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She reached out to grip the door handle Just as fast Rowdy caught her arers threading through her hair as he drew her head back and captured her lips quickly with his

Su, and the sweet taste of a wout with lust He couldn’t wait to get her beneath hih the rest of the day until he could get her to the houseboat and the large bed awaiting them there

He forced hi into her dazed features with a satisfaction so intense it caused his balls to tighten

"That wasn’t fair" She smiled despite the chastiseed

"Sure it was," he whispered, pulling back from her, despite the need to wrap her in his arms and run aith her He wanted to hide her To ain "I need to touch you, babe That’s always fair considering how long I’ve waited to do it"

She snorted at that before pushing her fingers through her hair and flashing hiruntled look "No one made you wait"

She was out of the truck before he could stop her, tossing hi the spa

Rowdy breathed out roughly She was going to be the death of hi innocence, te eyes, and sweetly rounded body, he knew she was capable of ave his head a quick jerk before reversing fro farther down the street to the café he had told Dawg and Natches to meet him in

Reginald’s Café was newly re and Natches aiting at one of the back tables, stea in front of therunted as he slid into the chair across froonna have to come down there and rescue Kelly from your clutches ourselves"

Natches chuckled as Rowdy leaned back in his chair and watched his cousin curiously Dawg had changed over the years, ht He was darker, despite the joviality, quieter than he used to be

Rowdy didn’t knohat had happened during the years he spent in the Marines, but it had affected his cousin Natches was just as lazy as always, his smile quiet, his eyes watchful Of course, none of them were as relaxed, as carefree as they used to be

There was a darkness in them that had always lurked just beneath the surface A difference that separated theerous And in ways they were erous They had proved that overseas

"What’s up?" Rowdy could tell there wasleaned forward, his eyes narrowed

"You had co’s voice was low "On that little knob above the house that looks into Kelly’s roo here He rass was indented where he sat, with claw round He’s getting pissed"

Hell Rowdy had known Kelly’s attacker atching, waiting He just hadn’t been certain where, or how

"Where do we go from here, Rowdy?" Natches watched him with a spark of exciteht of a good fight as to the chance of touching Kelly

"I’," he answered "We’ll head out to the cove We should be staying the night We’ll see how brave he wants to get We’ll have dinner on the boat Let the bastard think we’re all having a fine time After dark the two of you can slip on shore and I’ll pull farther out into the water We’ll see what happens"

Dawg and Natches nodded soh alert Not that anyone else would have noticed the change

They paused as the waitress moved toward them, her steps slow, her head doaves of burnished chestnut curls pulled into a low ponytail, her classically pretty features stiff and tense

Rowdy cocked his head at the woman Crista Jensen kept her head carefully lowered as she refilled the coffee cups before turning to leave

"You didn’t asksurprised the drawl "Didn’t Jenny warn you to look after us good?"

"Shut up, Dawg," Natches muttered, his voice low but easy to hear

Roatched as Crista pulled the ordering pad from the back pocket of her jeans, a pencil fro stared back at her expectantly

"What would you like to order, Dawg?" Her words were gritted, her voice raspy

"Eh Nothing right now, but be sure to check back in a few ’s smile was all teeth, a predatory snarl if Rowdy had ever seen one

"I’ll be sure to do that" Crista’s sonistic as she returned the order pad to the back pocket of her jeans, picked up the coffeepot, and stalked away

The ’s eyes narrowed and a flash of anger seared the depths as he rose to his feet, dug into his pocket, and slapped a few dollars to the table

"I’ll see you at thefro to Natches