Breathless Temptation [Texas Stallions 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) (10 page)

“Yes, thank you.”

Following close behind Sophia, they went into the ranch house, grabbed Sophia’s keys and purse, and jumped into her car. The entire ride into town was spent in silence. Delilah couldn’t muster any words. She was too embarrassed and frustrated.

“Here we are,” Sophia said, drawing Delilah’s attention from her inward thoughts.

Narrowing her eyes, she noticed they were pulling into the local diner. She wasn’t sure if that was because she hadn’t specified where in town she wanted to go or if Sophia just decided this was the best place for her to be dropped off at.

Inclining her head in Delilah’s direction, Sophia told her, “I hope you don’t mind, but I’d like to grab a cup of coffee with you before you head out on your way. Do you have time?”

Delilah swallowed, not excited about spending more time in this town than she had to, but she also didn’t want to be rude. Sophia had been kind to drive her and not ask questions about her much-needed separation from Hunter.

“I was really hoping to be out of town before nightfall.” Delilah hesitated, hating that she wanted to escape this place so badly, but instead she shrugged her shoulders, forced a smile, and said, “Sure. That would be nice.”

Finding an open booth in the far corner of the diner, Delilah sat with her back to the wall, overlooking the entire diner. Local folks had come to enjoy a late-afternoon lunch or maybe an early dinner.

Life seemed more relaxed here in Temptation than the crazy world she’d come from. Her heart squeezed in her chest as she thought about how much she’d longed for a life like that. Too bad she’d only been in town for nearly a week and already found two major reasons to flee. Actually, it was three reasons, Clay Garrett, Hunter Boyd, and her damn stepbrother, Warren Michaels.

“So tell me, Delilah, what brought you to Temptation, Texas?”

Without any words spoken, two cups of coffee were placed on the table in front of them. Delilah stared after the waitress with the sweet smile and wondered if she could read thoughts or just knew Sophia really well. Another quality of small-town living she knew she’d love to experience.

“Before my mother married my father, she and her family owned parts of Temptation and the surrounding areas. I’d never had the chance to see where my mother grew up and decided it was time I did.”

“That’s right,” Sophia said. “Hunter mentioned that your mother was Pamela Travis.”

Delilah smiled warmly. “Yes, my mother was Pamela Travis. Once she and my father married, she decided to sell off the last of her family property and move to California to have me.”

“Hunter told me that she passed away when you were born. I’m truly sorry to hear that. She had one of the most passionate hearts in Texas. She’s missed by a lot of people.”

“Thank you,” Delilah said, feeling choked up with emotions.

“Since you were here to visit the lands your mother once called home, why would you want to leave?”

There it is, Delilah thought. The reason she’d wanted to have coffee with her. The older woman was curious to know what had transpired between her and Hunter. Who wouldn’t be?

A million and one thoughts bumped around in Delilah’s head. Should she spill the real reason? Would sharing her promiscuous tale cause any real harm? Would it feel awkward to tell the woman what she’d been up to since arriving in Temptation? Perhaps learning her dirty little secrets would help expedite their coffee time and aide in getting her out of town that much faster.

Swallowing down a sip of lukewarm coffee, Delilah asked plainly, “What would you think if I told you I had sex with two different men within a twenty-four-hour period?”

Sophia shrugged, as if unaffected by the statement. “Depends on who the men were.”

Delilah giggled dryly. “I’m sure you can already guess that one of the men was Hunter, and the other was Sheriff Clay Garrett.”

Sophia blew out a low whistle of appreciation. “I’d say you have great taste and are one lucky lady. You scored majorly with two of the sexiest men in Temptation.” Delilah’s mouth hung open at the unsuspecting response. “I hate to admit it, but I’m a little jealous.”

A moment later, Sophia smiled at the approaching waitress. “Hello, Mrs. Boyd,” she said as if talking to her best friend in a jesting manner. “How are you today?”

