I didn’t come here thinking I would meet his whole damn family. Not that it should matter. We’re nothing but business associates. I have nothing to be nervous about. I know that’s a damn lie though. This is a Texan mama. She’s gonna judge me the moment I sit down for supper and then pray for me at church on Sunday if she finds me lacking. And she will find me lacking because again, she’s a Texan mama. Pulling up to the main house behind Beau’s truck, I take a second to admire the simple farmhouse, loving the fact that these people didn’t let Beau’s fame and fortune change them. My door opens, startling me.

“You comin’ or are you just gonna sit out here all night watchin’ the fireflies?”

With one quick glance in the rearview mirror at my face, I slide from the car, following behind him and Shep up the stairs of the wraparound porch and through the back door. Nobody uses the front door in Texas. The front door is for salesmen and strangers only. Before we go in, he stops and turns, leans in and in a hushed tone, “My family doesn’t know about the shit I’ve been in lately. My mama doesn’t read the tabloids or any of that and my dad is a rancher. If it’s not about cattle or horses, well, he doesn’t have a whole lot of time for it.” I nod in understanding, he nods in thanks.

“Beau, is that you, baby?” We walk into the mudroom, similar to Beau’s setup, and then into a large kitchen. A woman with dark hair and a pretty apron placing things on a large table, Sealy and who I presume is Beau’s dad flipping through a catalog of some kind fill the space. They all look up as we enter.

“Mama, this is Miss Addy Mae Masterson. Addy, Jolynn McCrae.”

Since her hands are full I give a small wave. “You’ve met my ugly brother, Sealy, and this here is my dad, Everrett.” If Sealy is ugly, I’m purple with pink polka-dots. Before anyone has a chance to say much of anything, Jolynn bustles by.

“Come on now and sit down and stop gawking, boys. Supper is ready.”

Sealy winks at me. “Can’t help it, Mama. Not when there are two pretty girls in the house.” His mother beams then bristles.

“You should be used to it. Hasn’t been that long since Jenny was sitting right here with us nearly every night. God rest her soul.” She turns to me. “Jenny was Beau’s someone. Had been since high school. Such a tragedy.” I’m pretty sure I was just put right in my place. Good thing my place was not as his new girlfriend or this would have gotten pretty dang awkward. More so than it already is.

“Mama,” Beau says in warning.

“What? I’m just sayin’ is all.”

“I’ve heard some about Jenny. Not a lot, but it’s really not my business.” I do my best to keep my tone respectful. She’ll definitely be praying for me on Sunday.

“Love like that isn’t anybody’s business really. Only the good Lord’s and the two people in it.” She pins me with a look letting me know I would not be replacing Jenny at her dinner table. It’s not hostile, just telling. Well, not too hostile.

“That’s enough, mama. Addy is with Hard Candy she just came by to go over my new contract and talk business.” He holds out a chair for me to sit in, whispering so only I can hear, “Sorry about that.” I smile up at him, scooting myself closer to the table as he takes the seat next to me.

“Boys, hats.” Jolynn’s tone leaves no room for argument. Not that they try. All three men remove their hats, Sealy and their father, who has yet to speak to me, hang their Stetsons on the back of their chairs. Beau removes his ball cap, running his fingers through the mussed strands of dark brown hair, and places it on his knee.

Mr. McCrae holds his hands out to Sealy and his wife, “Addy, would you like to say grace?”

Well, at least this is one thing I’m good at. Taking Beau’s outstretched hand and then his brother’s, I suddenly find myself in the middle of a crazy hot McCrae sandwich. Lord have mercy, I’m gonna need to pray for more than this meal. Bowing my head I begin, “Heavenly Father, in a world where so many are hungry, may we eat this food with humble hearts. In a world where so many are lonely, may we share this friendship with joyful hearts. And may we never forget Jenny’s place at this table.” Maybe that will buy me some brownie points with Mama McCrae.

“Amen,” we all answer in unison. I open my eyes and see the curious gazes of all the McCraes.

“That was a mighty fine grace, Addy,” Everett McCrae says, smiling slightly.

“Thank you, sir. My daddy is a preacher. If it’s one thing I know how to do, it’s pray.”

“Are your people local?”

