Cowboy Jackpot: Valentine's Day (10 page)

"Kira." Funny, he'd always figured that when he
remembered her, it would be the times they'd had sex. Her full lips around his
cock, her sweet pussy around his tongue, her breasts as he sucked them to
perfect peaks.

Nope. It was her teasing smiles, the look she had when she
wasn't about to let him get away with his bullshit, her soft, consoling glances
when he'd talked about his past.

He slammed his bottle on the bar.

The cute, exotic-looking bartender brought him another.

"Sorry." He drank the last ounces and set down the
empty. "Rough morning."

"This one's on me, then." She winked and walked
away.

This was his chance to move on. He had a big check in his
pocket, he could talk Jayden into staying another night and driving home to
Reno tomorrow, and the way the bartender was bending over to check the stock in
the cabinet, he could have a warm, willing, no-strings sex partner tonight.

He looked away from her ass. He was an ass. He could have
Kira in his bed tonight. He stood. He could have Kira in his arms right now. He
could get things back the way they were this morning. She hadn't told him to
stay away, threatened a restraining order, or a knee to the groin if she ever
saw him again.

All he had to do was apologize. Make things right, deal with
what happened in the casino office, and he could have her back. Have her today,
have her again next weekend in New York. Get his fill of her and say goodbye
after the wedding.

As he pulled out his wallet, something inside him turned
cold at the plan. Would it be enough? "It'd have to be enough."

"What was that, cowboy?" The bartender crossed her
arms under her bountiful breasts.

"Thanks, ma'am." He set down a nice sized bill and
touched the brim of his hat. "Much obliged."

She winked. "Come back any time. I'm off at six."

He nodded and turned. Hopefully by six, he and Kira would be
tucked in bed in their suite enjoying supper in bed, with some chocolate and
whipped cream waiting to be spread on heated body parts as dessert.

A few minutes later, he knocked and slid the keycard in the
door of the Wrangler Suite.

Kira walked out of the bedroom, her eyes red, her cheeks
wet. "Did you forget something?" She turned toward the bedroom.
"I thought I packed every—"

"Kira. Sweetheart. I'm not here for anything but
you."

She turned toward him so fast, she nearly toppled before
catching herself on the doorjamb. "What?"

"I was wrong. I was an idiot. I am a fool, and I want
you." He took off his hat and held it in both hands in front of him. He
had to get this right the first time, had to convey his sincerity and his
humility every way he could.

She narrowed her eyes. "What does this mean?" She
seemed cold, as if a wall had dropped around her.

"I was wrong to not trust you, but please, see this
from my perspective. I've been burned in the past. Badly. In the casino office,
I found out about all the things you'd held back from me. You're rich, you're
giving me the whole jackpot, you got your attorney working on it." Shit,
he sounded like a whiny three year old.

Kira laced her fingers together in front of her. "I'm
sorry. But I don't—"

"No, don't tell me to go." He set down his hat and
walked toward her. "I'm not as sharp as you. It takes me a while to
process things. To get things settled through my thick skull and into my
brain." He took her hands, kissing each one softly. "I just now
realized what I had with you. What I turned my back on."

She blinked rapidly. "What are you asking?"

"Let's start again. We have today." He touched her
chin. "Maybe you can stay another night?"

"And then?"

He heard the uncertainty in her voice. "And then we
have next weekend in New York." He offered a small smile. "It'll be
fun. I'll try to resist keeping you in bed the whole 48 hours and you can show
me the town." That sounded easy. No drama, no commitments.

She breathed heavily, as if fighting back tears. "And
then?"

"Do we have to decide right now? Can't we take it one
day, one weekend, at a time?"

Kira closed her eyes and twin tears rolled down her cheeks.
"I see." She looked up at him. "Damn you, Dallas Burns, I have
no way to resist you."

His heart did a quickstep. "Sweetheart. Let me make it
up to you." He moved closer and brushed his lips against hers. "Let
me take the hurt away for both of us."

"Yes. Make love to me." The sorrow in her eyes
nearly broke him.

