Relentless River: Men of Mercy, Book 10 Page 11

  Bo got real quiet, apparently staring at the white dotted line down the middle of the road as they drove on. “Bo?”

  “My parents were really good people, and I never gave them an excuse to get on to me.”

  She could’ve latched onto the second half of his statement, which obviously implied he believed Cheri had gotten multiple spankings in her life, which she had, but it was one word in his first sentence which caught and held her attention. “Were?”

  “Car accident.”

  “Both of them?” Her heart gave a lurch. She’d been aiming for non-sexual, not Prozac pill inducing depression.

  “Yep.”

  She hadn’t thought it was possible, but the angle of his jaw hardened even more.

  Cheri slapped her hand over her stupid mouth. “Oh God, Bo, I’m so sorry. When did it happen?”

  He gave a grunt or a laugh—she wasn’t really sure she could put a label on the sound, and said, “Don’t worry. I was seventeen. It’s been years. I’m over it.”

  “But to lose both your parents at the same time and you were so young…”

  “Kinda glad they went together. My parents loved each other deeply. They gave me one of the best upbringings I think anyone could ever hope for. I don’t think either of them could’ve existed without the other, I don’t understand it and I never will, all I know is they were meant to stay together forever. It was better that way. Trust me.” His voice dropped so low on the last two words she had to lean sideways to catch them.

  “Did someone –”

  “No. They had a blowout. Front tire. There was no predicting it and no stopping it. It was their time to go.”

  Everything clicked into place. The kid who played with Legos, followed the rules, sounded like he did everything right and then had his world ripped out from under him for no reason. Maybe he hadn’t been so uptight his whole life. “How old were you when you join the military?”

  “Eighteen.” He glanced at her with an unreadable expression and then right back at the road. “Don’t try to read into it, I’d already planned on signing up right out of high school. My dad served. My granddad. My great granddad.”

  “But didn’t you do covert stuff like Evie’s husband? Were you planning on doing that?”

  “No one plans on Marine Special Operations.”

  Just like a little boy who hadn’t planned on losing his parents. Whatever plans she’d had to put a little bit of distance between them crumbled at her feet. She was going to win this man over, whether he liked it or not. And then she would teach him just exactly how much fun it was to bend the rules.

  16

  Bo did a quick glance down at his arms. He could’ve sworn he’d broken out into a cold sweat. Why the hell was she asking about his past? He was the one supposed to be asking questions around here.

  He’d buried the hatchet shortly after the car accident, forcing himself to accept that there were some things in life you couldn’t control. It’d been his parents’ time and it really had been better that way. He wasn’t selfish enough to want his mom to stay here, grieving the rest of her life for his father, or vice versa.

  Besides, life moved on. He’d had the military. And his team. He’d had a clear view of right and wrong. Black-and-white. He’d carried out his missions according to plan, just like he carried out the law.

  So why hadn’t he shut Cheri down and interrogated her about her and Lamont’s involvement with Dupree?

  He glanced in her direction. She was worrying her bottom lip and staring straight ahead. He could practically see her gnawing on his revelations. Why had he told her about his parents? He had no intention of getting that close.

  So then why didn’t he stop?

  He remembered the day in high definition 3D real-time playback. He’d been practicing football at the high school, captain of the team. Sheriff Dabbs had walked onto the field, his gray brows crinkled with worry, and locked in on Bo. He’d known in that moment his life would be changed forever.

  He remembered the countless calls of concern from friends of the family. His friends and teachers pushing him to talk and open up. They never understood he wasn’t wired that way.

  He’d done what had to be done and picked out his parents’ caskets, met with their family attorney and made sure the paperwork was in line. He’d walked out first at his high school graduation, as valedictorian, and kept his shoulders ramrod straight and proud when the entire crowd erupted in cheers and applause in a deafening roar. The only sound he’d been able to hear was the aching silence of the missing two-people he’d loved most in the world.

