Siera London's Blog - Posts Tagged "staying-the-course"
Celebrate Father's Day with the Men of Endurance series
#TuesdayTeaser #StayingTheCourse #OwenAndIvy #menofendurance #smalltownromance #KindleUnlimited
Owen watched as Ivy reached for the near empty lemonade pitcher, then hesitated, before she seemed to remember she was a guest.
“Would it be okay if I finished this off, Owen?”
“Go ahead,” he nodded, “but, slow down. There’s more.”
Her back stiffened. Slowly, she pulled the napkin from her lap and wiped her mouth.
“Thank you for the meal.” Without looking at him, she came to her feet. “Where’s the closest hotel?”
So, he’d wounded the little minx’s pride. Owen knew how it felt to have something you wanted so close, yet not be able to enjoy it. He’d been down and out as a kid. It was one of the things that had led him to the military, and eventually on to college.
“You running from something?” he asked.
She looked around her feet, and then gave him a twisted grin. “Not at the moment.”
Did she have a smart comment for every question? There were a lot of reasons a woman would be walking alone at night, and none of them were good. And, nobody found Endurance without somehow being bumped and bruised along the way. He wondered at Ivy Summers’ story.
“Look,” he said, grabbing another carton of lemonade from the freezer. “I got a four-year-old who needs his father alive and well. So, is trouble after you?”
The prettiest shade of crimson flushed her cheeks, before she admitted,
“Not tonight, he isn’t.”
Fear flashed in her eyes, then as if a female warrior had taken hold, a fierce scowl covered her features. So, she was in trouble.
“This trouble got a name?” Growing up in these mountains, Owen learned to track, hunt, wrestle…heck, he could defend himself against just about anybody. A four-year stint serving his country in the United States Navy had perfected his skills, but that didn’t mean he wanted to use them anytime soon.
“I’m moving on, remember?”
Placing the frosty container in the sink to thaw, he wiped his damp fingers on a bar cloth. Where was she planning to ‘move on’ to? It was Sunday night and the traffic along Interstate-80 would be at a minimum. Did she plan to hitch another ride out of town? It was none of his business, but that never stopped him in the past.
“Where are you headed to, Ivy?”
“Oh, here, there, and everywhere,” she said giving him the biggest fake smile.
At twenty-nine, he was too old for games. He growled his displeasure. “So, you’re wandering the mountains of Northern California at night, without a clue as to where you’re going? How old are you?”
Owen tried to curtail his condemning tone. Maybe, with a full belly his admonition would go unnoticed.
Though she pretended to be aloof, he knew she noticed because that slim back of hers rounded like a cat about to strike.
“I'm legal,” she said, face darkening with ferocity. “It’s getting late. I’ll be going now.”
He pushed off the doorframe, standing to his full height. “Finish eating, first.”
“I’m full. The hotel?” she repeated.
So, she thought it okay to challenge a man in his own house? Trying to get the little minx to eat shouldn’t be a crime. He had a right mind to bend her over his knee.
“Sit. Eat,” he snapped.
He knew he’d messed up the moment the words left his fool lips. She crossed her shapely arms over a petite torso, lean and toned probably from working. He couldn’t see the size of her breasts, but those hips filled out her jeans. Ivy Summers met his stare.
“No,” she said, not backing down.
He stalked towards her. “You about ripped the door off the hinges to get to some food. Now, eat.” He let authority seep into his voice.
“I’m ready to leave now,” she said, chin lifted. Owen saw her eyeing the backpack that looked like she swiped it off a trash pile. “I’ve got forty-dollars.” She shook her head as if she’d disclosed a detail that would threaten national security. “How much do I owe you?”
He couldn’t let her walk out of here. Walking these deserted stretches of highway were dangerous. Besides, there wasn’t a hotel room available for another hundred miles. Did she know anything about Endurance? It was race season from now till October. The hotels were booked out for months.
He narrowed his eyes. “Don’t want your money.”
Staying The CourseWithout thinking he took another look at that body of hers. Ivy knowing exactly what he was doing, took a step back. But, it was her fear that pricked at his protective instinct. Owen didn’t like that she was afraid. She was too pretty to be afraid. Well, the scowl darkened the image, but Owen had that effect on others.
"You can stay here,” he offered.
“I’m not going to wake up to find you butt naked in my room with a cup of vanilla pudding and a bottle of Viagra, am I?”
Owen stared at the tiny slip of a woman asking him if he was a pervert. When he didn’t answer, the area between her brows slipped into fierce ‘v’. She was serious.
He gave her an answer. “Chocolate’s my favorite. Don’t need Viagra,” he stated, voice flat.
