Roxie Read online

  Three of the women who watched him so raptly looked like clones of each other.

  Clones of Roxie, a one-in-a-million.

  “What the hell?” he muttered.

  The one he’d spoken to first knelt down beside him. “Are you all right?”

  “Did you hurt yourself?” That was another one of the clones, the one he’d tried to kiss.

  “I… I’m sorry,” a raspy voice said.

  His gaze zeroed in on the third, the one who’d gone pale as a sheet.

  Her hair was curling wildly around her shoulders, and her hands were fisted at her sides. Most telling, though, was her right foot. It was cocked back on the impossibly high heel of a leather boot.

  Roxie.

  Their gazes locked and the air between them started vibrating. The jolt of it ran through the bar, and people turned to watch.

  The man on the floor barely noticed when an intense dark-haired man pulled the kneeling copy of Roxie to her feet. He tucked her close against his side and practically snarled, “Keep your hands to yourself, buddy.”

  The biker’s jaw locked and some of his cockiness returned. “Looks like there’s enough to go around.”

  And what the hell was that about? His eyes narrowed as he evaluated the women. They looked too much like each other to be true. “What’s going on here?”

  “That’s what I’d like you to tell me.” That big blond guy moved into his line of vision again. He didn’t look happy either. The back of his shirt fluttered as he moved, and from his position on the floor, the visitor saw the butt of a gun. He stiffened, but quickly recognized how the guy handled himself. A cop. “Why don’t you and I step outside?” Mr. Law Enforcement said.

  “Fuck that.” The man sat up and draped his arms over his bent knees. It was clear he’d had enough. “Since when is it a crime to try to kiss your wife?”

  “Wife?” The two copies of Roxie snapped upright in attention. They’d spoken as one.

  As if a wave of pressure swept through the room, the group pulled back. Attention swung to Roxie and, this time, she was the one who stutter-stepped backwards.

  Only one person moved forward, and it was a huge mountain of a man. He pushed his way through the crowd, searching for the source of the commotion. The muscles in his arms flexed as he prepared to take care of business, but his chin jerked up in surprise when he saw the man sitting on the ground. “Billy! Hey, man.”

  “Skeeter,” the guy said in return. He lifted a hand for a little help, and the bouncer hauled him to his feet.

  “You made it,” Skeeter said, slapping him on the shoulder. “Welcome back.”

  “It’s good to be back.” The guy watched the group around him as suspiciously as they watched him. “Or it was until I nearly got punched.”

  Roxie’s pretty face turned ashen. “I said I was sorry. I just saw someone making a move on my sister, and it wasn’t her boyfriend.”

  One key word in that sentence caught the visitor’s attention. “Sister?”

  Roxie started blinking fast.

  “Oh, hey. That’s right,” Skeeter crowed. “You probably haven’t heard the news.”

  The bouncer wrapped his beefy arm around the man’s shoulders and gestured to the tightly pressed crowd. “These are Roxie’s sisters. That’s Lexie, and this one here is Maxie.”

  The man’s green eyes blinked in stunned fascination, but his gaze eventually swung back to Roxie’s.

  And locked tight.

  The air pulsed with weight this time, and Roxie took a shuddering breath.

  “Heads up, everyone,” Skeeter said loudly. “This is Billy. Billy Cannon, Roxie’s hubby.”

  Chapter Two

  “Ex,” Roxie said hoarsely. She was surprised she could get that much out. Her mouth had gone dry and her throat felt thick. “Ex-husband.”

  Like the distinction mattered with her sisters looking at her wide-eyed in shock. Everybody in the place had turned to watch the spectacle. Everyone, including Whitey and Old Martha.

  “You’re married?” Lexie said.

  Roxie gritted her teeth. She might as well have said, “You’re an alien?” Was it so surprising that she’d had someone in her life, too? Once upon a time… long, long ago…

  “Divorced,” she said tightly. “Years ago. It was short-lived.”

