TopGuns Read online

  As if sensing his intent, Heather looked over at him. Desire reflected in her gaze as it swept across his body and paused on his hard dick. He moved to stand behind her and ran his hands down her bare back and across her ass. Something about a woman’s curves made his dick throb every time. She moaned when he thrust a couple fingers into her wet pussy.

  Nolan had his head thrown back as the two women took turns sucking his dick off. Jason thrust into Heather and allowed his groan of satisfaction to fill the room. He lasted longer than he expected. She moved her hips backward with each thrust. Satisfaction that he’d had both the women hummed in his veins, a pulsating awareness he’d carry long after his release.

  He allowed reality to return soon afterward. The two ladies collapsed near the door, their heads resting on one another. Knowing he’d left them that well-fucked made a huge chunk of his shitty day slide away.

  “Wow.” Tia regarded him. “You’ve got game. I’ll give you that, Maverick.”

  He grinned. “Anytime you want more you know where to find me.”

  “Indeed.” She pushed herself up and helped Heather rise. The two of them reached down and grabbed their clothes. “We’re going to go freshen up real quick. We’ll meet y’all outside.”

  The girls pushed the cooler open and headed out. The door slammed shut with a thud that made Jason’s heart race. He looked around for his jeans and dread pooled in his stomach. “Dude, where are our clothes?”

  “Man, I don’t fucking know. You cock-blocked me.”

  “It isn’t my fault if you can’t get it up when the time comes.” Jason walked around the cooler. “Seriously, man. Where are the clothes?”

  Nolan shoved against the door. “Son of a bitch. It’s not opening.”

  “What?” Feminine laughter boomed from the other side of the door. Jason couldn’t believe they’d locked the fucking door. He banged on the metal surface. “Very funny, ladies. Open the door.”

  “I think you need a time-out to cool that libido of yours, Maverick. Maybe then you won’t go after my friend too.” Tia’s voice sounded amused, smug.

  Shock streamed through Jason. “Tia, this isn’t funny. Open the door.”

  “Oh, I disagree. This is very, very funny.” A bang from the other side of the door made him and Nolan both jump. “Now you two don’t get too lonely in there or someone might think the wrong thing.”

  The refrigerant fan kicked on, drowning out any sound from the other side. Nolan wrapped his hands around himself. “This fucking sucks.”

  Yeah, and Jason wasn’t sure how long the ladies intended on letting them cool down. Hopefully they’d return soon and they could all have a good laugh over it. He was all for practical jokes but he couldn’t see anything funny about two naked dudes locked in a cooler. His nuts shriveled under the frigid air now that he didn’t have arousal to distract him.

  He wasn’t sure how much time passed. Nolan managed to perch himself on a crate and sleep. Either that or he was pretending in order to avoid the awkwardness of the situation. Voices captured Jason’s attention and he stood quickly as the door cracked open.

  “Police. Hands in the air.”

  Son of a bitch.

  Jason blocked out the next few minutes as he went through the motions with the police. Shock kept him obediently silent as he was cuffed and escorted to the front of the bar he’d been entrusted with managing for the evening. Crap.

  Guilt and shame kept his gaze downward aside from a thankful nod to a cop who draped a blanket around him. At least his dick wasn’t on display anymore.

  “I’m sorry for the hassle, Officer. I’ll take it from here.” Jeanie’s voice punctured through the defensive bubble he’d effectively cast around himself.

  She waited for a few moments as the officers made their way to the two women sitting at the table without a care in the world. “Really? The cooler?”

  Her disdain grated on his nerves.

  “Like you said, I fuck anything with a pulse and tits. Might as well prove you right.”

  At the moment their gazes collided he was pretty sure he’d been tried and found guilty of being the lowest life form possible. Her blonde hair was tied haphazardly into a bun. A threadbare red shirt stretched across otherwise unbound tits. A pair of black sweat pants hung loosely on her hips. And damn if his dick didn’t get hard right then and there.

