Falling For A Cowboy (15 page)

She opened for him
.
H
is tongue flick
ed
against hers, probing
and
tasting
.
She probed and tasted him
in return
.
He pressed her closer
.
S
he snuggled up to him
.
Before she knew it, she was on his lap
.
While his mouth did a number on hers, h
er arms wrapped around his neck, her breasts pressed against his solid chest
,
and her knees cradl
ed
his hips
.
His long, hard, length pushed against her center
.
There, right there
.
Moisture
beaded
between her thighs
.
All the time his mouth
pulled
her further into
his
vortex
.
Whatever resistance
she
’
d managed
before
had
evaporated
. She closed her eye
s
and gave in.

Her hips moved against his hard flesh
while his hands rubbed her back in encouragement
.
She slipped up and down, denim rubbing against cotton, the
friction of the
fabric creating wonderful sensations
.
Mirroring her desire, his tongue darted in and out in rhythm
,
as his
mouth consumed
hers. Nothing mattered, nothing counted but this moment with this man who
wanted her.

She burned to get closer, to have more.
But
what if it was only tonight
?

She was only dimly aware of the phone ringing
.
It sounded distant, like it was in someone else
’
s house
.
Not hers.
The answer
ing
machine.
The answer
ing
machine would get it.

He halted his assault
, his lips hovering over her mouth,
as if waiting for a signal from her
.
She continued the kiss
.
The answer machine clicked on.

“
It
’
s
Tara
Lynn
. Pick up or I
’
ll think something is wrong and storm over there.
”

Damn
.

He broke the kiss.
“
You
’
d better answer that, honey
.
She sounds like she means it.
”
His voice was deep, rich
,
and
husky
.

She opened her eyes
.
Hooded lids, glassy
pupils
,
and a sexy grin
greet
ed her. Damn again.

“
Dusty
,
p
ick up
,
”
t
he machine cackled.

Why did
Tara
Lynn
have to
be
such a
conscientious
friend
?
She
fumbled for the phone
stationed
on the end table
between
the
MP3 player
and
the
vase with
silk
roses.

“
Hello.
”

“
Thank God
.
Are you okay
?
I was scared out of my wits
.
Wondering if I had sent a psycho over there
.
”
Tara
Lynn
’
s voice sounded strained with worry
.

Dusty could barely
catch
her breath
her heart was pounding so fast
.
“
Everything is fine.
”
Now was not the time to have a conversation about what
Tara
Lynn
had done and whether
or not
she should have done it
.

“
You
’
re not mad
?
”

“
I
’
ll call you tomorrow.
”

“
Okay, but you
’
re not mad
?
Tell me I did right?
I had Andy check him out and all.
”

“
Everything is fine.
Really
.
I
’
ll call you tomorrow.
”

“
Promise
?
And you
’
ll tell me everything?
”

One of Clay
’
s
talented
hands
massaged
her back
.
His other was inching toward her breast.

Dusty had to get off the phone.
“
Yes. Bye.
”
She clicked off before
Tara
Lynn
could say more.

Then she rolled off Clay
,
before his hand could touch her nipple
,
and put the phone back in its holder.
What had she been thinking?
He didn
’
t want her, Dusty
.
He was just after a warm and willing woman.

With a satisfied
grin
on his face and a prominent
erection under those jeans
, Clay
reach
ed
for her
.
She sat back
and tucked
her legs
under her
.

“
Come here, honey
.
We were just getting started,
”
he said.

She shook her head
.
Though her body was crying out for more,
t
his wasn
’
t what she wanted. Wasn
’
t what she needed
.
H
e
was just
fill
ing
in the time between rides
.

His
grin turned to a frown
.
“
She didn
’
t say something
bad about me
?
”
He raised
a hand.
“
I swear, Dusty, I
’
ve never been on the wrong side of the law
.
If she told you something, it was either a lie or a mistake.
”

“
No
,
Tara
Lynn
didn
’
t say anything
.
She was just checking up on me
.
Just being a good friend.
”

His frown relaxed
.
“
Well then, come here.
”
He patted his nicely rounded thigh.
“
Those kisses of yours are scorching me alive
a
nd I like
to feel the burn
.
”

She shook her head again
.
“
No
.
I don
’
t think so
.
Besides,
I
’
m not your type.
”
Sometimes
you had to tell the truth even if it hurt.

The frown came back, deeper this time
.
He narrowed his eyes, making them look darker
.
“
How can you know my type when I don
’
t have a clue
?
Le
a
st not anymore.
”

She settled back against the couch
.
He knew darn well what type.
“
You know, the
‘
let
’
s
have fun
’
type
.
The sexy ones with the big boobs who every man wants from the moment they walk in a place.
”
Not the petite blonde who looks like a kid
wearing her sister
’
s clothes
.
“
Just w
hat are you doing here with me?
”

He rubbed his chin as if stalling for time
.
Because
he knew
she was right. Because he just needed a room and she was convenient.

“
Maybe I like you?
”
h
e said
,
as if angry at the thought.

“
You don
’
t
even
know me.
”

“
Maybe I
’
d like to get to know you better.
”

“
Does that mean starting with the bedroom?
”
Now she felt
the
anger.
Anger was good
.
Anger would help keep
some
distance
between them
.

He shrugged.
A non-
committal
,
“
does it matter
”
shrug
.
And yes, it mattered to her
.
“
I said we
’
d just start with kissing. And I asked, remember?
”

Yes, she sure did remember
.
And she
’
d let her hormones do the answering.
“
Well, now I
’
m saying no.
”
She swung her legs out and stood up.

“
Where are you going, Dusty?
W
hat the hell did
Tara
Lynn
say?
”
Frustration
deepened the
weathered line
s
of his face.

“
I
’
m getting the bed linens
.
This is a folding couch and you
’
ll be sleeping down here.
”
Their spare room had been turned into a sewing room and study since
her father
’
s friends
no longer came to bunk down during the rodeo
season
.

His
mouth
tightened into a flat line
.
“
Okay. That
’
s fine
.
But I don
’
t understand why you
’
re so all fired angry with me.
”

She took a deep breath.
“
I
’
m not angry with you
,
Clay
.
I
’
m angry with myself. I was close to settling.
”

He stood up, straightening to his full six-foot height.
“
S
ettling
?
W
ith me?
”

She felt small again and s
he didn
’
t like the hurt look in his eyes
.
He didn
’
t deserve that. He
’
d really done nothing wrong. She stared over his shoulder, afraid to
look at him
.
“
No
.
I
’
d be settling for a one night stand just to prove I was…well
,
that I was
desirable to
someone like you.
”
She
’
d barely whispered the words.