Big Easy (Cowboy Craze)

by Sable Hunter

  “I know. You’re right,” Easy agreed. “And I have every intention of letting her know exactly how I feel.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

  “Have a safe trip.” Easy called out as his brothers climbed into their vehicle to leave for Texas. “I’ll see you soon!”

  From inside the house, Jewel watched him stare down the road until the truck disappeared from sight. When he moved inside, she met him with a smile. “Wow, how wonderful, that was an unexpected twist to the evening.”

  “I think Sarah’s official due date is next week. They may arrive and find this was a false alarm, but the time’s so close Daniel needs to be with her.” Easy frowned as he stuffed his hands into his front pockets. “If it wasn’t for me and my trouble, he wouldn’t have to be rushing home. He’d already be there.”

  “Are you kidding?” She looked at him in amazement. “Nothing would have kept those guys from being with you when you needed them.”

  “I know.” Easy nodded. “I know. After the inner turmoil I’ve struggled with, I guess I’d forgotten how families are supposed to operate.”

  Jewel’s heart went out to him. She knew Easy well enough now to understand where he was coming from. “I know this time has been awful for you, being accused of something you didn’t do. But surely, things have changed for you after seeing how your family rallied around you and reconnecting with your father the way you have.”

  Hearing her sum up his experience made him think. “You’re right.” He came nearer to her, bringing his hand up to take a lock of her hair and wind it around his finger. “My brothers dropped everything to stand by me. And now I know Yuma not only forgave me, he’s with me still.” Easy raised a hand to place his palm on her silky cheek. “But that’s not the most important thing…”

  He didn’t get to say more before Hazel came walking up. “Kids, it’s been a long day. There’s still some paperwork I need to do for the lawyer, and I think I’ll do it from the comfort of my bed.”

  Oh, no! What was Easy about to say? And why did her mother have to choose that moment to interrupt them? Immediately, she threw out her psychic net to capture his thoughts – but all she snared was happiness. Well, she couldn’t argue with that. “All right, goodnight.” Jewel put her arms around her mother to give her a hug.

  “Sleep well, Ms. Baptiste.” Easy hugged her next, then impulsively gave her a kiss on the cheek. “I’m grateful for all you did to help me. Sometime, you’ll have to tell me more about this St. Expedite. He seems like a fellow I’d like to get to know.”

  “Oh, you’re welcome,” Hazel told him, patting him on his upper arm. “When my baby girl called me and I heard the emotion in her voice as she spoke of you – well, I’d have moved heaven and earth to get here to help you.”

  Jewel tensed, hoping her mother wouldn’t say something about their relationship being permanent. If there was anything to be said on that subject, she needed it to come from Easy’s own lips.

  “Sleep well, Mom.” Jewel did a little mental urging to send her mother on the way. The mini magical push didn’t go unnoticed by Hazel.

  “All right. I’m going. I’m going.” She gave her daughter a grin and a wink as she turned to leave.

  The second they were alone again, Jewel felt at a loss. She didn’t know what Easy had been about to say – but she couldn’t bring herself to ask him to finish. Honestly, she felt overwhelmed. So much had happened. It was hard for her to even remember the last moments they’d spent alone before those lawmen came barging into their lives to take him away. Maybe…they just needed to get some air. “Hey, do you want to take a walk?”

  Easy brightened, offering her his hand. “Sure. I’d love to stretch my legs. I know I wasn’t in the clinker long…” He laughed at his own poor joke. “But I’ll never forget the feeling of being caged. I could cover the width of that cell in four steps.”

  As they walked, Jewel lifted his hand to her lips and kissed it. “Well, you’re free now. You can put all of this behind you.” As she said those words, she hoped that broad designation of ‘all this’ didn’t include her.

  As they left by the front door and continued down the stairs to the ground level, Easy noticed the ruined sign on the ground. “Crazy bastards. I hope Wade Prescott puts them behind bars soon.”

  “The evidence against them is piling up,” Jewel said, wanting to sound as hopeful as she felt. “The false arrest, the planted necklace, Lawson’s testimony of what he overheard, and the knife they connected to the crime via DNA.”