“Yes, ma’am. Not too far from here, over in Liberty Hill.”

“Small town girl. Those are always the wild ones,” Beau says smoothly, nudging my leg with his.

Giving him a bit of stink eye, his mama passes the green beans and asks, “What business do you have with Beau if you don’t mind me asking?”

Beau groans. “Mama, I told you what business she had here. You can stop with the third degree. She’s not here to use her womanly wiles on me. She barely even likes me.” He chuckles, “Ain’t that right, Sugar?”

Sealy tries to smother a snicker but fails miserably. “That’s gotta be a first.”

“Well, Beau can’t win em’ all, although God knows he’s tried,” his father pipes in. “Reckon both my boys have.” He shakes his head and serves himself a helping of chicken.

Mrs. McCrae doesn’t look as amused as the rest of us at this conversation. She should be glad I dislike her son. If only it were true. But if it were, then I wouldn’t be able to steal him from her precious Jenny. Which is not my intention. Even if I could since, ya know, Jenny has passed on.

“Oh, mama, you look like you sucked on a lemon. Don’t worry, Addy likes Beau just fine.”

“But not too fine,” I interject. Much to the McCrae boys’ delight. These two are trouble. I can’t even imagine what growing up with them would have been like.

“I might have to work on that,” he drawls.

My head pops up, our gazes clashing. “No. No, you don’t.” Lord have mercy if he puts any effort into it. I really will get attached and Mrs. McCrae will not be happy about that. Not even a little. “I like you well enough. You don’t have to work on anythin’.”

“We’ll see,” he says in that sexy slow way he has, just loud enough for me to hear. His mama better pray for me on Sunday regardless.

* * *

After the day I had and the tension at dinner, I got home and promptly treated myself to a nice hot bubble bath in my big fancy tub. I never even got to talk to him about the charity engagements I’ve been lining up or the fact that I’m going to have to tag along to all of them. That was the thing I was most dreading today, but even that would have been better than the awkward dinner with his family, the ghost of Jenny practically sitting in my lap. I’m going to do some more digging because Mrs. McCrae made it seem like they were soul mates destined to forever and damn near married. With the little bit of research that I did before presenting him to the guys it seemed like they were more off than on. At least that’s how the media made it seem.

Finished slathering lotion on my legs and arms, I put the bottle on the nightstand and slip under the covers, the cool cotton sliding over my bare skin. I pull the sheet up to cover my breasts and pull out my laptop and type in his name. Picture after picture of him on stage fills the screen. The man has arm porn that just does not quit. Blowing up one picture, my eyes trace the line of his bicep, the white tank leaving them exposed, sweat glistening on tanned skin. Veins in his neck and forearms strain as he sings, the ever-present baseball cap pulled low as the lights and fog cast him in a cool blue hue. Sin. The man is pure sin.

Flipping from one site to another, hot picture after hot picture, until I can’t remember what I was even supposed to be doing or how long I’ve been at it. All I know is that I am hot and bothered. By pictures. I click on a link for a video and his face fills my screen, his smirk in full force, his drawl slow and sexy as he sings about loving a bad boy. Never in my life has a Texas twang had an effect on me like his does. I hear it all day from just about everyone I pass. He has a way about him though. He talks slow, makes love to every word that rolls off his tongue. The next video that starts is one I’ve never seen before. He appears to be naked, rolling around in bed with an equally naked raven-haired beauty. I grab my remote and switch the TV that hangs above the fireplace in my room on, calling up the smart TV feature, bringing Beau up on the 65-inch screen. The woman is straddling him in the bed of satin sheets and pillows, his hands dragging down her bare back and dipping below the material bunched at her waist. As I follow the path of his hands with my eyes, I let my own travel beneath the covers, my legs falling open to allow my fingers to slick through my gathering wetness. He rakes his teeth down her neck and across her shoulder, I swirl over my clit. Eyes locked on him, imagining that it’s me he now has rolled underneath him, the music swells, crashing around me. My breathing comes more quickly as I watch him pull her into his lap again so that she’s wrapped around him, her head thrown back in pleasure.

