Stony Creek Hero [Stony Creek 2] (Siren Publishing Classic)

Stony Creek 2

Stony Creek Hero

The feisty, fiercely independent Lizzie Carmichael never had any men that she could rely on. As the sole owner of The Stony Creek Café, she finds herself in a desperate situation where she stands to lose either her honor or everything that she has ever worked for.

Known as the tough, quiet brother, Benjamin Powell adores women but strives to keep them at arm’s length, never risking his heart. When he finds that the only woman who ever inspired him to dream is in trouble, he makes a choice that could change both their lives, forever.

Lurking in the shadows of Stony Creek, there is a dangerous menace that will stop at nothing to get what it wants, no matter what the costs.

As Ben and Lizzie start to explore the secret delights that they finally find in each other, can Ben protect Lizzie from the threats that try to tear them apart?

Genre:
BDSM, Contemporary

Length:
85,074 words
 

Stony Creek 2

Taylor Berke

EROTIC ROMANCE

Siren Publishing, Inc.

www.SirenPublishing.com

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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK

IMPRINT: Erotic Romance

STONY CREEK HERO

E-book ISBN:
978-1-62242-853-3

First E-book Publication: May 2013

Cover design by Harris Channing

All cover art and logo copyright © 2013 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED:
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All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

PUBLISHER

Siren Publishing, Inc.

www.SirenPublishing.com

Letter to Readers

Dear Readers,

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Stony Creek Hero
by Taylor Berke from BookStrand.com or its official distributors, thank you. Also, thank you for not sharing your copy of this book.

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To my beautiful elder sister, beta reader and best friend. When you and I get into those hysterical laughing fits, the ones where we cannot breathe, I feel like it cleanses me of all that is bad in this world. It gives me a feeling of security that you know so much of who I am and support me. I love you so very much.

STONY CREEK HERO

Stony Creek 2

TAYLOR BERKE

Copyright © 2013

“What am I going to do?” Lizzie cried out into the quiet of her café. She poured herself another finger of Patrón tequila. Not being a usual imbiber of heavy alcohol, it was quickly having its desired effect of reducing the sharp edge of anxiety that was eating at her gut. Lizzie could feel the heat of the liquor as it burned down her throat. It did nothing to warm the chill from the heavy summer rain that poured down outside however.

Earlier that day Lizzie, the proud, vivacious owner of the Stony Creek Café, had received more bad news from the town’s banker, Theodore Davis. In the last several months there had been more and more unknown debts jumping from the woodwork. Her father had apparently been quite the gambler, unbeknownst to Lizzie. He had left her the building that housed the café and her small home but apparently had mortgaged them both to the extreme. She had been making small payments on the house and café mortgages but according to Mr. Davis she was in over her head and not even touching the principle. Lizzie couldn’t stop the tears from running down her cheeks as she glanced around the room. She was in serious risk of losing it all.

Mr. Davis had then given her the full-court press, complete with the unscrupulous option of a sexual relationship in exchange for a reduction in payments and interest. He was a vile man that sent shivers of disgust through Lizzie every time he attempted another inappropriate suggestion. Since she was unreceptive to his offers, he had unkindly added every fine onto her debt plus further interest.

What was she going to do?

“I am going to have another drink, that’s what I am going to do. It won’t fix my situation. Nope, gonna drown in my tequila like a big girl and if I wore big-girl panties, I would just have to pull them up, too.” Tears continued to roll down her cheeks as she eased herself into the front booth by the windows, staring out into the rainy night.

* * * *

What the hell was he doing?

Ben Powell sat at The Gas Pump, the town’s honky-tonk, with a beer in one hand and his head in the other. It was a Friday night and everyone in town was eating, drinking, and cutting a rug with their best partner. His cousins Brody and Cole were a-boot-scootin’ across the floor with some gorgeous specimens of womanhood as was his younger brother Troy. Even his elder brother Jackson and his fiancée, the town’s amazing new doctor, Billie Rothman, were showing everyone that you could make love on the dance floor and not get arrested by the sheriff Sly Mulligan. In fact, it was Sly who was also watching them with avid interest, a knowing gleam in his eyes, almost like a yearning, if Ben had to guess. A small grin formed on his own face too every time he looked at Jackson. Billie had completely bewitched his brother and saved him from his ridiculous notion that he was unable to have a true loving relationship like his parents, Lillian and Bill. The two of them were hotter than an erupting volcano and showed no signs of slowing down in their passionate love affair as their wedding approached.

With a sigh, Ben finished his beer with one big slug. He hadn’t had a good fuck since he first realized that the sexy café owner had captured his attention several months ago. Lizzie Carmichael was all fire and sensuality. One look and a light laugh was all it had taken months ago to turn Ben into an addict searching for his next fix of her. Lizzie was a huge, energetic presence wrapped up in a tiny little body at five feet and four inches, while possessing the most sensuous blue eyes and silky, long chestnut hair. Ben found himself salivating over her creamy soft-looking skin that was showcased with a fit figure and killer curves. His hands itched to explore the voluptuous flesh that teased his senses over the low necklines of her shirts. He had found himself eating one to two meals a day in her small but delicious café. He would secretly drive by her home late at night on his way home from whatever he had been doing with his cousins and friends, just to check on her and make sure she was home okay. Not quite fitting the stalker persona but more of the forlorn suitor façade, he liked to imagine. He had almost torn Len Drexel limb from limb when he had attacked not only Billie but then Lizzie as she tried to defend her friend. Yup, he supposed he had some interest, he laughed inwardly.

That memory was a double-edged sword though, as he got a rush of blood to his cock as he remembered taking the object of his desire in his hand, literally, for risking her life, even to defend her friend when they were attacked. He could still feel her ass beneath his hand as he had imparted to her, for the first time, that she wasn’t alone and needed to remember that. It had been a turning point for them as Lizzie had finally realized that Ben had an actual interest in her and he had come to the conclusion that he was going to die of frustration if he didn’t tie her up and fuck her silly soon. She just did it for him. Being around her made him happy. He was never happy around women for longer than a month or two. It wasn’t intentional or anything. He just lost interest. No one ever kept his motor running for longer than that time at which then he would politely and respectfully break it off with whatever women he was with. However, since he got infected with the Lizzie bug, well, he just had no desire to be with any other women. It was not like him at all. He had a voracious sexual appetite usually. He adored women and the pleasures that they could find together. Many a happy female was seen skipping through Stony Creek after spending an overnight adventure with him seeing to their unfulfilled desires and quenching them with a vengeance. Yep, many happy memories filled this bar tonight, but not one stirred Ben simply like the thought of just sitting near Lizzie watching her as she flitted from customer to customer tonight during her dinner service.

Speaking of which, where the hell was she? Lizzie always came out on Friday nights with the girls. The girls’ attendance roster included Dr. Billie Rothman, Dr. Madelyne Daniels, the new town veterinarian, and effervescent Beth Saunders. A fission of concern shot up from his bowels that something wasn’t quite right with his Lizzie. Whoops. He had better get control of that thought. She definitely would verbally tear him to pieces over that one. She was one woman who didn’t want anyone to consider her their property, until she actually was. On that note, since there was no one to look out for her tiny little self, his concern for her delay this evening returned. With a slap on his buddy and neighboring rancher Hunter’s back, Ben strolled out into the rainy evening while slapping his cowboy hat on his head.

* * * *

“Oh no!” Lizzie exclaimed aloud. The very embodiment of male perfection was running down the street in an effort to avoid the torrential rainfall now bathing the streets of Stony Creek.