Nine

MY CHILDHOOD DREAMS WERE NOTHIN’ LIKE YOU

NATE LIFTED A FALLEN TRUSS as the girls and I rummaged through the debris of Boris and Natasha’s home. The insurance company had come and gone, and the electric company had finally disconnected the live wires, so it was safe to enter. The timbers were now cool enough for us to touch, so we dug in with both hands, determined to rescue what we could. The second floor was still somewhat intact, but the staircase was questionable, so Nate made us promise, under penalty of no beer or food for a week at Jacobs’ Ladder, we’d only search the first floor. Since none of us wanted to fall through the ceiling, we decided we’d cut Nate some slack and obey. In appreciation of our willingness to listen, he braved the stairs and found what was left of our purses and clothes. We were thrilled when he came down with our wallets still intact.

“How did it go last night?” Cali whispered, looking over her shoulder at Nate to make sure he couldn’t hear.

I looked up from a box of pictures I’d found, and smiled. “Hot. Magical. Kicking myself for hesitating.”

“So I take it you’re not having buyer’s remorse?” Poppy chuckled.

I started to answer “Not in the least,” but Nate grunted, interrupting my train of thought. He was straining with a beam, lugging it over to an interior wall to brace it.

“Do you think he was a bouncer before he turned bar owner?” Poppy asked. “He looks like he could crack heads for a livin’.”

There was something in the tone of her voice that was just this side of awe. I looked at Cali and grinned. Somebody had a crush on Nate. She wasn’t wrong, though. Nate looked like he could punch through a concrete wall and dodge bullets with ease, and when he was angry, he oozed menace.

“Devin said he’s smart. That he pulled himself up from poverty and earned a full-ride scholarship to UG, but no mention of bustin’ heads for a livin’.”

“He does seem smart,” Poppy mumbled absentmindedly as she watched him.

Nate finished bracing the wall and then turned. He caught all three of us watching him, and he narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “What?”

“Were you a bouncer in a former life?” Cali inquired.

His brow creased and he shook his head slowly.

“Did you take human growth hormones to get that big?” I questioned.

His mouth pulled slightly into a smirk. “No.”

“Train with the Russian weightlifting team?” Cali threw out.

One brow rose on his handsome face. “No.”

“Eat your Wheaties?” Poppy asked innocently, and his eyes shot to hers, and he grinned, in my opinion, somewhat sexily at her.

“No,” he responded yet again.

“You’re a man of few words, aren’t you?” I asked.

“No.” He full-on smiled then, crossing his arms. “Can I trust you three to stay out of trouble long enough for me to walk to the barn and grab a hammer and nails?”

“No,” we chimed in unison.

He shook his head, chuckling, then moved to an opening in the wall and disappeared around the corner.

I stood, arched my back to work out the kinks, then picked up the box of photographs I’d found in the living room. They’d been inside an entertainment console, which had protected them from the heat.

“Are you ladies hungry? I picked up a loaf of bread and peanut butter.”

Cali and Poppy nodded and stood as well.

“The fridge is still standin’; I’ll see if there’s any bottled water,” Poppy said.

We followed her to what was left of the kitchen. The sink was still intact, so out of curiosity, I turned the faucet on. Water streamed out, and I laughed.

“We can set up food prep in one of the cabins,” Cali said.

Poppy tried to open the refrigerator, but it was melted shut. “There’re only three cabins. How is that goin’ to work?” she asked. “Natasha will be home tonight now that Boris is out of surgery, so that leaves two cabins.”

“Boys in one and girls in the other,” I replied.

“That should go over well,” Cali snickered.

“Why?” I asked.

She smiled, then giggled. “I don’t know about Bo, of course, but Devin needs you know what before he sleeps and you know what when he wakes up.”

I looked at Poppy. “She still wins hands down as president of this club. She can’t even call it sex, yet.”

Cali rolled her eyes. “I’m just bein’ polite.”

“Say sex,” Poppy dared her.

“I can say the word,” she grumbled. “You’re bein’ ridiculous.”

I saw Nate heading for the kitchen and smiled. This should be good.

