Taming a Texas Devil (Bad Boy Ranch Book 5)

by Katie Lane

  “You are beautiful, Dixie Leigh. You’re the most beautiful woman I have ever seen in my life.” He smoothed a strand of hair away from her face and rubbed the back of his fingers against her cheek. “And I thought you were just another pretty face. But you proved me wrong. You’re more than just a pretty face. You’re a damned good deputy. And you couldn’t be a damned good deputy if you weren’t smart. Real smart. So don’t you ever belittle yourself in front of me again. Do you hear me, Deputy Meriwether?”

  With her throat clogged with emotion, all she could do was nod. She should’ve known it wouldn’t be good enough.

  “I said did you hear me, Deputy Meriwether?”

  “Yes,” she squeaked.

  He smiled an extremely sexy smile. “Yes, what?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  His gaze grew dark and dangerous as he traced a finger down her neck and slipped it beneath the edge of her robe. “I don’t need ice. But I am hungry.”

  Her breath rushed out as his finger circled her nipple with tingly heat. “What for?” she croaked.

  He pushed back the edge of her robe and lowered his gaze. “I’m thinking now that we’re finished with sweet cherry cobbler, we should move on to hot apple pie.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  “Yeah, I remember Sam Sweeney.” Cal continued to work on the engine of the old Pontiac as he talked. Dixie leaned on the fender of the car, doing a damn fine job of questioning. Which left Lincoln nothing to do but check out the way Dixie’s butt filled out her skinny jeans. He’d touched that shapely butt. He’d touched it repeatedly the night before. And damned if he didn’t want to touch it again. He wanted to cup the firm flesh in both hands and press his face in the soft spot where her shoulder met her neck. Then he wanted to breathe her in. He wanted to fill his lungs with the scent that was solely Dixie’s. Then he wanted to whirl her around and press her back against the car and—

  He shook his head and tried to get his mind out of the gutter and back on the questioning, but it was difficult to do when Dixie shifted her weight from one boot to the other and that sweet butt wiggled.

  “Sam came into Cotton-Eyed Joe’s?” she asked.

  “Almost every night.” Cal reached back for a wrench. “And almost every night, he started some kind of trouble. Either he insulted a lady or pissed off some cowboy and tried to start a fight. The guy was a real jackass and everyone hated seeing him walk through the door.”

  “Do you remember the last time he came in?”

  “As a matter of fact, I do. I remember because Sam got drunk off his ass and started one hell of a fight before the sheriff broke it up.”

  His reply snapped Lincoln out of his butt gazing. “What night was that?” he asked. “Can you remember the date?”

  Cal ducked out from under the hood. “It was a Saturday night. I worked Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, but we only had live bands on the weekends and there was a live band that night. But I don’t have a clue about the date. All I remember is that it was the last time I saw Sam.”

  “Who did he get in the fight with?”

  “I don’t know. The fists were already flying by the time I knew what was happening. But it could’ve been anyone. Sam ticked off everyone he met.”

  Dixie straightened. “It sounds that way. Did the sheriff arrest him?”

  “He took Sam outside so I don’t know if he did or not.”

  “And you didn’t see him again?” Lincoln asked.

  “No, but I left for Abilene about a week later.” Cal shook his head. “I wanted to experience big city life.”

  Lincoln pulled out a card and handed it to Cal. “If you should remember anything else about that night—anything—be sure to give us a call.”

  “Sure thing.” Cal wiped off his hands with a rag before he took the card and slipped it into his back pocket. “I met Sam’s daughter at the trailer park and she mentioned Sam was missing. I guess you still haven’t found him.”

  Before Lincoln could answer, Dixie did. “Not yet, but we’re getting close.” She gave him a hug as if that was exactly what a deputy should do after questioning someone. “Thanks for your time, Cal. It looks like you’re settling in to the boardinghouse okay.”

