27
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Every small town in Texas seemed to have a Dairy Queen, and Embers Ridge was no different. It wasn’t a classy place by any means, but the food was good and the people were friendly, so Lynx was happy when Reagan agreed that it sounded better than the diner. Not that he was all that picky about where he ate, but this was something different.
Plus, it was fast.
Which, ultimately, had been his reason for suggesting it. The sooner they ate, the faster he could get her … somewhere.
“Did you even taste that burger before you inhaled it?” Reagan asked, staring at him from across the table.
Lynx grinned, then stole a couple of her French fries. “Yeah.”
“How do you eat so fast?”
“I’m efficient.”
Getting up from his seat, Lynx shifted over to Reagan’s side of the booth, forcing her to move over toward the wall.
“What’re you doin’?” she asked, suspicion lacing her words.
Lynx put his arm around her shoulder while she continued to hold her burger in her hands.
Leaning in, he placed his mouth close to her ear. “I’m gonna tell you all the dirty things I have in store for you later.” He felt the shudder that ran through her. “Maybe then you’ll eat faster.”
Reagan chuckled.
“First, I’m gonna strip your clothes off,” he told her, nipping her earlobe gently.
“Lynx,” she whispered.
“Yep, I’m gonna be makin’ you scream my name when I slide my tongue into your warm, wet pussy, then I’m gonna—”
Before he could continue, Reagan’s hand landed on his mouth. Her eyes were wide, her cheeks flushed.
“I’m finished,” she said quickly.
Lynx glanced down at her half-eaten burger. “No, you’re not.”
“Oh, trust me. I am.”
“What the fuck?”
Lynx’s head jerked over, his gaze coming to land on Billy Watson standing beside their table.
Son of a bitch.
Rather than get to his feet and confront the asshole, Lynx remained where he was, his body tensing, muscles gearing up for a fight.
To his surprise, Reagan continued eating as though there was nothing out of the ordinary here. No asshole ex-boyfriend standing there, glaring at them.
“What’re you doin’ with this dickhead?” Billy asked, his eyes imploring Reagan.
She didn’t answer.
“This is bullshit,” Billy grumbled. “He’s fuckin’ married, Reagan.”
To give the guy a little credit, at least he hadn’t verbally attacked Reagan at this point. That was possibly a first.
“Actually,” Reagan began, wiping her mouth and reaching for her drink, “the divorce is final.”
Yep, as of yesterday, he was a free man. Hence the reason he’d spent the majority of yesterday in bed with Reagan. They had agreed to hold off until the divorce was final, and for the most part, he’d held up his end of the deal except for that one little slipup at the warehouse. But most importantly, Lynx was happy that it was no longer an issue between them.
“Is that right?” Billy smirked, his gaze coming to rest on Lynx. “So that means I can go back to fuckin’ Tammy and she don’t have to get all freaked out afterwards?”
“Have at it, son,” Lynx stated, meeting Billy’s stare.
The smirk fell from the guy’s face. He’d obviously expected to get a rise out of Lynx. It wouldn’t work. Not when it came to his ex. Now, if he went after Reagan, that was an entirely different story.
“Y’all are made for each other, Billy,” Reagan said, a hint of anger in her voice. “And good luck with makin’ that one last.”
It didn’t surprise Lynx one bit that Billy had been fucking Tammy. And vice versa. Nor did it bother him in the least.
“Fuckin’ bitch,” Billy grumbled beneath his breath.
Lynx was on his feet in the span of a single heartbeat, coming toe-to-toe with Billy. He glared down at him. “I’ll put up with a lotta shit, but you will not talk to Reagan like that. Not now, not ever. Are we clear?”
“So defensive,” Billy retorted, a gleam of amusement in his eyes.
“You’re damn right I am,” he confirmed, keeping his voice low, his tone serious. “So from here on out, you keep your fuckin’ mouth shut where she’s concerned and we won’t have any problems. Otherwise…” Lynx knew he didn’t need to finish that sentence.
A small hand on his arm had Lynx glancing to the side. To his surprise, Reagan’s hand moved down to his, her fingers linking with his. “Come on. We’ve got things to do.”
Lynx met Billy’s gaze once more, then nodded.
“Tammy’s better’n bed, anyhow,” Billy called from behind him.
Reagan tugged on Lynx’s hand, keeping him moving forward. That was the only thing saving Billy from a beatdown right here in the DQ.
“I told you already,” Reagan said, “he ain’t worth it.”