Boyd?
Delilah felt her skin break out into a cold sweat and grow uncomfortably tight over her bones. She was sure at any moment her face would melt off from the heat rising up from her chest and neck.

Sophia turned and began introductions. “Delilah, this is Madeline Boyd, Tyler, Cooper, and Hunter’s mother.”

Almost forgetting her voice, Delilah stammered to find the words to say hello. Suddenly feeling the need to run away, yet again, she politely excused herself and rushed into the restroom. Standing in front of the sink, she rested the palms of her hands on the rim and stared at herself in the mirror.

“Wow, you’ve really done it this time, Delilah,” she told herself aloud.

The stall door opened with a bang, startling her out of her thoughts. Glancing behind her, she watched as a lean man with cold, menacing, dark eyes emerged from his hiding place.

A vile grin eclipsed his face as he muttered, “You’re right about that, Delilah. You really have done it this time.”

She held her breath, turning to face him. Her hands clutched the sink now pressed against her back. “Warren!”

Locking the door to the restroom, Warren rounded to face her. “You’ve been a very bad girl, Delilah,” he said, stressing each word as he closed the distance between them, crowding her up against the sink.

“Warren?” she gasped.

His chest expanded with longing as he studied her. The soft mounds of her round breasts pushed forward, stretching the material of her shirt. “I love the way you say my name.” He licked his lips and with the palm of his hand rubbed the slow-growing erection in his pants. “It makes my cock hard to hear you breathlessly speak my name.”

“What are you doing here?”

He tsked under his tongue. “Silly, silly girl, you know exactly what I’m doing here, and you’ve known what I wanted for a very long time.” He moved closer, lowering his face to hers, nuzzling against her cheek and ear, smelling the sweet scent of her hair. “Damn, you smell so fucking intoxicating. You drive me wild.”

“More like insane,” she spat, twisting away from him, but he immediately pulled her back, trapping her once again between him and the sink.

Then he lifted her up to rest her ass on the sink, placing himself between her spread legs. He trailed the back of his knuckles over the side of her face, feeling the warm heat of her flesh penetrate into his fingers. “You shouldn’t fight me, Delilah. You’ll only end up hurting yourself.” Both his hands reached up and cupped her face, forcing her to stare up at him. “You never should have left me in California. You never should have made me chase after you.”

Raw power flooded through him as he observed the rush of tears that glided down her cheeks. “I didn’t make you do anything, Warren. I don’t want you in my life. I don’t even like you. I want you to leave me alone.”

His eyes rounded with surprise as he listened to her words but then quickly narrowed as he comprehended her malicious lies. Why would she resist him so much when he offered her the world? “You shouldn’t say things like that to me, Delilah. You know I don’t like it when you lie.”

“I’m not lying, Warren,” she argued, struggling against him. “I want you to leave me alone. I don’t want you anywhere near me.”

She doesn’t know what she is saying. I’ll remind her of all that she’s missing out on.

He studied her lips, perfectly red and pouting for his kiss. Capturing her face more tightly, he lowered his mouth to hers. She wrestled against him, and all it did was fire his blood even more, but when she bit him, he couldn’t control the blaze of anger that erupted from within the depths of his soul. Rearing back, he punched her across the face, holding her with one arm so she couldn’t go far. Pulling her against him, he supported her limp body.

Blood seeped from the corner of her mouth, and with his thumb he brushed the crimson trail away from view. “Stop making me hurt you, Delilah. I don’t want to hurt you. I want to please you, care for you.”

She whimpered. “No you don’t, Warren. You want to control me. Own me. You only want my money.”

His heart felt destroyed by her words. He had to prove he wasn’t the vicious monster she thought him to be. He had to show her she was all he ever thought about. “You’re wrong, Delilah. I only want to be with you. I wish to take care of you and keep you safe from harm.”

She laughed. “Who’s going to keep me safe from you?”

His fingers squeezed tight around her shoulders, his teeth grinding, and his jaw flexed. Why couldn’t she just behave? Why did she always have to say things to him that made no sense and infuriated him? Why did she want to be punished for provoking him?

