Bad In Boots: Colt's Choice (12 page)

She hurriedly unbuckled Bess’s saddle and slid it off her back. She turned to put it on a sidewall hook when she looked up and saw Colt standing outside Bess’ stall holding Scout’s reins. Her heart skipped several beats until he led Scout to his stall without a word to her. She gave a sigh of relief that she wouldn’t have to talk to him right now.

Turning, she picked up a brush and began grooming Bess.

“Did you enjoy your ride?”

She jumped when Colt’s warm body pressed against her back. She chose not to turn around, but continued grooming the horse. “Yes, it was exhilarating, as always.”

Colt wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her flush against his body. Elise stiffened while he ran his hands down her thighs and back up the vee they made at the top of her legs. She gritted her teeth at the tantalizing sensations he created, but she refused to let him seduce her. Colt must’ve realized her resistance in the stance she took, because he immediately turned her around and walked her backwards until her back touched the stable’s wall.

His eyes glittered in anger. “When you’re with me, you’re with
me
and no one else.” As he finished the last word, his mouth came down on hers, hard and punishing. Elise kissed him back. She was so turned on by his anger and possessive tone she couldn’t do anything else. At least she hoped his actions meant he cared.

Colt pressed his erection against her, causing her to moan at the hard contact. She dropped the brush and wrapped her arms around his neck, eliciting a growl of satisfaction from him as his hands skimmed down her body, across her breasts, then around her waist to land on her hips. Lifting her, he wrapped her legs around him as he arched into her. Trailing hot kisses down her throat, he gave her a nip or two along the way.

Elise turned her head to give him better access to her neck as she gasped at the rhythmic thrust of his body against hers. The idea of the unfulfilled throbbing she knew she’d have to endure for the rest of the day, if they didn’t finish what they started, made her press herself harder against him.

“Do you want me, Elise?” his whisper in her ear was sexy and seductive all at once.

He stopped moving and just held her there, suspended in air with his hips, his erection pressed intimately against her. She tightened her arms around his neck. “Yes, I want you.”

Colt set her legs back down on the ground and took a step back as a guarded look crossed his face. “Then show me you want me.”

Elise was glad he’d thought to shut the door to the stall. She gave him a saucy grin as she moved to pull off her shirt. When she saw Colt’s nostrils flare as he waited in anticipation, she stopped.

“Do you want
me
?” she asked, throwing his question back at him.

Colt’s stare was so hot she thought she just might melt right there at his feet. She had her answer. She stared boldly into his eyes as she lifted her shirt, pulled it over her head and tossed it on the floor. Colt’s gaze gravitated toward the twin curves of flesh peeking above her bra. She moved to take off her bra, but stopped, then smiled knowingly. “Do you want me to take it off?”

Colt clenched his fists by his side. This was his game after all. He flicked his gaze away from her breasts to meet her eyes for the briefest of seconds. “Yes, I want you to take it off. Now.”

Elise unhooked the bra but didn’t remove it from her breasts yet. “Colt,” she demanded his attention, “when you’re with me, you’re with
me
only. Am I clear?”

He locked his gaze with hers. “As a bell.”

Elise gave him a siren’s smile as she removed her bra and tossed it on top of her shirt.

When Colt moved to touch her, she held up a hand. “Not yet.”

Balling his hands into fists once again, he let them fall to his sides, his expression intense, his control barely held in check.

Elise walked over and pulled his shirt open to reveal his bare chest. She put her hands down by her side and moved closer to him until the tips of her breasts touched his body. Leaning over, she went up on her toes to kiss the pulse beating against his throat, letting her breasts brush his chest in the process. She smiled when she heard Colt’s breath hiss out.

Elise moved lower and ran her tongue over his nipple. Straightening, she met his burning gaze. “You can’t use your hands, but you can use your mouth…”

Before the words were barely out of her mouth, Colt captured her lips with his. The thrust of his tongue was nearly her undoing until he moved his mouth down her neck to her shoulder where he bit her gently.

“That’s for leaving with Josh, Princess.”

