco, this is, Tess. Tess, this is Coco. Zeb and I met her a few weeks ago. She’s in town looking for a missing person.”
Tess and Coco nodded with smiles at each other, and it was no time at all before Tess was dragging Coco off to talk to her husband about Coco’s missing husband, while Carly went to check on the buffet table.
On the way there, Carly saw Justice sitting with Blue at one of the tables with umbrellas that had been set out by one side of the lake. Carly wondered where Angel and Vicki were, but she got distracted ordering her help to fry up more fried chicken, because everyone was eating more of that than the hot dogs and hamburgers.
***
Zeb squinted as he rose from setting the wakeboard down, and he heard: “Justice wouldn’t come drive the ski boat, because he’s with that girl named Blue.”
“Yeah, what a name,” another girl said.
Zeb shrugged, shaking his head. Caval had stopped by and pointed out his kid, saying there were some crazy issues with her mom and he was trying to step up and keep Blue until it straightened out. Zeb could tell Caval would rather be pulling his teeth out than talking about such things, but it came to light that Caval thought the party might help his very shy daughter meet some friends, so he was “keeping his shit straight for her,” he’d said.
Zeb smiled, remembering the way, Vincent, Tag, and him had had to clue Caval in that Justice was the federal marshal he’d skimmed the edges working with, and there was no way that man would be anything but a gentleman with his little girl, who Zeb could see was actually a stunningly beautiful young woman, not a girl.
“I tried to be nice to Justice, like you said, and for a minute I thought it was working, until she showed up,” Angel said.
Zeb cleared his throat so the young women would know he was around and to stop doing soap opera where he could hear.
“Hey, Zeb,” both girls said as he came around the corner.
He nodded and headed to find his woman, as he needed some lip and squeeze from her, besides telling her how amazing she was. All but two of his army buddies had come, and he’d spent all day yesterday with them before the big party today. It was weird seeing them with smiles, on boats, and out in the sun. It was actually really good for him.
Zeb passed Blue, who was laughing and looking at Justice with a serious amount of flirt going on. Zeb looked back over his shoulder and he pegged Angel glaring at the couple. Carly would know more about it than he would, but he’d thought Angel had spiked the federal marshal’s interest. From the look at the girls hanging around glancing Justice’s way, Zeb guessed Justice could have a harem if he wanted to.
Up the hill, Zeb saw Tess holding Coco’s hand as if guiding her down the hill toward the lake. Coco waved, and he lifted two fingers to her. The woman could seriously curve out a dress and heels, but he knew a lady who could do it even better. And he found her in the kitchen.
“Don’t fill the glasses too full,” Carly was advising, as she glanced up at him approaching.
She smiled and started another round of orders as he met her, curved his arm around the front of her waist, tugged her into backing up as he kept going, while saying, “They know what they’re doing, sweetness. Let them do it or screw up, because—” At that moment he had her in the back pantry. “You’re busy,” he announced, kicking the pantry door shut. He cupped Carly’s waist in the semi-darkness, to whirl her in her sundress toward him.
“Ranger,” she hummed.
He grabbed her wrists and put them over her head, backing her up with his body, until she was pressed to a closed cabinet and his lower half was pressed deep into her. “Leg over my hip, baby,” he ordered, knowing her heels would allow her to do it.
He grabbed her calf, helping her as she twisted her wrists in his other hand. “The party,” she whispered.
“Will keep going,” he told her, while his hand smoothed over the incredible softness of her outer thigh, then to one round cheek of her ass. Bare because of the sexy thong she had on underneath. “Do you have on that little thong I bought you?”
“You know I do,” she said, sounding breathless, maybe because of where his fingers were trailing to. He could barely make out her eyes in the darkness as he touched wet heat and softly shaved lips. Carly made a thrilling and excited sound as he explored her through the slit opening in her thong.
“My girl’s thinking naughty thoughts,” he growled near her ear. “All wet and aroused. I like this shaved little pussy.”
“Oh, ranger,” she moaned, as his finger slid in, working the incredible soft heat of her, until she was swaying her lower body to his rhythm.
One pull and his cock was out of his loose shorts with a stiffly jutting curve right up toward the slit in Carly’s thong. He dipped, slid, and pushed, grabbing her ass to lift her, until his thrusting hit deep. Carly moaned through it, as he groaned harshly. He let go of her wrists to grab the other cheek of her ass.
“Keep your hands over your head,” he ordered on a deep, lustful growl as he helped lift her other leg over his hip. Her back against the cabinet kept them anchored as he lowered, and then thrust upward again. Building a rhythm.
