Lone Star Burn: Love On Tap (Kindle Worlds Novella) (10 page)

“So tell me, what does it feel like to ride a bull?” Jennie asked, and suddenly realized the question could be taken two ways, since Boomer was such a big man.

“The two-legged one is a hunk and the four-legged one is a challenge. I’m only going to take a sip of wine.” Loretta patted her stomach and offered a tender smile. “I won’t be doing any drinking or bull riding for a while. Boomer and I are going to have a baby.”

“That is so fantastic. I’m so happy for you.”

“At least Boomer will be around for this baby. Manuel’s father got me pregnant and then took off. I heard he was killed in a head-on collision four years ago. He was driving under the influence. The couple in the other car was also killed. Supposedly there was a child in the back seat, but he survived, thank God.

“Manuel is crazy about Boomer and vice versa. We’re getting married next month. Will you still be here?”

“No, I can’t stay. I have a new job and a new life waiting for me in Pennsylvania.”

“That’s a shame, because you and Grayson are perfect together. It’s obvious that Mathew loves you, too. How are you going to walk away from the man you love?”

“I don’t know.” Jennie looked at her reflection in the glass of wine. She still had Princess Leia buns on either side of her head. “I really don’t know.”

Neither man had ever heard of a sugar high, and worked hard to corral the boys, who wanted to re-enact scenes from the movie with their pretend bubble lasers that were supposed to be handed out as a thank-you gift when they went home after breakfast. Gray and Boomer were beside themselves when the boys had a bubble fight in the living room. The kids were far from intimidated by Boomer’s large size or Gray’s authoritative commands to settle down. The bouncer announced he’d take on the customers at the Roadhouse anytime. By three a.m., the last kid finally fell asleep, and so did the two exhausted chaperones.

Mathew was up at seven and went into his room to get Tiger. He wasn’t exactly quiet, and one by one, the boys started waking up and drifted into Matt’s bedroom to play with all the cool toys.

Grayson sat up, feeling like death warmed over. He wasn’t accustomed to sleeping on a hard floor, and his back was killing him, despite the thickness of the sleeping bag. He looked around the room. All the sleeping bags were empty. Immediate panic set in as he wondered if the rabble-rousers had been carried off by aliens, until he heard the noise of Mathew’s remote control helicopter. He looked up and immediately ducked when a pair of rotary blades whizzed by, almost clipping him in the head.
Damn kids.

The commotion woke up Boomer, and he opened his eyes to see a remote control Hummer headed for his face. He jumped up and away from the fast-moving toy.
Damn kids.

Gray’s foggy, awakening brain heard female giggling and knew it wasn’t mischievous boys. He untangled his legs from the sleeping bag and pushed himself up from the floor. Jennie and Loretta were on the other side of the counter, laughing. Both held remote controls in their hands.

“Boomer, get yours! I’m getting mine!”

Neither man ducked when the remotes flew toward their heads.

Jennie squealed when Grayson took her in his arms, swung her around, and planted a quick, punishing kiss on her lips. All laughter died when he lifted his mouth away and she saw what she didn’t want to see. When his mouth slowly lowered again with a much deeper kiss, she felt what she didn’t want to feel, but it was there. It was there and very real.

Her heart was breaking and crying silent tears because she had to leave. She couldn’t stay to love him. But this was here and now. She’d let herself enjoy this beautiful fantasy till she had to walk away. Jennie wrapped her arms around his neck. She poured her heart into his loving kiss.

Two throats being cleared drew them back to reality.

“You better find that time and place, real quick,” Loretta said.

Monday morning, Gray met with his brewmaster at the Roadhouse to discuss a new beer he’d like to introduce this summer. He loved this part of the business, but hated the endless paperwork and continuous marketing to introduce his new brews. With one phone call, all his headaches would go away. His father’s company produced beers throughout the United States and had a great marketing team at Gray’s disposal, considering he was on the board and held a great deal of stock in the parent company. But he didn’t need his father. The microbreweries were Gray’s babies. He had one more to set up, in Laurel Heights, Pennsylvania. Mathew had stayed with Loretta and Boomer while he spent three weeks there in December, and liked what he saw. The town was quaint, the people very friendly, and Matt would love the four seasons, especially snow. First he had to make the adoption permanent.

When his cell phone rang, he answered it immediately, recognizing the caller ID for Mathew’s caseworker.

“Ms. Dimple, tell me you have a date for my final visitation.”

“That’s exactly why I’m calling, Mr. Wolff. The agency got a disturbing phone call regarding a woman with loose morals living at your home.”

“I beg to differ with you, Ms. Dimple, but the only woman living at my home is my housekeeper.” Grayson silently cursed Burt Springer’s soul to hell.

