Small town romance boxed set

by Goodwin, Emily

  “It is. Those council members are an interesting crowd.”

  She laughs and sets her computer on the coffee table. “That’s a nice way to put it. Your phone was ringing. Someone called a few times.”

  I reach into my pocket for my phone, raising an eyebrow. “Oh, the other phone.”

  “Yeah, the other one. It’s probably an old girlfriend begging you to come back to her, isn’t it?”

  My arms fasten around Sierra’s waist. I don’t think I’m going to make it back to the bar. “Probably. But she’s got nothing on my new girlfriend.”

  Sierra’s eyes light up and she smiles before kissing me. We haven’t talked about titles or exclusivity. I think it went unsaid. Though saying the title out loud is fucking nice.

  “No,” Sierra whispers. “She doesn’t.”

  We kiss again and then Sierra tells me what she has planned. Time goes too fast, and I have to go back to the bar. I grab my phone on my way out and see it was Jax who called. Three times. I step outside by the river and call him back.

  “Jesus fucking Christ,” he answers on the second ring. “Chase Henson lives.”

  “Shut the fuck up,” I say back, grinning. “What kind of shit are you in now?”

  “Remember the set of Lambos we took back in Chicago?”

  “That’s kind of hard to forget.”

  “Right? That’s the problem. The guys we took them from want them back.”

  I run my hand through my hair. “Of fucking course. But we don’t have them.”

  “I tried to tell them that. Tried to say why we took them in the first place, and it only made things worse. It was, what, six…seven months ago? Those assholes must have made a couple good deals since then and are putting a cash prize on my head.”

  “Fucking hell. Did you talk to Jefferson?”

  “He’s on vacation. In fucking Europe. For three weeks. Who the fuck goes to Europe for three weeks?”

  “We did. I think we were there longer.”

  “Shit. Right. I need to lay low until he’s back and can get those assholes properly dealt with. Where the hell are you?” he asks.

  “Summer Hill, Mississippi.”

  “Still? Beth said you went to deal with family shit. What the fuck is taking so long?”

  “My dad died.”

  “Fuck. I’m sorry, Chase.”

  “Thanks, but it’s fine. I was never close to him.”

  “Yeah,” Jax goes on. “But he’s your fucking father. So, what are you still doing there?”

  “Helping my brother. His wife is in labor with twins as we speak. Where are you?”

  “Indianapolis. I’m making my way to Miami to wait out the remainder of the three weeks on a fuck-cation with Jackie Sullivan.”

  “That chick you recovered the necklaces for?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Isn’t she like fifty?”

  “Don’t talk shit about her.”

  I laugh. “Easy tiger.”

  “Only problem is her husband is home for a few more days before going on a business trip. Mind if I stop by for a day or two?”

  “No. It’ll be good to see you.” I give him the address, and before we hang up, Jax asks me one more question.

  “What the fuck is really going on? You fall off the grid then pop up in the middle of nowhere in the south. Are you being held against your will by your inbred relatives?”

  “Fuck you, and goodnight. See ya later.”

  I met Jax when I took a job in Reno. Our line of work is solitary, dangerous, and makes it hard to trust anyone. Jax helped me out of a bind, and I returned the favor. We realized how well we work together, and how we could actually get more money by taking on more jobs as a team. He’s the only person besides Josh and Sierra I consider a friend. I’d be lying to say a part of me didn’t miss him.

  But an even bigger part thinks having him come here is a bad fucking idea.

  Chapter 21

  Sierra

  “Stay here.”

  “What?” I mumble, confused why Chase is telling me to stay in bed. Like I had any intention of getting out. The sun is just starting to rise and we left the window cracked so we could better hear the river. I could stay in bed all day and it wouldn’t be long enough.

  “I’m going to see who it is. Just stay here.”

  “Who what is?” I reach for Chase as he gets out of bed. My fingers grace the warm flesh of his naked ass. Having him next to me was one of the best things. I pull the blanket up over my shoulder, missing him already yet not awake enough to realize what’s going on.

