Chapter Six
WHILE THE QUAINT small town of Oak Falls reminded Sally of home, JJ’s Pub was like a whole different world. It smelled of leather, a hard day’s work, and lost inhibitions. Music blared from the band in the back of the bar, where colored lights misted down on a stage she couldn’t see. Gage held her hand, leading her through a crowd of twentysomethings who were bobbing to a country song. Gage’s broad shoulders and the determined set of his jaw gave off an authoritative air, and the crowd parted for them. Sally clung tightly to him as women cast lustful gazes his way and men sized him up. They passed an archway, and she caught a glimpse of a burly, bearded guy riding a mechanical bull in the next room as a throng of women cheered him on. For the first time in a long time, Sally felt her age, and completely out of her element. She’d had Rusty so young, she’d missed out on the single years of bars and parties and skipped straight ahead to soccer mom and then widowed parent.
Gage’s arm came around her waist, guiding her in front of him, his body forming a protective shield around her, as if he knew exactly what she was feeling.
He put his mouth beside her ear and said, “Stay close to me, bird. I’d hate to have to kill some guy for touching you.”
She couldn’t help but laugh at that. Did he not feel the stares of all the young, beautiful women checking him out?
The line at the bar was five people deep. Gage slid one large hand to her stomach and the other across her chest, like a seat belt. She could feel his heart beating against her back. It was such an intimate embrace, it reminded her of their night out in Vegas, when he’d also been overly possessive. Her nerves went a little crazy, as they had earlier, when he’d been on his knees putting on her boots and he’d made the innuendo about what he could do while he was down there. She remembered with shocking clarity exactly how good he’d been at the particular thing he had offered. She didn’t have to reach far to recall the scratch of his scruff on her thighs or his talented mouth driving her out of her mind. A streak of heat coursed through her. Great. Now she was getting all hot and bothered again.
“The line’s not moving,” Gage said, his warm breath caressing her cheek, making her even more aware of every inch of him.
His fingers covered the span of her stomach, pressing into her belly, his arm sank into the pillows of her breasts, and his chest muscles contracted as he held her captive against his hard body.
Suddenly Gage was on the move, weaving deeper into the crowd, closer to the stage, keeping Sally trapped against his chest. The driving pulse of the music thrummed, rough and alive, drilling beneath her skin, until she breathed to the same staccato beat. Gage turned her in his arms, never once fully releasing her as he brought her tight against him in another proprietary embrace. His piercing blue eyes were entrancing, more libidinous than ever, as if the oppressive heat of the crowd, the provocative bumping and grinding around them, was a drug in and of itself, luring him in and leaving his inhibitions behind.
When he lowered his face beside hers, the scratch of his whiskers brought memories of his rough kisses. She wound her arms around his neck, giving herself over to the hypnotic riff of the guitar, and closed her eyes.
“In case you’ve forgotten”—Gage’s deep voice slid into her ear—“I’m crazy about you, bird.”
She was sure she’d melt into a puddle right there on the dance floor. His hands moved over her back, into her hair, tugging and tangling, and eventually skimmed down her hips and caressed her bottom. She didn’t want to think about the youth center, or the band they were checking out, or the way she’d felt old and out of place when they’d first arrived. She wanted to disappear into the long, sensual strokes of Gage’s hands and give herself over to the intoxicating draw of his masterful seduction.
His lips grazed her cheek. “My wife is the most beautiful woman in here.”
Oh, this man! He’d always had a way of making her feel special, but when he turned on the charm she was powerless to resist him. They swayed to the erotic beat of desire, with an undercurrent of freedom that could only come from being far away from their real world. When he pressed his warm, soft lips to her neck, lust pooled deep inside her. And when he brought those lips to hers, she didn’t hesitate opening up for him. She wanted this. The dancing. The titillation of what would come next. The full-body anticipation rattling her from the inside out, making her body throb and ache and swallowing her whole.
When the song came to an end, Gage and Sally didn’t stop moving to their own private beat. He gazed into her eyes, holding her even tighter as people moved around them and the band began playing another song. He spoke into her ear, rough and soft at once. “I don’t know how to draw the line again, Sally. I’ve wanted you for so long, in my head you’re already mine. Everything changed when that door opened, and I don’t want to close it. I know I can’t call you my wife while we’re here, but I need to kiss you, bird. Right here, right now—”
Sally turned and their mouths collided. Her hands pushed into his hair as he took control, angling their bodies exactly where he wanted them and fitting them together like a puzzle, so close heat whipped through her like a hurricane and stole her breath, then gave it back in fits and spurts. Desire radiated from her core, pulling her further in to him. Somewhere in the recesses of her mind a whisper of a warning sounded. They shouldn’t be making this type of public display in the town where they were setting up the center, but she didn’t want to stop. She felt every inch of his hard heat against her belly, and that warning melted away.
A tormented sound escaped his lips as he tore his mouth away. His hands fisted in her hair, his gaze hot and conflicted. “The band,” he said before taking her in another scorching kiss, like he couldn’t stand even the few seconds they were apart.
