The Bad Boy's Biggest Mistake Read online

“What I didn’t know when I first met Kate was the fact she’d been very heavily in the lifestyle. She wasn’t green or anything. Several of her previous relationships were the same. From what I could figure out, Kate had been like that since she’d lost her virginity at eighteen. She told me she loved the pain and couldn’t stop no matter how hard she tried.”

  He let his words penetrate her mind. “So that’s it. That’s my story,” he said. Now he needed to wait to see what Vicki did next.

  ****

  Vicki didn’t have a clue what to do or how to respond to his confession. He stared at her waiting. Their coffee was cold. She couldn’t bring herself to drink a single drop until he finished his story. Biting her lip she stared at the length of her living room.

  “You don’t love your wife?” she asked.

  “No. I care about her as a friend. There is nothing else going on between us.”

  She didn’t know whether to be happy or sad. He was alone, and from the sounds of his past he’d done some things he wasn’t proud of.

  “I don’t know what to say,” she said.

  “Then don’t say anything. Just promise me something.”

  Turning to look at him, she saw the sincerity in his eyes, which made everything feel worse. For all of his tattoos and bad attitude, Tristan wasn’t a bad man. She’d learned that about him early on in their relationship. He didn’t like hurting people. “What?”

  “Don’t leave Law Castle without consulting me. Please, I don’t want you running out because of me.” He rubbed his eyes when she kept her mouth shut. “I know I don’t deserve your time. I’ve done everything to push you away.”

  “Then why are you here now?”

  “Because I can’t bear the thought of having another day without you inside it. Tomorrow is Monday. Stefan lets you have Monday off, right?”

  She nodded. Stefan liked her working Wednesday through to Sunday. Monday and Tuesday were her days to do what she wanted.

  “Would you have lunch with me tomorrow?” he asked. “Will you come by the station? And we’ll have lunch and talk.”

  “Why?” she asked. Tristan had spent a great deal of time trying to push her away. She couldn’t understand why he’d changed.

  “I need you to be with me. I have to make this right.”

  “Tristan, you don’t have to make anything right. It didn’t work between us.”

  “You know damn well that wasn’t true. Until I opened my fucking mouth we were going great.” He stopped, reaching out to stroke her arm. “You were going to have my baby, Vicki.”

  Whenever she thought about the baby tears filled her eyes. This was no different. She and Tristan had a rocky past. Nothing she ever did would escape that. Their past was part of who they were. “I’ll have lunch with you.”

  “Good. You don’t have to make it. I’ll order something in.”

  She nodded, glancing at the clock.

  “I’ve got to go,” Tristan said.

  Vicki watched as Tristan changed. “Did you expect to stay here the night?” she asked.

  He nodded. “I thought we were going to fight, and I wanted to be prepared. You need privacy now. I accept that.” He quickly dressed and put his shoes on.

  She walked to the door with him. He turned and cupped her cheek. “I really am sorry for the baby.”

  “So am I.”

  “No, you don’t understand. I always wanted to be a dad. I’ve wanted it for as long as I could remember.”

  “Then why didn’t you have a child with Kate?”

  “Kate didn’t want one. She got her tubes tied to make sure we’d never mistakenly get caught.” His smile was sad. “I have to wonder why we ever married.”

  “You must have loved her at some point.”

  “I loved the idea of being with someone with similar feelings. Kate and I were as different as chalk and cheese. There was nothing holding us together apart from our own fantasy.” Tristan stroked her cheek. “If only I’d met you first.”

  Before she asked him another question, Tristan opened the door and left. He didn’t turn to look back at her. Tristan just kept walking. She watched him walking until he disappeared from sight.

  Walking back into her home she picked up their used cups and placed them in the sink. She grabbed some cake she’d made earlier from the fridge, placed a slice on a plate, and took it through to her sitting room. Turning the television on Vicki made herself comfortable. She became aware of the ache between her thighs and couldn’t stop remembering the last time Tristan visited her to her house.