Elise gasped at his aggressive behavior. She leaned over and licked his nipple once more. When she put her teeth on the tiny nub and bit down, Colt sucked in his breath.

“That’s for kissing your ex in front of me, Cowboy,” she said, meeting his gaze.

Colt raised his eyebrow, then leaned down and grasped her nipple in his mouth. He sucked long and hard until she was a mass of highly sensitized nerves, arching against him. Just when she thought she couldn’t take it anymore, he nipped at her nipple, stood straight up and looked her right in the eyes, his expression intense. “That’s for letting Josh think he has a snowball’s chance in hell of ever getting in your pants.”

With a determined look, he started advancing on her. She had to back up so she wouldn’t fall. Before she knew it, Colt had her backed against the stable wall. He planted his hands against the wood on either side of her body. Elise gasped when he leaned down and ran his tongue in a slow, seductive circle around her nipple.

“Do you want me to touch you, Elise?” he asked, his voice a sexy purr.

Elise knew he wanted her to ask. She refused to be the one. She shook her head.

“Are you sure?” Colt licked her nipple again and this time blew on it for good measure. It tightened into an even harder bud, if that were at all possible.

Elise squeezed her eyes shut, but jerked them open again as Colt traced a lazy trail with one finger from her collarbone down across her chest to the top of her breast until he reached the tip of her wet nipple.

When he raised his eyes to hers and she saw the longing and unchecked desire reflected in them, Elise whispered, “Touch me.”

With a low growl, he placed both palms on her breasts and cupped them fully in each hand. Grazing his work-roughened thumbs over each nipple, he lifted one of her breasts to his descending lips. After he’d sucked the firm peak into his warm mouth and drew on it tenderly, he moved to the other breast and treated it with the same tenderness.

Elise moaned at the vibrations flying throughout her body at his gentle touch. Her heart raced as Colt moved his hands lower and unbuttoned her jeans, his movements changing to a faster pace as his eyes blazed with need.

“I’ve got to have you…now!” he ground out.

Before he started to lower her jeans, Elise toed off her boots. She then kicked her jeans and underwear the rest of the way off. As Colt pulled a condom out of his pocket and opened the packet, she unbuttoned the top button of his jeans. She didn’t bother with the rest of the buttons, she jerked and they all gave way. While she pushed his jeans down as far as his boots would allow, Colt rolled on the condom.

Elise barely had a chance to straighten up before he’d lifted her and wrapped her legs around his waist. Pressing her back against the stable wall once more, his eyes burned with unadulterated lust as he let gravity slide her body down on top of him. Elise moaned and felt her climax begin before he was even fully seated inside her.

Colt leaned over and kissed her to muffle her cries of ecstasy. “God, Lise, you take my breath away,” he admitted when her body finally stopped contracting around him.

Holding her gaze, he withdrew and pushed back in as far as her body would let him go. Elise gasped at the pleasure of being so thoroughly taken. Her breathing turned more erratic as Colt increased the tempo, pressing into her, taking their lovemaking to a higher pitch, a harder, faster ride. She locked her legs around his waist and laid her head back on the stable wall. “I’m yours for the taking.”

“Mine,” he gave a satisfied growl as he pumped into her once more. He held himself still as she called out his name while she vibrated around him once again, before he continued thrusting until his body was completely spent.

He let his head fall on her shoulder as their panting turned to even breathing. While Elise stroked his shoulders lightly with the palms of her hands, he lifted his head and stared directly into her eyes. “I’m a one-woman man, Elise. I don’t want to see you go off alone with Josh again.”

She pursed her lips. “Same goes for you. But, you and May have a history. It’s a little different.”

Colt arched his eyebrow. “You said the operative words. We ‘had a history,’ as in past tense.” Setting her down, he kept his gaze locked on hers. “The only person I can’t seem to get enough of is you.”

A satisfied smile rode up her face. “Just so you remember that.”

