Lawless (Cowboys on the Edge Book 5) Read online

  So, he was also a considerate man, at least in bed. She knew little else about him.

  Just how had a man like him managed to remain single to the mature age of thirty-six? She’d managed because she’d been careful, making sure no man she spent time with ever entertained the thought of getting his hands on her booming business.

  Harry had warned her of such men. Another of his lessons on life. He’d made her financially independent, making sure she’d never again be reliant on the kindness of a man. Did Ty want more from her than just the pleasure of her company? Was he looking for a Plan B for his retirement?

  Again, she paused. She was getting herself all worked up, thinking there were plots revolving around her and her bar, when likely, Ty was only looking for a good time.

  Why that thought annoyed her rather than soothing her didn’t bear any deeper scrutiny. She might not like the answer.

  As the day progressed, she found herself watching the clock. Soon, his shift would end, and he’d be here. She glanced down and realized that maybe she ought to change out of her roadhouse tee and jeans. Make a little effort. After all, he’d promised to take her out. She ought to insist on a steak somewhere, maybe some wine. She was worth the expense, and she had better not let him take her for granted. He had to make a bit of an effort if he wanted more time in her bed.

  “Gah,” she muttered. Now, she sounded like she was prostituting herself. Making him pay for the pleasure.

  All she really wanted was to go back to the hours they’d spent in bed, not thinking overly much, just enjoying being touched and touching.

  Touch, being skin to skin, was…nice.

  Jimbo entered the bar and took his usual seat at the bar. “What’s on the menu tonight, Ruby?”

  “Not chili,” she said. “You can order off the menu or you might like a bowl of my tortilla soup. That’s the special today.”

  “Your tortilla soup is my second favorite dish. I’ll have that.”

  She went to the large crockpot behind the bar and ladled a bowl of soup. Filling another bowl with tortilla chips, smaller bowls with jalapenos and her homemade salsa, she added a beer and set everything in front of him.

  “Don’t know what I’d do if you ever closed down,” Jimbo said.

  “Now, why would I close down?”

  “Oh, I don’t know. Pretty woman like you might get married and decide you want to raise a passel of kids.”

  “I’m almost middle-aged, Jimbo,” she said flatly. “What would I want with a passel of kids.”

  “Just sayin’. Haven’t seen you blush in forever, but your cheeks were mighty rosy all weekend long.” He glanced at her, his mouth pressed into a smile.

  “I was working hard. Only reason my cheeks might have been red was because I was moving fast.”

  “Uh huh.”

  He reached for a salt shaker, but she grabbed it and held it away. “There’s enough salt on those chips. You don’t need more.”

  Jimbo laughed. “Must have hit a nerve,” he murmured and picked up his spoon.

  “I’ll leave you to your meal,” she muttered and walked away. Had her delight at being with Ty been that visible that half-blind Jimbo had noticed? She needed to get hold of herself and quick.

  The doors to the entrance opened.

  “Speak of the devil,” she said under her breath as Ty, still in uniform, walked through them.

  And good Lord, he’d been devastating to her peace of mind in jeans and a T-shirt. In uniform, he made her heart flutter. Dressed all in black, his shoulders and torso looking thicker no doubt due to the Kevlar he wore, she knew she was in deep trouble when his dark gaze scanned the room and landed on her.

  His mouth curved at the corners as he approached. “Evenin’, Ruby.”

  “Evenin’ to yourself, Deputy Nolan.” Was that her voice sounding so little and high-pitched? She cleared her throat. “How was your day?”

  He shrugged. “We’ve had some reports of break-ins at local businesses. You should be careful to make sure you lock up tight.”

  “Always do. Have surveillance cameras, too.”

  He nodded and moved closer. “You think about where you want to go?”

  Straight to hell in your arms. “I haven’t given it much thought. Been busy today,” she lied.

  He glanced down at his uniform. “I’m heading home to shower and change. Want me to pick you up at your place?”

  They’d never make it back to his car. She’d drag him straight over the threshold and have her sexy way with him right on the living room couch. “How about we meet back here in an hour?”

