He kissed her hard on the mouth then guided her toward the elevators.
She waved up to the cameras, knowing that BJ’s cousins would be watching and would see her and BJ kissing. God, she felt her cheeks warm again as they entered the elevator.
“What are you blushing about now, Susanna?” he asked. She gave him a heated look then shook her head.
“You can’t be stopping in like this all the time. It’s a distraction,” she stated as the elevator doors opened. He gave her an intense look.
“We’ll talk about this later,” he promised as she was greeted by Paula and several other employees who needed her assistance.
Glancing back, she gave him a look. She hoped by seeing everyone waiting for her he understood why she needed to be focused at work.
* * * *
“I didn’t mean to cause any trouble between you and BJ,” Paula told Susanna as they both bent over the electronic equipment and tried to find the problem. Susanna looked awfully serious when she came out of the elevator.
Susanna glanced at her, appearing frazzled.
“We weren’t doing anything. I was trying to get some paperwork done.”
Paula chuckled.
“What?” Susanna asked, sounding exasperated.
“Fucked you on the desk again, didn’t he?” Paula asked with a smile.
Susanna shot her a shocked look then glanced around to be sure no one could hear. It didn’t matter, Paula knew that the band’s music was loud. The house band, Cowboy Up, had one more set and then the DJ would take over. She needed to fix this wire problem quickly.
“No one can hear us. Don’t worry. What’s the problem, anyway? Those two men of yours have it bad for you.”
“I need to work, Paula. They come in here and I’m supposed to drop everything for them?”
“Whoa, sounds like you’re feeling a bit smothered. Not that I would mind being smothered between those two. Shit, Susanna, they’re great men and they love you.”
Susanna swung her head around to stare at Paula in shock.
“What? What’s wrong?”
“They don’t love me,” she stated firmly then bent lower to fix the wiring.
“Honey, they sure do. I can’t believe that you can’t see it. They show up all the time. They worry about you and get all jealous. They love you so much and you love them.”
Susanna jumped and hit her head on the lower table.
“Ouch!” She rubbed her head. She looked up to Paula, and Paula covered her mouth with her hand.
“You have got to be kidding me. You’re scared? You’re scared to love them back and accept their love?”
“First of all, Paula, I do not love them, and they do not love me. We’re dating and having great sex and good company. I am not falling in love with them. They are dominating, superior men whose jobs and personalities are sexually stimulating, and they make me happy and they drive me insane, and I love being with them and they drive me insane. Oh fuck!” Susanna blurted out, and Paula laughed as she saw the color drain from her face.
Paula laid her hand on Susanna’s shoulder.
“Shocked the shit outta ya, didn’t it?”
Susanna nodded then covered her face with her hands.
“Oh God, Paula, what am I going to do?”
Paula pulled Susanna’s hands from her face.
“You’re going to accept their love and embrace it. It’s the real thing, and you deserve it, so stop fighting them.”
Susanna stared at Paula and looked her over.
“You’re dressed rather sexy for a Saturday night.” This time Paula felt her cheeks burn and knew she was busted. She was hoping that Matt Depolis and his brother the fire marshal, Tyler, would be coming tonight to Dixie Chix. But it was already ten thirty and she hadn’t spotted them at all. On top of that, she had gotten another secret admirer letter today. It was the third one this week, and although she didn’t want to seem like such a sap, she really hoped that she could find a boyfriend to love her like Susanna had with Monte and the sheriff. She felt just about ready to give dating a try again.
“Oh come on, Paula, let me have it. You owe it to me for the discussion we just had.” Susanna fixed the wire and tested the connection. “All set here.” Susanna waved over to the DJ, who stood by the bar. He began to make his way over.
“I was hoping that Tyler or Matt would stop in tonight. Well, mostly Matt because I don’t think Tyler likes me.”
“Are you kidding me? They both like you.”
“Well, Tyler keeps acting like I’m too immature for him. He’s only, like, six years older than I am, and Matt is five years older and seems very interested, but I’ve waited months now. I’m getting frustrated.”
“You know that Matt and Tyler are into some intense stuff, right?”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
Susanna placed her hand on Paula’s shoulder. “They like to share their women. They like to be dominant in the bedroom if ya know what I mean?”
“No, I don’t know what you mean.”
“Paula, honey, they’re very experienced men. The rumor is that they’re Doms. You know what that is, right?”
Paula swallowed hard. Her ex-boyfriend who’d abused her all the time thought he was one just because he read about it online and read some book someone wrote that made it sound easy. Subconsciously she rubbed her wrists, recalling how he’d tied her up to the bed one night and the ropes had burned her wrists and torn the skin. She had been in pain the entire time and hadn’t orgasmed. He, of course, blamed her for being a coldhearted bitch. The tears stung her eyes.
“Hey, sweetie, don’t freak out. They may not be what you need. Not with your past experience with your ex.”
Paula nodded her head. She couldn’t even speak, but Susanna knew what she’d gone through. She understood her fears.
“Then find someone else to date. You’ve had Jimmy Couger flirting with you for a while now. He would jump at the opportunity of you paying attention to him. I don’t know him too well, but he’s really cute and seems nice.”
“I don’t know. I mean Jimmy Couger is handsome, a bit wild and all, but nice.”
“Honey, Jimmy is gorgeous.”
Just then, Susanna smiled, and Paula turned to see Jimmy Couger approaching. She turned back toward Susanna and raised her eyebrows then mouthed, “What do I do?”
“Have fun,” Susanna said as Jimmy interrupted.
“Excuse me, ladies. How are we doing tonight?” he asked, and they both smiled.
“Doing great, Jimmy. How are you?” Susanna asked as she made her way toward the stairs to leave the DJ area near the stage. She’d had a few conversations with Jimmy over the past few months, and he seemed very friendly, but she was always too busy with work to talk long.
