Dallas [Wolfe Brothers 3] (Siren Publishing Classic) (7 page)

“You aren’t seeing him.”

“Dallas, you can’t stop me if that’s what I want to do.” She picked up her laptop. “I’ve decided that I’m going home. I can pack there and go out of town for a week or so. By that time, Craig will have gotten over his mad spell, and you’ll have the added benefit of me not being in your hair.”

He didn’t talk, merely grabbed her elbow as he led her out of the building and to his truck. Instead of heading to her house though, he drove to Yuma’s condo that he’d moved into. It was a gated community, and he had to use his identification card to get inside. As he pulled up to the front door, she looked at him as if he was crazy!

“I told you I wanted to go home, Dallas.” She folded her arms over her chest, crossed her legs, and waited impatiently for him to listen. Instead, he slammed the truck door and walked to her side. He opened the door, unbuckled her seat belt, and threw her over his shoulder.

“Shut up. Don’t say another damned word!” He slammed his hand across her ass as he walked up onto the doorstep. After a quick fumble with the keys, he toted her inside and dumped her on the sofa. “Wait here. Don’t freaking move a muscle.” Each word was stated from between clenched teeth.

She decided it would be in her best interest that she listen to him this time. She waited as he pulled her belongings into the building then slammed and locked the door. He was still fuming when he came to sit in front of her on the sofa. He tossed her the pharmacy bag.

“Oh, thanks. I’m sure I’ll find someone who wants to use them when I go out of town.” She’d never notice that tic in the side of his face, but there it was. It sounded as if he was gritting his teeth.

“Those were the condoms I should have used last night.”

“All of them? Don’t you think you’re overestimating your stamina? I mean, you aren’t a kid anymore.”

“I didn’t use a condom last night, dammit!”

Her eyes widened for a second as she took in what he said. A slow smile crept across her face. “Well, you know. It’s my body—my problem. There’s nothing you need to worry about.”

“Excuse me?”

“If I’m pregnant, I’ll deal with it. I have insurance.”

“So you’d abort it?” He was incredulous. First, he never thought she would get an abortion. Secondly, the idea pissed the hell out of him.

“Well, no, but I’m not going to demand that you marry me either. Some of the girls I went to college with are single moms, and they do fine. So will I,
if
I’m pregnant. This isn’t exactly my most fertile time.” She didn’t add that it was damned close though. Her voice softened as she smiled at him. “Don’t be worrying about things that may or may not happen.”

He continued to glare at her. “Until you find out whether you are pregnant or not, I don’t want you seeing other men.”

“What? Just because I see a man doesn’t mean I’m screwing him, you jackass!” She looked for something to throw at him. He really deserved it!

“I don’t care whether you would or not.” The tic was back. “You’re not going to fuck McCajah.”

“Who died and left you God!” She stood to leave. “You don’t own me, you bastard! If I want to fuck someone, I don’t need your permission to do so!”

She may have made it five steps to the door, but he caught her before she flipped the first lock open. “I’m gonna own this pussy,” he declared under his breath as he pushed her against the door with his hard body. “I’m going to own your ass, too.” He pulled her hands above her head as he thrust his cock against her butt.

“Dallas, thanks for the offer, but I’m tired of your indecisiveness.” She stiffened her body against him. “You say you don’t want me, then you’re going to own me. Last night you wanted to fuck, this morning it was a mistake.”

“Excuse me?”

“It’s simple. I’d rather not mess with you anymore. If you’ll take me home, I’ll be more than happy to get out of your hair. That way, you’ll be happy.”

“So you can call McCajah?”

“Well, I hadn’t really thought about it, but if I want to, then yes.”

He shoved away from her and didn’t look back as he went to the master bedroom and slammed the door shut. He needed space. He didn’t understand the jealousy. He didn’t understand the panic he’d felt this morning when he’d first gotten up and seen her sleeping in his arms, but even worse yet was the panic he felt when he thought of her with someone else. He needed to get a grip on himself before he could deal with her. She was right, he decided, he’d been giving mixed signals.

If he was honest, he’d have admitted that he wanted her seven years ago. Only his friendship with her brother had kept her off limits. Add the fact that at the time, he hadn’t been ready to settle down.

He didn’t see the younger girl that she’d been anymore. Now he saw the woman he could picture spending the rest of his life with. And that thought in itself scared the living shit out of him.

Cristal roamed around the condo. She found a spare bedroom and placed her belongings inside. She resisted the urge to call a taxi and slip outside the condo. It wasn’t going to solve anything. With her luck, he’d just freaking follow her to her home.

After lying down on the spare bed, she listened to her voice mail messages. She had a couple from friends at work, checking up on her, but she also had a couple from Craig. In the first one, he was ranting and raving about how she had screwed up his life and needed to answer his text messages. In the second, he was calmer and apologized for his inappropriate behavior. He politely asked if she would be willing to call him so they could set up a time when they could get together and talk.

She held off on it. It wasn’t that she wasn’t a trusting person, but with everything that was going on, she didn’t want to even think about having to deal with that by herself. When Dallas calmed down, she’d ask him about it to get his opinion. On a whim, she put McCajah’s number in her cell’s contact list then fell asleep as she hugged a pillow.

During his alone time, Dallas came to a couple decisions. Number one, as much as he enjoyed his freedom, he wasn’t letting her go. No, he had to be honest with himself, he couldn’t let her go. Number two, he had to convince her that he did care. Number three, she needed to quit trying to top him from the bottom, or she wouldn’t be able to sit down for a while.

He went to the living room but couldn’t find her and immediately began to worry that she had slipped out while he was having a fit. He kept his calm as he checked the other rooms. He found her in the guest room with her bags piled inside. He didn’t lose his temper, but he took those bags into his room. He’d change her mind about her sleeping quarters when she got up from her nap.