He pulled away again, which was good, because Sally didn’t have the strength to do it herself. All around them couples danced and groped, and she realized no one was watching them. They actually fit in with this steamy, needy crowd in which she’d felt so out of place.
They both shot a look toward the stage, each silently waging their own internal battle. Even through her lusty haze Sally recognized Sable Montgomery from the pictures she’d seen online. Long dark hair tumbled out from beneath a black cowgirl hat, hanging wild and thick like a horse’s mane. She played the guitar like it was an appendage she’d been born with, and belted out the song in a voice as sweet and rough as whiskey. Sally knew this was the band’s last gig while she and Gage were in town, and they needed to connect with them. But when Gage’s hand moved to the nape of her neck, drawing her mouth back to his, her desire took over, pushing that responsible, practical woman out of the way. Hell, she’d knock that bitch down if that’s what it took, because Gage’s mouth was hot and hungry and his lips sweet and demanding. She wanted to stay there all night long, lost in him, loved by him, feeling free for the first time since she was a teenager.
She didn’t know what had changed, but this was too right to ignore. She wasn’t going to feel guilty for loving Gage. But she would feel guilty for not following through on her responsibility to Danica.
She reluctantly broke their connection. “We promised Danica.”
His gaze flicked to the stage, then back to Sally, and she knew he was struggling with the same commitment. The muscles in his jaw bunched. He cursed under his breath and lowered his mouth beside her ear again. She was coming to crave those private whispers.
“We’ve worked all day. The only work I want to do is loving you, bird.”
Yes, please. She glanced at the stage again, her mind racing through possible excuses she could give Danica. There were plenty that Danica would probably buy, but that wasn’t how Sally lived her life, telling lies. She shifted her gaze to Gage again, and he untangled her finger from where she’d been absently twisting her hair around it.
With a look full of repressed sexual desire and reluctant defeat, he gathered her in his arms and said, “Think they have an ice pack behind the bar?”
GAGE STOOD BY the bar thinking of hairy, sweaty men in an effort to calm his raging erection. The area was so crowded, Sally stood sideways, her softness pressed against him. Every time she moved, he had to refocus on those imaginary erection reducers. It was a losing battle.
“Don’t you want a drink?” she asked, her nervous gaze moving to the bar.
A guy brushed against her shoulder and Gage pulled her against him, glaring at the offender. Sally’s hands covered his chest, her eyes glossed over, soft and seductive, holding his rapt attention.
“No drinks,” he ground out. “When I have you in my bed, I want to be stone-cold sober.”
Her eyes widened as she climbed out of her comfort zone and into the darker place he was pushing her. He knew what she wanted, what she needed, and he wasn’t about to let up. If it weren’t for their responsibility to Danica, he’d have hauled her pretty little ass off the dance floor and she’d be back at the hotel enjoying orgasm number two or three by now.
Aw fuck.
He conjured more images of ugly men, and when that didn’t work, he hit himself with the image that always calmed his jets. His parents.
Another song ended, and the band announced a break. A group of women came off the dance floor, laughing and fanning their faces. A gorgeous blonde wedged herself between Sally and the guy behind her, flashing a flirtatious smile at Gage. She had eyes that spelled trouble and a smile that said she meant it.
This girl had balls, considering Sally was plastered against him, and he was sure he had about ten years on her. Sally was busy watching the band come off the stage. Gage cradled Sally’s much more beautiful face and kissed her. He felt Sally startle, and he kissed her more sensually, disappearing into her as she went boneless against him. They remained entwined for a long time, deepening the kiss and getting lost in each other all over again. Gage came away slowly, pressing several softer kisses to Sally’s luscious mouth before finally meeting the blonde’s gaze. There was no way she didn’t get the message.
Holy shit. She looked like she was turned on. That was not the reaction he was hoping for.
The blonde flashed that smile again and hollered, “JJ!” to the bartender.
JJ sauntered over, eyeing her like he knew her well. “What can I get for you, darlin’?”
She pointed to Sally and said, “I want whatever she had.”
Sally followed Gage’s gaze over her shoulder toward the girl, and the confidence drained from her face. Didn’t she know how beautiful she was? How spectacular of a woman, mother, and friend she was? Not to mention those smoking-hot kisses. That young girl had nothing on Sally. Hell, no one in the state did.
“Hey.” Gage waited for Sally to meet his gaze. “I kissed you, bird. Every woman in here could be naked and you’d still be the only one I see.” He pulled her in closer. “And the only one I’ll ever want.”
“Damn,” the blonde said. “Forget the drink, JJ. I need to crawl into this woman’s skin and see what her secret is.” She flashed a friendlier, less flirtatious smile and moved closer to Sally, like she was sharing a secret. “I have gone out with a lot of guys, and never once have I heard anything even close to that. What’s your secret?”
Gage was glad she wasn’t a bitch, because if she’d said something spiteful, he’d have told her off.
Sally’s eyes darted up to him, and she drew her shoulders back, standing taller, prideful. “There’s no secret. The best relationships always begin with friendship.”
“Honey,” the blonde said as the female guitarist broke through the crowd and put an arm around her, “I’ve been sleeping with my best friend for years and he’s never said anything like that to me.”
