TATIANA: Book Three; The Trouble Sisters Saga Read online

  “And you shall. Indeed, we will return together just as soon as you tell me what the hell you meant by that crack you made.”

  Seeing his clear anger and fierce intent, Tatiana decided that in this instance discretion was definitely the better part of valor. Particularly because she knew she’d made an ugly accusation. She hadn’t realized how much the snotty ADA’s dismissal of her expertise had stung. And she was more than a little embarrassed that she’d taken it out on the clearly angry man who was apparently willing to take her on, in the middle of the parking lot if necessary. She blew out a hard sigh. “Fine. I apologize. I . . . I shouldn’t have said what I did. I . . . I was angry at that brazen woman. Your ADA. At the way she belittled my life’s work. She . . . she has no idea what those women go through . . . But I . . . I shouldn’t have taken it out on you.” She stopped, realizing how close to tears she was.

  Swallowing hard against the baseball-sized lump in her throat, she was surprised when Zane pulled her next to him. His arms around her felt good given that her legs were shaking so hard she wasn’t sure if they would hold her upright. Without intending to, she found herself leaning into him.

  His sigh was as audible as hers had been. “Okay, I accept your apology. I think we’re both a little distraught. As I told you, I was angry when Chloe attacked you the way she did. I admit at some level I was also embarrassed. Embarrassed that you and likely every other damn person in the room thought the chances were good that I’m screwing her. A fact I’m not proud of. However, your crack about the harem of ADAs I’m supposedly fucking was a bridge too far. Yeah, I’m a profligate asshole but not to that extent. And by the way, there is nothing between ADA Richards and me and hasn’t been for some time, a fact she is not happy about.”

  He held her trembling body next to him for several moments, rubbing her back. Tatiana was surprised at how much she needed his arms around her. Wishing that he’d continue to hold her, she wasn’t surprised when he gently began to release his hold.

  With an audible sigh, he said, “How about it, Ms. Trouble? Think that Dante saved our martinis or at least wouldn’t object to making us a couple more? Are you ready to enter the lion’s den on the arm of the de facto leader of the pride—at least if arrogance is the most essential criterion to claim that dubious honor?”

  Tatiana smiled wanly. “I hope Dante didn’t throw out our martinis. I’m not much of a drinker, but I don’t know when I’ve wanted the numbing effects of alcohol as much as I do now.”

  Zane wrapped his arm tightly around her as he led her back up the steps and into the noisy bar. “Hmm, as much as I want you to feel everything that I’m feeling now, I can understand why a little numbness might be welcome. Just know that when I get you home tonight, numbness isn’t going to be an option.”

  Ignoring her surprised reaction to his provocative assertion, Zane met Ryker’s and Griffin’s questioning glances as he led Tatiana back into the tavern. He signaled with a raised brow that he understood he wasn’t going to get by without explaining why he’d dragged the clearly upset Trouble sister out of the festivities and was now leading her back into the bar. He acknowledged that if he had a chance of keeping the two powerful men on his team, he’d better have a damn good reason to explain her clearly shattered countenance. Seeing Dante frown at him as he helped Tatiana onto the seat she’d vacated a few minutes before, it was clear he needed to mend fences with more than the Trouble gang.

  In response to Dante’s suspicious query as to how he could help them, Zane assumed an affability he was far from feeling. “Don’t know if you saved our drinks for us, but if not, Dante, how about cranking up another pair of porn stars? And don’t skimp on the alcohol. Ms. Trouble and I could use some liquid fortification.”

  Ignoring Dante’s frown and dark mutters confirming he wasn’t happy with the order, Zane yanked out another C-note and tossed it on the bar. At Dante’s raised brow and widening scowl, Zane shrugged. “Yeah, buddy, I’m trying to buy you off.” Glancing at the ring of Trouble family members and their men staring at them from the front of the tavern, he added, “Hell, man, I could use a friendly face.” Wrapping his arm around Tatiana’s slender shoulders, he said, “C’mon, Dante, you’re as close to a town shrink as we have. You have to know that my intentions toward this woman are honorable.” With a sly grin, he added, “As long as honorable includes doing every damn thing I can do to get her to crawl in bed with me!”