It all looks so real, and I’m so close to coming because of it that I don’t care I won’t be able to look him in the face tomorrow. Right now all I care about is my body and the wave I’m about to crest while watching him with another woman. He chooses that moment to look right into the camera, right into my eyes, and I come hard and long with his name on my lips and my fingers buried in between my legs. Slowly, I tease the over sensitized bud, letting myself come down from the high Beau McCrae just brought me on. I can just see his smug face now. He would never let me live it down if he knew what I had just done. How hot he made me while looking at pictures of him and then watching videos of him in bed, singing about sins of the body. He should be against the law. Him and those damn arms.

Letting my head fall back against the mound of pillows, I groan. I’m never gonna be able to stay away from him. Maybe I can be a distraction like Scarlet said and not let myself get attached. Calvin taught me just how hard I can fall and just how badly loving someone can hurt.

I pull my hand away from my still-throbbing pussy and hit pause so that there’s a still-shot of him on stage, hand sandwiched between his legs as he belts out his song. If worst comes to worst, I know now I can just let videos of him distract me and pretend that that isn’t so damn sad. Getting up to wash my hands, I’m startled when my phone chirps. Picking it up off the nightstand I nearly throw it across the room when I see the text.

Beau McCrae: Sorry about my mama tonight.

My hands tremble, breathing labored as I try to reassure myself that he doesn’t know what I just did. I toy with the idea of ignoring the text when another comes through.

Beau McCrae: The dots are dancin’ I know you saw this lol

I didn’t picture Beau as a texter, let alone a texter who used “lol.” What the hell do I know though?

Me: It’s fine. She clearly misses Jenny.

I wonder if I shouldn’t have brought her up, if it’s painful for him to talk about. I know I don’t want to talk about Calvin and he’s not dead, just gone.

Beau McCrae: She does. That doesn’t mean she has to be cross with you though. Wasn’t like I brought you home to meet the family. I mean, I did but…

Me: lol I know what you’re saying. Anyway, I was gonna call you in the morning.

I hit “send” but before I can finish what I was saying, he replies.

Beau McCrae: Call me now.

No. No, no, no. He’ll definitely know I just diddled myself. He’ll hear it in my voice. I just know it. I watch those three dots bounce, trying to think of an excuse. I’m too late. My phone rings and I try not to panic. Lord have mercy, Addy, get it together. It’s not like he has X-ray vision.

“Hello, Beau.”

“Didn’t think you were gonna answer.” He chuckles softly.

“I thought about it.” That’s no lie.

“That hurts my feelings.”

“Ha. I don’t believe that for a second.”

“You never know.”

“Oh, I know.”

“You’re right.” I hear a rustle in the background that sounds an awful lot like bed linens and try not to imagine what he looks like lying in that big ol’ bed of his, wondering if it’s as hot as the video was. “So what were you going to call me about tomorrow?”

I shake my head to clear it of the vision of a naked Beau, not a stitch on, running a hand over his length as he talks to me. “Addy? You there?” Clearing my throat, I pinch my thigh hoping the pain will help to get my head straight. What in the world is wrong with me?

“Ye-yes. Sorry, I was looking for my planner.” The little fib slips past my lips as I gather my thoughts. “I need to go over the charity events and travel engagements that Judge had me put together for you.” With my back against the plush headboard, I tuck the sheet under my arms.

“Okay. Do you want to do lunch tomorrow?”

“I can’t tomorrow.”

“Hot date with your boyfriend?” Shifting, I go to give him a smart ass reply when I hit the play button on the remote and his voice fills the room causing me to jump. I scramble to find the clicker, but it’s too late.

“Whatcha doin’ over there? You having a private Beau McCrae concert? I woulda given you a real one, all you had to do is ask.” He’s so pleased with himself right now.

“It’s called research, Beau,” I bite out in a bored tone that I’m far from feeling. I’m about to hit the panic button and he’s laughing a rich rumble that does things to me.

“Whatever you gotta tell yourself, Sugar,” he drawls smoothly.

“Goodbye, Beau.”

Before he can answer, I disconnect, my face flaming. I flop onto my stomach and bury my head in my pillow, letting loose a frustrated scream. Since it’s muffled by the plush down, I do it again before rolling to my back and saying aloud to the empty room, “Trouble. With a damn capital T.”