Keep reading Siera London's Staying The Course: https://amzn.to/3g3jJwS
Owen watched as Ivy reached for the near empty lemonade pitcher, then hesitated, before she seemed to remember she was a guest.
“Would it be okay if I finished this off, Owen?”
“Go ahead,” he nodded, “but, slow down. There’s more.”
Her back stiffened. Slowly, she pulled the napkin from her lap and wiped her mouth.
“Thank you for the meal.” Without looking at him, she came to her feet. “Where’s the closest hotel?”
So, he’d wounded the little minx’s pride. Owen knew how it felt to have something you wanted so close, yet not be able to enjoy it. He’d been down and out as a kid. It was one of the things that had led him to the military, and eventually on to college.
“You running from something?” he asked.
She looked around her feet, and then gave him a twisted grin. “Not at the moment.”
Did she have a smart comment for every question? There were a lot of reasons a woman would be walking alone at night, and none of them were good. And, nobody found Endurance without somehow being bumped and bruised along the way. He wondered at Ivy Summers’ story.
“Look,” he said, grabbing another carton of lemonade from the freezer. “I got a four-year-old who needs his father alive and well. So, is trouble after you?”
The prettiest shade of crimson flushed her cheeks, before she admitted,
“Not tonight, he isn’t.”
Fear flashed in her eyes, then as if a female warrior had taken hold, a fierce scowl covered her features. So, she was in trouble.
“This trouble got a name?” Growing up in these mountains, Owen learned to track, hunt, wrestle…heck, he could defend himself against just about anybody. A four-year stint serving his country in the United States Navy had perfected his skills, but that didn’t mean he wanted to use them anytime soon.
“I’m moving on, remember?”
Placing the frosty container in the sink to thaw, he wiped his damp fingers on a bar cloth. Where was she planning to ‘move on’ to? It was Sunday night and the traffic along Interstate-80 would be at a minimum. Did she plan to hitch another ride out of town? It was none of his business, but that never stopped him in the past.
“Where are you headed to, Ivy?”
“Oh, here, there, and everywhere,” she said giving him the biggest fake smile.
At twenty-nine, he was too old for games. He growled his displeasure. “So, you’re wandering the mountains of Northern California at night, without a clue as to where you’re going? How old are you?”
Owen tried to curtail his condemning tone. Maybe, with a full belly his admonition would go unnoticed.
Though she pretended to be aloof, he knew she noticed because that slim back of hers rounded like a cat about to strike.
“I'm legal,” she said, face darkening with ferocity. “It’s getting late. I’ll be going now.”
He pushed off the doorframe, standing to his full height. “Finish eating, first.”
“I’m full. The hotel?” she repeated.
So, she thought it okay to challenge a man in his own house? Trying to get the little minx to eat shouldn’t be a crime. He had a right mind to bend her over his knee.
“Sit. Eat,” he snapped.
He knew he’d messed up the moment the words left his fool lips. She crossed her shapely arms over a petite torso, lean and toned probably from working. He couldn’t see the size of her breasts, but those hips filled out her jeans. Ivy Summers met his stare.
“No,” she said, not backing down.
He stalked towards her. “You about ripped the door off the hinges to get to some food. Now, eat.” He let authority seep into his voice.
“I’m ready to leave now,” she said, chin lifted. Owen saw her eyeing the backpack that looked like she swiped it off a trash pile. “I’ve got forty-dollars.” She shook her head as if she’d disclosed a detail that would threaten national security. “How much do I owe you?”
He couldn’t let her walk out of here. Walking these deserted stretches of highway were dangerous. Besides, there wasn’t a hotel room available for another hundred miles. Did she know anything about Endurance? It was race season from now till October. The hotels were booked out for months.
He narrowed his eyes. “Don’t want your money.”
Staying The CourseWithout thinking he took another look at that body of hers. Ivy knowing exactly what he was doing, took a step back. But, it was her fear that pricked at his protective instinct. Owen didn’t like that she was afraid. She was too pretty to be afraid. Well, the scowl darkened the image, but Owen had that effect on others.
"You can stay here,” he offered.
“I’m not going to wake up to find you butt naked in my room with a cup of vanilla pudding and a bottle of Viagra, am I?”
Owen stared at the tiny slip of a woman asking him if he was a pervert. When he didn’t answer, the area between her brows slipped into fierce ‘v’. She was serious.
He gave her an answer. “Chocolate’s my favorite. Don’t need Viagra,” he stated, voice flat.
Keep reading Siera London's Staying The Course: https://amzn.to/3g3jJwS
