“I’ve known you since you were in diapers, boy, don’t you dare smart mouth me,” Opal retorted.Yep, riding the range alone, dealing with animals that didn’t talk back…some days Cam regretted not taking the offer to join the family cattle business. His gun dug into his hip as he shifted off his bum leg to reach his cuffs.“Opal. Leave the poor deputy alone,” the man behind him snapped.“Why ain’t you arresting him?” Opal demanded. “He started it!”“I did not, you crazy old bat.”“See? He’s calling me names again.”Cam glanced at the gray-haired man holding an ice pack to the goose egg on his forehead. “Now, Ralph, you know I won’t tolerate that kinda talk.”“Hah! Told you he’d be on my side,” Opal said gleefully.Ralph muttered.“There are no ‘sides’ here, Opal. I haven’t made an arrest. Yet. Not until someone tells me what happened.”“She—”“He—” the couple said simultaneously, and started arguing simultaneously.Cam tried to listen to the heated exchange, but the accusations flung ba
When Keely tucked away yet another hot cowboy’s phone number into her jeans pocket, Chassie said, “You’re so bad.”The bad girl batted her eyelashes. “Why, whatever do you mean?”“How many men do you have on a string right now?”“That’s rich, coming from a woman who lives with two guys,” Keely shot back.“Ooh. Ouch,” Ramona said with a wince.Chassie bumped Keely with her shoulder. “I’m living with three guys if you count my sweet baby Westin. He’s at such a cute stage right now. Trev and Ed are always—”“Can it, Chass. No baby talk tonight. Remember?”“Fine. But most of us here do have babies.”“What about you, Jessie?” Skylar asked. “You and Luke talked about kids?”Jessie shrugged. “Off and on. We’re ‘off’ right now. We’ve got some really cute baby llamas. You should bring the girls over to see them.”“Llamas?” Domini repeated.“Jessie was the saving grace for the llamas Chase won in some rodeo last fall. He dumped them off with his folks and expected Charlie and Vi to take care of
Bizarre conversational change, but then again, it was typical Keely behavior, so Domini went with it. “Umm. Sure.”“Cool. What the hell happened to our waitress?”“I wondered the same thing, K,” Ramona said.“No worries. I’ll be right back.” Keely popped up and exited into the main part of the bar.While she was gone, the ladies dispensed more detailed advice on how to handle Cam. Some of the raunchier suggestions made Domini blush, but were very intriguing. Mostly because these seemingly mild-mannered mothers were obviously very sexually satisfied with their McKay men. Hard not to be even more jealous of them.Keely returned with a pack of unfriendly women on her bootheels. She slid the tray on the table and faced the gatecrashers.Ramona hopped up in a show of support. “What the fuck are they doing here?”“Grazing,” Keely said.“So this is where the skank meeting is,” a chubby blonde sneered.“We saved a seat for you, Amanda, but damn, I don’t think your fat ass will fit in the chai
Then they descended on Cam like a pack of hyenas.AJ drilled him in the chest with her finger. “FYI Deputy McKay, I’m a big girl. And if I wanna get shitfaced, I’ll get shitfaced, so back off.”“Don’t you dare call Carter in Canyon River, or so help me, I will ban you for life from Dewey’s,” Macie warned.“Yeah,” Channing chimed in. “If you tattle to Colby before I have a chance to explain, I will call your mother and suggest weekly instead of monthly McKay family dinners.”Chassie swayed in front of him. “What they said. Times two, ’cause I got two ornery guys to deal with.”Domini just blinked those exquisite icy blue eyes at him.Damn women sticking together. It’d been easier when Keely was the only woman in the family. Then the McKay boys could band against her.Right. Keely always had the upper hand, she knew it, and she played it well. Now they were outnumbered.Cam stalked off, but not before he heard another round of high fives and drunken whoops of victory.No one pressed cha
“Uh-huh.”“Please?”He gave in. He always did when it came to Keely. “Fine. You can stay one night. But if one thing is out of place in my house, or if I see any other person besides you in my home? I will tell everyone in the family and the whole damn county what I saw at Colt and Indy’s wedding reception.”Keely gasped. “You wouldn’t!”“Oh, I most definitely would. With absolute glee.” Cam flashed her a cocky grin. “So do we have a deal, little sis?”“Yes, but I am entitled to point out you’re a lot meaner than my other brothers.”“No, I’m just not buffaloed as easily as they are.”Keely harrumphed and remained unusually quiet for the rest of the drive.When Cam pulled up the driveway leading to his house, he experienced a sense of joy, a swell of pride, a feeling of peace. This place was the first thing he’d owned outright, finally obtaining the space, freedom and solitude he’d given up during his years in the army. He’d spent his adult years living in barracks or in tents with jus
Because you’re a cripple. You’ll never be the man you were.Cam gritted his teeth against the voice of that bitter man inside his head, the voice who usually won the argument.Not this time.Domini hadn’t known him before his war injury. She knew him now. She wanted him now. That thought gave him the courage to open the door.The creak sounded unnaturally loud in the stillness of her apartment. Cam was shocked he’d heard anything above the swift beating of his heart. “Domini?”“I’m here.”His head whipped around to see her perched on the couch.Naked.Holy fucking shit. She was beautiful. And even better, she was obedient. He grinned and crooked his finger at her.Domini pushed to her feet and sauntered over.“You’re naked.”“You told me to be.”He traced the line of her jaw down her throat. “What are you thinking right now?”“I can’t believe you’re really here.” The desire darkening her pale blue irises staggered him. “What are you thinking?”“This.” Cam gripped her shoulders and cru
“I won’t make you beg for it—” he licked the cords straining in her neck, “—this time. Next time I’d like to string you along and see how long it takes before you unravel.”His words rushed her to the next level of need. “Cam—”“I’ll take care of you. Arch back.”His rhythmic fingers, his sucking kisses, his confidence in seeing to her pleasure, unlocked a place inside her she’d never trusted another man to access. She closed her eyes and let go.When the first searing ripple started, she tightened her thighs, her interior muscles, her butt cheeks and cried out as the strength of the orgasm sideswiped her.“Look at me.”Obeying Cam’s gruff command, she stared into his fiery eyes while her pussy pulsed around his skillful fingers and saw her satisfaction and lust reflected on his face.“That’s it, princess. Give it all to me.”After the last throb faded, Domini wanted to bury her face in the side of his neck. Lick the salt from his skin, familiarizing her senses with his taste, drown i
“For what?” Cam’s brow furrowed. “I think it’s obvious.”“It’s not obvious to me, so why don’t you explain it?”An incredulous look appeared only to be replaced with an irritated one. “What? You expect me to grovel?”“No. I expect nothing from you, which is why it’s so ironic that I’m disappointed.”“Now wait just a damn minute—”“Just go.” Stupid chili pepper powder must’ve blown in her face; her eyes smarted with tears. She sidestepped him, muttering, wishing she was the type of woman who could rant and rave and throw things to relay her frustrations.Cam wheeled her around, boxing her between his body and the steel door of the walk-in cooler. “Will you at least let me apologize before you storm off and start swearing at me in Ukrainian?”“That was Russian.”“So I’m an idiot all the way around, okay? Look, I’m sorry…” His gaze lingered on her neck. “I’m so goddamn sorry I was such an animal and marked you last night. First thing. You deserve better than a man who mauls you.”Her sto