  “Not as short as you like to think,” Billy returned.

  Billy. Every time she looked at him, her stomach squeezed, but it was nearly impossible to look away. That familiar old jitter was running through her veins—a hot spicy thrill that she couldn’t ignore. It was like this every time they came within fifty feet of one another. Always had been and probably always would be. The two of them had always been combustible together, like two firecrackers held together by a common wick.

  Damn it, why was he here? He couldn’t be here, not tonight of all nights. She was feeling rocky enough as it was. He just might be more than she could take.

  But damn, he looked good.

  She bit her lip when he brushed off the seat of his pants, and her fingers itched. She knew just how that masculine backside felt. She remembered how it would flex when she ran her fingernails across it. How he’d buck into her and whisper what a bad girl she was…

  Low down, her belly gave a delicious squeeze. Heat gathered in her cheeks, and she swore under her breath.

  Blushing? Seriously? She rubbed her hand over her cheekbone, trying to brush it away.

  Fortunately, Lexie didn’t see because she’d already swung around towards Cam. “Did you know about this?”

  Maxie caught Zac’s arm. “You did a background check on her.”

  Both men winced, and Roxie’s lip curled up in a snarl. When she’d shared her background info with Zac, it had been to prove that Maxie was her sister, not to let him pry into her life. And as for the Hatchet Man… Lexie’s in-charge boyfriend just liked to meddle.

  “It was so long ago,” Cam said.

  Zac tilted his head in apology. “I didn’t think it was relevant.”

  “Not relevant?” Lexie snapped.

  Maxie jabbed a finger in Roxie’s general direction. “Does that not seem relevant?”

  No, her marriage to Billy had never been irrelevant.

  Roxie’s heart jumped when her ex took a step towards her, and the thrill inside her gave a sharp tug. Their gazes locked, and she fought not to dissolve. His green eyes seemed so deep tonight. They were sharper and darker than she’d ever seen them before.

  The noisy bar drifted away until it was just the two of them.

  Before she knew it, he was standing right in front of her. Her hair fell back as she looked up into his face. She could smell the musky scent of his cologne, even through the heavy smoke in the bar, and it sparked memories inside her. Memories of intimacy. Physical and emotional.

  She remembered being with him. She remembered it being the two of them against the world.

  And she remembered it all falling apart.

  The ache in her chest moved up to her throat.

  “You found your family?” he asked quietly.

  She nodded once and the sting was suddenly in her eyes. Four little words. Four little words and it messed her right up. He knew how much that meant to her. He knew what it was like to do without a family, to be looking for the other parts of yourself.

  She’d thought that he’d been the other half of her once.

  “Yes,” she whispered. “Part of it.”

  She nodded towards the other two women who were still arguing with their men. “They’re my sisters. We’re identical triplets,” she said inanely.

  Like that wasn’t obvious to anyone with eyes.

  He brushed a curl away from her face and tucked it behind her ear. “God help me. Three of you?”

  His touch was too much. It sent a shiver across her skin but that wasn’t enough to make her pull away. “What are you doing here, Billy?”

  The words came out more harshly than she intended.

  S
he didn’t want him here. Her heart was racing, her nerves were singing, and she felt hot all over. This was purely adrenaline. It was a sign of danger. It was her body’s natural way of warning her that the situation was not good. It wasn’t a thrill or excitement or longing.

  His green eyes narrowed. “Charlie invited me. I wasn’t going to let him down.”

  Charlie. Of course he had, the traitor. She threw a look across the room at her old boss. He was watching them closely.

  “Oh, come on, Roxie,” Skeeter said. “It’s Charlie’s retirement, and he wanted Billy here. All the important people in both your lives should be here.”

  It wasn’t meant to be a dig, but that was the way she took it. She caught the sharp jab directly in her gut, but Billy felt it, too. The fingertips against her cheek went stiff.

  The “important people” in their lives hadn’t always been around. In her case, most of them headed directly towards the door.

