Josh's Justice, Cowboy Romance (Bad in Boots, Book 4) (21 page)
Read Josh's Justice, Cowboy Romance (Bad in Boots, Book 4) Online
Authors: Patrice Michelle
Tags: #Bad In Boots
She shooed him on. “Go on and just do as I ask.”
Josh shrugged and entered the living room. Turning to face the kitchen, he folded his arms. Sabrina was right behind him, but as she started to pull off the paper, he turned his shoulder.
“Uh, Josh. It’s a surprise! Turn around. And close your eyes this time.”
With a heavy sigh, he grinned, then turned and closed his eyes. “Shut now.”
Sabrina ripped off the paper and smiled at the large shadow box frame. Nan’s sister had done a fantastic job with the framing, and so had all the other people she’d enlisted to help her with this project.
She carefully lifted it up and set it on the mantel. Moving a horse statue to the left and a clock to the right, she placed the shadow box in the middle of the mantel and stood back, suddenly nervous. What if Josh hated it? It had seemed like such a good idea at the time. Biting her lip, she moved to stand beside Josh and took a deep breath. “You can turn around now.”
Josh didn’t say anything as he turned and stared at the shadow box. His throat worked and emotions flickered across his face so quickly, she wasn’t sure what he was thinking. When he walked right up to the frame, his steps fast, his stance tense, she followed and twisted her hands together, worried she’d royally screwed up. “You hate it, don’t you?”
Sabrina had taken that old picture of he and Nick and put it in its own small frame inside a shadow box. The fact she’d taken the time to do this floored him. All kinds of emotions rolled through him; sadness for Nick’s death, regret for the man he’d never become, happiness that he’d met Sabrina, and thankfulness that she knew just how to burrow straight through to his heavy heart and set it free.
The picture frame was set back in the left half of the shadow box. His Colt 45 rested upright in a stand in front of the picture frame but centered in the shadow box. The gun’s metal was shined up and new looking. No more dust.
Wait? Was it my gun?
He strode up to the frame and tilted his head to see. No, it was Nick’s gun. When he straightened, his gaze landed on the engraving on the silver plaque in the back right half of the box. The title read
: Future Heroes.
Underneath the title in smaller script, it read: Sabrina Gentry and a date. His eyes watered a little when he recognized the date Sabrina had engraved. It was three days ago.
Sabrina’s small hand on his arm drew him back to his surroundings. “Do you hate me?” she asked, lips trembling slightly, gorgeous green eyes wide with worry. “I wanted you to know, and Nick too, that he did become the hero he’d always wanted to be. It might’ve been your shooting skills that saved me, but it was his gun, Josh. Nick’s gun.”
Josh’s chest ached and he found it hard to breathe. He pulled the woman he loved into his arms, gathering her close. She’d become so precious to him, he couldn’t imagine his life without her. His voice was hoarse with emotion, but he managed to get the words out, “Nick would’ve loved you, Sabrina.”
Relief flooded through her that Josh seemed happy with his gift. She wrapped her arms around his waist and laid her head on his chest. “Your gun is clean and in its holster where it belongs.”
Josh cupped her face and looked into her eyes. “I love the shadow box. I can’t even put into words what it means to me. Thank you,” he finished, pressing his lips to hers in a tender kiss.
When she started to kiss him back, Josh quickly stepped back, a broad smile on his lips. “I’ll be right back. Sit down on the couch and wait for me.”
Perplexed, Sabrina did as he asked, sinking into the soft cushions.
When Josh returned, he sat down beside her and clasped her hand in his. Goose bumps formed on her arms as he ran his thumb along the string he’d tied earlier. Then he surprised her by sliding a two-carat sapphire flanked by trillion cut diamonds on her finger. “I guessed at your size…will you marry me, Brina? You don’t have to say yes right away, but I can’t stand another day going by without asking you to spend the rest of your life with me.”
Her chest hurt with the love she felt for this amazing man. Big tears welled and she nodded. “Yes, I’ll marry you.” Josh flashed a wide smile and started to untie the string, but she yanked her hand back. “No, I want it to wear off. Once it’s gone, we’ll set a date. That should be long enough to convince my mom that I’m not crazy for marrying a man I just met.”
