Kissin' Tell: Rough Riders, Book 13 (6 page)

She’d scurried out of the bar and was pacing in the parking lot, a little shocked by Tell’s aggressive side. He’d always been so laid back. Then again… How well had she known him ten years ago?

Not well at all.

But she’d really like to get to know him now. On the most basic, carnal level.

What was the worst that could happen if she said yes to Tell’s demands? Sex would be bad with him? Doubtful.

Still, Georgia couldn’t shake the feeling this might be a game. He’d agree to attend the reunion with her, have sex with her beforehand, but back out at the last minute, just to get even with her.

She hated to think along those lines, but she had to put that possibility into the equation. Along with the fear that Tell was living out some high school fantasy. As soon as he bedded her, he’d revert to locker room behavior and brag that he’d nailed the homecoming queen.

Where did that leave her? Sorting fact from fear.

Fact 1: Tell McKay was undeniably hot.

Fact 2: He wanted her on his terms.

Fact 3: She could be the bold, sexually adventurous woman she’d always wanted to be.

Fact 4: She was leaving at summer’s end.

So why was she debating the pros and cons in the dark parking lot of a honky-tonk? Because he’d unnerved her? Or because he’d made her panties wet with one simple demand?

She had nothing to lose…and everything to gain.

That cinched it. She’d become Tell McKay’s lover for however long it lasted.

Mind made up, Georgia walked to the bar entrance. Who should wander out but Leah and Roxanne. They didn’t act nearly so confident without a bar full of people bolstering their courage.

“You know the funny thing about returning here?” Georgia sauntered forward. “The length of time away is disproportionate to the level of animosity I faced when I lived in Sundance. I get that neither of you liked me during our years together in high school. But did either of you
really
know me?

“Granted, I didn’t know you either, so I’ll give you both a pass on that one. But what I
do
know? I didn’t try and steal your boyfriends. I didn’t snub you because you wore a purity ring. I didn’t put gum in your hair. I didn’t X out your face in every homecoming and prom picture. But you know what? Every one of those things was done…to me. So remember that when you embellish the past and paint me out to be some nasty bitch. I wasn’t that way back then and I’m not that way now. It sucks if someone made your high school years hell, but that someone was
not
me. And my high school years weren’t a bucket of fucking roses either. Think about that.” She walked between them into the bar.

One monkey off my back.

The noise had increased exponentially. The lighting seemed dimmer. The air smokier. Technically smoking wasn’t allowed in the bar, but folks in Wyoming didn’t appreciate the government handing down decrees, so they ignored them.

Georgia scanned the line at bar. The dance floor. The pool tables. Then she saw him. Her belly swooped. Her mouth dried. Her sex clenched.

Even in a room full of hat-and-jeans-wearing cowboys, Tell McKay stood out. A prize bull, a top stud, a virile male.

He studied her nonchalantly, as if trying to gauge her intent. Waiting for her to make the first move.

So she did.

Squaring her shoulders, she offered him a sexy smile and started toward him.

Chapter Four

The neon glow from the bar lights created a blue halo above her shiny black hair.

But she didn’t look like an angel. She looked like a temptress.

Tell’s eyes ate up every inch of Georgia’s sexy body as she meandered toward him. He drained his beer and set the bottle aside, meeting her halfway. “You came back.”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“There’s something…compelling about you, Tell. There always has been. I couldn’t stay away.”

He bit back a growl. “You know what that means.”

“Yes, I do.”

“Say it. Out loud.”

“You’ll be in my bed or I’ll be in yours. Either way, we’ll be lovers.”

He ran his palm down her arm, from her shoulder to her fingertips. Her skin beaded and a tiny shiver rolled through her.

Now that’s what I’m talkin’ about.

Without asking, Tell clasped her hand and led her to the dance floor. Holding her felt as good as he’d imagined.

She was such a petite thing. The sky-high heels she wore put the top of her head level with his chin. She definitely had curves in the right places now, all luscious woman, not athletic girl.

“You haven’t said much, Tell.”

“Just thinkin’.”

“About?”

“You. Bein’ so short. Remembering when the cheerleaders threw you in the air at football games.”

“They’d be hard-pressed to basket-toss me now.”

Tell tipped up her chin. “You looked good then, but you look even better now.”

She said, “Oh really?” as if she didn’t believe him.

“Yep. Now I won’t worry that I’ll break you when I fuck you hard.”

Those stunning eyes widened. With shock? Some. But mostly interest.

Tell just smiled and spun her around the dance floor.

They didn’t speak through the next song; they held fast and learned the rhythm of their bodies until they were in perfect synch. Georgia followed his lead like she was born to it. Would she be that yielding in bed?

You don’t want that. You want her all over you like a cat in heat. Hissing. Scratching. Rubbing. Purring.

“You okay?”

He refocused on her. “Yeah. Why?”

“You made a strange noise.”

“Probably a growl.” He bent his head closer to hers. “I suspect you’ll bring out the beast in me.”

“Are you trying to scare me off, cowboy?”

“Nope, but maybe this will.” Tell twined a handful of her hair around his fingers, pulling those soft tresses to tilt her head back. He kept their gazes fastened as his mouth descended. Once their lips touched, he kissed her with the zeal of a seventeen-year-old boy, but with the finesse of a twenty-eight-year-old man.

She surrendered to him, kissing him with passion as alluring as the taste of her. The press of her lips, so pillowy soft, yet so firmly locked to his hungry mouth, sent a spike of desire straight to his dick.

Tell could’ve kissed her all damn night, but he’d taken things a step further than was smart. He released his possessive grip on her hair and broke the seal of their mouths, feeling her rapid exhalations on his kiss-swollen lips.