  Although, technically in Billy’s case, she was the one who’d left.

  A pissed-off look settled onto his face. It was subtle, but she knew all the signs. His eyebrows flattened out and a muscle near the corner of his mouth twitched. “Don’t worry,” he said roughly. “I’ll stay out of your hair. I’ll keep to Charlie’s side of the bar for the rest of the night.”

  But then he stepped up to her.

  His leather jacket brushed against the back of her knuckles, and their knees bumped.

  He dipped his head and the tips of their noses touched. Some of the irritation left his face. “But know that I’m happy for you, too.”

  His voice dropped to an intimate whisper. “For the bar, and for finding your sisters. God, Roxie. What that must have meant for you…”

  His mouth settled across hers then. Firm, hot, and sexy.

  The jolt went through her as it always did, but it hit her harder tonight. She hadn’t expected him to come. She hadn’t had enough time to prepare for him. For this. There were only so many barriers a girl could put up.

  And he knew how much all of this meant to her—the acceptance, the inclusion, and the security.

  He’d meant all that to her once. He’d meant even more than that.

  He’d been her everything.

  A whimper left the back of her throat.

  The tip of his tongue slid over the seam of her lips, and she shuddered. Opening her mouth, she kissed him back. Their mouths sealed and that wick that joined the two of them began burning. Sizzling and sparking.

  Sliding her hands underneath his jacket, she clutched at the muscles of his back. It wasn’t enough. Lifting her leg, she rubbed her knee against the outside of his thigh. He flinched a little at that move, but came roaring back at her. His hands settled on her hips and his fingers bit into her ass. He pulled her into him, and their bodies sealed tight.

  Hoots went up, but they didn’t register.

  Roxie’s head fell back as white-hot energy coursed through her. Colors swirled behind her eyelids, and tingles ran across her skin. Her hands had found their way under his T-shirt, and she raked her fingers across his taut muscles.

  Oh, God. Nothing had changed.

  Yet everything was different.

  She stiffened. She knew where this would lead. They did this every time he showed up in town. They’d get all hot and bothered. That wick would burn brightly until their relationship exploded. She couldn’t let them repeat the trend. For once, she had to deny herself.

  It might hurt like hell now, but it would feel better in the end.

  Feeling her withdrawal, Billy pulled back. Their breaths puffed against each other’s faces. It was all Roxie could do to keep from trembling.

  She couldn’t do this, not again.

  He knew it, too, and was already shaking his head. “Have a good night, baby.”

  He swirled one of her long curls around his finger, but then gently laid the strand of hair against her shoulder. Slowly, he let go of her and backed off. His green gaze was cloudy now. He cleared his throat and stuffed his hands in his back pockets.

  With a final nod, he turned away.

  Gossip started buzzing through the room.

  Roxie couldn’t stop herself from watching as he moseyed across the bar. He’d always been such an eye-magnet when he moved. Tonight was no different. When a bleach-blonde bimbo stepped into his path and thrust her tiny little boobs at him, Roxie nearly reached for the knife the bartender was using on the limes.

  Stopping herself in the nick of time, she settled for cinching her belt around her waist.

  Unfortunately, she pulled so tight, she could barely breathe.

  Reaching out, she steadied herself against the bar. Her nose crinkled when she saw how white her fingers were.

  She was acting like a damn girl, all fluttery and delicate.

  She blew out a harsh breath. Inside, she didn’t feel like a girl. She felt like a woman. Her body was alive, energized as if it had just woken up from a long nap. Yet her heart was beating like a scared dove’s.

  “Ah, hell,” she muttered.

  This was too much. He shouldn’t be here.

  Especially not with them here, too.

  Letting go of the bar, she deliberately fluffed her hair. Her sisters were already closing in. She could see the shock on their faces and practically hear their questions being screamed across the air. The jukebox was pumping out heavy metal, but she could hear her heart drumming steadily in her ears. The combination of all three created such a cacophony that her thoughts scrambled.