He wiped away the tracks of her tears with his thumbs.
"It'll be okay. You'll see." Did he really believe that? Had he
convinced her, or himself, that half a promise was enough?

Casual. No strings. That's what her cowboy wanted. Kira
reached up and unbuttoned his shirt. Fine. That's what he would get. One last
time, she'd let herself be Dallas's woman. Let the escape of his powerful
lovemaking take away the hurt for a little while.

Within seconds, they were both naked and Kira held the
condom packet Dallas had pulled from his pocket. She walked backward toward the
couch, forcing a seductive look to replace the dejected one that mirrored her
inner thoughts.

She pointed to the couch. "Lay down, cowboy. I wanna
ride."

"Aw sweetheart." Dallas took a running leap and
landed on his back on the couch with a bounce and a grin. His big, hard cock
slammed against his belly and rebounded, pointing to the suite's ceiling.

Despite Kira's inner turmoil, she smiled.

He patted his thighs. "Mount up, cowgirl."

She straddled his legs and rolled the condom on his
beautiful, hot penis. Moving over him, she eased his head into her slit.

"Whoa. What's the hurry?" He grabbed her hips to
stop her.

The faster she lost herself in passion, the quicker her
heartbreak would stop hurting. For a while. Taking his hands, she placed them
on her breasts. "I can't wait, big guy."

He worked her nipples gently.

She dropped her torso onto him, impaling herself. The slight
pain she felt in her core was preferable to the vast one occupying her chest.

His fingers tugged at her nipples and groans of pleasure
rumbled from his mouth.

She worked her thighs, riding fast and furiously,
concentrating on the screaming muscles in her legs, the fullness inside her
opening, and the building orgasm that barely overrode her sorrow.

Leaning down, she looked into Dallas's black eyes, loving
the soul-deep intensity of them, memorizing it. She grasped his nipples and
tugged them.

"I like that," he breathed.

The angle made it easier for her to speed up, to lose
herself deeper in the motion and the sensation.

"Sweetheart. Gonna come." It rolled from him on a
groan.

A whir of tingles raced up her spine and jingled at her
brain. A weak orgasm, but bittersweet and unforgettable as her last with the
man she…loved. She gasped as emotion broke free and flooded her eyes with
moisture.

She'd said it, admitted it. She loved him. Nothing in her
life compared to the sweetness and the pain of knowing she loved. And lost.

She held in the sobs as Dallas tensed and pumped upward,
coming inside her, shouting, "Kira."

With her next breath, the damn broke. She dropped her head
as a sob wracked her body and tears flowed, dripping onto his chest. She sucked
in another breath and silently wept out her frustration and sorrow.

He froze. "Sweetheart." He pushed her hair back
from her face. "Aw God, Kira. Are you hurt?"

"N…no."

"Are you just really happy we're back together?"

"No, you asshole." The anger helped, pulling her
back from the edge of hysterics.

He lifted her off him and settled her on his chest, but she
shoved free and stood, stumbling before she got her footing.

"I can't be with someone…" She puffed in uneven
breaths. "Who can't trust anyone. Can't trust me." She swiped her
hands across her cheeks to wipe away the tears. They would be the last ones she
cried for him.

He slid onto his side and patted the couch in front of him.
"Come here and let me hold you, sweetheart. We can talk about this. All
night if you want."

"No more talking. No more touching. No sex, no
cuddling. This is the end." It tore her apart to say it, but at the same
time, she felt stronger, empowered.

"I feel like shit." He covered his eyes with his
forearm. "I came at this all wrong, didn't I."

"No, you went right where your ultra careful brain
directed. But I'm not going along for the ride. You want casual sex, and
I…" Shit, what did she want? "I guess I need more."

He looked at her. "I'm not ready to promise…more."

"Will you ever be?" Her body shook with the
letdown after sex, after her crying jag.

Dallas was silent.

That spoke louder than a gunshot. "I'm sorry. I used
you just now. I wanted one last time, one chance to ease the pain." She
was a horrible person. "I let you believe we'd be doing this…" She
gestured between their naked bodies. "Until after the wedding, but I
shouldn't have." When she sighed, it drained all her strength. "I
made you believe I wanted to be your plaything."

