Read Online Southern Men: Ballad of a Texas Rose by Carla Kane - Free Book Online Page A

could do now was stall him. He was never going to listen to reason.
    ‘Well,’ she said, ‘there’s a lot of things you could do. But why don’t you make it worth my while to help you. Why don’t we team up?’
    Ace narrowed his eyes. ‘You trying to make a fool out of me?’ he asked. He raised his pistol. ‘Maybe I should just shoot you right now and be done with it.’
    At that moment, the door behind him burst open and a huge ball of force shot against the elderly man like a giant flaming canon ball. The gun fell from his hand and Ace was knocked to the ground beneath the hulking mass. The tough face of Harvey Klein looked up at her and smiled. He’d been captain of the football team in high school. It showed.
    ‘I looked for you at the restaurant,’ he panted, ‘I couldn’t leave without saying goodbye. I had to see you again.’
    Clara stared at him. Underneath his muscular body, Ace Cooper was pinned to the ground and unconscious. Grunting, Harvey sat up and pulled the oil baron’s arms behind his back. He slapped a pair of handcuffs on him and then stood up.
    ‘There,’ he said, ‘all trussed up like a Christmas ham. Serves him right.’
    ‘My God,’ Clara said rising to her feet, ‘what are you doing here Harvey?’
    He turned serious again, his cool blue eyes staring at her face. ‘I told you,’ he said, ‘I couldn’t leave without seeing you again. Clara Silverman, there’s been a hole in my heart ever since you walked out of my life. I think it was there before you came into my life in the first place anyway, I just didn’t know until you showed me.’
    Clara looked at him, the big handsome honest Texan man. The things he said, they were just as true for her as they were for him. That was one of the reasons she’d thrown herself so hard into this case. That was why she felt so empty now that it was all over. She ran to him and wrapped her arms around his strong body. They kissed and her soul seemed to fill with light at the touch of his masculine lips.
    ‘I want you,’ Harvey whispered deeply, ‘I want you right now.’
    Clara stared at him. ‘But what about Cooper?’
    Harvey looked over his shoulder and smiled. ‘He’s out cold,’ he said, ‘besides, he ain’t going nowhere with them cuffs on. Plus I think I broke his ankle when I landed on him. Whoops.’
    ‘But shouldn’t we call the cops?’ Clara asked, smiling in disbelief. She’d nearly forgotten how wild Harvey Klein could be.
    ‘Baby,’ he smiled, ‘I am the cops.’ And just like that the sheriff swept her up into his arms and walked her out to the bedroom. Wild wasn’t a strong enough word.
    He threw her down on the bed and she squealed excitedly as she hit the soft mattress. She’d missed her Boss Sheriff and she couldn’t wait to feel his body on hers once more. He stood above her, his muscles rippling beneath his shirt, like a proud Roman God.   Clara ran a hand against her chest as she felt her juices start to flow down below.
    ‘Baby,’ Harvey said, ‘my life has been nothing without you. I need you back.’
    Clara couldn’t believe it, slowly it was dawning on her that she felt exactly the same way. But some things would have to change.
    ‘I’m a new man,’ Harvey said, as though reading her mind, ‘you made me a new man Clara, only problem was it didn’t come through in me until after you’d already gone.’ He stepped towards the bed and Clara felt her face flush with excitement.
    ‘I want you back,’ Harvey said and began undoing the buttons on his shirt. He reached into his holster and put his gun on the bedside table. Then he took Ace’s pistol out of his pocket and put it beside his one.
    ‘Just in case,’ he said and then climbed up onto the bed.
    Clara couldn’t believe they were doing this. It was like something out of a movie. The man she’d just spent the best part of a year trying to take down was tied up in the other room and now they were going to make love? It was too