Justice Reborn (Cowboy Justice Association Book 8) (24 page)

Until Dare would ask a question, putting them right back on the road. He hadn’t been there as he wasn’t a part of the group yet, so he took the job of asking questions about that particular night.

“So Tanner and Madison got married?” Josie asked, leaning back in the metal chair on the front porch. It was a cool evening and they were all enjoying the breeze and the tranquility. They didn’t know how long the peace would last. “That’s so romantic.”

Seth’s expression grew serious, almost troubled. “Actually she’s pregnant with their first child right now and things aren’t going well. That’s why he’s not here to help. He didn’t want to leave her right now. She’s on bedrest in the hospital.”

Evan jerked in his chair, his brows pulling together. This was news he hadn’t known until now and she could see he wasn’t happy about that.

“Why is this the first I’m hearing of this? When was someone going to tell me? Are Madison and the baby okay?”

Reed scratched his chin and grimaced slightly. “They’re fine. Listen, Tanner said not to mention it to you. You’ve got your own plate full and there’s–”

“If he needs–”

“And there’s nothing we can do,” Dare finished, breaking into the conversation. “Not a damn thing. The ladies fix meals and stock his refrigerator, and we all try to visit Madison and keep her company so she doesn’t get bored but ultimately there’s nothing we can really do. It’s a waiting game. The doctors want her far enough along so the baby won’t have issues when it’s born.”

“He should have told me,” Evan muttered, color high on his cheeks. “You’re here when you should be there.”

Seth snorted in derision. “Who do you think sent us here? Tanner wanted to come himself but he knew he couldn’t. We volunteered. Hell, the entire town of Springwood is pulling together to take care of them, plus citizens from our towns as well. They’re taken care of, Evan. You aren’t. Tanner would never forgive himself if you were left hanging in the breeze because of what’s going on. He was adamant that a few of us come down here and lend a hand. He’s just disappointed that he couldn’t come himself. You know how he loves the action.”

The corners of Evan’s lips turned up and he chuckled. “That he does. I’m going to call him and Madison tomorrow though, maybe send some flowers. Dammit, someone should have said something.”

Josie hoped Evan would allow her to thank Tanner as well. But there was still one thing she needed to ask…

“What do you mean by
action
, exactly?”

The four men didn’t answer right away, giving each other funny looks as if silently saying,
What should we say? Should we tell her the truth?

Evan eventually cleared his throat and manned up. “When we say action, we mean the suspense. The chase or the mystery. Finding and getting to the bottom of something.”

Josie rolled her eyes and slapped her soda can down onto the iron table. “Perhaps you should have been a politician too. I’ll try again. When you say action do you mean things like shooting? Or car chases? Or dodging bullets and fists?”

The silence again. These boys weren’t fooling anybody.

“I’ll take that as a yes,” she sighed. “And on that disturbing note, I think I’ll head to bed. I’m exhausted and we have a big day tomorrow if that journalist makes it here. I can’t wait to hand over this recording and get all of this cleared up.”

Dare lifted his beer bottle. “Here, here. I think we all are in favor of that.”

The others nodded in agreement, even smiling after their serious exchange regarding their friend Tanner. Josie stood and reached for her soda can but Evan shook his head. “I’ll take all the trash to the bin in the garage. Head on up and I’ll be there in a few minutes to say goodnight.”

Tomorrow would be a better day. There was light at the end of the tunnel and all she had to do was survive a few more hours. She could do this. For herself and for Amy.

*   *   *   *

Evan tried to crawl into bed as quietly as possible so as not to wake Josie. She was lying on her side, her face turned toward the windows so her skin was bathed in moonlight and the freckles sprinkled across her nose looked like fairy dust. He’d never known a woman as beautiful as this one.

He and the boys had ended up talking deep into the night about different scenarios they might encounter protecting Josie. He felt better that they had concrete plans but he hoped like hell they’d never have to use them. He’d feel better when that footage was turned over to the reporter and the cops were off Josie’s tail.

Speaking of…

Her cute little caboose looked quite fetching in her pink cotton panties that peeked out from under a fuchsia t-shirt. The covers had worked their way down around her knees, probably due to the warm temperature in the room. Josie was always reluctant to crank the air conditioning, always going on about power bills and the environment. She simply didn’t want to cost him any money, which was sweet. She was always trying to do nice things for him which was something he wasn’t used to. He’d rarely met a woman who would put him before herself.

This might be a good opportunity to put her first.

The first orgasm. She could thank him later.

Cuddling up to her back, playing the part of the big spoon, he pressed feather light kisses on her exposed neck and shoulders, her skin baby soft under his lips. He breathed in her scent that was part body wash, part vanilla lotion, part Josie. It never ceased to make him harder than a fencepost and painfully aroused. He hadn’t felt this all-day and all-night horny since he was a callow youth and it both exhilarated and scared him. He wasn’t a young man anymore but she certainly made him think he was.

Evan slid his mouth up to her ear, finding that sensitive spot just behind it and giving it a little nip with his teeth before soothing it with his tongue. Sighing in her sleep, she shifted slightly, brushing her shapely rear end against his already hard and ready cock, sending a bolt of lightning up his spine and down to his balls.

Sliding a hand around her body, he pulled her closer to his own and then cupped one of her round and tempting breasts. The nipple beaded immediately under his touch and, emboldened by her response, he moved his fingers over the softness of her bare belly to the juncture of her thighs, holding his breath at what he might find waiting for him there.

Feast or famine?

Despite her slumber, her body had clearly recognized his attentions. The crotch of those pretty pink panties were soaking wet and his heart accelerated as his fingers delved more deeply into the softness he found there, growing slick with her honey.