“Fine, fine, I just wanted to speak with Paula a minute.”
“Well, go right ahead. I think she’s on break.” Susanna winked, leaving Paula giving her a look and shaking her head at Susanna. Susanna got her back for their earlier conversation where she made Susanna admit that she was in love with Monte and the sheriff. She hid her chuckle. She was so happy for Susanna. Paula just wished the two men she was attracted to would show her some attention or perhaps her secret admirer would be an even greater catch.
She felt the arm go around her waist, and Jimmy snagged her full attention.
“I know you can’t have a drink with me since you’re working, but how about a little conversation and company on your break?”
She looked him in the eyes. He sure was a good-looking guy and closer to her age than the Depolis men. She shook the thought from her head. Why was she comparing Jimmy to them? She was doing that with every man that came on to her or showed her interest. She needed to get a grip and move on. Sometimes things just weren’t meant to be. Besides, if Tyler and Matt were actually Doms, then she really wasn’t interested. She couldn’t take a chance like that again and find out that neither man knew shit about being dominant, especially in the bedroom. She didn’t know much, and her ex was her only lover, so her views were pretty tainted. But she did know that she enjoyed being dominated. Unfortunately, she learned the hard way that there is a difference between domination and abuse.
“Sure, Jimmy. That would be fine. Just let me grab my granola bar and water. I kind of get hungry this time of night.”
He smiled at her then looked her body over. She wasn’t a stick-thin woman. She had hips and ass and a lot of muscle on her body from working out and lifting heavy things here at the club.
They walked past the dance floor to the center bar, and she watched the couples dancing the two-step and making their way around. The house band, Cowboy Up, was playing a slow song by Garth Brooks, and she caught a glimpse of three women standing near a table off to the side with two men. She wasn’t sure what drew her attention, but then it hit her. The two men were Matt and Tyler, and the three women were practically on their laps. Both men looked in charge and had expressions of control and disinterest on their faces with their hands on their thighs. But the women looked insistent.
“Hey, what do you say to a quick spin around the dance floor?”
She thought about it a moment. If they walked on now, by this entrance, she would totally avoid being seen by Matt and Tyler. She didn’t want to see them now. She felt sick to her stomach, and somehow she felt betrayed. Meanwhile, she wasn’t their woman, and they weren’t her men. She was living in a fantasy world if she thought two mature, older men like them would want her.
She nodded her head, and Jimmy took her hand and led her onto the shiny wood flooring.
He pulled her to his side, kept his hand on her waist, and they began the two-step. As they made their way around the dance floor, she wouldn’t look for Tyler or Matt even though her mind wanted to. Instead, she focused on Jimmy and the sounds of the music combined with the roar of the crowd as someone tried to beat the electric bull again.
“Looks like Hurt So Good, is giving them a run for their money tonight.” She nodded her head in agreement. The electric bull was named Hurt So Good by her friends and her over some shots of whisky one night and a few rides on the bull. It was Elise who could really ride that bull well and came up with the name after the rest of them complained about their asses and other parts hurting after their rides.
She felt Jimmy’s hand mover lower down her back to her rear as the beat of the music picked up with a new song. It was a fast-paced song, and she kept up with him good, knowing how to dance real well. His body was wedged against hers, his hand was plastered on her ass, and she felt the breeze lift her skirt a little higher against her thighs. It was an invigorating dance, and she felt feminine and secure in Jimmy’s arms. He was a hell of a dancer.
“You look fucking hot, Paula, and you’ve got a great ass.” He gave it a squeeze. She shoved from his arms and briskly escaped toward one of the exits, nearly causing a scene on the dance floor.
“Hey, baby, what’s the deal?” he asked, following her away from the dance floor and toward the hallway by the bar. He grabbed her hand to stop her.
“Paula, what’s up? I was having fun and so were you.”
He closed the space between them, and she was concerned a moment as flashbacks from her past with her abusive boyfriend came to mind. She wasn’t used to men at all. She just didn’t know how to handle them.
“Listen, Jimmy, I have to get back to work.”
He pulled her into the dark corner by the hallway. It was one of many secluded little areas where a lot of couples made out. She watched in awe many nights, wishing that Tyler or Matt would pay attention to her and bring her there. But it never happened, and one look at the three older, more experienced women that flaunted themselves at Matt and Tyler earlier and she knew she didn’t stand a chance.
He pulled her against him. She wasn’t even focused on this situation. Tyler and Matt ruled her thoughts.
“Jimmy, stop it. What are you doing?”
“I’m getting what I’ve wanted for a while, Paula, a little taste of you.”
He crushed his lips down against her mouth as she tried to pull from his arms. He was too strong and too big. She struggled a moment and then lifted her knee up hard, kicking him in the groin.
He pulled back and bent over, trying to catch his breath.
“Don’t you ever touch me again,” she yelled as G-Force came over and a small crowd gathered around Jimmy.
“He hurt you, Paula? Did he try something?” G-Force asked, and she nodded her head and placed the tips of her fingers against her sore lips.
“What’s going on?” Susanna asked as she joined Paula, placing her arm around her shoulder.
“He’s not such a nice guy after all,” Paula stated.
“Take him out of here, G,” Susanna ordered as he helped Jimmy stand up. Jimmy eyed her, looking over Paula as if she were nothing but a cheap whore. She knew that look. Some men had all the charms up front but inside they were assholes who didn’t know how to treat a woman.
Susanna walked with Paula to the back room. They talked about what happened as Paula ate her granola bar and drank her bottle of water.
“I’m sorry I suggested that you give him a shot. I didn’t know enough about him to do that.” Susanna appeared very upset.