“Fine,” Josh said grudgingly as he pulled her back against his chest and settled her ring hand on his thigh.
A quiet settled between them while he fiddled with her ring, pushing it back and forth along her finger. She snuggled deeper into his warm embrace. “What are you thinking?”
“I’m thinking that I wished I’d used thread or something equally fragile when I tied that damn string on your finger.”
He sounded so disgruntled, she patted his cheek, then stood and faced him. “There are plenty of activities we can do that’ll eventually wear it out.”
Josh sat up, his gaze hungrily sweeping over her body. “Like sweaty exercise?”
She started backing up toward the bedroom. “That’s one. Then there are showers. Lots of lonnnng showers,” she finished, crooking her finger.
“
Lots
can only happen if you’re here, Brina.” His expression turned serious, tension setting in his shoulders. “Say you’ll move in with me.”
She loved him, deeply and irrevocably. She wouldn’t want to be apart from him either. When she nodded, Josh bolted off the couch and had scooped her up over his shoulder before she could turn and run.
As he rushed her into the bedroom, Sabrina squealed in delight and smacked at his muscular butt. “Put me down, Josh Kelly.”
“Happy to oblige, ma’am! He dropped her onto the bed and swiftly pulled her hands over her head. Easing down on top of her, he pressed his jean-covered erection against her heated center. “You know, these gorgeous hands of yours seem to be pinned or tied quite often. Be a shame if that string should suddenly snap or get snipped while you’re bound.”
Sabrina sucked in a breath and tugged to free her arms. “You wouldn’t dare.”
His teal gaze glittered with ruthless intent, his fingers squeezing hers tighter. “But I do dare, Brina. I dare all kinds of things, and you wouldn’t have it any other way.”
She shook her head, eyes glistening with emotion. “But not this, Josh. Let it wear off. Please.”
His expression softened and his hold loosened slightly. “It means that much to you?”
She nodded. “Right now the only thing binding us together is our word, not a piece of paper like marriage will. That’s what the string represents to me. I want it to wear out and let if fall off naturally.”
Josh sighed heavily, then lowered his lips to hers. She was surprised when his kiss wasn’t anything like the calm image he’d projected. He captured her lips, thrusting his tongue deep into her mouth, instantly stealing her breath with his aggressiveness.
Squirming under him, she rocked her hips and pressed against him, saying between kisses, “I’m sure we’ll do our best to help it along.”
He moved his warm mouth to her throat, a sinful chuckle rumbling against her skin. “You’ve just issued a challenge. I hope you’re prepared for very little sleep, baby.”
“Josh, that’s not what I meant,” she said between gasps as he nipped at the swell of her breast above her bra.
He lifted his head, eyes churning with emotion. “The string represents a binding commitment. I’m going to show you just how much.” A wicked grin flashed. “It’ll be worn ragged in no time.”
I hope you enjoyed Josh and Sabrina’s story. If you found
Josh’s Justice
an entertaining and enjoyable read, I hope you’ll take the time to leave a review and share your thoughts with others on the on-line store where you purchased it. Your review could help other readers decide to give Josh’s story a try!
* * *
Stay tuned for the next BAD IN BOOTS book! To keep up to date on when the next BAD IN BOOTS book will release, join my free newsletter at
www.patricemichelle.net
Other works by Patrice Michelle
Bad in Boots series
Harm’s Hunger
Ty’s Temptation
Colt’s Choice
Josh’s Justice
Kendrian Vampires series
A Taste for Passion
A Taste for Revenge
A Taste for Control
Other works by Patrice Michelle writing as P.T. Michelle
Brightest Kind of Darkness series
Ethan (Prequel Novella, Book 0.5)
Brightest Kind of Darkness (Book 1)
Lucid (Book 2)
Destiny (Book 3)
About the Author
Born and raised in the Southeast, award-winning author Patrice Michelle gave up her financial calculator for a keyboard and never looked back. Thanks to an open-minded family who taught her that life isn’t as black and white as we’re conditioned to believe, she pens her novels with the belief that various shades of gray are a lot more interesting. She’s a natural with a point-and-shoot camera, likes to fiddle with graphic design, and, to the relief of her family, strums her guitar to an audience of one.
To learn more about Patrice’s books, visit her at the following places:
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http://www.patricemichelle.net
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