“Then say Devin and I have hot, sweaty sex before we go to sleep each night.”

She glowered at me.

“You can’t, can you?” Poppy dared.

Cali squared her shoulders like she was getting ready to do battle, then spit out quickly, just as Nate stepped through the wall. “Devin and I have hot, sweaty, mind-blowin’, off the charts, sometimes deviant, SEX before bed each night. Are you happy now?”

“Good to know,” Nate stated as he walked through the kitchen and into the living room, unfazed by our conversation. “Thanks for the update.”

Cali whipped around on Nate and turned beet red, then whipped back around on Poppy and me, scowling as we burst into laughter. “You did that on purpose,” she bit out.

I doubled over, holding my stomach, cackling loudly. Fortunately, Cali couldn’t seem to hold a grudge. She snickered and snorted, then began laughing along with us. At the commotion, Nate popped his head around the corner and smiled, winking at Cali.

“Time…”—I gasped for air—“Time for lunch,” I said between giggles, stumbling out of the kitchen, heading for the trunk of Poppy’s car where I’d left the food.

I searched the yard as I went, looking for Clint to ask him if he wanted a sandwich. He was nowhere to be seen.

“Have you seen Clint?” I asked the girls.

“He must be in the barn,” Poppy said, “I’ll check.”

“He might be in the pasture,” Cali added. “I’ll go look there.”

I nodded, then loaded my arms with the bags and headed for the guest cabins on the other side of the barn.

The cabins were situated in a secluded area far from the main house. The first cabin was bigger, meant for a large family or gathering, the other two were smaller, perfect for an intimate getaway. I chose the larger one and went inside.

Like the main house, the cabins were decorated in the same log furnishings with tribal print rugs and pillows. The warm honey-colored wood was welcoming, the furniture large and comfortable looking. Boris and Natasha clearly had spared no expense when it came to the comfort of their guests.

I put the groceries on the counter as Poppy walked in behind me and began unloading the sacks.

“He wasn’t in the barn.”

I noticed a dining room chair was lying on its side, and the rug beneath the table was flipped over on one side, so I walked over and righted the furniture. “He must be in the pasture, then,” I answered.

“He wasn’t in the pasture,” Cali called out as she walked through the door.

I turned and looked at them both. “Is his truck still here?”

Cali turned back around and walked outside, then shouted, “Truck’s still here.”

I shrugged. “Maybe he went with Bo and Devin.”

Five minutes later, we had sandwiches ready. “Grab that bag of chips,” I mumbled to Cali as I grabbed three plates and headed outside.

As we rounded the corner of the barn, I could hear a vehicle heading up the hill from the main road. We paused to see who it was. As the dust settled, I swallowed hard. Natasha was in the passenger seat of Bernice Armstrong’s Jeep, and she was staring at the burnt-out shell of her home.

“Oh, God,” Cali whispered, “she’s never gonna forgive me for burnin’ down her house.”

“It was an accident,” Poppy stated. “She knows that.”

“Accident or not, it’s still my fault, and I plan to make it right,” Cali vowed, then set the food down on Poppy’s car, squared her shoulders, and headed for Natasha.

Poppy and I hung back to give Cali privacy for what came next. And what came next made my throat hurt. Natasha turned her head when Cali tapped on the window, then opened the door and got out, pulling Cali into a deep bear hug. I could see Cali’s shoulders shake as she cried on Natasha’s shoulder, all while Natasha ran her hand down Cali’s back in motherly comfort, further emphasizing what a decent human being Natasha was.

When Cali pulled back, Poppy and I moved forward and offered hugs of our own.

“How is Boris?” I whispered.

“He’s good. Out of surgery. He’s groggy and will probably sleep most of the day, but the doctors seem to think he’ll make a full recovery.”

“That’s good news,” I said, smiling.

“He’s too bullheaded to leave me just yet,” she replied, then looked back at the house. “But just in case, let’s keep the fire to ourselves until he’s stronger.”

“We’ve been searching for anything that made it through the fire,” I explained. “I found a box of photographs that was shielded from the heat in a cabinet.”