“That’s because you also treat flirting like it’s a career, baby sister,” the guitarist said, flashing the same friendly smile as the blonde at Sally. “Is Brindle hitting on your man?” Her eyes raked down Gage. “Damn, you are hot, but clearly taken.” She turned Brindle by the shoulders and pointed to a handsome dark-haired guy standing at the other end of the bar. “Go get Trace and leave these two alone.”
The well-honed older-sister tone of her voice reminded Gage of Duke when they were younger and he’d admonish him in much the same I-know-what’s-best way.
“Trace Jericho and I are done.” Brindle crossed her arms with an irritated expression.
“This week,” the guitarist said sarcastically. She lifted her chin at the bartender. “Justus, make sure she doesn’t have any more to drink, got it? Her radar is a little off tonight.”
“You got it, Sable,” the bartender said.
Gage connected the dots and realized the bartender, JJ—Justus—was also the owner of the pub.
Brindle stalked away and Sable turned her attention back to Sally and Gage. “Sorry, guys. My sister is a bit of a wild one, but beneath all that flirtation, she’s a good egg.”
“That’s okay.” Gage held out his hand. “I’m Gage Ryder, and this is”—my wife—“Sally Tuft. We came tonight to check out your band. We’re opening a new youth center across town called No Limitz, and we wanted to talk to you about playing at the grand opening in March.”
“Ah, you’re with the company Brindle has been talking about. She’s excited about the opportunity to hold more kids’ programs.” She glanced at her sister, who was now busy chatting with a group of girls. “She teaches English and runs the drama club at the elementary school. Believe it or not, she’s an amazing teacher.”
“I’m sure she is.” Sally turned a heated gaze on Gage. “Alcohol loosens everyone up.”
Damn, baby. That look…
He realized he wasn’t the only one enjoying that look and glared at the two guys checking Sally out from a few feet away. He put his arm possessively around her waist.
“Oh, Brindle’s always a spitfire, but she’s all talk. Don’t worry. Now that she knows Gage is taken, she won’t try to pick him up.” Sable took her cowgirl hat off and ran a hand through her long brown hair. “I’ve got to get back to the band, but I’d love to talk about the opening.” She put her hand on the shoulders of two men who were seated at the bar, pushing them farther apart. “Excuse me, boys.” She hiked herself onto her belly on the bar, reaching for something beneath the edge.
“Sable!” Justus hollered from the other end of the bar. He shook his head and headed toward them.
Sable’s legs kicked up and Gage pulled Sally aside to keep her from getting struck.
“One of these days you’re going to get yourself in trouble doing that,” the larger of the two men said as he slapped Sable’s ass.
Sable landed on her boots with a clunk, exhaled loudly, and got right in the guy’s face. “Frazier Young, you touch my ass again and I’ll kick yours so far out of town you won’t be able to find your way back.”
Frazier held up his hands in surrender. “Can’t blame a guy for trying.”
“Can’t blame a girl for kickin’ a guy’s ass, either.” Sable handed Sally a flyer. “That’s got our band’s information and my cell number as well as the number at my auto shop.”
“Sable, how about you keep your feet on the ground, darlin’?” Justus put a stack of flyers on the bar and glared at Frazier. Justus was a big dude, with deep-set eyes and an athletic build, but even his size and serious stare didn’t seem to faze Frazier. “Don’t start shit with her. She’ll knock you flat on your back.”
Frazier smirked. “Just as long as she climbs on top afterward, I’m cool with that.”
Sable waved him off. “Justus Jericho, this is Gage Ryder and Sally Tuft. Gage and Sally are setting up the new youth center. Justus owns this pub, and he and his brothers can break a horse about as fast as I can rebuild an engine. I’ve got to get back onstage, but it was nice meeting you both. Give me a call tomorrow afternoon and we can talk.”
“See ya, Sable.” After she walked away, Justus said, “She’s a hell of a mechanic if you ever need one, and her band is the best around. Word around town is that you’re looking for someone to run your sports programs at the youth center.”
“Yes,” Gage said. “We’re holding interviews this week. Do you know anyone?”
“This town’s about as big as my fist. I know everyone.” Justus set a beer on the bar for a customer. “There’s only one guy around here you need to interview.” He pointed across the room at a burly, dark-haired man who looked like he belonged on a football field. He was in deep conversation with a petite blonde. “Sinclair Vernon. Sin.”
“That’s Sin Vernon? The same Sin Vernon who runs the athletic program for Virginia State?” Gage had heard great things about the guy.
“Ran the program,” Justus clarified. “He just resigned. I can call him over and introduce y’all.”
“That’s okay. He looks busy.” Gage knew if they started talking sports they’d be there for hours, and the only thing he wanted to do for hours was Sally. He withdrew a business card from his wallet and handed it to Justus. “Would you mind passing my number along to him? I’d love to speak with him.” He put an arm around Sally, pulling her close again. Duty done, he couldn’t wait to get her alone. When their eyes met, he was sure they’d set off the smoke alarms.
“Thanks, man,” he said to Justus. “It was nice meeting you, but we’ve got to run. Sally and I have some pressing business to take care of.”