“Hey, Susanna, you didn’t push me toward him. He just appeared and asked to talk, and then it led to dancing and his hand on my ass. I’m used to guys like that. It was no big deal, and G-Force got to me in time.”
“Yeah, thanks to the camera system and Carl and Richie.”
“I think I should just focus on work like I’ve been doing. I don’t have good luck with men.”
“Hey, you’re a great person and a beautiful young woman. There’s plenty of time for boyfriends and relationships.”
Paula smiled. “Maybe I’ll get lucky like you someday and meet a guy who will love me.”
“He’s out there, or maybe even more than one. You never know when living in a town like Delite, Texas. But hey, I’m not in love remember?” Susanna teased as she stood up. Her cell phone rang and she noticed that it was BJ’s number.
“I’m going to go take this call. You sure you’re okay?”
“Fine, and thanks, Susanna.”
Susanna smiled as she walked out of the room.
Paula took a deep breath and walked into the bathroom to freshen up. She combed out her hair and stared at her swollen lips.
Fuck. Now how the hell am I going to hide that?
She touched her finger to it and saw that her hand was shaking.
Sal.
Everything reminded her of her ex-boyfriend Sal and his abusive ways. She stared at her reflection in the mirror. The lip wasn’t really that bad. She’d had worse. God, she remembered worse days like when Sal beat her. The tears stung her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. He was a cheater, too. She found him in bed with another woman in their apartment. She had been sick and had come home from work early when she discovered the two of them going at it on her bed. Even that situation Sal turned around and blamed on her.
She tried shaking the thoughts from her head. There was no need to go there. She wasn’t really that shaken up by Jimmy’s move.
She put on her best smile and headed back to work.
* * * *
“What was going on over there?” Matt Depolis asked G-Force as they made their way toward the exit.
G-Force gave Matt the once-over. He didn’t like his tone. Both Matt and his brother Tyler were very bossy. He did notice that the women dug it, but G-Force didn’t care for it one bit.
“Well?” Tyler asked.
“It was taken care of.” G-Force offered no more information.
At that moment, G-Force noticed Paula making her way toward the middle of the room, doing her rounds. Tyler and Matt seemed to follow his line of sight.
“Hey, I’m over here, buddy,” Tyler stated a bit abruptly.
“Like I give a fuck,” G-Force responded and Matt stepped between them.
“G, we were just curious about the situation. That’s all. No big deal.”
“It didn’t have something to do with Paula, did it?” Tyler asked, and now Matt seemed to jump to conclusions as he looked right up at G-Force. G had a suspicion that these two liked Paula, but what did he know? The two of them were magnets for the chicks even with their bossy attitudes. Plus, they were a bit older than Paula, and she was really sweet and kind of innocent looking and nothing like the women that vied for these two guys’ attention.
“Some guy tried making a move on her. Had her blocked in the corner good. But I took care of it.” G-Force moved away from them as more people began to exit the club. He allowed four more people to come inside. It was a freaking madhouse tonight.
* * * *
Matt looked at Tyler, who now appeared just as pissed off and upset as he did. Good, maybe his brother Tyler would start listening to him about pursuing Paula. So what if she was way younger than them? She was absolutely gorgeous. He looked at her sweetness and innocence as a complete turn-on. She was the kind of woman that turned heads and was completely oblivious to it. He’d like to find out who the asshole was that messed with her tonight. But then Tyler would be all over him for staking a claim to someone he couldn’t have. They both wanted her and perhaps she would enjoy a strong hand in the bedroom like they desired in a woman. Tyler could lie all he wanted to about not being attracted to Paula, but Matt knew better.
Tyler thought Paula was too sweet and too young, but he also hadn’t been interested in any other woman. Like the three hot numbers that wanted to go home with them tonight. Tyler turned them down flat.
“What should we do?” Matt asked Tyler as Tyler stared in the direction of Paula.
“Nothing. She’s not our concern. She doesn’t belong to us.” Tyler headed out the exit doors. Matt followed him, knowing that Tyler cared. He was just so used to not connecting with a woman and sharing his heart he couldn’t recognize that he already did care.
Jimmy sat in his truck, sulking. He had watched Paula for months now. So many guys wanted to land one of the Dixie Chix, and he had his eyes set on Paula. She was a knockout, with shoulder-length brown hair and light green eyes. She had cut her hair and at first he wasn’t too happy about it but she was still beautiful. Her face was perfection. She was innocent and would be the perfect woman to control. He had fantasies about her. He knew that she would enjoy being tied up and taken by force. Her perfect round ass was mouthwatering. He imagined fucking her from behind as he held her hair in his fist and made her his bitch.
She’ll call me master, too.
He smirked as he watched the parking lot begin to clear out. He couldn’t approach her tonight. Despite his hunger and desire to try out the things he researched online today, he had to wait. The waiting would make having her under him even better. He had to move slowly. She needed coddling, but once he had her, she would be completely his.
* * * *
Paula was sitting on a bench outside of Stella’s boutique as she waited for Alexa and Sally, Susanna’s cousins, to finish shopping. She had finished fifteen minutes ago and now sat on the bench, absorbing some rays of sun. Her sunglasses covered her eyes, and she felt the sun warm her skin. She was glad she wore the simple camisole and capris. It was warmer than what the weather forecasters had predicted.
“Hey, gorgeous, what are you doing?”
She looked up as she quickly recognized the voice and was shocked to see Jimmy Couger. He moved out of the way as other people passed by, and then he moved closer.
“What’s going on, Paula?” he asked.
She didn’t want to talk to him. He had nerve coming over here after the way he’d acted at Dixie Chix Saturday night.