“There’s nothin’ in there worth worryin’ about,” Natasha said. “I uploaded my photos to the cloud a few years back, and the furniture is easily replaced. As long as you girls are safe, that’s all that matters.”

“We’re fine,” Poppy stated. “Bo got us out in the nick of time.”

Natasha turned and looked at me. “He’s a fine piece of manhood. I take it he belongs to you?”

“He did the pursuin’,” Bernice commented, smiling. “Just like I thought he would.”

“Just as it should be,” Eunice Armstrong muttered from behind her sister. “My Odis Lee could teach all these young men a thing or two about goin’ after what they want.”

Bernice scoffed. “The man should count his ‘Lucky Star’ you’re even speakin’ to him.”

Odis Lee was in the dog house with Bernice. He’d spied on their family for Cali’s grandfather, feeding the man information for years, and in the process, fell in love with Eunice.

“I don’t have to ‘Justify My Love’ to you.”

“Here they go,” Cali muttered. “They love Madonna,” she continued. “They use her song titles in most arguments.”

“That’s so cool,” Poppy said, then threw out, much to my dismay, “Sienna was ‘Like A Virgin’ ‘til last night, but Bo was all ‘Give Me All Your Luvin’’, so now she’s ‘Burning Up’ for him.”

All three older women blinked, then looked at me.

I blurted out, “‘Papa Don’t Preach!’” when their mouths opened in retort.

Nate took that moment to step out of the house. He scanned our group and shook his head, mumbling, “They owe me big time for this,” then turned and walked back inside.

Natasha was the first to speak. “Who was that, and can I keep him?”

“THAT is Nate. Devin’s best friend,” Cali answered.

“Who is Devin?” Natasha asked.

“Devin is my man,” she replied, proudly.

“Is he here, too?”

“Yep. He and Bo are up the mountain bringin’ down the cattle with Troy and Brantley.”

“They’ll be lookin’ for a while. I saw the herd on old man Craig’s land as we came up.”

“How’d they get there?” Poppy asked.

Natasha shrugged. “I imagine the fence came down again and they moseyed on over. It’s happened before.”

“Would Troy and Brantley know this?” Cali asked.

Natasha cocked her head and thought for a moment. “Doubtful. Last time they got out was before they hired on. I’ll radio them and tell them where to look.”

I shook my head. “Radios were in the house. Do the cell phones work that high up?”

“It’s a crapshoot. Sometimes they do, sometimes they don’t.”

I pulled out my phone and tried Bo. It rang, but no answer. “It’s not goin’ through,” I sighed.

“How about that Clint Black I hired?”

“He must have gone with them. We haven’t seen him in a few hours.”

Her shoulders sunk on a deep sigh. I could see the exhaustion written in the lines of her face. Boris and the fire were taking a toll on the woman.

“We’ll go find them,” I said.

“What about the promise we made not to leave Nate’s sight?” Cali whispered.

“Sometimes promises have to be broken for the greater good,” I whispered back, jerking my head toward Natasha. “Nate won’t leave to go find them because he can’t keep an eye on us if he does, so that leaves us. We’ll have to sneak off.”

“How do we get past him?” Poppy asked.

“Easy. I’ll sic Eunice and Bernice on him,” Cali chuckled.

“Four-wheeler or horse?” Poppy asked.

We looked toward the corral. “ATV,” I answered, remembering my previous attempt on Tiny Dancer. “It will take less time to get situated, and we can make a quick getaway when Nate’s not lookin’.”

“Or we could wait for Bo and Devin to return,” Cali threw out.

I thought about that for a moment, then remembered a storm was coming in that night. It was one of the reasons they wanted the herd in the lower pasture. “Storm’s comin’. They need to move the herd before nightfall.”

Cali nodded, then looked over her shoulder toward Nate. “He’s watchin’ us with one eye while he works.”

“I’ll keep him occupied,” Poppy blurted out. “It doesn’t take all three of us to hunt them down.”

I looked at Cali and smiled. Poppy definitely had a thing for Nate.

“Okay. Let’s grab the food and take it into the kitchen, then Cali and I’ll make an excuse we need to grab bottled water.”

“Why are you whisperin’?” Bernice whispered.