With his tummy rumbling, he went to the kitchen. After throwing some steaks into the microwave to defrost, he picked up a beer and took a long swig. He heard music playing and went in search of the sound. He found it. Her cell phone was playing a lonesome song as it alerted her that someone was ringing. She sleeps like the dead, he thought as he grabbed the phone.

“Hello?”

“Is this Cristal?”

“You’ve got the right number, but who is this?”

“I’m a coworker,” a nasally voice informed him. “We had a slight disagreement, and I overreacted. I just want to apologize to her.”

“Ledbetter?” Dallas couldn’t believe the asshole had the gall to actually call Cristal. His fingers tightened dangerously around the phone.

“Well, yes. Is this her brother?” Craig asked him as Dallas walked out of the guest room. There was no way he was going to be able to be quiet about this.

“No, you son of a bitch! This is your worse fucking nightmare! If you come near her again, I will personally break every damned bone in your puny little body,” Dallas threatened the other man. “You don’t fucking touch what is mine. When I find you, and trust me, I
will
, you’d better have your insurance paid up—you’re going to need it.”

“There’s no need to get all pissy with me! She deserved it. Just like every other damned woman, she couldn’t keep her mouth closed!” The sniveling wimp tried to plead his case, but Dallas wasn’t ready to let it go.

“You already fucked up when you dared to touch my woman.” Dallas’s voice had lowered to a deadly level. “Don’t think I’ll let you hurt her again.”

“You think you could you really stop me if I wanted to hurt her?” Craig sounded even stupider than Dallas had originally thought.

“Oh yeah. I know I could. It would be in your best interest to get out of town before I come looking for you. I have contacts.”

“Sure you do! Let me guess, you’re in contact with the mafia!” Craig’s laugh was short-lived.

“Yeah, I am. Would you like to meet with my associates?” Okay, well, he only knew them through his brother Reno’s girlfriend. She’d found out that her real father was part of “the family,” but what the hell, if it got that loser to leave town, all the better for Cristal. He noticed that the line was dead but didn’t bother to call the asshole back.

Instead, he banged around the condo. His anger was almost tangible. He needed something to do. He finished the last of his beer and reached for another. He went to his laptop and realized that he had an e-mail from Reno. According to what his brother had found on Craig Ledbetter, the man shouldn’t be allowed to walk the streets. He had several prior arrests for physical abuse against women, but the charges had all been dropped by the victims.

He responded back to his brother, relaying the conversation he’d had with Craig. He’d just hit the send button when he heard her behind him. “Hey, sweetness, come here.” He set the laptop down and held his arms out for her.

Cristal looked at him wearily. What the hell was he up to? Where was her phone? She knew she’d had it with her when she lay down. “What’s going on?” When she didn’t readily move closer to him, he surprised her by yanking her over the sofa and into his arms.

“I’m sorry I was an ass.” He brushed his lips against hers softly. “I’d love to tell you that I’d never let it happen again, but I don’t want to lie to you.”

“Have aliens taken the real Dallas?” She didn’t realize that she’d uttered those words until she heard him laugh.

“It’s me. You had a call while you were sleeping.” He nuzzled her neck. “I answered it for you.”

“Okay. I had some texts I was going to ask you about as well. Craig contacted me. He’s texted me a few more times, and left several voicemail messages.”

“He called you again. That’s who the call was from. I suggested that he may want to leave town, but who knows if he’ll listen to me.”

“Good. So I can go home now.”

“No, I don’t want you to go home.” He slid his hand under her shirt but just rested it against her torso. “I don’t think it’s safe for you yet.”

“I’m sure that the bully got the idea, Dallas. I know that you’ve got better things to do than have me hanging around your neck like a noose.” She didn’t understand his mood. Where had the angry man from earlier gone? Why was he suddenly wanting her to hang around with him? She needed to get back home and away from him so she could think again.

“Maybe you need to consider something else?”

Oh Lord, what the heck had he considered this time? “And what would that be, Dallas?”

“That if you really want to learn about the BDSM lifestyle, I will teach you.”

“Dallas, I’ve been enough of a problem for you lately. There is absolutely no reason to punish you anymore with my company.” She tried to move, but he only held her closer to him.

“You aren’t a problem, and I’ve never been punished with your company.” He slid his hands up until her shirt was over her head. “I’d like to punish you for thinking that way, but I know that’s partly my fault, too.” His long fingers finagled until he had unclasped her bra. He tossed the garment over his shoulder.

“Why are you doing this? Or saying this?”

“Seven years ago, this beautiful woman-child followed my every move. Her older brother was my best friend, and I would have done anything for him. Even if it meant leaving that woman alone.”

“Ry…?”

“We both knew you had to grow up, and you needed to live a little and to find out if what you really wanted was me.” His fingers lightly traced over her nipples. “I never meant to be so cruel to you.” He pinched one of the tips lightly. “I never knew you would take it to heart the way you did.” He sighed as he settled her back against his chest. “And then, last night, fuck, baby. It scared the hell out of me.”

“What did?”

“You, the way you make me feel.” He traced his fingers across her torso. “What you make me want.”

She gasped against him. “What do I make you want?”

“Forever.” He pushed her head back into the crook of his arm and sealed his mouth to hers. His tongue thrust inside, rubbing against hers and eliciting a response that she couldn’t hide. Her fingers massaged his thighs through the rough denim material. He lifted his mouth from hers gently and stroked her hair away from her face.

“I don’t understand. Are you just worried that I’m pregnant?”

“No, sweetness, I’m not worried about it anymore.”

“Ry?”

“Your brother told me to give you time to grow up, and I did it for him. You’ve had that time to experience all you wanted to. In the process, I hurt you. I’m sorry about that, but I had to keep my promise to your brother.”