“That is why I have scheduled your final visitation on Thursday. We will be there at ten in the morning. Please make yourself available. I will also need to interview your housekeeper.”

“She’ll be available. It won’t be just you?”

“No. Your father has requested two of his lawyers be present.”

“What kind of bullshit is this? My father has nothing to do with this adoption!”

“Mr. Grayson, I don’t appreciate you using foul language. After all, we’re dealing with a great deal of money if this adoption becomes final.”

“What do you mean if? How do you know how much money is involved?”

“According to your father, he’s been getting reports firsthand from an undisclosed female about your loose behavior and what is actually going on in your home.”

“Now I know he’s blowing smoke. Ms. Dimple, come hell or high water, this adoption will be finalized this week. See you Thursday.”

Gray was furious. Who the hell was reporting back to his father? Then he recalled the note from Springer:
You’re dipping your wick into a backstabbing slut.
Jennie would never betray him. She had nothing to gain. Besides, they hadn’t done anything wrong, other than to steal kisses and make love with their clothes on. They’d never put Mathew at risk, and had a house full of chaperones during his birthday party weekend.

He had to get out of here, and sent off an email to the office staff at the brewery that he’d be working from his home office.

On the way home, he racked his brain trying to figure out who was reporting to his father. He should have been on the phone with his old man, calling him out, but it would have given him too much satisfaction that Grayson was feeling his father’s manipulative screws.

Was he that intent on stopping this adoption? Simon Wolff never forgave his daughter for running off with a lowly musician, according to his father. When they never married and had a baby, he declared the child illegitimate and Mathew would never be entitled to the Wolff billions. His father was the loser. He had a wonderful grandson with the Wolff name. Grayson was past the age of being a parent, so Mathew was Simon’s only grandchild. The only one Gray felt sorry for was his mother. It broke her heart that her only daughter had run off and severed all communication with her family.

He parked his truck and went up the front walk. A smile filled his face. Jennie had taken the old boots from the shed and used them for decorations. One was attached to a fence post in the rear yard. The second adorned his front door and held an assortment of dried flowers.

He stepped inside and caught the scent of lemon. Everything was neat and clean. You would never know the house had been overrun by crazy ten-year-olds the day before. Jennie and Loretta had set up the food on the counter, and the kids helped themselves to breakfast sandwiches, home fries, watermelon fingers, and chocolate milk. The children were reluctant to leave when their parents picked them up, saying it was the best party they’d ever been to. They all wanted a Star Wars party like Ms. Jennie made.

He headed toward his office and heard the shower running in her bathroom. The words in Springer’s note played around in Grayson’s mind, but his conscience warned,
Don’t do it.
Jennie had never talked about her personal life. He didn’t even know what she did for a living or where she was headed when she left here. Remembering she was leaving generated a pain around his heart. How in God’s name he was going to let her go, he didn’t know. It was going to break Mathew’s heart, too.

Don’t do it,
his conscience repeated when he walked into her bedroom. Her purse was on the dresser, and he pulled out her wallet to look at her driver’s license. It listed an address in Oregon. That told him absolutely nothing other than to confirm her name.

He replaced the wallet and accidentally knocked the purse to the floor. A metal card holder fell out and a few professional cards escaped. He picked one up and his heart almost stopped when he read her name.
Dr. Jennifer Reynolds, Ph.D. Child Psychologist, Behavioral Specialist. American Board of Professional Psychology.

He used the dresser to support his stunned body. Son of a bitch! She was the spy reporting to his father! She’d played up to him to get to Mathew! The pain around his heart increased from her betrayal. He needed answers now! Gray stormed into the bathroom and shoved back the shower curtain.

“You bitch! Who the hell are you and what are you really doing here?”

Chapter 8

The warm spray felt good against her tired muscles. They’d straightened up after the party, but today she made sure the house was sparkling clean. She had to remember to add more cleaning products on the list she was making for the new housekeeper.

This time next week she’d be gone. The depressing thought had been plaguing her all day. The fine spray of water camouflaged the tears streaming down her cheeks. Grayson and Mathew were permanently embedded in her heart. She’d lied when she told Grayson she’d never met another man who made her heart go pitter-patter, and she’d already accepted the fact that she would spend the rest of her life alone. Fate had laughed at her and sent her in another direction when she got off at the wrong exit.

Grayson Wolff, her gray wolf, was the man of her heart, her first and only love. She wanted him, but she wanted it all, love and a lifetime of happiness, someone to grow old with, hold hands with on a park bench and reflect on the happy memories they’d made together. The tears flowed harder for the things that could never be. She closed her eyes and applied the shampoo to her wet hair.