  His smile sank those dimples deep in his cheeks. “You afraid we won’t make it any farther than your front porch?” He didn’t wait for her answer. Instead, he reached up and tipped the brim of an imaginary hat. “See you in an hour.”

  When he left, she reached out for a chairback to steady her suddenly weak knees.

  Behind her, she heard Jimbo chortling.

  Chapter 5

  One week later, Ty caught himself whistling as he approached the entrance of Ruby’s Roadhouse. This was their sixth date, not that he was counting. Right.

  Sixth date, but they’d spent more nights together in her bed. They’d gone to dinner, dressing up for steaks, wearing cowboy boots and jeans while sitting on a bench outside a favorite taco truck, going to a movie, playing in a paintball field while aggressing an opposing team. His favorite date so far, and surprisingly hers, had been the day they’d spent on horseback at a friend’s ranch, picnicking next to the rim of the canyon with a panoramic view they’d ignored because they’d been too busy making love on a scratchy blanket.

  They’d discovered many more likes they held in common than not, and Ty was pretty sure at this point that Ruby was the woman he’d been waiting for all his life. Her starchy demeanor that always softened beneath his kisses provided him a daily challenge he reveled in. Her sense of humor, her kindnesses to those who worked for her or whom she served showed a softer side of the woman who could be as prickly as a cactus. None of her half-hearted attempts to warn him away from seeking a relationship with her had managed to give him any doubts that she was The One.

  In fact, as he pushed open the doors, he was almost one hundred percent certain that he was falling for her.

  Yup, Ruby Tackett was the woman for him. His woman. And he hoped that before too long, she’d realize it, too.

  He just had to wear down her defenses, show her he was there for the long haul. Something in her past had made her skittish of men and distrusting. He was almost sure of that fact. He just needed to get her to trust him enough to tell him what she feared—then he’d figure out how to convince her that she worried for nothing.

  “Evenin’, deputy,” came a raspy drawl beside him.

  Ty turned and followed Jimbo to the bar where the old man settled onto “his” stool. “Howdy, Jimbo. And I’ve told you before to call me Ty.”

  “You look might happy with yourself tonight.”

  Jimbo was an ornery old man, who seemed to be constantly underfoot when he arrived at the bar. The old man thought of himself as Ruby’s protector.

  “I am happy,” Ty said. “Ruby and I have a date.”

  “Must be some kind of record you’re intending to set. Ruby doesn’t tolerate a man hanging around for too long.”

  Ty blinked. “Is that so?”

  “Just my observations. I’ve known that woman longer than anyone around these parts.”

  Ty almost repeated himself because he was curious now. “So, what? Fifteen years?”

  “Yup. Saw her come in that very first day, wearin’ jeans so old there were holes in ’em. These days, kids pay to have ’em look that way,” he said shaking his head.

  “Her first day…?” Ty said softly, settling onto the stool beside the old man.

  “Yup, she came in lookin’ for a job. Harry took one look at her, gave her an apron, and told her he needed the floor swept. When she was done with that, he
handed her a notepad and a copy of the drink menu. By the end of the night, she had it memorized. When Harry paid her cash out of the till, she was nearly in tears. Harry asked her where she was staying, and when he found out she was sleepin’ in her car, he arranged for a room at the Prickly Pear Motel. Paid a month’s rent. After that, she worked every day from open to close.”

  The picture Jimbo painted was one that tore at Ty’s heart. He couldn’t imagine the proud woman he knew now being in such desperate circumstances.

  “Yup, by my reckonin’, they saved each other. See, no one knew but me just how sick Harry was. Same age as me. Stubborn as the day is long. He lasted a good five years after she came. I think he hung around to make sure Ruby was ready for him to go.”

  “This Harry…he left her the place?”

  Jimbo’s smile stretched. “He married her. Made sure everything was all legal and locked up tight. Then he died.”

  She’d been married. To a man as old as Jimbo. Ty frowned.

  “You’ve no cause to judge, deputy.”

