Foxy Lady (2 page)

He chuckled.

Subtlety had never worked on the man. Apparently obvious loathing didn’t either.

He grinned and leaned against the doorframe. “Come on, baby. Let’s hit the church and you can meet Pastor Reynolds.”

Julia frowned. “I’m sorry?”

Ned grabbed her in a bear hug before she could move. He outweighed her by a hundred pounds at least. When he squeezed, he choked the breath out of her. “I knew you didn’t mean all those things you said. Damn, you smell good.” He changed topics like the wind, unable to hold a thought in his stubborn head. Trying to convince him she couldn’t stand him had gone from difficult to downright impossible.

“I’m not sorry. I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about. What pastor? What church?” Oh God, had Jason and Meghan already set a date? She could have sworn Meghan had mentioned a prolonged engagement.

“You and me, baby. I think I get it now. No sex without a ring. Heard that a time or two,” he said with a laugh. “And I’ve been thinking on it. You know, I think it’s time for me to get hitched.”

Meghan closed her cell phone and stared in shock. “Julia, I had no idea you and Ned were dating. And you have the nerve to talk about me and Jason.”

“I’m not dating Ned,” Julia snapped, and prayed for patience. She wiggled until Ned dropped her to her feet and put some distance between herself and the large man. “I’m here to drag you home where you belong. Ned, back off. I’m not marrying you today, tomorrow or any other day of the week.”

But Ned being Ned didn’t hear her. “The boys are here to help Meghan with whatever she needs. Geekboy is at the mill until five.”

For all Ned’s faults, he was loyal to his family. Though she sensed he didn’t understand his youngest brother’s need for a higher education, he didn’t degrade him in front of others. In front of family was another story. Jason had told Meghan horror stories about how nasty Ned could be when he didn’t get his way, and he hadn’t wanted Jason to go to school. He’d recently begun to support Jason’s decision to graduate college, but only because of the money Jason made running his own programming company, money Jason shared with his family.

“Come on. Let’s spend some time getting to know each other better.” Ned tried to drag her from the house.

Finally, even Meghan looked worried. Everyone knew Ned had a temper, but they’d yet to see it unleashed on them. Jason, however, had warned them to be wary of his oldest brother. As much as Jason loved his family, he was smart enough to understand and acknowledge their faults. Bullheaded tenacity was one of them. Their love affair with guns and hunting anything on four feet another.

Gabby reached for her arm. “Ah, Ned? We really need Julia’s help with Meghan’s wedding planning.”

Meghan hurriedly added, “Maybe you could see her another time?”

In another lifetime, maybe.
Ned and Gabby tugged on Julia’s arms, making her feel like a piece of rope in a tug-of-war. She growled and yanked her arm back.

He dropped his hand and rubbed his chin, considering. At times, his gruff features bordered on attractive. Rough, thick, but pleasant. Until that obstinate glint lit his dark eyes. He reminded her of a bear, but without the true bulk and smarts of a grizzly to back him up.

Foxes, she reminded herself, made do with their smaller size by being smarter than the average predator. Hell, she couldn’t beat him, but maybe…

The answer to her prayers arrived in a streak of speed. He shoved Itchy and Snitchy out of the way and slid past Ned with the ease of a skilled predator.

Gabby announced with breathless reverence, “Ty Roderick?”

Julia stared at her nemesis with equal amounts of desire, frustration and grudging relief. She threw herself into his arms and met his astonished gaze with a determined one of her own.

“Ty, sweetie. I didn’t realize you were coming today. I’m so excited to see you.” She kissed him quickly—ignoring the hum in her blood—and stepped back, pleased at this solution. Even Ned couldn’t fail to realize she was taken now. Maybe that would make him leave her alone.

Except Ned didn’t appear to care.

“
This
is your boyfriend?” He huffed and gave Ty a disapproving once-over. “Funny, you never mentioned him before.”

Ty stood a few inches smaller than Ned but still topped Julia by a foot. Strength and vitality vibrated under the breadth of his chest and tightly muscled arms. He smelled like chocolate, and she chalked up her sudden need to sniff him again as hunger and not desire.

Ty narrowed his silver eyes, glaring at Ned with a meanness that didn’t bode well. The sheriff was hard to rile, but when angry, Ty could tear a strip off a bear. “Who the hell are you?”

“I’m her fiancé. Who the fuck are you?”

“
Fiancé?
No way in hell.”