“Why are you saying such hurtful things to me, Delilah?” He grabbed a fistful of her hair and yanked hard on it, cocking her head back at an awkward angle. “Why would you deliberately upset me?” With great force, he shoved her off the sink and sent her flying headfirst into the wall.

Delilah lay on the floor, unmoving. He reached down and jerked her up onto her feet. “Delilah, if you don’t come back to California with me”—he felt a wild intensity fill his gaze—“it would be a shame, should something harmful happen to your father in your absence.”

A startling knock came to the bathroom door, and Warren growled at the response.
Who the fuck would disturb me while I’m tending my prized possession?

“Delilah, are you all right? You’ve been gone awhile.” A concerned woman’s voice called out from the far side of the locked door.

Warren pinched her face on either side of her mouth with his middle finger and thumb, squeezing so tight her face flushed with color around his grasp. He lowered his voice, hissing through his teeth as he told her, “Say anything that would provoke me, and you’ll regret it.”

Shakily nodding, she wet her lips and muttered, “I’m fine, Sophia. I’ll be out in a moment.”

Warren hesitated a second longer, waiting for the nosy woman on the other side of the door to retreat back to her table. Then he returned his attentions to Delilah. “Good girl,” he praised in her ear. “Now, I’m leaving this shithole town, and you’re coming with me.”

Hoisting her up against him, he wrapped his arm around her and then turned to unlock the door. He gripped her other arm tight as he lead her with determination to the rear exit. Once outside, he circled around to the front of the restaurant and advanced toward his parked car. His intentions were clear as he moved to the passenger side of the vehicle.

“Delilah?” a deep, thunderous voice called out her name.

Warren’s teeth clenched tight as he cursed at another interruption. Ignoring the man’s call, he opened his car door and pushed Delilah inside. Her limp body fell into the seat, slumping forward.

She should always be so compliant.

Turning abruptly, he found himself being hauled up against the side of his car. The man he had seen Delilah with at her hotel was now standing in front of him like some barbarian guardian. In uniform, he knew the man holding him by his shirt was the town sheriff.

“What the hell have you done to Delilah?” the sheriff barked.

He laughed at the sheriff’s threatening tone, even though he was annoyed that the big brute would dare manhandle him. “What does it look like? I’m taking her home where she belongs.”

“Like hell you are,” the sheriff growled.

Breathing like a raging bull, he called for Sophia, and within seconds, the woman stood at his side. “Yes, Sheriff Garrett.”

“Please help Delilah out of the car.” The sheriff gripped Warren’s collar tighter, pushing him aside to make room so the car door could be opened.

“Don’t you fucking touch her, you bitch!” Warren snapped. “She’s coming home with me.”

Sheriff Garrett’s hold grew tighter around his neck, practically choking him. “I already told you. She’s not going anywhere with you, you twisted son of a bitch.”

“Oh my God, Clay” Sophia cried. “She’s been beaten.”

The sheriff’s eyes flared with hatred as he stared at Warren, and all Warren did was smirk at the man who had no proof he was the one who caused her injuries.

“She fell in the bathroom and hit her head on the sink.”

“Was that before or after you hit her with your fists?” the sheriff roared in question. “I should do to you what you did to her.”

Warren laughed. “But you won’t because you can’t. Now release me before I sue your ass and this pissant little town.”

“Clay?” Sophia’s voice trembled as she said his name. “She really doesn’t look so good. She has a terribly large bump on the side of her head. She may need to see the doctor.”

Easily distracted, the sheriff looked in Delilah’s direction. With one hand he reached out to touch her face. As Warren watched the delicate gesture by the sheriff, fury and hatred sank into the pit of his stomach. With all his might, Warren punched the sheriff upside the head, knocking him back a few steps. Then he shoved his way past the sheriff and muscled up to Sophia, who was shielding herself between him and Delilah.