"Plaything." He said it with so little passion, it
sounded dry and nasty.

"I'll see you at the wedding, but I don't want to be
with you then, like this. My heart can't take it. I'm a weak woman for such a
loudmouthed redhead."

He sat up. "Where is this all coming from?"

"I've thought it through. Since I'll probably be seeing
you when I visit Gigi in Reno, ending this now, spending next weekend as if we
were just acquaintances, will help me move on."

He started to stand.

"No, stay there for a few minutes." She was a
coward, but if he stood and held out his arms, she might just fold into them
and accept his offer of a temporary relationship. She picked up her clothes
from the floor, walked into the bedroom, hauling her suitcase with her, and
shut the door, locking it behind her.

He knocked. "Kira. Let me in."

She ran into the bathroom and turned on the shower to flood
out his voice. After rinsing off, she turned on the clock radio loud, drowning
out any knocking or cajoling he might be doing. When she was dressed, she
silenced the radio and picked up the brown envelope Barret had given her. She
could give it to him now, but it might seem like a desperate attempt to buy his
love. She'd hang on to it, give it to Dallas next weekend if the PI didn't have
the buckle in hand by then. She shoved it in her big travel purse and wheeled
her suitcase out of the bedroom.

He stood at the window fully dressed, heartbreakingly
handsome

He walked quickly to her and reached out, taking her arms in
his hands. "You don't have to leave for the airport yet. Sit down. Let's
work this out."

As his touch on her arms warmed her cool body, his low,
rugged voice pierced the place in her heart she was trying to numb. It wasn't
what she wanted for her life, though. A fast, clean break right now was better
than hanging on to him, hoping he'd change his mind and give her more of
himself.

She stepped back, sliding out of his grip. "Happy
Valentine's Day." She forced a smile. "See you next weekend."

It took all her strength to haul her suitcase toward the
door, away from the man she wanted to be with so badly, it caused physical
pain.

Of course, he said nothing, did nothing, as she opened the
door and walked away.

****

Dallas watched Kira leave him. This was his last chance to
call her back.

The door quietly closed. He was alone.

The silence buzzed around him like a swarm of locusts. He
touched his back pocket where the casino's check sat in his wallet. Would it
make his life complete? Were money and possessions the only things in his life
that he trusted?

Kira had said he couldn't trust. He'd tried. He'd gone
halfway, offered her today, tonight, next weekend. She wasn't a halfway woman,
though. She was all or nothing, and he was still licking his wounds from the
last woman he'd gone all-in for.

He walked to the bar and chose a beer from the fridge, then
set it back inside and grabbed a bottle of water. He needed every brain cell to
work through this one.

"Okay, feelings. Get in touch with my feelings."
He sat in an armchair and stared at the mustang mural. What the hell was he
feeling? Anger at himself for not being able to keep Kira here with him. Anger
with her for cutting him off cold turkey. Hell, anger wasn't what he needed
now.

He'd shut himself off from so many emotions that trying to
dredge them up felt like hauling a rusty chain out of a dark pit. He looked at
the refrigerator. Maybe he did need a beer.

A knock sounded at the door.

He jumped up. "Kira?" He rushed to the door and
yanked it open.

Gigi and Boone look like they'd just rolled out of bed.

A worry line creased her forehead. "Kira just called
and said she was on her way to the airport. What's going on?"

"I don't know." He stood back, gesturing them
inside.

"Let me guess." Boone ushered Gigi into the suite
ahead of him. "You fucked up."

Dallas closed the door. "Guess I did." Admitting
it to two people he admired burned like fire in his gut.

Gigi sat on the couch, patting the spot next to her for
Dallas. "What happened? Weren't things going well?"

Dallas sat down beside her. "I thought they were, but
it's confusing. I can't get my head around it."

Boone grabbed three beers from the bar, handed one to each
of them, and sat on the other side of Gigi. "My very smart fiancée should
be able to clear this up for you."

Gigi smiled at Boone then turned to face Dallas. "Tell
us everything that happened."