Dixie Lynn Dwyer (8 page)

They were silent a moment.

“We’re there, Susanna. We’ve been there for months now. We each have hefty bank accounts. We each have our own lives back, and I, for one, want to settle down soon, if the right man or men came along,” Elise stated.

“She’s right, Susanna. It’s time to pull back. You’ve done so much for us. You’ve saved us and given us our lives back,” Paula added.

“We need constant stability. We need to continue to be successful and not back down or it can all be taken away from us.”

“Well, enough of the serious talk. Let’s get back to you, the sheriff, and Monte. They left something for you downstairs,” Ava stated, and Susanna looked surprised.

“Come on, it’s lunchtime and we need to get things ready for tonight at Dixie Chix.” Paula stood up and held out her hand for Susanna to take.

“What did they drop off?” Susanna asked.

“You’ll see when you go downstairs. Maybe it will put a smile on your face and allow you to see that they’re not so bad after all,” Juliet said as they headed downstairs.

* * * *

Susanna stared at the piece of paper with Sheriff BJ Parker’s cell phone number on it. He and Monte had sent over a platter of different wraps and sandwiches for her and her friends as well as homemade sweet tea from Georgio’s Italian delicatessen.

Following the food delivery, while she was upstairs losing her mind, the florist had arrived with a large bouquet of cream-colored roses with lavender and fresh ivy.

It was classy and beautiful. The card was signed, “We look forward to seeing you tonight.”

She took a deep breath and wondered what to do. She had taken a shower and gotten dressed to head to the club, even though she didn’t need to be there for a couple of hours. The others were out and about or at the club taking deliveries and stocking up the bars for tonight. In the least, she had to call him to say thank you.

She felt her throat close up and fear grip her belly. She didn’t want to speak with him or hear his voice. She didn’t want to allow the excitement and appreciation of their show of care to affect her and knock down her defenses.

She chickened out, knowing that she had to do the respectable thing and thank the sheriff and his brother.

She hit
send message
on the cell phone and added his number then texted. These days, texting was as good as calling, wasn’t it? She felt guilt fill her belly, but she continued to text him instead of actually calling him.

Hi, Sheriff Parker, I just wanted to send you and Monte a quick message to thank you for the great lunch you sent over today. The ladies and I enjoyed it as well as the beautiful flowers. Susanna.

Susanna hit the send button then released an uneasy breath.

That wasn’t so bad after all.

She got up, placed the phone in her bag along with her makeup and lip gloss to reapply later at work and headed out the door.

* * * *

Sheriff Parker looked at his cell phone as he sat along the long stretch of road that led toward the outskirts of town. He always caught tourists or visitors speeding down this long stretch of open road between two large farming estates. He was working until five o’clock, and then he and Monte were planning on heading over to Dixie Chix to see Susanna.

“Are you fucking kidding me? A text message? Not even a phone call?”

He was pissed off. He thought for sure she would appreciate the gesture and especially after last night. He could hardly sleep, tossing and turning, thinking about how Susanna looked while he made her come. Monte shared his same sleepless night, and that was how they came up with the idea of surprising her with flowers and offering lunch to her and her roommates. Those women worked hard day and night to make the establishment a success. They deserved the treatment. But he was truly looking forward to hearing from Susanna, and once again, she punched him in the gut. He wondered why she was trying so hard to avoid the feelings they shared. He even had asked for help picking out the floral arrangement from Cynthia, the older woman who ran Delite Florist. She was the one that suggested adding ivy to the arrangement. He released an annoyed sigh.

Just then he heard the sound of a vehicle approaching and knew they were going over the forty-mile speed limit.

His radar blared as no other than Susanna Cooperton flew by in her red Ford Mustang.

He threw on the lights and took off after her, knowing that he wanted to talk to her, and if this was the only way to get to her, then he would take advantage of the situation.

* * * *

Susanna sped down the roadway thinking about the text message. She should have called him. She totally chickened out and she was running from her feelings. But she was scared and desperate to avoid confronting how she really felt. It was too complicated.

Just then she heard the siren, and glancing in her rearview mirror, she saw the sheriff’s patrol truck speeding after her.

Shit! I was speeding, and I hope that’s not BJ.

She immediately pulled over and placed her car in park then turned off the engine. She got that nervous uneasy feeling in her belly. Not just because she was being pulled over but because she felt guilty for a whole lot of things and being around law enforcement made her uneasy.

She waited as the door to the truck opened and half hoped it wasn’t the sheriff then also felt the excitement of it being him and seeing him again. She was losing her mind.

Her eyes remained glued to the side mirror. Her “stupid side” as opposed to her “rational side” got its wish as the sheriff emerged from his vehicle. She felt her belly quiver as she took in the sight of him—crisp tan uniform, wide shoulders, muscular forearms—as he set his Stetson in place on his head. Dark, intimidating-looking sunglasses topped it all. Her heart pounded inside of her chest as she quickly looked away from the side mirror and down at her legs. The soft hem of her skirt rose up midthigh and her legs were practically shaking.

“License and registration, Miss Cooperton.” She looked up at him, surprised by his authoritative tone. He was angry with her, and what was with the “Miss Cooperton” thing?

“Did I do something wrong, Sheriff?” He leaned his hand on the handle of his revolver and the other one now rested on the rim of the roof of her car.

He blocked anyone’s view of her entirely, but it wasn’t like anyone was on the road right now.

“You trying to get yourself killed?”

She shook her head.

“Did you forget how to speak, or maybe you’d like to text me a reply.”

Oh shit, he’s pissed about the text.

