Stony Creek Cowboy [Stony Creek] (Siren Publishing Classic) (12 page)

“Nope, that little woman can just wait her turn. You are new to both Stony Creek and The Pump. I would be irresponsible in doing my civic duty if I left you here not having your first dance with a trustworthy neighbor.”

“Okay, but you will try to keep up, won’t you, Ben?” Billie laughed. The tension that had been knotted in her chest began to ease. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad. Ben was a good-looking man and could always make her laugh. This might be fun. Unfortunately, her body didn’t respond to being held by Ben like it did with Jackson. There was also the fact that it was quite apparent to her that the middle Powell male had a more than passing interest in a certain lovely café owner, apparent even if neither of them had come clean yet.

Ben laughed and started toward the dance floor. In no time, Billie was laughing her head off at Ben’s outrageous observations of the people in the bar. He told her of who was sleeping with who, who had already slept with who and wanted to be sleeping with who. It was very enlightening. He obviously skipped over some of the men in his family and Billie was glad for it. She didn’t think she could stand to hear of Jackson with another woman.

She felt an icy chill just then as she noticed an intense leer from a very unwelcome source. Len was staring at her with a bunch of other men that she didn’t recognize. It made her uneasy. As if he felt her feelings, Ben suddenly turned and blocked her from view. “Don’t you worry about anything, Doc, we got you covered,” he whispered. Before she could ask what he meant by that, she was twirled out of his arms and into Cole’s.

“Well, hello, gorgeous doctor! Fancy meeting you here. If I may say so, you are looking very fine this evening. If this is how you dress for work every day, I just may have to get sick more often,” he quipped. Cole was a very good dancer, but there was something about the way he was holding her that made her look up at him with a questioning look. “Just lean on me, Doc. Play along. We got it all under control. Cowboys know how to deal with stubborn animals.”

“Are you cracking up, Cole? Are you calling me a stubborn animal? Because if you are, my heel is going right into your foot.”

“How could you be so smart, so beautiful, and so wrong at the same time?” he asked. Just as he said that, Billie felt him pull her a little closer. He gently ran his hand down her back into an intimate area, his finger lightly grazing over the top of her ass.

“What are you doing, Cole?” she asked with annoyance.

He laughed quietly, like a rumble, and whispered in her ear. She was sure it must look very intimate to anyone watching. She got her answer as to whom specifically when he told her to glance over at Jackson. She did as he asked and noticed Jackson was now sitting up with his elbows on the table with his gaze concentrated on the dancing couple. A huge gush of moisture flooded her feminine parts as she closed her eyes to his glare. The man could turn her on with a look. She thought she heard Cole whisper to her the word
jackpot
!

It hit Billie like a ton of bricks. This was a group effort at pushing Jackson in the right direction, which they all seemed to believe was toward Billie.

“Cole, I don’t think this is a very good idea. Whatever you are thinking, I appreciate, it but I would rather know that a man wanted to be with me for me, not because he is jealous,” Billie said sadly.

“The big idiot is crazy about you, Doc. He was just badly burned and needs some gentle encouragement. Pardon me for the language, but he can get laid any day, but to fall for the most beautiful, perfect lady…well, that isn’t something that is easy to come by. We all know it, including him, but he just doesn’t trust himself when it comes to women. We are just giving him a nudge,” he said with a smirk. He took her hand in his and led her over to the bar.

“Donny, may I have a melon ball, please?” she asked with a smile. Donny looked at her like she was crazy then started singing an Irish tune. “What?” she asked when she realized everyone was looking at her. “I like green drinks. What’s the problem, people? If you are all so determined to meddle in my life, then I am going to help you, but I require green fortification first.” She heard laughter all around her and she took some very long swallows of her beverage after Donny gave it to her, shaking his head. The alcohol hit her empty stomach with welcoming warmth. She felt calmer about their plan but still was not going to encourage them. With a devilish grin, Cole slipped his arm around her slim waist.

