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Maybe you could talk to him, hmmm? Tell him what a great guy I am
and that my intentions are purely honorable?
Taylor s face heated and not because of the sun. He wasn t even
sure how to respond. Sam was like a cool, welcoming breeze over his
hot, itchy skin. The man stole his breath and left Taylor dizzy every
single time. Honorable?
Cowboy Seduction 51
Sam chuckled. Okay, you got me there. How about pleasurable?
Purely pleasurable, yeah, that sounds about right.
Taylor s throat tightened as he closed his eyes tightly. He was the
one that wasn t good enough for Sam. The man was pure, honest, and
an all-around good guy. He was the type of person someone brought
home to meet the parents. Taylor was a walking disaster.
You there, Taylor? If I m going too fast
No, Taylor answered around the lump in his throat. You re
good. Swear.
He felt like a frog trying to win a prince. But Sam s smooth, deep
baritone voice had been exactly what Taylor needed at that moment.
I was just thinking.
Hmm, about what, our ride together? I swear I didn t kick you on
purpose. As a matter of fact, I beat the shit out of my foot for laying a
hand on you.
So corny, yet so damn charming. But Taylor would settle for
corny any day of the week.
Don t do that, Taylor teased. Then I ll have to call you limpy.
Sam s voice had gone deep. Trust me. There s nothing limp
about me.
Taylor snapped his head around as if the passersby could hear
what Sam was saying. His blush had spiked into a volcanic heat as he
quickly stepped back into the Laundromat. He moved behind a
washer as if he was about to have a top-secret conversation with Sam.
I m just teasing you, Sam said, but Taylor knew the man had
been serious. How is your day going?
So-so. Taylor glanced at his washing machine to see his clothes
tumbling around in the sudsy water. It whirled and sputtered as the
basket continued to churn. Getting some laundry done.
Sounds like you re having a lot more fun than I am. Sam spoke
low and Taylor knew the guy was talking to somebody that was close
by. The voices were a hushed murmur before Sam sighed. I gotta
go.
52 Lynn Hagen
Taylor didn t want their conversation to end. His fingers curled
tightly around his phone as he nodded and then realized Sam couldn t
see his head movement. Okay.
Why don t you call me tonight? I can fall asleep to the sound of
your voice.
A lone tear streaked down Taylor s face as his throat burned. He
crossed his free arm over his chest, shoving his fist into his armpit.
His bottom lip quivered as he said, I ll do that.
Take care of yourself, my little goth angel. I ll be back to pester
you before you know it.
Even though Sam had hung up, Taylor kept the phone pressed to
his ear. His body jerked once as his tears started falling. He wasn t
sure what he had done to deserve someone like Sam. But Taylor was
gonna do whatever the hell he had to in order to keep Sam.
Because Taylor was a goddamn clusterfuck of a mess and Sam
was the only uncluttered part of his life.
* * * *
With his laundry now dry, Taylor folded the clothes and stacked
them in his laundry basket, smiling to himself at the phone call he d
had with Sam. Sam putting claims on him should have scared Taylor,
but oddly enough, he was starting to look forward to the man s return.
He tucked the box of dryer sheets and the laundry detergent in his
basket and took it out to his car, storing it in his trunk. This was
turning out to be a great day.
When his cell phone rang again, Taylor pulled it free and
answered, smiling and hoping to hear Sam s voice once more. Hey,
handsome.
Taylor was determined to bring his walls down. It might be one
small step at a time, but he was going to try.
And just who did you think was calling you?
Cowboy Seduction 53
Taylor stumbled against his car, pressing his hand into the trunk
as his world began to spin and the sunny day turned as dark as
midnight. His heart was suddenly a sledgehammer behind his ribs,
trying to slam its way out. H how did you get this number?
He could no longer feel the air going into his lungs. Just from that
one question, Taylor was coming apart at the seams, breaking into a
thousand pieces.
It was easy enough. I told your stepmother that I was an old
friend from high school trying to look you up. There was an icy layer
of control to Todd s voice.
Taylor s stepmother was a coldhearted bitch. She d married
Taylor s father and had made Taylor s life a living hell after that.
He d gladly run off to Uncle Wyatt s ranch every summer just to
escape her. But when his uncle had caught him fooling around with
the foreman the summer Taylor had turned seventeen, all hell had
broken loose. His uncle had disowned him. Taylor s father had as
well.
But his stepmother, Patty, had talked Taylor s father into not
kicking him out. She took him to counseling and thought a
combination of therapy and church would cure him. She never once
let him forget what a perverted sinner he was.
And then he d met Todd. The guy had swept Taylor off his feet
and had been there at a time in Taylor s life when he needed a lifeline.
Cameron had begged Taylor not to date Todd. His best friend swore
Todd was the devil incarnate. But it had been too late. Todd had
isolated Taylor from his family and the life he d known. He d
dragged Taylor into the BDSM world, kicking and screaming. And
when Taylor became too out of control, Todd drugged him to make
him more compliant, more submissive.
The last time they d been together, Todd had beaten Taylor so
badly that he nearly died. The man had been enraged because Taylor
had called Cameron just to talk, just to feel as if he weren t so alone
in the world. Cameron had come to the apartment after Todd had gone
54 Lynn Hagen
out with his friends. He had pulled Taylor off the St. Andrew s Cross
he d been left tied to, put some clothes on Taylor, and the two had
fled, never looking back.
And those memories were mild compared to some of the things
Todd had done to Taylor, had made Taylor do.
Strangling fear closed around Taylor s heart and began to gnaw
away at his stomach. Tears rose perilously close to the surface as
Taylor snapped his head around, trying to see if Todd was close by.
Did you think you could get away from me, boy? I have a signed
contract that says I own you.
Taylor squatted behind his car as he began to rock in a quick
rhythm, one arm pressed tightly over his stomach. Cold emptiness
pervaded his mind and it started to shut down section by section. Even
through the phone, Taylor could feel the man s twisted intentions like
black oil coating his skin. It isn t legal.
Todd s laughter was bitter. Do you think that s going to stop me
from taking back what s mine? When I get you home, you are going
to feel the wrath of my punishment. You ll be lucky if I let you live.
Taylor shoved a fist into his mouth to bite back the cry. The
memories flooded him and the humiliation and pain combined to
make a toxic mixture. He hung up, afraid of what else Todd might
say, what else the man might threaten him with. With a ragged sob, he
dropped his face into his hands and felt the agony throb endlessly
beneath the surface.
A passersby stopped and asked, Are you all right?
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