  ****

  Every Sunday without fail Vicki dropped off baked goods to the station and any place who’d take her cooking. Connor Andrews supplied most places with his abundant baking while she did others. Baking helped her to relax and allowed her to pretend she wasn’t lonely. Being lonely sucked, and with her parents in the city she didn’t get a lot of chance to visit. Zoe worked on Sundays or spent a great deal of time with her three men.

  Vicki refused to come between lovers, and she saw the love sparkle among the four people whenever she was near them.

  Grabbing a bag of cheesy potato chips to go with the sandwich she’d made, Vicki settled down on her sofa. She was flicking through the television when her front doorbell rang. Letting out a frustrated moan she placed her food on the coffee table and then answered the door.

  Tristan stood with Chinese food. She didn’t know how he got the food seeing as a Chinese takeaway had yet to open up in Law Castle.

  “Hi,” Vicki said. “What’s this?”

  In between moments of being together they had awkward moments like this. Tristan didn’t want their relationship known to anyone in town. Keeping secrets she was able to do. Working at The Dugout meant she spent a lot of time with people talking to her about their own problems instead of listening to her problems.

  “You’re always bringing food to the station, so I thought it was only fair that I brought you some food.” Tristan barged into her space. He didn’t take no for an answer.

  Closing the door she watched as he started to unload boxes on the table. She grabbed a couple of forks from the kitchen and sat down next to him.

  “You really didn’t have to do this,” she said.

  “I know. That’s why it’s going to be more memorable to you.” Tristan handed her a box. The tattoos stood out on his arm as he reached over to her. She stared at the black ink marked up his arm. He didn’t have anything important, just symbols. She hadn’t seen him naked at all.

  They’d fucked several times. She couldn’t think of their time together as anything other than fucking. The way he’d walked out after taking her virginity didn’t leave her with any doubt. Tristan did not love her.

  After they’d finished the food, Tristan packed everything away into her fridge. Staring at him, Vicki fell more and more in love with him. His hard body couldn’t disguise his kind heart.

  “You didn’t have to do this for me, you know,” she said again.

  He walked back into the kitchen. Tristan stroked her cheek then moved down to kiss her. His lips were powerful and held the ability to stop all speech.

  “No one is here to take care of you, Vicki. I’ll always take care of you.”

  Tristan didn’t give her chance to question him. The kiss he started turned potent. He pulled her to her feet and deepened the touch.

  In a hurried rush he pushed all of her garments from her body until she stood naked before him.

  ****

  Vicki cut the memory off. Remembering her past with Tristan was too painful. There was a time when she would have done anything for him, but he’d ruined it when he announced he was married.

  Running fingers through her hair she looked down at the cake and lost all of her appetite.

  Chapter Five

  Tristan sat behind his desk looking through several regulations that were being imposed in Law Castle. The Bad Boys’ picnic was around the corner, and it was literally an event to celebrate the
gang. There would be a fair with rides for the kids, plenty of bikers for the event and food. Also the event brought in a lot of tourists, which helped the local tradespeople and the hotels. He’d been given some figures from the hotels, which had already seen a rise in demand for accommodation.

  The town loved being kept up to date on the economic details. It was one of the few things he loved to do, give the good news to the town. He was the Sheriff and took his job seriously. Out of all the good news he needed to share at the town hall meeting on Friday, the only thing he looked forward to was eating with Vicki. He’d asked Marla to let him know the minute Vicki got into the building. He was losing his mind.

  After his confession last night he should have stayed as far away from Vicki as possible to give her time. What he’d told her last night wasn’t for the faint-hearted. There was no excuse for his still being married to Kate. Vicki needed time to figure things out. Instead he arranged a date, not giving her any time at all. His hands shook as he picked up the phone to order food from the local diner.

  A knock at the door distracted him. “What?” he asked. The heat was going to kill him. Tristan opened the windows as his door opened.

  “There’s a lady here to see you. She says it’s urgent,” Marla said.

