Before The Night Is Over (2 page)

Not willing to let her go quite so quickly, he said, “You need to take care of those knuckles, too. Put some ice on them at least.” He lifted her hand and inspected the torn skin, fighting the urge to kiss them. “Has he been doin’ it for a while?”

“
I don’t know. I haven’t been here very long,” she replied, pulling her hand out of his grasp.

“
I didn’t think you looked familiar. I know pretty much everyone in this town.”
And I sure would have remembered you.

“
Homeboy, huh?”

“
Yep. Born and raised right here in Red Rock. Is your sister the only reason you’re here?”

“
Yeah. For the most part.” Her lips pressed together in a firm line like she had already said too much. “Well, good night.” She tipped her head and walked toward the door.

The sway of her hips beneath her jeans made his dick jump to attention again and he stifled the groan rumbling in his chest. He downed the rest of his beer and set the bottle on the bar. The night came to a screeching halt with her departure and he figured he might as well go on home.

“
This is pathetic. A Saturday night and I’m going home alone,” he grumbled out loud. Warm Montana air hit his face when he stepped outside. June in this neck of the woods meant heat, mosquitoes, and lots of hard work on his place. Relaxation came with a price for the owner of a cattle ranch and since he didn’t have a woman to go home to, he had hoped to find a willing lady at the bar. One red-haired spitfire took care of taking anyone else home. The mood was gone.

His truck sat parked near the back of the lot like so many others in this area. If you didn't own a truck, you weren't a real cowboy. With a turn of the key, the diesel engine growled to life like a panther stalking his prey. Sweat stuck his hair to his head when he took off his hat and tossed it onto the seat next to him.

Several trucks and cars cruised the main street into town and he pulled right in with them. Going home didn’t feel right. The darkness of the night, the brightness of the stars overhead, and the warmth of the June evening made him restless.
I could go out and visit Cade and Natalie, I guess.
He glanced at the clock. Ten o’clock.
Nah. It’s too late to be buggin’ them. They’ve got the new baby and all.

The bright lights of the local diner called to him. His shoulder lifted in a shrug and he pulled his truck into an open parking spot. Maybe a couple of his buddies would be hanging around and he could shoot the shit for a little while.

A bell tinkled when he pulled on the glass panel, announcing his arrival to everyone in the place. At least a half-dozen people lifted their hands in greeting as he made his way down the linoleum path to a booth. He stopped and chatted with a few, slapped a few more on the back and then slid onto the bench seat.

“
I can’t believe you got him fired,” a female voice said.

“
I didn’t do it, Elizabeth. Jeff’s boss happened to be at the bar.”

His keen hearing tuned into the conversation and he realized the women sitting behind him probably included Red.

“
How could you have hit him, Laurel?”

“
After he hit you? I’d say it was pretty damned easy.”

The sniffing sound coming from the other booth told him Jeff’s wife was crying on her sister’s shoulder.

“
He has no right to hit you. Only a lowlife coward hits women.”

“
You know nothing about our life, Laurel. You moved here what? Two weeks ago?”

“
What is your point, Elizabeth? I’m not going to sit back and watch while he beats the hell out of you until one day he takes it too far.”

The waitress approached his table, distracting him for a moment. “Hey, Kale. What’s it gonna be?”

“
Coffee and how about a piece of apple pie?”

“
Ice cream?”

“
Of course. Is there any other way?” he asked with a chuckle.

“
Nope,” she replied and smiled. “I’ll be right back.”

The conversation behind him caught his attention again.

“
You should go on back to Los Angeles, Laurel. I don’t think Red Rock is the place for you. This is a small backward town. We have our own way of handling things and a woman punching out a man in the bar isn’t it.”

“
Are you telling me to leave?”

“
No, but you need to butt out.”

“
I’m a cop. I can’t turn my back on domestic abuse whether it involves someone I know or not.”

A cop? That would explain her taking Jeff down with one punch.
He sipped from the coffee cup in front of him and listened.

“
Why don’t you come with me back to L.A., Elizabeth? You know I only moved here to be near you with all the stuff he’s been doing, but I’ll forget my job and stuff here if it means keeping you safe.”

“
I’m not leaving my husband. I love him.”

Red’s voice rose in anger. “Even after he beat the shit out of you? Wake up, sister. This type of relationship isn’t normal.”

“
It is what it is.”

“
You are driving me nuts!” Red exclaimed, drawing attention from a few of the diner patrons when several sets of eyes turned in their direction.

“
I’m going home.”

The booth wiggled against his back with the movement from the woman behind him.

“
Elizabeth, please. At least stay with me tonight.”

“
No. I need to see my husband.”

The blonde woman rushed past him and he heard Red yell her name.

“
Here’s your pie, Kale.”

“
Thanks, Jen.”

The woman in the next booth sighed and he debated on whether to let her know he sat nearby. Deciding it would be best to make his presence known, he turned around.

