Wild Rodeo Nights

  He returned a moment later, a beer in both hands. Handing her one, he slid back onto the couch next to her. She took a sip, avoiding looking into his eyes and knowing if they didn’t talk now, they wouldn’t for a while. She needed to get some things out in the open and find out exactly what his purpose in her life might be.

  Taking a deep breath, she asked, “Why did you come back?” There. It was out.

  “I’m not sure, Carrie.” His shoulder lifted in a shrug while he picked at the label on the bottle in his hand. “I wanted to see you again. I know that much. I missed you.”

  “You didn’t even call for six months, then all of the sudden you wanted to see me again? Or was it you were lonely.”

  A dry chuckle warbled from between his lips when he looked up. “If I just wanted a quick lay, I didn’t have to drive twelve hours and almost put myself in the ditch to get it.”

  “So—why then? You could have called.”

  “I didn’t have your number.”

  “You didn’t ask, either.” She stood and started to pace. “You could have called information. It’s not like you didn’t know the name of the store.”

  Raking his hands through his hair, he set the bottle on the coffee table. “I know and there’s no excuse, but you know you could have called me, too.” The defensiveness of his words and the frown on his face told her she fought what was happening between them, too.

  But he was right, she could have called, should have probably, but she didn’t.

  Her heart whispered, you know exactly why you didn’t try to call him. It was supposed to be a quick, weekend fling, but your heart got too involved. It was easier to think he walked away than to realize you are in love with him.

  She scowled and swirled the beer inside the bottle before she lifted it to her lips. “I was raised the old-fashioned way. Women don’t call men, the men call the women.” What a crock of shit that was.

  He stood and walked toward her with a purposeful stride and stopped close enough her nipples almost brushed his muscled pecs. Apprehension skittered down her back when he looked into her eyes and said, “Is that so?”

  Shit! He's not buying this.

  “Yes.” The musk of his cologne and all sexy male surrounded her.

  Breathe. Deep slow breaths.

  His intoxicating scent whisked through her brain, and she fought the urge to lock her lips with his. Bad idea.

  “Then why did you come and find me at the rodeo if the man was supposed to make the first move?” He pressed closer and her heart sped up, slamming against her ribs.

  “I…uh.”

  “Come on, Carrie. Why did you want to find me if you didn’t want to hook up?” His breath whispered across her lips, and she almost whimpered before she bit the inside of her mouth to forestall the sound.

  “All right. I wanted to find you.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I wanted to say thank you for helping me at the store. It’s not every day a stranger helps me.” Yeah. That sounded good.

  “Then why did you let me make love to you?” A hooded gaze bored into hers, and her breath hitched in her throat.

  His mouth hovered over hers. If she leaned into him, their lips would touch. Her heart warred with her mind and the needs of her body.

  I want him to make love to me and make me forget the horrors of the day. I need to lose myself in his strong arms and let him take away the pain in my heart even for only a few moments, but if I do, I'll lose my heart.

  She couldn’t breathe—could hardly think clearly when he was this close. The combination of his nearness, his scent, and the need to find comfort in his arms over the loss of her sister loosened her tongue, but her head overruled it at the moment. The first thing that came to her mind sounded snarky, even to her, but she couldn't let him get any closer. “I hadn’t been with a man in a very long time. You were the most available.”

  He stepped back as if he had been slapped while his eyes widened in shock. “That’s all it was to you?”

  Nonchalant. I need to make him think I don't care. “Yeah. I mean it was just a weekend fling, you know. I told you, I didn’t have time for anything permanent in my life, and you said you weren’t the settlin’ kind, if I remember correctly. You made it perfectly clear you were only here for the weekend.”

  Tears burned the back of her eyes when she walked away and turned her back on him. A moment later, he grabbed her arm and spun her back around before his mouth swooped down and captured hers. The frustration in his kiss melted her resolve to keep him at arm's length until he left.

  I can't do this. I can't push him away when I need him so badly to make me forget right now.