“You bitch! Who the hell are you and what are you really doing here?”

The demand in Grayson’s voice overshadowed the sound of water beating on the top of her head. She turned in the direction of the voice and let the stream wash away the soap from her hair. Why the hell was he invading her shower? When she blinked away the water from her lashes, a storm of anger-filled gray eyes stared back at her.

“Who are you? The shower police? Am I using too much hot water?” She grabbed the small facecloth and held it up in front of her breasts like an outraged virgin caught in the nude.

“You bitch!”

“I’ve been known to be one every now and then, but you’ve called me that already. Stop repeating yourself and tell me what gives you the right to invade my shower.”

She felt like an idiot holding up the itsy-bitsy facecloth, and threw it in the tub filled with an inch of water. When he remained mute and just stared at her with fury-filled eyes, she grabbed the shower nozzle, turned off the hot water, and directed it at him.

“What the hell is your problem?”

The cold water shocked his churning anger, and he reached in and turned the water off. Water ran down his face and he was soaked to the skin. He didn’t see a beautiful naked woman, but someone who’d used and betrayed him.

“That’s the way you want to play?” He kicked off his shoes and drew off his wet shirt before tugging off his wet trousers and briefs. He stepped into the tub and forcefully compelled her wet body against the tiles, not caring soapy water was running down her face. “How much did he pay you?” The rage in his voice echoed throughout the shower enclosure.

“Are you crazy? Get out of here!”

“We’re not leaving here until you tell me the truth!”

“How can I answer you when I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about?”

Gray opened his fisted hand to show her the soggy card and held it up to her face. “
Dr. Jennifer Reynolds, Child Psychologist
.” He enunciated every part of her name. “I repeat my question. How much is my father paying you to spy on me?”

“Absolutely nothing, you crazy bastard!”

This wasn’t supposed to happen—not like this, anyway. What else was he supposed to think, she reasoned. In his mind, she posed a threat to his plan to adopt Mathew. Before leaving, she’d planned to tell him the truth. Some of her anger drained away.

He expected her flat-out denial, but didn’t anticipate the fervor in her voice that fed the ever-present heat
that tormented his body. He adjusted his legs and impaled his male strength against her exquisite naked form. This was the moment he’d dreamed about, seeing, touching, feeling sweet Jennie, but not in resentment. He hated and loved her at this very moment.

“You’re a teasing bitch,” he spat, and lowered his mouth to devour her glistening wet lips. He tasted soap, but the richness of her mouth was everything he craved. She was an addiction, his addiction. His tongue prodded and she opened her mouth to let him in to taste the inner Jennie. Their mutual moans filled the enclosure while tongues dueled; not in punishment, but in sensuous exploring.

The weight of her wet girls filled his cupped hands and his thumbs danced around hardened points. “Jennie, my sweet Jennie,” he rasped. He dove to capture one aroused tip and drew it into his mouth. His tongue replaced his thumb and repeated the dance.

Jennie didn’t care what his problem was; all she knew was that he was kissing her senseless and she was being pinned by his hard, beautiful body. His lips were drawing on her breast so hard that it hurt, but she didn’t care. His suckling piqued the burning between her thighs. His anger had turned to determined lust, the desire they’d been trying to keep at bay.

Her back and arms were pressed flat against cold tiles, but her skin was blazing hot. She moved her hands between them and cupped his balls, which were brimming
and tight. Her other hand
took hold of his iron-stiff thickness and felt him surge from her flexing fingers.              

The ache in her clit was unbearable, and she couldn’t determine if she was soaking wet from the shower or the need for him to fulfill his promise he would make love to her before she went home. This wasn’t what she’d had in mind, but she wasn’t about to wait any longer.

She moved her hands to the back of his head and didn’t care that he winced when she yanked the leather from his wet hair. All that thick, healthy darkness cascaded to meet her seeking hands, and her fingers owned and gripped the long length. “Grayson Wolff, we’re not leaving here until I feel the power of that dragon breathing fire inside me.”

The determination in her voice was his undoing. The answers could wait. “We’re doing this here and now. Put your arms around my neck.” Gray moved his hands to the back of her knees. “Come on, baby, wrap those beautiful legs around my hips. Like the other night, we’re going for a ride, only this time, we’ll be flesh to flesh.” She’d barely locked her ankles around him when he plunged into her sweetness. To complete their union, he laid claim to her delicious mouth.

When he finally withdrew, emotions were running too high for them to speak. He hoped to God he hadn’t hurt her. He’d entered her with excessive force, so unlike him. Once inside, he went a little mad and couldn’t stop. He needed to make it last. Their mutual desire for each other exploded.