  “I’m not,” Ty said, his words coming out a little terser than he’d intended.

  “Harry wanted her kept safe. He also needed to know this place would be in good hands when he left this world. Like I said. They saved each other.”

  Ty’s jaw was tight. He swallowed to clear his throat. “Why did she need saving—besides the fact she was living out of her car?”

  Jimbo shook his head. “Can’t tell you that. Harry wasn’t one to gossip, but I’m pretty sure it had something to do with a man. When she married Harry, she told him she didn’t care about…marital duties…and the fact Harry couldn’t be a husband, like that…due to the cancer. Said she was relieved.” Jimbo straightened in his chair. “But I’ve said too much. Not my story to tell.”

  Ty reached out his hand and shook Jimbo’s old, frail hand. “Thanks for trusting me with that.”

  “Just want you to know. It’s not gonna be easy gettin’ a ring on that girl’s hand.”

  The door to the kitchen swung open, and Ruby walked through it. She did a doubletake seeing Ty seated beside Jimbo. “Well, don’t you two look cozy?”

  Ty forced a smile. “Just killing time.” He pushed up. “You ready to head out?”

  Ruby gave Jimbo a narrow-eyed look, but the old man gave her a beatific smile. “Guess so,” she said. “I just need to get something out of the storage cage in the back. We’re running low on tequila.”

  “I’ll give you a hand.”

  “Suit yourself,” Ruby said and headed down the corridor past her office to the exit at the rear of the building. “Quiet day?” she asked over her shoulder.

  “Just another break-in. Someone got into Carlton’s Pawn Shop. Helped himself to a gun and some jewelry Carlton had in the back, and then trashed his office. Never made it past the bars to get to the good stuff up front.”

  “That’s good. Think it’s the same guy?”

  “That’s what the sheriff thinks.”

  “You’ll catch him.” She pushed through the back door and strode toward the chain link enclosure in the back. She paused to unlock the padlock then went to the small shed to the side of the enclosure and opened the door. Her sharp gasp had him reaching for her shoulder to pull her back. Then he stepped into the doorway. Glass littered the floor. The scent of booze permeated the shed. Boxes had been tossed, bottles shattered against the cement.

  “Dammit,” she said, sounding a bit scared.

  Ty backed away from the door and turned to study the fencing. At eight feet tall, the cage would have been a deterrent to most people. He pulled his cellphone from his pocket and dialed the sheriff.

  “What’s up, Ty?”

  “Ruby’s storage shed was broken into. I think our guy is at it again. Hard to tell if he took anything, but he trashed it just like he did Carlton’s office.”

  “I’ll send a deputy around. Hell, I’ll come, too.”

  “I’ll be here,” he said and ended the call. He glanced at Ruby whose face was set in hard lines.

  She straightened her shoulders. “I’ll go get a camera. The insurance company will want to see this. Plus, I’ll have to conduct an inventory to determine how much was lost.”

  He gave her a small smile. “Guess date night’s a bust.”

  She leaned against his shoulder and sighed. “Could have been worse, I guess.”

  He placed an arm around her back and drew her against his body. “It’s just…stuff. I’ll stick around to help with cleanup.”

  “I have people to do that.”

  “You’ll be here. The sooner it’s done, the sooner I can work on making you smile again, babe.”

  She glanced up at him. “You’re a nice guy.”

  He arched a brow. “Are you trying to spoil my reputation?”

  “You think you have a bad one?” she drawled.

  “I’m the deputy who spent a night in his own damn jail,” he said, waggling his eyebrows.

  “A lawless lawman?”

  “That’s me, all right.”

  “Well, it’s a good thing I have a soft spot for bad boys.”

  * * *

  Later that night, they sat on the sofa in Ruby’s living room. Or rather, Ty sat on the sofa and Ruby sat on him, languidly rising and falling on his lovely, long dick.

  “See?” he said, his mouth curving. “I made you smile.”

  “Beg to differ. I’m doing all the work,” she said, grinning. “I’m making my own damn self smile.”

