Bound to Pleasure [Bound To 2] (Siren Publishing Classic) Read online

  Emma bit her lip to hide her smile. “Marcus is a nice guy. I’m sure he is helping Presley out until she gets settled.”

  Unappeased, Jennifer rolled her eyes and snorted. “I can imagine how he’s helping her out. If he’d been here back before I found my BJ, he could have helped me out … anywhere, anytime, anyhow.”

  Both ladies burst out laughing as the front door opened admitting another customer.

  “You’d better not let BJ hear you talking like that, Jenn,” Kat said from behind the pregnant woman. “You know the male psyche is ever so fragile.”

  “BJ is probably ready to hand me over to Marcus, as much as I cost the poor man in food bills right now.” Throwing her purse strap over her shoulder, she waved as she headed out the door, sandwich in hand.

  “Hey Kat, what are you doing here? We didn’t have dinner plans, did we?” Emma was the first to admit when her head got wrapped around a new recipe, she lost track of time.

  “Nope, I came to see if you and Ronan wanted to come over this weekend and cookout. Jack said the family was coming down to visit. I personally think they are coming down to check out what has kept Ronan in good old Barton for the last little bit.” She gave Emma a saucy wink.

  Emma had a moment of absolute panic. She knew Ronan had parents. It was just that with the whole not being able to stay out of his bed for more than a few hours, she’d sort of forgotten. What if they didn’t like her? Or worse, what if Ronan didn’t want her at his family’s cookout? Kat was making a presumption that Ronan wanted his family to know he and Emma were sleeping together. Did he introduce all his subs to the family? His parents were wealthy. What if she didn’t fit the mold of what they wanted for their oldest son? She was an unwanted foster kid.

  “Whoa, whoa, whoa. I have no idea what is going through that head of yours, but stop it. You’re as pale as a ghost. Sit down.” Kat pulled a chair out from one of the small tables, forced Emma to sit down, and began fanning her with a napkin. “Now what the hell was that all about?”

  “Kat, what if he doesn’t want his parents to know? They are rich and I’m an adopted nobody. I think maybe you should get it okayed with him first, just in case. I’m just a sub he’s playing with for a while. I’m sure he doesn’t bring his women home to meet the folks.”

  “Emma, you’re talking crazy. Of course he wants them to know, silly girl.” Kat reached out a comforting hand.

  Emma knew she was being a bit irrational but sometimes it was hard to shake feeling insecure. When she’d first come to Barton the only things she’d been sure of were her brothers and opening up the café. She’d refused to join Kat and Chase for lunch for almost six months. Kat being Kat, had finally decided to play dirty and had invited herself over.

  Try as she might to ignore Kat, a chance comment about baking a pie for the firemen’s fundraiser had snagged her attention. They’d talked for hours about food, books, family, and nothing in particular. The next time Kat had asked Emma out to lunch she’d jumped at the opportunity. Now along with Chase, they were the three amigos.

  “Thanks, Kat. Sometimes I get into my own head.” Emma said with a gentle squeeze to her friend’s hand.

  “You know. You better be glad Ronan isn’t here or he’d already have you over his lap.”

  Emma smiled ruefully at Kat. “Well it’s a good thing he’s not here.”

  “I might just tell him anyway,” Kat said with a wicked grin.

  Emma gasped and pulled her hands out of Kat’s. “You wouldn’t dare!”

  Before Kat could respond, they both turned at the sound of people yelling and screaming across the street just as the front end of a pickup truck crested the sidewalk, coming straight at them. Emma tried to make a grab for Kat as the truck crashed through the large glass store front, but the impact sent her in the opposite direction.

  Emma felt herself flying through the air and then coming to a bone-shaking stop when she hit the counter, knocking the breath from her body. She shut her eyes as shards of broken glass rained down on top of her. She tried to pull herself up from her prone position but it hurt to move and her head felt fuzzy. She could hear the engine still running in the truck that was now embedded in the far wall and other half of the long counter. She prayed that Kat had been thrown clear. Over the hum of the engine she could make out voices, probably the same people that had been yelling earlier.