Josie fidgeted and moaned in her sleep, her movements becoming more agitated with every light stroke over her clit. Pressing a finger inside her, the tight walls clinging to his digit, he shifted her in his arms so she was lying on her back. It had required him ducking down almost to her ankles as he lifted her leg slightly and there was no way she wasn’t going to wake up after that.

Her lids fluttered and another moan escaped her full, pink lips as he added a second finger, rubbing against that sweet spot that sent her to heaven.

“Evan,” she sighed, her hands reaching for him and landing on his shoulders. “Evan, what…what’s going on?”

“Baby, if you don’t know then I’m not doing this right.”

Her hips lifted off the mattress after he bent his head and gave her swollen clit a light kiss. “Oh God. Don’t stop.”

Her voice sounded like a cat scratching against a chalkboard and she was probably still half asleep, but Evan had every intention of doing exactly as she’d asked.

Lapping at the swollen button, he slid his hands under her bottom to nudge her closer while pushing her thighs farther apart with his shoulders. He ran his tongue in circles, teasing Josie until she was moaning underneath him, her eyes closed but her lips parted and panting. Her arms were thrown over her head and her auburn hair lay in a halo on the pillow as her chest rose and fell with every breath. She was fucking gorgeous and he couldn’t wait to be as deeply inside her as possible.

Her legs began to shake and that’s when he knew she was almost there. Closing his mouth over her clit, he gently sucked as his tongue rubbed back and forth over the top. Her body bowed and stilled for a moment before she came beautifully undone. She called his name as her fingers clutched at the pillow under her head and her thighs pressed against his ears. He didn’t stop, allowing her to ride out her climax until she was a mass of jelly, limp and sated.

“Hell of a way to wake up,” she said, her voice husky and filled with satisfaction. “Do I get to return the favor?”

Fuck yes.

*   *   *   *

Evan crawled up her body, his gaze raking her from head to toe. Normally, she’d be shy and modest but something in the way he looked at her let her know without a doubt that he liked what he saw. Her t-shirt was pushed up to her armpits and her panties had somehow found their way down her legs so they were dangling off an ankle. She didn’t remember any of that happening but she’d been happily asleep when he’d started his foreplay. Now they were going to finish it.

Pleasure began building again, humming through her veins and sending delicious quivers to every cell. She dug her ankles into the mattress in anticipation as he positioned himself between her legs, the head of his hot hard cock pressing against her entrance.

She was drenched with honey and he glided in, all the way to the hilt. A breath of air was pushed out of her as he filled her completely, stretching her pleasurably and making her wonder how she ever did without this. It felt so damn good.

“You okay, honey? Are you ready for me?”

His mouth was close to her ear, his breath warm on her cheek and the musk of sex heavy in the humid air. Arousal pooled in her belly and her nails dug into the muscles of his biceps, pushed by some unseen force she could neither deny nor identify. She only knew that it made her want desperately…need overflowing from every pore. She needed his complete possession.

“Take me,” she breathed, running her fingers over his shoulders and into his silky hair. “Hard. Fast. So I don’t know where I end and you begin. Make me forget my own name.”

Any other man would have laughed or run from the bedroom, terrified or simply amused by the challenge she’d thrown down between them. Not Evan. She felt rather than heard his chuckle, his chest vibrating against her own. In the dim light, she could see his lips stretch into a grin of pure, devilish delight. Not only was he not scared, he obviously relished the opportunity. She’d finally found the right man after kissing too many frogs. And toads. And a few snakes. And one particular rat who had asked her for rent money before she showed him the door.

All Josie could do was hold on for dear life.

Evan slammed into her over and over, his groin rubbing her sensitive clit with every stroke while his cock caressed sweet spots inside that had her curling her toes and gasping in pleasure. He rode her hard and fast until all she could moan was his name over and over, her cries becoming more hoarse with each passing moment.

She teetered at the apex as he thrust into her, holding his weight on his hands, which were planted on either side of her shoulders. With every stroke, his expression grew more pained as he held off, delaying his own gratification for hers. Bending his head, he drew one pebbled nipple into his mouth, scraping it with his teeth so she had a bit of pain with her pleasure as he suckled the tip.

That was all it took.

Multi-colored explosions danced behind her lids and she trembled from the force of her completion even as Evan reached the peak himself, her name on his lips. He collapsed on top of her when he was done, dropping kisses on every inch of exposed skin he could find until he finally rolled onto his back, taking her with him. He tucked her into his side and tangled his fingers into her long hair, playing with the strands.

“Honey, I started this whole thing to do something nice for you but damn if you didn’t turn the tables and do something nice for me. That was amazing.”

“Amazing,” she echoed, full sentences still beyond her. “Unbelievable. Hot.”

He pulled away, sitting up in bed and reaching across her. “Are you hot, honey? Let me turn up the air conditioning. It is warm in here.”

They were both covered in sweat but that’s not what she’d been talking about. She shoved at his shoulder but he was so big he barely moved. It was like a mosquito slapping at a rhino. “Idiot. I was talking about the sex, not the temperature. But now that you mention it…”

He flipped the switch higher and icy air streamed out, sending goosebumps over her damp flesh. It felt good but it also felt cold. She had a love-hate relationship with that thing. Pulling the sheet over them, he cuddled up to her, rubbing his hands over her chilled limbs, letting the quiet night surround them. For a few minutes she’d forgotten why there were three men sleeping downstairs and cameras attached to the house. She’d forgotten that her life would never be the same no matter how this situation turned out.

Her body must have stiffened because he seemed in tune with her thoughts.

“It’s all going to be okay. You know that, right? I made a promise to you earlier but I’m going to make another one. Everything is going to be fine. Trust me to take care of you, Josie. I’m a man of my word.”

She was counting on that.

Chapter Twenty-Seven