Man of Honor (Passion in Paradise Book 4) (45 page)

“That I’m what,
Honor?” Zeke questioned, narrowing his eyes.

“That you’ll be
reasonable about this,” Honor lied as her nails dug into her palms as she
fisted her hands at her side.  “She tried to warn me that you’d put up a fuss,
but I hoped you’d be fair here and see that I’m just going through the steps of
therapy.”  Boy, if he believed that whopper, she deserved an Academy Award, she
thought anxiously.  How was she supposed to explain to him that these dates
were supposed to help her decide if it was really Zeke she wanted or just the
idea of being around a safe man that compelled her to remain close to him? 
He’d lose his mind if he thought that.

“Who are they?” the
sheriff barked, crossing his muscular arms over his broad chest as he glared at
her.

“Who’s who?” she all
but yelped.

“These dickheads you
wanna date.  Who are they?” he growled.

“Zeke, they aren’t
di-… they’re nice men.  One is RJ Reardon – Melody Reardon’s brother.  You just
signed up for a membership over at the gym he’s opening with Melody’s fiancé,
Cal.  He’s not a di--- a jerk,” she amended quickly.  She was making huge
strides with her therapy, but she still didn’t feel comfortable using naughty
words and probably never would.

Zeke clenched and
released his fists, his nostrils flaring as he exhaled.  “You’re right,” he
admitted, lowering his voice.  “RJ isn’t a dick, but he’s not for you.  You’d
eat a guy like him for lunch, babe.  He’ll never stand up to you when it’s
important.”

“I’m not marrying
him!  Tomorrow, I’m eating a sandwich on a bench in the park with him.  Then,
we’re going to walk his sister’s dog.  End of date number one,” Honor blurted.

“I don’t like it, but
I can live with it,” Zeke finally muttered his acceptance.  “Who’s next? 

“Well, on Sunday…”

“Just a damned
minute,” Zeke exploded.  “If whoever Sunday’s date is thinks that they’re
takin’ you to church, they’ve lost their minds. 
I
take you to church,
Honor.  Only me, woman!”

“Why?” Honor asked,
silently wondering if Zeke had finally gone around the bend.  Since when did
going to church qualify as a date with
anybody
?

“You know why. 
Takin’ a woman to church is tantamount to announcing a wedding in Paradise. 
The only man that sits in a pew beside you is
me!
 You got me?”

Honor sighed
wearily.  “I get you.  Nobody but you takes me to talk to my Lord and Savior.”

“Don’t be a
smartass,” Zeke retorted, glaring at her. 

“I wasn’t,” Honor
huffed, matching his glare with one of her own.  “Before you so rudely
interrupted me, I was going to share that on Sunday
afternoon
, Hunter
Quaid is going to take me out to eat over in Knoxville at some new seafood
place.”

“For God’s sake, tell
me what in name of all hell could
you
and a tattoo artist have in
common, Honor?” Zeke spat, shaking his head.

“I don’t know,” Honor
replied, feeling as though she was being quizzed on a test for which she hadn’t
studied.  “We both own businesses.  We could discuss that!”

“Okay, RJ is a nice,
safe guy.  He sounds like he would have been Harmony’s suggestion for a date. 
Am I right?” he asked as Honor nodded.  “Uh huh.  I figured.  And Hunter… he’s
a little edgier.  A bit riskier.  But not dangerous.  Plus, Patience already
dated him so she wouldn’t suggest her leftovers to you.  So, Hunter had to be
Faith’s pick, didn’t he?”

“Yes,” Honor
acknowledged softly.

“So, that leaves
Patience.  Who’d she choose?” Zeke grilled her, propping his hands on his lean
hips as he lifted his chin and focused his intense stare on Honor.

“Maybe we should talk
about that later… like after I’ve stumbled through the first two dates,” Honor
hedged.  When he heard who her third and final date was with, in all
likelihood, she was never going to be released from her current jail.

“That bad, huh?” Zeke
grunted. 

“It’s not until
Monday, Zeke,” Honor stated dismissively.  “A lot can happen between now and
then.”

“Monday is the 4
^th
of July holiday, Honor.  Are you standing there telling me that you intend to
spend the holiday with another man?” Zeke bit out in a tone that implied that
she’d better not be stating as much.

“I…it’s an afternoon
date,” she quickly explained. 

“With who?” Zeke
clipped.

