Dixie Lynn Dwyer (5 page)

She gave him and his buddies a smile.

“I’m sorry, fellas, but I need to take care of this alone. Why don’t you get another drink and mingle with some of those fine-looking women prancing around the place.”

She started to move by them when the same big guy squeezed her elbow tighter.

“I ain’t finished talking to you.”

She was shocked, and if she didn’t have the bruised ribs she would have used one of her moves on the asshole. But she didn’t have to, as the deep Texan voice roared over her shoulder.

“I suggest you release her now, Dudley, or I’ll break your fucking neck.”

She swallowed hard as Dudley immediately released her then stepped back. His friends took off, leaving him standing there with his mouth hanging open.

“I was just talking with her.”

“Don’t look that way to me. She’s off limits. Got it?”

Dudley nodded then quickly turned and left.

Susanna began to turn toward Monte when she felt his arm go around her waist and his face press against her cheek and ear.

“You are supposed to be resting. Doctor’s orders.”

She shivered from a combination of his anger and his sexy voice.

“I was just heading up now to rest a bit. I had that under control.”

“Sure you did. Now move.” He took her hand but kept his arm around her waist gently as he guided her through the crowd, being sure to make a pathway so she wouldn’t get bumped. It wasn’t hard to do despite the crowded club. People saw Monte coming and got out of the way fast. It was just like when BJ was in the club. The crowds parted like the Red Sea as he walked through.

She saw Ava on their way toward the private door that exited to the back rooms and elevator.

“Are you okay?” Ava asked, concerned. Then she looked at Monte, and he tipped his hat at her.

Before Susanna could answer, Monte did for her.

“She overdid it. She needs to rest a bit. Can you handle things?”

She raised her eyebrows at him and gave him the once-over. Susanna chuckled.

“Take care of the patient and I’ll handle things down here.”

He smiled and then turned Susanna toward the doorway as Ava winked at Susanna.

The gossip was going to be even worse tonight.

They headed into the elevator, and Susanna tried to move away from Monte. He held her against his body, and as she glanced up over her shoulder to tell him she was fine, she saw the serious expression in his eyes. He was pissed off.

She looked up toward the surveillance camera and waved at Carl and Richie, knowing that they were watching this. Once she got into her office and the back room, there were no more cameras.

The doors opened and they exited the elevator, making their way to her office.

She opened it and walked into the room and immediately leaned against the desk. Her ribs were hurting, but she tried to play it off.

“So what brings you around the club tonight?”

He didn’t answer. Instead, he took off his Stetson and placed it on her desk, brushing by her hip as his arm passed her. She shivered from the slight contact then swallowed hard. She was completely aroused with him this close to her.

He stepped into her space and placed his hands on the desk behind her, locking her in place.

He stared down into her eyes.

“First of all, you’re supposed to be resting. You’re in pain and haven’t taken anything the doctor gave you.”

“I’m fine,” she began to say, but then he gave her that damn hard look of his, and don’t you know it shut her right up.

Damn he’s got my panties wet.

“Secondly, what the fuck were you doing talking with those three men and flaunting yourself at them?”

“What? I was not flaunting myself at them. They are patrons and they came over and were talking to me.” She stared right back up at him. He was a big man and slightly bent lower to face her, but still her forehead practically hit his chin.

She could see his cheek cave in a little. He appeared as if he was biting his inner cheek, as if trying to stop words from coming out of his mouth.

“What?” she demanded.

“They didn’t want to talk. They wanted down your pants. Or rather, up your skirt.” He brushed his thumb over her hip. She shivered with arousal. One touch, his close proximity, and she was a ticking time bomb.

“Whatever, Monte. It doesn’t matter right now. I’m too tired to care.”

She attempted to push away from him, but he had other plans.

“Well, I do care, and so does BJ.”

Her eyes widened in shock. BJ was there, too?

“Yeah, honey, BJ was in the club tonight. He saw what I saw and he’s just as ticked as I am. I thought he discussed a few things with you last night.”

She stared into his dark eyes, absorbed the firm muscular cheekbones and the bit of tattoo that appeared from under his collar against his neck. That must have hurt. He was tough. Military tough, and she knew it.

“What few things? Why would he be pissed off?”

“Because you belong to us and we don’t handle jealousy well.”

Before she could reply, he closed the space between them and kissed her hard on the mouth. She tilted her head back as he devoured her moans and held her to him.

The kiss grew wild in no time at all, and his large hands cupped her face between them as he made love to her mouth. He tasted like cigar and mint. His cologne penetrated her nostrils as she grabbed onto his forearms.

As he continued to explore her mouth, making her weaker and weaker with every stroke of his tongue, he moved a hand away from her right cheek and down her arm that was holding him. He clutched her wrist then entwined her fingers with his own. She was small compared to him, and she felt every muscle in his hand and the hardness of his body. He was muscle and steel.

He brought their clasped hands up to her chest as he slowly released her lips.

She opened her eyes slowly and found his still closed a moment longer. She thought about that and its importance. His eyes were closed when he kissed her, as if he was just as taken aback with the desire as she was. In her eyes that was significant, and it meant he wasn’t faking his affections.

Her lips parted as she slowly took in air and tried to calm her breathing.

“You drive me wild, woman,” he whispered then kissed her bottom lip, taking it between his teeth gently before tugging it. He released her lower lip, kissing her fully on the mouth again.

When he released her a second time, she took a moment to collect herself.

“Monte, we shouldn’t have done that.”