I popped my head up and raised my finger to my mouth in a ‘shhh’ sign, then pointed to Nate. “We need a distraction. Bo and Devin left Nate in charge, and he’s watchin us like a hawk. If there wasn’t a storm comin’ in tonight, we’d let it go, but Bo and Devin need to know where the cattle are so they can get them down quickly. Can you help us?”

“Why not send Nate?” she questioned.

“He would never leave us. He promised to keep us safe.”

“Why do they think you’re not safe?” she asked.

“Because they’re Neanderthals,” I answered. “They don’t think women can take care of themselves.”

Bernice’s feminist side curled a lip. “Is that so?”

Bernice being Bernice winked at me, then started for the house. “Nathaniel!” she hollered, as Eunice and Natasha followed. “Natasha had the cutest little pig statue on the first floor. Did you find it?”

“That’s my cue,” Poppy whispered, then turned and headed up the steps.

Cali and I took the food inside and cleared a spot on what was left of the countertop. Then Cali said loudly, “We need more water.”

Nate looked over his shoulder at the food, studied us for a second, then turned back to Bernice and shook his head at whatever she’d said.

“We’ll be right back,” I shouted as we headed for an opening in the wall. “We left the water in the large cabin.”

We looked back at Nate as we hit the courtyard and found him engrossed in something Poppy was saying, so we took off running.

The ATVs were parked outside the horse stall, so we put them in neutral and pushed them out of the barn and through the open gate that led into the pasture.

“He’ll come for us the minute we start them up, so we need to hit the ground spinnin’,” I said, closing the gate as a barrier between us and Nate.

Cali nodded and climbed on, then turned the key to start.

“Ready?” she asked.

“Let’s do this,” I answered, climbing on the back of my ATV. “On the count of—”

“Don’t even think about it,” Nate thundered, running toward us. He looked ready to kill.

I looked at Cali and mouthed, “three,” then started my ATV and gunned it. She followed suit, and we were flying across the pasture as a litany of expletives echoed loudly in our ears.

We made it to the upper pasture thirty minutes later and found it empty. Scanning the horizon, Cali found the downed fence and pointed. We gunned the ATVs and headed to the opening and through it. Pausing on the other side, I switched off the engine so we could talk.

“If we found the downed fence, then they did, too. Do you think they already located the herd?” I asked Cali.

“Probably, but I think we should head down there and make sure.”

Nodding, I started my ATV, and we took off toward the road.

Twenty minutes later, we could see cows dotting the landscape. They were grazing on bright green grass, leisurely meandering around the flat land, but Bo and Devin were nowhere in sight.

As we approached the herd, I could tell from the size there were more than a few missing. Most were clustered in one area, but a few were scattered here and there, so out of curiosity, I turned left and headed toward three. Just like I thought they would, the cattle turned toward the safety of the herd and trotted after them. Cali hooted loudly and headed for another four that were near a tree. As she came up behind them, they, too, ran toward the herd.

Smiling, I waved Cali over.

“This isn’t too hard,” she laughed.

“Right? If there were a gate on this side, we could have them home in half an hour. I can see the top of the barn from that rise.”

“We could make an opening in the fence,” Cali suggested.

I looked at the fence line. It was an old split rail fence aged to a light gray by the sun, with barbed wire curling around it.

“Check your toolbox and see if you have a cutting tool,” I said, turning in my seat and opening mine. The inside was stuffed full of tools. I dug through and found what looked to be wire cutters.

“Think these will work?”

Cali pulled out a pair of gloves and tossed them to me. “Use these, so you don’t cut your hands.”

We climbed off the ATVs and made a wide arc around the herd until we reached the fence. I picked a section that was right in the middle of the grazing cattle and pulled on the gloves.

“Lift up the rail, and I’ll cut the wire.”

Cali tugged until I had enough room to get the wire cutters underneath. I clamped hold with both hands, grunting as I put pressure on the wire. They bit into the hard metal, but I wasn’t strong enough to sever it completely.

“Give me a hand,” I said.

Cali lowered the rail and grabbed hold of the end of the cutters. With a deep breath, we both squeezed hard. My muscles began to shake just as the wire gave under our force. With a ping, it snapped, burying itself into my left forearm.