Colt pressed his lips to hers before he moved to get dressed. He looked around for a place to dispose of the condom before he pulled it off, then gave her a wry smile as he pulled up his pants, saying, “Guess I’ll be a bit uncomfortable until I get to the bathroom.”

She couldn’t help but laugh. Once he was dressed, he turned to her. “I’ll go out first.”

Elise nodded as she picked up her clothes. She was pulling on her boots when she heard May say, “There you are, Colt. I’ve been looking for you. I heard the most disturbing news. Something about that brunette being part owner of the Lonestar?”

Elise smiled to herself. That should throw a wrench in May’s plans.

Her smile faded when she heard May continue, “So, what are you going to do to get rid of her?”

Elise didn’t hear Colt’s answer for Bess chose that moment to neigh loudly.

“Colt, I miss you, honey. We were soooo good together,” May purred.

Okay,
that
comment had her quickly moving to the stall’s door. Elise opened the door to the stall and walked toward the entrance of the stables where Colt and May stood talking. Colt’s back was to her and May faced her direction with her hand on Colt’s chest. Elise knew May noticed her because she stopped talking as she approached.

Winding her hair up as she walked toward them, she reached for her clip from her belt loop and slipped it in her hair. She only stopped her brisk pace for the briefest of seconds to tuck in a corner of Colt’s shirt that hadn’t made it into his pants. Elise gave Colt a brazen smile and said as she tucked it in for him, “Here, let me help you out, Colt. You’re not quite tucked.” She noted the suppressed mirth in his eyes and the indignant gasp from May, as she dropped her hand to pat his firm buttock before she continued her walk toward the office.

Elise chuckled to herself as she opened the office door. Never had she so blatantly and thoroughly branded a man as hers and it felt good. Damn good!

Unfortunately, she ran right into Mace as she walked in the door. “Mace!” she called out his name in surprise. How much had he seen? she wondered.

Mace crossed his arms over his chest and chuckled, then gave her a wide smile. “Now that has to be the fanciest piece of maneuvering I have ever witnessed, Elise, and I consider myself an expert on the subject.”

Well, she didn’t have to wonder anymore. She smirked then asked with a frown, “Tell me you’ve already taken her picture.”

Mace’s grin deepened. “Yes, fortunately for you, I did. I thought it would be best, seeing as how you might just put a picture of a heifer up on the website with her name and description below it if I didn’t.”

Elise raised her eyebrow. “Now there’s a thought.”

Chapter Ten

Elise sat down at her desk and worked steadily until lunchtime, writing up interview questions for the rodeo personnel to answer. She even spent ten minutes having a bit of fun with May’s questions.
When did you first realize Colt was your ticket to owning a ranch? What? You mean rodeo clown isn’t your job?
With a grin, she deleted the questions, intending to ask May the same questions she asked the other rodeo employees.

When lunchtime arrived, she started to pull out her camera bag to take the film to be developed when she suddenly remembered she never finished grooming Bess properly. Guilt washed over her as she put her camera bag back in her drawer. Shutting down her computer, Elise left the office and headed straight for the barn.

“Hiya, ‘ol girl,” she cooed to Bess as she entered her stall. Picking up the brush from the shelf, she spoke in a low, conspiratorial voice, “I’m sorry I left you hanging, but I got a bit distracted. I’m here to make it up to you.”

As she started to brush her neck, Elise ran her hand across Bess’s coat, then paused at its sleek feel, not a bit of dust clung to the horse’s hair. “You’ve already been brushed,” she said with surprise in her voice.

“Imagine that,” May called out in her heavy Texan drawl from behind her.

Elise turned her head and raised her eyebrow, irritation rising at the woman’s condescending tone. “Come again?”

May propped the door open, took a couple of steps into the stall, and folded her arms over her chest. “Colt took care of Bess, since you saw fit to leave her unattended after your roll in the hay,” she said, unmistakable sarcasm dripping from her accusatory words.

Anger rumbled to the surface of Elise’s emotions, laced with a twinge of guilt at leaving Bess’s grooming half-done. Being distracted by Colt and then further distracted by May’s fawning over the man, did show a lack of responsibility—even if she was here, foregoing her lunch in order to remedy her error. But hell would be fifty below before she’d ever let May know she felt any guilt at all.

