Second Song Cowboy (Second Chance) (5 page)

And very, very soon she’d have
him deep inside of her.

She worked
to unclip the metal belt buckle and tugged at the button and zipper with shaky fingers. Finally, like a jack in the box, his erection sprang forward.

Clutching his taut muscle in her closed palm, she pumped his
girth, admiring his size and the bead of cream at the head that glistened. She darted her tongue out and lapped up the salty goodness. His throaty moan brought a smile to her lips. Oh, the things she wanted to do to this man could make the Goddess of Love blush. She wasn’t the most skilled of lovers, but there was something about Dante that scraped away all of her modesty, revealing a wicked, wanton side.

Lowering her open mouth over his
erection, she sucked him in until his tip touched the back of her throat, tickling her tonsils. She closed her lips and suckled, rolling her mouth side to side while rubbing her tongue along the thick, pulsating vein. He was a lot bigger than she remembered and she had to work to lick and nurture the diamond hard length. Her nether lips quivered in anticipation.

His fingers tangled in her long curls, the gentle tug was pleasant on her scalp. He pumped his hips, meeting her rhythm until he eased her chin upward. “I’d love to shoot my rocks off in your mouth, but I want that sweet pussy wrapped around my cock. Any argument?”

She let him slip from her lips. “None at all.” Scooting up his naked body, he reached for something on the other side of the bed. A red foil packet that he’d placed there sometime unknown to her. She’d been libido deep in his fascinating virility. He quickly ripped off the top, slid on the condom and once protected, he said in a raspy voice, “Ride me.”

His husky words popped every nerve ending along her flesh. She’d never heard two sexier words
in all her life. Climbing atop him, she slowly eased herself downward, allowing her flexible muscles to stretch to adapt to his size. Once he was deep inside, she took on a fast rhythm as he pumped his hips, meeting her thrust for thrust. His fingers clutched her breasts, kneading the soft flesh, molding her. The combination of his touch and his erection buried within her, another orgasm grew closer, edging its sweet prickly sensation over her boiling skin and through her heated veins.

One flick of his
large fingers across her swollen nub and the energy exploded like the fireworks throughout her.

Now this was something memora
ble. Texas would never be the same.

Chapter
Three

DANTE FELT STIRRING beside him but his eyes refused to open. He dazedly acknowledged that the sun streamed through the window and warmed his back. Who had pulled open the blinds on his bedroom windows? Everyone knew he liked it dark while he slept.

He grumbled and rolled
. Why the hell did his bed feel lumpy? He punched the pillow and tried picking up where he’d left off in the exceptionally wild and crazy dream.

April was naked and her mouth was
wrapped around his cock, her big green eyes staring up at him as he drove himself deep. Some dream, for sure. He sure as hell didn’t want to wake up and allow reality to spoil the most erotic dream he’d had in years.

A knock at the door entered his conscious but he still didn’t move a muscle.
It had to be Deckland. He started to yell at his brother and tell him to get away from his door, but a clanking noise, followed by muffled voices, roused him from his semi-slumber. Flicking one eye open, he saw a bare, heart-shaped ass.

Fuck!
He hadn’t been dreaming.

He forced both eyes
open and stared through the blur of sleep-fuzz as it all came back to him, one by amazing one.

After the first romp, he an
d April had ordered room service, and once they were nourished, they’d enjoyed each other’s body until the condom supply had run out. He wasn’t a superhero by far, but when they’d unwrapped the third condom, which he’d luckily found in his truck, as dead on his feet as he was, he could have went for a fourth. Knowing he probably would never see her again, he’d wanted to savor every second.

Sitting up, he felt groggy after only a few hours
of sleep. His thigh muscles were sore, and his dick chafed, a reminder that he’d worked them hard.

He
kept his eyes on April at the door. She held a sheet as a barrier between her and the person who’d invaded their privacy. The door was only slightly ajar so he couldn’t see who he’d like to have a talking to about the “Do Not Disturb” sign hanging on the outside knob. From what he could gather, from the octave tone, it was a man who wasn’t pleased. He said something along the lines of “no time for this” and “don’t you care what people will think.”

With a
loud sigh, April shut the door and bolted the lock. She turned and her gaze met his, a glimpse of surprise marring her features. He swept his hungry gaze over her tousled curls, swollen mouth, and fresh-faced beauty. “Did you hear that?” she asked.

“Not really.” He shrugged and leaned his
upper body against the headboard. He didn’t want to snoop.

“All good things must end, unfortunately.”

“You have to leave now?” He glanced at the clock on table. Eight-thirty. A sliver of disappointment swished through his stomach. He knew she’d leave, that was the unspoken agreement. Spending the night with April had only been a means to an end, to salve the deprivation of intimacy.

He was fooling himself
.

He’d slept with April for something far more than a
need for sex. He’d thought of her often over the years, and like anything good, a man could never forget completely.

Now reality settled in.

He watched her dig in the open suitcase on the chair, throwing things over the side. “I have a plane to catch. My manger expected me to be ready by now. But, I forgot to set a wakeup call. I was a little preoccupied.” She turned, clutching an armload of clothes to her chest while holding the sheet tight against her body. Didn’t she realize he’d seen every bit of her amazing body? Her green gaze jetted across his nudity and her tongue swept across her bottom lip. Yeah, their thoughts were on the same page. His dick twitched and came alive, but Dante knew it’d be a waste of effort. The beautiful lady was heading out the door, and by the looks of it, without any time for an encore.

“You’re just as sexy in the morning,” he said.

“I must look a wreck.” Her cheeks turned rosy making him want to kiss her even more, and not just on her lips.