  “Yea,” Easy let out a puff of air he didn’t realize he’d been holding. “I’m sure he’ll find all he needs soon. From what I hear, Prescott’s good at his job.”

  “I agree. The Hill brothers have pretty big egos and, until now, they’ve felt fairly invulnerable. I’m sure they’ve made some mistakes along the way. Hopefully, they’ll make more,” she mused as they headed across the yard through her fairy garden. “If the bodies of those women from Lafayette could be found, I’m sure they’d find more evidence with them.”

  “You got any feeling about that?”

  His thoughtful question gave her pause. She could hear faith in his voice. “No. I wish I did.” Jewel wasn’t exactly sure that was the whole truth. In some ways, she was like Easy, eager to wash her hands of the situation. Except for Willie. “I’d really love to know what happened to Willie Mae.”

  “No one’s heard from her?”

  “Truman Lawson was going to check, but…”

  “He overheard what went down in my cell and had to go into hiding.”

  “Right. Him contacting Everett to ask about the whereabouts of his wife wouldn’t have been a smart move at that point. “I know. I just hope she’s okay.”

  Easy guided her through the gloaming, their way faintly lit by the starlight filtering through the leaves and the periodic flashing of a firefly. “Wouldn’t she have appeared to you?”

  Even though he couldn’t see her do it, Jewel shrugged. Again, she was struck by his trust in her and what she did. “I’m not sure, I’d like to think so. We did have a connection.”

  “So, do we.” The mood of their walk turned on a dime as Easy pulled her close. “And I’ve missed you like crazy.”

  He tugged Jewel to him and found her mouth, kissing her with total abandon. She went up on tiptoes, pushing her body into his, needing to get as close to him as possible. Holding him like this felt so good. “I missed you too,” she whispered when they finally stopped to take a breath. “And…” Her voice cracked a bit as she strained to look up into his face. “This was all my fault. I’m so sorry.”

  “What’s your fault?” Easy held her near, his fingers playing in her beautiful dark hair. “My arrest? You’ve got to be kidding.”

  “No, I’m not.” She leaned her face into his palm. “None of this would’ve happened to you if you hadn’t been involved with me. You would’ve never been on the Hill’s radar.”

  “Nonsense. I was at Belle Chasse when the first body was found.”

  “Yes, but my association with Willie Mae caught his attention, then you heard him berating me and confronted him over it. Everett’s fear that I learned something from his wife forced him to do something to get the suspicion off of him and on to someone else. After seeing you at the Blue Goose with Marion, he saw a perfect opportunity to set you up.”

  This seemed to sober Easy. He took a step back from her. “You mean to tell me that Marion was targeted – because of me?”

  “No, I didn’t say that.” Jewel caught his arm to get his full attention. “None of this would’ve happened if I hadn’t been dealing with Willie Mae. You just fell victim to his scheme because he found out you were involved with me. The same goes with Marion, it was my fault.” She didn’t feel like she was getting through to Easy.

  He was turned half away from her, staring down toward the bayou. “If I hadn’t asked Marion out, if I hadn’t gone to the Blue Goose – none of this would’ve happened.”

&n
bsp; “If I hadn’t pushed you away that night…” she began, her heart aching.

  “If I hadn’t walked away and thought I could replace you so easily…” he muttered with regret.

  “If I’d called the FBI the first night that I read Everett’s shirt, before Julie’s body was found.” Jewel hugged herself tight, remorse making her weak.

  Easy took her by the shoulders. “Stop. This game of ‘what ifs’ we’re playing is getting us nowhere.” He looked into her beautiful face, revealed to him by the light of the rising moon. “I could say if I’d never come to Louisiana to work for Philip none of this would’ve happened.”

  “Or if you’d never rented the house from me,” she whispered.

  Framing her face, he kissed Jewel gently. “I admit, with the exception of Yuma’s death, this incident is the worst thing that has ever happened to me. But…”

  Jewel was so upset, it took a moment for her to awaken to the feelings emanating from him. “But?”