  The sound of a creaky car door opening caught her attention. Focusing was difficult and her eyes felt like they were weighted down with lead. She wanted to see who was getting out of the truck but she could feel herself drifting, unable to maintain any sort of alertness. She lifted her head once more to try to see the truck more clearly. A shadow climbed out of the passenger side, darting toward the back door.

  Was that laughter? Who would be laughing? Emma turned her head toward the sound and tried to call out, but the movement sent what felt like a knife into her temple. The pain finally dug in and took her under.

  * * * *

  “It was a truck stolen from over in Dunloop County. We figure some fool kid was taking it for a joyride, lost control, and ended up in the middle of the café.”

  “You’d better find the little fucker before I do, Joshua. I’ll kill him. I swear I will.”

  Sheriff Joshua Briggs rubbed his forehead, trying to ward off the headache he could feel coming on. “Ronan, I’m still an officer of the law. Don’t say shit around me you’re going to regret later.”

  “He’s dead if I find him before you do.” Every word was laced with resolve.

  “Ronan?”

  Ronan swiveled around to find Emma standing beside a nurse, a bandage covering the right side of her neck where a large shard of glass had cut her from her collar bone to right below her ear. She had numerous small scratches that had been inspected and cleaned of glass. The counter top she landed under seemed to have stopped most of the glass from striking her. Considering she almost got hit by a truck, the damage was minimal. Pulling her gently into his arms, he hugged her close, giving the top of her head a kiss. “You look like you went a few rounds and lost, little love.”

  “I think I did. The doctor says I’m fine, minor cuts and abrasions. I’m told I’ll feel and look like I went a few rounds by tomorrow. The nurse prescribed over-the-counter pain meds for any soreness and said I’d be as good as new in a few days. They wanted to wheel me out but I talked her into letting me walk.” Emma sank into Ronan’s embrace. He felt like home.

  “Quit hogging our sister, man.”

  Emma laughed as she felt Ronan being jostled aside by Ethan. Her brothers had been like two mother hens the entire time the ER staff cleaned and checked her wounds.

  “I won’t give you a bone-crusher but you’ve got one coming,” Ethan Black joked as he gently hugged his sister. She could have died today. He’d seen the café, and it was a miracle she was alive.

  “Okay, give her over. You’ve had your turn.”

  Ethan turned a murderous glare on his brother but let her walk into Stephen’s outstretched arms.

  “You scared the hell out of us, pipsqueak. Don’t let it happen again.”

  They were bumble-headed butt-inskis but she loved them dearly. Stepping away from Stephen, she let Ronan take her hand and lead her toward the hospital lobby area.

  “Kat is sitting out in the waiting area with Ruth. She had a cut stitched on her collar bone and that was it. They wouldn’t let them back because they aren’t family. Ruth, I believe, was torturing the good sheriff until he escaped back to the ER to speak to me.”

  Emma turned to look over her shoulder at Sheriff Briggs. “She thinks you need help with your love life, so steer clear. I heard her talking to Esme and Goldie about a love spell, something about dancing naked under a quarter moon. You didn’t hear it from me but the fountain in town apparently makes the casting much more powerful.”

  “Jesus Christ. If I have to fish those women out of that fountain one more time I’m going to make them spend the night in
jail. Last time Goldie ran around the damn thing like an Olympic sprinter, eluding not one but two of my deputies. Naked, of course. They are always in some state of undress,” Sheriff Briggs groused.

  “You’ve got some time, Sheriff. Moon is almost full tonight.” Emma tried to keep the laughter out of her voice but failed, if the disgruntled look on his face was any indication.

  Running a hand through his already rumpled hair, he sat the hat back on his head. “I’ll deal with them later. I need to ask you if you saw or heard anything before or after the crash. Kat said she doesn’t remember anything out of the ordinary.”

  Emma came to a stop, turning to face the sheriff. “I remember hearing screams and then we had maybe two seconds and the truck was there. The table we were sitting at knocked me out of the way.” Ronan watched as Emma rubbed absentmindedly at the huge bruise the table had left on her hip. He felt his blood start to boil once again.