“Don’t get upset,
Ezekiel,” Honor urged worriedly.  “It’s just a couple of hours on Monday
afternoon.”

“Honor, I’m running
out of patience,” Zeke warned gravely.

“It’s Wrath!” she
blurted. 

“Wrath,” Zeke
repeated, his jaw flexing as he clenched his teeth.  “As in, the Wrath McKay
that is president of a fuckin’ motorcycle gang?”

“Actually, I think
it’s a club rather than a gang, but yes, that’s the Wrath McKay to which I was
referring.” Honor nodded. 

“No.”

The word fell harshly
from Zeke’s lips and Honor blinked slowly.  “What?”  She couldn’t have heard
him right, could she?  He didn’t just flat out deny her like he had some kind
of say in the matter, had he?

“I said, no.”

“Yeah, that’s what I
thought
you said,” Honor grumbled irritably.  “Zeke, you do realize that this isn’t
up to you, don’t you?  It’s my life, and I can spend time with anyone I
choose.  Furthermore, Wrath is a perfectly nice man who…”

“Wrath is a
hard-drinking, whore chasing son of a bitch that I wouldn’t want near my worst
enemy let alone the woman I’ve spent years being in love with.  By God, I’m
gonna kill Patience for this!  I know that little shit chose him on purpose to
get on my nerves.  Seriously, baby,” he said with a beseeching look at Honor. 
“That dick put the ass in jackass, Honor.  Not only that, but everyone in town
is aware that fucker’s had a thing for you for years.  No way in hell are you
getting anywhere near him.”

 “Wrath doesn’t have
a thing for me, Zeke.  He’s just a decent guy doing me a favor,” Honor
countered.

“Decent?  The man is
half criminal, half vigilante, and a hundred percent total pain in my ass.”
Zeke retorted.

“Then why isn’t
he
taking up space in one of your fine cells here,” Honor returned, waving her arm
toward the other empty cells.

“Because the bastard
is cunning as hell.  Plus, there are times that I might look the other way when
his actions – while illegal – are for the greater good,” he muttered. 

“So he’s a principled
villain.  Is that what you’re saying?”

Running a hand down
his face, Zeke groaned.  “Going out with Wrath sends the guy the wrong message,
Honor.”

“What message?”

“That you are
available.  When – for the record – you are
NOT
,” Zeke roared.

“It’s just a bike
ride and a picnic, Zeke,” Honor tried to reassure him, wincing when she saw his
eyes widen dramatically.

“A bike ride?  That
prick wants to put
my
fuckin’ woman on the back of his goddamned bike?”
She heard him choke as he stomped forward to grip the iron bars between them. 
And at the moment, she couldn’t give enough thanks to the Almighty that there
was a barrier standing in his way.  Otherwise, she was fairly certain those
attractive hands of his would be wrapped around her neck.

“Zeke, honey,” Honor
began gently.

“Oh, no,” he said,
wagging a finger in front of her face.  “You don’t get to call me ‘honey’ and
squirm your way out of trouble.  There is no way in this world or the next that
I will allow you to climb on the back of that asshole’s motorcycle.  I swear to
God, Honor, I will leave you in a jail cell until the Second Coming if you
think to test me on this,” he threatened, the muscle in his jaw pulsing as he
fumed at her.

“Fine,” she replied. 
“I’ll call him and ask him to bring his truck instead.  There!  See how fair I
can be?  Can I go now?”  She hadn’t wanted to ride a motorcycle anyway so
Zeke’s mandate actually worked for her.  She knew Wrath drove a great big
cherry red F250 during the winter months when the weather in the mountains
wasn’t fit for man or beast.  He could just use it to take them to the holiday
picnic celebration in the park and maybe Zeke would relax a bit. 

Breathing deeply,
Zeke stared at Honor for a long minute.  “Alright, Honor, if you’re dead set on
this, go on your fuckin’ picnic with that asshat.  But the only lips that
better touch yours at the fireworks show on Monday night are
mine.
 
Wrath can borrow you for lunch, but after that, you belong to me.  Agreed?”

“If I say yes, will
you let me out of here? Pretty please? Seriously, Zeke, it stinks in here,” she
complained unhappily, looking at the stained sheet covering the cot behind
her.  “When was the last time you laundered those sheets or mopped the floor?”
she asked, wrinkling her nose at the odor emanating from the thin bed.