  “Reba and Val are good people. And so is Miss Gertie. She and Cheyenne have become fast friends. Cheyenne spent most of the morning in the garden with her, learning how to knit while Miss Gertie told her stories about the boardinghouse. Cheyenne is all hopped up about seeing some ghost that supposedly haunts the garden at night.”

  Dixie laughed. “Who doesn’t love a ghost story? I’m glad Cheyenne is doing so well after what she went through yesterday—both of you.”

  “Have you discovered anything else about who started the fire?” Cal asked.

  “No. We’ll let you know if we do. For now, we’ll let you get back to work.”

  Cal nodded. “Reba and Val were nice enough to let me use their garage as a shop.” He looked at Lincoln. “Thanks for hooking me up with them. I appreciate it.”

  “You’re more than welcome.” He shook Cal’s hand. “We’ll be talking.”

  He and Dixie headed for his truck in the parking lot. Without much thought, he opened the door for her. It wasn’t until she hesitated that he realized what he’d done.

  “Oh,” he said. “Sorry.” He released the door and backed up. “I’ll just let you get that.”

  A smile spread across her face as she got into the truck. He walked around to his side and felt like an idiot. What was he doing? They weren’t boyfriend and girlfriend. They were . . . hell, after last night, he didn’t know what they were. But he did know he had no right to open her door. Especially when they were working. Thankfully, Dixie didn’t say anything about it when he got in. Instead, she kept things pure business. Which is exactly what he needed to do.

  “Well, my theory that the fire was somehow connected to Sam’s murder was completely wrong,” she said as she fastened her seatbelt. The shoulder strap rested between her breasts. Breasts that fit perfectly in his hands—dammit! He pulled his gaze away and concentrated on starting the truck and backing out as Dixie continued. “Cal didn’t see anything unusual that night.”

  “Just because Cal didn’t see anything doesn’t mean that someone doesn’t think he saw something.”

  “I just wish Cal had remembered when he’d last seen Sam so we would know if the fight happened before or after the truck was found.”

  “There’s another way to find the date.”

  It only took Dixie a second to figure it out. “If the sheriff broke up the fight, he would’ve filed a report. Even if he didn’t arrest Sam.”

  “Exactly. Let’s just hope the sheriff filed a report. We’ve gone through almost all the reports for that time period and haven’t found it yet.”

  “It’s got to be there,” Dixie said optimistically. “The previous sheriff was much better at filing reports than Sheriff Willaby was. Oh, I love this song.” She leaned in and turned up the radio, then started seat dancing and singing along while Lincoln tried not to notice the way her breasts bounced.

  Or the way her joy at a simple song made him feel pretty happy himself.

  Damn, Luke Bryan.

  When they reached the sheriff’s office, he let Dixie open her own door. He even let her hold open the door to the office. When he walked through, she sent him a bright smile as if she knew exactly what he was trying to prove.

  Once they were inside Willaby’s office, he took his hat off and tossed it at the hooks. It missed. While he stared at it on the floor, Dixie came in and took her hat off and tossed it at a hook. It hit dead center and swayed there.

  “Oops,” she said when she noticed his hat on the floor. “Your hat must’ve fallen off the hook.” She picked it up and placed it next to hers before heading to the chair behind the desk. When she noticed he was still standing there, she asked, “Something wrong, Officer Hayes?”

  He shook his head. “No. Nothing’s wrong.” He sa
t down across from her and opened his laptop to check his emails. But while reading through one, he made the mistake of glancing over at Dixie. She was doing the thing with her top button again. Unbuttoning it and then buttoning it. Unbuttoning. Buttoning.

  Lincoln squeezed his eyes closed and took a deep breath. When he opened them, Dixie was looking at him. She raised her eyebrows in question. “Nothing’s wrong,” he snapped.

  She smiled and turned back to her computer. “If you say so, Officer Hayes.”

  He gritted his teeth in frustration and tried to concentrate. But it was a losing battle. Just when he started to focus on his emails, Dixie would do something to pull his attention away from his laptop. Lift her hair off her neck—a neck he wanted to bury his face in and nibble. Or press a finger to her lips—lips he wanted to taste. Or cross her legs—legs he wanted to be between.

