Hard to Handle (Caine Cousins #2)(6)

But just as quickly as she revealed her desire, Reagan regained her composure and leaned in closer. Close enough Lynx could smell her spicy, sexy scent.

“Do me a favor, Lynx?”

“Hmm?” he grumbled.

“Maybe try keepin’ your dick in your pants for a while. And when that divorce is final, if you’re still interested, perhaps I’ll think about givin’ you the time of day.”

“Done.” He could do that. No problem.

Reagan chuckled. “Right. Like it’s even a possibility.”

With that, she spun on her boot heel and headed back inside.

Boy, did he hate to see her leave, but he damn sure loved to watch her go.



Kelly Jackson kept his head low, not wanting anyone to spot him sitting in his car in the parking lot of the trashy little bar. This town was full of a bunch of idiots. If he was that damn sheriff, he would’ve rounded every damn one of them up and tossed their asses in jail. One reason he hated little hick towns like this.

He only had one reason for being there.

It wasn’t the highlight of his week, that was for damn sure, but he knew he had to figure out a way to get his hands on Amy. However, that wasn’t proving to be as easy as he’d thought it would be. Seemed she had a couple of bodyguards with her at all times. That damn sheriff and the guy who owned the furniture store where she worked. Plus, whoever’s fucking truck that was parked outside her damn house every fucking night. Kelly had no idea who they were to her, but it seemed they were keeping an eye on her, too.

Hence the reason he was having to come up with another plan. Which meant studying her movements and finding the precise time to strike.

Soon.

Very, very soon.



“Why do men always have to act like assholes?” Reagan muttered to herself as she wiped down the bar top.

They were getting ready to close, and as soon as she got the last of the customers out the door, she was more than ready to head home. Well, technically, it wasn’t her home, but she was renting a room from Amy, which was the first opportunity she’d ever had to get out on her own since she moved in with Billy nearly six years ago. Amy’s little farmhouse, even if it was lonely at times, had started to grow on her. On nights when Amy was there — which were rare — Reagan loved it. On nights when she was alone … well, she felt alone.

Not that she couldn’t get used to it.

She would.

She’d spent plenty of nights by herself even when she’d been living with someone. More often than not, in fact.

“Looks like it’s about that time,” Amy said when she approached the bar.

Reagan looked up to see that there were only two people other than herself and Amy left in the bar. Wolfe and Lynx were sitting at a table near the door, deep in conversation.

“Yep. ’Bout that time.” Reagan peered back at Amy. “Why don’t you head on out? I’ve got it from here.”

Amy smiled, then placed her apron beneath the bar.

“Oh, and Amy?”

“Hmm?”

“Take both of them with you.”

Amy giggled. “Right. Like Lynx is going anywhere.”

Reagan frowned. She’d figured as much, but she honestly wished he would go on about his life. Ever since the day the Houston detective had come to Embers Ridge to talk to Rhys, Lynx had been Reagan’s shadow.

And sure, part of her was grateful in a way. After all, the detective had been killed that night, and only a couple of hours later, someone had tried to break into Amy’s house while Reagan was there. They figured Lynx thwarted the guy’s plan by showing up to warn Reagan.

That was only a few weeks ago.

But as she’d proven, Reagan could take care of herself. She’d been doing so for long enough now it was second nature. It wasn’t like she had anyone to watch her back. Although her family was tight, they were still a little self-absorbed, which usually left Reagan out of their minds unless she was within their sight. And Billy… God, she didn’t even want to get into how self-absorbed that man had been during their time together.

“You ready to lock it down?”

Reagan looked up to see Lynx standing on the other side of the bar.

Sex on a freaking stick. So tall, so sexy it was hard to look at him sometimes. And those damn tattoos that covered him from neck to knuckles were almost too much temptation. Yet she’d managed to ignore her body’s disturbing reaction to him all this time.

She could see the dark shadow of a bruise marring his cheekbone. Looked as though Billy had gotten in at least one good hit. Granted, the asshole was far worse off than Lynx.

“You don’t have to stick around,” she told him, moving to the register to pull out the till.

She carried it to the back office, where she secured it in the fireproof safe, then locked the steel door on the office. Damn fools in this town had tried to break in one too many times. It was bad enough they raided her beer, but she worked hard for her money. She wasn’t going to make it easy for them. And when she’d finally gotten tired of replacing the damn door, she’d had a bigger one installed three years ago. So far, no one had been able to break through and she hoped it stayed that way.

When she returned to the bar, Lynx was still there, his long, lean body propped against the wood, his eyes raking over her.