“Oh come on, Paula, you’re not going to give me the silent treatment, are you?” He placed his foot on the side of the bench and leaned over to talk with her.
He was dressed in a pair of blue jeans, brown scuffed-up cowboy boots, and a button-down blue checkered shirt. The blue matched the color of his eyes and looked good with his blonde hair.
He was a nice-looking guy with dimples to boot.
She really considered giving him the silent treatment but opted to answer him.
“I really don’t have anything to say to you, Jimmy. Your actions were unacceptable last night.”
“I know. I was a complete asshole,” he stated rather loudly, drawing the attention of some people nearby, but he didn’t seem to care.
She raised her eyebrows at him as she dropped her sunglasses to her nose. He chuckled then rubbed his hand along the shadow of a beard on his chin and jaw.
“I’m sorry. I had a bit too much to drink and well, I’ve been hoping to get to know you better, and when we were dancing, I let the music go to my head. You’re so damn sexy, Paula, and beautiful. I couldn’t believe you were dancing with me on your break when you have so many guys pining after you.”
She was shocked, and she felt that bit of guilt inside. That little voice inside of her head reminded her that Sal used to say things like this to her, too. He made her feel like somehow she was at fault for his actions and for making him angry.
“I didn’t do anything wrong.”
“I’m not blaming you. God, I’m making a mess of things.” He lowered his head. “See, I can’t even apologize right. Listen. I’m not bullshitting. I really mean it. I’m sorry. I guess I’ll see you around, and maybe one day you’ll forgive me for being a jerk.” He pouted and she felt bad. It really wasn’t that big of a deal, and he did say that he had too much to drink.
“Jimmy,” she stated, and he looked over his shoulder then smiled.
“Yes?”
“Let’s just forget it ever happened. I don’t hate you. I just don’t like to be manhandled.”
“No problem, honey. I’m glad we’re friends again. I’ll see you at the club.” He tipped his hat and went on his way. Just then, Alexa and Sally walked over.
“Was that the guy from last night?” Alexa asked, and Paula nodded her head as she stood.
“Are you two ready?”
“Sure. They have a lot of great things in there,” Sally added.
They began to walk down the street.
“What did he want, Paula?” Alexa asked her.
“To apologize for his behavior. He said he’d had too much to drink,” Paula stated.
“Well, that happens. We’ve seen it enough times,” Sally stated, and they all agreed.
Just then the sounds of motorcycles making their way through town caught their attention. They looked on as the men all dressed in black leather and their Delite Warriors logo passed by.
“Holy God, look at those two,” Alexa stated as she watched the troop of them go by.
“I think I might like bikers who look like those guys,” Sally added and Paula laughed.
“They are a very good-looking bunch of men. Most of them served in the military while others are involved with law enforcement and community services. I think there are a few doctors in there, too,” Paula told them as they stood watching them. That was when she noticed Matt and Tyler Depolis.
She quickly turned away as they caught her looking.
“Let’s head over to the farmer’s market. We can grab some things for dinner to go with the chicken Ava’s cooking,” Sally suggested, so they crossed the road and walked in the same direction as the motorcycle brigade.
* * * *
Paula was looking at some local arts and crafts on sale by the farmer’s market while Sally stood in line to pay for the vegetables they’d picked out. Alexa was talking with two of the men who were part of the Delite Warriors.
Paula tried to lift up the large hand-painted vase to see the price of it as she held her bags in the other hand.
She felt the hand on her waist then the male voice.
“Do you need help with that?”
Jimmy was there again, and she had a funny feeling in her gut.
Is he following me?
She wondered as she took in the sight of him and saw the bag he carried with what appeared to be tomatoes and potatoes.
“That’s okay,” she began to say, but he helped her anyway.
“It’s twenty-five dollars.”
“Wow. Okay, no big deal. Thanks.” She began to walk away.
“Do you really like it?” he asked her.
“Not enough to pay twenty-five dollars.”
“I’ll buy it for you if you really like it, Paula.”
Her mouth dropped, and she quickly recovered so she wouldn’t look like too much of an idiot.
“That’s not necessary.”
He touched her wrist and smiled at her.
“Let me buy it for you. It will make me feel better about last night. Please, Paula. Let me.”
She swallowed hard and shook her head. “No, it’s really not necessary, and I really don’t like it that much.”
“Are you sure? It’s not a problem. I have the money. I’m a firefighter full time over in Cellar County.” She absorbed the fact that Jimmy did have a great body. He was muscular and fit. He smiled at her as if he noticed her checking him out. She took a deep breath and looked around them, suddenly feeling awkward.
He touched her hand and played with her fingers.
“Maybe sometime you’ll let me take you out on a real date once you truly forgive me for last night.”
He winked at her and she couldn’t help but shake her head as she smiled. He had the most adorable dimples.
“You don’t give up do you?”
“Not known as a quitter, honey. Never have been.”
She pulled her fingers from his. “I need to go. I’ll see you around.”
“You bet you will.” He winked then walked away. When she turned, she saw Alexa and Sally talking with a few men from the motorcycle club, including Tyler and Matt. She cringed a moment, worried that they had seen her talking with Jimmy. Then she reminded herself that neither man was attracted to her or even cared. Shoulders back and all filled with confidence, she walked closer, smiling wide. She was good at putting on a great, big, happy smile on her face when things weren’t so happy at all.
* * * *
“Hey, Paula, you know Tyler and Matt, and these four are Michael and Chad and Steven and Mason.” Alexa introduced the very tough-looking men in black.
She smiled and said hello, only barely acknowledging Matt and Tyler.