Gray turned on the warm water and applied the soap to her sated body with his hands, being extra careful between her legs. When he was done, he knelt in front of her and kissed away the soreness he’d inflicted on her lower lips.

Tears filled her eyes from the fingertips that moved quietly over her body, and she smoothed the wet hair on the top of his head. This had been the most beautiful and wildest experience in her life. He’d been a little rough, but she didn’t mind in the least. She liked seeing the wild side of her gray wolf. When her climax came to a head, she bit his tongue.

Jennie wasn’t prepared to have him lift her into his arms and carry her wet body to his bedroom. He gently placed her on top of his bedspread and went to pull way, but she held him back. “Don’t go. Please, one more time.”

“I don’t want to hurt you.” He could barely speak from the explosive emotions gripping his throat.

“You won’t. I need to feel my gray wolf inside me one more time.”

Gray didn’t need a second invitation, and knelt between her open thighs. He played and gently stroked to stir her inner fire. When her thighs began to quiver, he lifted her long legs over his shoulders and put his hands under her cheeks. He held back and didn’t plunge, but made his entry smooth, controlling his thrusts with a creamy, frictionless pace. Her inner walls tightened around him, coaxing him to increase his speed. When the pressure built to a frenzied peak, he shot his liquid fire into her. Their heartbeats melded and he felt the quaking tremors in her body. His ears were filled with her scream that echoed throughout the empty house.

The chill in the room and their damp bodies caused goose bumps to rise on Jennie’s arms and legs. She shuddered once and gave him a sheepish smile.

“Any chance we can get a couple of towels in this hotel?”

“That’s what I was going to do when this crazy lady begged me to make love to her one more time.” He couldn’t resist, and lowered his head to nip at her breast. He went to leave, but Jennie took his hand.

“I swear I have not betrayed you. I don’t know and have never met your father.”

His heart knew she was telling the truth. “Good enough, but we still have to talk.”

After they dried off, Gray passed her a Wolff’s Roadhouse t-shirt and he put on a pair of briefs. “If you lie naked in my bed, we’ll never talk, and we have to get this over with before Mathew comes home. Since I literally attacked you in the shower, I’ll apologize for calling you a bitch numerous times.”

“I called you a bastard, so I’ll also apologize. Do me a favor. Stop sitting on the side of the bed and get under the covers with me. I promise not to attack you.”

“Better,” he said when he got in beside her.

“No, this is better,” she said, lifting his arm, and bringing it around her shoulders.

“So you’re some big child psychologist?” he started.

“That’s what my card says. I started out teaching gym to kids in middle school, then high school. I ran all the afterschool activities and enjoyed working with the kids. While I taught, I want back to school and got my doctorate. I went into private practice for a while, but then I got an offer to help establish a nonprofit foundation for children with physical disabilities. It was great until someone helped themselves to a hundred thousand dollars. I was exonerated but chose to leave. That was six months ago. My new job will be director of another nonprofit organization that will run a community and recreation center. Along with my directorship, I have to schmooze people with deep pockets to support the center.”

“That doesn’t tell me what took you in my direction.”

Jennie laced their fingers together. “You asked me before if your father sent me, and I told you the truth. I don’t know and have never met him. Your mother asked me to look into the situation.”

Gray pulled away and stared directly at her. “My mother?”

“She wants to get to know her grandson and doesn’t care what your father says or does. It’s crazy the way fate works out. Our mothers met at a fundraiser for the marine institute where my father works. They became fast friends. When your mother found out I was headed this way, she sent me an email and asked if I would stop in Fort Mavis to see what I could find out about Mathew. As you know, I did wind up here, but never dreamed I’d become your housekeeper.”

“Why didn’t you just come out and tell me who you were?”

“Your mother asked me to keep my identity to myself. I was also afraid you would resent me before I could make a fair assessment of you and Matt.”

“Did we pass?”

“Grayson, you are the best dad to Mathew, and he loves you unconditionally. I can’t understand what’s holding up this adoption.”

A tear filled Gray’s eye. “I can’t believe you just said that.”

“What?”

“You called me a dad. Technically, I’ll be his dad when this adoption is finalized, which brings me to something very important. The caseworker called today and said they received disturbing information about me living in sin with a blond-haired hussy. According to Ms. Dimple, my father has a female informant who reports back to him on my lustful activities.”

“What! That’s a load of bullshit. I am really getting tired of people referring me to as a blond-haired hussy with loose morals. Who’s reporting back to your father?”

“At first I thought it was you.” When she gave him a murderous scowl,
he quickly added,
“I know it isn’t you. I wasn’t totally honest about the note Springer left. He implied I was sleeping with a backstabbing spy. I now realize he only said that to drive a wedge between you and me.”