Come and Get It Read Online Free PDF Page B

war in a body bag.
You’re a pleasant distraction, nothing less, nothing more.” Attuned
to people’s reactions, she couldn’t help noticing the slight
stiffening of his body. As if such a notion were
unexpected.
    Quin nodded, running his hands under
her nightgown to grasp her hips. He pulled her chair closer and
leaned in to kiss her. “Mmmm, sweet. How about you come back to bed
and let me distract you properly.”
    Dixie was just about to comply with
his request when a truck pulled up in a hurry, horn blaring. “Oh,
shit! It’s the girls!”
    Quin rose to his feet in a fluid
motion. “The girls?”
    “ My sisters and a couple of
friends. We’re supposed to drive into San Antonio today. Rita Mae’s
sister’s getting married on Monday and we’re taking her shoppin’,
then tonight’s her bachelorette party.” She leaped to her feet and
gave him a shove toward the bedroom. “Hurry and get dressed! I
don’t want ’em thinkin’ you spent the night.”
    Quin raised an eyebrow and pointed to
the clock on the fireplace mantel. It was just beginning to chime
the hour. “Rose, it’s seven in the morning. I think those women
already guessed you had company sleeping over.” He chuckled when
she moaned her distress, then pulled her close and kissed her. “All
right, I’ll go finish dressing.”
    Dixie hurried to the door. “Go on up
to the main house and have some coffee,” she called to the women.
“I’ll meet you up there in a few minutes.” Catcalls emanated from
the truck, and Rita Mae hollered, “Dixie’s got a boyfriend,” like
some kind of third-grader. She heard Quin’s laughter from the
bedroom.
     
    * * *
     
    “ It’s that architect from
California, ain’t it?” Rita Mae asked.
    Dixie’s brother, Bennett, frowned.
“What architect?”
    Rita Mae turned to Bennett. “He
designed that new development going in where the C-Bar used to be.
Hugh told me he was givin’ Dixie the eye.”
    “ We just went to dinner!”
Dixie protested. Even though he was three years younger, Bennett
was very protective of his older sister.
    “ And he wound up spending
the night?” The shocked look on Bennett’s face said it
all.
    “ Oh, for God’s sake, I’m a
grown woman, Bennett. If I choose to take a man to my bed, it ain’t
nobody’s business but my own.”
    Bennett stood up so quickly his chair
fell backward onto the kitchen floor. “I’m gonna kick that
bastard’s ass.” He started toward the door in a fit of
anger.
    Dixie was up after him in a heartbeat.
“You stop right there, Bennett James Bonifay!” He stopped, spine
straightening, and she nodded in satisfaction. After all, she’d
raised him. He knew when he was in trouble. “You got no call to be
runnin’ that man down, much less whippin’ his ass for something I
chose to do.”
    Dixie walked up behind him, sliding
her hands around his waist. With a sigh, she rested her cheek on
his back. “Benny. I’ve been alone so long. Don’t begrudge me the
comfort of a man when the need comes on me.”
    Bennett turned in her arms and hugged
her tightly. “I just don’t wanna see you hurt, Dixie Rose. It like
to killed us all, watchin’ you mourn Bud. I’d spare you that kind
of pain again if I could.”
    She gave him a squeeze. “Well, you
can’t, honey. No one can. That’s just the way of things. Everybody
gets their heart broke, you know that.” Dixie smiled up at her
brother. “Besides, it’s not like he’s stayin’ long enough for my
heart to be involved.”
    Bennett snorted. “If you let him in
your bed, your heart’s already involved and you know
it.”
    Dixie chuckled. “Maybe so, but not
like you think. He’s not the marryin’ kind and I know
it.”
    “ And you can live with
that?”
    “ What choice do I
have?”
    “ We could haul his ass in
front of the preacher at the business end of a shotgun.”
    It was Dixie’s turn to snort. “Fool
man’d probably prefer to take a load of shot to gettin’ hitched.
Just