Meghan interrupted, “Actually, Ned is Jason’s brother.”

“Jason?”

Gabby gave a nervous laugh. “Meghan’s fiancé. His family’s from Nowhere. Long line of Williamses in this area. All of them hardworking men who practically own the town.” Her subtle warning did nothing to sway Ty’s anger.

“Hunters?” he asked straight out.

“Hell, yeah. I hit anything I’m aimin’ at,” Ned bragged. His brothers nodded behind him.

Ty’s eyes flashed with more than anger, but with a fury that really worried her.

It took Julia a moment to understand, and she quickly corrected Ty’s misapprehension. “His family hunts, with a lowercase h.”

Ty’s gaze swung to her. “You sure?”

“Of course I’m sure. Do you really think I’d be standing here so calmly if I wasn’t?” she asked, not happy he would question her common sense in front of her sisters.

Ty didn’t say anything, but his tension eased considerably. He turned his gaze back to Ned.

Julia had had enough. Meghan was damn well coming home with her, this instant. Ned could go to hell. Ty could lecture until he was blue in the face, but this wasn’t his problem, and—

He jerked Julia into his arms. “Well, well. Congrats, Meghan. I can’t
wait
to see what your aunt and uncle think of Jason.” He gave a tight laugh. “You know, Julia, it’s tough to keep up with all these hearts you keep breaking. Why, just a few weeks ago you wanted me. Now it’s Ned?”

If she’d had a gun, she might have shot him. “I don’t want—”

“To fight, I know,” he said smoothly and hugged her tighter. “I came to tell you I’m sorry. You want me? I’m yours. I think we should start with you moving in to my place, though. You know how much my folks want grandkids. Now how about we grab your sisters and head home in time for the spring festival?”

Gabby and Meghan watched the spectacle with their mouths open. Julia wasn’t sure what to do. Agree with Ty to leave? Or try to wrestle back control of the situation?

“What in the hell are you talking about?” Ned roared. “You ain’t leaving. The family reunion is next week, and Mama wants to see the gals at dinner tomorrow. Jason has to bring Meghan, and
I’m
bringing Julia.” He curled his meaty hands into fists, and that quickly Ty went from teasing to lethal.

He pushed Julia behind him. “You want her, you go through me.”

Ned took a step closer, apparently saw something he didn’t like on Ty’s face, and stopped. “Hell, I’m not going to fight you in front of the women. But none of you is leaving until after the reunion. You need anything, Meghan, call Jason. Julia, I’ll see
you
tomorrow.” He gave Ty one final glare and left, his brothers in tow.

Through the front window, Julia watched Itchy and Snitchy climb into the cab while Ned grabbed a rifle from his truck. Lightning fast, he shot out each of Ty’s tires, as well as the tires on Julia’s SUV, leaving them stranded. With a one-fingered salute to Ty, Ned jumped into his truck and spun his wheels as he left.

“Uh-oh,” Meghan murmured. “I don’t think we’re going anywhere anytime soon.”

As one, she and Gabby turned slowly to regard Ty, who gripped Julia’s shoulders hard enough to leave marks. As if sensing her pain, he let go, and she faced him.

“Well, well. My two-timing
girlfriend
and her troublesome sisters. Now how about one of you pretty ladies tell me what the hell is going on before I turn feral and bite you?” His eyes smoked as they settled on Julia. “And not in a good way.”

Chapter Two

Ty didn’t know whether to spank Julia or kiss her senseless. Just seeing her again aroused him in a way he was hard-pressed to explain. Her scent, the feel of her smooth skin under his hands, her soft kiss, all of it made him want to throw her down on the nearest bed and fuck her until he couldn’t move. He wanted to tie her to him and make her admit she couldn’t stop thinking about him. Because he sure as hell couldn’t stop thinking about her.

Hearing that Neanderthal claim Julia had nearly ended Ned’s life. It had taken a lot of discipline to remain still. Ty didn’t like that loss of control. As town sheriff, he came into contact with conflict on a daily basis. He had a reputation as calm and collected. So why did Julia Easton tie him in knots?

At least the woman looked nervous. As she should.

“Well? I’m waiting,” he said in a quiet voice, pleased when Julia and Gabby jumped.

The three sisters were exceptionally popular in the clan. Meghan was the youngest, and at the age where she needed to explore. No one had balked when she’d left town for college on the outside. Still, this Jason business would need some explaining.

