Read Online Bull (Red, Hot, & Blue) by Cat Johnson - Free Book Online
Authors: Cat Johnson
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ringing in her ears, she’d been wrapped in blankets and taken out of the mansion by emergency crews. John had been outside, frantic for her safety. The sight of the emergency team taking Bull’s limp body away had been enough to send her into hysterics while the ambulance crew checked her for injuries.
Thanks to Bull’s quick thinking, she’d walked away from an explosion that should have killed her. Her ears were still ringing, but she didn’t have a scratch on her. Marly had told everyone within hearing distance how Bull had saved her life, but all John had wanted to do was take her home and comfort her.
She’d let John drive her home—she was too shaken to have driven herself—but she didn’t allow him to comfort her in the way he had in mind. Not that night, nor since.
Of course, she couldn’t tell her former boyfriend she’d had sex with Bull. That she was pretty sure he was the kind of man she could fall in love with, even after having only spent a brief time with him that one night. It was crazy. She barely knew him. Was it Stockholm syndrome? She hadn’t been his hostage, nor he her captor. But he had saved her life by covering her with his own body, at great risk to himself.
It didn’t matter that it was crazy. She wanted to see him again. Needed to. She scrolled down the list of incoming calls in the caller ID on her home phone. Luckily, unlike her cell phone, her home phone showed the name of the caller as well as the number. And there it was. He had called from the hospital. The name was right there on the read out. Now she knew where he was, that’s where she was going. She grabbed her purse and flung open the door to find her ex-boyfriend, John Dickson III, standing in her way.
“John. I’m sorry. I’m on my way out.”
“I see that.” He stepped inside anyway.
With a sigh, she closed the door and crossed her arms over her chest. “What do you want?”
He smiled and took a step closer. Running his hands up and down her arms, he lowered his mouth toward hers. “You know what I want.”
Marly frowned. “We broke up.”
“No.” John shook his head. “ You broke up. I didn’t agree to it.”
Was he kidding? Only a Dickson would have the nerve to say something like that. “Are you nuts? Because it’s really starting to sound like you are. Every time I pick up the paper, I see you with that other senator’s daughter, and everyone is speculating when you’ll get married. And before her, it was the governor’s daughter. What the hell do you want with me anyway? I’m a lowly musician who barely makes the rent.”
“You didn’t seem to have a problem with the silly tabloid rumors when we first started dating.” John continued to hold her arms. “Remember? You let me wine and dine you. Take you on expensive vacations. Buy you jewelry.”
He leaned forward as if he would kiss her. She pulled back and let out a bitter laugh. “I never asked for or expected gifts and trips and fancy dinners. I’m not a gold digger, and I resent you making me sound like one.”
John dropped his hold on her with a sigh. “Look, Marly. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that. I can’t help it if my father’s second goal in life, right after making it to the White House, is to marry me off into a powerful southern political family. There’s nothing I can do about that. But I do know I’m happy when I’m with you. I want to be with you.” He raised his hand again and caressed her cheek. “Both in bed and out of it.”
She decided to play along with his delusion. “So what happens to us when you do marry one of Daddy’s picks?”
“You’ll always be a part of my life. That won’t change. We just have to be discreet.” He shrugged as if it were no big deal. “My daddy’s been with the same woman for over twenty years.”
The senator and his wife had been happily married for thirty-five years so she knew John wasn’t talking about his mother. For twenty years, Senator Dickson
Thanks to Bull’s quick thinking, she’d walked away from an explosion that should have killed her. Her ears were still ringing, but she didn’t have a scratch on her. Marly had told everyone within hearing distance how Bull had saved her life, but all John had wanted to do was take her home and comfort her.
She’d let John drive her home—she was too shaken to have driven herself—but she didn’t allow him to comfort her in the way he had in mind. Not that night, nor since.
Of course, she couldn’t tell her former boyfriend she’d had sex with Bull. That she was pretty sure he was the kind of man she could fall in love with, even after having only spent a brief time with him that one night. It was crazy. She barely knew him. Was it Stockholm syndrome? She hadn’t been his hostage, nor he her captor. But he had saved her life by covering her with his own body, at great risk to himself.
It didn’t matter that it was crazy. She wanted to see him again. Needed to. She scrolled down the list of incoming calls in the caller ID on her home phone. Luckily, unlike her cell phone, her home phone showed the name of the caller as well as the number. And there it was. He had called from the hospital. The name was right there on the read out. Now she knew where he was, that’s where she was going. She grabbed her purse and flung open the door to find her ex-boyfriend, John Dickson III, standing in her way.
“John. I’m sorry. I’m on my way out.”
“I see that.” He stepped inside anyway.
With a sigh, she closed the door and crossed her arms over her chest. “What do you want?”
He smiled and took a step closer. Running his hands up and down her arms, he lowered his mouth toward hers. “You know what I want.”
Marly frowned. “We broke up.”
“No.” John shook his head. “ You broke up. I didn’t agree to it.”
Was he kidding? Only a Dickson would have the nerve to say something like that. “Are you nuts? Because it’s really starting to sound like you are. Every time I pick up the paper, I see you with that other senator’s daughter, and everyone is speculating when you’ll get married. And before her, it was the governor’s daughter. What the hell do you want with me anyway? I’m a lowly musician who barely makes the rent.”
“You didn’t seem to have a problem with the silly tabloid rumors when we first started dating.” John continued to hold her arms. “Remember? You let me wine and dine you. Take you on expensive vacations. Buy you jewelry.”
He leaned forward as if he would kiss her. She pulled back and let out a bitter laugh. “I never asked for or expected gifts and trips and fancy dinners. I’m not a gold digger, and I resent you making me sound like one.”
John dropped his hold on her with a sigh. “Look, Marly. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that. I can’t help it if my father’s second goal in life, right after making it to the White House, is to marry me off into a powerful southern political family. There’s nothing I can do about that. But I do know I’m happy when I’m with you. I want to be with you.” He raised his hand again and caressed her cheek. “Both in bed and out of it.”
She decided to play along with his delusion. “So what happens to us when you do marry one of Daddy’s picks?”
“You’ll always be a part of my life. That won’t change. We just have to be discreet.” He shrugged as if it were no big deal. “My daddy’s been with the same woman for over twenty years.”
The senator and his wife had been happily married for thirty-five years so she knew John wasn’t talking about his mother. For twenty years, Senator Dickson
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