I let out a scream and yanked out the sharp barb without thinking.

“Please tell me you’ve had a tetanus shot recently,” Cali said on a gasp.

“I have no clue,” I groaned. “Probably.”

The cut stung more than it bled, so I ignored it and began unwinding the wire from around the top rail. Five minutes later, we pulled the top rail out of the post and followed it with the bottom one.

Then we turned and looked at the herd.

“ATVs?” Cali asked.

“Yep.”

I glanced up the hill as we climbed on, looking for Bo. There was still no sign of him. “I think the guys must be hunting down the missing cows.”

“How do you know there are missin’ cows?”

“We were checkin’ on them when Boris had his heart attack. I’d say half the herd is missin’.”

“Then let’s get these steaks home so they don’t have to worry about them,” she said and gunned her ATV to life.

She pointed to the right side of the herd, and I nodded, pointing to the left as I started mine up.

We moved slowly toward the cattle, pausing as they moved closer together. When the front cows started to move to the left, I took off to discourage them. It took a good ten minutes, but finally, with the prompting of hooting and gunning the engines, the herd began flowing through the opening in the fence. Once the others saw an escape from our noise, they took it as well, and within ten minutes of the first crossing the property line, the whole herd had passed through quickly, fleeing our torment for the pasture.

Cali and I hooted with triumph when the final cow trotted across, high-fiving each other on a job well done, then drove the ATVs through the opening and climbed off. We were picking up the bottom rail to secure the fence when a shout came from up the hill. We both looked up and saw four men on horseback pushing cattle down the hill. Two broke from the herd and raced down the hill, came to a sliding stop in front of us as we covered our eyes with our hands.

I smiled brightly at Bo as he approached, but it faded when I took in the thunderous expression on his face.

“What the fuck are you doin’ out here?” he bellowed.

I looked at Cali and swallowed hard. “Natasha saw the herd when she came home, so we came out here to tell you. We couldn’t find you, so we took down the fence so they could go home.”

“And Nate let you?” Devin bit out, looking equally murderous.

“Um,” Cali stuttered. “We kinda—”

“Snuck off,” Devin finished for her, raising a brow.

I chanced a look at Bo and caught him staring at my arm.

“You’re injured,” he snapped.

“It’s nothin’.”

His eyes shot to mine. “It’d be nothin’ if you’d stayed where we left you. Christ, you could have been killed if a bull had been around.”

“Well, he wasn’t, and we’re fine,” I defended.

“Yeah, you’re fine this time, but that’s twice I’ve asked you not to take a risk, but you can’t seem to help yourself. You’re too impulsive and headstrong for your own good.”

I could almost hear the words just like my mother in his accusation, and I turned my back on him and picked up the fence rail, shoving it into the joint, securing the opening so he couldn’t follow me quickly.

“I’m heading back,” I told Cali without looking at Bo.

“I want you to wait for me,” Bo ordered.

I stopped, looked back at him, saying “I don’t think waitin’ is gonna solve this problem, do you?” then kept on walking to the ATV and climbed on.

I heard Bo cuss under his breath, but I ignored him and started the ATV. I was done. I should have trusted my instincts and kept my distance once I learned about his past and why he’d held me at arm’s length. I would always remind him of his mother. Better to end it now before I lost my heart so completely I’d never recover.

Cali called out to me as I gunned the engine, but I took off. I held on to my anger as I pushed the ATV to its limit. I could break down later when I was alone. I’d have Poppy drive me to the nearest bus station and get the hell out of Dodge, maybe head to Atlanta for what was left of my vacation.

The tears began to fall as the burnt-out shell of Boris and Natasha’s home came into view. How could I leave them when they needed my help? But how could I stay and suffer through being around Bo?

Nate must have heard the ATV as I approached, because he was standing with his arms crossed over his chest, waiting as I arrived. He took one look at my face as I pulled up and his anger fled, followed by worry.

“What’s wrong? Where’s Calla?”