  She didn’t want to go through this. She didn’t want to have this discussion. Hadn’t she opened herself up enough?

  Maxie was the first to make it to her, and she caught her by the arm. “The two of you were married?”

  Lexie was close on her heels. “Why didn’t you tell us?”

  The roar in Roxie’s ears intensified. Crap on a cracker. Did they have to pile on?

  She let out a sigh that emptied the breath that had been trapped in the bottom of her lungs. “I did tell you,” she said tiredly. “In a way…”

  Too many people were still staring at them, and she shook her head. This wasn’t news to a lot of the old-time regulars. At one time, Billy had been around here more than she had.

  But she wasn’t going to share her dirty laundry with everyone.

  Escape. It was the foremost idea in her head. She had to get out of here.

  Her hair tumbled over her shoulders as she searched for somewhere she could go. Her brain just wasn’t working, and so many people were pressed around her.

  Maxie showed her the way out. The grip on her arm changed, and Roxie followed along as her sister cleared a path. The door. She hoped they were heading for the door. Or at least her office. Instead, Maxie directed them towards the booth in the very back corner. Somehow it had opened up.

  It was something.

  Roxie slid onto the bench but felt her knees give out when she was halfway down. She landed with a plop that stung, but she tried to cover it up. When she lifted her gaze, she found her sisters watching her like a bug under a microscope. They’d both taken seats across the table from her. Talk about teaming up against her.

  “This isn’t going to be an inquisition,” she said, establishing the ground rules up front.

  “We don’t want to pressure you,” Maxie said.

  “But honestly, Rox,” Lexie said softly. “You look like you need to talk.”

  Their big brown eyes were round and steady. There was no judgment, just curiosity. And caring.

  It was the latter that made her throat choke up again.

  She raked a hand through her hair. She couldn’t meet their eyes, but when she looked across the room she found herself watching Billy as he shook Charlie’s hand. Skeeter gave him a beer and he tilted his head back to take a long drink. His throat worked as he downed half the bottle without taking a breath, but then he glanced her way.

  And time stood still.

  She broke the look first. Staring at th
e table, she ran her fingertips over its uneven surface until they bumped into the salt. Snatching up the little glass shaker, she drummed it rhythmically in time with the music.

  Lexie glanced over her shoulder. “I don’t remember you saying anything about him.”

  “We would’ve remembered something like that,” Maxie said with a nod.

  Roxie rolled her shoulder. “I told you that a friend got me out of the foster care system.”

  “That was Billy?” Maxie said, not understanding. “But how—”

  “You married him to escape the system?” Lexie gasped.

  “Oh my gosh, your name change from Jones to Cannon when you were sixteen.” Maxie’s eyes went wide. “I just thought you did that to make a clean break or something.”

  “It was a bit more than that.” Catching herself, Roxie deliberately dropped the edge from her voice. “He was eighteen, and I was sixteen. When he aged out of the system, we got a judge’s order that allowed us to get married.”

  “So you worked the law to your favor,” Lexie said.

  “I damn well did.” Because there was no way they were going to be torn apart.

  Roxie raked her hand through her hair again, but then draped her arm over the back of the booth. The marriage hadn’t just been a way out. It had been a way in. She’d always been the one on the outside with her face pressed against the window. With Billy, she’d been welcomed inside. She’d been wanted and needed.

  They’d had each other’s backs. They protected one another, trusted one another, and had loved each other. Life had dealt them both a pretty harsh set of cards, but together, they’d thought they’d found a royal flush.

  “How long did it last?” Lexie asked.

  “Two years.”

  “Two years?” Reaching across the table, Maxie caught Roxie’s hand. When Roxie tried to pull away, she just gripped her tighter. “You two were really in love.”

  Oh, yeah. They might have been young, but their feelings had been very grown up.

  “Why did it end?” Lexie asked.