  Chase pulls on pants and opens the bedroom door. Then I hear it, and nerves shoot through me. Knocking. Someone is knocking on the front door. A beat passes and a deep male voice bellows, “Chase, are you alive in there?”

  By that time, Chase is out the door, and I sit up, dressed in panties and Chase’s T-shirt, and strain in the dark to listen. Chase greets whoever is at the door happily. Like he knows him.

  I push my messy hair out of my face and pad my way to the bedroom door, peering out.

  “How the fuck did you get here so fast?” Chase asks. “You said you were in Indy.”

  “I was,” the guy answers. I can’t see his face yet.

  “That’s a ten-hour drive.”

  “I flew.”

  “You hate flying,” Chase tells him.

  “I hate dying even more,” he says and both he and Chase laugh.

  “Come in,” Chase says. “And be quiet.”

  “Why?” the guy asks, stepping into the living room. Early morning sun illuminates his face. He’s almost as tall as Chase, and just as built. His dark hair is cut short and he has a fresh bruise on his cheek. I step out of the doorway and into the hall.

  “Chase?”

  “Oh,” the guy says, eyeballing me. “Fuck you, Henson. If this is your inbred cousin, I’m jealous.”

  Chase rolls his eyes. “This is my girlfriend, Sierra. Sierra, this is Jax, an old friend. He’s going to stay for a few days until he gets something settled.”

  I’m by Chase’s side now, and he puts his arm around me. I stare at Jax for a few seconds, trying my hardest not to stereotype. He shares few characteristics with Chase apart from being tall and muscular. Where Chase is good-looking, Jax is harsh. Weathered. Chase’s hazel eyes soften when we speak and are full of emotions. Jax’s are dark, and void of anything you could mistake as a feeling. He has a look about him that makes me not want to trust him, that makes me think he’s trouble. A criminal.

  “Why are you here so early?” I ask.

  “I’d love to know the same,” Chase echoes, holding me closer to him, like he doesn’t want Jax to go near me.

  “It wasn’t as long of a drive from the airport to here as I expected,” Jax tells us and sets his suitcase down. He takes a minute to size up the apartment, then goes to the fridge. Aware that Jax has stared at my breasts more than once in the minute we’ve met, I go into the bedroom to put on a bra. Chase follows me, closing the door behind him.

  “Sorry,” he says. “I didn’t think he’d be here now. He called last night and said he was on his way to Miami and was going to stop by. I assumed he was driving and wouldn’t be anywhere near here until much later. I meant to talk to you about it today.”

  “It’s okay. He’s your friend. You don’t have to explain it to me.”

  “I feel bad about it.”

  “Don’t.” I yawn and stick my bra inside my top, sliding the straps up over my arms.

  “Go back to bed,” Chase tells me. “You have to get up for work in a few hours. I’ll rub your back to help you fall back asleep.”

  “I’m not tired right now.” I check the time on my phone. “We could go out for breakfast soon. Just let me shower and get dressed.”

  “If that’s what you want.”

  “Yeah. You know I like breakfast, and I’m sure Jax is hungry if he came in from the airport.”

  Chase looks at me for a second before smilin
g, but his eyes don’t convey the happiness. He takes me in his arms, muscles tense. I hook my arms around him and he relaxes, resting his head against mine.

  Then he suddenly kisses me, hard, fast, and desperate.

  “I want you to know,” he whispers, pulling back just enough so he can talk. His forehead rests against mine. “How happy you’ve made me.”

  His words sound like a goodbye as if he’s preparing to go off into battle and we might not meet again.

  “You make me happy too,” I say and then it hits me. Hard. So hard I’m gripping Chase as if my life depends on it. I close my eyes, bracing for the familiar sinking feeling. I’ve grown so used to the sinking below the surface, the air on my skin sends a shock through my system as it hits me.

  I’m no longer drowning.

  Chase has been my life preserver, and so much more than that. He brought me back. Lifted me from the murky depths of the darkest water and breathed life back into me. Tears spring to my eyes and I need to kiss Chase again.

  Not want, but need.

