Saving Dallas (Saving Dallas 1)

“I watch a lot of T.V.,” he said grinning at me like we were fifteen again. I smiled at him. He had always been so easy to talk to.

My frustration seemed to have lifted somewhat, until a deep voice spoke into my ear, “Let’s go.” Before I could jerk my head around, to see who it was, Luke had me by my arm pulling me from my spot at the bar. I had not even recognized his voice. I could feel the tension radiating through his body. I half expected Sam to come to my rescue, but was somewhat relieved, yet disappointed when I turned to see him still sitting at the bar as if nothing happened. Luke pulled me through the door never letting go of my arm. I had to practically run to keep up with him. Excitement coursed through my veins at the feel of his touch. I didn’t care if the touch was forceful or not, it felt so good to be this close to him, too good.

“Get inside,” Luke barked to the two guys out front. Without a single question, they immediately went inside. I found myself shoved up against the front of the building. Luke’s hands were on either side of the wall by my head casing me in. “What the fuck are you doing?” he asked in a surprisingly calm voice. I couldn’t speak. His eyes glared deep into mine as if in search of an answer. “Answer me,” he snapped, no longer in a calm manner.

“I don’t know,” I replied, not sure what was a right answer. I’m not sure why, but just like at my house the sound of his demanding voice had me wanting to take him right there.

“You don’t know? You trying to make an ass out of me, Dallas? You are here with me and only me. I will not tolerate you hanging all over another man in my presence. Do you understand?”

“I wasn’t hanging on...” Luke slapped the wall beside my head, cutting me off in mid conversation and causing me to jump.

“Yes or no?” he growled. I could tell that this was not the Luke I had seen in the bedroom. That Luke was domineering, but in a sexual way. This one looked like he could rip me to pieces with his bare hands.

I swallowed the lump that had formed in my throat and replied with a simple, barely audible, “Yes.” Without another word, Luke walked back inside, leaving me alone. Not sure what to do, I turned and started walking down the road.

Chapter 7

I could not face the humiliation of going back inside. Even though no one said anything, I knew everyone in the building had watched the scene unfold. I knew I could not walk down the interstate, so I grabbed my cell from my back pocket and dialed the only person I knew in Hattiesburg that would come get me. Lindsey’s phone rang only once when she picked up with her normal cheery greeting.

“Hey, Dallas! What can I do for you?”

Somehow, I found my voice and was surprised to find it working without a hint of despair. “I need you to come pick me up from Blackwell Grocery off of Evelyn Gandy Parkway.”

“Um, ok. Just so happens I am in Petal. I should be there in about ten minutes. Everything ok?” I ended the call and placed my phone back in my pocket. I would have to concoct some story to tell Lindsey as to why I was sitting on the curb at a run-down grocery store, on a Sunday afternoon. If she knew what really happened she may take that as a sign of weakness and that was the last thing I wanted.

As promised, Lindsey’s shiny white car pulled into the parking lot less than ten minutes later. “I don’t want to talk about it. I just want to go home,” I said, never looking her in the eye. I had slouched down in my seat, staring out the window, silently hoping that she would just let it be. I knew that she would. She was not the type to pry or ask too many questions. I suddenly remembered that Luke had the code to get in the gate at my house. “Do you mind if I come to your house for a little while?” I blurted to Lindsey without thinking.

“Of course not,” she responded. I felt like a complete fool, an idiot. It was degrading, lowering myself to ask for assistance from someone who made less in a month than I did in a day. Here I was, CEO of one of the largest real estate companies in the south, calling on a girl with an associate’s degree from a junior college to assist me with my personal life. She was sure to take this as a sign of distress and lack of confidence, which would lead to her leaking my story to a group of middle class workers at a Thursday night Bunco party. She would eventually lose respect for me in the office, causing me to let her go and hire a new assistant. By that time, she will have gone to the media hoping to get some sort of attention by letting everyone in on the secret life of the most eligible millionaire bachelorette- Dallas Knox. My private life would be aired like dirty laundry for the entire world to see.