Raising her chin a notch, she faced the woman head on. “What I do or do not do is none of your business.” Narrowing her gaze, Elise continued, “It’s my understanding your job is to run the promotional sales booth at the rodeos, not tell the
owners
what to do.”

May’s cheeks turned red and Elise could swear she literally saw steam rise from the woman’s ears as she dropped her arms and curled her hands into tight fists by her side.

“I’ve taken care of more than my share of livestock for the Lonestar.” May nodded to Bess and finished, “Including, Bess here. She’s usually
my
mount when I’m home. So yeah, I think I have a bit of say-so in how she’s treated.”

Just who the hell did she think she was, talking down to her? Elise picked up on the woman’s possessive tone and her own heart rate roared in her ears. It really shouldn’t bother her that Bess was the chosen mount for females visiting the Lonestar, but knowing of May and Colt’s past, she couldn’t help the feeling of “taking May’s seconds” that slammed through her at the discovery.

Carefully placing the brush on the wooden shelf, she stepped away from Bess and bent slightly at the waist, waving her arm toward the horse with a flourish. “Then, by all means, enjoy Bess along with the benefits of grooming her during your short stay.”

May gave her a haughty look as she crossed her arms once more. “He might screw you, but that’ll be all he’ll want from you. I’ve asked around. You’re too much like—”

“May,” a man’s deep voice cut May’s words off.

She immediately stopped talking and sucked in her breath, turning toward the front of the stall.

Elise shifted her gaze to the man and felt her stomach drop to her knees. Standing a little over six feet tall and dressed in a black T-shirt and black jeans, the lean, fit man had his arms crossed over his chest. With broad shoulders, a wiry upper torso and defined biceps, the stranger was the ultimate cowboy from the tip of his black cowboy hat to the gold buckle at his trim hips, down to the spurs gracing his boots. He stood too far away for her to see the color of his eyes but one word came to mind…dark.

He leaned on the stall’s entrance and narrowed his dark, penetrating gaze on May.

“Cade! It’s so great to see you. I heard you placed first at the last three rodeos. I’m so proud…” she babbled like an incoherent school girl talking to
the
most popular boy in school.

Elise caught herself before she snorted out loud at the woman’s complete change in demeanor.
So this was the rodeoing Tanner brother…

Cade interrupted May, his tone curt, “Go make your mischief elsewhere, May.”

“Cade!” she whined as if offended by his comment.

He didn’t speak again, just stared at her with his intemperate gaze. The way he held himself, his very demeanor, told Elise he was not a man to be crossed.

“Oh, all right,” May finally said in a disgruntled voice as she threw her hands up in the air.

As she passed by him on her way out of the stall, May said in an alluring voice, “Save a dance for me at Rockin’ Joe’s tomorrow night, okay?”

Cade didn’t spare her a glance as she walked off. Instead he fixed his assessing gaze on Elise for a long, agonizing minute.

As his impassive gaze skimmed down her body, then back to her face, Elise knew, in a matter of seconds, he’d sized her up, measured her worth, and had her neatly cataloged in his mind.

She held her breath, waiting for an indication of his judgment.

Touching the brim of his hat, he tilted his head slightly, a devilish gleam in his eyes as he said in a respectful tone, “Afternoon, ma’am,” before he turned and walked off.

A shiver passed through her at the memory of his penetrating look—how much he conveyed in so few words. God, the man was sex incarnate. But as much as she’d bet he’d be a relentless lover in bed, she wondered at the dark, distant look in his eyes…as if nothing or no one had ever been allowed to get close to him.

Picking up the brush once more, she slid the rough bristles across Bess’s back, saying aloud to the horse, “So that’s the Tanner boys. Other than loads of sex appeal, could they
be
any more different?” she finished with a chuckle, shaking her head.

That evening, for the first time since she’d joined the Lonestar, Elise ate dinner with the entire ranch and rodeo staff at the main house.