  Chapter 7

  Are you sure you don’t want another piece of this birthday cake, Zane? How about you, Ryker, or you, Griffin? C’mon, guys, you have to know who’s going to end up eating this if you he-men don’t. That would be me!”

  Tanya shoved at Ryker’s hand and squealed when he reached around her hip and pinched her bottom. Leaning down, he murmured loudly enough for everyone to hear, “Darlin’, you could eat that whole damn cake and all you would be is sweeter than you already are.”

  “Yeah, and there would be five more pounds of me!” Tanya’s bark was sharp but none of the group missed Ryker’s wink and murmur, “And that would be bad why?”

  At Tanya’s giggle, Griffin rose to his feet and quirked a finger at a smiling Tara. “C’mon, lissome lass. I think we’ve more than put this party to bed.” At the chorus of agreement from the group, Griffin added with a wink at Ryker who was holding a squirming Tanya on his lap, “Besides, I think Ryker has the right idea.” Holding Tara close to him, he crooned, “I trust you agree, sweetheart. But not here. What I have in mind for you requires privacy and our big bed.” He added salaciously, “And perhaps an interesting accouterment or three.”

  Pretending to be embarrassed as she nestled against him, Tara turned to Tatiana. “Do you want us to drop you off, sis, or is Dad taking you home?”

  Glancing at Titus, who was surrounded by a group of some of his longtime friends, Griffin shrugged. “I think maybe we should take you, Tatiana. It looks like your dad is having a great time talking with his cronies.”

  Zane rose to his feet. “You’re right, Griff. It does look like the sheriff isn’t done celebrating. But that’s okay. I plan on taking Tatiana home.” Ignoring her start and her sisters’ surprised glances, Zane smiled at Tatiana. “Are you ready to leave, Tatiana?”

  She hesitated and then nodded as she stood up and walked toward the sheriff and his reveling party. “I just need to say good night to my father.”

  Ryker waited until Tatiana was across the room, then shot Zane a hard glance. “Slick move, bro. Not bad for a frogman. Just so you know, you came damn close to blowing the whole deal earlier tonight. A word of advice. I gotta believe you only get one ticket to ride that ride. Don’t fuck up!”

  Griffin’s confirming grunt underscored his fellow Delta friend’s belief that given Zane’s penchant for overplaying his hand, his fucking it up was a slam dunk.

  ****

  When they had returned to the B n’ T, Zane had been gratified when Tatiana took a small sip of the alcohol-laden concoction that Dante reluctantly put in front of her. The chains around Zane’s chest began to loosen as she leaned ever so slightly against him. The definition of a cocky asshole, even Zane wasn’t so brain dead that he didn’t know that every member of the Trouble family, including the commanding sheriff as well as his soon-to-be sons-in law, were throwing daggers across the tavern aimed straight for Zane’s heart. It didn’t help that the husky bartender had pinned him with a cold fish-eye as he handed Zane the drinks he’d requested. Words weren’t necessary. Zane was on a short leash held by powerful men and women who could make or, more likely, shoot his current initiative to hell.

  Zane stood to the side of Tatiana’s barstool, allowing his hip to make contact with hers. When she didn’t pull away, in fact, may have moved an infinitesimal inch closer, he chalked up a minor victory. Sipping on his powerful drink and gratified that she was doing the same, Zane marveled at his current circumstances. Ten minutes ago, the woman he was shamelessly chasing had slammed him with an insult that had cu
t him to the bone and made him angrier than he could remember being. He’d jerked her off the barstool and come close to dragging her out of the saloon into the parking lot. Thinking back on their problematic exit, it was a wonder that her sisters and father hadn’t beat them to the lot. Not to mention Ryker and Griffin.

  He had been determined to let her know how angry he was. Her insinuation that he wasn’t only fucking Chloe Richards but every other babe in his office stunned him. The unfairness of her missile hurt, but the sharpest cut of all was that at one point in his life the accusation could have been true. And admittedly self-inflicted. He wasn’t sure what he intended to do when he’d dragged her from the bar. What did happen was the least likely outcome he’d expected. Tatiana had apologized to him. To make her admission more stunning, she’d fought her tears when she told him how much Chloe’s snide remarks had hurt her and that she’d struck out at him in her frustration.