He shook his head and gave her that fierce look of his. She lowered her eyes, and he stepped back just a little but remained holding their clasped hands, this time against his own chest.

“You don’t mean that, darling. You’re just a little scared.”

She tried to pull away and then flinched because she did it too quickly and it hurt her ribs.

He released her hands and swept her up into his arms, surprising her.

She grabbed onto him, wrapping an arm around his shoulders.

“Monte!”

He carried her over to the long leather sofa and set her gently down onto the couch. He knelt on the floor and began to remove her heels.

“Hey, I can do that.”

One stern look from him and she closed her mouth and nibbled her bottom lip.

“The faster you get used to BJ and I taking care of you, the less trouble that mouth of yours will get into.”

“Excuse me, but, I never said that I needed taking care of, and what makes you think that I’ll be allowing you and the sheriff to take care of me?”

He stood up and placed his hands on his hips. He was one sexy, fine-looking cowboy, and boy did her body know it.

“Susanna, we’ve been pussyfooting around our feelings for you and yours for us for over a year now. The attraction is mutual and you know it. You’re always working, always too busy to do anything for yourself. Now, if you think my brother and I are going to waste any more time and stand by watching other men want you and try to move in on what’s ours, then you got another thing coming. Now close your eyes, rest a bit, and tell me where you put those painkillers the doctor gave you.”

She took a deep breath and gave him the evil eye, even though her insides wanted to leap with joy at his declaration of affection for her and jealousy about other men. She was acting like a silly schoolgirl with a crush. Except she didn’t have a crush on just one guy but two sexy guys, who also happened to be brothers.

She wasn’t ready for this, and she certainly wasn’t ready to be bossed around by two very bossy men.

“No!” she retorted a few seconds too late. Her brain needed to catch up with his request.

“No what?” He turned to face her.

“I have to work tonight and close up. I don’t need to take any painkillers that will make me drowsy.”

“Ava is closing up, honey. I’m taking you home or back to my place so you can truly rest and heal.”

She swallowed hard.
How the hell could I rest at his place? Is he fucking serious?
Between his kisses and BJ’s kisses, she would be putty in their hands.

She shook her head then chuckled, but it came out sounding odd.

“I’m not going to your place and I am not leaving here. Get out, Monte, and leave me alone.”

He was immediately next to her, kneeling by the side of the couch. He stared into her eyes and she lifted her chin in defiance of his orders.

He in return challenged her. Not with words so they could battle this out, but with the reality of their attraction.

He touched a finger to her bottom lip.

“You’re stubborn and bullheaded,” he whispered as he slowly trailed his finger down her chin, over her cleavage, tickling, stimulating her nipples and making them hard. He went lower, to the
V
between her legs, but bypassed it and went down her left thigh over the frilly fabric of her miniskirt. But damn did she really want his finger to touch her pussy. She felt her cheeks warm, and she swallowed again.

“So fucking beautiful and perfect.” He inched his finger lower to her ankles then used his entire, large hand to caress and grip her calf before he smoothed it up her leg to her thigh. She waited in anticipation of his touch, imagining that solid, thick hand cupping her mound and his long, thick finger pressing up into her pussy. Her lips parted. Her breathing grew choppy.

“You got me so fucking hot and hard right now, Susanna, that it’s taking every ounce of my self-control to not move faster.”

Oh God.

He inched his hand a little further under her skirt and all the way up to her hip bone and over the thin strap of her thong panties. His eyes widened as he looked up at her and into her eyes.

“If your ribs weren’t bruised right now, there’d be a lot less talking and a whole lot of fucking going on.”

“Oh God, Monte.” She closed her eyes and took an unsteady breath. Then she realized what she’d said out loud.

Her eyes popped open, and he remained staring at her.

“We’ll have our time together, Susanna. You’ll be spread out naked for BJ and me to devour and love. You keep fighting all you want, but you’ll give in. You’ll realize that the three of us are meant to be.”

At that moment she would have told him to not worry about her ribs and just give her what they both wanted. She began to speak when the buzzer on the desk went off, and she nearly jumped up off the couch.

Monte didn’t flinch. “I’ll get it.” He rose up and walked over to her desk. She tightened her legs together and prayed that when she got up there wouldn’t be a pool of her sticky cream covering the leather, evidence to how turned on Monte made her.

“That was Ava. She said she’d take care of everything if you wanted to head home early. I told her I was driving you.”

“Ava, we’ve got a problem,” Juliet stated over the walkie-talkies.

“What’s the problem?” Ava asked as she looked toward the front entrance and saw Tyler Depolis, the fire marshal heading inside with a clipboard. Just as she prepared to speak with him, she saw Paula cut him off. Ava smiled. Paula would handle the situation for them.

“Forget it. Paula’s got it covered,” Juliet chimed in then laughed.

* * * *

Paula saw Tyler and she knew why he was there. The place was jam–packed, and she had tried her hardest to maintain the numbers allowed by the fire marshal, but it was difficult with people coming and going.

She approached cautiously. He was a hard-ass and older than her by a good seven years. She heard him talking with Big Dog.

“I want to know why so many people were allowed entry into this place. There are safety rules for a reason!” He looked around the area. Behind him, Paula motioned with her hand for Juliet and Ava to start moving people out of the building. G-Force and the other bouncers would help.

“Good evening!” Paula yelled over the loud music as she approached Tyler. She was glad she wore her short skirt and shimmering tank top tonight. But one look from Tyler as his eyes roamed over her body and he looked angry.