  “I did hear the truck door opening, but could only make out a shadow, then it was lights out. Honestly, Sheriff, my eyes and ears probably weren’t the most reliable at that point. I was seeing shadows and hearing things that weren’t there. I think the knock to the head sent me into la-la land.”

  “From all eyewitness accounts, the truck came barreling around the corner, fishtailed a bit, then jumped the sidewalk and slid right into Black’s café. Everyone said the driver was a small-framed kid wearing a ball cap, blasting loud music on the radio. Sounds like he lost control and then panicked when he realized what he’d done and fled the scene. We’re working with law enforcement in Dunloop to see if they have any leads. Unfortunately, the area the truck was taken from doesn’t have any sort of security cameras around it. Probably why our kid took it.”

  The door behind them opened automatically as Stephen stepped close to the sensor. All heads swiveled in their direction and immediately the area full of people started talking and coming their way. Emma was overwhelmed. Surely not all these people were here to see her? Had something else happened in town?

  “Emma!” Kat barreled ahead of the horde, embracing Emma tightly, earning a groan from both of them. “Ouch, remind me to not do that again. You realize we’re going to be walking like old ladies tomorrow?”

  “Speak for yourself, Kat, darling. I still move pretty darn good for an old lady.” Ruth gently took Emma’s hands and smiled up at her, eyes honing in on the bandage. “Scars give you stories to tell, my dear. Think how entertaining it’ll be for your children.”

  “Yeah, now we’re like pirates, Emma. I’m so going as a pirate for Halloween this year. Ohhh, a sexy seafaring wench! What do you think, Jack?” Kat winked at Emma as Jack scooped her out of the path of oncoming well-wishers and began fussing over her in that firm but gentle manner he had.

  “I’d pay money to see you dressed as a sexy wench, little love,” Ronan whispered in Emma’s ear, sending goose bumps down her body. “Thigh-high boots and a rakish pirate hat. I believe my sister-in-law is on to something.”

  Laughing Emma turned in his arms. “A pirate costume is more than that, Ronan.”

  “Not in my world, little love. And you’d better believe when you’re feeling better, you’ll be riding me wearing nothing but thigh-high boots and a smile.”

  * * * *

  Fucking bitch should be dead. Both fucking bitches should be dead. If only she’d had a few extra minutes, she could have slit the skinny bitch open with a piece of glass while she’d lay there in the rubble of that store. Too many people had been outside and saw the wreck happen. They’d come running to help. Goddamn Southern busybodies couldn’t mind their own business. She’d barely had time to get out of the back door before the first noisy bastard had come running to the rescue. The urge to walk up with the crowd of people surrounding those two cunts and just stick a fucking knife in either of their guts was riding her hard. Until Emma Black was dead, her Master’s plans for revenge could not move forward.

  “Hey hon, you okay? You looked a little flushed.”

  Turning at the question, she stared at the woman standing next to her. She couldn’t stand her either, but appearances must be kept up if she was to finish her Master’s work. “Right as rain,” she said with a forced smile on her face. “Just wondering what’s going on that so many people are here.”

  “You didn’t hear? Some kid ran a pickup truck through Black’s café. Came close to killing Emma Black and Kat Kincaid. Heard tell Jack Kincaid is hiring a private investigator to look into the matter and Sheriff Briggs is pulling out all the stops. I hope they catch the guy. I love this new hair color you’re sporting. It reminds me of Kat’s hair. It looks good on you. Well, you take care. I’ve got to go in for my check-up. Lil Joel might be coming a bit early, if the constant pressure on my back is any indication. BJ, bless his heart, rubs me until he falls asleep every night to try to ease it. So we’re getting checked out today.”

