Justice Reborn (Cowboy Justice Association Book 8) (15 page)

“Let’s try if I come at you from the front,” Evan suggested, wiping his sweaty brow with the hem of his t-shirt and showing off ridiculously ridged abs that were sprinkled with a dark treasure trail to the waistband of his cargo shorts. The skin was smooth and golden and her fingers itched to run themselves up and down the flesh, eliciting a moan or groan of pleasure.

Except that she could barely move, let alone run her hands over his impressive physique.

“Because coming at me from behind worked so well,” Josie muttered, bracing herself for the attack. “Clearly I’m a lover, not a fighter. I should be playing the guitar and singing folk songs somewhere with flowers in my hair.”

Evan threw back his head and laughed, the sound rich, deep, and more than pleasant. He made happiness look good. “I didn’t know you played guitar. I do too. I’d love to hear you sometime.”

That was only one of her problems.

“I don’t, actually. Can’t carry a tune in a bucket either but I’m better at that than this. I suck at this. Are you ready to give up on me?”

“I am not,” Evan replied promptly. “You’re retaining more than you think. The fact is you shouldn’t be able to win a struggle with me because I’ve been trained in the military and then in law enforcement. If you could whip my ass I would be a piss poor example of my former profession, so it’s all right that you’re struggling. I expected it and it’s okay.”

“What if they’ve been trained too?”

“It won’t be like this in reality. I have the advantage of knowing you’re going to fight back so I’m thinking ahead of countermeasures. These guys? They probably think you’ll struggle a little bit and then give up. They won’t expect you to kick them in the nuts or break their nose. That will be a surprise. And that’s all you need, honey. Just surprise them and then run like hell.”

Another issue.

“I’m out of shape,” she admitted, feeling completely useless. “Running for exercise has never been high on my list of activities to do for fun. I’ve tried and usually give up before the first mile.”

“What you lacked was a powerful motivator. Someone chasing you who wants to injure or kill you can be that motivator. I guarantee you will run farther and faster than you ever have in the past.”

Part of her wanted to smack that smirk right off Evan’s handsome face and the other part of her wanted to hug him for making her laugh when all she wanted to do was cry. Anyone else would have turned her ass in, but not only had he believed her when she said she was innocent he’d decided to protect her. Totally above the call of duty and she was more than grateful. She was humbled. She had friends back in D.C. who probably wouldn’t have done all that he had.

It made him that much more attractive and he didn’t really need the help. In the middle of all this chaos, he was constantly on her mind when she should be thinking about other things. Like staying alive.

“Are you speaking from experience?” she teased. “Is there a story behind this?”

“Baby, there’s always a story. Maybe I’ll tell you a few when we’re done here. Now are you ready?”

As ready as she’d ever be. She was no badass but she’d try. For him.

“Bring it on. I’m feeling exceptionally macho right now.”

Josie didn’t feel that way for long. A half hour later she had melted into a puddle of sweat and grime, only wanting a bath and a strong shot of whiskey. He’d taught her about all the weak spots on the human body and how to exploit them. The only thing she had to worry about now was if the bad guys knew them as well.

Sprawled on her belly in the grass, she moaned softly at the aches and pains she’d garnered today. Dirt stuck to her skin and she needed an IV to replace the fluids she’d lost, but at the moment she didn’t care enough to move. Dying right here seemed like a good plan. It was a good place to leave the world.

Of course, Evan simply wouldn’t give her a moment’s peace. All the wonderful fuzzy thoughts she’d had about him earlier in the day were gone and instead she wanted to rip his throat out. He was keeping her from shutting out the world and she was fucking annoyed. If she could even lift her pinkie finger she’d punch him but she was in too much pain. Between the horseback riding and now the fighting she was done for.

“Josie? Josie?” His hand shook her shoulder and she lifted one eyelid about halfway to see him standing over her with a shit-eating grin. He didn’t even have the grace to feel sorry for her. Asshole. “You need to get up and drink some fluids. I have some of that sports replacement drink from the cooler.”

She managed to move her arm to wave him away but the effort drew another pained groan from her lips.

“Moving is not on the agenda. Just bring it to me and pour it over my face and hands. I’ll lick at my skin. I don’t even have the energy to suck at a straw.”

Chuckling, Evan didn’t listen but then she hadn’t expected him to. Damn the man, he was as stubborn as an old mule. More stubborn than she was and that was saying something.

“This is no place to sleep, honey. Up and at ’em.”

Before she could answer and without so much as a by-your-leave she found his arm wound around her waist and Evan lifting her bodily from the ground to stand on her own two feet. She was as wobbly as a newborn foal but she locked her knees so she wouldn’t fall into a heap of indignity. Damn the man. Why couldn’t he let her lie there for an hour or two?

“I hate you, you know. A lot.”

“I know and I expected it. Just so you know, I don’t hate you. I think you’re brave and wonderful.” He smacked her bottom and she yelped in response, almost tripping over her own feet and falling down again. “You’ve got a nice-looking caboose too. Now move into the kitchen. We need to get you out of this heat and rehydrated.”

With legs like lead she climbed the few steps into the house before falling into the nearest kitchen chair. She wanted to be mad at him but she simply couldn’t when he was being so nice.

And he liked her ass. She’d always thought it was too big but she wouldn’t argue with him if he thought it was okay. Luckily, she didn’t have enough energy to ask him if he liked anything else on her body.