  Her nipple hardened beneath his touch when his palm rasped over her breast. Wanting him so badly she ached, she grasped the back of his dress shirt and tugged it from the waistband of his trousers. She slipped her hands under the bottom to feel his warm skin. His lips left hers to quickly unbutton the material while the heat in his eyes scorched her to her soul. He jerked the silky fabric off his arms and dropped it to the floor. Saliva pooled inside her mouth, and she licked her lips, before they met the muscles of his chest and a groan rumbled deep inside him.

  In his haste to get her undressed, he grabbed her blouse at the front buttons and pulled so hard they popped off in several different directions.

  His belt buckle gave way with a quick flick of her fingers. She quickly unbuttoned his pants and shoved them down his thighs along with his boxers. The skirt she wore gave to the insistent trail of his hands. His boots and her high-heeled shoes went flying as they fell across the couch in a tangle of arms and legs. Soft lips and the titillating feel of whiskers slid across her skin to her breast before he sucked, nipped, and licked until she arched her back.

  A callused palm moved down her stomach until his fingers wound in the curls between her thighs. A tortured moan and several whimpers left her lips when they slipped across her clit to between her labia. Two digits dove inside knuckle deep while slick cream spilled from her pussy. Her head tossed on the leather surface while she groaned her passion in loud whispers. She begged and pleaded for him to fuck her, but he continued his slow torture. He spread her open before his mouth moved down and his tongue finally rasped against her clit. “God, Cole—please.”

  Licking against her swollen center, she could feel the warm liquid spill from her depths only to have him lap it up like a kitten drinking cream. When his fingers slipped inside her while he sucked her hard nub, she lost control and climaxed, screaming his name.

  As the world righted itself, he slid back up her body and took her mouth with his. The tip of his cock pressed intimately against her when she lifted her hips. He slid inside with a deep growl that rattled in his chest. Wrapping her legs around his back, he started to move, bringing her to the brink of insanity again.

  “I missed you,” he growled, letting his pelvis pound into hers.

  She whimpered, not daring to say what was on the tip of her tongue, but her heart screamed, I love you.

  “Do you want to come again?” His thrusts slowed while he waited for her answer.

  “Oh, God, yessss….”

  She groaned, lifting her hips as far as she could and begging him with her eyes. His groin slapped against hers hard and fast. She started to contract around him, and he moaned above her, riding her, bringing her with him when he growled her name.

  “Come with me, Carrie.” He buried his nose in her neck and spilled his seed deep in her womb, flooding her with his warmth.

  "Oh, God!" she screamed when her climax hit her like the waves crashing against the ragged rocks on the shores of the ocean.

  Chapter Twelve

  The wail of a baby brought them back to the reality surrounding them.

  “Get off.”

  He groaned and slipped from her warmth but didn’t move completely until she pushed against his chest. “Get off. The baby is crying.”

  Finally lifting himself up, he stared down i
nto her eyes, but she wouldn’t look at him until he forced her to. “Don’t shut me out, baby.”

  “I need to take care of Robert.”

  With a heavy sigh, he rolled off. She sprang to her feet, grabbed her clothes, and slipped them on before she headed for the stairs. She stopped at the bottom, shot him a glance, and then took them two at a time.

  Reaching over, he grabbed his jeans and slipped them back up around his waist before snatching the bottle of beer from the table and downing the remainder.

  The baby quieted above him, and Carrie's soft voice drifted down to him. His heart clenched, and his stomach flipped over.

  What the hell am I doing here? Playing house with a woman who doesn’t want me around, fathering a baby that doesn’t belong to either of us?

  He ran his fingers through his hair and glanced at the empty stairs, before he shook his head.

  Moving toward the kitchen, he grabbed another beer, twisted the cap off, and took a long drink. It was almost dinnertime, and Carrie hadn’t come back downstairs. Neighbors and friends brought food, lots of food. Crockpots, pans, bowls, and every imaginable type of Tupperware container littered the counters, refrigerator, and sideboard near the window.

