Foxy Lady

Chapter Two

Ty didn’t know whether to spank Julia or kiss her senseless. Just seeing her again aroused him in a way he was hard-pressed to explain. Her scent, the feel of her smooth skin under his hands, her soft kiss, all of it made him want to throw her down on the nearest bed and fuck her until he couldn’t move. He wanted to tie her to him and make her admit she couldn’t stop thinking about him. Because he sure as hell couldn’t stop thinking about her.

Hearing that Neanderthal claim Julia had nearly ended Ned’s life. It had taken a lot of discipline to remain still. Ty didn’t like that loss of control. As town sheriff, he came into contact with conflict on a daily basis. He had a reputation as calm and collected. So why did Julia Easton tie him in knots?

At least the woman looked nervous. As she should.

“Well? I’m waiting,” he said in a quiet voice, pleased when Julia and Gabby jumped.

The three sisters were exceptionally popular in the clan. Meghan was the youngest, and at the age where she needed to explore. No one had balked when she’d left town for college on the outside. Still, this Jason business would need some explaining.

Everyone liked Gabby, the most outgoing and genial of the three. She had a tawny complexion that suited her dark red hair, and a curvy frame where Meghan and Julia were leaner.

Slender, sexy and beautiful, Julia made him ache. She made him want to beg. He huffed. A Roderick didn’t beg. Hell, at home he rejected sexual offers from women left and right. But Julia had never asked a thing from him, not until the sly vixen had propositioned him, drunk as a skunk. Now how the hell could he say yes to that and not have her hate him in the morning?

Meghan was the first to answer him. “Ty, uh, I’m, well…”

“Get on with it, Meghan.” She really was cute. A younger version of Julia.

“The brat thinks she’s in love,” Julia said, her words laced with disgust. Her gaze met his before it skittered back to her sister.

“I am in love,” Meghan retorted. “Just because you’re turning into the neighborhood cat lady is no reason to be jealous I’ve found someone special.”

Ty coughed to smother a laugh. “Cat lady?”

“You know, the old lady with no life who lives with like thirty cats for company.”

“We like cats,” Gabby defended, shooting Meghan a look that surprised Ty. She seemed genuinely annoyed.

Meghan flushed. “I’m just saying Julia blames me for having a sex life.”

“I so did not need to hear that,” Ty muttered.

Julia’s eyes sparkled and her scent grew richer. When angry, the little spitfire turned him hard in a heartbeat. He casually crossed the room to stand behind an oversized chair to hide his erection. Talk about embarrassing, not to mention irritating. The vixen made him crazy like no one could.

“Okay, you want to talk about your sex life? Fine,” Julia sneered. “Are you using birth control? Does Jason know what can happen when you go into heat? Is he prepared to help rear your litter?”

Fascinated, Ty watched the family interplay. He’d never seen Julia so impassioned. Normally she did her job with calm precision and couldn’t be described as anything other than cool. But with Meghan, she acted like a virtual firecracker. A sultry redhead with a temper to boot. God, he wanted her.

Meghan stared from Julia to Ty and back again, her cheeks scarlet. “I am not going to talk about this in front of Ty.”

Thank God.

She continued. “I’m going to call Jason to come get me.” Tears filled her eyes. “He’s the only one who understands me. The only one who cares.” She sobbed and fled the room.

Everyone stared at the slammed door in silence.

After a moment, he asked, “You sure she didn’t major in drama?”

Julia’s lips curved.

Gabby choked on a laugh. “I’ll go talk to her. You deal with him,” she said to Julia, a knowing look in her eyes that made Julia blush. Gabby joined Meghan in the bedroom, leaving Julia and Ty alone together.

“Now it’s just you and me, honey. Where should we start?”

Julia gnawed on her lower lip, and he wanted to kiss the sting away. She turned her direct amber-eyed gaze on him. “Why are you here?”

“You’re welcome for saving you, by the way. Or would you rather I stepped aside so you and Ned can head down the aisle?” he asked dryly.

“Please. I can handle Ned.”

“Oh?”

“Granted, he’s an ass. But I know how to handle the type.” The look she gave him heated his blood to boiling.

“I raced nearly two hundred miles on no sleep and shitty gas station food. I left the raptors in a frenzy, ready to rip out Sarah Duncan’s feathers one by one. The cats are at the throats of the gray wolves again, the bears are losing their minds, and half our clan is in favor of instituting a new mating policy, whereby the silver foxes will soon have arranged marriages. I left all that behind to save you from Hunters.”

“Hunters?” Julia blinked in confusion. “Rip out Sarah’s feathers? Is she okay?”

He spoke through gritted teeth. “The Whitefeathers and Gerald have it all under control. Sarah’s the one who told me you were having trouble with Hunters.”

