Sharp Shootin' Cowboy (8 page)

Surprisingly, Yolanda was right on time. “Do you want to drive all the way or park at the bay and take the ferry over to Coronado?” she asked.

“Let's drive,” Haley replied. “I hate lines and crowds.” She'd always despised being confined but had noticed it a lot more since coming home. California seemed so much more congested after the wide-open spaces of Alaska.

They took Yolanda's VW convertible, driving with the top down, the radio blaring, and the wind whipping their hair. Haley leaned back, relishing the combined sensations of warm sun and cool breeze. The day was picture perfect, clear and cloudless, casting rays of light rippling over the frigid waters of San Diego Bay. The bay was dotted with sails and kayaks as they drove over Coronado Bridge.

Traffic into San Diego was surprisingly light but became heavier once they crossed the bridge, and then came to a virtual standstill once they hit Ocean Boulevard toward Central Beach. With its silvery sand and backdrop of majestic mansions, there couldn't be much greater contrast after living for months in the Arctic wilderness.

After driving up and down the street several times, they finally found a parking spot. Haley shaded her eyes and gazed out at the pristine beach while Yolanda unloaded a couple of folding beach chairs and a small cooler.

“If you're hungry, I packed a few snacks, but save your appetite for dinner. We have an early reservation at Candelas.”

“Sounds great to me,” Haley replied. Candelas on the Bay was a local favorite offering a unique fusion of Mexican and French cuisine and breathtaking views of the San Diego skyline. “You know, I'm really glad you talked me into this.”

“Me too,
chica
.” Yolanda's mouth curved into a wistful smile. “Who knows if we'll ever get another chance to do this kind of thing again?”

“Probably not for a while,” Haley agreed.

“You aren't coming back after you graduate, are you?”

“I don't know where I'll end up, but probably not here.” She laid her hand over Yolanda's. “But we'll still keep in touch wherever I end up.”

“Sure we will.” Yolanda didn't meet Haley's gaze. “There's a perfect spot for us.” She pointed down the beach, and they walked past a cluster of small dunes where they set up their chairs. They stripped down to bikini bottoms but left their shirts on. Although it was a gorgeous day, it was still a bit early in the season for sunbathing.

“I'm dying for a run,” Haley said, already kicking off her shoes. She couldn't wait to bury her toes in the soft, powdery sand. “Wanna go with me?”

Yolanda shook her head with a laugh. “You know how I hate to sweat. Besides, this body was not designed for
that
kind of physical exertion.” She waved Haley on. “You go ahead. I'll be right here.”

Haley headed down to the waterline where the mile and a half of packed sand offered the perfect surface. She hadn't run on the beach in forever. It was another simple pleasure she'd missed. She started at a fast jog, but, invigorated by the ebb and flow of the Pacific waters blasting her feet and ankles, quickly sped to a sprint.

Panting from her run, Haley returned to her original spot where she waved to Yolanda. Throwing trepidation to the wind, she tore off her shirt and dove into the frigid surf, emerging a few moments later with a shriek of laughter that died on her lips the second her gaze met a pair of sky-blue eyes.

* * *

Reid had always preferred the mountains to the ocean, but then again, there weren't many beaches in Wyoming. On top of that, he'd experienced about as much sand as he could stomach after three tours on the Arabian Peninsula, but Garcia had insisted the beach was the best place to meet up with Yolanda and Haley. He'd agreed with little enthusiasm—until spying a mermaid, in all of her golden-skinned glory, emerging from the water.

Dripping wet in her tiny turquoise bikini, Haley blasted the breath from his lungs. This new version of her obliterated all lingering memory of the girl in the demure yellow sundress at the Temecula Stampede.

She halted in front of him with a glare. “Reid? What are
you
doing here?”

“It's a gorgeous day.” He gazed up at the sky. “Do I need another reason?”

“Are you trying to claim this is just a coincidence? You aren't even dressed for this. Who wears jeans and boots to the beach?”

“It's not coincidental at all,” Reid said. “I wanted to see you and asked Garcia to set something up.”

Her gaze swept past him to where Garcia and Yolanda lounged together. She'd wondered about Yolanda and Rafael, but had never asked if they were still seeing each other. She'd wring Yolanda's neck for this.

“You didn't have the balls to just call me yourself?”

“Would you have come?”

“Nope.” She shook her head. “Absolutely not.”

“That's what I thought when I got your package. Why did you send it back when I told you I'd come for it?”

“I didn't want to see you again.” Her bluntness was like a blow to the gut.

“I don't get it. You answered all my emails. Why the sudden turnabout? Are you involved with someone?”