They all sat at the long kitchen table. Extra leaves had been added and chairs pulled up to accommodate the larger than normal crowd.

When a ranch hand near Nan started to pick up his fork, she slapped at his hand, “Not yet, Davy, we’re waitin’ on Cade to show.”

Just then, Cade came in through the kitchen side door, the screen slamming behind him.

Standing up, Nan walked over to stand in front of him. “Well, it’s about time you showed your face, young man—”

Cade stunned Nan in mid-sentence when he’d picked her up, twirled her buxom body in a big bear hug and kissed her on the cheek, saying, “But Nan, I just wanted to make sure I came to the table all clean and freshened up for ya.”

Elise saw the deep love Nan felt for the boys as the older woman’s eyes misted. She shoved him away and ran her hands down her apron as if brushing out imaginary wrinkles. “Aw, go on with ya devilish self. Sit down so we can eat.”

Cade winked and cast a devastating smile Elise’s way as he sat down next to Mace and across from Colt.
Yep, dark
, she thought. His hair was as dark as Colt’s—though worn longer. His eyes were a shade of blue so deep they appeared almost black.

Once Cade was seated, Colt surprised Elise when he introduced her as the Lonestar’s half-owner and webmaster. Thank God he hadn’t called her the webmistress or she was sure May would’ve had a field day with that one.

Cade gave her a respectful nod and said, “Nice to meet ya, ma’am.” Not once did he acknowledge that he’d made her acquaintance in the barn earlier.

While Elise ate, she enjoyed listening to Colt and his brothers exchange amusing childhood stories. Their interaction included a good bit of teasing, but she could tell they held a genuine love and respect for each other. Colt even made sure to include her in a small way by winking at her when he started to relay one particular story of Cade dunking Mace in the horses’ water trough in payment for some trickster deed Mace had done. She enjoyed seeing Cade laugh.

Elise realized the middle brother might be a man of few words, the kind who seemed to hold his emotions in constant check, a laugh or a smile a rare sight. But as evidenced with his deferential treatment of Nan earlier, he certainly had a helluva way with women when he turned on the charm.

As dinner came to an end, Tom walked outside and pulled in a cooler full of beer. Passing the longnecks to everyone, he held his up and said, “Here’s to the rest of the rodeos, folks. May they be as busy and as profitable as the first half of the season.”

“Yee-haw,” everyone agreed at once, holding up their beers in salute. Elise did the same and smiled at Colt before she put the beer bottle to her lips.

Turning to Elise, mischief twinkling in his eyes, Tom said, “What time’s my interview tomorrow, Elise?”

“Me too,” another man said.

“Me too,” a third man echoed.

Laughing, Elise turned to the men and started setting up an interview schedule for the next day. While she talked to the employees, she saw Colt, Mace and Cade slip out of the kitchen into the living room to talk.

Good for them. She figured with Cade’s schedule it wasn’t often that all three brothers got to spend quality time together.

As her interview schedule filled up, the kitchen emptied. When Elise got around to scheduling May’s interview, the woman stood, then walked toward the screen door. “I see you saved the best for last,” she commented, her tone irritated. As she opened the door, her expression turned triumphant, “That’s okay. Colt knows just how worth the wait I am.”

When the door slammed behind her, Elise gritted her teeth as she stood to help Nan gather the dishes.

Scraping food off a plate into the trash, Nan
harumped
. “I saw the way she was lookin’ at Cade.” She shook her head mumbling, “Goin’ from one brother to another—that woman is trouble.”

Elise gave a hollow laugh. “She told me Bess was
her
mount earlier today.”

Nan looked up and her knowing brown eyes narrowed. “I think she needs to find another job. Anyone can run a concession stand.”

“Don’t say anything to Colt about this, Nan,” Elise said. “If May is fired, I want it to be because she deserves it, not because she enjoys needling me.”

Nan grinned. “Don’t worry, Elise. Someday May’s goin’ to tie her own noose. I won’t have to say a word.”