Page 13 of Filthy and Fierce

“Bye, Dixon.”

It sounds so final. I click my tongue, and Bessie starts walking, and Carl is waiting for me. He looks anxious, making me wonder what Dixon had meant when he told Carl to remember what he said. It’s on the tip of my tongue to ask, but I shake the thought away. I’m going to forget about Dixon and quit thinking about all the ways he touched and kissed me last night. It’s over… and it will never happen again.

CHAPTER 9

DIXON

I’m rubbing my hand over my chest, and I realize I’ve been doing it a lot today. Ever since I apologized to Faith for what I did to her last night.

I shouldn’t have done it. I’m not sorry. I mean, of course I didn’t want to hurt her, but also I meant to make her feel the remnants today. I wanted her to remember everything we did last night.

She avoided me when she and Carl came back from mending fences, and I spent the rest of the evening in the office, trying to mentally prepare for the rodeo tomorrow. We have to be up early, and I should get to bed soon, but I can’t seem to make myself go to sleep.

I pace back and forth in the office and then step outside the barn and look up at the main house. From where I’m at, I can see Faith’s bedroom window, and her light is already off. Maybe she’s in bed. We were up late last night.

Carl and Eddie step out of the bunkhouse, and Carl seems surprised to see me. “I’m surprised you’re here, Dixon.”

“Where else would I be? I have a rodeo tomorrow.”

Carl points at himself. “I figured boss man would put you in charge of watching his daughter. You want us to keep an eye on her while we’re in town?”

I stand up straighter. “What are you talking about?”

Carl must not sense the urgency in my voice. “Faith said she was going to the bar tonight to let off some steam. I just thought…”

I don’t even let him finish. I walk back into the barn and into the office. I don’t even have to think about what I’m going to do. The thought of Faith at the Whiskey Whistler without me makes me crazy. I grab my hat and my keys, and not two minutes later, I’m on my way into town.

I park next to Faith’s little car, and then instead of walking around to the front entrance, I go in the back door. I stand in the darkened hallway and look around the bar. It takes me no time at all to find her on the dance floor. Her long red hair is hanging around her shoulders. Her lips are painted a cherry red, and I’m in a trance as I watch her sway her body side to side. I could stand here and watch her all night, but as soon as I see some cowboys surround her, I’m on the move.

Possession like I’ve never felt before pushes me through the crowd, and I don’t stop until I’m muscling my way between the cowboys and standing in front of a now frowning Faith. I stand up a little taller, and the cowboys that were hitting on her disappear.

“What are you doing here?”

I growl my response. “I was going to ask you the same thing.”

She pokes a finger in my chest. “You’re the one that has to perform tomorrow. You should be in bed.”

I move closer to talk in her ear. “And you thought I would be at home asleep while you’re here doing God knows what?”

She rears back in surprise. “I’m not sure what you think of me, Dixon Chase, but I’m not going to fuck you one night and then move on to another man tonight.” There’s a sadness in her eyes that wasn’t there before. “I know I was an easy lay for you, but?—”

I growl, putting my hands to her waist and pulling her against me. “Don’t finish that sentence, Faith. You weren’t an easy anything for me.”

She’s mad, that much is obvious, and I’m not sure why. This is what we talked about. This is what we agreed on, and I’m honoring our agreement.

“I need to go to bed, Faith.”

She points to the door. “Well, go then because I sure didn’t ask you to come here.”

I grab her hand and pull her through the bar to the back door. On my way, I see Carl and Eddie, and the look they’re giving me tells me they think I’m babysitting my boss’ daughter when that’s not the case at all. No, what I’m doing is purely for me.

When the door slams behind us, Faith pulls from my hold and starts stomping to her car. “I’ll go home, Dixon, but only because you need to get some rest. You’re not going to be worth shit tomorrow. You get killed it’s your own stupid fault because I sure didn’t ask you to come and get me.” She stops with a huff and gasps. “Oh my God, did my dad send you?”

I grab her hand, and when she tries to go to her car, I pick her up by the waist and carry her to my truck. “Dixon, put me down. My car is here.”

I put her in the passenger seat. “Give me your keys.”

She crosses her arms over her chest. “No.”

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