“Maybe.” She tore her gaze away with a guilty look to focus on a group of squealing kids on boogie boards. She continued to avoid his gaze as she tied her wet hair into a knot on top of her head.

“That's not an answer. Either you are or you aren't. Which is it?”

“It means I'm
thinking
about seeing someone.”

“But you aren't yet. That means I still have a chance,” Reid said.

“I t-told you before, I'm not into m-marines.”

Her lips were blue-tinged and her teeth chattered. His gaze dropped a tad lower to her beaded nipples and his prick swelled. He whipped off his T-shirt and offered it to her. “So you keep saying, but you
are
into me.”

“You conceited j-jackass! J-just because I l-let you k-kiss me once?”

“It was more than once and more than just a kiss.” He grinned back. “And for the record, I'm very much into you, too.”

Her eyes drifted over his bare torso, lingering for several seconds. When he caught her staring, she snatched his shirt from his hands. The shirt swallowed her delectable body, covering her to the knees. He almost wished he'd let her shiver instead.

After a moment she broke the silence. “You want to know why I returned your jacket? I'll tell you why. I found a picture in your pocket, Reid. A picture of you with another woman. It was inscribed on the back.
A
night
I'll always remember. Tonya.
Wanna explain that?”

He exhaled in exasperation. “That's an old picture. Taken three years ago at my brother's last wedding. Tonya's the ex I already told you about. It was over between us before I ever met you.”

“Then why do you still have the picture?”

He rubbed the back of his neck. “To be honest, I had forgotten all about it. I can't even remember the last time I wore that jacket.”

“Why should I believe you?”

He cupped her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze. “Because I'm telling you the truth. Look, Haley, I can understand your caution, given your history, but I've done nothing to deserve your mistrust.”

“What do you mean
given
my
history
?”

“C'mon. Let's walk. We've got a lot to talk about.” He kicked off his boots, leaving them in the sand, and then pressed a hand lightly to her back. She balked at first but then gave in, reluctantly matching his steps. “When I met your grandparents, they explained a few things to me.”

She halted, digging her heels into the sand. “What
kind
of things?”

“Haley kind of things.” He guided her back into motion down the beach toward the red roofs of the Hotel del Coronado. “They told me about your mother and father.”

“I don't
have
a father,” she protested.

“Sure you do. Have you ever tried to get in touch with him?”

“No!” she snapped. “Why should I? He's never tried to contact
me
.”

“There's two sides to every story, Haley. Maybe you should hear his.”

“You're justifying what he did?”

“No,” he said firmly. “I'm not justifying anything at all. I just believe in hearing both sides before passing judgment on anyone.”

She snorted. “I suppose it only makes sense when you're as much of a dog as he was.”

He grasped her tiny shoulders and spun her around. “What the hell is
that
supposed to mean? I told you the night we met that I've only been with two women in my life and that number hasn't changed. I don't sleep around, Haley. I'm
not
a liar, and I
don't
cheat.”

“You really expect me to believe that?”

He watched doubt and uncertainty warring in her eyes. “You can believe me or not, but it's still the truth.”

She didn't comment but began walking again. Minutes later she asked, “If that's so, then why did you and Tonya split up?”

“I didn't mess around on her if that's what you're thinking. She broke it off with me. She said she didn't want to wait.”

“Oh.” Her shoulders relaxed. “I suppose I can understand that. Waiting has to be very hard. I think it would take a very strong person to cope with that… I can't imagine dealing with all the stress and uncertainties of a loved one in such a dangerous situation.”

“So you don't think
you
could do it?”

She cocked her head, as if considering the question. “I don't know. I'd like to think so, but it wouldn't be easy.”

“A lot of worthwhile things don't come easy,” Reid answered. “Like you, Haley Cooper. You give ‘difficult' a whole new meaning. I know it's hard for you, but I'm asking for your trust.”

She spun on him, hands on hips. “Why? What am I to you, Reid? What's the big appeal here? I'm not getting it. Is it just the challenge?”

“Maybe that's part of it,” he confessed. “But it's a lot more than that, and I'm pretty sure you feel it too.”

She shook her head. “Don't even try to go there now, cowboy. You passed me up when you had your chance.”

“I had a real good reason for waiting. The timing wasn't right for either of us. But I've thought about this… about you… for a long damned time, so don't take it as lack of interest on my part.”

“Well, there's none left on mine.” She jutted her chin defiantly but then licked her lips. “I told you then that it was a one-shot deal.”

“Is that so?” he asked. Vulnerable one moment, bold the next. Haley was a bundle of contradictions. Whether it was conscious or not, she'd issued a challenge and an invitation at the same time. He would have been tempted by either one, but the combination was damn near irresistible.

