“Howdy, darlin’. I just thought we might chat right quick.”
“Probably not a great idea, Dusty.” Visibly unaffected, I smoothed my skirt and went to stand, a firm look of disapproval on my face. I got halfway up before his hand found my shoulder again, only this time, he dug his fingers into muscle and bone. He roughly forced me back down.
Breath coming fast in fear crusted panting, my mind went blank of everything Lump had ever taught me. Every cutting quip smart Jane might come up with to disable an adversary. Panic consumed me, blocking out logic.
“Now,” he said quiet and slow, “I think we should take a little stroll outside, don’t you?”
I shook my head. I had to stay inside.
“Now darlin’, I really am a very nice guy.” His grip tightened painfully, his eyes taking on a savage look. He leaned so close I could smell the beer his breath. “And I’m gonna show you just how nice. C’mon now…”
He shook me, my head rattling on my shoulders. I opened my mouth to scream, or yell at him, or something, but no breath came. I couldn't get words past my constricted throat.
Suddenly his hand was ripped away. His body yanked up, out of his seat, the vacated chair toppling over backward with a loud clang.
His clutching hand gone, my body continued forward, spilling me onto the ground. Candace was there in an instant, holding my hand and trying to lift me back up.
Moose had dusty in some sort of body lock, carrying him out of the dance hall, Dusty's legs barely finding purchase, swinging and kicking the whole way. Adam waited by the door, the firm hand of judgement showing on his face. William and his dad trailed behind, ensuring the removal went smoothly.
I was lifted from the floor, Candace and Georgie helping me into my seat.
“They are taking care of that rat,” Georgie said softly, his body facing me, one hand on the table, one sweeping the hair out of my face. He wasn’t picking up on me this time. He was acting like a nursemaid. “Are you okay?”
I let out a ragged breath I didn’t know I was holding. Tears, unbidden, filled my eyes. Shaking my head, I stood up. I was not going to go to pieces.
At least not until I was in my room without anyone watching.
Georgie and Candace stood up with me.
I wiped my face with the flat of my palm, looking at Georgie with blurry eyes.
“Dance.” I croaked.
“What?” he and Candace said together.
“Dance!” I said louder.
Don’t cry. Don’t cry. Don’t cry.
“Let’s dance. C’mon.” I grabbed his hand, half-dragging him to the dancefloor.
It was obvious Georgie was out of his element with my emotional response, but he followed me to the dance floor, taking my lead. We launched into the two-step, him allowing me to wipe my eyes every so often. After that song was over, we danced to another one; I was desperately trying to hold myself together. Him peering at me worriedly was not helping.
That song done, I decided it was now time to get drunk. Mind numbingly drunk with nothing but hangover misery for two days following. Between making an ass of myself with the hottest man alive, not to mention his friends and family, and then needing saving, I wanted to put all this behind me. There was one too many embarrassing things going on at this rodeo, and it was just par for the course for what William had experienced with me thus far.
Plus, I had definitely overstayed my welcome. I should have gone home with JP.
I walked back to the table with a straight back, struggling to keep tears from leaking down my face. The good news was, Georgie wasn’t trying to bed me anymore. The bad news was, for him to give up, I must have become damaged goods.
Need beer.
The table was full, housing our whole party, all with somber expressions. They were waiting for the victim. Staring. Preventing me from moving on.
"Thanks, guys. Moose." I cleared my throat, face red and not from dancing.
“Did he do this?” William stepped to my side, so close his breath tickled my face, mingling with mine.
I followed his eyes to my shoulder, where angry red finger marks etched my skin.
Don’t cry. Don’t cry. Don’t cry.
I didn't speak. Couldn't. We both knew the answer.
Another step had him directly in front of me, thunderclouds hovering over his eyes. He looked down at me, into me. I distinctly remembered how good his embrace felt. My face against his hard chest. His strong arms wrapped around me supportively, protectively.
My head bent, trying to hide the tears drowning my eyes.
"Did you hurt you Jessica?" William asked quietly, the tips of his fingertips running along my jaw to my chin, then lifting slightly.