  He felt a tickle on his arm and then his hand. He blinked and the highway came back into view. Cheri had managed to silently and gently wind her fingers through his. He stared at their connection, her touch grounding him in the present.

  She gave him a little squeeze. No matter how much he knew rationally he should let go and just drive on, he couldn’t tear apart the small bond any more than he could stop the earth from spinning.

  Something warm formed in the center of his chest and spread outwards in little tendrils down his shoulders and arms. What the fuck was that?

  “Bo? I’m going to shut up about it after this, I swear, but I am sorry. And if you ever do want to talk about it I’ll be here. No matter what happens between you and me.” She turned her bright green eyes on him with such sincerity he couldn’t even make himself question her honesty.

  His throat clogged, and he coughed out a thank you. God, he had to get out of this car. She was doing things to his restraint he’d been totally unprepared for. He hadn’t thought about his parents in years.

  Her assumptions about him joining the Marines were way off base. He’d always planned on going into the Marines, just like his family had. Maybe he didn’t have to apply for MARSOC, but what would be the point in joining up if he wasn’t going to make a real difference?

  Bo turned right into his driveway and parked, his SUV’s headlights shining on his plain white garage door and manicured lawn. He didn’t have any plants on the front porch or any landscaping besides green grass and clean concrete. Perfect order. Just the way he liked it.

  And it was time Cheri learned just exactly how much he liked being in control.

  17

  Bo got out and went inside, flipping on the lights in his small entryway. He went ahead and turned on the living room and kitchen lights directly ahead before he realized Cheri wasn’t right on his heels. Instead, she hovered in the doorway, glancing around uncertainly.

  “What is it?”

  “Your house,” she said it with such alarm, Bo did a quick glance around for anything out of place. “What?”

  “I don’t think Martha Stewart’s house is this neat.”

  Bo let out an exasperated sigh and dragged her inside, shutting and locking the door behind her. “Make yourself comfortable.”

  She took a few steps into the living room and stopped. He tried to see it through her eyes. Tan sofa, matching recliner. Walnut coffee table. Standard issue flat screen TV. Everything in its place, exactly as it should be. Cheri took a step back as if the bogeyman had sprung up in the corner.

  “What now?” He couldn’t help the thread of impatience in his voice. He’d never thought she wouldn’t like his place.

  “I don’t know if I should sit on the couch or the chair. I don’t want to wrinkle the cushions.”

  Was she serious? What kind of living conditions was she used to that she thought he was so…uptight. Hadn’t she said it plainly enough before? Cheri clearly thought she’d had him figured out after their drive home. Oh, he planned to show her all kinds of uptight tonight. “Sit. On the couch. Center cushion.”

  He couldn’t stop the edge of authority in his voice any more than he could stop his satisfaction when she jumped to obey his order. Cheri perched on the edge of the cushion, as stiff and straight as if she were afraid it would swallow her whole. Fine, let her worry. He needed her a little on edge, especially if
he was going to take the attention off himself.

  “I’ll get you a drink.”

  “Wait, I don’t want any wine.”

  He gave a dismissive wave and walked toward the kitchen. “I know what you like. Black Top Beer.”

  He looked back in time to see her mouth fall open. Now he liked her expression. She really thought he knew nothing about her. He knew she didn’t drink very much, however, when she did she loved Black Top. He also noticed how she always kept her drink against the back wall, well out of the way of any dumbass stupid enough to try and spike it. For all her acting like a wild child, there was a smidge of levelheadedness lurking beneath the surface. She just needed him to help her realize it.

  Honestly, he didn’t know why he had stockpiled a six-pack of Black Top in his pantry. He didn’t drink the stuff. Give him a good glass of iced tea or water any day. But he’d had a hunch one time in the grocery store and snatched it up on impulse. No one had batted an eye. Now he was glad he’d done it. He didn’t make impulsive decisions often, but this one would work in his favor.

