Read Online Rangers: Silver-Star Seductions: A Two-Book Box Set by Ciana Stone - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Ciana Stone
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dinner beer and maybe some dancing.
Bucky’s had been the local hangout as long as Willa could remember. Weekdays they had a jukebox, Wednesday Karaoke night and on Fridays and Saturdays a local band would play. There was sawdust on the floor, baskets of peanuts on the table and the coldest draft beer south of the Mason Dixon line.
The moment they walked in, two women Willa had grown up with spotted them. “Willa Hale!” The busty blonde with a smile as bright as the sun and a voice like Minnie Mouse squealed. “God almighty, girl, I was starting to think you’d left the state.”
“Hey Molly,” Willa replied and acknowledged the thin redhead with her. “Hey Brenda.”
“Hey Willa,” Brenda’s eyes went to Zeb. “And hellooooo cowboy.”
Zeb put his finger to the brim of his Stetson. “Ladies.”
“Well aren’t you a long drink of cool water.” Molly looked up at him in a manner that reminded Willa of a cat eyeballing a prime mouse. “Don’t think I’ve seen you round these parts before cowboy.”
“Zeb Childress, Texas Ranger,” he introduced himself. “Nice to meet you but if you’ll excuse us, I’ve been plumb dying to get this beautiful woman in my arms all day.”
Willa nearly swallowed her tongue as he took her hand and led her to the dance floor where a dozen or so couples swayed to a slow county song. Zeb pulled her into his arms and her eyes widened in surprise when he led her into a slow and very sensual two-step.
“Well, aren’t you just full of surprises, Ranger.”
“That I am, darlin.”
By the time the dance ended, Willa was ready to take him off behind the building and rape him. She knew the man had serious moves in bed, so she shouldn’t be surprised that he could dance. But damnation if he didn’t have her feeling about as hot as a fourth of July fireworks display.
“You want to grab a table and have a beer?” he asked.
“Sure.” She looked around and spotted an empty table. “There?”
“I’ll grab the brews and meet you there.”
Willa made her way to the table, sharing greetings with several people along the way. Bucky’s was busy so she lost sight of Zeb. She angled in her seat to watch the people on the dance floor. When the band had finished two songs and Zeb had not returned she felt a little concerned.
She got up and made her way to the bar. Zeb was standing there, a beer in each hand, talking to a man she did not know. As she came up behind them she could hear what they said.
“So you think you’ll be headed back to El Paso soon?” The tall, dark-haired man asked.
“I hope. Just waiting for the heat to die down.”
The man chuckled. “Guess there’s not enough action out here, eh?”
“Let’s just say that watching weeds grow is about as exciting.”
“Then I guess I’ll be seeing you. It'll be good to have you back in El Paso. Say, what’s happening with that drug thing here?”
Willa stopped, pivoted on her heel and headed back the way she’d come. Tears stung at her eyes and she blinked them away, refusing to let them spill. She reclaimed her seat at the table and sat staring at the dancers. Zeb had no intention of staying. Regardless of how he said he felt about her, he didn’t plan on sticking around.
She felt like such a fool. She shouldn’t have let herself get involved with him. She knew it was likely to end this way. Her with a broken heart, watching him drive away. A sob threatened to erupt at the thought.
“Sorry.” Zeb’s voice had her jerking around to look up at him.
“A Ranger I worked with in El Paso, Kade Lawson, is here for a day or so. I ran into him at the bar and we got to yacking.”
He handed her one of the beers and took a seat beside her. “So, you feel up to another dance, beautiful?”
Willa didn’t feel up to much of anything at that moment. All she could do was replay his words in her mind. He didn’t intend to stay. He was going to leave her.
“Willa?”
“I … actually, I think I
Bucky’s had been the local hangout as long as Willa could remember. Weekdays they had a jukebox, Wednesday Karaoke night and on Fridays and Saturdays a local band would play. There was sawdust on the floor, baskets of peanuts on the table and the coldest draft beer south of the Mason Dixon line.
The moment they walked in, two women Willa had grown up with spotted them. “Willa Hale!” The busty blonde with a smile as bright as the sun and a voice like Minnie Mouse squealed. “God almighty, girl, I was starting to think you’d left the state.”
“Hey Molly,” Willa replied and acknowledged the thin redhead with her. “Hey Brenda.”
“Hey Willa,” Brenda’s eyes went to Zeb. “And hellooooo cowboy.”
Zeb put his finger to the brim of his Stetson. “Ladies.”
“Well aren’t you a long drink of cool water.” Molly looked up at him in a manner that reminded Willa of a cat eyeballing a prime mouse. “Don’t think I’ve seen you round these parts before cowboy.”
“Zeb Childress, Texas Ranger,” he introduced himself. “Nice to meet you but if you’ll excuse us, I’ve been plumb dying to get this beautiful woman in my arms all day.”
Willa nearly swallowed her tongue as he took her hand and led her to the dance floor where a dozen or so couples swayed to a slow county song. Zeb pulled her into his arms and her eyes widened in surprise when he led her into a slow and very sensual two-step.
“Well, aren’t you just full of surprises, Ranger.”
“That I am, darlin.”
By the time the dance ended, Willa was ready to take him off behind the building and rape him. She knew the man had serious moves in bed, so she shouldn’t be surprised that he could dance. But damnation if he didn’t have her feeling about as hot as a fourth of July fireworks display.
“You want to grab a table and have a beer?” he asked.
“Sure.” She looked around and spotted an empty table. “There?”
“I’ll grab the brews and meet you there.”
Willa made her way to the table, sharing greetings with several people along the way. Bucky’s was busy so she lost sight of Zeb. She angled in her seat to watch the people on the dance floor. When the band had finished two songs and Zeb had not returned she felt a little concerned.
She got up and made her way to the bar. Zeb was standing there, a beer in each hand, talking to a man she did not know. As she came up behind them she could hear what they said.
“So you think you’ll be headed back to El Paso soon?” The tall, dark-haired man asked.
“I hope. Just waiting for the heat to die down.”
The man chuckled. “Guess there’s not enough action out here, eh?”
“Let’s just say that watching weeds grow is about as exciting.”
“Then I guess I’ll be seeing you. It'll be good to have you back in El Paso. Say, what’s happening with that drug thing here?”
Willa stopped, pivoted on her heel and headed back the way she’d come. Tears stung at her eyes and she blinked them away, refusing to let them spill. She reclaimed her seat at the table and sat staring at the dancers. Zeb had no intention of staying. Regardless of how he said he felt about her, he didn’t plan on sticking around.
She felt like such a fool. She shouldn’t have let herself get involved with him. She knew it was likely to end this way. Her with a broken heart, watching him drive away. A sob threatened to erupt at the thought.
“Sorry.” Zeb’s voice had her jerking around to look up at him.
“A Ranger I worked with in El Paso, Kade Lawson, is here for a day or so. I ran into him at the bar and we got to yacking.”
He handed her one of the beers and took a seat beside her. “So, you feel up to another dance, beautiful?”
Willa didn’t feel up to much of anything at that moment. All she could do was replay his words in her mind. He didn’t intend to stay. He was going to leave her.
“Willa?”
“I … actually, I think I
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