Lost in You: Petal, Georgia, Book 2 (14 page)

He smiled, feeling a lot less tired than he had before he’d heard her voice. Before he’d known he’d be seeing her in a few hours.

“All right. I’ll see you later. Text me when you’re on the way.”

“See you later, Joe Harris.”

He only barely registered everyone all around him at the Tonk. He’d been working a lot, and when he hadn’t been, he’d been dealing with doctors and pharmacies and his parents.

Beth had shown up every day or so to bring him lunch. Or to check in. He’d been able to leave a few times to spend some time with her. Some of it had been with his lips on hers, or just walking hand in hand to the Honey Bear for a coffee.

She’d become part of his life in a way that seemed as natural as breathing. There was really no more telling himself he shouldn’t want her, shouldn’t feel strongly about her. He did and it was stupid to deny it.

Nathan ordered a pitcher. “Lily just texted to tell me she’d be coming by later. I have you to thank for that.” He tipped his chin.

“I need to get dancing with some pretty girls if Anne is coming too.” Royal poured himself a beer.

“I’m the first guy who’d say you should fight for a woman if you really want her. But, and I hate to say it because I know you’re ass deep in love with my sister, but Anne may not be worth all this effort. Well, worth is not a good word. She’s worth a lot of effort. But I don’t know if she’s ever going to get married. Even to a guy who clearly loves her.” Nathan waved away a woman who indicated she wanted to dance.

William sighed. “I don’t know about that, Nathan. Anne’s got some messed-up ideas about marriage. But she’s not a lost cause. You can’t blame her. Considering the example she had growing up.”

“Whatever.” Royal shrugged. “I can only take it for so long. If she doesn’t turn this around by the end of the year, I’m done. I love her, but I want a wife. A family. If she can’t commit, if she can’t admit I’m not your dad, she
is
a lost cause. I have to move on at some point.”

Joe imagined giving up on Beth and he realized it filled him with fear.

“My sisters—all of them—are good women. Strong. Stronger than most any other females I’ve ever met. Pretty. Smart. Hardworking. All positives. But stubborn. Holy shit, stubborn.” William leaned back and glowered at one of the women who’d been trying to catch Nathan’s eye. “I’m about to get pissy with these women who keep trying to get you to dance. For Christ’s sake, the whole town knows you’re engaged to Lily.”

Nathan snorted. “It’s just a few of them. They know too. Not worth getting worked up over it. None of them matter one bit. If they want to keep embarrassing themselves, they should go on. Once Lily gets here, they’ll back off.”

“They’re after Joe too.” Royal laughed. “Beth will end every single one of them.”

“They scatter to the wind when she comes around.” Joe grinned. It was hot when she got all possessive the way she did. Not that any of the women who tried to get his attention could hold a candle to her anyway.

“I bet. Things are good with her then?” Nathan leaned in to be heard over the music.

Joe nodded. “I’m busy right now. Work and stuff. We’re not getting married in a few months or anything. But we do all right.”

“Since you broke the little-sister-of-your-best-friend rule, you best take care with her.” William gave him a look.

Joe held his hands up. “Do you think your sister would tolerate anything else?”

William’s glower softened. “I think my sister Beth has a big old soft heart, and when she cares about people, it’s far easier for them to hurt her than they might think.”

They’d managed to clear through a pitcher and some wings right as the women came in.

“What do you want to bet Nathan has had to beat them off with a stick tonight?” Lily said this as they weaved through the crowd toward the table.

“Doesn’t matter. Also, heh, you said beat off.” Anne thought this was hilarious.

Beth snickered, saying hello here and there as they made their way over. Joe had a cowboy hat on. He rarely wore one, and up until that moment, she couldn’t have said it mattered to her one way or the other. But on him it
totally
worked.

When he saw her, he stood, smiling.

“Hey.”

He hooked her with an arm around her waist and pulled her close, leaning down to brush his lips over hers. “Hey there.”

He pulled her chair out and she sat, his arm against her shoulders. “I like the hat.”

“Yeah? Your brother made me wear it.”

“Which one?” She laughed.

“William.”

“Ah. Well, he was right. It works on you.”

“How was the movie?” He leaned close as he spoke, smelling really, really good.

“Pretty boys. Action. Lots of sweat. What’s not to love?”

He stole a kiss. “Mind yourself, girl.”

He took her hand, their fingers tangling.

“You’re in a mood. I like it. I’ve missed you.”

He hugged her, one armed. “Have a beer, and then you and I have some dancing to do.”

“We can dance to this one while the beer is on the way out.”

He stood, holding a hand out and she took it.

She’d been to the Tonk dozens of times. For a while she hated it. It wasn’t their bar. They’d usually gone into Riverton because the denizens of Petal hadn’t always been the friendliest to the Murphy family.

But over time, as they’d become extended family with the Chases, they’d come here more often. And as it frequently tended to happen, the Murphys took it over every time they came in. It was still full of people she didn’t like. The scars of her childhood, of the torment Tate had endured, were hard to leave behind. When she saw Dolly’s face, she couldn’t forget the way she’d treated Beth’s oldest sister.

But more than the Dollys of Petal, there were people she counted as friends.

And still? It was pretty freaking awesome to be out there on the dance floor, pulled up snug against the hottest dude in the entire place. She, Beth Murphy, had the most handsome date in the whole room. He touched her like he meant it too. It made her feel like the most beautiful person in the bar.

After the song had ended, he spun her, tucking her against his body. “Beer now.”

“You’re easy to please. That’s a good quality in a woman.”

“You’re pretty good with the pleasing. Also a good quality in a man.”

Lily leaned into Nathan’s side, laughing at something Anne had said. The group had enlarged considerably. Shane Chase was there with his wife Cassie, Maggie and Kyle Chase were there as well.