“She’s with Devin,” I choked out, then jumped off the ATV to look for Natasha. I figured I had at least thirty minutes before Bo made it back here with the rest of the herd. By then I could have begged Natasha’s forgiveness for bailing on her and be on the road to the bus station.

I’d made it halfway through the barn when the thundering sound of hoofbeats broke through my heartache. I turned to find Bo hot on my heels. He flew past Nate and came to a halt inches in front of me.

“We’re not done,” he rumbled low, then slid off the back of Goliath.

“Yes, we are,” I said, swallowing hard to control my tears. “I can’t change who I am, Bo. If I could, I would have done it years ago and saved myself years of heartache.”

His brows pinched together in confusion and he cocked his head to the side. “Why the fuck are we talkin’ about you changin’?”

“You don’t want me to act like your mother. You don’t want me to act like me. Newsflash, I’m not gonna change.”

“I never asked you to change,” he sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose for patience.

The action tweaked my anger, and the heartache I’d been feeling fled. My father used to pinch the bridge of his nose when he was tired of dealing with me.

“Don’t,” I bit out. “Don’t stand there and lie to me. We had a great night and took a chance it might lead to something, but we both know this isn’t gonna work. I’m leavin’, so you don’t have to pretend any longer.”

His eyes narrowed, and he took a step closer, leaning in a hairsbreadth away. He scanned my face for a moment, searching for something. “I never saw you as a quitter,” he mumbled.

I sucked air into my lungs. I felt like I’d been slapped.

“I’m not a quitter!” I shouted, shoving him in the chest.

He didn’t move back an inch. Instead, he moved in closer.

“You’re a quitter if you walk away from me over a stupid fight.”

“Stop callin’ me a quitter!” I shouted louder.

“Then stop actin’ like one and fight for us instead of throwin’ in the towel the minute I lose my temper.”

“You lost your temper because I remind you of your mother, and you don’t like the comparison.”

On a “Jesus, Christ” Bo grabbed my arm and began pulling me out of the barn. I stumbled over my feet as I tried to tug my arm away, grousing, “Let me go,” as we went, but I stopped struggling when I saw we had an audience. Natasha, Eunice, Poppy, and Bernice were watching us from the courtyard with varying degrees of hilarity written across their faces.

Bo didn’t say a word until he’d opened the door to the first cabin, then locked it behind us, pressing me into the door with his body to keep me in place.

I turned my head so I wouldn’t have to look into his piercing gray eyes. That didn’t stop Bo from getting his point across, though. He ran his fingers into my hair and tugged gently until my neck was open to him. He laid soft kisses up my neck until he reached my ear, then nipped my lobe, causing my body to shudder in reaction.

“I don’t give a fuck who you act like. I was pissed because the thought of you being injured brings out the worst in me. When I saw you on the ATV and realized you’d moved the cattle, I became irrational with what could have happened.”

“You don’t shout at someone you’re worried about. You don’t point out their flaws if you don’t want them to change.”

Bo pulled back and met my eyes. He looked confused. “You don’t shout at . . . Baby, didn’t your parents shout at you when you put yourself in harm’s way?”

“My parents didn’t talk to me unless they had to. And most of the time it was to tell me everything I was doin’ was wrong or that I needed to change.”

“Jesus, that explains a lot.”

“Good. I’m glad one of us understands them. As for us, I still don’t think—”

“Then think again,” he growled. “You’re not walkin’ out of my life because you haven’t got a clue what it feels like to be loved.”

I blinked, then whispered, “What did you say?” on a whoosh of air.

“You heard me. My mother may have left me behind ‘cause she was selfish, but in the short time I had her in my life, I knew she loved me. Knew what it felt like to be loved. It’s clear you don’t.”

I swallowed. He was right. I didn’t. “What does it feel like to love someone?”

“It feels like warmth, anger, passion, and an uncontrollable need to protect. You feel scared at the thought the other might get hurt. It makes you argue over stupid shit and laugh at the ridiculous. Keeps you from quittin’ or lettin’ the person you care about quit in the heat of the moment. You fight to keep it, ‘cause you have no choice.” He raised my hand and put it to his chest. I could feel his heart beating out a rapid beat. “I don’t want to change a single thing about you, baby,” he said gently, then brushed a kiss across my mouth. “‘Cause in my eyes, you’re perfect just the way you are, flaws and all.”

