Badass

“
Badass”

BY

SABLE HUNTER

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

Copyright © 2012 Sable Hunter

All rights reserved.

www.sablehunter.com

This is the fourth book in the McCoy series. As my readers well know, the events in all the Hell Yeah! Series take place in a relatively short amount of time. Therefore there are overlapping events at the beginning of each book. I write the books to either be read in order or as standalone books. Please be aware that there are scenes, which to you will be flashback scenes. This is to tie the loose ends together and allow someone who picks up just one book to have some idea of the events that bring the family to this particular point in time. There is a full story here – well over 80000 words and new details have been woven in that only Isaac or Avery will know.

Happy reading – Sable.

Prologue

“I can do this.” Avery coached herself as she stood at the door of Hardbodies. “It’s a simple plan; I’ll just walk in, sit down and tell him how I feel.”

Before she could open the door, it swung open – hard – almost knocking her down. “Damn, I gotta take a piss!” An inebriated cowboy came staggering out, swaying with every step. If a bleached blonde, with way too much make-up, hadn’t been holding him up, he would have fallen right at Avery’s feet. “Hey, why don’t you get out of the way, Miss Priss? What are you doing here? You look like you belong in a nunnery.” A wave of bad breath hit her in the face and she held her hand over her nose to avoid the smell, stepping aside to give them a wide berth.

“Excuse me, Sir.” she didn’t argue with him or take offense. That was just her way. Ridicule wasn’t new to her. Avery knew she was different – a little square – it was how she had been raised. Her dad was a Baptist pastor and Avery had been expected to attend some kind of church service three times a week since she could remember.

“Sorry,” his companion muttered, directing the short apology at Avery, as she struggled to support his weight. They disappeared into the shadows, and Avery let out the air she had been holding in her lungs. Smoothing her palms down her skirt, she wondered if she were dressed properly. Perhaps she should have changed clothes before coming to talk to Isaac. Looking down, she sighed. Her outfit was conservative, but she didn’t really own anything that could be termed stylish.

“Here goes nothing,” she smiled at her own trepidation. Her hand shook as she pushed open the heavy door. Suddenly, it whooshed out of her hand and a large body blocked her view of the drinking establishment.

“Miss Avery, what are you doing here?”

Good Gracious! Avery looked up and up and then she laughed. “Terence Lee, how are you? I haven’t seen you since you came to church with your Granny on Grandparents Day.”

The big, brawny man looked sheepish. “Sorry, Avery. I know I need to be in church, I’ve just been busy.”

She placed a hand on his arm. “Stop. I’m not the right-wing religion police. You are my friend, I was just making conversation.” Sometimes it was frustrating. No one saw her as a woman. Instead, men saw her as an extension of her father or the church. Most were afraid to speak to her, much less ask her out. Little did they know that Avery Rose Sinclair was not the prude they all assumed her to be. “Is Isaac here?”

“Yea, he’s tending bar.” Censure was on Terence’s face. Apparently, he did not approve of her interest in his boss. “He’s not going to like that you’ve come here, Miss Avery. This bar is no place for a lady like you.” Every time Avery tried to step around him, he shifted his big body to bar her way.

Enough! Placing her hands on her hips, Avery glared at her childhood friend. “Move, Terence. I’m a grown woman and I will go where I please.” What was the big deal? Wrinkling her nose, she pursed her lips and fumed. Was he trying to protect her or Isaac? Finally, the mountain of a man stepped back and Avery got her first real look at Isaac’s place of business. It was packed. People were dancing and playing pool. There was laughter and the clinking of glasses – but all of it faded from view as her gaze settled on the object of her desire. Isaac McCoy. Avery Rose almost purred. She had been in love with him forever, and tonight she was going to make her move. Despite years of sending him every signal she could think of, he had never been anything but polite – until last week.

Several times, she had caught Isaac looking at her with heat in his eyes, but that could have been wishful thinking on her part. But after what happened on the street in front of the drug store, everything had changed. That day, she had walked out – not paying a bit of attention and bumped right into him. Isaac had held her for a few moments, and then uttered words, which would be forever inscribed on her heart. He had said, “God, you’re beautiful. I would give anything in the world if you were mine.” Then, he had kissed her once – hard. It had been over too fast; she hadn’t even had time to enjoy it. When he had lifted his lips from hers, he had looked funny – blinked and stepped back, as if he just realized what he had done. Before she could get her breath to ask him what he had meant, he was gone. All she had been left with was an incredible memory that had fueled many nights of hot fantasies and one hell of a romance novel. Now, she was here to find out if he felt the same way she did.

God, he was handsome. She began a slow, steady path toward him – almost like she was a wildcat sneaking upon her prey. Avery smiled at the thought. Her a wildcat? Yea, she could be, if given the chance.

Isaac was her hero. Their paths had crossed many times over the years. He and his family were Hill Country legends. Everyone in the county knew the sound of his Harley, and when he rode his motorcycle down the street in that tight leather jacket – every woman stopped in her tracks to watch him go by.

Oh, she knew the rumors, she was well aware of his less than stellar reputation. According to popular belief, Isaac spent his time in bar-fights, brawls, drag races and rowdy parties. But, rumors could be wrong. Avery knew, for a fact, that there was more to Isaac than most people realized – even his family. They didn’t know her Isaac.

Because of her affiliation with the county benevolence board, they had worked together behind the scenes. Avery was privy to the fact that Isaac supported a couple of charities single-handedly and was very generous with several others. He wasn’t aware how much she knew about his business – confidentiality was important to the board. But she saw a side of Isaac that few others knew existed. To her, he was everything she wanted in a man – gentle, kind and undeniably sexy.