She opened her eyes. A mix of wonder and hunger flared in the icy-blue depths.

They began dancing again. “That oughta get some tongues a’waggin’.”

Georgia didn’t crack a smile.

“What?”

“Let’s make their jaws drop. Come home with me tonight.”

Immediately his dick was on board with her suggestion. But a quick fuck wasn’t in the cards for them. He’d been waiting a long time for this, so she sure as hell wasn’t getting instant gratification. A little sexual teasing would be good for her. For him too.

She brushed her mouth against the corner of his lips. “You know you want to.”

“Like you wouldn’t believe. But we’re gonna do this the right way. We’ll spend time together
before
we slip between the sheets.”

Her eyebrows knitted. “I don’t understand. Aren’t we trying to convince them we’re lovers?”

“If we want people to believe we’re really a
couple
, then we need to be out and about doin’ couple things, not just banging each other behind closed doors.” Tell put his lips by her ear. “Once I get you nekkid—and trust me, sweetness, that will happen sooner rather than later—we’ll be there for a while. A good long while.”

Georgia shivered.

When the band switched to a fast tune, he led her off the dance floor and purposely sat across from her in the booth.

“What now?”

“You’ll go home. I’ll stick around here for another hour or so. Then we’ll meet tomorrow.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Let’s get one thing straight. If we’re a couple, then I expect you to only be with me.”

He bristled. “You think the second you’re out the door I’ll take some other woman home with me? Wrong.”

“You sure? Because you admitted earlier that you have a reputation as a player. I’ve seen the glances other women are throwing your way.”

“I’ve got no control over who looks at me, Georgia. You either trust me or you don’t.”

She was clearly torn, wanting more assurances, but Tell offered her none. Finally a faint smile touched her lips. “Obviously I have some trust issues that aren’t your concern. So what are we doing tomorrow?”

Tell brought her hand to his mouth and kissed her knuckles. “We’re gonna have some fun. Because I get the feelin’ you don’t have near enough fun in your life, hot lips.”

“Tell. You don’t have to—”

“Get you to loosen up? Yes, I do. ’Cause that’s one of the things I do best.”

“What’s the other thing?”

He raised a brow at her and smirked.

“You’re such a guy.”

“And proud of it. Mark my words, I’m gonna make you have fun tomorrow even if it pisses you off.”

Georgia laughed. “What fun thing do you have in mind?”

“I’m takin’ you out for ice cream. But first we’ll meet in the park at the basketball court. Wear something casual and sporty, because sweetness, I’m gonna make you work for that very first lick.”

Casual and sporty
, he’d said.

Georgia checked her reflection in the bathroom mirror for the fourteenth time before she muttered, “Screw it,” and sailed out the door. On the walk, she gave herself a pep talk.

Don’t overanalyze everything. Have fun. Be sexy. Be flirty. In other words, act nothing like yourself.

No pressure.

By the time she reached the park, she’d calmed herself down.

Then she got a gander at Tell McKay and her heart rate zoomed into the danger zone again.

Uh, yeah. No mistaking him for a teenage boy now.

Tell wore black basketball shorts that hung above his knees and a sleeveless gray top that molded to his upper body. Over the years he’d bulked up, making his chest appear broader than she’d remembered.
And yeah, baby, check out those well-defined arms.
His skin was startlingly white from the ball of his shoulder to his muscled biceps, and from that point down, the length of his arm was a caramel brown. Even a farmer’s tan looked good on him.

He noticed her and jogged over, holding a basketball. “I’m glad you came.” His gaze moved over her body from her orange Lycra tank top to her gray cotton capris to her black athletic shoes. “You look great.”

“You too.” Without a cowboy hat covering his dark hair, she saw the ends held a slight curl. Such a tempting man, with his banging body, piercing blue eyes and those deep dimples. She wanted to lick him up one side and down the other. And that was a totally foreign feeling to her. She defined
reserved
in all matters of her life, especially in relationships with the opposite sex.

“You ready to play?”

“I thought we were going out for ice cream?”

“After.” He dribbled the ball around her. Stopped and took a shot at the basket. Naturally, he sank it. He chased after the ball and bounced it as he returned.

“You’re good. Why didn’t you play in high school?”

“It conflicted with rodeo season. I like shooting hoops for fun. Not everything has to be about competition.”

Her eyes met his in direct challenge. “So we’re not havin’ us a little contest?”

Tell laughed. “You mimic me pretty well, sweetness. Yes, we’re havin’ us a little contest.”

“I can’t go one-on-one with you, Tell. You’re too big.”

He eyes smoldered. “I’ve no doubt you could take me. Take all of me just fine.”

Wasn’t he just pouring on sexual innuendo today? And didn’t she get a secret thrill out of it? When was the last time any man had cajoled her into having fun while making her think of hot skin, cool sheets, and a night without end? Never, probably.

“We’re playing for ice cream?”

He shook his head slowly, gifting her with a sexy, sly grin. “If you win,
you
get to pick the place on your body I kiss. If I win,
I
get to pick the place on your body to kiss.”

Her mind automatically compiled a list of spots, adding stars and hearts to her favorites.

“Earth to Georgia.”

Her gaze zoomed back to him to see a sinful grin on his handsome face. “That sounds like a heckuva good deal for me. What do you get out of it?”

He loomed over, all hard-bodied man. “I finally get to put my mouth on you wherever I want.”

“So confident you’re gonna win?”

“I’ve already won.” Tell pressed his lips to hers and let the kiss linger. No tongue, just the warm tease of his mouth. “I trust you know how to play horse?” he murmured between soft smooches.