  Standing in the lot, holding the shaking woman close to him, Zane was overcome by the incongruity of their circumstances. What had been searing anger on both their parts had dissolved into mutual apologies. Instead of marching off in a fury, vowing to never speak to each other again, they were clinging to one another—in a goddamn parking lot no less. Zane wasn’t so naïve not to know that Tatiana’s family and his drinking buddies would likely blame him for their untoward exit and awkward return to the scene of the crime. Christ, even Dante, the most easygoing barkeep alive, had looked like a fucking thundercloud ready to explode when Zane asked him to refill their glasses. He wouldn’t have been surprised if the frowning giant had pulled a bottle of strychnine from the shelf and added it to Zane’s glass—daring him to drink it.

  Ten minutes later, he and Tatiana carefully made their way back to the heart of the party. Neither Tanya nor Tara pretended that they weren’t angry, and both fully intended to find out what had happened to their sister. When they returned from the ladies’ room five minutes later and it appeared they hadn’t sent the ‘kill the bastard’ order to their father or their fiancés, Zane breathed a sigh of relief. Ryker underscored his close call when he sidled up to him and said in an undertone, “Looks like you dodged a bullet, buddy. But don’t get too cocky. Sheriff Titus Trouble is the last person whose cross hairs you wanna be in. Tara and Tanya are a close second.”

  For the next hour, he kept a respectable distance away from Tatiana but never let her out of his sight. It was a small comfort that she didn’t try to escape him although she made sure that at least one of her sisters or her father were no farther than a few feet away from her at any time. As the raucous party was winding down, Zane moved closer to the primary circle, confirming that he wasn’t going anywhere any time soon. When the circle dwindled to the critical few and Griffin called a close to the auspicious evening, Zane made his move. Looking back on it, he was impressed with his gutsy initiative. It could have gone awry in so many ways—the most likely being Tatiana would spurn his assertion that he would see her home. But to his relief and undying gratitude, she’d accepted his offer.

  Now, as he once more steered Tatiana out to the parking lot, Griffin’s and Ryker’s not-so-subtle threats ringing in his ears, Zane was struck by the incongruity of their circumstances and burst out laughing. When Tatiana looked up at him in surprise, he managed to speak through his hilarity. “Damn, Tatiana, I never thought a fucking parking lot would play such an auspicious role in my life. Christ, sweetheart, little more than an hour ago, I wouldn’t have given us a trailer park’s chance of surviving a tornado that we’d be leaving this party together.”

  Not able to hide the smile curving her lips, Tatiana agreed. “The only thing more surprising is that, for some reason, my sisters and father let us go.”

  “Hmm, are you saying that I may have won the standoff against the toughest gang of adversaries I’ve ever faced?”

  Tatiana lifted a dismissive shoulder, then shot him a saucy smile. “No, that isn’t what I’m saying. It wouldn’t have mattered how forbidding you were if I hadn’t given the signal.”

  Zane stopped short and turned her toward him with a grin. “Are you telling me the shy, little, redheaded middle Trouble sister calls the shots in the formidable Trouble family?”

  Tatiana shrugged as she lifted her chin. “Apparently. We’re here, aren’t we?”

  Zane was still laughing when he strapped her into the front seat of his Bentley. Rounding the silver bullet, he climbed into the driver’s seat and headed for her house.

  ****

  The studied silence settling between them as he navigated the twisting curves of the two-lane highway going toward her house was obvious. Zane didn’t have to see the slight frown creasing her smooth brow or the set of her full lips to know that, like him, Tatiana was likely sorting through the options before them. Goddamn, even his chest felt tight. He’d always been a cocky son of a bitch, confident of succeeding in any arena he chose to enter. But Tatiana presented an unexpected challenge. He’d been confident that he could peak her interest. That had been clear when he’d come on to her at the Sanctuary. He’d also been reassured by his conversation with first Ryker, then with the sheriff himself, that at least they wouldn’t stand in his way. But the remarkable scene in the parking lot had unnerved him. It wasn’t the fact that she gave in to him. More surprising was that he’d given in to her.