As she walked, she rehearsed what she would say. Maybe, ‘Hi, Isaac. Could I have a martini?’ No, not a martini – she would order a beer. Good Lord, she wouldn’t be able to handle a beer. ‘Might I have a Shirley Temple, please?’ Yea, she could drink a Shirley Temple. He had his back to her, which showcased those yard wide shoulders – Lord, what she wouldn’t give to hold him close. There was no man on the face of the earth that looked like him. Avery stared so hard, she was afraid he might burst into flames. Only last night, she had lain in bed and imagined him on top of her – pumping inside of her – her hands kneading those magnificent muscles. Whew! Avery fanned herself. If the congregation only knew! Avery Rose Sinclair had secrets. And one of them was standing before her. She had lots of fantasies that featured the sexiest bad boy in Texas. And tonight, she was going to ensure her fantasies came true.

****

He had been aware she was in the room from the moment she walked through the door. Every nerve cell in his body reacted to her nearness. Avery was all he had ever wanted in a woman and the very thing he could never have. Bottom line – he didn’t want to want her – but he did. She was pure and innocent, untouched and sweet - while he was a biker boy with a bad attitude and a taste for the kinkier side of sex.

Lord, she was beautiful. A lady, that was what she was, a lady. He watched her, first in the mirror, then turning he pretended to wipe down the bar, but he saw every step she made. Tensing his muscles, he controlled baser impulses. She would never know. He would make sure of it. To look at him, he appeared nonchalant – self-assured – cool, calm and collected. When, in reality, all he wanted to do was vault over the bar, grab her up and ride off into the sunset with her on his Harley.

He didn’t say a word to her. She came, hesitantly, and slipped up on a barstool. “Hi, Isaac. It’s good to see you.” Her little smile was sweet and tentative, and Isaac’s mind fought a battle with his heart. “Could I have a diet coke, please?”

Lord, he didn’t even know if he had a diet coke. “Sure.” At least spending the time to look for one kept his eyes – hands – and lips off of her. “Found one.” Taking the time to pour it up, he managed to get himself under control and debated what to say to her. Looking up, he almost lost his resolve – but he needed to do what was best for both of them. “Avery Rose, you need to leave. This bar is no place for you,” Isaac set the glass of soda in front of the sexiest woman in Texas. “Drink this, and then you’re out of here. I’ll walk you to your car, myself.”

“I’d rather stay, if that would be all right with you,” she said politely. Isaac’s hand lay on the bar about six inches from Avery’s. Slowly she covered his hand with hers, letting her thumb caress his fingers. This was bold for her – Avery could hardly believe she had the courage to make the first move.

Isaac jerked his hand away as if it had been burned. “All right, that’s it. I don’t get paid extra to baby-sit.” Walking around the bar, he took Avery by her arm; she didn’t resist, but let him lead her to the tavern door. Terence Lee gave her a sympathetic look and opened it wide enough to them both exit the building.

Avery looked like she was about to cry. “Isaac, please don’t make me leave. I won’t cause any trouble, I’ll be quiet.”

Stopping at the door of her beige minivan, Isaac looked down at her conservative little skirt and demure matching blouse. Actually, she was so beautiful it hurt his eyes to look at her. He wanted to kiss her trembling, plump lips until they were fiery red from passion. “Don’t you have an event to host, or a benefit to plan?” anything to keep her out of his sight. She had no idea how tempting she was.

“I’ve spent my life doing those things. Now, I want to be with you.” Taking him totally by surprise, Avery closed the short distance between them and gave him a sweet kiss. Rising up on tiptoe, she fitted her mouth to his, letting the tip of her tongue dance over his lower lip. Hell! Isaac wanted to crush her to him more than he wanted to live another day. His arms rose and fell, rose and fell - his hands clenching into fists as he fought to keep himself from devouring her where she stood. Damn! He had to get control. Avery was not for him.

Jerking back, Isaac pulled away from her. “This is not going to happen, Avery.” Isaac was about to do something he swore he would never do. He was going to hurt a sweet and innocent little thing. It was Isaac who picked up the kittens and puppies that people threw away on the side of the road. It was Isaac who climbed trees and put little birds back in their nests and fed baby squirrels on bottles when hunters killed their mamas and left them to starve. But sometimes you had to hurt somebody in order to be good to them. “Go home, Avery. I don’t want you.”

Avery looked stunned by his admission. “You don’t want me?”

Frustrated, Isaac pushed his hand through his hair. “No, I’m sorry. I don’t know where you got the idea, but you’ve misunderstood. I don’t want you.”

“But what about the other day, when you kissed me and said . . .?” Avery’s voice was small, “When you said that you wished . . .” Her face fell and she stammered, unable to go on.

“I was just being nice,” Isaac was lying like a dog. Preparing for the killing blow, Isaac braced himself. It was going to hurt him a hell of a lot more than it would her. “You aren’t my type, Avery. In fact, I don’t think you’re anybody’s type.” At her wounded expression, he knew he was almost there. He pulled back the knife and waited to execute the final thrust. “I like my dates to excite me. Face it, baby – you’re just not woman enough to turn me on. Go home.”

Isaac watched her little body reel backward as if he had physically hit her. “I’m sorry, Isaac. I won’t bother you again.” She fumbled with her keys and unlocked the van door. “Forgive me, I didn’t know. I didn’t understand.”