“This ought to fire him up. Is he looking?” Cole murmured to the group. There were several nods of affirmation and soft bursts of laughter from varying points close by. So, they really were center stage for tonight’s entertainment. This should be interesting.

Billie took another long swallow and felt another hand curl around her waist from the other side. “Mom, we don’t want him thinking that you are interested in her, too!” Cole laughed. Florence Powell smacked her son in a place that was out of view and gave Billie a hug while whispering, “Don’tcha worry none, sweetheart. Jackson is going to hate this. He doesn’t like it when we interfere.”

“Then what do you call all of this then?” Billie laughed.

“Hugging, dear, just a huge helping of Powell hugs.”

* * * *

Jackson watched from his darkened vantage point across the room. When she had walked in earlier, his entire body reacted and his heart jumped. How the hell was he going to control himself all night? He had tried to convince himself he was just coming here tonight to keep an eye on her. Sometimes some of the cowboys got themselves so liquored up that they made some bad choices. Yep, that was it. He wanted to make sure she was safe. She stood out like an aphrodisiac in a sea of denim. Her silk blouse fluttered with every step she took. It was V-necked and showed the tops of her creamy breasts as she moved. Her ass was showcased to perfection in her tight black skirt. At least the damn thing went to just above her knees, but then there was the slit to worry about. Jackson had tightened his hands into sweaty fists as he watched her shimmy and roll her gorgeous ass first with his big oaf of a brother and then again with Cole. He didn’t start to lose it until he saw Cole’s hand run over the top of her ass crack. What the fuck was that? She let him! Whether he was hard from wanting to run over there and fuck her senseless or from tension he didn’t know. He gulped the rest of his beer and motioned the waitress for another. It was going to be a long night.

Billie was a little more than tipsy when she felt her dance partner change yet again. Donny had made her another one of her green thingies and she was starting to love that man! Aunt Florence, as she was starting to think of the woman, was lucky indeed to have such a funny and kind “friend.” She was almost dizzy as she looked up into her new partner’s arms. Ah, so it was Troy’s turn. While he was also a delicious-looking specimen, he wasn’t her Jackson. It was an excellent diversion! she figured tipsily. Suddenly she was swept up into a graceful turn that took her breath away.

“Wow, Troy! And I thought Ben was a good dancer. What other talents do you have hidden?” Billie giggled up at him.

“Ah, my fair maiden, I will have to leave it to my big, dumb brother to show you where the Powells’ real talent lies! My lug of a brother looks like he is going to make a move. You have got that man tied up in knots so tight it has cut off circulation to his brain and possibly some more interesting places. Promise me that you will untie them tonight if given the chance,” Troy crooned to her.

“Troy, I don’t know where you get your ideas, but you are adorable! Now, please escort me to the nearest ladies’ room! I have had too many green drinks,” she asked pleadingly.

Troy walked her over the ladies’ restroom and kissed her hand. A moment of privacy allowed Billie to stop the swirling thoughts in her head. It was Jackson’s hands she wanted on her body and his body she wanted to be pressed against. She heard a loud clearing of a throat and with dread turned to see Gwen.

Ugh, please make it go away!
“Hello, Gwen,” she politely responded.

“I see you have moved on to other Powells unplowed, Madame Doctor. I wouldn’t have pegged you for a slut, but if the shoe fits,” Gwen said with a malicious grin.

Billie couldn’t believe the malevolence of the woman and decided to try to ignore her. “Gwen, if I close my eyes, will you just disappear?” She didn’t want to be as rude as she was being, but there was that sneaky feeling that there was more to this verbal attack than met the eye.

“Nope, in fact, I intend to remind you quite clearly that I was a Powell long before you and will still carry the name long after you leave Stony Creek,” Gwen spat out.

“Um, my mistake. I thought you had divorced Jackson. Pardon my error.” With that, Billie sauntered out of the restroom. Phew, she was glad that was over. It was dark in the hallway and she didn’t see the wall she had walked into.
Ouch!
Hot hands reached out and slid over her shoulders while gently enfolding her. Heat seemed to emanate from her wall, but oddly it smelled heavenly, like Jackson. She sighed against the heat of the bricks only to hear it speak.