“What do the Whitefeathers have to do with this?”

“Julia, focus, would you? Why would Sarah think you were dealing with Hunters?” The thought of Julia being hunted down and killed had nearly stopped his heart before he’d managed to bear down and concentrate on finding her.

“Hunters? Where would she get that idea?” Her expression cleared. “Oh. Right. The last time we spoke I mentioned Jason’s family’s disgusting hobby of mounting dead things in their homes. She might have gotten the wrong impression.”

“I’m not sure she did. Ned Williams seems pretty threatening.” And he likes you way too much for my liking.

“He is, but he’s nothing I can’t handle.” Now she sounded like the competent legal assistant he knew her to be. Sexy, unruffled, self-contained. “I’m sorry if you rushed out here on our behalf, but we’re fine.”

“Oh, right. I can see that. Some asshole just shot all of our tires. Your sister is involved with an outsider the clan knows nothing about, and you’re getting married to Ned No-Neck Williams.”

Julia pinched the bridge of her nose. “I didn’t say we weren’t having some problems, but it’s a family matter. Not your concern, Ty.”

He liked her saying his name. He’d like it a whole lot better if she’d cry it out as her body clenched around his in orgasm. “Oh, but it is my concern. Meghan’s in some serious trouble. And it doesn’t seem like she’s going to drop this Jason anytime soon.”

“I know.” Julia sighed. “But we’ll handle it.”

“Yes, we will.” Ty made a sudden decision. Maybe he could fix a few issues at once. He had no transportation at the moment. Considering the “long line of Williamses” in Nowhere, he’d venture a guess he’d have a hard time finding spare tires for his truck in town.

Time to match wits with a sexy, conniving adversary. Satisfaction flooded him at the thought of tangling with Julia again. He really had missed her.

“What does ‘we will’ mean?” Suspicion made her voice husky.

“It means I’m here to fix a few things. But first things first.” He took a step closer, pleased when she licked her lips, nervous.

“Ty—”

He answered how he should have the first time she’d asked, four weeks ago. “Yes, Julia. Yes, I’ll take you home and make love to you until neither of us can walk.”

He kissed her before she could close her pretty mouth.

Julia had to be dreaming. No way Ty Roderick would step in to save her from Ned and fulfill her deepest desires all in the same day. But she couldn’t ignore the heat building inside her from the taste of him.

He tasted like chocolate. She couldn’t explain how, but he did. And his scent. Like spiced male and sex, topped with sugared seduction. He groaned low and deepened the kiss, sliding his tongue between her lips to sweep her mouth.

She never could have guessed it would be this good. Oh, she’d fantasized. For years she’d had a thing for the town sheriff. The unflappable man every woman wanted and every man wanted to emulate. Ty was a man’s man. He fished and hunted with deadly accuracy in shifted form. Quick and devious, he could also talk politics or sports with the best of them.

Possessing a body corded with strength and a face anyone would call attractive, he was the catch of the season, if you could grab a hold of him. As slippery as an eel, he’d cut a swath through the females in town without settling on anyone. Julia refused to be added to his notch of conquests, so she’d kept her distance. And watched. And waited. But Ty never approached her. The other dogs in town did, but not the one silver fox she wanted.

And now he was kissing her like he meant it, and her entire body gelled. He shifted, drawing her closer, and she couldn’t help noticing his insistent erection. Good Lord, he felt huge. Her sex throbbed, growing wet and needy while he ground against her.

“You feel so damned good,” he whispered and ran kisses down her neck.

So did he. Though she had to reach up to kiss him, she liked his size. Petite, Julia would look up to most men she dated. But Ty topped most silver foxes she knew.

She gripped his neck as they kissed again, and her nipples strained against her clothing, begging to touch his naked chest. All thoughts of trouble and family and danger faded next to the need to feel Ty inside her.

She’d dreamed about him for so long…

A knock at the door interrupted them, like a spray of very cold water.

Julia sprang back, doused in reason once more.

Ty took a step in her direction, his eyes cloudy with lust, his mouth parted and ready for another kiss.

Julia couldn’t help looking him over, centering on his obvious arousal. Oh boy. He looked big. Really hard, and really big.

“Don’t move,” he warned and walked to the door. After cracking it long enough to take a sniff, he stepped back and pulled it open. “You must be Jason.”

Jason blinked in surprise. “Ah, well, yes.” He cleared his throat, sensing the buried frustration in Ty as easily as Julia felt it. “I’m here for Meghan.”

Ty drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Come in.” He closed the door behind Jason, subtly adjusted himself in his jeans and walked to the bedroom. “This isn’t over,” he growled in a low voice to her before calling Meghan outside.