  Ty chuckled and gripped her hips, his fingertips biting deliciously into her skin.

  Ruby swirled her hips in a circle, screwing up and down his shaft. The feel of him—his hot skin, his thickness, was like the sweetest water after a long drought.

  Suddenly, he held her down when she would have pushed back up. “Babe, we need to talk.”

  She wrinkled her nose and tried to move again, but he held her fast against him. “After talking to Josh and the insurance company, I’m all talked out.”

  “Not about the break-in. About us.”

  “Oh.” Suddenly, his dick felt a little too substantial, like it was locked inside her walls, and she was pinned to him. Not that she wanted to move off his body. Hers was prickly and hot in all the right places. If he’d just let her move and have her orgasm, she could call it a night.

  “What about us?” she asked, knowing she sounded like she was pouting, but he had stalled her in mid-flight.

  Ty let out a deep breath. “I like you, Ruby.”

  “We’ve had this discussion before.”

  “Yeah, well, I like you more now.”

  She fought rolling her eyes. “I’d like you more, right now, if you’d let me finish.”

  “Ruby,” he said, his tone admonishing. He let go of one hip and cupped a breast, his thumb sliding gently over the tip. “I’m not interested in seeing anyone else.”

  Oh. He wanted to talk about relationship stuff. A topic she wasn’t in the least interested in exploring—not yet and certainly not right now. “I don’t have time for another boyfriend either, so we’re exclusive already. That what you wanted to know? That I’m your girlfriend?”

  “I would like to say that in public. Like to hold your hand when we’re out, introduce you as ‘mine’ to my friends.”

  She was beginning to feel a little itchy. Not down there, but like she needed to move around, pace, check the windows and the doors, maybe do the dishes sitting in the sink, because she was beginning to get uncomfortable with his tone and the steady look in his eyes. “Why does it matter what you call me or what your friends think?”

  “Because I’m ready to think about our future.”

  She sucked in a deep breath. “I see,” she said, fresh out of any smartass thing to say that would lighten this conversation.

  “What I see is that I’ve made you uncomfortable,” he said softly.

  She couldn’t stand to see that hint of disappointment in his eyes. He thought she was afraid. And ye
ah, she was. However, Ty wasn’t like…him. Didn’t want to own her. Hadn’t betrayed a single interest in anything she had. Instantly, she realized he might even be falling in love with her. She wasn’t sure how she felt about that.

  He shrugged. “Look, I just wanted to put that out there. So you’d know I’m really in this, Ruby. Whatever you want, whatever you need.”

  She felt a little ashamed that she wasn’t willing to be that honest with him. That open. “You can do better than that—should expect more—maybe, with some other girl.”

  His mouth curved at the corners. “I don’t want some other girl. Think she’d have tits as amazing as yours?”

  Relief spread over her that he’d made a joke, and she offered him a full smile, hoping he’d see in her eyes how much she felt for him because she wasn’t ready for words—those felt too…permanent and constraining. “You’re right, Deputy Nolan. There’s not another woman in Caldera whose tits can compare.”

  “You got that right,” he said, tweaking the tip of her breast. Then he abruptly slid a little lower in the seat. “Why don’t you turn around and ride me like a bronc.”

  The abrupt change of subject was jarring, but she was eager to let him segue—anything not to have to confront her feelings for this man. He knew her so well already, seemed to know how far he could push.

  Ruby couldn’t resist bending toward him. She kissed his mouth, just a soft tender rub really, then leaned back. “I’m okay with you calling me your girl,” she whispered, then she rose, clumsily turned around, and lowered herself back onto his dick.

  She felt a little lighter. A little less scared. Ty wasn’t going to rush her, but he had allayed a fear she hadn’t known she’d harbored inside. Ty wasn’t going anywhere.

  With his hands guiding her, and one of hers placed on his belly behind her for balance, she began to rise and fall again, holding one of her breasts for comfort as the solidly built man beneath her anchored her to his body. Up and down, forward and back—she teased them both, alternating between long sexy glides and choppy bursts until she was breathless and trembling with renewed excitement.