Mr. Unlucky (18 page)

“Well, I don’t want him to die, exactly. I got plans for him.”

“Ew.” Maddie winked. “You two have made the house look amazing, Adds. You ever miss living with me?”

“No.”

“Oh, thank God. I’m turning your room into a workout room. I’ve ordered a Bow Flex and a hard-core ab machine.” Maddie grinned. “Besides, Daddy Chris is going to add a little deck off the back so we can work out together.”

“Daddy’s girl.” Addie rolled her eyes, but cracked up. “Tell Dad that he can come here, drink beer and watch the puppies chase the ball while y’all are being stinky.”

“Those pups are getting big. Bodie training them to herd yet?” Maddie checked the ends of her pigtails before nodding toward the door.

“Bodie?” She snorted. “I’ve been working with them. You should see Truman go. He’s smart as a whip.”

Maggie was less so, but she was sweet and sugar and was going to be a great momma in a couple years. She was a little lazy when it came to moving cows, but hey, it was all good.

They headed out, Mads taking her truck so they could meet Bodie at the club. They’d shooed him out early to get them a table, since he wasn’t dressing up.

“What are the dads up to?”

Maddie snorted. “Do you really want to know?”

“No.” Addie put her fingers in her ears. “Lalala.”

Maddie reached over and pulled her closest finger free. “Chaps are involved.”

“Oh, God.” She pretended to gag. “I swear, if either one of them says a single thing tomorrow about bow-legged anything, I’m changing my phone number and taking Bodie to Mexico.”

“Do I get the ranch?” Maddie was already talking about how awesome Bodie’s barns were.

“You’d probably have to split it with Ty. Lyla is moving to Montana with that rodeo cowboy.”

“Wow. Good for her.” Maddie took the back road into town, and every time Addie passed that spot where Jim had waylaid them she shuddered a little. “Stop it, sister. He’s gone. Huntsville. John would tell us if he got out.”

“I know. I know. It’s just weird, huh?”

“It is. But it was also your sign that Bodie’s nuts for you. He could have gone all noble on you and decided you were better off without him or some shit, but he didn’t.”

She snorted. “I’d have kicked his ass. I’m meant for him.”

“You so are,” Maddie agreed. “And he was like an avenging angel for you.”

They finally pulled into the parking lot at the club, and Addie was glad they’d sent Bodie ahead. She hoped there were lots of bad costumes to mock, so hers won the prize.

More than anything, she hoped Bodie liked it.

They headed in, waved through without having to pay cover. It was good to be a girl, especially when Robert was at the door. There were a ton of people milling around, beer flowing freely. The townies were dressed up. The cowboys weren’t.

They got catcalls and whistles and she looked around, hunting her cowboy. Maddie slapped someone’s hand when she walked by, and Addie chuckled. She only wanted Bodie’s paws on her.

He was standing across the barroom, looking at her, mouth open, eyes bugged out.

Bingo.

Blinking, he got up and came over to her, his hands landing on her shoulders. “You’re almost naked, honey.”

“I was sort of going for, ‘wow, you look hot’.”

“You do. Smokin’ hot.” He frowned, looking around, glaring at a few guys. Then he took off his jacket, wrapped it around her shoulders.

“Bodie!” Someone just wasn’t appreciating all the work she’d gone to.

“What? You have to be cold.”

“Are my nipples hard?”

Maddie broke in to peer between them. “Yes.”

Bodie gave Maddie a stare. She backed off. “You look cold, yes,” Bodie said.

“You don’t like my costume. I even have a tail.” She turned, to show it off.

“I love it.” The heat in his eyes when she turned back to him proved it. “I’m just not sure I want these yahoos to like it too much.”

“I couldn’t care less about the yahoos. I just want to tempt you.” She pushed into his arms, let him feel her, knees to shoulders.

His arms slid around her waist under the jacket. “You can do that in a burlap sack.”

“I’m almost as tall as you in these heels.” Well, maybe not, but she was way closer with the heels than not. And what fun could they have with that?

“You are. It has possibilities.” He started moving her toward the door. Which was not the dance floor.

“We’re not going to dance?” God, he felt good against her.

“Not here, no. We’ll put on some music at home.”

“I got all dressed up and you’re not going to show me off?” She waved at Maddie, over Bodie’s shoulder, and Maddie gave her a thumbs up.

“Nope. I want my own private showing.” He hustled her out to his truck, holding her up when her heels threatened to trip her.

He popped her into the passenger’s seat, hands on her sparkly fishnets, as he leaned in to kiss her, messing up her lipstick. That was okay since he was just taking her home. She would have fussed if they were going to get food or something.

Bodie smiled, leaning his forehead against hers. “You look amazing, Addie.”

“You think so, cowboy?” She fluttered her eyelashes, loving this beautiful son-of-a-bitch with everything she had. She grabbed Bodie’s hand, slid it up her leg and under the opening of her leotard to her freshly shaved mound, watching his pupils dilate. “Take me home and I’ll give you your surprise.”

“As long as it involves you and cotton candy, I figure I’m the luckiest guy on earth.”

She chuckled. Well, it was a good thing she’d bought cotton candy at the Brookshires. Sometimes she was amazed at how much both of their luck had changed since they first met.

Addie knew it could only get even better from here.

About the Author

Texan to the bone and an unrepentant Daddy's Girl, BA Tortuga spends her days with her basset hounds, getting tattooed, texting her sisters, and eating Mexican food. When she's not doing that, she's writing. She spends her days off watching rodeo, knitting and surfing porn sites in the name of research. BA's personal saviors include her partner, Julia Talbot, her best friend, Sean Michael, and coffee. Lots of coffee. Really good coffee.

Having written everything from fist-fighting rednecks to hard-core cowboys to werewolves, BA does her damnedest to tell the stories of her heart, which was raised in Northeast Texas, but is feeling the Colorado mountains calling. With books ranging from hard-hitting GLBT romance, to fiery ménages, to the most traditional of love stories, BA refuses to be pigeon-holed by anyone but the voices in her head.

BA loves to talk to her readers and can be found at http://www.batortuga.com.

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