* * *

This was
supposed
to have been a girls' day out, time alone with her best friend. Not a walk down the beach with an incredibly hot, half-naked marine. What the hell was she thinking? In truth, she'd stopped thinking the moment he'd stripped to the waist.

Her gaze rested at eye level on the USMC tat of an eagle stretching out its talons above his heart. His well-developed pecs, broad shoulders, and rippling abs made her mouth water. She couldn't deny his physical appeal. Everything about Reid attracted her at the basest level, but she was above all that primal lust. Wasn't she? She prided herself on her intellect and self-control, but just being with Reid seemed to bring out all these dormant animal instincts, every one of which craved to be satisfied.

He stepped in closer, intentionally invading her personal space, and then his mouth came crushing down on hers. He suddenly swept her up into his arms and waded, jeans and all, into the surf. She screamed as the icy waves blasted over them, but he muffled the sound with his glorious mouth. Within seconds, the heat of lust displaced the cold, her protests forgotten with the invasion of his hot tongue.

He gripped her ass and she moaned, wrapping her legs around his waist, seeking his hardness to ease her ache.

“I want you, Haley,” he groaned. “Come with me.”

“Here?” she asked.

“No,” he chuckled. “That's not quite what I meant. I have a room. A bed. I want to take you there. Will you go with me?” His gaze met hers with an intensity that made her shiver. “I held back the last time and regretted it the whole time I was away. I don't believe in living with those kinds of regrets anymore. Life is too damned short.”

Seconds ticked by. Her mind whirred with irresolution.

She wasn't ready for a relationship, but she still wanted him. Reid excited her in a way she'd never experienced with anyone else. They were still nearly strangers, but seemed to connect on a level that she didn't understand. Maybe it was only lust, but what did it matter? She desired him too. She
needed
to feel passion at least once in her life.

He kissed her again, teasing her with promises of things to come.

She kissed him back, sucking his lower lip between hers, releasing it slowly, thrilling at the flare of his pupils. “Yes, Reid,” she replied in a husky whisper. “That's one thing we finally agree on. Life
is
too short for regrets.”

Reid carried her back to shore, easing her down his body and over his erection with a groan. Her legs went to jelly the moment her feet hit the sand. She immediately felt the loss of his hardness. His heat.

He grabbed his boots and then took her hand. Even in his wet jeans, Haley could barely keep up with his long strides. His jaw was tight, his expression purposeful as he dragged her through the hotel lobby, leaving a trail of water in their wake.

Finding the elevator empty, he didn't hesitate to drop his boots and pull her back into his arms. His kiss was deep, passionate, and still tasted of Pacific salt. It grew more urgent, and so did she. Haley trembled against him, but her shivers had nothing to do with the air-conditioning blasting arctic air on her wet skin. She was a huge bundle of nerves. She'd never done anything like this. But why Reid? Why now? She didn't try to kid herself that it was anything more than raw attraction. How could it be anything else?

Her legs were still rubbery, and her mind reeling from his kisses when the doors dinged open. He released her with reluctance and led her down a long hallway, stopping only long enough to fish a key card out of his back pocket. He'd booked a room before finding her? She tried not to think too much about the significance of that.

The door clicked open. They stepped inside. Haley caught her breath.

He hadn't skimped on either the hotel or the room. It was large and well appointed with a gorgeous view and a king-sized bed. Her heart raced. She glanced back at the door, briefly considering retreat. If she was going to back down, the time was now.

“Second thoughts?” He read her mind. “I want you, Haley. You know that, but the decision is still yours, not mine.” He kissed her gently, his tongue coaxing her mouth, evaporating her doubts with tender persuasion.

No
regrets.
She once more murmured her new mantra to herself.

“Good.” Taking her hand, he led her into a marble-tiled bathroom with a huge Jacuzzi tub and a walk-in tile shower enclosure. He turned on the shower tap. “Get in.”

“You expect me to just strip here in front of you in broad daylight?”

“Sand is abrasive to delicate places. You're covered with it…not to mention the vegetation.” He plucked a piece of seaweed from her hair, dangled it before her eyes, and then tossed it into the trash. “But if it's an issue of modesty, you can stay in your suit…for now. As for me, I'm not about to shower in my clothes. I need to get these damned wet jeans off. Now. Would it offend your delicate sensibilities to see me naked?”

“Of course not. I mean we came here to…to…”

“Can't even say it?” he teased.

She blushed. She wanted to see him…to touch him…but shyness and feelings of ineptitude made her hesitate. She marshalled her nerve. “Do you…er…need some help?”

“I sure wouldn't refuse it.” He'd already worked the button free.