“I was really busy this morning and…let me get my registration out of the glove compartment.” She leaned over to open the glove compartment and fought with her mind to get the guts to explain why she didn’t physically call him when she felt his hand on her thigh.

She turned toward him as he released her.

“Step out of the vehicle.”

She swallowed hard. He stepped back and tore his sunglasses off and placed them in the top pocket of his uniform shirt.

She opened the door, stepped out, being sure to straighten her skirt, and then stood in her high heels in front of him.

He looked her over, and even in her heels she stood a few inches below him. His green eyes held hers, and she felt her entire body hum with awareness of this man. He looked so incredible right now. Crazy thoughts were running through her head.

“What’s wrong?” she asked him just as he stepped closer, causing her rear to hit her car. He placed both his hands on either side of her car behind her. She was trapped between his muscular arms, his chest, and the metal of her car, which was just as hard and solid as him.

“You don’t want to know what’s going through my head right now, Susanna. A fucking text message? Are you kidding me? What are you running from? What are you so damn afraid of?”

She stared into his eyes, absorbed the firmness of his jaw and the intensity of his tone and appearance. He was a total Alpha male, and she wanted him.

“You seem upset with me. That wasn’t my intention at all, Sheriff.”

He placed one hand on her hip then pressed his body closer and against hers. She gasped as she felt the thick, hard shaft against her belly.

“That’s right. You feel that, darling?” He tilted his hips against her and she nearly moaned.

“Please stop this. I can’t give you what you want. I’m not ready to take a chance again.”

She couldn’t believe she said that out loud. She was giving him information she shouldn’t be giving. She needed to stay tough. She had to resist the attraction.

“Someone hurt you, darling? Is that why you’re scared of the feelings we have for you? Baby, don’t you know that Monte and I would never hurt you. Matter of fact, we’d like to get to know you really well.” He whispered, leaning closer to her. She pressed her hands against his chest to stop him from kissing her. She needed to resist.

“Sheriff Parker, I appreciated the gesture and the food was great, the flowers beautiful, and we all enjoyed it.”

His other hand came up to cup her cheek as his thumb caressed her chin and then her lower lip.

“It’s BJ, darling, you need to remember to call me that.”

She tried to resist the feelings he was giving her, but he was so determined.

“Everyone calls you Sheriff. I’m used to it and I want to be respectful.”

His thumb stopped moving and his hand moved under her hairline to cup her head as his other hand smoothed over her hip to her lower back.

“Darlin’, looking at you right now, all dressed up for work in your high heels, short skirt, sexy blouse, and lush lips leaves me with everything but respectful thoughts.”

She felt herself shake, and her pussy suddenly felt so needy.

“This isn’t good. You need to let me go.”

He squeezed her a little tighter and shook his head. “How the hell can I let you go when I want you so badly it hurts inside? Every ounce of me wants to live out all the fantasies I’ve dreamt of over you this past year, staring with one in particular right now. You want to know what that fantasy is, Susanna?”

She shook her head. God, she didn’t want to know. She had some of her own crazy thoughts going through her head right now, and fucking the town sheriff on the side of a roadway wasn’t a smart move at all.

“I’d like to bend you over the back of my patrol car, lift up this frilly little skirt you’re wearing, and see if you have on a pair of those sexy thong panties you were wearing the other night.” He caressed his hand down her backside to her rear as he pulled her slightly away from the car so he could get a good feel of her ass cheek.

“And then, I’d give you a few spanks on this fine, round ass of yours for placing your life in jeopardy twice in the last forty-eight hours. Once by trying to confront two men twice your size and once for speeding down this road in your sports car.” He squeezed her ass cheek, and she moaned and closed her eyes as she held on to his forearms.

He leaned down closer to her neck and ear. She tilted upward to give him better access, causing her breasts to react and her nipples to harden into tiny, tight buds.

“Then, because you’ve got me so fucking hard right now, I’d whip out my cock and fuck your warm, wet pussy until I found my release. I want to hear you call my name, baby, in the heat of passion. I want to make love to you and hold you in my arms at night and know that you’re mine, and guess what? So does Monte.”

She lifted her head up to look at him, turned on by his descriptive words, and then shocked by him mentioning Monte, and he covered her mouth with his own. He kissed her hard at first, letting his emotions obviously show in the pressure he applied, and then as he delved his tongue deeper, he softened his kiss. He made love to her mouth while his hand caressed under her skirt and his finger found her wet cunt. She gasped, and he shifted his thigh between her legs, parting them so his finger gained better access to her pussy. Shifting her thong panties aside, he pressed the digit up into her and she moaned against his mouth as she pressed down onto his digit.

He was relentless in his kissing, in his finger fucking her, and in his dominance over her. She was so utterly turned on that as he released her lips, she followed his mouth only for him to lift her higher. Her thigh was up against the hard black belt, and his gun was wedged against her bruised ribs, which weren’t really hurting at all.

His face looked so intense as he held her gaze, and even though she should be embarrassed that they were doing this in public, she couldn’t turn away. She wanted him, and she was even willing to bend over the car and give the big bad sheriff his fantasy come true.

“Don’t turn away from me. I want to see your eyes when you come,” he warned her, and she held on as he stroked her harder and faster. He shifted his forearms and added a second digit to her cunt. She didn’t care if another car passed or someone saw them. She was too turned on. She leaned back against the end that gave him better access to her body. He pumped his fingers into her, and she held on, staring into his eyes when it hit her. She moaned and exploded while she held his gaze, and his eyes sparkled with mischief and excitement. She brought him joy. She saw it and recognized it immediately.