Shaking his head at
her question, Zeke’s lips twitched.  “Only you would worry that even criminals
should receive some creature comforts.  But I’ll make certain that I let the
maid service know that you were more than a little displeased with the sub-par
accommodations,” he offered as he unlocked and slid open the cell door.

“Just because someone
breaks the law doesn’t mean they should have to sit in squalor until Lady
Justice decides their fate.  Honestly, it reeks in there, Ezekiel,” she
informed him primly as she stepped over the threshold of the cell.

Rolling his eyes as
he settled a hand on her lower back and guided her toward the steel double
doors separating the jail from the office area, Zeke grinned despite his
frustration at her.  “Let’s go home, Kitten.  Maybe I’ll wake up tomorrow and
all this talk of you dating anybody but me will all be a nasty dream.”

“Sorry, Zeke.  I
don’t think that’s likely to happen,” Honor replied quietly, honestly regretful
that she had upset him.  She wasn’t thrilled to go out with these men either,
but she owed it to herself to try things Bree’s way.

“A guy can hope,
Honor.   A guy can hope.”

Monday, July 4,
2016

10:45 am

Honor

“I still say that
this is complete and total bullshit.  You tell Bree that I’m thinkin’ about
suing her over these damn homework assignments.”

Honor couldn’t help
grinning as she heard Zeke’s irritated snarl coming from the next room.  “Since
you aren’t her patient, that will be a neat trick,” she returned, looking in
the mirror while she continued brushing her hair before pulling the heavy
tresses into a loose bun on top of her head.  It was July in Tennessee… and
there was no way she was wearing her hair down on this kind of muggy summer
day.  “We talked about this, Zeke.  Bree’s just trying to make sure I
experience some of the important aspects of being a young, single woman.  We
both know that up until the last several months, I wasn’t exactly open to new
experiences,” she chided, lifting her voice so she could be heard by him over
the low hum of the central air.  “Besides, it’s just for a couple of hours. 
We’ll be surrounded by people in a public park and I’ll be home in time for us
to drive over and find a good spot on the duck pond to see the fireworks,” she
reminded him, glancing over her shoulder to look into her bedroom where the
morose man sat on the side of her bed.

“No, I’ll be picking
you up from the picnic.  The man doesn’t need to drive back out here.  It’s bad
enough that he’s picking you up.”

“I know that I
haven’t done this dating thing a lot, but isn’t it customary for the man to
pick up the woman at her home?”

“Sure.  But it’s NOT
customary for a woman that’s already taken to be wandering around with other
men,” Zeke retorted.

“I’m not having that
argument with you again,” Honor declared, shaking her head as she spritzed her
wrists with a light floral perfume.

“Hell, Honor, I just
don’t want him here,” Zeke pouted, his jaw clenching as he watched her drop her
perfume back on the white porcelain vanity from his perch on the bed.  “And I
sure as hell don’t want you wearing perfume for that fucker.  If you wanna
smell sweet, you can smell sweet for me,” he growled.

“I’m wearing a scent
for
me
, Zeke,” Honor returned crisply, unable to believe her big, bad
Sheriff was acting like an immature teenager.  “In case you missed it, it’s
almost a hundred degrees outside and it’s not even noon yet.  I don’t want to
stink.”  Sighing, she dropped her hands to her hips and frowned as she looked
over her makeup supplies for her blush brush.  “Look, I can tell that today has
you on edge, but what exactly is it that you think could go wrong today?” she
asked, leaning over the bathroom vanity to search for her tube of lip gloss.

“It’s Wrath McKay,
Kitten.  Trouble is his middle name.  He doesn’t even have to look around to
find it,” Zeke griped back at her.  “I still don’t see why you have to do
this,” he continued, his voice getting louder as he moved from her bed to stand
in the open doorway of her bathroom.  “It’s not like your other two dates went
so well,” he added with a condescending smirk, meeting her eyes in the mirror
as she rubbed her lips together.

Snatching a tissue
from the box, Honor glared at Zeke’s reflection in the mirror.  “You do
not
want
to bring up my previous two attempts at dating, Sheriff Monroe.  I’m still
seriously considering filing a complaint against you with the Mayor for that
nonsense you pulled.  You put poor RJ through hell, and bless Hunter’s heart…
he may never have the courage to get behind the wheel of a car again!”

Zeke shrugged
carelessly.  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he maintained easily. 
“I wasn’t anywhere near you or your beaus when misfortune found them, m’dear.”