  Might as well make myself useful.

  He lifted the beer to his lips and took another drink. The cabinet near his head opened with a slight tug before he retrieved a couple of plates and dished up some of a wonderful smelling casserole.

  “What are you doing?”

  He turned when he heard her voice and gave her a thoughtful look. “Making dinner. What’s it look like?”

  She closed her eyes and shook her head. “Listen, Cole.”

  “Don’t, Carrie. Okay?” He didn’t want to fight with her. “It’s been a rough day, and we’re both tired and cranky. I don’t want to fight with you anymore.”

  “I didn’t think we were fighting.”

  “Disagreeing on who made the first move and why?"

  “Okay, maybe we were arguing a little, but what happened afterwards wasn’t arguing. It was more like having sex.”

  “Making love,” he countered.

  “All right—making love. It shouldn’t have happened.”

  “Why not? It’s not like we didn’t both want to. I didn’t hear you complaining.” He let his gaze move from her eyes to her bare toes. “In fact, I think it was more like we both couldn’t wait to get our hands on each other. I know I've wanted to since I got back into town, but with everything that's happened. It's didn't feel right before.”

  “It doesn’t matter.” She shook her head. “In a few days, you’ll leave and…”

  He moved to her side and put his finger under her chin, forcing her to look him in the eye. “And what, Carrie?”

  She clamped her mouth shut.

  “Tell me.”

  She shook her head.

  He bent his head, sliding his tongue along the crease of her lips. She shivered, almost letting out a whimper that she had trapped in her throat, but he heard it anyway. He stepped closer and let his mouth trail across her cheek to her ear, nibbling on her earlobe while she unconsciously moved to give him better access to her neck. Nuzzling her shirt aside with his nose, his lips found the hollow at her collarbone. Stroking the spot with his tongue, she finally gave in and sighed, leaning toward him. His hand found her breast and slid his palm across the nipple while she sucked in a ragged breath. She couldn’t deny her body’s reaction to his touch.

  He dove for the button at her waist, wanting to feel her heat. Slipping it free, his hand moved inside, and his fingers found her clit. Her hands twisted the T-shirt spread across his chest, bunching the material in her fists as she moaned in his mouth.

  Removing his hand, he backed her up with his body until her legs touched the dining room table. He lifted her slightly until her butt rested on the top, her legs open for him, and he stepped between them. Grinding his jean-clad cock against her, he felt her shiver at his touch. His hand worked the buttons on the front of her blouse loose while his mouth followed their path. She arched her back and grasped the back of his head, holding him tighter when his lips brushed against her nipple.

  “Oh, God,” she whispered, tossing her head back, letting her hair trail down her back.

  His tongue licked her, and his teeth nibbled the skin beneath his mouth. “I love the way you smell.”

  Pushing her back so she was lying across the table, he worked his way back down her chest and flicked the button at her waist free. His tongue stopped at her belly button to lave at the indentation before moving lower. He tugged until her jeans slipped down her thighs and off her feet. His lips found the arch of her foot, then her ankle, as he worked his way to her knee. He licked the inside of her thigh, nipping the soft skin and soothing it with his tongue. A high pitched squeal left her lips, and her thighs quivered when he slid his tongue inside her, before sliding across her labia and sucking on her clit.

  She panted, “Oh, God—Oh, God,” when he alternated with flicking his tongue over her swollen center and sucking it deep into his mouth. He slipped his fingers into her wet pussy and curved them up under her pelvic bone to stroke her G spot. She quivered and contracted around him until her sweet liquid seeped from her center, flooding his mouth.

  As she came down from her high, he kissed his way back up her body, settling on her lips. He shucked his pants quickly and then pushed inside her with a tortured groan rumbling in his chest. “God, you feel so good. I can’t get enough of you.”