My bottom lip began to tremble. I was in so deep with this man.

“Wallflowers don’t have flaws,” I choked out. “We just see the world differently. And because of that, we need a certain type of man.”

Bo brushed a tear from my cheek, then leaned his forehead against mine. “And what kind of man is that?” he asked softly.

“Only the best kind of man. A hero,” I whispered. “One who can save us from our pasts.”

Both of his hands came up and cupped my face, and he closed his eyes, breathing out, “Christ, you’re killin’ me.”

“You asked me once if I was a dream,” I continued. “Well, you are to me. A dream I’ve had since I was a little girl. The man who would slay my dragons.”

Bo sucked in a breath. “My childhood dreams were nothin’ like you,” he whispered. “They were never this beautiful.”

“Bo, you have to know I’ll probably screw up—”

“I don’t care. Screw up all you want, I can take it. But right now, no more talkin’. I need to be inside you,” he rumbled low, hot and angry, cutting me off. “If you’re too sore from last night, you need to tell me now, because once I start, I won’t be able to stop.”

My heart began to pound in my chest. Soreness be damned. I wanted Bo inside me more than I wanted the air I breathed, so I grabbed the hem of my shirt and pulled it from my body.

Bo let his eyes drop to my chest, then they came back to my face.

“Take the rest off and lie on the couch,” he ordered then grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled it over his head.

With shaking hands, I unbuttoned my jeans and began to kick off my boots. Bo wasn’t touching me, and it left me feeling empty. I needed the connection to his skin, so I leaned in and brushed a kiss across his chest. In a flash, I found myself pinned against the door, with my hands held above my head.

“If you do that again, you’ll find yourself bent over the back of the couch with your ass in the air. I’m wound too tight right now for games.”

I’d like to say I listened, but my body reacted to the threat, and I rubbed my breasts against his chest, reveling in the feel of his hard lines against my softer curves. His reaction was instantaneous. One moment I was pinned to the door, the next I was backed into the couch and Bo was kissing me wet, deep, and thoroughly intoxicating.

When he broke from the kiss, my head was spinning and unable to process the speed at which he was moving. My jeans were gone before I knew he had his hands on them, then I was bent over the couch, grabbing hold of the edge for balance. I expected Bo to strip out of his jeans and enter me, but he spread my legs wider and then kneeled to the ground instead, putting his mouth on me. I jerked at the contact, still adjusting to having a man touch me so intimately, only to gasp when a firm hand landed on my ass, squeezing the muscle to the point of pain as I moaned at the sensations flooding my system.

“Don’t move,” Bo growled, then began working my clit with his tongue.

I moved against his mouth instinctively, clawing the couch with my nails when another sound slap landed on my backside.

“You like being disciplined?” Bo husked out, nipping at the inside of my leg.

I guess I did, because I wiggled my ass in answer.

A low chuckle sounded through the room before he stood between my legs and pulled my head back.

I looked back at him with hooded eyes, then reached for his neck and pulled his mouth to mine. I could taste myself on his lips, and I moaned as he worked his jeans off, then I let go and grabbed the edge of the couch, lifting my ass in anticipation. I needed him inside me as soon as possible, so he could quench the desire ravaging my system. Seconds later, the tip of his cock brushed against my opening, only to disappear. I turned and looked back at Bo, ready to protest. He was staring between my legs, his hand wrapped around his cock, gently running up and down the shaft.

“Bo, please,” I begged.

His eyes rose to mine. “You’re fuckin’ beautiful,” he growled, then leaned down and took my mouth again as he positioned himself and then entered me slowly.

I whimpered as he filled me, sore from the night before, but I pushed through it and relaxed into his rhythm, pushing back until he was fully seated deep within my walls.

His pace increased as I lost all control, ramming down hard on his upward thrust, looking for that place where time stood still for a brief, beautiful moment.

