When Petals Fall: A Cowboy, Second Chance Romantic Suspense (Chance Creek Book 1)

by A. L. Mercier

  "'Night, Jake," she sighed.

  "Good night, baby. Sweet dreams." He wasn't sure how long he lay there watching her sleep, listening to her breathe, taking pleasure in the feel of her body against his, but he knew it wasn't long enough. He wanted her in his life, in his heart, and in his bed for the rest of his life. He'd do whatever it took to help her find her way back to him. Maybe not letting her know just how deep his emotions ran was the key and then again, maybe not. All he knew, as he left her sleeping peacefully, was he had a hope in his heart that he hadn't felt in a long time.

  13

  Lizzie

  Screw the bet.

  You'd think making her come like there was no tomorrow would have satisfied her, and it had, but for crying out loud, that had been two weeks ago. She had waited—impatiently she might add—but wait she did, and he still hadn't given her anything but a few kisses and one time he had caressed her breasts.

  She wasn't sure what his deal was, but it was driving her crazy. They had gone at it like a couple teenagers that night in his Camaro, but now he wasn't touching her at all. She wanted and needed him to be inside her. It was the bet. She was sure of it.

  "Wanna put a wager on it?" he'd asked, and like an idiot, she jumped to the bait.

  Well, enough was enough. She went to her bedroom and chose what she hoped would be an arsenal of seduction. She was pulling out the big guns.

  As she dressed, Lizzie knew she wanted him and he wanted her, so now instead of waiting for him to make a move, she was going for broke. She was going to tempt him with forbidden fruit. Her forbidden fruit. She was going to entice him with everything she had so he couldn't resist her, and he'd lose the stupid bet.

  When he added the stipulation of "no touching yourself" the night after their date, she might have gotten a little worried. So far, she hadn't, but she was getting desperate. She needed.

  She'd tempt him and he would lose while she'd win from all aspects. She smiled as she looked at herself in the mirror, then grabbed her keys and headed to her SUV.

  As she neared her SUV, she saw that her rear tire was flat. What the hell? Again? This was getting ridiculous. She'd taken it careful since the first flat. Shit.

  She'd probably run over a nail from the new roof on the barn. Oh man, this was going to cost her. She sighed. She'd have to talk to Brand when she got back, see if there were some sturdier tires she needed or something because this was just absurd.

  In the meantime she'd have to borrow his truck. Lizzie hopped in the truck and flipped down the visor, the keys falling into her lap. Thank goodness Brand was still predictable.

  She sent her brother a text, then turned the key.

  Nothing was going to stop her.

  Lizzie was a woman on a mission.

  She had a cowboy to seduce.

  14

  Jake

  "How about a date tonight, Cowboy?" she asked.

  Jake turned to find her leaning against the doorjamb, looking hotter than a body had a right to. She was pure temptation in a pair of skintight cut off denim shorts and a sleeveless red checkered button-down shirt knotted beneath her breasts, unbuttoned just far enough to tease him with the top of her red lacy bra. Her belly button winked at him above the waistband of her shorts. His fingers itched to touch inch after inch of the pale, creamy flesh exposed.

  His body stirred at the thought of the kind of silk and lacy under things she wore and just how sexy she looked wearing them. His gaze drifted down. She was wearing her cowboy boots. He couldn't hide his groan. The woman clearly meant business. She knew how turned on he got when she wore her cowboy boots.

  "Holy hell, woman! Coming over here in the middle of the day wearing an outfit like that is enough to give a man a heart attack." He smiled and leaned back against the horse stall waiting for the blood to circulate to parts of his anatomy besides than his dick. What had gotten into her?

  "I want you stiff and hard but that's not exactly what I had in mind."

  He let out a husky laugh. She was certainly in a mood today. "Darlin', you're dressed for sex and sin and you're really close to leading me astray."

  "You like this outfit?" She turned around in a circle. The fact that her tongue kept coming out and licking her bottom lip betrayed her seductive and teasing tone. She had to know wearing that outfit would bring him to his knees. Hell, all she had to do was look at him like she was looking at him now and he'd beg.