Julia had just avoided a very big mistake. She should have been thankful Jason had saved her from sure disaster. But she wasn’t. Even knowing Ty would bed her and leave her, like all the others he’d dated, Julia wanted a taste of that passion. How stupid. She knew better than most what heartache could do. If she could keep the relationship strictly sexual, she’d have done it already. But she was more than half in love with the stubborn man and had been for years.

Her stupid crush had blossomed into what she suspected was a bad case of puppy love. Considering male foxes were called dogs, she didn’t think the term puppy love all that far from the mark.

“So I hear you saw Ned again,” Jason said in a somber voice. “I’m sorry, Julia. I tried to talk him out of this obsession, but when Ned gets something into his head, he won’t quit.”

“I don’t get it. Why the whole marriage thing?”

Jason shrugged. “Mom’s tired of waiting. She’s been after Ned to settle down for a while, but he hasn’t seen anyone he likes as much as he likes you. My mom wants grandkids, and she wants to see her sons married. That’s part of the reason she’s so in love with Meghan. Not that Meghan isn’t terrific on her own,” he hastened to say with a flush.

He seemed so young and innocent that Julia felt like an ogre for stepping in the way of true love—if that’s indeed what it was.

Meghan rushed out of the bedroom and into his arms. “Oh, Jason. It’s been awful.”

Gabby rolled her eyes behind her. Ty joined them, a disgruntled frown on his face.

Jason soothed her sister with a skill Julia expected he’d honed after many such instances of exaggerated worry. “Honey, I’m sorry about today. But tomorrow night will be better. You can meet the rest of the family at dinner. They’re not all as bad as Ned and my brothers.”

Meghan added, “Jason’s mother is sweet.”

Julia knew why Meghan didn’t mention Jason’s father, Ned Senior. A bigger chauvinist Julia had yet to meet.

Ty answered for them all. “We’ll come to dinner tomorrow night. Thanks, Jason. I’m Ty, Julia’s boyfriend, by the way.”

“Oh boy,” Jason breathed. “I’m pleased to meet you, and I apologize in advance for whatever Ned’s going to do to make your life miserable. My brother really, really likes Julia.”

“So I gathered.” Ty glanced from Jason to Meghan and to the sparkling ring on her finger. “I see you two are engaged.”

Jason nodded. Meghan beamed before shooting Julia the famous Easton death glare. Julia grudgingly agreed with Ty—her sister should have majored in theater.

“When did that happen?”

“Just last week. Imagine our surprise when Julia and Gabby showed up to congratulate us.” Meghan said in an overly sweet voice.

Julia didn’t appreciate the brat’s tone.

“Julia, easy,” Gabby whispered. In a louder voice, she said to Meghan and Jason, “We were happy but surprised. You haven’t introduced Jason to the rest of the family yet.”

Meghan ignored the gentle reprimand. “It’s great to have you guys here to celebrate. And Ty too. Wow.” She batted her eyes.

Ty said something under his breath Julia probably didn’t want to hear.

The silver foxes were going to pitch a fit when they heard Meghan had involved herself with an outsider.

First she’d need permission from the clan to date him. For anything more serious than that, the town council would become involved. Anything that compromised Cougar Falls as a whole fell under town jurisdiction. It made sense, though the idea of asking permission to date someone felt like a restraint even Julia didn’t necessarily like.

As rebellious as Meghan was, Julia knew the girl would marry Jason if for no other reason than to prove a point. Perhaps if the clan gave her permission to at least date, without a defiant need to spite her family, Meghan might gradually end her association with Jason. A nice enough young man, but he’d never be family.

“Ah, would you excuse us for a minute? Jason, Meghan, don’t go anywhere.” She pulled Ty with her into the bedroom and closed the door behind them.

“Now, Julia?” Ty glanced at the bed, a spark of humor in his eyes. “I’m ready, but I have a feeling you’re a screamer. If you don’t mind being loud in front of your family, I don’t care.” His fingers moved to his belt buckle, and she hurried to stop him.

“Cut it out, smartass,” she hissed. Realizing her hand covered his and that the backs of her fingers lay against his belly, she quickly retreated. “I have an idea.”

“I have several of my own.” His heavy-lidded gaze did weird things to her libido.

“Ty, shut up and listen. I think Meghan’s in lust with this kid.”

“Kid? He’s what, four or five years younger than you?”

“He’s a kid,” she said again. “Meghan’s always bucking authority. Maybe if the clan council gives its permission for her to date an outsider, she’ll decide he’s not worth the hassle and come home.”

“But she’s already dating him. She’s engaged to him.”

“The council doesn’t know that.”