  “Okay, send her in.”

  “Don’t you want to know who it is?”

  “Law Castle doesn’t need to wait,” he said, opening the top button of his shirt. He intended to stay in Law Castle, and because of that he needed to make sure he was open to the people who lived there.

  When he’d first arrived in the small town Tristan held his doubts over his future of being a Sheriff. He’d been a detective in his time and even spent time in the army doing his bit for his country. At forty-five years old he’d seen the world a time or two. Settling down in a small town where threesomes and more-somes was the norm and appeared to be protected by a local gang known as The Law Castle Bad Boys, seemed a little out of the norm for him. In his world, cops took charge and there were only two people to a relationship. He didn’t like to share and didn’t intend to. Watching the way the couples got on made Tristan rethink his ideals. He’d seen how Cheryl, Noah, and Drew worked out, and he was always amazed by the love on display among them. Then there was Zoe and her three men.

  Pushing the thoughts from his mind he turned around and froze. Kate, his wife stood in the doorway. She wore an expensive suit, and her hair was tied up in a neat bun. There was nothing out of place. In the city, she’d blend in, whereas in his town, she stuck out like a sore thumb.

  He recalled a time being completely affected by her presence. His body would respond like he knew how connected she was with her. This time, nothing. He stared at her and saw a business woman. Tristan didn’t see his wife or his reason for high-tailing it to this town.

  “Tristan,” she said.

  “Kate, what are you doing here?” he asked, pulling out his chair and taking a seat.

  Marla stood watching them. He dismissed her with a wave of the hand then waited for the door to close. Kate took the seat opposite him.

  “I needed to come and see you. I know it’s short notice, but I couldn’t help it. You stopped calling me,” Kate said.

  He’d stopped calling Kate around the time he’d taken Vicki’s virginity and been plagued by thoughts of the much younger woman. Kate was in her late thirties. She’d known the game better than he did at the time.

  “A lack of communication doesn’t explain why you’re here.” Rolling up his sleeves, Tristan stood. He’d never expected to see Kate again. They’d both gone their own separate ways.

  “What happened, Tristan? We used to be so close,” Kate asked. Her voice took on the tone of almost whining. He closed his eyes as anger rolled over him. Why did she have to invade his life here?

  “Everything changes.”

  “We don’t change.”

  “Actually, you do.” He turned around to face her. She sat on the edge of the seat. Tristan knew why she was perched on the seat. “You’ve actually come to me when you’ve got his marks all over your ass.”

  Kate flushed and fidgeted in her seat. He caught the wince along with the pleasure flash in her eyes. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Don’t fucking lie to me. I know you, Kate. I know how you think and how you work. I bet you’ve got fresh marks on your ass.” He shook his head because he knew it to be the truth, and he hated that fact he knew the truth.

  “I’m not here to talk about me. I’m here to talk about you. Tristan, you don’t have a clue what you’re talking about. I’ve not seen him.”

  The him she was referring to was the man who liked to give Kate the kind of pain she needed. Angered by Kate treating him like a fool, Tristan marched up to her. He tore the case from her hands, lifted her from the seat and bent her over his desk.

  “If you’re going to lie to me then you won’t mind me seeing if I’m right or not.”

  Kate didn’t protest. She didn’t fight him either. This was all part of the kink she liked. He hated it. Tristan didn’t know if she was telling the truth about the effect he had on her or if it was all a lie. Did she like being forced?

  She’s not yours to think about.

  Tristan raised the skirt to her waist. He pulled her panties down and saw all the evidence he needed to see. There was some gauze over the worse of the damage. The strip marks weren’t just on her ass but on her thighs. Kate let out a moan and wriggled her hips. Even now she was turned on by the damage. Seeing the marks on her body made Tristan feel sick. He was a Dom, and he liked to see flesh bloom red from the contact of his hand; but what he saw on Kate’s body was not what he was into.

  Bondage, spanking, role playing, and even orgasm control he liked to do. This was not part of it. He hated the sight of it.