  The accusation reflected in her gaze as it swept away from him. The hurt resonated in her stance, on her face. He’d lost any moral compass he had a long time ago where she was concerned. That was abundantly clear now. He looked past her and saw Dan there in his wheelchair, taking in the situation with that quiet way he had about him. Even though he didn’t say anything, Jason knew he saw everything.

  The man he’d known and respected was finally paying the fuck attention to those around him. In a fucked-up way, today had done a small measure of good maybe. He clung to that, planted it into the guilt in his gut and waited for hell to break loose.

  The two of them had danced around the unspoken, yet still uncomfortable conversation for a hell of a long time. Tonight only proved it was time for Jason to move on. He couldn’t hand the daily exchange with the two of them—not until he got his shit together and moved on.

  Hell he thought he had. Apparently not.

  More importantly, neither had she. Today proved the bond between them was still felt by both. No way in hell did Jason want to carry the guilt of that with him. He needed to get some distance between them, let her get on with her life.

  It was the right thing to do.

  He didn’t bother trying to break the guilt-ridden silence with an apology. Instead he focused on the thud of footsteps and the slamming of the bar door as everyone made their exit except for him, Jeanie and Dan.

  “Do you have any idea how stupid this was?” Jeanie’s voice was harshened by a rage he felt stronger than if she’d punched him.

  “Let me take care of this, honey.” Dan maneuvered over in a calm, collected manner. Something about the ease with which he handled it grated on Jason’s last nerve but he remained steadfast in his resolve to take what he had coming to him.

  He’d fucked up. Plain and simple. He wasn’t about to turn tail and run for the nearest exit even though it sure as hell would avoid a lot of questions he’d prefer not to answer.

  “You’ve been a hell of a friend during all this, man, but I’m thinking it might be time I start trying to handle things here myself.” Dan’s non-confrontational tone stripped Jason of any resentment he’d carried.

  Some friend. I just fucked your wife, buddy.

  Like it or not, Dan was a hell of a guy. Jeanie couldn’t do any better. “It’s probably a little late for an apology. You know I’d never do anything to hurt you or this place.” Though he spoke the words to Dan, his soul created them for the woman behind him.

  “We know. All these double shifts would get anyone acting stupid. Hell, I would’ve probably gone crazy a couple of weeks ago.” Dan forced a smile. “Get your head on straight, man. We’ll see you around.”

  And just like that his existence crumbled into fragmented pieces. He’d known all along this wasn’t his life—it was borrowed time because of a screwed-up situation. Now that the dust of his foolish hope had settled, Jason wasn’t sure how to proceed.

  Jeanie had been his best friend, his confidant. He’d lost her long ago. But it was when he looked at her one last time he felt it clear to his heart. Something ruptured and created a dull ache throughout him.

  Even though this departure from what had become his new life had nothing to do with the unrequited affection he had for her, he knew that was what really spurred Dan’s words. While a part of him wanted to stand up and fight it, another piece of him respected him even more. He was protecting what was his. And Jason totally got that.

  Dan held out a pile of clothes. “These were found by the door.”

  “Thanks.”

  He headed into the back and dressed quickly. When he
returned Jeanie had moved deeper into the room and closer to him. Her voice was soft, pained. “Don’t be a stranger for too long. I’ll miss our talks.”

  Yeah. Those talks should’ve stopped before they started. Jason had no business listening to Jeanie’s darkest fears and wildest dreams. Her tormented grief over what she and Dan had lost. Jesus, the talk this afternoon had started what she left unspoken, as though wishing it away by ignoring the fact it existed.

  “Talk’s never enough between us. I think it’s time one of us admits it.”

  She swallowed and gazed up at him. Her tongue flicked across her lips. Pain resonated in her gaze.

  “You have a great life, sweetheart.” He hugged her one last time. “You know how to find me if you ever need anything at all.”