He shook his head. “Not even close.”

“I should get ready.” She took a step toward the bathroom.

With the pride of ten men
, he needed to make this as easy as pie. He was good as throwing walls up when the need arose. “I guess duty calls,” he said, hating the disappointment that he couldn’t mask, but if she caught the leakage of his emotion, she didn’t show any sign. She seemed anxious to send him on his way.

“Last night was great,” she said.
“Better than great.”

His heart pitched.
“Maybe you could take some time away, come and visit?” What was he doing? What happened to making this ‘easy as pie?’

Her gaze narrowed. “That’s a sweet offer, but…”

“But what?” He scooted to the edge of the bed and placed his feet on the floor.

“We knew last night would be all that we had.” She averted her eyes.

“I’m not asking for your hand in marriage, April. I thought you might like to see the old farm. Visit your grandpa’s grave. You probably haven’t been—”

“
I get enough grief from my manager. I don’t need you doing the same,” she snapped.

He blinked. “Yeah, how could I mention your grandpa, right?”
He stood, grabbed his boxers and jeans from the floor and dragged them on. “How could I think he was important now when you didn’t even bother with him while he was alive?”
Shit!
That was unnecessary. He opened his mouth to apologize, but before he could say one word, her gaze narrowed.

“How dare you! How could you say that to me? You know nothing about what my relationship was like with Gramps.” Her lips thinned.

Anger shot through him. “The hell I didn’t know. I knew enough. You were so busy that I stayed with him when he got sick. I took him back and forth to the doctor. I even worked his farm. I guess fame makes a person forget those who loved them,” he said as he slid into his shirt.

“
Do you want an award? Maybe you should have called and told me he was sick? How was I supposed to know?” Her voice shook.

He tore his hand through his hair. “
He was your family, sweetheart. If you’d been interested in what was happening with him you’d have known he was dying.” Sitting in the chair, he shoved his feet into his boots, stood, grabbed his hat and resisted the urge to twist it in his hands.

“Who are you to tell me anything?” Dropping her clothes, she held tight to the sheet, her fingers
noticeably trembling. “As if you are perfect!”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“I was going to stay with you! Remember? I planned to give up everything to be with you and you turned me away.” Her gaze filled with moisture and his stomach did a loop. “When I told you I couldn’t leave, you distanced yourself, made me feel like I had no other option but to head to Nashville.”

“April, I did what I thought was best for you. And apparently it was right because
look at you. You’re a star and everyone knows your name. But you can’t blame me that you only showed your face in Texas years later at Liam’s funeral. You disappeared by your own choosing.”

“I love how you’re turning this around
, making me look bad. Let me get this straight. You told me I should leave, spread my wings, and when I do, I’m blamed for leaving everyone? Why don’t you just say it how it really is?” Her face paled.

“And how is it?” He faced her.

“You got what you wanted from me and you no longer had any interest.” She wrapped the material tighter around her body.

He scrubbed his jaw. “Yeah, I’
ve heard that before from you. Who am I to argue when you have your mind made up about me?” He needed to get away. “Be grateful that you’ll never have to see me again. You can live in your materialistic world, alone, just as you like it. I see the apple didn’t fall far from the tree. The very thing you disliked about your parents you’re now the example.” He heard the whizzing and ducked as the boot struck the wall. He turned toward her, narrowing his gaze. “What the hell was that for?”

Her chest lifted and fell with each breath as her frown creased the corners of her mouth. “You’re a real jerk, Dante.”

“And you don’t like the facts.” He shrugged and opened the door. “This certainly has been the best rodeo I’ve ever ridden.” Laughing as he walked across the threshold, he gave her one last glance over his shoulder.

“G
ood bye, Dante.”

He clicked the door closed
.

By the t
ime he’d made it to the elevator, his humor had fizzled and displeasure filled his gut. He wanted to wash away any emotions and guilt for leaving things with April on a sour note. Yet, he couldn’t change the things he had no control over.

The door slid open, and with one final glance down the long hall, he stepped into the cubicle.

They belonged in different worlds. She was heading to some stage to entertain fans and he was going back home to help his brothers on the Brooke Creek Ranch. He considered this a fork in the road, a chance to move on and forget. He needed to store last night in with the rest of the filed memories of April Rayne. History.

Who was he kidding? It wasn’t that easy. No doubt, he’d remember last night for years to come, just as he recalled every second that he’d spent with her at nineteen.

He rubbed his tired eyes.
He pitied the poor bastard she got with next. A smile crept back over his mouth. Dante had set the bar high. She’d cried his name, clawed his back and had one big O after another. Bringing his hand to his face, he got a whiff of her scent. A stirring happened behind his zipper as the void in his heart deepened. So, she did get the final jab after all.

At least he had a good memory. The door opened and he made his way into the hotel lobby, whistling
a happy tune.

****

April dropped to the wrinkled sheets and buried her tear stained face in the pillow. Dante’s woodsy scent inspired her senses, reminding her of what they’d shared here in bed. He’d made love to her repeatedly, showing her what she’d missed. She’d opened the gates to him, and the flood of desire had drowned them both. But the strong emotion had oozed into her heart, making every crack and raw wound stick out like a bleeding pit.

Over the years she’d gotten good at pretending what she’d shared with Dante was more a dream through a young girl’s eyes, and not reality. She’d made herself believe that s
he’d fallen victim to a crush for a handsome, self-assured cowboy who could charm the panties off any female with one glance of his blue eyes. The lies she told herself eased the pain she’d felt of leaving him…losing him.