I was reaching for the precipice, concentrating only on the feel of Bo’s hands on my breasts, when he let go and found my clit, rolling it while a finger entered my backside. I ignited from the pressure and called out in a raspy voice as I hurtled over the edge. Bo kept at me, rebuilding a spark into a flame until I was ready to explode again, but he stopped suddenly and pulled out. I looked back at him, hungry for him to finish what he’d built, and my breath stole from my body. Bo was looking at me with such want that a knot caught in my throat.

“I want your ass,” he growled. “I want to claim every inch of your body.”

I swallowed hard at the thought, then nodded, excited and scared of the unknown.

Moving back between my legs, Bo lifted my ass higher, then leaned down and nipped it, running his hand over the muscle. His hand disappeared between my legs, and then fingers entered my core, pumping twice before flicking my clit and retreating. I took a deep breath to relax, but tensed when he ran the wet digits around my back entrance.

“We need to work up to my cock. I’ll hurt you if we don’t, so I won’t take you there today.”

On a shaking breath, I asked, “How do we work up to that?”

He circled my entrance again and then pushed in slowly. It felt fuller than before and my breath caught at the heightened sensation. So I pushed back against the intrusion and swiveled my hips.

“You like that?” Bo asked huskily, and I nodded.

He pulled back, then slowly entered me again, and I whimpered. The fullness had doubled, and I began to shake with need. Instead of hurting like I thought it would, the pain amplified my arousal, causing my clit to pound.

“Bo!” I moaned low.

“I could come just watchin’ you writhe on my hand,” he hissed, then pulled out and pushed back in.

“I need you,” I cried out.

“I’m right here,” he answered, then slid his cock back inside me and swiveled his hips. I erupted again instantly, my atoms splitting in an orgasm so powerful that I forgot to take a breath. I slumped forward like a noodle once my release was spent and Bo’s hand left my backside. Moments later, he pulled my limp body from the couch and picked me up. I slumped against him as he headed for a bedroom and lay me down on cool, crisp sheets.

I opened my arms and legs immediately, and he settled between them, sliding back inside me as he claimed my mouth.

He moved slowly this time, touching every nerve as he glided between my walls, building yet another orgasm. I held on tight, my nails biting into the skin on his back as his pace increased.

I tensed as my third orgasm hit me, throwing my head back in sweet surrender, and Bo followed on a deep thrust, burying his face in my neck, groaning low with his release.

Sanity hit me within minutes, and I turned my head to hide the blush creeping up my face. I was addicted to Bo. Addicted to what he could do to my body. I was a wanton woman, as Cali had said, but a dirty one at that. I’d heard stories from other women about how much anal sex hurt. That no woman could possibly love it. But all I could think about at that moment was how long it would take to train my body to accept him, and how soon we could try again.

Poppy and Cali would kick me out of the club if they knew how kinky I really was.

“You okay?” Bo mumbled in my neck, tasting the skin before trailing a line with his tongue up to my ear.

I nodded, then wrapped him tighter in my embrace. He was still inside me, and I didn’t want to lose the connection.

“Are you just sayin’ that or are you really okay? Don’t keep shit from me, babe. I need to know if I’m hurtin’ you in any way.”

I nodded again, so he pulled back and looked at me.

A slow grin pulled across his mouth. “She’s okay,” he chuckled, then kissed me slowly and thoroughly. My body responded instantly to his mouth, and my hands began to wander. But they stopped when Bo began to shake with laughter.

“What?” I asked.

“I’ve created a monster,” Bo replied, rolling to his side.

I turned and rested my cheek on his chest.

“Are you complaining that you turn me on?”

Bo closed his eyes with a smile. “Not hardly.”

“Did you not enjoy yourself?” I asked, poking his chest.

One eye opened, and it looked insulted, then he pulled me up his chest and kissed me soundly. “What do you think?” he whispered against my lips.

I wiggled my brows, then pushed up from his chest on a giggle, announcing, “Then you’ll love this,” as I rolled and dashed from the room, heading for the bathroom.

I heard Bo groan, “She’ll kill me within a year,” as he exited the bed. Grinning, I turned the knob to the bathroom door and pushed it open, stepping inside.

Then I let out a bloodcurdling scream as the room began to spin.