  “I honestly didn’t think I’d feel happy again,” I confess, voice hardly a whisper. “And I am.”

  “I always hoped you’d get a happy ending,” he replies. His words don’t make sense, but I’m not going to overthink it. Not now. We kiss again and fall back onto the bed, with Chase between my legs. His cock starts to harden against me and everything wells up inside. All the emotion. All the pain. It’s too much. If we don’t find an outlet we’re both going to explode.

  Chase pulls my shorts off and I yank down the waistband of his boxers. His dick is against me, wet tip rubbing over my clit. I shudder with pleasure and feel even more desperate to have him inside me. His eyes meet mine, conveying everything I’m feeling, as he pushes inside, driving that big cock deep.

  I let out a moan then bring my hand to my face, muffling any sounds coming from my lips. We’re not alone, and the fact that we both had the sudden uncontrollable urge to fuck turns me on even more.

  And makes me realize just how far I’ve fallen for Chase.

  He thrusts in and out with unrelenting strength, and the bed frame hits the brick wall behind it. Neither of us do anything to quiet it because that would mean stopping and if Chase stops, if he takes his cock out of me before I come, there’s a good chance I’ll spontaneously combust and die.

  I wrap my legs around him, holding him tight, and angle my hips up. Chase’s breathing quickens and I know he’s close to coming. He suddenly flips us over so I’m on top, and once situated, I start rocking my hips, pushing him farther and farther into me. He grabs my hips then slides one hand down, thumb finding my clit.

  The sex is hard and fast, but it’s so much more. We’re both desperate for a physical release, but intertwining our bodies transcends anything I’ve ever felt before, and as I look down at Chase, I know in that very moment he walked into my life at the exact right time.

  We were meant to meet so we could do this, and I don’t mean epically fuck.

  My orgasm hits me suddenly, and I have to use both hands over my mouth to keep quiet. Chase comes right after I do, groaning out loud as he finishes. I fall forward onto him, and he folds his strong arms around my shoulders.

  “That was intense,” I pant. “I don’t think I’ve ever come that fast before, and that’s including the times I’ve done it myself.”

  “That’s one hell of a compliment,” Chase says with a chuckle. He brushes my hair out of my face and kisses my forehead. “And I’d say same for me, but that first night we spent together when you shot me down…I took care of business myself and it was pretty much instant.”

  I laugh, feeling his cock inside me as my body moves. “I think that’s a compliment, right?”

  “It is.”

  “That wasn’t the first night we spent together,” I correct and move off of him, trying to lay flat until he brings me a towel to clean up with. “The first night was right in here, actually.”

  “But I was on the couch. Fuck. Speaking of the couch…I almost forgot Jax is here. What the hell are you doing to me, Sierra?”

  “Just the usual Black Magic love spells. It’ll only be a matter of days before your soul is mine and I can use your reanimated corpse to do my evil bidding.”

  “As long as you keep fucking me like that, I’m fine with it.”

  I act like I consider his words. “I suppose I can work in a spell or two to preserve your body. It would be a shame to waste this.”

  Chase laughs and gets up, grabs a towel from the bathroom, and hands it to me. “Still want to go out to breakfast?”

  “I might wait a minute or two before going out there. The door wasn’t shut and even if it were, there’s no way anyone in the living room wouldn’t have heard us. And you know how important first impressions are…”

  Chase steps back into his boxers before getting a new pair of jeans from the dresser. “As far as first impressions go, this one has to be the fucking best.”

  * * *

  Chase: I can’t be held responsible for distracting you at work. Brace yourself.

  I smile down at my phone and wait for another picture to come through. I’m at work, and Chase is currently at the hospital visiting his nephews for the first time. One of the babies was a whole pound smaller than the other and needs to be on oxygen. Chase promised me over and over that he wasn’t just making shit up to make me feel better, and that both babies were given a good prognosis and should come home by the end of the week.

  I admire the photo of Chase holding the newborn for a minute before replying.

  Me: You look so hot with a baby in your arms.

  Chase: Don’t get any crazy ideas now

  Me: Heck no. Not for years and years and years and years.