“Oh God, Zeb,” Carly gasped highly, while her body bounced faster.
He reached between them and pressed her clit. That sent her ohs flying as he thrust deep.
Carly arched, trying to swallow back her cry as a climax flashed bright, hot, and deep inside her, then before she could gasp again, Zeb had her legs dropped, her body turned around, as he growled, “Grab the shelf.”
Then his cock filled her so full from behind she had to open her legs wider as her body quaked and Zeb cupped his hand over her mound. He squeezed, making her climax ricochet in hot pleasure as his hips swung rapidly. Her buttocks slapped his thighs in a loud sound that drove faster and faster, until her head and boobs were bouncing.
“Ohmygodohmygodohmygod,” she cried.
“Fuck,” Zeb said.
Zeb had her climaxing again in that position, but he wasn’t through with her, when he pulled a chair out of the corner, sat on it, and pulled her down over his cock. That was when he took her top down and filled his mouth with her nipple as they both lifted and lowered her with a bouncing rhythm that made the chair rock.
At the last second, as she rode him and he forced her to go faster with the lift of his strong arms, he slapped her ass with a biting sting three times and she unraveled for him a-gain.
Amazing.
He took over, lifting her as she arched through her climax and she clutched his shoulders, hearing him groan the hard groan of release.
“Don’t move,” he growled, and they shuddered against each other.
Zeb slowly began playing with her ass as he kissed her nipple, and then she lay over him with all her limbs loose. “That’s impossible,” she whispered.
He chuckled. “I just turn you on, sweetness.”
She tried to stiffen her arms to push back, but she didn’t get much effort behind it as she still felt Zeb deep inside her. She was spread quite wide over him.
“It was the panties,” she said, deciding not to let him get too big of an ego. But really, was she in any position to stop it?
He chuckled again. “Took you ten minutes for the first climax, fifteen more for the second, and you banged off in less than five again on the last. I think it is position, but if you think panties, baby, I’m buying you a case.”
Now she laughed and hugged him. “Ranger, you can pick the color every day,” she teased.
“Easy access to my sweet pussy,” he rumbled. “You’ll never know which day I won’t let you have any.” He smacked her butt.
“Umm.” She wiggled on him. “You’re so bossy.”
“Tell me that’s not what really got you off.”
She nibbled his ear, then whispered, “I can’t.”
After that, Zeb helped her clean up and sneak back out of the pantry, then he whisked her away from the kitchen with stern orders to let them do what she was paying them for, because he was keeping her by his side for the rest of the afternoon and night.
She didn’t mind at all ... maybe orgasms made her like bossy.
So they mingled and introduced each other to people, met new people, and she was pretty sure the whole town now knew they were together. But luckily not so many knew about her husband trying to kill her. She’d had to go to the police station the next day after Rick had been arrested, to fill out some papers and promise she wanted to testify if needed. But all in all, Justice had seemed to manage to keep the news low key. No local news articles about it or anything, and she hadn’t had one question about at the party.
She and Zeb had just said goodbye to Coco and were standing out on the grass with Tess and Vincent, while sipping bottled water—to save for a couple Moscow Mules later—when a big whoop came from the driveway.
It was Rusty, latched on to Cabe coming toward them. Rusty had her hand up, with her palm faced toward her, and Carly saw something catch the sunlight with a big sparkle.
Tess squealed beside Carly just as Carly was starting to understand why Rusty was glowing and grinning as if she’d just received the best orgasm in her life.
“Are you engaged?” Tess exclaimed, after her first squeal.
Still walking toward them, Rusty hooted and nodded, while Cabe looked seriously cool and very happy. Tess was jumping up and down under Vincent’s arm as Carly craned her neck to go up on her tiptoes and speak to Zeb.
“I have to order champagne!”
His light blue eyes turned down to her. “It’s already coming, baby.” He nodded toward two servers coming toward them with glasses and champagne.
“You knew,” she accused, but his answer was lost as hugging and ring-looking ensued.
Then there was champagne drinking and toasting. Rusty explained how Cabe had done the most romantic thing ever. He’d bought them a house on the lake, right next to Zeb and Carly’s, and he’d had candles and rose petals in the empty bedroom, where he’d gotten down on one knee and asked her to marry him.
At that point, after she and Tess excitedly expelled their awe, Cabe looked at Vincent and said, “I told you it would work.”
Vincent smiled and looked at Rusty. “You seriously keeping the house, only he picked out?”
Rusty grinned up at him, and exclaimed, “It’s a lake house! Of course I am.”
Everyone laughed, and then the most amazing thing happened, and Carly thought she’d had a lot of amazing things happen, so it was big.