  The scent of the other woman’s arousal permeated the air.

  ****

  Vicki was nervous. Her hands shook as she stared out of her bedroom window. Lunch was in ten minutes, and she’d changed ten times already. The dresses and skirts didn’t fit her properly. The weight she’d lost over the last few months didn’t mean anything as there was nothing in her wardrobe good enough for her date

  Date? She didn’t know if it was a date. Tristan wanted to have lunch with her. She settled on a pastel peach dress, which moulded to her breasts and body. He was right, and so was Zoe. She needed to eat more. Tying her hair in a loose clip she made her way out into the sunshine. She waved at several of the locals.

  Stefan stopped her with a whistle. She’d not seen him drive up alongside her. He stopped the bike.

  “Hi,” she said. “It’s Monday. You’re not going to fire me are you?” She needed the job with Stefan. He provided her with enough income to sustain herself.

  “It’s Monday, babe. Of course I’m not going to fire you. Listen, Connor has lots to do on the baking side of things. I was wondering with the event this weekend if you’d be willing to work with him to provide enough food for the tourists. A little bird told me it was going to be epic,” Stefan said.

  “How old are you?” she asked, laughing. “Of course I’ll do it. I’ll give Connor a call later today. I’m sure Zoe will love me taking away one of her men.” Vicki rolled her eyes at the thought.

  “She’s got two more to choose from. Where are you headed?” he asked.

  Nibbling her lip she looked past his shoulder.

  “Come on, tell me.”

  “Tristan asked me out to lunch. I’m going over to the station just to talk. Nothing else.”

  Stefan kept staring at her. She didn’t like the thought of being judged and told him so.

  “I’m not judging you. Tristan seems like a good guy, but I don’t know him all that well. He takes care of the town, and I’m down with that. What I’m not down with is him breaking your heart. You’re a Law Castle Bad Boy’s daughter, Vicki. No one messes with you.”

  She smiled. “Thank you, Stefan. I needed that.” This w
as one of the reasons why she never wanted to leave Law Castle. This was her home, and the people never judged her.

  “Would you like some company walking to the station?” he asked.

  “Yeah, I’d like that.”

  He climbed off the bike and started walking alongside her while holding the handlebars of his bike.

  “So anything interesting happening this weekend with the gang?” she asked.

  “I’m opening the house up to several of the gang. Peter is coming down, and so is Carl. Do you remember them?”

  Peter and Carl were two brothers. They had left Law Castle over ten years ago looking for adventure. They shared everything together, and both brothers always returned for a Law Castle event.

  “Yeah, I remember. I thought Carl broke his leg or something.”

  Everyone kept in touch even when they left town.

  “He did, but you know Carl. Nothing is going to keep him away.”

  She listened as he talked about the events and what he’d gotten planned. Men and women travelled to Law Castle in order to see the group of men. Vicki understood the appeal. They were all hot men, but each of the men had a lot of skills. For instance, Stefan was amazing at drawing ink. He could own a tattoo parlour, but Stefan preferred to do the ink he liked rather than on request. She’d seen him at home doing the stuff. He held all the qualifications and specifications where he inked in order to do it.

  There was a time when she’d been tempted to ask him to ink her skin. Skull and crossbones were not her thing, and she didn’t want to ask him to make an exception for her with a dolphin.

  They made it to the station in time to see Kevin Thomas walking inside.

  “I heard he’s the night deputy.”

  “I think he’s got a thing for Marla. The new woman working the front desk.”

  “I know who Marla is. She’s a little old for him,” Stefan said.

  Vicki saw him watching the entrance to the station.

  “She’s only in her thirties. Kevin is in his early twenties.”

  “Exactly, a woman Marla’s age needs a man with experience.”

  She stared at him for several seconds and cottoned on to what was happening. Laughing, Vicki thumped him in the arm. “You’ve got a thing for Marla. What’s wrong? Afraid of the competition?”