Wild Ride Rancher

His sharp laugh was cut off abruptly. “No way in hell are you driving in this. My truck wouldn’t make it so a car never will.”

He pulled her up close to his side and ignored the flash of burn he felt with her body pressed so closely to his. He’d been fighting the draw toward her since the moment he’d walked into that office, and it wasn’t getting easier. They had to get to safety. The question was...to where? Liam knew that in a few minutes his truck would probably be floating down the street, so they had to find somewhere close to hole up.

Then he looked out the broken window and saw it. “We’re going over there.”

She swiped wind-driven rain off her face, and pushed her sodden hair back from her forehead. “The new Texas Cattleman’s Club?” she asked. “It’s not open. It’s not even finished.”

Lightning lit up the sky again and was reflected in her pale brown eyes. Over the crash of thunder and the screaming wind, Liam shouted, “I’ve got a key. Even if the first floor floods, one of the rooms on the top floor is mostly finished. We can wait it out there.”

She looked around as if trying to find another option. He could have told her there weren’t any. They were stuck together. The city was shut down but for emergency vehicles by now, and it’d stay that way until the storm blew through.

Finally, she nodded.

“Good enough.” He gave her a nod and a tight smile. “I’m going to hold on to you. That water in the street is rising fast, and the current’s like a high-running river. Just grab hold of my belt and don’t let go.” He kept one arm wrapped around her, his hand settling just beneath her left boob. Ridiculous to be noticing in this situation just how good it was to have his hands on her. “You ready?”

Chloe nodded. Snaking one arm around his waist, she grabbed hold of his belt and ducked her head against the rain when he led her out of the office.

Icy cold water sloshed against their shoes, their ankles and all too quickly, their shins. The water was rising even faster than he’d thought it would. Not surprising. The rain was coming down in a thick sheet now, showing no signs of easing up. Stepping off the curb into the river that was the street, Liam fought against the current to keep his balance and to keep Chloe safe.

Overhead the sky was almost black with menacing clouds. Jagged claws of lightning briefly flashing in the darkness. The rumble of thunder was a constant roar. The sidewalks were empty, people having long ago headed for cover. If he hadn’t been distracted by Chloe while she gave her pitch about a kids’ camp, he might have noticed the change in the weather in time to avoid being half-drowned.

But that was done. All he could do now was keep her safe and get them both somewhere dry. “Come on,” he urged, his muscular arm tightening around her, “keep moving. Don’t stop—you could get swept away in the current.”

The middle of the street looked like a whitewater river not a main street in downtown Houston. Parked cars were rising off the ground to bob and sway in the current like a fisherman’s lure. It might take hours for the water to recede, and that would be after the storm stopped.

Chloe turned her face against Liam’s wet shirt and everything in him tensed. Hell of a time to have his own dick distracting him. He ignored his own personal agony and concentrated on reaching safety. Every step felt like a victory as they leaned into the wind, headed inexorably for the new Texas Cattleman’s Club building.

“Almost there.” He lowered his head to her, and still, he knew his voice was nearly lost in the punishing weather.

“Thank God,” she shouted back.

He dipped his head into the wind, pulled her up onto the sidewalk and then moved her to stand between him and the building as he dug out keys to the TCC. In a few seconds, he had the door opened, them inside and the door closed and locked behind them. But a lot of water had already rushed in, and now it was pushing up under the front door. Those few seconds with the door open had given the rain freedom to sweep inside, wetting down the whole front hall.

“Won’t these windows shatter, too?” Chloe wiped wet hands across her wet face, and even with her hair plastered to her head and her eye makeup all smeared, she was still one of the most beautiful women he’d ever seen.