Taking Charge (Lone Star Burn #4)(55)

David couldn’t turn his back on any creature in need, be it human or four-legged.

Is that why he’s here with me? What happens when I do finally pay him back? When he thinks I don’t need him anymore?

Don’t leave me, David. Please don’t leave me.

Two weeks with David in her bed, at her side, giving her reasons to smile each day, had changed some of Lucy’s thinking. In the beginning, she’d been grateful to have one more day with him. She’d savored the meals they shared, the nights of passion, and the dates he took her on. All while fighting back small panic attacks because he’d end a phone call abruptly when she entered a room or went into town without telling her where he was going. But the more time they spent together, the less she gave in to those feelings. David wasn’t hiding anything, except perhaps the name of the next restaurant he wanted to surprise her with. He was the good man he portrayed himself to be. A better person than I am.

David finished up with the horse, and Lucy turned away from the window.

I’m the only problem in our relationship.

Me and my fears.

I need to stop letting them control me.

Lucy walked back to the box and picked up the largest toy inside. It was the velvet base with the exchangeable mechanical dildo on top. She placed it on her desk, laid out the variety of attachable pieces in front of it, and sat down. She rested her chin on one hand and looked at it sternly.

You don’t scare me, you know.

You’re just a bunch of wires and silicone molds.

She glanced at the directions, then attached one of the dildos to the top. It had a tickler on its end that reminded Lucy of a mop of hair.

Not even sexy. More like something from outer space.

She absently ran her finger over the complicated arrangements of buttons on the front. And seriously, how much does something like you need to do?

As she brushed too hard against one of the buttons, the dildo started to spin. “Shit.” She tried to turn it off, but the button she’d pressed had sent the base into a vibration mode so powerful, the thing was hopping on her desk. She made a grab for it, pressed another button, and the dildo flew forward, slapping her across the face. She swore and lost her grip, and it hopped itself off her desk and crashed to the floor.

She scrambled onto her knees, trying to grab the damn thing. It eluded her first attempt, but she finally caught it. Despite how it wiggled for its freedom, she righted it and located the “Off” button. Swearing, she sat back on her heels and wiped a hand across her now sweaty brow. It was only then that she noticed David standing at the door.



There are moments in life that test a man. The sight of Lucy chasing a hopping machine with a dick waving from the top of it like a flag was probably the funniest thing David had ever seen. The expression on her face warned him not to laugh. He told himself she was probably embarrassed, and he shouldn’t have opened the door without knocking.

Then, because he was only human, he grinned and asked, “Tough day at work?”

She looked torn between laughing and crying. “Only a masochist would make something like this.”

David closed the door behind him and came to squat in front of her. A thought occurred to him that wiped the smile off his face. “Don’t ever try anything you don’t want to. No matter what anyone says.”

Lucy pushed the machine to one side. “They don’t make me try them. I thought it would be a good idea to know as much as I can about what I’m selling, and some are still in development, so my feedback helps.”

Feeling better, David bit back a smile. “What did you learn about this one?” She was still dressed, so he figured it couldn’t have been that much.

She glared down at the velvet-covered base. “They should label the buttons better.” She touched one of her cheeks. “And don’t put your face too close to it.” He coughed back a laugh, and her eyes narrowed. “It’s not funny. I was trying to turn it off, and it slapped me.”

There was no holding back the laughter then. David laughed until his eyes teared up.

Lucy took a moment but then joined in. She was soon laughing as hard as he was. Gasping to catch her breath, she said, “It literally slapped me across the face. Thank God I picked the small dildo.”

David roared and then stood, offering Lucy a hand to help her up. “What a way to lose an eye. Try explaining that to our kids.”

Lucy gave him a funny look for a second, then fell naturally against his chest and continued to laugh. “Why the hell would they give it spring action? And what do those other buttons do?”

The questions piqued David’s interest. “Someone had to design that thing based on what people like. It’s in the production phase, right?”

“It’s already for sale on the company website.”

“Is it selling?”

“Not well, but I haven’t said anything about it yet, and that seems to drive sales.” Lucy glared down at the machine again. “This might sound stupid, but I have a weird bond with this toy. It was the first one I saw when I opened the box, and it intimidated me. I’ve been avoiding it ever since. I’m half convinced it knows I’m afraid of it, and that’s why it tried to kill me. It won today, and it knows it.”

David held back another laugh only because she was speaking seriously again, not because what she was saying was any less funny. She really did hate that machine. He wanted to do something for her. He’d spent the last two weeks trying to find out who had called her and what trouble, if anything, Ted had brewing. So far his attempts to help her hadn’t achieved much. This problem, however, was one that seemed easy enough to resolve. “Does it come with directions?”