  He had told Dixie nothing was wrong. But everything was wrong. His orderly life was in complete chaos and he needed to get it back in order. He needed to do it now.

  “We need to talk,” he said.

  Dixie’s attention remained on the computer for a few seconds more before she swiveled her chair. “It’s not there.”

  “What’s not there?”

  “The report on the sheriff being called out to Cotton-Eyed Joe’s. I looked through every disturbance reported that summer and it’s not there. Sheriff Miller must not have filed it. We’ll have to track him down and ask him.”

  “We can’t. He passed away from a heart attack a few years after his retirement.”

  She blew out her breath. “Another dead end.” She rested her hands on the desk. “So what do we need to talk about? Let me guess, your conscience has finally caught up with you. I’m surprised it took this long. I thought for sure you’d wake up this morning regretting what happened last night.” She smiled slyly. “But we got a little distracted this morning, didn’t we?”

  He had certainly gotten distracted. Distracted by the naked, sleep-tousled woman sleeping next to him. And he couldn’t leave her bed without getting one more taste. Even one taste hadn’t been enough. He’d never forget what had happened in the shower. Or how Dixie had lathered his entire body in soap and demonstrated what a fast learner she was. She had mastered how to make him wild with desire in just one night. Or maybe she’d always known. He had desired her from the moment he first saw her. It had been hard as hell to ignore before last night, now it was flat out impossible. He needed to get their relationship back where it belonged.

  For his own sanity.

  He cleared his throat. “We can’t let what happened last night . . . and this morning, happen again.”

  She sighed and got up and came around the desk to stand in front of him. Much too close. “I get it, Lincoln. You’re a man who lives by a strict moral code and I figured you’d feel like what we did last night was breaking that code. Not just because we work together, but also because I was a virgin.”

  “You should’ve told me.”

  “You’re right, I should have. But I already apologized for that and you need to get over it. It was my choice. And I don’t regret it.”

  Part of him felt relief at her words and the other part felt scared to death. He got up and moved to the window. “Well, you should regret it. You’re Barbie. You’re this perfect little doll from a perfect little world. You should’ve chosen a perfect little Ken to give your virginity to. Not some scarred lawman with a soiled past and emotional issues.”

  She moved up behind him. “I never liked Ken. He has a fake smile and no penis or balls.”

  Lincoln turned around. “Dammit, Dixie. You’re not making this any easier. While I’m here working on Sam’s case, I can’t be your lover too.”

  “You can’t or won’t?”

  He drew in his breath and said the hardest words he ever had to say. “I won’t.”

  She studied him with sad eyes. “You remind me of my daddy. He’s a man of rules too. The more rules, the more secure he feels. And I guess if anyone needs to feel secure, Lincoln, it’s you. So if it will make you feel better to pretend like last night didn’t happen, go right ahead. But I’m not going to ever forget it. I’m not ever going to forget the way I feel when you touch me. Or when your lips are pressed against mine. Or when you’re deep inside of me. And rules or no rules, if I get a chance to repeat it, I’m going to take it.”

  “It won’t be repeated.” He didn’t know if he was telling her or himself.

  She tipped her head and smiled a slow, sexy smile that did something to his insides. “Yes . . . sir.”

  The two words sent a shaft of heat straight through him. After last night, they were no longer a sign of respect. He had made the mistake of playing out one of his sexy deputy fantasies with her. Now, whenever she said the words, all he would be able to think about was her kneeling in front of him, with her eyes glazed over with passion and her lips wet from his kisses, as she said “Yes, sir” right before she gave him the most incredible blowjob of his life.

  “Fuck,” he whispered before he jerked her to him and kissed her. As soon as his lips touched her, he knew there was no going back. It was a mistake, but it didn’t feel like a mistake. It felt like the rightest thing he’d ever done. As he devoured her sweet lips, he walked her back against the door and started unbuttoning her shirt. He only got three buttons opened before she drew back from the kiss.