The waterworks were coming. I did not want to give Dusty’s friends the satisfaction! I needed to stay strong. I needed to keep my head up and shake it off. I was fine. Dusty scared me. No biggie. I was surrounded by a safety net and Dusty was thrown out.
I shook my head, breathing deep. Struggling for calm. I stepped around him, grabbed my beer, and downed it with thirsty, desperate gulps. Adam gave a hoot, called me a good girl, and went to get me another.
William pulled the chair out for me, but I shook my head again. I needed to stay busy.
“Dance.”
Without question or hesitation, William offered his hand, completely at my disposal. Thank God. I was going to have a good time if it killed me, damn it!
As we assumed the position on the dance floor, I waited for the Two-Step, not meeting his eyes. Afraid I'd unravel if I did.
“I hear you can ballroom dance,” he said in his rich baritone. A grin tweaked his lips.
I nodded. I still didn’t trust myself to speak.
“Does that include swing dancing?”
I nodded again. “Not country swing dancing, though,” I amended quietly.
“Doesn’t matter. It’s close enough. Just follow my lead.”
I nodded once and chanced a smile I still didn’t feel.
The next three minutes were a thrill. I was whipped around the dance floor; pulled up close, pushed away, dipped, turned, and spun. It was just the thing I needed, and William was an excellent leader. I could’ve closed my eyes and followed his lead without ever bumping into a soul, or hitting him mid-swing.
I let my mind seep into the music and rhythm, encouraging the beat to fuse to my bones, making my skeleton dance of its own accord. I could feel myself unstitch at the seams; the events of the day fraying my nerves. I was getting tired. I felt beat up. I really just wanted a hot bath and my girlfriends to tell me to buck up and keep truckin’.
The song ended and “The River” by Garth Brooks came on. I actually knew this song!
William stepped closer, his body now inches from mine, and wrapped his arm securely around my back. He still held my hand like we were ballroom dancing, but he brought it in to his heart, leaning against his peck. His neck was smooth against my cheek, his shoulder hard under my hand. He was leaner than Moose, but his muscles were just as hard. I felt my groin tighten with the contact.
“Are you okay? It has been a trying day for you." His voice was barely more than a whisper.
“Please. I don’t want to start crying.”
“It’s okay to cry. You’ve earned the privilege. I have a shirt under this one.”
I laughed a little as my eyes blurred once again. I shook my head and backed away to allow air to hit my face and dry my eyes.
He held my hand flat against his heart and pulled me in harder. “Sorry, I just want to make sure you’re okay. I don’t mean to pry.”
We were slowly two-stepping around the dance floor with everyone else. Though I wasn’t focusing on anything but the feel of his body and smell of his skin, I noticed more than a few pretty eyes scowl in jealousy at my proximity to William. With all his opportunity of female choices I knew this couldn’t last, but I would be a fool to not take advantage of it while it did.
I leaned in to him and rested my head between his neck and shoulder. Eat your heart out, girls!
Our bodies moved as one to the music, our pace slow, barely keeping up with the music. His arm around my back steadily pressing me into him. We could barely two-step with how close our legs were, but he didn’t relent. He bowed his head to get his face closer to mine, the hand holding mine tightening, his breathing becoming somewhat husky and labored.
The song ended abruptly, much too soon. I came out of my trance slowly, he not as slow.
With a red face, he pushed me away firmly, cold air replacing his warmth. A soft crinkle etched the middle of this eyebrows as he looked at those around us, clapping for the band. Frustrated embarrassment marred his gaze when he looked back in my direction.
Well, hell, at least I’d turned him on. He may not have wanted to let it get that far—even though I was absolutely willing—but at least I’d affected him. It wasn’t much, but in the low mood I was in, I would take it.
William cleared his throat and mumbled something about getting back. He stuck his hands in his pockets and glanced around us again.
Yeah, I’d been here before. I knew better than to hang around and try to force intimacy. So when he held out his arm for me to take back to the table, I did so graciously, distancing myself from the intimacy a few minutes before.