  I add a laughing emoji and send, then take another glance at the photo Chase sent. The bell on the door rings as someone enters the little shop, and I look up, startled by who I see walking in.

  “Mom?”

  “Hello, Sierra, darling.”

  I raise an eyebrow. “What are you doing here?”

  Mom blinks, long, false lashes coming together slowly. “Is it so out of the question I come and see you at work?”

  “Uh, yeah. Is everyone okay?”

  “Yes, yes, we’re all fine. I thought I’d come get a book to read by the pool.”

  “Sure, Mom. You’re the only one here right now so why don’t you just tell me what you want.”

  Mom looks at me, lips pursed, but gives up with a sigh. “I talked to your aunt Kelly today.”

  My aunt Kelly is Lisa’s mom—my dad’s younger sister. “Is she okay?”

  “Oh, yes, she’s fine. We’re going shopping later—that’s not the point. The point is she told me some startling news.”

  My phone dings as another text from Chase comes through. I flip it over since I have a feeling I know what this is about.

  “She told me about that man you’ve been dating…that Henson boy.”

  The way she spits his name pisses me off. Instantly. He’s not good enough for her solely based on the fact his family doesn’t come from money.

  “He’s been arrested before! What are you thinking, Sierra?”

  “Mom, calm down.”

  “I will not calm down! I’m worried about you, honey.” Her eyebrows push together and I see a rare real-mom moment where her emotions are visible through the layers of foundation and blush on her face. “Men like that are never good news.”

  “Mom, Chase isn’t a bad guy. I promise you that.”

  “But he’s been arrested over a dozen times.”

  It takes effort to keep my face neutral and act like this is old news. “He’s not a bad person,” I state again.

  “Your father and I talked, and we don’t like this.” She holds up a hand. “I understand you’re an adult and can do as you please, but know how worried this makes us. You’re my baby girl and I want to protect you.”

  “He makes me really happy, and if you met him, yo
u’d feel the same way I do. Well, not the same in the I-want-him-sexually way, but in the he’s-not-a-bad-guy way. Unless the whole bad-boy-yet-good-man thing turns you on.”

  “This isn’t funny, Sierra. I wish you’d take things more seriously. You could do so much better, sweetheart. He’s a bartender who lives above a bar. What kind of future could he offer you?”

  Anger flashes through me and I’m on my feet, leaning across the counter. “I do take things seriously! I spent the last year and a half in serious depression. And my future? I didn’t know I was even going to have one, let alone look forward to one until I met Chase.”

  The color drains from my mother’s tan face. “I didn’t think—”

  “No surprise there,” I snap, and all the things I’ve wanted to say to my mother over the years bubble to the surface. “That’s how it’s always been with me though.” I throw my hands up in defeat. “I’m not Sam. I don’t have a high-paying, prestigious job like Scott. And now I’m not dating someone you approve of and you automatically want me to cut him off before you even meet him.”

  “It’s not just that, Sierra,” she starts.

  “Then what is it? I know I’m not what you expected, Mom, and I’m still not sure if I should be sorry for that. My life hasn’t turned out like I thought it would, but I found someone who makes me happy, and I wish you’d give him a chance before coming in here and telling me that he’s not good enough.”

  Silence falls over the both of us. “You’re right,” Mom finally says, voice strained. “Maybe he is a nice man. Maybe he does treat you well. That still doesn’t change the fact that he’s been taken away in handcuffs multiple times for assault. I’m worried about you, Sierra. And a lot of us feel that Chase shouldn’t be trusted.”

  Assault? Chase? That doesn’t make sense. I put my head in my hands. A lot of us…That only means one thing. The Summer Hill gossip mill is alive and running with rumors of Chase’s arrests. That explains the stares we got at breakfast this morning. I thought it was just because of Jax.

  “It doesn’t matter,” I say out loud to my mother as well as myself. “Whatever Chase did before doesn’t matter. He’s a good person, Mom, and I really care about him. He cares about me too, and if you’d give him a chance, you’d see what I see in him.”