Falling For A Cowboy (6 page)

“
So sweet,
”
he mumbled against her lips.
S
trong fingers threaded through her hair. Hot and hungry
,
he deepened the kiss
as he fitted her between his leg
s
and
mov
ed
against her like
he couldn
’
t get enough, like he was ready to swallow
her
u
p
.

Her legs
weakened.

Instinctively, she
wrapped
her arms around his neck
, skimm
ed
her fingers
through the hair that feathered his collar,
and hung on, giving into
the
desire for a connection
with someone warm
and willing.
Need pounded within her.
It had been
such
a long while since Bradley.
Clay
’
s
h
ands,
hot
and heavy,
moved to her waist as his mouth drank her in. One hand slid a
cross
her back and pressed her
nearer,
while the other inched near her breasts
.
His
thumb
rubbed against her nipple
.
A
jolt of sensation shot through her
,
and h
er mind
switched
on.

What was she doing
?
She pulled away,
br
eaking
the kiss
,
and
gl
ared at the man breathing heav
il
y before her
.
A
smug expression
sat
on his face.
He was a player and he had been playing her like a virtuoso strumming a fiddle.

She resisted the urge to smack
him
.

“
That was some kiss,
”
he
said
, his hand rubbing his chin as if remembering
.

Run
,
her
mind screamed out to her
,
even as her
weak
body thrumm
ed
.

Turning
,
she wrenched open the
truck
door.
The overhead light flashed on causing her to blink.
Just what she needed, a spotlight on herself.

“
Where are you going
?
You can
’
t leave now, Dusty
.
”
His tone was one of disbelief.
“
W
e
’
ve started something
and I damn well
would like
to finish it
.
”

W
hat she didn
’
t want to do and would not do was start something with a rodeo cowboy who was just looking for a
nother
notch
o
n his belt.

On rubbery limbs, s
he climbed into the cab and reached to close the door
. He
h
eld
the door
open with
a
str
aight
arm
as
t
he
fabric of his white shirt
bunched
taut over
hard
muscle
.
Damn.

“
I came on too strong. I
’
m sorry.
”
He flashed
a grin
that surely had landed him in more than one woman
’
s bed
.
“
Not about the kiss though.
”

She
tugged
at
the door. It was immovable
.
“
I
’
m leaving
.
Before I have any more regrets.
”

T
he glow
from
the interior light
spotlighted
th
ose dark blue
eyes
and the
frown riding his handsome face
.
“
You weren
’
t having regrets during that kiss, honey.
”

“
Well, I am now.
”
She pulled
the door again
, her sweaty palms almost causing her hand to slip. T
his time he
move
d out of the way.
The door
clanged shut
.

“
You can
’
t run from it.
”

She fumbled for the keys in her pocket.

“
I
’
ll see you tomorrow. At the rodeo?
”
he
said through the closed window.

She
’
d be working tomorrow, captive behind that stand
.
“
I
’
ll be there, but I
’
ve got to work.
”
She started the engine
.
He stepped back. She
shifted
into reverse, checked the rearview, and pulled out
.
As she swung
o
nto the street she checked the rearview again
.
He was still standing there
,
framed by the glow of the moon
.
A
tall
,
dark
,
hunk
of
a
man
with hands on his hips and his legs apart.
A gunfighter
’
s pose.

She pulled up to the stoplight and leaned her forehead against the wheel
where hard
vinyl greeted her
skin
.
What had she been thinking
?
That was the problem
.
She hadn
’
t been
.
He
’
d ambushed her
,
and so had the thousand sensations and feelings he
’
d
managed to stir with just one kiss
.
She
’
d never been kissed like
that
.
By anyone.
Ever.
Even Bradley.

She startled at the sound of a car horn behind her. The light was green
.
She gave
the truck
gas and shifted into gear.
S
he wound along the
familiar
streets to
Blossom
Lane
and turned into her driveway
.
Flicking on the cab light, she checked her reflection in the mirror.
A face with puffy
lips and skin chafed red
from the stubble of his five o
’
clock shadow
looked back at
her
. He was a rodeo cowboy
.
A player
.
A
nd, unfortunately, one hell of a good kisser
.
Couldn
’
t help
but
wonder what else he was good at.

* * *

She
’
d
left. Clay couldn
’
t believe it
even as he watched the dust kick up from her departing truck
. He walked back into the
honky-
tonk on weakened legs
.
Damn. With a nod to the old guy
standing sentry
,
he stood on the threshold
of
the saloon.
The band was in place and blasting out a Shan
i
a Twain tune
.
Bodies were hopping,
feet
were stomping
,
and
Jesse was nowhere to be seen. Neither was
Tara
Lynn
. Damn again.

Clay leaned against the wall right inside the door and tried to think
.
With the music blaring and his boots in line to get stomped on, it was damn
ed
hard. So was he
.
That kiss had brought him to a salute in less than a minute. And she wasn
’
t even his type.

Her slight body pressing against him had him wanting to
go slow, to
be gentle
and
tender. Not at all how he usually felt when he was looking to have a good time with a woman. As she
’
d
deepened that kiss, lust had rolled through him like plains thunder.
H
e
’
d
thought he
’
d made a sale. He
’
d started to play with those little tips of her
s,
hoping she
’
d feel the same thing
,
and instead she backed up like a horse facing fire
.
And r
a
n just as fast.

He knew she
’
d enjoyed it
.
Something was spooking her
.
Maybe Jesse was right and she wasn
’
t a woman after just a good time.
Too bad.
She had a sweet passion about her that would have been a lot of fun to taste. Just so long as Jesse didn
’
t taste it,
Clay
could live with a missed opportunity.
Of course there was always tomorrow.

“
Hey,
”
Jesse slid in next to him
, back
hugging the wall.

“
Where you been?
”
Clay shouted over the blistering decibel level.

“
Men
’
s room
.
See you didn
’
t convince her to dance.
”
Jesse
’
s smile was broad and irritating.

He just shook his head. He didn
’
t want
to discuss Dusty
. H
e
hat
ed
the fact Jesse had
even
placed
his arms around her
.
“
You ready?
”

“
Hell no
.
You won saddle
bronc
, remember?
Cause for celebration.
There
’
s
a pool room in the back and
a lot of women who like to dance.
”

Clay looked around
.
Everyone was paired off
.
One couple in particular
was
showing everyone how
it was
done
.
He just wasn
’
t up for it.

“
I
’
m going back
to the motel
.
Feeling a little stiff after that ride.
”

Jesse scowled
.
“
Geez
.
When did you stop being fun
?
”
He batted his hat against his leg.
“
Let
’
s go
.
I
just better
make some money tomorrow.
”