As in a really big semi-truck pulled up the really long driveway to the lake house.
“What in the world,” Carly said, thinking she and Zeb were going to have fun getting that lost truck back out around all the cars, as she squinted and read the graphic on the side, which had stamped in big really cool letters “Daughtry.”
“Oh my God,” Tess whispered, while Carly made an amazed sound along with her.
Then Carly exclaimed, “How amazing Daughtry gets lost in my driveway on the Fourth of July! He must be playing some town somewhere around here!”
“Baby,” Zeb said, as his big hand cupped her waist from behind and he used it to move her forward, to help the lost driver, Carly figured, until Zeb blew her mind by saying, “I pulled in a favor and asked him to come sing for my new lady.”
Carly gaped at Zeb as they moved forward. “You-you what?”
Zeb dipped his head close. “The look on your face, priceless, sweetness. I wrote him a couple songs, we’re friends, he likes family Fourth parties, so it all works out.”
By the time Zeb stop speaking, Carly was hanging off him, hugging him with a couple smooches thrown in. “Zeb!” she cried, and he grinned.
So that night before the fireworks, an excellent band played out on the vast lawn with the lake as a backdrop, and people just danced on the grass. Carly thought she couldn’t have been happier, but way later that night, after fireworks and making sure no one drove home drunk so Rusty’s two taxis were really busy, and after almost everyone left, but even if they hadn’t, she and Zeb locked themselves in the big master bedroom.
That was when the best thing ever, ever happened and Zeb got out his guitar and he sang her a new song he’d made. One he’d said was for her, called, “She Righted My Life.”
He’d made her cry.
But she loved it.
The End.
Read a rough draft 1st Chapter of Their Ex’s Redrock Twilight (Texas Alpha) by Shirl Anders
(Not Available Yet)
Finn checked the clock on the wall behind the front desk of his motel called Rowdie’s: ten twenty-one in the morning. He looked down at the gun he’d just finished loading and he pulled back on the slide of his Glock, hearing the overly loud sound of a load hitting the chamber. Finn checked the safety again and then stuffed the gun into the back waistband of his jeans, pulling his black Henley over it as his gaze rose.
Almost over.
“Shit,” he said, seeing his wife’s car entering the parking lot. He’d called her last night, after not speaking to her for months, and told her not to come to Rowdie’s that morning. He’d not been nice about it. He thought he’d made an impression on her that, that morning of all mornings, she needed to stay the fuck away. She knew what he did and she knew he was undercover, so why did she never listen?
“Jesus, help me,” he muttered under his breath, moving from around the counter. He couldn’t stop her because he’d break his cover. Finn clenched his fist, thinking she probably wasn’t going to get hurt, just swept up i
n the trouble. He could break her free of it after it all went down.
Then he watched a tall dude in a suit get out of the car with her. Finn thought maybe a little damn justice would be served to Katie and her new lay by getting tangled up in shit that was likely to scare the hell out of them.
“Yeah,” Finn muttered as he checked the police tactical positions around his sleazy motel. They were all locked, loaded, and ready to go. Finn could hear it in his earpiece. The call through the ranks that the tall dude was not one of the tangos they were looking for.
But his wife and the guy lingered outside while Finn’s eyes narrowed, watching Katie roll up on her toes to kiss the guy. The guy liked it, stupid dick, and he grabbed her ass in two hands, bending down from his height to do it.
“Fuck,” Finn growled, prowling in a circle once, feeling edgy and wrung tight. Katie was deep-throating the guy with her tongue for Finn’s benefit, because she knew he’d be looking. Finn didn’t really give a damn about that, about her games; he was wired because he was ready to go.
“Where is fucking Creed?” he uttered.
Then he saw her.
And he’d never seen her before.
He knew that, because he sure as hell would have remembered. She had tits and ass like a fucking wet dream, with thick, dark hair and lips that even at distance looked curvy, attractive, and extremely feminine. But the lady ... and Finn paused in his perusal a second to wonder what the hell a lady like her was doing by his motel, creeping by his side window. Her eyes were all for his wife and the dude making out. Then, because the window was right across from him, Finn saw her hand lifting to her lips to stifle an obvious wail.
Finn’s gaze jumped from the babe to the couple, doing the hot and heavy, then back to the babe with tears running down from her incredible dark-lashed eyes.
Then it slammed him: who she had to be.
Coco nearly collapsed. She’d been looking for her husband for weeks, afraid he was murdered in a ditch or backroom somewhere, looking for him and just holding back her hysteria. And now to see Gordon finally. But Gordon had a slender blond woman hauled up his tall body and they were kissing passionately.