  He made sure the last of his words made their way to Dan. Even though he admired the man more than anyone else, Jason wasn’t ready to toss years of friendship with either of them out.

  Jason set his key to the bar on the table and walked out of the only semblance of normalcy he’d had in a long time. All he could do now was move forward and make a life for himself without this place and find someone to share it with.

  Chapter Twelve

  “Wow. Talk about a hell of a situation. I think you win the freak flag award.”

  “Gee, thanks.”

  “I never realized how much you loved her back then, man.” Tyler waited for his friend’s response but he knew there wouldn’t be one. Whatever he felt for Jeanie hadn’t left.

  It’d been in him all this time, dormant and desperate for one more taste. One more touch. Tyler had experienced that burning ache himself. He’d become numb to life after Becca’s death. Nothing brought enough of a rush to measure against the bone-deep need crushing his chest day after day.

  “When did it get easier for you?” Jason asked.

  “I’m not sure. Each day was a new test until I eventually woke up and realized I’d somehow moved on. Of course, Nadine had a lot to do with that.”

  “I never knew how you two met. It was a couple years after Rebecca’s death, right?”

  Yeah. Tyler tried not to think about those years. He’d always been one to live life to its fullest. Those years had been dark and numb. No party was wild enough to make him feel again.

  Then a cute brunette with haunted eyes pitched a proposition he couldn’t refuse.

  * * * * *

  Tyler rubbed his eyes and winced at the bright sunlight beating down, its harsh rays crushing any hope he had of crawling back into his bed. Familial responsibility sucked—especially when it required socializing before noon—but anniversaries and birthdays were celebrated en masse with copious amounts of hugs, uncomfortable conversation and food.

  A need for the latter had urged him from bed to make the trek back to the sleepy town of Big Horn. The smell of manure permeated Tyler’s nostrils but he stifled the comment about it when his big brother came up and slapped him on the back.

  “I know that look,” David teased. “You’ve been in the city too long if you can’t handle a picnic a sniff away from the stockyard.”

  “Why this spot? The park across town shut down now?”

  “No, it’s still there.”

  “This is where we met.” Tyler’s dad sidled into the conversation with a disdainful look. “Guess you were too busy with that job to get a good shave in.”

  And here we go. Again.

  There was no good response. That job had been a contentious point between them for years. “Good to see you too, Pops.”

  “David woke up and got to work probably about the time you went to bed and he still managed to look presentable.”

  David sighed. “Isn’t it a little early for this?”

  “I think I’ll go find Mom.” Tyler headed toward the small tent. One day he’d have it out with the old man and put an end to the prodding. But there wasn’t any reason to yet because the only one who’d really suffer for it was Mom.

  The woman had the patience of Job. Nothing else explained how she put up with his ways through the years. Thirty-five years, to be precise.

  He stepped into the tent and inhaled the sugary delights within. He looked around but didn’t see anyone except for a cute brunette icing a cake at the end of the table. She looked up when he approached.

  “Oh Ty. Hi.”

  Ty. He hadn’t heard that nickname from a woman in a hell of a long time. His gaze narrowed when her amusement upturned into a grin.

  “I’m thinking you need another whooping if you don’t remember me.”

  “Naughty Nadine.” He grinned as he looked at her again. “You’ve certainly filled out since the last time I saw you.”

  She set the spatula down and maneuvered around the table to stand before him. “You’ve filled out yourself.”

  The appreciative appraisal made his insides stir. Blood surged southward in a primal reaction he’d fed too many times to not recognize, but for the first time in a long while he didn’t want to gorge.

  Naughty Nadine. He’d dealt with her formidable presence in his life most of his formative years and he’d yet to find a woman quite as…Nadine.

  “How have you been? You still in these parts?”

  She nodded. “I’m teaching, if you can believe that.”

  “You always were the patient one.”

