Stormy Redmond was a cold piece of work. She had the gall to munch on his snacks, sing along to his music, tap her pretty feet on the dashboard as she let her hand dance through the air outside the open window.
Yeah, she was having a good old time, just not with him.
“Oh my God,” she shouted, sitting up in her seat and pointing.
He jumped, body gearing up for battle. They’d crossed the border into Texas over fifty miles ago so there was no telling what kind of good-old-boy trouble they were likely to run into. “It’s an armadillo, a live one, and oh my God it’s huge! Usually they’re just dead husks on the side of the road when I’ve seen them before.”
He didn’t respond, and good thing, because when they’d gone too far for her to see it any longer, she relaxed back into her seat, rested her elbow on the arm rest and let her fingers play through the wind again, humming along to hisRising Appalachiaalbum.
Soon they’d be on the other side of Amarillo in the small town of Yulee, where they could register at the main building before heading to the luxury cottage a mile away. He’d often stopped at this resort during his biannual trips back home. Hopefully Stormy wouldn’t think he’d booked the place to impress her, which he had. She’d obviously wanted to be done with him and their adventure, so now, impressing her was the last thing on his mind. The sooner he took care of his folks, the sooner him and Stormy could part ways.
That was the best outcome he could ever hope to envision.
He expected that any minute now, Stormy would make some demand, or attempt some manipulation. He expected some kind of meltdown, but unlike him, she was having a good time with her own fucking company. He ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. He wasn’t used to this shit! Why didn’t she just act like a normal woman, why didn’t she do something, so he could justify his earlier tirade? Hell, she had him over here acting likehewas the irrational woman and that wasn’t him…at least, it hadn’t been until her.
He rubbed his forehead. The tongue-lashing he gave her had nothing to do with an episode, he’d been fully in control of his mind, if not his emotions. None of it made sense…
Then his stomach rumbled.Of course, he was just hungry! He was hungry and…andhe needed sex; it usually smoothed out the rough edges when he was out of sorts, and this trip had put him so out he almost forgot what it meant to be sorted.
He eased back in his seat. Get some food and some sex, and life would be right as rain.Yeah boy, he thought. They’d check in, store their gear, and head over to Teats and Meat for dinner, and for him, a bit of entertainment of a sexual nature. Stormy sure as shit wasn’t going to give him what he needed tonight, or ever.
He rubbed at the sudden sharp pain in his chest following the thought. Maybe he was sick. He’d have to go to the doctor when he got back to California for real.
Once they’d checked into the resort’s main hotel, they drove up a slight incline along the tree-lined road before parking in the space in front of cottage 151. Handing Stormy her card key, he retrieved their belongings as she bounded up the five stairs and entered the one-bedroom unit.
“This place is awesome,” Stormy said, wandering back into the living room as he made his way inside.
She opened cabinets, turned her eyes on the gas stove, drew her hand along the marble counter top of the kitchen island, darted to the sliding doors along the back wall of the living-room. “There’s a river and a trail right off the back patio… I never thought I’d love to hear myself say this, but maybe me and my girls should come back here for a Texas vacation.”
This woman had the unmitigated gall to want to bring other folks tohisspot, a spot he’d only wanted to share with her.
“Get your purse if you’re coming with me,” he snapped. “I’m getting hungry, and trust me darlin’, you won’t like me when I’m hungry.”
“I don’t like you now,” she said, retrieving her luggage and going into the bathroom. He clenched and unclenched his fists and rolled his neck to ease the stress that had nothing to do with an episode and everything to do with his growing frustration. When he heard the shower turn on, he sat down on the couch and let his head fall into his hands, using the time to quiet his mind and emotions.
In less than fifteen minutes, Stormy exited the bathroom wearing a short red dress that clung to every hip, dip, and curve her body possessed. The V-neck displayed way more cleavage than he was comfortable with her sharing. Walking right past him in golden sandals, she picked his truck keys off the table and walked outside.
“Move your ass, Lucas, you’re not the only one hungry already!”
A long horn blow was followed by two shorter bursts. He gritted his teeth and fair shook with the need to drag her ass back in here and fuck her into submission, fuck them both back to a place of languid serenity. But that wasn’t going to happen; his reckless mouth had seen to that.
Slamming the cabin door, he stomped to the truck and tried to pretend calm, tried to pretend he wasn’t fazed by the shift in their dynamic, especially when Stormy sincerely seemed to be lighter, more vibrant, now that their contract had ended.
Maybe that was her goal once she’d seen what lived inside him; maybe she’d looked for a way out of their contract, and like a fool, his temper had provided her one.
Arriving at Teats and Meat,Big Country felt well on his way to coming back to himself when he opened the door to the building and was assailed by loud music and a packed house. Closing the door behind Stormy, he placed a hand on her lower back and navigated her through the entryway with two decorative slot machines, a totem pole, and a steer head above swinging saloon doors.
The building dated back to the town’s inception over one hundred and fifty years ago, but about three decades past, Claudius Felton and his wife Missy Ann expanded the existing saloon to include a restaurant, dance floor, and a small stage for whatever entertainment they had for the night.
“Oh good Lord,” Stormy muttered as she eyed the staff moving about the place. Teats Tuesday was in full effect, which meant the male and female waiters were all topless, glittery silver star pasties covering their areolas and nipples.
Big Country grinned as he led Stormy to the bar, folks parting to let them pass freely. It was a privilege of his size. People didn’t always comprehend how massive he was, but up close all illusions were shattered.
A few feet from the bar, Big Country barked like a slavering wolf, catching the attention of the bartender and startling the people around him.“Who dat at the bar scaring the pretty ladies away?” he called out.
Claudius Lee grinned, resting his gnarled hands on his hips. “Big Country Beaumont—boy, where you been? We was expecting you to come through two months ago.”
Big Country reached across the bar and shook the old man’s hand. “I got caught up in some Brood business, you know how it is.”