  He quickly pulled a glass from the cabinet directly next to the refrigerator, filled it with her favorite beer and made himself a glass of water from the sink.

  She’d probably be sitting just as stiff and nervous when he went back in there. Bo rounded the corner with a smile and a drink in each hand only to pull up short in an empty living room. “Cheri?”

  Nothing.

  Had she changed her mind and ran?

  “Bo, where do you keep your towels and washcloths?”

  Bo turned in the direction of her voice from down the hall. She’d found his bathroom. Which meant she’d gone into his bedroom. Without asking.

  And she hadn’t run away screaming either. “Hold on a sec, I’ll get you a fresh set.”

  Bo placed their drinks on his dresser and went to the cracked bathroom door. He almost asked for permission to come in and then changed his mind. She might as well learn now he didn’t ask. He went inside. His frosted shower door blurred the details of her body, leaving only enough of an outline to highlight her gorgeous form.

  Cheri was naked. In his shower. Right now.

  Exactly where he wanted to be.

  “Bo? You find the washcloth?” He could see her outline pause, listening for his response.

  Bo padded silently across the floor to the tall built-in linen cabinet in the corner and extracted a couple of fresh towels. The small cabinet was hidden by a half wall, and he hid behind it as he stripped.

  She’d taken it upon herself to use his shower without asking. Bo moved in her direction, placing the towels on a low stool beside the shower and opened the door.

  Jesus. Bo almost had to shake himself. Imagining her fully naked and actually seeing her were two completely different things. And seeing her was way better. She had a body built for love. Curvy, perfect hips. A narrow waist. High full breasts.

  “Like what you see?”

  Bo had to clear his throat before talking. “Yes, I do. Very much.” Bo stepped inside and pulled the door to the shower closed.

  “Why don’t you show me?”

  18

  “We need to get something straight first. I want you. You know that. But I like things a certain way and I’ve been this way for a long time.”

  “If you mean the whole control thing – I got the message loud and clear.” Cheri stepped back, his presence practically filling up the shower.

  His crystalline eyes hardened and he closed in on her, stepping through the shower spray. “I’m talking about the fact that I’ve been through more and seen more than you could ever dream. I’ve been to places so dark and deadly, I never escaped them.”

  Her already racing heart kicked into overdrive at his words. This was the second time he’d given her a hint of his past, and she was desperate for more. She smoothed her fingers down the back of his neck, hoping to ease some of the pain lurking inside him. “You’re here right now. Whatever you’ve seen wasn’t enough to take you down.”

  She couldn’t imagine anything taking Bo Lawson down. She’d imagined how strong his shoulders were beneath his uniform, but seeing those corded muscles ripple as he moved, all those hard angles chiseled into a sexy never-ending godlike goodness that made her knees weak.

  Bo turned her game on her, wrapping her hair around his hand in a tight fist so holding her immobile, bent to his will. “It’s not the things I’ve seen.” His head lowered to hers as his voice dropped with menace, “It’s the things I’ve done. Things that change a man forever. Things that ruin a man on the inside.”

  She tried to pull him closer—his lips were only inches from hers—but he held firm.

  “It’s those things, Cheri Boudreaux, that make me too old for you and not good enough.”

  He was so close now his breath fanned over her face in hot waves which sent chills racing down her spine. The sharp bite of pain in her scalp where he tugged a little too hard only added to the intensity of the emotions rolling through her like an out of control roller coaster. The only thing that could stop her from crashing into oblivion was the man holding her in his arms right now.

  “Bo, please. I don’t care what you’ve done or what you’ve seen. I need you. Please, just kiss me.” Unable to watch him, Cheri closed her eyes.

  “You’re going to bed with me Cheri. I can promise you that.”

  She felt the slightest hint of movement and the burning in her chest blossomed into fire. His lips were less than an inch away. His first touch was so soft she wasn’t even sure it was real—a caress lighter than goose down trailing across her skin. And it happened again and again as Bo slowly increased the pressure of his lips against hers until he left no doubt of his claim. Sweet relief rushed up her legs, sapping the strength and her knees buckled. She gave up any semblance of control under the pure heroin-like ecstasy of his kiss.