“
Hi, Red.”

One perfectly arched eyebrow shot up and her eyes narrowed. “Are you purposely trying to annoy me?”

“
Mind if I join you?” he asked, sliding out of the booth with coffee cup in one hand and pie plate in the other.

“
Yes.”

“
Too bad,” he replied, sitting down at the table with her. “You really need to learn to curb your temper.”

Her lips pressed together in a firm line and he had the insane urge to kiss the daylights out of her until she moaned and molded those perfect breasts against his chest.

“
What business is it of yours?”

A forkful of pie reached his lips and when he opened his mouth, her gaze focused on his lips. Hers parted and he figured she had no idea her breathing had sped up, but the rapid rise and fall of her chest told him.

Interesting. Maybe this won’t be such a bad night after all.

“
I would hate to see you get into trouble. Being a cop, I’m sure you carry handcuffs and a gun.”

“
Yeah.”

“
And I’m sure you know exactly how to use them.”

“
I would hope so.”

“
There are other ways to get back at your brother-in-law.”

“
Go on.”

“
I can’t go into detail here. Too many ears.”

“
What do you suggest?”

“
We could go somewhere more private.”

A hearty laugh left her lips and she tossed a silky strand of gorgeous hair over her shoulder. “Do I look stupid? I don’t even know you. Why would I go anywhere with you?”

“
You can trust me.”

“
I wasn’t born yesterday, Mr. Dunn.”

“
Kale.”

“
All right, Kale.” She leaned against the back of the booth and rested one elbow on the seat. The nonchalant posture did nothing to calm his libido when her shirt pulled tight over those incredible breasts and her nipples puckered enough he could clearly see them through her shirt and bra. “Let me assure you, being a cop in Los Angeles comes with a certain amount of common sense and going anywhere with a stranger is at the bottom of the common sense list.”

“
Anyone in this diner would vouch for me,” he replied with a wave of his hand to indicate the patrons.

“
I’m sure they would since you told me at the bar, you were born and raised here.”

“
It’s not like I plan on taking advantage of you without your permission.”

“
So you plan on taking advantage of me with my permission?”

“
It wouldn’t hurt my feelin’s, darlin’. You are a beautiful woman, after all.”

One half of her lips lifted in a smile and his dick jumped to attention.
God, she can turn me inside out with nothing more than a grin.

“
Don’t beat around the bush, Kale. If you want to take me home and fuck my brains out, just say it.”

He crooked a finger and she leaned close. “I want to take you home and fuck your brains out, Red.”

She grabbed the digit in front of her and sucked it between her lips. Her tongue wrapped around the end and he’d never felt anything like it before. White hot desire zinged from the end of his finger straight to his dick. Her pupils dilated, almost encompassing the blue of her irises. His breathing sped up and he panted like a steam locomotive. She dipped her finger into the ice cream on his plate and lifted it to his lips. Unable to fight the urges rushing through him, he sucked it between his lips and nibbled on the tip. Ice cream melted on his tongue and mixed with the salt of her skin—sweet and potent enough to draw his balls up tight against his groin and make his dick strain for release.

After a couple more licks and a nibble or two on his finger, she released it from her mouth and smiled. “Your offer is mighty tempting, but—”

“
But?”

“
You know, I wish I would have met you sooner. I have a very important appointment in the morning in Boise, with my doctor.”

“
Doctor?” he asked, frowning.

“
Yeah. You see I’m going in for a sex change operation next week.” She slid out of the booth and left him sitting there with his mouth hanging open.

* * * *

Laurel reached her car and glanced back through the window to see Kale still sitting where she left him. The roar of laughter coming from her mouth, bounced off the building and she couldn’t help but shake her head. If he really believed that, she had some ocean front property in Arizona for him. She rolled her eyes and chuckled as she started her car and backed out of the parking spot.

“
Men are so gullible some times.”

The drive back to her apartment gave her time to think. This thing with Elizabeth and Jeff was problem and she wasn’t quite sure how to handle it. The cop in her wanted to turn him in and make him do time, but she also knew the system. A slap on the wrist, a fine, and nothing more, would be his punishment. If Elizabeth didn’t press charges, nothing would happen at all and it sure didn’t appear her sister had any inclination of going through with prosecution.

Her thoughts drifted back to the disturbingly sexy, Kale Dunn. The inky black hair curling around his ears and against the back of his neck made her shiver and her fingertips tingle. His black Stetson blended with those curls, giving him a mystifying and mysterious look. His chocolate colored eyes melted her insides like butter under the hot June sun the moment she had locked gazes with him at the bar. Dark-haired, dark-eyed men always got to her in a special way. The steel band of his arm around her waist when he stopped her from going after Jeff again made her think of a horse being corralled. Tied and bound to the hard body behind her, she could only wiggle and squirm in his embrace. His words about doing a dance in the front seat of his truck brought imagines better left hidden in her soul.