Honor made a sound of
disbelief.  “You might not have been present, but your fingerprints were all
over those poor boys’ bad luck.  Seriously, Ezekiel.  Having the county health
inspector show up at RJ’s gym while he was out with me?  That was tacky.”

“Can I help it if
Frank had a hole in his schedule and decided to visit Get Fit?” Zeke asked
innocently.  “I didn’t tell RJ and Cal to put in a smoothie bar, darlin’.  That
was their decision… and he made the decision to leave you sitting in the park
with the family dog and a hot dog to rush back to his gym.  Seriously, who buys
their date a hot dog for lunch?” Zeke mocked.

“I happen to like hot
dogs!” Honor huffed as she flipped on the water to wash her hands.

“If you ask me, that
whole date was doomed from the start.”

“It wasn’t doomed,
you interfering idiot, it was damned.  BY YOU!! RJ couldn’t help the way he had
to leave me and he was sorrier than he could express for having to do it, but
the poor man could hardly trot his sister’s dog into the gym with the health
inspector lookin’ for something to write him up for.  And don’t think I don’t
know that you were in the bar the night before buying that very same health
inspector that was intent on makin’ RJ’s life a living hell a beer, Ezekiel.   
That was no coincidence.  Honestly, that was just spiteful!

“Look, I can’t be
responsible for what goes on in that overactive imagination of yours.  Frank
Simmons and I have been friends for years and we happened to see each other at
the restaurant.  Contrary to your popular belief, I have no diabolical plan in
place.”

Honor snorted as she
reached for a towel and dried her wet hands.  “Fine.  Let’s say you’re innocent
of the ordeal with RJ.  I
know
you aren’t, but let’s – for the sake of
argument - just say you are.  There’s still no way that you didn’t sabotage my
date with Hunter last night.  You had him arrested, Ezekiel!”

“Actually, I didn’t
have him arrested.  I wasn’t even there,” Zeke corrected.

Honor narrowed her
eyes dangerously as she whirled to face him.  “No, you had one of your minions
doing your dirty work,” she amended with a mockery of a smile before tossing
her towel down on the sink and marching out of the bathroom, tightening the
sash on her robe as she made her way to her closet.

“If by minions, you
mean my sworn deputy that took an oath to uphold law and order, then yes,” Zeke
called as she flipped on the light inside her closet and pulled the door shut
as she began her search for a suitable outfit,  her fingers flipping quickly
through the hanging clothes.  “And I fully support Deputy Collins in his
endeavor!  He was just doing his job, Honor” She heard him vouch for the
deputy.

Snatching a pale
green sundress with bright pink flowers trimming the hem off the hanger, she
shrugged out of her robe.  “That’s just bull,” she shouted back as she pulled
the dress over her head and the hem fell to her knees. 

“How can Hunter’s
inability to pay attention to the expiration date on his car tags be my fault?”
Zeke questioned from outside the closet door.  “Then as if that wasn’t bad
enough, he compounded the sin by not having insurance.  Soooo not my fault,
Kitten,” Zeke defended himself.

Hanging her robe on
the peg on the back of her closet door, Honor fought a scream of irritation. 
“He
had
insurance, Zeke.  He just hadn’t printed his proof of insurance
out on the computer yet.  If your deputy had just let Hunter use his phone and
pull up the information, everything would have been fine.  The fact remains
that your so-called dedicated employee refused to see that it was an
unfortunate misunderstanding.  And to add insult to injury, it was a holiday
weekend and Hunter wasn’t able to get down to county clerk’s office before it
closed on Friday.  So, because of you, I spent my date sharing a bag of chips
through prison bars instead of eating a nice shrimp dinner in Knoxville.”

“Babe, you want
seafood, I’ll take you into the city tomorrow,” Zeke offered generously from
outside the closet.

Adjusting the
dreamcatcher necklace around her neck as she looked around the floor for a pair
of heels, Honor bit her lip.  Ezekiel couldn’t really be that thick could he? 
“No, I don’t want any seafood,” Honor returned tightly as she located a cute
pair of white heeled sandals and began sliding them on her small feet.  “I want
you to see that having a man arrested for the sin of agreeing to go on a date
with me is
wrong
,” she insisted, finally getting her shoes on and
straightening to jerk open the closet door and meet Zeke’s amused gaze. 
Pointing a finger at him, she growled, “You better make sure that doesn’t go on
Hunter’s permanent record, or you and I are going to have a big problem.”