  “Except for when it came to you,” she teased. She put her hands in her jeans pockets as a sexy hue of pink colored her cheeks. “I’m thinking you were the patient one between us back then. Guess I owe you a few apologies.”

  “You never heard me complaining, did you?”

  She shrugged. “Blame my overzealous bullying of you on my having four older brothers. The only way I knew how to show affection was punching.”

  “And pinching. That was my favorite.” He winked.

  “Oh yeah, I’d almost forgotten about that.” She looked down. “So gentlemanly of you to remind me.”

  “No one’s ever accused me of being a gentleman.”

  “Oh, I don’t know. You were always pretty gentle with me.” An uncomfortable sound escaped her slightly parted lips when she looked up. “I’ve heard you’ve been doing really well for yourself. Your mom sings your praises anytime she gets the chance.”

  “Yeah, I think she’s probably the only one. A mom’s love overlooks a lot.”

  “I think she sees what most don’t bother taking the time to. She’s an amazing woman—was there when things spiraled to hell real quick with Hank.”

  Hank. The name drifted within Tyler’s mind for a few moments. “Hank Halkins?”

  “Yeah, aka the mistake Naughty Nadine made and learned a few too many lessons from.” She cleared her throat and looked away as if collecting her thoughts, or battling them away.

  When she looked up at him again her gaze seemed…haunted. The emotion spoke to a part of himself he’d tucked away—one he’d yet to fully deal with. Losing Becca had ripped out his heart and replaced it with numbness. Was that what Nadine was feeling? He thought back to the school years they’d shared and couldn’t help but wonder who’d been there to help her through it all.

  His mom.

  But who else?

  “Your brothers still around these parts?”

  “No. Career military. All four of them. I confess to worrying a bit too much about them.”

  “I bet you’ll have a passel of your own one day soon. You’re too beautiful not to have some sexy cowboy sweep you off your feet.”

  That sound returned as she looked down and rocked back on her heels. “That’s not in my cards anymore.”

  “That’s a shame. Letting one asshole dictate your future seems like giving up.”

  “Preventative defense is what I call it.” She grinned. “But you aren’t exactly altar-bound based on what I’ve heard.”

  But he had been. Emotion suffocated him briefly and he fought it back in shock. The surge had been a brushfire fed by the brief spark of connectivity he felt with Nadine
. A part of him could empathize with her plight.

  The statement he’d made to her brushed across his mind and left a residual realization—he’d done the same thing. By emotionally vacating the past couple of years he’d let the twisted bitch of fate dictate his life.

  “You always amazed me with your brutal honesty,” he stated.

  “Funny, I used to say the same thing about you.” She stepped closer until the vanilla of her shampoo gathered in his senses. “You are an amazing man, Tyler Coombs. I may not know the man you’ve become but I remember the one I used to pick fights with just to get his attention.”

  Tyler laughed. “Mom would’ve kicked my ass if I’d fought you. She raised us better than that.”

  “And that,” she ran her finger up his arm, “is just one of the things that prove what I said. You are an amazing man, and I hope you find a woman who can make you believe it.”

  “Who says I don’t already know it?” he teased.

  “Let’s just say your mom isn’t the only one telling me about your adventures. From what I’ve heard maybe I should give away the naughty title to you.”

  Clearly David needed an ass kicking. “I think I’d rather share that title, if it’s all the same to you.”

  She took a deep breath and severed the physical connection her finger had created. “If any other man made a statement like that I’d run backward and not stop ’til they forgot all about me.”

  He closed the distance between them and put his hands on her waist. Drawing her forward until their bodies touched, he brushed her hair away from her ear and whispered. “Why aren’t you running from me?”

  Her hands settled on his chest and his pulse raced faster. “Maybe I’m sick of running. Maybe I just want to feel alive, connected. Maybe I know you’re just like me—you don’t do forever.”

  A part of him wanted to deny her assumption but he knew it was true. “I’m going to have to kick my brother’s ass. He’s been quite busy spreading my business.”