  He reminded himself that they’d both been laughing when they got into his Bentley. Hell, she’d almost seemed relaxed. And she hadn’t shut him down when he arrogantly declared to her surprised inner circle that he planned to drive her home. Now here he was, pulling into the driveway to her suburban home. Zane hoped against hope that if her young children weren’t at Tara’s house, at least they’d be asleep. That hope was dashed when Tatiana said, “Oh no. I . . . I can’t believe I forgot!”

  Zane frowned, hoping she hadn’t decided she didn’t want to invite him into her home and had discovered an excuse to dismiss him. Given that he’d been more than aroused for the better part of the evening, dismissing him would be a problem. Simply put, if his cock was calling the shots, turning tail and leaving unrequited wasn’t an option.

  “Zane, I’m sorry. I truly am. I just remembered that Jennifer Conklin, my babysitter, is spending the night tonight. Her parents are out of town and asked if she could stay with us. I . . . I agreed.” Seeing his frown, she tried to explain. “Usually she goes home, but tonight . . . ” Clearly chagrined, she stopped as if she knew it sounded as though she was making an excuse. “I . . . I would have invited you in for a . . . nightcap . . . or something . . . ”

  Fighting against his disappointment but knowing he didn’t have a choice, Zane sought the high ground. “I have to admit, Tatiana, I would have enjoyed a nightcap—or something.” He added with a grin, “But I’m not going to let my disappointment spoil what has been a memorable evening.”

  Hopping out of the car, he rounded the Bentley and was at her door. He opened it with a flourish and helped her from the car. “At the very least I’ll walk you to the door. After all, at some level, I’m a gentleman.”

  Walking beside her, he placed a familiar hand on her back, acknowledging he would have to be blind not to see the tension on her face. At the door, she reached in her purse and pulled out a key. He took the key and winked at her as he tucked it into his jacket pocket. “How about you let me unlock the door?” He added, a grin tugging at his lips, “That way I can decide when I’ll permit you to go inside.”

  At her surprised gasp and quick frown, Zane laughed softly. Tipping up her chin, he gazed into her eyes and pulled her next to him. “Surely you don’t think you are going to escape—at least until I do this.”

  Later Zane would acknowledge that given the drama of the evening, it would have been impossible to end the night with a chaste good night kiss. For a moment he merely held her, basking in the fragrance of her perfume and the closeness of her lush body. Lifting her face to his, he murmured, “Hell, honey, you smell so fucking good.” Pressing against
her, he added, “And that doesn’t begin to describe how you feel.” At her gasp, he shook his head. “You know I’m going to kiss you, don’t you?” When she closed her eyes and nodded, he gently ran a searching finger across her bottom lip. Testing, he leaned down and pressed his lips against hers. When she pulled back, he shook his head. “Uh-uh, sweetheart. I am going to kiss you—something we both want me to do.”

  Taking advantage of her surprised gasp, he ran the tip of his tongue across the seam of her lips. Working his expert tongue against her teeth, he sought to enter the soft, moist space. When she still resisted, he whispered, “Open for me, honey. Let me taste you.”

  At the sound of her soft moan, he groaned. “Oh yeah, sweetheart, just like that.” Pressing his tongue inside, he grasped her tongue between his teeth, lightly biting, then sucking it into his mouth. To his surprise, she gave a little cry and began to kiss him back. In response, he thrust deeper, harder, plundering her surprisingly receptive mouth. Her soft breathy sounds and gasps for air ratcheted up his smoldering desire. Within seconds, what had started as a gentle exploration, a need to taste, to touch, escalated beyond his control. It was as though his body was on fire. He needed to feel her, to connect with her. Hell, to be truthful, he wanted to be inside of her, deep inside.

  “Baby, if you thought that felt good, tell me how this makes you feel.” Grasping her hands, he raised them above her head and pressed them against the door. He nudged her knees apart with his strong thigh, stunned at the rough growl that rose in his throat when she opened for him. Any semblance of control he might have had was lost when she cried out and put her arms around his neck, dragging him closer. As if some magic floodgate opened, she rode up on his thigh, pressing all the softness between her legs against his rock-hard dick.