“Baby, what are you doing to me? You are killing me dancing with every available man here, and what the hell kind of blouse are you wearing? I should rip that thing off of you. Your luscious breasts are on display for all your dance partners, and I am going to have to beat the crap out of each and every one of them for noticing,” Jackson growled out with his lips near her ear. She felt as his hands shifted from her waist to the sculpted abundance of her ass, his fingers digging in slightly. She could practically feel as pleasure roared through his body at the contact and the ability to control hers.

Billie felt his cock harden and pulse against her stomach, bringing a fresh flood of cream to her thighs.

His lips nipped at her sensitive place on her neck just under her ear. Billie couldn’t contain her moan as he pulled her flush against his arousal. Just as his lips were descending to hers, they heard a loud throat clearing.

“Jackson, I am so sorry. When you asked me to meet you here, I figured that you would be alone. I mean really, I think you can do better than this.” As Gwen continued on her tirade, Billie eased herself off of Jackson and stepped back. She heard Jackson’s angry growl in answer to her nemesis’s poisonous speech and continued down the hall. Relieved to be away from Gwen’s negative energy, she scanned the room for Lizzie or Beth. She had to inform them that she was now apparently a slut. Billie felt a hand grasp hers in a less than gentle grip. She felt herself tugged against another wall of muscle, but this one was scented with beer and sweat. She looked for Jackson, but he had his angry attention directed on his ex-wife.

“You danced with everyone else, teasing me into a frenzy tonight, Doc, so I figure it’s my turn.” Much to her dismay, the unpleasant odor was attached to Len. She struggled to get him to release her, but he had gotten the upper hand with his surprise attack and strength.

“Len, let me go this instant! I will dance with whomever I choose, and I do not enjoy being manhandled!” Billie spoke firmly, but it seemed to fall on deaf ears. Her nervousness ratcheted up another notch when he looked at her leeringly as his hand snaked around her waist. She felt her panic start to rise as she began to struggle against his stronghold. Just then, she felt Len startle from a slap on his shoulder. She looked up, pleased to see that Jackson had seen what had occurred and was putting a stop to it, only it wasn’t Jackson with his hand on Len’s shoulder where it had been firmly placed.

“Sorry, Len, but I believe that Doc here promised this dance to me. My Lillian abandoned me to dance with one of her nephews, Brody, I think, so I need you to hand this lady over to me. Now.” The firmness and cold control emanating from her new savior’s eyes made Billie understand how DNA worked. Bill Powell stood there like a pillar of calm strength and confidence, waiting patiently for his request to be met, and it looked like it would be unwise for Len to disagree.

“I don’t want to fight with you, Bill. You are getting older and just might get yourself hurt,” Len had the audacity to say without a bit of humility.

“Well, then there is more reason for you to hand the doc over to me as she could fix me right up, but I can assure you that I am not that old yet. Either way, you are going to get in a heap of trouble, so make a choice, son. I am waiting.” The air became very still and very chilled with that last comment. Billie felt her knees weaken with relief when Bill enfolded her in an embrace and turned her out on the dance floor.

“Thank you, Mr. Powell. I was actually a bit scared there. I don’t think I like that man very much.” Billie laughed nervously.

With a loving gesture that touched Billie, Mr. Powell gently pushed her head onto his shoulder and lightly rubbed her upper back. “Don’t you worry none, Doc. We take care of our own. There isn’t one of us who would let anything happen to you. Especially my eldest. Do this dad a favor and have patience with Jackson. He had his heart broken by making a really poor choice, and although he would never admit to it, he is insecure with his feelings around the gentler sex. Well, with matters of the heart, anyway.” Mr. Powell had a naughty grin on his face. It was nice to know that all the Powells loved Jackson so much that they were united in trying to help him by being honest and aware of his weaknesses.

Suddenly, they heard a slight scuffle going on toward the rear of the bar and some shattering glass.