A raucous greeting went up as they got back and seated. Lily pushed a beer her way, and Beth sure wasn’t going to complain that she was extra close to Joe. This was nice. Out with her man. Out with their friends. It was comfortable and fun and really lovely.

They danced and drank beer and ate wings and nachos for hours, laughing and visiting. But with each passing hour, all she wanted was to be alone with him. To have Joe all to herself. Preferably naked.

Finally she tiptoed up as they danced, tugging on his ear to get him closer. “I think we should go back to your place. You know, Buck is probably lonely.”

“Yeah?” His slow smile sent a shiver through her. “You should probably sleep over. He’s missed you.”

“Oh,
Buck
misses me.”

He walked her back to the table to say their goodbyes but paused at her car. “I’m going to run home and grab a few things. I’ll meet you at your place in about half an hour.”

He kissed her quickly. “All right. Drive careful. Oh and Beth? Buck isn’t the only Harris male who’s missed you.”

She had to force herself not to rush. It had been two weeks since they’d had anything more than stolen time. The chemistry between them was still solid, much to her relief. They’d had a few hard and fast sexual interludes, but sleeping over was different.

Waking up with him was really nice. He was big and warm, and he liked morning sex. There wasn’t any
hurry-hurry-gotta-go-soon
pressure. Just hours and hours.

She grabbed a change of clothes, her toothbrush and toiletries bag and headed over to his place.

He opened up, barefoot, all well over six feet of him looking relaxed and slightly tousled.

“Man.”

He paused, cocking his head. “What?”

She moved into the house. “You. You looking all hot and sexy. I like it.”

Buck danced over in his adorable way, yipping, his tail wagging so hard his entire back end weaved as he moved.

She knelt, pulling a treat from her pocket. “Hello, baby.” She gave it to him, bending to kiss the top of his head.

“You’re spoiling him. Every time someone knocks on the door, he thinks it’s you. And when it isn’t, he gives me a dirty look.” Joe gave her a hand up and pulled her close.

“Thanks for getting my back, Buck.”

“You have on way too many clothes.” He said this as he moved her toward the bedroom, all while unbuttoning her shirt.

“Police tend to look unkindly at driving around town naked.”

“If I’m king, I’ll change that rule.”

He pulled the shirt off, not fast, but agonizingly slow. Kissing over the skin he revealed as he went. “I’ve missed your taste so fucking much.”

She sighed happily as his lips cruised over her shoulder, across her collarbone.

He bumped her back to the bed, pulling her jeans, underpants and socks off. “Here I am, all naked in your bed. Whatever will you do to me?” She fluttered her lashes, and he laughed as he got rid of the rest of his clothes and came to join her.

“You’re so beautiful.” He kissed her lips, down her chin and neck. To her nipples, giving her the edge of his teeth until her breath came short.

She pushed him back. “You always go first. It’s my turn.”

He looked up at her, a smile on that mouth. She leaned down to take it, kissing him long and slow as she skimmed her hands all over his arms and chest.

“You’re a mighty big man, Joe Harris.” She scooted down his body. “So much of you to touch.” She licked over his ribs. “And lick.”

He groaned. “Take your time. Plenty of time to lick all you want, darlin’.”

She did just that. Licking down his belly, kissing up his thighs, getting him nice and worked up before she allowed herself to grab the base of his cock and angle it to lick around the head.

“I’m greedy for you.” She kissed him, up the length of his cock and back down. Over and over as he gripped the bedding beneath him.

“Works for me,” he managed to get out through his clenched jaw. He hissed as she sucked, hard. “Goddamn.”

She smiled, looking up his body, into his eyes as he took her in.

He let her have her way with him for some time. She drove him up slowly but surely until he barely held on with his fingernails. He hadn’t been with her, not like this, for two weeks, and he needed to be deep inside her. Needed that connection so much.

“Enough. You know what I want.”

She pulled off. “Yeah?”

“I want that sweet, hot pussy wrapped all around my cock.”

She blushed, but that didn’t stop her from crawling to his nightstand to grab a condom and suit him up.

But that wasn’t anything compared to what it felt like as she sank down on him.

“Jesus. Beth, you’re something else, but if you move even just a little bit, this will be over before I really get started.”

She put her arms above her head, stretching like a cat. He stroked over her belly, up over her breasts.

“Gonna be hard not to move when you do that,” she murmured as he tugged and rolled her nipples between his fingertips.

“You seem to like challenges.”

She laughed, bending down to kiss him. He grabbed her hips and held her in place as he pressed in deep. She made a sound against his mouth, ragged, filled with desire, and he swallowed it.

He let go with one hand, moving it to her lips. She sucked his fingers inside. “Get ’em nice and wet. I’m going to use them on your clit.”

She groaned as he took his fingers back, sliding them between his body and hers, finding her clit hard and ready. He stroked across that bundle of nerves, and she sucked in a breath, her inner walls tightening around him, sending a wave of pleasure rolling through his belly.

“Mmm, you’re close.”

She nodded as she undulated, moving her hips to take him deeper, grinding herself against his fingers at the same time.

She demanded her pleasure. There was something so amazing about that. Sexy. She wasn’t ashamed of liking sex. She made it good for him, hell yes, but she expected the same. This was about the
two
of them finding pleasure together. It got him off, but also laid him bare before her. Left him vulnerable.

He loved to watch her as she approached orgasm. Loved the way her skin pinkened, the glossy look to her eyes, the way her lips parted as her breath came shorter. Her nipples darkened.

She tightened around his cock, fluttering, so hot and wet. He was right there with her and when she flew apart, he came along for the ride. Letting the waves of sensation suck him under, his hand on her hip his anchor keeping him from floating away.