She moved in, taking hold of his zipper with one hand, and cupping him with the other. Even through wet denim, the feel of him surprised her. Her hands shook so much she couldn't lower his fly.

He seized her hand in guttural tones. “On second thought… It'll be a hell of a lot easier to get them off without a hard-on.”

“That quick?” she asked.

“Oh yeah.” He gave a dry laugh. “All you have to do is
look
south to get me hard.” He peeled down his jeans. The thwack of wet denim hitting the floor followed. His erection sprang out. Bigger than she'd expected.
Much
bigger.

Although she wasn't a virgin, her experience was limited to her first and only boyfriend, Kevin. The “big event” had taken place on a beach blanket with a bottle of Riunite Lambrusco. After emptying the bottle together, he'd pulled her down onto the blanket. The kissing and petting had been pleasant enough, but what followed was mildly painful. It was ten minutes of frantic thrusting on his part while she bit her lip, waiting for him to be done. Their few repeat encounters were only marginally better. He'd eventually broken up with her, calling her cold and sexless.

For months Haley tortured herself, wondering what she'd done wrong. She'd eventually concluded that he was right. She just wasn't a sexual person. After that, she'd been in no great hurry for any further “sexploration.” Until now. Looking at Reid, she was beginning to understand what was missing the first time around.

He took her hand, closing her fingers around his erection. It was huge, hot, and pulsing. She wondered with a mix of eagerness and trepidation how it would feel inside her.

“Reid?”

“What, sweetheart?”

Her gaze darted back to his face. “Are you
normal
size? I mean, you seem so much bigger than…”
Kevin.

“
You
do that to me,” he replied in husky tones. “And I warn you not to look at me like that again unless you're prepared for some serious repercussions.”

Unable to help herself, she eyed him once more and gave him a soft squeeze.

He grabbed her wrists with a groan, pinning them overhead and plastering her body against the tile wall. “I'll be damned if I can figure you out. Meek one minute and bold as brass the next? Do you like tempting the devil, Haley?”

“I don't know,” she breathed. “I guess I'm just curious. This is all new territory for me.”

“New
how
?” His gaze narrowed. “You're not saying you're a—”

“No.” She shook her head in denial. “I'm not a virgin, but I've never done this kind of thing before. I mean, you and me. This hotel room. All of it.”

“Me either,” he said. “Don't think this is routine.”

“But you got the room,” she argued.

“Because I believe in being prepared.”

“Me too,” she said. “I'm also a believer in positive thinking…in envisioning a desired outcome to help make it happen,” she nervously rambled.

“Oh yeah? I think I've got that one nailed. I've been envisioning various outcomes to this particular scenario for a long time.”

He still held her pinned. What was next?

“Have you ever thought about me, Haley? About this? About us?”

“Yes,” she confessed. “Sometimes… But it doesn't
mean
anything. It's only—”

He cupped her nape, pulling her into a kiss that made her head spin.

“Lust,” she finished, gasping for air. “Nothing more.”

“Sure there's more.” He grinned. “But lust is real good…for starters.”

His gaze drifted over her breasts and down the length of her body, his hungry eyes devouring her whole. “Your turn to get naked. I need to see the rest of you.”

Her breath hitched as he reached behind her to the tie of her top.

One sharp tug and it dropped to the floor.

His pupils darkened. “I need to touch you.”

She still held her breath at the first teasing caress of his fingers along the outside of her breasts, releasing it in a long, slow gush as he cupped one in his big, warm hand.

“Smell you.”

He nuzzled all the way up her neck, eliciting ripples of pleasure deep in her belly.

“Taste you.” His tongue traced the shell of her ear. He lingered at the hollow place behind it, his breath hot and moist. “I've thought about that last one the most, Haley, licking you all over…going down on you.”

“You like that kind of thing?”

“Hell yeah. Don't you?”

She shut her eyes on an incoherent moan, squeezing them even tighter as he released her hands to peel down her bottoms. Her breath was coming shorter. “I don't know. I never did before, but everything feels so different now.”

“Different? How?” He wedged a hard thigh between hers, applying the perfect pressure to make her whimper with need. His mouth melded with hers again in a longer, deeper kiss.

“Like that, Reid. I don't understand what you do to me. I've never felt like this before.”

“How about that shower now?” he suggested, low and husky.

He drew her into the tile enclosure, blasting them both with steamy water. He spun her around, her back against his chest. “Take your hair down.”

He ripped open the bar of soap, lathering her breasts as she fumbled with her wet and tangled hair. His hands were strong, callused, and skillful. “Here. Soap yourself.” He handed her the bar and then grabbed the tiny bottle of shampoo. Next thing she knew, his fingers were buried in her hair, massaging into her scalp. She leaned into him with a little moan of pleasure.