  She waved at the pregnant bitch waddling down the hallway. Fucking whore. Didn’t she know how to get rid of a baby? No man wanted a brat to take care of. If she truly loved her husband, she would make sure no one and nothing came between them. Especially a squalling, needy parasite-like a kid. Had she no respect for the man she’d married? If she wasn’t on such a tight timetable she’d take care of it herself. BJ would have thanked her for it in the end. Turning her attention back to the Kincaids, hate filled her as Ronan kissed and petted a smiling Emma. Smile while you can, Emma Black. You’re as good as fucking dead.

  * * * *

  “We’re home, little love.”

  Emma came awake slowly as she felt herself lifted from the truck into strong arms. Snuggling into Ronan’s broad chest, she let her head rest under his chin. She loved the sound of that—home.

  “Connie’s here, making dinner. I figure you’ve been through enough without having to eat my cooking. He’s making his world-famous lasagna. Well, world famous according to Connie and Kat.” Ronan carried her easily across the yard to the front porch, content to hold her close. To feel her warm body cuddled into him. He’d almost lost his mind today when Ethan had called to tell him she’d been in an accident and was being transported to the hospital along with his sister-in-law, Kat. Every scenario had spun through his head as he’d raced from over an hour away.

  The nurses had refused to let him back into the ER area until he’d told them Emma was his fiancée and the sheriff had vouched for him. He’d walked into the room to find Stephen on one side holding her hand and Ethan half sitting on the bed supporting her back. Both men had been as pale as death. Blood had covered almost the entire upper portion of Emma’s body, trailing down one arm. She had a nurse stationed on a stool, slowly and methodically picking out small shards of glass from her neck and face. Tears were quietly tracking down her face. She’d looked up at him with a small smile. “It looks worse than it actually is.” The words had been slurred due to a shot they’d given her for pain.

  He’d finally started breathing again at the sound of that husky voice. She was okay, bruised and battered, but okay. With assurances she was stable, he’d run to check on Kat and Jack. Jack had been holding her in his lap when Ronan had walked into the curtained-off area. Tears trekked down his face, and all the while Kat was rubbing his back, whispering into his ear. She’d silently shooed Ronan away and he’d left her to reassure her husband. While the nurses had finished working on Emma, he’d been on the phone rearranging his work schedule so that he could be with her without interruption.

  “You can’t fool me, Ronan. That big, beautiful kitchen tells me you know a thing or two about cooking,” Emma mumbled into his neck.

  Ronan shut the door behind him and moved toward the large chair she was partial to reading in. Depositing her in its cushy depths, he removed her shoes and wrapped her in a fluffy blanket. Sitting back on his haunches, he lifted her chin so they were eye to eye. “This house is for you. Every fixture, every linen, every drop of paint was chosen for you. I have wanted you since the moment I saw you, and have lov
ed you every moment since. Everything I do, everything I am or will ever be, is for you, little love.” Leaning in, he gently kissed the tip of her nose and wandered back toward the kitchen.

  Emma sat there staring down the hallway long after Ronan had disappeared from sight. Why did he love her? What did she do to deserve that love? It just didn’t make any sense. She was just her, nothing special. Could he really love her like he said he did? They hadn’t been together long enough for love, had they? Not the true and good kind, at least. Lust was what he felt for her, although that was just as hard to explain as why he thought he loved her. Again, she was nothing special. Straight black hair, average face, skinny body. He could have anyone yet he chose her.

  Which brought her back to the other L word. Could he really love her? She knew she loved him. Had been falling in love with him since the moment he’d trained those beautiful eyes on her from his hospital bed. But he was immensely loveable.

  “Your head has been knocked around enough today, subbie. Whatever hard thoughts are going on in there, give them a rest until another day.”

  Emma smiled at the gentle giant standing before her. Alex Connie had a way with words. Why some woman hadn’t snatched him up was a mystery she, Kat, and Chase contemplated on a regular basis. The man looked and sounded like the yummiest of sins. “I smell something divine, Connie.”

  “It’s lasagna. My mother’s recipe. If Jack doesn’t have Kat under house arrest, I’m sure they’ll be joining us too. That man has a sixth sense where sauce is involved, uncanny actually.”

  Emma smiled and tried not to notice that he was inventorying each cut and bruise. She must look an absolute mess.