Zeke smirked.  “Your
tattooed prince in dented armor is safe.  For now. Despite the fact that he
broke two very clear Tennessee laws….four, if you count the illegal lane change
and the fact that he was going seven miles over the speed limit when Jimmy
pulled his car over…. I made sure to let him off with a warning once he paid
his fine and provided proof that he maintained car insurance.  But, right now,
you and I have larger issues than who’s responsible for Hunter’s ruined outing
with you,” he informed Honor as he stared at her with gleaming eyes, his eyes
slowly sliding up and down her petite body.  “If you think I’m letting you out
of this house lookin’ good enough to eat, you’re crazy.”

Even though he was
still giving her attitude about her date, Honor’s chest warmed at his
compliment.  “It’s just a dress, Zeke.”

“Yeah, it’s just a
dress, but the body that’s filling that dress automatically makes it a work of
art.  Add in what that hair and those heels do to your legs and
my
dick,
and I don’t think I want another man seeing this outfit.”

“Well, it started
off
 sweet, but still you managed to aggravate the heck out of me,” Honor mused
aloud, shaking her head as his gaze turned predatory and he took another step
closer to her, his hand lifting to finger the necklace around her neck.

“At least you’re
wearing my jewelry,” he muttered as he looked down at where the pendent rested
against the hollow of her throat.

“I haven’t taken it
off since you gave it to me, Zeke,” Honor shared quietly as the grandfather
clock in the living room seemed to tick loudly in the otherwise silent house. 
Even the air conditioner had gone silent, and the moment between her and Zeke
felt supercharged with the kind of sexual chemistry she’d only read about in
books.

“Goddamn, you never
fail to steal my breath when you look at me with those soft blue eyes of
yours,” Zeke admitted roughly, his hand lifting to cradle her cheek while his
lips descended.  “I need that mouth under mine,” he growled hungrily a split
second before he covered her lips with his.

Moaning softly into
his mouth, Honor met his kiss eagerly, rising on her tiptoes to press her lips
against his.  Over the last couple of nights, she might have spent time with
other men, but it was Zeke’s lips she came home to each night, and she couldn’t
deny that she was rapidly becoming addicted to his slow drugging kisses.  His
touch had become familiar, and she felt more comfortable in his arms with every
passing day.  “Zeke,” she breathed as he gently dragged his lips from her mouth
down her neck.  “I love the way you kiss me,” she confided shakily as his lips
sucked at the pounding pulse point just below her ear and his tongue licked her
flesh erotically.

“Then stay home with
me and I’ll kiss you anywhere you want, Honor.  I’ll touch you any way you
like… all afternoon long.  It’s about time I see how long I can make you purr,
isn’t it?” Zeke rasped, gently biting the column of her neck and grinning when
she gasped and shivered against him, her head automatically turning toward him
as her mouth searched for his.

Honor’s breasts ached
as she pressed herself against Zeke’s hard body.  Pulling his shirt from his
jeans, she slid her hands underneath and ran her fingers against the hard
ridges and contours of his chest. 

“That’s it, baby. 
Touch me,” Zeke urged between deep wet kisses.  “That’s my brave girl,” he
praised as her hand became more adventurous, wandering higher on his skin until
she reached his flat brown nipples.  A raw groan crawled up Zeke’s throat as
her fingertips delicately stroked him.  Cupping her round firm bottom in his
hands, he lifted her against him and growled as her legs automatically wrapped
around his waist and her ankles locked at the small of his back.  Pressing her
against the hard bulge hidden behind his jeans, he swallowed the startled cry
from her lips, before lifting away from her lips to soothe her.  “It’s just me,
Kitten,” he whispered against her damp parted lips as he turned to lean her
slender body against the wall.  Grinning when her legs tightened around his
middle and her arms circled his neck, he whispered.  “It’s just us.  Together
the way we should be, baby.  Stay here with me.”

Honor’s head thumped
against the wall as she heard his husky demand.  Leaning her head back to stare
at Zeke with dazed eyes, she moaned when he moved his head to nibble at her
collar bone.  “I can’t.  You know I can’t.  I made a commitment to see this
therapy thing through.  It’s just one more date, and then it’s done,” she
whimpered as his tongue traced the line of her cleavage.  Her dress wasn’t low
cut by any means, but Ezekiel had a wickedly talented mouth and anywhere he
touched made her feel as though she’d been branded as his.    Even now goosebumps
were popping up all over her flesh.