Everyone liked Gabby, the most outgoing and genial of the three. She had a tawny complexion that suited her dark red hair, and a curvy frame where Meghan and Julia were leaner.

Slender, sexy and beautiful, Julia made him ache. She made him want to beg. He huffed. A Roderick didn’t beg. Hell, at home he rejected sexual offers from women left and right. But Julia had never asked a thing from him, not until the sly vixen had propositioned him, drunk as a skunk. Now how the hell could he say yes to that and not have her hate him in the morning?

Meghan was the first to answer him. “Ty, uh, I’m, well…”

“Get on with it, Meghan.” She really was cute. A younger version of Julia.

“The brat thinks she’s in love,” Julia said, her words laced with disgust. Her gaze met his before it skittered back to her sister.

“I
am
in love,” Meghan retorted. “Just because you’re turning into the neighborhood cat lady is no reason to be jealous I’ve found someone special.”

Ty coughed to smother a laugh. “Cat lady?”

“You know, the old lady with no life who lives with like thirty cats for company.”

“We like cats,” Gabby defended, shooting Meghan a look that surprised Ty. She seemed genuinely annoyed.

Meghan flushed. “I’m just saying Julia blames me for having a sex life.”

“I so did not need to hear that,” Ty muttered.

Julia’s eyes sparkled and her scent grew richer. When angry, the little spitfire turned him hard in a heartbeat. He casually crossed the room to stand behind an oversized chair to hide his erection. Talk about embarrassing, not to mention irritating. The vixen made him crazy like no one could.

“Okay, you want to talk about your sex life? Fine,” Julia sneered. “Are you using birth control? Does Jason know what can happen when you go into heat? Is he prepared to help rear your litter?”

Fascinated, Ty watched the family interplay. He’d never seen Julia so impassioned. Normally she did her job with calm precision and couldn’t be described as anything other than cool. But with Meghan, she acted like a virtual firecracker. A sultry redhead with a temper to boot. God, he wanted her.

Meghan stared from Julia to Ty and back again, her cheeks scarlet. “I am not going to talk about this in front of Ty.”

Thank God.

She continued. “I’m going to call Jason to come get me.” Tears filled her eyes. “He’s the only one who understands me. The only one who
cares
.” She sobbed and fled the room.

Everyone stared at the slammed door in silence.

After a moment, he asked, “You sure she didn’t major in drama?”

Julia’s lips curved.

Gabby choked on a laugh. “I’ll go talk to her. You deal with him,” she said to Julia, a knowing look in her eyes that made Julia blush. Gabby joined Meghan in the bedroom, leaving Julia and Ty alone together.

“Now it’s just you and me, honey. Where should we start?”

Julia gnawed on her lower lip, and he wanted to kiss the sting away. She turned her direct amber-eyed gaze on him. “Why are you here?”

“You’re welcome for saving you, by the way. Or would you rather I stepped aside so you and Ned can head down the aisle?” he asked dryly.

“Please. I can handle Ned.”

“Oh?”

“Granted, he’s an ass. But I know how to handle the type.” The look she gave him heated his blood to boiling.

“I raced nearly two hundred miles on no sleep and shitty gas station food. I left the raptors in a frenzy, ready to rip out Sarah Duncan’s feathers one by one. The cats are at the throats of the gray wolves again, the bears are losing their minds, and half our clan is in favor of instituting a new mating policy, whereby the silver foxes will soon have arranged marriages. I left all that behind to save you from Hunters.”

“Hunters?” Julia blinked in confusion. “Rip out Sarah’s feathers? Is she okay?”

He spoke through gritted teeth. “The Whitefeathers and Gerald have it all under control. Sarah’s the one who told me you were having trouble with Hunters.”

“What do the Whitefeathers have to do with this?”

“Julia, focus, would you? Why would Sarah think you were dealing with Hunters?” The thought of Julia being hunted down and killed had nearly stopped his heart before he’d managed to bear down and concentrate on finding her.

“Hunters? Where would she get that idea?” Her expression cleared. “Oh. Right. The last time we spoke I mentioned Jason’s family’s disgusting hobby of mounting dead things in their homes. She might have gotten the wrong impression.”

“I’m not sure she did. Ned Williams seems pretty threatening.”
And he likes you way too much for my liking.

“He is, but he’s nothing I can’t handle.” Now she sounded like the competent legal assistant he knew her to be. Sexy, unruffled, self-contained. “I’m sorry if you rushed out here on our behalf, but we’re fine.”