“You like that?” His voice was warm and velvety in her ear.

“God, yes. How did you know?”

“I was raised to pay attention to the little things. A smart man does, especially where women are concerned. Tip your head back.”

She arched her spine and shut her eyes against the blast of water and simultaneous sensation of his mouth suckling her nipple. “Too hard to resist,” he murmured. “Fucking perfect.”

He squeezed her breasts together and then moved on to the other side. She dropped her hands to his head, holding him as he suckled harder. He released her with a pop, then moved behind her again, his chest forming a wall of muscle at her back.

She sucked in another breath, basking in the sensual onslaught of his erection pressing hard and hot against her back, the coarse hair of his thighs lightly abrading her butt cheeks. He had the soap in hand, gliding it up her thighs. He slid his slick fingers slowly down the cleft of her ass and slipped between her legs. “Spread them.”

His mouth came down on her shoulder, gently sucking and biting as he explored her folds. She cried out, her inner walls contracting in rhythm with his exploring fingers.

“God,” he groaned. “You're so damned tight. Do you have any idea how much I want you?”

“Then quit playing around, Reid,” she gasped. She'd
never
been so turned on, so cranked up, so ready. Yet he continued to ratchet her need until she thought she'd snap. She needed him inside her. Now. “It's past time to put your money where your mouth is.”

“You got that all in reverse, sweetheart.” He cut off the water and backed her slowly to the wall, his lips curving into a dangerous smile. “It's time to put my mouth where your honey is.”

Reid sank to his knees, plying open kisses over her belly, then licking around her navel. Haley dropped her head back against the tiles, her body quivering and her mind racing as he worked his way slowly and methodically southward. Every touch, every stroke of his tongue blinded her with pleasure. How the hell did he know so much?

He drew one leg of her legs over his broad shoulder. Her hands came down to his head, holding him tight as he kissed, licked, and tongued her into a state of mindlessness. She stifled a sob of frustration. Responding to her cue, he sucked her clit.

Her climax swelled, crested, and then broke free, washing over her in a series of waves that left her whimpering and weak-kneed. Only his hands anchoring her hips kept her from melting into a puddle on the shower floor.

* * *

Reid gazed up at her with a poorly suppressed smirk. He wiped her juices from his mouth and kissed her inner thigh before sliding it down from his shoulder. He'd wanted to do that to her since the night they'd met…and so damn much more.

Her lids flickered open. “What about you? Don't you want—”

“I want all right.” But he still held himself in check. “There're a few things I promised myself first.
That
was only one of them.” He yanked down a couple of towels and proceeded to rub her dry.

Her gaze widened. “There's more?”

“Oh yeah. I've got a whole laundry list.”

He dropped the towel, grasped her at the waist, and hoisted her onto the vanity top. He parted and stepped between her knees. He was still rock hard and she was still wet. Her essence teased his nostrils, further testing his restraint. It would be so easy. All he had to do was position himself and thrust into her, but he suppressed the urge.

“You want to do it here? Like this?” She leaned back, regarding him with her forehead wrinkled as he reached for the hair dryer. “Are you some kind of frustrated beautician or is this a weird fetish thing?”

“It's your hair,” he answered. It was as long and thick as he'd imagined it. He'd dreamed for months of surrounding himself with it as he buried himself in her. “I want to see it down and dry. I want it to curtain my face, to see it shimmering down your back, kissing your ass while you ride me.
Those
are the things I've fantasized about. What I promised myself.”

He flipped on the hair dryer, burying his fingers in her silky strands.

“Knock yourself out then, Warren Beatty.”

“Huh?” He drew back with a quizzical look.

She blew out an exasperated breath. “I should have known better. The reference is from an iconic '70s film called
Shampoo
.”

“You like old movies?”

“I grew up with them. My grandparents are always watching the TNT classics.” The grooves between her brows deepened. “You've
fantasized
about me?”

“I told you a man's got to have something to look forward to out in the desert for months on end. I was looking forward to you.”

“Why
me
?” she asked. “Surely there are lots of other women…”

He shrugged. “Hell if I know. But I didn't care about any others. You're the one I wanted. I've given up trying to figure it out.”

His attraction was beyond his comprehension. He'd wanted her from the moment she'd slapped her twenty on the pool table. He'd known that night that sooner or later they were going to happen. He loved her hair, her gorgeous green eyes, her smell, her taste. The way she'd looked when she came. The way she looked now. All soft and satisfied with her arousal still scenting the air.
Fuck.
That last thought almost broke him.