  "Hell yeah, I like it. What little there is of it," he added when he saw her ass cheeks peeking from beneath the denim fringe as she turned in a circle once again.

  She laughed. "It seems with you, less is more."

  "You got that right. Will you be wearing an outfit like that on the date you just asked for?" He grinned.

  "Maybe."

  "I'm not sure if you're planning on taking me to heaven or hell, but at this point, I really don't care. I'm all yours tonight." He wanted nothing more than to walk over there, throw her over his shoulder, and have his way with her in one of the freshly cleaned stalls. They had spent every evening of the last two weeks together getting reacquainted, all those evenings ending with a few kisses and some innocent touching with the exception of the one night they had gone to Green River. Even though he'd been walking around with his cock permanently at half-mast for what seemed like forever, he was bound and determined to win that bet. If he could win the bet, he might just have a chance of winning the woman, too.

  She straightened from the doorjamb, her grin turning to a full, heart-stopping smile. "I came to invite you to a picnic. I've got the perfect spot all picked out if you're up for some fun."

  "Sounds great. I should be done here at about six. Six-thirty sound good?" Did she really think he would turn her down? The look of relief that briefly flashed across her face said she did. Silly woman. He was putty in her hands.

  "Perfect. I'll be ready," she called out as she turned to walk away. She dug into her shorts pocket and pulled out her keys. With a thump in the dirt, they hit the ground. Teasingly slow, she bent at the waist, giving him full-fledged flash of bare ass under those daisy dukes, to pick up the keys. She didn't straighten immediately, but rather she stayed bent over. She really was trying to tempt him and getting bolder by the second. The hell of it was, it was working.

  He walked up behind her, slowly, savoring the view of her sweet cheeks peeking out at him, before pressing his throbbing cock against her ass. Her floral scent drifted on a breeze, teasing his senses with the memory of her writhing beneath him, and he thrust himself against her seeking relief but not finding nearly enough.

  She looked at him over her shoulder, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "Whatcha doin', Cowboy?"

  "Just thought I'd see if you need some help."

  "I think I can manage." She wiggled her ass against his cock before straightening to her full height. She turned, nearly touching but not quite, and looked up at him before running her fingernail down the denim seam covering his cock. He groaned aloud and she laughed. "Need some help here, baby? I can ease your pain, all you have to do is ask."

  "I thought the bet was null and void as of the night in the Camaro."

  "Nuh-uh. We were fully clothed. Doesn't count."

  Was she bending the rules or making new ones? He wasn't sure. But he did know that the little vixen was trying to tempt him into losing the bet. There was no way that was happening, not when there were, apparently, so many other "legal" ways to pleasure one another. He lifted one hand to caress her cheek and used the index finger of his other hand to trace the swell of her breast.

  "So tell me, Darlin', since we're not playing this straight on, what exactly are the rules?"

  Her tongue darted out to wet her lips. "What do you mean?" As he took one step closer, she took one step back, keeping him at arm's length.

  "Well, is there anything we can do with each other, to each other unclothed, or do we have to be clothed?"

  His thumb grazed over her nipple through her shirt. It beaded un
der his touch, and when she took another step back, he took another forward.

  "Um… I think it was just…," she answered breathlessly as he caressed a sensitive spot behind her ear with his other thumb. She took one more step back, and he took one forward. He wasn't going to be the seduced but rather the seducer.

  "It was just what?"

  "Sex," she squeaked out. He smiled. She cleared her throat. "Sex. Sex was the only thing off limits."

  "You mean just penetration? Intercourse?"

  "Umm, yeah." Her voice was husky and her light green eyes now the color of emeralds.

  "So, we can touch each other, right? Like we did in the Camaro, but without clothes." One step closer.

  She tried to take one more step back but came up short when she backed into the wall of the barn. He gave her a sexy smile that let her know he had her right where he wanted her, and her gaze darted around searching for a means of escape. But…did she really want one? Or was she glad she was caught, he wondered?

  "Um…"

  He raised a brow. "Um?"

  "What was the question?"

  "Can we touch each other?"