  “Stop, Lincoln.”

  He blinked and tried to clear his vision. “What?”

  She cradled his face in her hands and smiled. “There is nothing I would like better than to have you strip me naked and take me right against this door. But when we were finished, you’d feel even worse. Because you are a man of morals and rules. So here’s what we’re going to do. We’re going to separate work from play. You’re going to leave and go back to the Double Diamond ranch and search for the rest of those bones. And I’m going to stay here and search the reports. Tonight, you’re going to get your butt back to my apartment and we’re going to take up where we left off. And if your conscience starts to bother you and you don’t show up, I’m coming to get you. Do you understand, Officer Hayes?”

  As much as he didn’t want to release her, he stepped back. Once he had some space between them, he started to come up with reasons why meeting at her apartment was a bad idea. But she knew him too well. She placed a finger over his lips.

  “Do you understand, Officer Hayes?”

  Just the feel of her finger on his mouth made him what to jerk her back into his arms. He finally accepted that this was going to be a losing battle. While he was here, he would never be able to resist Dixie.

  “Yes,” he said against her finger.

  A smile tipped up the corners of her mouth. “Yes what?”

  He blinked, and then laughed. “Yes, ma’am.”

  She removed her finger and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. “I’m glad we got that settled. Now I have work to do and so do you.” She pushed past him and headed to the desk. He grabbed his hat from the hook next to hers and opened the door, but before he stepped out, she spoke.

  “Officer Hayes.”

  When he turned, she had a wicked look in her eyes.

  “Make sure you don’t forget your handcuffs tonight.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  “It’s a true honor to be invited into the Simple Book Club, Dixie. We don’t let anyone in. First you have to be nominated.” Luanne pressed a hand to her chest, jangling her many bracelets. “Which I was more than happy to do.”

  “I nominated Dixie,” Raynelle said. “You just jumped on my bandwagon.”

  “I already was preparing to nominate her when you cut me off. Something you do on a regular basis. You are the most interruptin’ woman I have ever—”

  Dixie stepped in before the argument could get heated. “My goodness! What a great honor. I’m so grateful to both of you for nominating me. And I would love to be part of the Simple Book Club and look forward to discussing a lot of great novels w
ith you ladies.”

  “Well, not all of them are great,” Raynelle said. “The last one made me cry more than cutting a bad onion.”

  “Just because a book makes you cry doesn’t make it bad, Ray,” Luanne said.

  “It does for me. I have enough to cry about with my deadbeat son. I don’t need books adding to my misery. Although thank the Lord his girlfriend broke it off with him. That’s one less mouth I have to feed.”

  “You need to kick that boy out, Ray, or at least make him get a job.”

  “I know. I know. But what can I say? He’s my baby. And it’s nice coming home to someone—even if they are a deadbeat.”

  Dixie felt sorry for Raynelle and tried to give her some hope. “I lived at home until just this past year. It’s hard figuring out what you want to do with your life. I’m sure your son will figure it out eventually.”

  “How did you figure out you wanted to be a deputy?” Raynelle asked.

  Dixie smiled. “It was just a whim at first. In fact, I was pretty sure it was the wrong fit. Now I know I’m right where I’m supposed to be. Like my mama always says, ‘The Lord works in mysterious ways.’”

  “Amen to that, sister,” Luanne said. “We sure feel blessed the Lord sent us such a good deputy. It’s too bad Sheriff Willaby is back. I’ve never liked that man.”

  Dixie stared at her. “Sheriff Willaby is back to work? You must be mistaken. I haven’t heard anything about him coming back.”

  “Well, I don’t know all the particulars. All I know is that he gave Martin Schumer a ticket this morning for parking in a handicap parking space without a permit.” Luanne snorted in disgust. “As if Martin’s wheelchair isn’t enough of a permit.” She glanced down at the two take-out cups in Dixie’s hand. “If you didn’t know the sheriff was back, who is that other cup of coffee for?”