  Just like she knew he would, he caught her, binding her to him. He drew her close, his arm a steel band around her waist. His huge, hard length pressed against her belly, leaving no doubt of the desire he felt for her in return. Instant wet heat flooded between her thighs and melted her bones. Her body sensed his predatory dominance, and she knew once he took her, she would never be the same again. She would be ruined for every other man in the future.

  “Are you sure you want this?” Bo’s harsh voice broke through her pleasure. “I’m not the kind of man who has relationships, Cheri. There will be no happily ever after. I don’t make love; I fuck. And I fuck hard.” She felt his hand clenching her hair, reminding her of his sheer power. The power she was in desperate need to taste.

  “I know.” She’d take him any way she could get him. She was so close to exploding she might scream.

  He growled deep in his throat and the rumble in his chest vibrated through her entire body. Her toes curled in response.

  She felt the tide inside him shift in her direction, and a second later, his mouth crushed over hers. He thrust his tongue inside, completely surrounding her. This was what she needed—the rough dominance she’d sensed lurking beneath the surface. The carefully controlled exterior every time he was around her had finally cracked enough for her to see the true man beneath. Clutching his shoulders, she allowed him to move her to the wall, slamming her back against the smooth, cold tiles. His hands circled her hips, holding her in place, while he ground against her in a move extremely overpowering and extremely erotic.

  And it was a promise of more to come.

  He pinned her there, ravishing her mouth and draining her ability to think, to do anything except exist in this tumultuous insanity

  She sucked in a big gulp of air when he broke the kiss. She tried to pull him down for more, but he held himself back, staring down at her with a predatory gleam in his eyes.

  Cheri arched her back, seeking to reestablish the lost connection between them. Bo smiled, his eyes glinting with satisfaction. “Put your hands against the wall, down by your sides.”

  She compli
ed instantly, palming the wall behind her, her insides melting at the pleasure reflected his expression.

  “I want you to watch me. I want you to see what I do to you. Do you understand?” His rough voice was a caress in and of itself, and Cheri bit her lip and nodded, unwilling to speak and risk breaking the spell. Steam from the hot water rose around them, enclosing them in their own private world.

  He raked his thumb over her painfully hard nipple, back and forth in a tortuously way that left her panting for breath.

  “You like that?” He took her nipple between his finger and thumb and pinched, the sensation so shocking she grabbed his arms. Bo immediately let go and shackled her wrist, easing her hands back to the wall. “We do this my way.” He took her nipple between his thumb and finger again, slowly exerting pressure until she had to bite her lips to keep from screaming out with pleasure.

  “Do you want me to suck those pretty nipples?”

  His erotic words completely robbed her ability to speak. Her body was a whirling mass of pleasure lost in the intensity of his touch, his gaze, and his words.

  “Tell me, Cheri.” He emphasized his demand with a sharp tug, and she cried out, the mixture of pleasure and pain almost too much to take in at once.

  “Yes!”

  Bo loosened his grip, hooked an arm around her waist and lifted her to his mouth. Her feet dangled off the floor as he devoured her breast, his hot tongue lashing her until she writhed uncontrollably in his arms, close to an orgasm.

  This is what she’d been aching for. She clutched him to her, urging him on. He kissed his way across her chest and gently bit down on her other nipple. She cried out again and he soothed her, gently kissing and repeating the process over and over until her body belonged to him. She didn’t know when he set her back on her feet; she was barely aware when he pushed her back against the wall and took control of her mouth once more. She was so close, if he simply touched her between her legs she would explode.

  He grabbed her hips, picked her up, and wrapped her legs around his lean waist. She could feel every ripple of muscle. Feel his heart pounding. Then she felt the broad head of his cock nudging her entrance.