  Easy drew her close. “If I’d never come here, if I hadn’t rented the house…I wouldn’t have found you.” He chuckled wryly. “While being arrested was no picnic, I wouldn’t trade meeting you for anything in this world.”

  “Oh, Easy, I don’t know about that.” She melted into his embrace. “If things hadn’t worked out...”

  “But they did.” He placed one finger over her lips to quiet her, then chuckled. “Now, here’s the last ‘if’ we’re going to mention.” Bending his head, he whispered into her ear, “If Hazel wasn’t upstairs, I’d carry you inside and make love to you until dawn.” At Jewel’s look of disappointment, he kissed her on the end of the nose. “Sadly, knowing your psychic mother was in the next room would seriously increase my performance anxiety.”

  Jewel giggled and shook her head in disbelief. “I can’t imagine you having performance anxiety.” She gasped as inspiration hit her like a bolt of lightning. “Good thing we have two houses.” Taking him by the hand, she began to tug him across the yard. “Let’s go to your bed.”

  Jewel’s enthusiasm to be with him combined with his outrageous desire for the girl erased all of Easy’s weariness and worry. “Lead on, beautiful. Anywhere you are is exactly where I want to be.”

  Like playful children, they ran to her mother’s house. “Key. Key. Do you have yours,” she asked breathlessly

  “Yea.” Easy dug in his pocket. “I bet the place is still a mess from where those fools turned everything upside down hunting for what they hid themselves.”

  As he unlocked the door, Jewel glanced around them, remembering how it felt to see all of those men invading their space. At least she could give him some good news. “Hazel came over and cleaned up, put everything back in place.”

  Turning the knob, he let her go in ahead of him. “I’ll have to thank her tomorrow.” As soon as he entered the living room, he could feel energy. “Cotton, I’m back! How you doing, dude? I want to thank you again for helping me wrangle those intruders. Tomorrow, I’ll move a chess piece. Tonight, I’ve got business with my lady.”

  His lady. Jewel giggled, loving the way that sounded. “That’s right, Cotton. So, make yourself scarce, bud. I don’t want to feel self-conscious.”

  As if the message was received, the atmosphere quieted. “He’s gone,” Easy whispered. “Don’t go far, though, friend,” he said a little louder, then turned to Jewel. “I never would’ve thought I’d feel like a ghost was my lookout.”

  “Better than a bodyguard,” she added with a smile. Jewel was so relieved to be with Easy that she could barely contain the happiness. As they moved up the stairs, she looked over her shoulder. “I think I need to shower first.”

  “As long as I can join you, that’s fine by me.” Easy spooned her as they walked, his arms coming around her to begin undoing the buttons of the top she wore. “God help me, one night away from you was one night too many.”

  “For me too,” she agreed as they moved into the bathroom, her hands as busy as his as they stripped one another naked.

  After turning on the lights and the water to warm, Easy came to her, his hands moving over her body. “You are so beautiful.” With adoration in his eyes, he cupped her breasts. “I’m the luckiest man in the world.” Bending his head, he rubbed his mouth lightly over her soft lips, teasing her with his tongue, while his hands were busy fondling and massaging Jewel’s perfectly formed, voluptuous breasts. “You are so damn sweet.”

  Jewel closed her eyes as he framed the sensitive mounds, his mouth enveloping one tender peak. “Oh, Easy, yes!” The building need in her flamed high as he nibbled and licked her grateful flesh. Nearly incoherent with need, Jewel strained against him, lifting her leg to wrap around his hip, desperate to ease the ache between her thighs.

  “You are so sexy.” He picked her up in his arms to step beneath the spray. Bracing Jewel against the wall of the shower, Easy kissed her voraciously as the water cascaded over them. His shaking hands moved feverishly over her body – touching, rubbing, caressing. “I’m so glad to be with you, I want to make this last all night.”

  Jewel knew the feeling. She wanted this to last forever. Looking into his eyes, she gave him a sultry smile. “I guess we need to pace ourselves, don’t we?” She slid her hand between them to find his sex. “May I?”

