Sarah's Surrender (Ranchers of Chatum County 2)

She tried to concentrate on her friend, tried to listen to her tale of woe and heartache. Sarah admitted that between the loud music and her inability to concentrate on anything besides John, she was only catching a bit of what Jaime was pouring out. Something about her boss blowing hot and cold, and never giving her a definitive clue as to what he really wanted.

Sarah’s attention was caught when a waitress appeared by their sides, with drinks they hadn’t ordered. A beer the same brand as the one Jaime was drinking, and a Screwdriver for her. She looked toward the last place she had seen John, but he wasn’t there. Her eyes moving around the room, she finally located him on a barstool where he sat and nursed his beer and openly stared at her. She sent him a soft smile and lifted her drink in his direction.

Jamie hadn’t even noticed John or the drinks he sent over and continued her tirade. Sarah kept one ear open and listened while her real attention stayed centered on the male at the bar who watched her and waited like she was some kind of prey he was silently stalking.

Excitement hit her deep in the belly from the game they were playing.

And then two cowboys appeared at their table and the game suddenly escalated to higher stakes as John sat up straight, his shoulders stiffened and his eyes flashed with deadly intent.

He didn’t make a move, but Sarah knew if she couldn’t get rid of the new arrivals in approximately five seconds, then all bets were off.

The guys were both young, maybe twenty-two or twenty-three, they both were tall, and they were both good-looking. Jaime didn’t waste a second before she smiled in their direction and began the introductions. The two men moved to sit down. Sarah knew she needed to say something. When you got down to it, she was here with John, whether it looked like it or not and she needed to get that across to them quickly.

“I’m here with somebody.”

Jaime looked at her and said, “Yeah, me.”

“No, I’m with John,” Sarah announced firmly.

“What? He’s here?”

“Yes.”

“You didn’t tell me.” Jaime was giving her a blistering stare.

“I didn’t see the need.”

“He followed you here?” her friend asked.

“Yes.”

“He’s a stalker, Sarah.”

“No, he’s not, I told him we were coming. I invited him.”

The two men were listening to the rapid-fire conversation between the friends and then one of them broke in. “Well, I don’t see anybody. Guess he shouldn’t have left you all alone. You look like fair game to me.”

“I’m not fair game and y’all either need to get moving or I will.” Sarah began to stand.

“Sarah, stay there.” Jaime looked at the man closest to her and began giving instructions. “How about we dance and your friend takes a walk?”

At that, the ‘friend’ swung his arm around Sarah and said, “Finders, keepers. I’m staying put. Don’t see anybody anyway.” Sarah tensed as she looked up and saw John stalking to the table.

She stiffened her shoulders. The look on his face was deadly and she didn’t want any bloodshed. This was all so ridiculous, really. One minute she was in Dallas and engaged to the calmest man alive, and the next minute, somehow, she belonged to Neanderthal man. She cleared her throat and tried to throw off the guy’s arm. “Dude. He’s right there. Get your freakin’ arm off me.”

John made it to her side in record time. He came to stand directly behind her. “Let go. Now.”

The dude dropped his arm from Sarah’s shoulders and pushed to his feet. “Make me.”

Sarah felt John bristle as he stepped around her and came within inches of the guy’s face. “I just did. Get lost. Don’t touch her again. Don’t even fucking look this way again or you’re gonna be eating your food through an IV. Understand me?”

“Who’s going to make me? You?”

John reached out and grabbed the kid by the neck and jerked him forward.

Sarah’s heat skipped a beat and then began pushing blood frantically through her veins. She watched as two bar bouncers appeared out of nowhere. One of them grabbed John from behind and the other one grabbed the kid. They pulled the two men apart.

John hissed through his teeth and directed the insult to the bouncer holding him. “Diego, you best let go of me in the next three seconds or I’m gonna close this bar down and none of y’all will have jobs.”

Sarah watched as the man released John immediately with an apologetic tone. “I didn’t know it was you, man. Didn’t see your face.”

John turned to the other bouncer who was still holding the kid. “Let him go. I’m taking care of this.”

The man released his hold and the kid stumbled before picking himself up. Sarah could see that the exchange hadn’t gotten past him, and now he was probably wondering just who in the hell he was up against.

One of the bouncers spoke. “You best get out of here Nate. Nothing good can come of this.”

“What the fuck? Are you telling me I have to leave? What about this asshole? I was minding my own business—”

“No, fuckwad. You were minding my business.” John moved behind Sarah once more and put his hands on her shoulders. “Take a good look and then don’t ever look in her direction again. She’s mine. You fuck with what’s mine and you’ll live to regret it.”

With that, John pulled her to her feet and began leading Sarah toward the rear of the building. She followed in a blind haze. He held her wrist manacled in one hand while he stopped in front of the same door he had pulled her through the previous time she saw him here. Without hesitation, he slipped a key in the lock, opened the door and pulled her inside with him.

Sarah hung against the closed and locked door of the office and didn’t think to question how he had access. She just knew he did. It was obviously the same way he could control the bouncers and threaten the closure of the bar. It had something to do with his money. The thought flew from her mind as he pressed his torso against her and put his hand between her legs and cupped her heat. His mouth went to her ear and he let out a deep, heated breath. “You shouldn’t have worn these shorts, baby. I can’t keep my hands off, how do you expect anyone else to?”

She sucked in a breath but couldn’t answer.

He pressed against her and moved to her mouth, kissing her deeply, his hands moving to unbutton her shorts. “I can’t wait,” he growled in a raspy voice. One by one, the buttons came loose and then he reached down, fisted both sides of the material in his hands and ripped her shorts and panties down her legs. Whe

n they fell around her knees, he lifted one big, booted foot and placed it between her legs, stepped on the offending material, and forced it to the ground. “Step out of them.”

Sarah blindly did as he asked and as soon as she did, his hand was on her, his finger slipping inside her hot, wet opening. As he manipulated his finger inside of her, heat hit her and she began softly moaning.

His mouth lifted from her lips and moved to her ear. “What do you think would have happened if I hadn’t been here?”

She began shaking and could barely stand up. “N-nothing. I could have handled it.” Her hands shook as they reached for his face, trying to turn it back around to her, begging for his mouth to be on hers again.

He complied and gave her a silken kiss as he breathed into her mouth, “But not before he touched you even more. And babe, that would have been bad.” His tongue slipped back inside and Sarah felt a heated rush from his finger imbedded deeply inside her and from the kiss they were sharing while they still continued to try to talk.

She broke her mouth away. “Why? What would you have done?”

“Killed him.” His breath came hard.

She gasped. “Be serious.”

His hand pinched her chin and brought her lips back to his. His mouth hovered over hers and just before his lips fell on hers again he said, “Dude would have wished for a quick death, I guarantee it.”

She broke her mouth away again. “John—” His finger moved to her clit and silenced her effectively.

He swirled it over her, around in circles as he kissed the side of her mouth. “No worries, babe. You were a good girl,” he whispered in a deep, raspy voice.

“Was I?” She could barely think anymore. His hand was hot on her, moving back and forth between her hot wet opening and her clit. Back and forth. It was driving her closer and closer to orgasm.