  His hips rocked, sliding his hard length inside her when she slipped her legs around his hips and hung on. He lifted his chest and watched her eyes close slowly as she got closer and closer to the edge again. Letting his gaze wander down her body to rest between them, he was fascinated by how their bodies fit together so perfectly. When his eyes met hers, he realized she watched their joining, too, and the same look was written on her face.

  A low growl ripped from his throat before his mouth swooped down, latching on to hers in almost desperation. His pelvis slapped against hers while their moans mingled. He drove into her, faster and faster, until she clenched around his cock and shouted, "Cole!"

  * * * *

  Silence surrounded them. She was surprised he couldn’t hear her heart shattering when a sob escaped her lips. He lifted his gaze to hers when she dropped her legs, and the confusion on his face made her feel like shit.

  All I'm doing is sending mixed signals. It's no wonder he's confused.

  When he slipped his cock from her body with a hearty groan, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. He stepped back and pulled up his jeans, the buckle on his belt tinkling loud in the room. Scrambling from the table, she grabbed her clothes and pulled them on, trying to cover herself from his piercing gaze. She pushed her hair out of her face before turning to meet his stare.

  Clasping her hands in front of her in an attempt to stop them from shaking, she couldn’t look him in the eye. Focusing on a spot just over his shoulder, she said, “I think you need to leave.”

  Surprise registered in his eyes, and frown lines settled between his eyebrows. “If that’s what you really want.”

  Tears burned the back of her eyelids. She had to say it.

  Tell him, her head screamed. Tell him to leave because eventually he will, anyway, and the longer he’s here, the harder it will be when he does.

  She couldn’t say it. A quick nod of her head was the best she could do.

  “Fine. I’ll get my stuff.”

  He walked out of the kitchen, and she choked back a sob. She could hear him upstairs as he banged and slammed things. Praying he didn’t wake the baby, she just listened, her heart breaking with each sound. When he was finished, she stood by the couch while he approached the door. He stopped and looked at her one last time, before he pulled it open and walked out, shutting it softly behind him.

  His truck back out of the driveway while tears rolled down her cheeks and heart-wrenching sobs shook her frame. She sank down on t
he couch, her face buried in her hands while she rocked back and forth, trying desperately not to shatter with the pain.

  * * * *

  “Damn it!” He hit the steering wheel with his fist as his truck rolled down the street, plowing through the snow. Raking his fingers through his hair, he wasn’t sure what to do now. The last several days had been wrapped around Carrie and baby, but now he just felt lost. “How could she just tell me to leave? Doesn’t she know how I feel about her?” He sighed.

  How would she know? I’ve never told her anything. As far as she’s concerned, I’m still just here for the short term.

  “Time. I just need to give her some time, that’s all.” The bright neon sign of a Motel Six caught his attention, and he pulled into the driveway. He needed a place to stay, at least for tonight—at least until he could talk to her again and maybe they could get some things straightened out.

  Leaving his duffle bag on the seat, he pushed open the door and shivered when the biting wind hit him in the face. Hurrying into the lobby of the motel, he asked for a single room and signed his name to the receipt. Grabbing the key, he headed back for his truck and his lonely bed.

  Two hours later, he rolled over and groaned when the jingle of his cell phone dragged him from the exhausted sleep. Blinking in an attempt to focus his eyes, he brought the still ringing phone up to see who it was. He frowned a moment before he flipped it open.

  “Chase?”

  “Cole, where are you?”

  “In Silver Ridge, why?”

  “You need to come home. It’s Mom. She’s had a stroke.”

  “Shit!” He groaned. “Okay. I’ll be there as quick as I can. It’ll take me several hours to get home though.”

  “I know. Be careful, okay? The roads aren’t great.”

  “I will. I’ll call you when I get close. Where is she?”

  “Still at the hospital.”

  “Okay. I’ll see you in a few hours.”

  The click of the phone sounded menacing, like someone had just sliced his heart in half. He wanted to be with Carrie, needed to get things straightened out, but his mother needed him at home. Struggling from the bed, he threw what little he’d taken out the night before back into his bag.