That was the truth. However, Reagan was worth it. And that was the point Lynx was trying to make.
“Now, I think I recall you promisin’ to do some dirty things to me,” Reagan teased, smiling at him over her shoulder as they stepped out into the sunshine.
His dick twitched behind his zipper.
“So, what d’ya say we get to that part?”
In less than a minute, he had her back in the truck. He was about to ask her where they were headed as he pulled out of the parking lot, but she beat him to the punch.
“Let’s go back to my house,” she blurted.
He glanced over at her. “You sure?”
Reagan nodded, not looking quite as sure as she was pretending to be.
Lynx nodded. “I’m good with that. I’m up for christenin’ that place, too.”
The blush that stole up her cheeks made his dick even harder.
Not to mention, it had his foot heavier on the gas pedal.
No sense wasting time at this point.
Reagan was pretty sure she’d played that one off casually. At least she’d tried to.
Part of her had wanted to yell at Billy, to ask him how it was possible that they’d spent all that time together and he didn’t even give a shit that her bar had burned to the ground. Why she’d wondered more about that and not about the fact that Billy had been screwing Lynx’s ex-wife, she didn’t know. Nor did she care.
However, it did have her curious as to how she could’ve been so stupid for so long.
Granted, Billy didn’t matter to her anymore. She didn’t care what he did or who he did it with. Sure, it pissed her off to find out that he’d been fucking Tammy, but it didn’t surprise her at all. It was just a wonder that she hadn’t known.
Glancing over at Lynx, Reagan frowned. “Did you know Billy and Tammy were fuckin’?”
Okay, so maybe she hadn’t meant for that to come out quite so bluntly.
His head snapped toward her. “What?”
She cocked an eyebrow. No way was she repeating that.
Lynx shook his head and turned his attention toward the road.
Reagan waited for a response.
“No,” he finally said. “Had no idea.”
“Does it bother you?”
“Fuck, Reagan,” he grumbled. “Nothin’ they do bothers me. I don’t give a shit.”
She stared out the window.
“Does it bother you?” he asked.
“Not that they did it, no,” she told him truthfully. “The fact that I stuck around knowin’ he was steppin’ out is what bothers me.”
“Why did you stick around?”
Reagan could hear the sincere curiosity in his tone. She laughed without mirth. “Because I’m an idiot?”
Lynx grumbled. “You’re not an idiot.”
“Then what do you call it?” Reagan shook her head. “Never mind. I don’t even care.”
Lynx pulled the truck to a stop in front of her house. He didn’t say a word as he climbed out. Before she could get the passenger door open, he came around to her side, opening it for her.
When Reagan turned to hop down, Lynx put his hands on her hips and stilled her.
“I don’t care, either,” he said, his eyes locking on hers. “Just so we’re completely clear on that.” Lynx’s finger curled beneath her chin, forcing her head back slightly. “They’re the past. And that’s where they need to stay.”
She offered a slight nod.
“I’m serious, Reagan,” he said, his tone firm. “The only thing that matters to me is you. That’s it.”
“Why?” she asked, hating that she sounded so vulnerable.
“Why what?” Lynx frowned.
“Why do I matter?”
He leaned his head down, his forehead touching hers. “Because you do,” he said softly. “You always have.”
Reagan had no idea how that could possibly be true. However, she didn’t know how to argue that point, either.
“You matter, too,” she finally admitted.
His smile was both sexy and sweet. It was the sweet side of Lynx that she hadn’t yet gotten to know all that well. Aside from their conversations ten years ago, she hadn’t spent much time with him. And the bad boy was the only side he tended to show the world. It was interesting to see that beneath all that tough guy exterior, the man had a heart the size of Texas.
“Now, what d’ya say I take you inside and get to work on those dirty things I intend to do to you?”
Reagan’s body instantly heated at the thought. It had been a really long time since she’d felt this sort of desire. Hell, maybe she’d never felt it. Not for anyone other than Lynx, that was.
“I like that idea,” she admitted.
He didn’t even give her a chance to get out of the truck before he had her tossed over his shoulder, his big arm wrapped firmly over the backs of her legs, holding her against him. To keep from feeling as though she would plunge headfirst into the dirt, she grabbed on to his belt loops.
“Lynx Caine! I’m gonna hurt you if you don’t put me down!”
“I’m lookin’ forward to it, girl. Do your worst.”
Oh, she would.
But pain wouldn’t be involved.
Not the bad kind anyway.