“Ah. I see. You want me to pretend I don’t know about that ring on her finger, that it?”

“Yes. I was thinking that if you, as the sheriff, added your weight, the council might actually approve of Jason. Not that I want her to be with an outsider. I just want her to see him as a real person and not an excuse to irritate the council, the town and me.” Julia didn’t like playing the role of mother to her younger sisters, but someone had needed to take charge. If only Meghan would see how much Julia cared, that she didn’t try to run her sister’s life for the hell of it, but to protect her from the harsh realities life had to offer.

She held her breath, waiting for Ty’s answer.

He responded with hesitation. “I don’t know, Julia. Seems to me Jason’s family really is a threat. What if she actually wants to marry him?”

“She doesn’t.” I love him, Julia. Meghan’s words bothered her, but Julia ignored them. Meghan was too young to know what she wanted. What the hell did Meghan know about love? Love had torn their parents apart before Meghan was born.

“Well…”

“Jason’s okay, Ty. And it’s not like they’ll really be getting married. This is another one of Meghan’s phases.” To Jason’s credit, after a year of dating, he still treated Meghan with respect. He didn’t seem to fit in with his oddball family, luckily for him. Because if he stepped so much as one foot out of line, Julia would kick his ass from Nowhere back to Seattle and away from her sister.

Ty’s doubt unnerved her. Hell, he wasn’t going to help. She needed his support to influence the clan council, and even the town council if it came to that. The silver fox held a lot of respect in town, respect he’d more than earned.

“Ty, please.”

He studied her with those quicksilver eyes. “I’ll support Jason with the council…if you agree to certain conditions.”

“Conditions?” Trust Ty to screw things up even more than they were. “God, why did you have to show up today?” She pulled at her hair, wondering if Aunt Lynn would arrive and make things worse.

“Now, now, honey. Yes or no?”

“First, tell me what conditions means.”

“Yes or no?” he asked again, his soft voice menacing enough to make the hair stand up on the back of her neck. Threatening bastard.

“Yes, yes,” she grumbled. “Fine.”

“Seal it with a kiss.” He grinned and stood with his thumbs in his belt loops, waiting.

She’d give him a kiss… Julia yanked his head down to hers and plastered his mouth with a doozy. Tongue and teeth and lips, until Ty tried to pull her closer. If she didn’t watch herself, she’d all too easily fall under his spell again.

She tore her mouth free. “Signed, sealed and delivered,” she said in a breathy voice. “Now let’s get out there and tell Meghan we’ll support her to the council.”

“You’re a cruel woman,” Ty moaned, rubbing his arousal through his jeans. “I just willed this away, Julia. Damn.”

“I’ll meet you out there.” Try to outsmart me, will you?

After taking a moment to bury her own lust, she found Gabby, Meghan and Jason involved in a lively discussion about computers. Watching the trio, Julia noticed how happy Meghan looked sitting with Jason, hand in hand. A twinge of uncertainty hit her. Was Meghan really in love with him?

“There you are.” Gabby smirked. Her sister knew all about Julia’s fixation on Ty, thanks to Julia’s intolerance for anything alcoholic. That one night she’d let slip her secret crush not only to Ty, but to her sister as well. What a disaster.

“Ty and I were talking.”

“Just talking?” Gabby murmured.

Ignoring her, Julia continued. “Ty thinks he can talk the family into meeting Jason and you in Seattle in the near future.”

Meghan blinked. “Really?”

“If Jason really loves you, and you really love him, I’m sure we can work something out. After all, what’s a future without family?”

Jason smiled. Gabby looked stunned.

Meghan let go of Jason and leapt to her feet. She hugged Julia tight. “Thank you, sis. This means so much to me.”

“Jason still has to pass muster,” she whispered as she hugged Meghan back.

“He will. He’s the best.” Meghan stepped back and wiped her eyes. “Jason and I are going out for a while. Gabby wants to come with us.”

“No, that’s not—”

Ty interrupted. “Great idea. That way your sister and I can talk about our own plans for the future.” He walked behind Julia and put his arms around her, squeezing her back to his front. He rested his chin on her head.

“That is so cute,” Gabby gushed as she studied them. “You two look perfect together.”

Julia was so going to get her sister for this. “Gee, thanks, Gabby.”

“I can see I’m not wanted,” Gabby teased and gestured to Meghan and Jason. “Let’s go, you two. We’ll pick up lunch out in town and bring back something for dinner.”

“My treat,” Jason promised.

The three of them waved goodbye and left.

Julia tried to pull away but Ty held her tight. She couldn’t miss his erection prodding her back.

Jason’s vehicle sounded loud in the silence before the rumble of its motor died as he drove away.

“Now, foxy lady, it’s just you and me.”