Two bottles of sport drink and two ibuprofen later, she was feeling a little more human and less like dying. Evan had propped her in front of the air conditioner while he quickly showered, promising her a long soak in the tub when she was done. She’d thanked him and then promptly fallen asleep, dreaming convoluted images that she thankfully didn’t remember when he shook her awake sometime later.

“I’ve run you a bath and you can soak as long as you want. Then we’ll need to go into town to pick up dinner. I don’t know about you but I’m starved.”

She blinked the sleep from her eyes and sighed. “That sounds like too much work. I’ll just waste away to nothing right here. Go…live your life. Remember me often and fondly.”

A warm breath fanned out over her shoulder and she gasped in surprise when he simply lifted her, bridal style, into his arms and carried her into the bathroom. “You need to get clean and you need to eat. I promise you will feel a hundred percent better when you’re done.”

He was untying her tennis shoes and pulling them off along with her thick athletic socks and she inwardly cringed, wanting to dig a hole and hide for a month. Those feet were awash in sweat and had to stink to high heaven but bless his heart, he didn’t even flinch.

“You start taking any of my other clothes off you might pull back a stump.”

Still kneeling at her now bare feet, Evan simply laughed at her and helped pull her to a standing position.

“That’s big talk from someone who asked me to let her die a few minutes ago. Just so you know, I’ll remember you more often and fondly if I help you strip.”

She lifted her startled gaze to his blue eyes that had those crinkles at the corners when he chuckled or smiled. He was flirting with her. Openly. Insistently. Sure, he’d played at it a little in the past week, but this was something else. Something more.

“What’s gotten in to you?” she blurted, her cheeks growing warm. “You’ve never acted this way before.”

His gaze skittered away before coming back and this time his cheeks were a ruddy shade. “I was pussyfooting around all last week when I really wanted to let you know how I felt. Now that I know that you’re in danger I want to make sure you know how I feel. With everything going on I just don’t think we should waste any time. I like you, Josie. A hell of a lot. Do you like me? If so, let’s do something about it.”

She wasn’t sure what to think about it but his urgency fired up her own. The one thing she’d learned since that fateful night was that life was short. It could be over before she knew it and she didn’t want to have a pile of regrets, things undone.

“Are you suggesting we fuck just in case we – or I – die?”

“Hell, no.” His hands slid down her arms to hold onto her grimy hands. “I’m suggesting that we both let down our guards a little. I haven’t had the best luck with women and I’ve put my career first for too long. I’d like to change that and I’d like to change that with you. Is that too forward or scary? Tell me to back off and I will.”

Gathering every ounce of courage she could muster in her exhausted state, she looked up at him, brazen and bold. “Do you really like my ass?”

A smile bloomed on his face, showing off a small dimple in his cheek. “Honey, I think it’s spectacular. But please note that I don’t think it’s your only charm. Honest to God, I think you’re gorgeous. Flat out beautiful.”

She rolled her eyes, knowing flattery when she heard it. “That’s going a bit far. I know I’m not. There are mirrors in this house.”

He tugged her closer, pressing her disgustingly foul body to his clean-smelling torso. “Then you need to take a second look because you slay me with how sexy you are. When you’re dusty, when you’re clean, when you’re in cutoffs and a t-shirt. Fuck, especially when you’re in those hot little cutoffs. You’re the first thing I think about when I wake up and the last thing I think about before I go to sleep.”

She’d never been that to anyone. At least that she knew of.

“I haven’t had much luck with relationships,” she admitted as he came closer, their lips inches apart. “I’m sort of backwards in that respect. Sex hasn’t been anything to write home about, either. I’ve never seen what the big deal was.”

His grin was predatory, almost feral, and a shiver of anticipation ran down her spine. “Then get a pen and paper, honey, because I intend to rectify that. Maybe not tonight or tomorrow night, but eventually.”

Then his lips were on hers and all rational thought fled from her mind. The kiss was tender but demanding, his tongue sweeping her mouth with a mastery and expertise she’d never known before and had a feeling never would again with anyone else. He knew his way around her mouth and body, his hands stroking up and down her spine, eventually coming to rest at the curve of her bottom. By the time he raised his head she was a quivering mass of sensation, her knees turned to jelly. This man ought to be outlawed in all fifty states and the European Union. He was lethal but she loved it.

“Soak as long as you want, honey. I’ll be downstairs waiting for you.” He turned to leave the bathroom but stopped in the doorway. “I’ll always wait for you.”

He shut the door behind him and she sank down to sit on the edge of the tub, her entire body shaking with emotions she hadn’t felt in a long time. She liked Evan, respected him, cared about him, and admired him. He was a good man to help her and dammit, he was sexy as hell too. She’d be crazy to turn away from him and crazier to get involved, considering all that was happening in her life.

One thing he’d said had caught her attention. He’d lived his life for a long time based on other people’s rules and wants. Now he wanted to live by his own. It sounded like good advice and it was time to take it.

Time to live instead of simply exist. Time to…maybe…love.

Chapter Seventeen

J
osie did feel a thousand percent better after her bath and the pain medication kicked in. She’d assumed when Evan spoke about dinner they’d end up at the diner but he had other ideas. They were currently pulling into a parking space of a well-known chain restaurant in Ocala. At first she’d balked when she realized what direction they were heading but he’d assured her that no one knew where she was and that even if they did, a crowded eatery wasn’t a place they were going to try and get her.