  Easy could only nod as she fondled him, stroking him to hard, throbbing life. Gratefully he cupped the back of her head, completely mesmerized by the sight of this beautiful woman falling to her knees at his feet to press a kiss to the V-line above his manhood, her hot, pink tongue feathering on his skin. His whole body tensed in abject bliss as her sweet mouth graced him with caressing licks and heated nips.

  “Oh, fuck me. I’m too excited.” This girl had no idea what she did to him, he was on the verge of exploding. If she took his dick into her perfect mouth, he’d go off like a bomb. “I’m not gonna last until the water gets hot.”

  Noting the steam drifting around them, she licked his shaft from tip to root. “The water’s already hot. And so are you.”

  “Me?” Easy wanted to tell her she was the sexy one, but he couldn’t find the words. He had to rely on his rock-hard cock to stand up and testify to how gorgeous he found her to be. “Oh, God,” he growled as she kissed and teased, her eyes raised to gaze at him through her long dark lashes. The flush of arousal on her cheeks only made him want her more. “I need you so much, treasure.”

  “I’m here, Easy. I’m yours.” With her eyes locked to his, Jewel held his thick shaft and swirled her tongue around the throbbing head. He’d never know how much she loved doing this for him.

  “Oh, Great Spirit…” he moaned, throwing his head back to mutter a few unintelligible Apache words. As her giving palm moved up and down his aching cock, his hips bucked forward, begging for the ecstasy only she could give him. “Show me mercy.”

  Curling her fingers around the root, she loved how they didn’t quite meet around his girth. Squeezing him gently, Jewel licked her lips. “Are you asking me to stop?”

  “Not on your life.” He wrapped her hair around his fist to urge her to continue.

  With a knowing smile, she opened her mouth to take him deep – licking, sucking, teasing the tiny slit on the head of his cock with the tip of her tongue. As his hips strained forward, the velvet covered steel pulsed in her mouth. Feeling and seeing his response to her made Jewel feel powerful. Completely feminine. She couldn’t take her eyes off him – he was the sexiest man in the world to her.

  As the steam rose around them, he closed his eyes in complete abandon, striving to maintain control. “Oh, yea, that’s so good, baby.” Every molecule of his being shimmered with pleasure so perfect and sweet, he thought he might pass out. He was overwhelmed with awe that fate had brought him to this place, to this time – to this woman. “More. Suck harder. Christ, you’re driving me crazy!”

  Jewel felt a thrill surge through her as she focused on giving Easy pleasure. With exquisite attention to detail, she stroked his thick shaft wit
h one hand and teased his balls with the other. All the while, she worked on him with her mouth, taking the wide crest as far into her throat as she could – sucking, lapping – reveling in the perfect intimacy they were sharing.

  For long moments, she worshiped him, mesmerized at the way he gloried in her touch. The way he bit his lower lip, the way he moaned her name, the way he trembled every time she sucked him, stroked him, licked him. And the more she gave, the more she wanted – Jewel was so turned on, she was trembling and aching with need.

  “Can’t take much more,” Easy whispered as Jewel took him deep, making the sexiest sounds as she went down on him. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t stop the cum from boiling in his balls. “Oh, honey, you’re killing me.”

  Feeling him tug her hair in warning, Jewel slid her tongue into the tiny slit on the tip to lick the bead of pre-cum. He was nearing the end of his endurance and she was more than ready to catch him when he fell.

  As Jewel gave him her all, Easy groaned her name. He knew he was just about at the end of his rope. The woman was showing him no mercy – stroking, lapping, sucking – taking him to places he’d never been. He inhaled sharply, the ecstasy almost blinding him. “I can’t wait to spread your beautiful legs and kiss you.”

  The water swirled around her feet as Jewel trembled at the image his words created. Jewel wanted him so much she shook with it. As she worked to give him ecstasy – sucking hard and lashing the sensitive underside of the head with her tongue – his big body jerked, and he bellowed in total surrender.

  “Treasure!” Easy cried as waves of euphoria crashed around him. His body jerked in violent bliss as his essence jetted from his body. As he clasped Jewel’s head, he was very aware she didn’t try to pull away as he came. No, she accepted him, cherished him. When he was done, still shaking from the pleasure, he lifted her to her feet and kissed her tenderly.