It didn’t stop me from wanting to punch him in the mouth, though. If he hadn’t wanted to be so close, why the hell was he? And if he did, why didn’t he just act on it? Guys could be so irritating!
The next couple hours passed in a haze of dancing and drinking. Shots were brought...by me, and beers were brought by others. One thing about these boys--they could drink! I had a pretty tolerance coming out of my college years, but they easily drank two to my one. It helped that they were all giants, but still.
Towards the end of the night I had a heat on, alcohol wise, and was a sweaty mess, facially. Ty had just swung me halfway around the world on the dance floor, bowed, then took Candace for a ride. The guy had the stamina of a race horse.
Which I pointed out to Candace. Then giggled with her.
Feeling like I was about to pass out from fatigue, I looked for one of the boys to escort me outside. I needed cool air to replace the moist humidity of the tent. I needed a way to stopper some of my sweat rivers.
A glance told me William, Adam and Moose were nowhere in sight. Tom was chatting to another older fellow by the bar, with hard lines in his face that was probably business related, so I didn’t dare interrupt that. And the batter up, Georgie, was courting some little thing with heart shaped lips. So, that sucks.
I shrugged my shoulders and headed out. A few steps beyond the door wouldn’t be a big deal. A scream would bring someone in case Dusty found his way back, and a quick walk inside would keep anyone else from hitting on me very long.
As the murky dark enveloped me, I lifted my hair to catch a stray breeze. It felt good out here. Quiet and serene. Not cold, but there was a distinct chill that made me twirl to catch every last waft on my overheated skin.
When I was nearly cooled, not ten feet from the door, I turned back to the beckoning light and pounding music. A few more dances and I’d hint about heading home. William had been avoiding me, and the other guys were treating me like some sort of fragile vase, so there wasn’t much to hang on for.
A fist clutched my hair and ripped my head back.
Chapter Nine
Confused fear shot through me as I bounced off the wall. My body hit one of the large metal beams so hard my teeth chattered. I slid against rough canvas, dragged away from the door, and safety, by my hair.
Dusty was right in front of me with the reek of alcohol on his breath. He still had my hair, and was now grabbing my throat, squeezing. Panic welled up as my air supply dwindled.
I tried for a big gulp of breath to scream. Sticky hands covered my mouth.
“You thought you was safe with all them big bastard’s, huh?” he whispered in a harsh voice filled with rage. “Well, you didn’t know I’d be waitin’ for ya, did ya, darlin’? Huh, did ya?” He shook me.
Black specs appeared in my vision. I couldn’t get enough air. We were far now, way down the wall, almost around the corner. There was no one out here. No one to help. With his hand on my throat, I couldn’t get enough air to scream loud enough to be heard.
Panic was still in control. I dug in my feet and wiggled, trying to get free from his grasp. His hands slipped off my sweaty arm and I was free for one brief, adrenaline filled moment! I turned to run, a scream welling up immediately. I didn’t make it far.
It felt like the side of my face exploded, then I was landing against canvas, my mind fuzzy from the blow. He pulled me up by my hair, other hand over my mouth. His alcohol filled panting making me nauseous.
“Not so fast, darlin’.” His hand released my face long enough to reach back, then slam his palm against my cheek so hard it felt like my left eye would pop out of the socket.
My head lolled back, consciousness fleeting.
“That’s right. You’ll like this.” I heard.
A knee roughly wormed its way between my thighs. A hand forcefully squeezed a breast.
“No,” I breathed, groggy. Confused.
Fingers. Thick, male fingers, probed me. Grabbed the small piece of fabric covering my sex and yanked. Material squealed, tearing, but thankfully still somewhat intact. A tiny hindrance. A few seconds of time.
“Remember that night I taught you to fend me off, Jessica?” It was Lump’s voice in the back of my head. “Remember how I taught you? You gotta be strong. You have to be present, Jess. Fight!”
Fight.
Up until this point all I could think of was getting away. Getting help, or getting free. Thoughts couldn’t get through my fear chocked brain. Logic was lost to the raging panic that froze me like ice. I couldn’t scream, I could barely breath. Hysteria had me shutting my eyes in mute horror.