  "Yes," she said breathlessly. "Oh yes," he heard her whisper.

  He gave her a quick "good" before he closed the distance between them, effectively trapping her between the hard wall and his body. His hands slid up her waist, further yet to cover the swell of her breasts, rubbing the hardened tips with his thumbs.

  She let out a cry of pleasure and he reveled in it.

  15

  Lizzie

  She wanted nothing more than to rub herself against him and purr like a cat in heat. How he got the upper hand, she didn't know.

  His tongue flicked the edge of her ear. "What about tasting? Can we taste each other, too?"

  "Yesss."

  "Mmm. Everywhere?"

  She nodded just before he lowered his head and kissed her. His tongue swept into her mouth to tangle with hers, and she kissed him back with all she had. Wetness pooled between her thighs. Just one touch from this man had her achingly hot and wet. It was as if he had some unforeseen power over her body that she was defenseless against. Her body had always responded to him this way, sometimes so quickly she embarrassed herself. She knew he found that sexy, but she didn't want to lose herself too quickly this time. She wanted to enjoy the feel of him.

  Lizzie ran her hands over his shoulders and down his chest to find his nipples through his shirt. She trailed her nails across the dusky circles and they instantly beaded in arousal. She lowered her hands to the hem of his shirt and slid her hands underneath. Her fingertips found those aroused nipples, and this time she rubbed them lightly, then once again scraped her fingernails across them drawing a groan from his lips. She stroked his chest with her hands, the chest hair coarse and slightly abrasive under her palms. She loved the feel of it.

  He broke the kiss and gazed at her with questioning eyes. She grabbed the hem of his t-shirt and lifted it upward. He helped her slip it over his head and his hands went to untie the knot at her waist. He quickly unbuttoned the shirt and slid it down her arms.

  "You're beautiful, Lizzie," he said with reverence.

  She was glad she'd chosen the red lace bra. It barely covered her breasts, but she had worn it with seduction in mind. So far, so good.

  He raised an index finger and then walked away. When he returned, he was carrying a blanket, which he then unfolded and spread out over the fresh hay in the stall. He took off his hat and sat down on the blanket before raising a hand to her in invitation.

  He lay before her, sexy and seductive, pure and utter temptation. She grasped the hand he held out to her, inviting her to what she was sure would be wicked and sinful, and before she knew what happened she found herself lying beneath him on the blanket. She laughed. He grinned. "I've missed you, baby," he said tenderly as he ran a finger down her cheek.

  Whether it was the two weeks or the seven years, she wasn't sure. "I've missed you, too," she answered. More than she wanted to, more than she should considering the circumstances, but Jacob Kramer was one temptation she could never resist.

  "Kiss me, Jake."

  He lowered his lips to hers once again but this time the kiss was not gentle or restrained. It was hot, exciting, and rough. He used teeth and tongue. His tongue tangled with hers, passionately, leaving no doubt to the level of his desire for her. Lord, the man could curl her toes with his kisses. She wrapped her arms tighter around him. It felt so good to hold him again, to feel his body against hers.

  He ran his hand up the side of her breast, then palmed the aching globe, and she arched into him. More, was all she could think. Always more. He lifted his head and looked to where his deeply tanned handheld her.

  "Still a perfect fit," he said with one of those half-grins that melted her insides. She sighed and he chuckled, then kissed her again.

  He pulled back and tucked an errant curl behind her ear. "Baby, you drive me crazy."

  "No crazier than you drive me."

  "There's something I've just got to find out," he said with a serious face.

  "What?" she said with a frown.

  "I've got to see if what you've got on under those shorts is just as sexy as that bra you've got on."

  "Take a look and find out." She arched her back, offering herself to him.

  "It feels like Christmas." He unsnapped the button on her shorts and then slowly slid the zipper down, intentionally sliding his fingers across the heart of her. Her breath caught in her throat. His fingers skimmed against her again, purposefully dipping lower, pressing deeper, leaving her aching for more as his finger circled around her vaginal opening.

  She arched her hips higher, seeking more. Lizzie shifted as he pulled her shorts down, and he moaned aloud. She knew what he saw, and she had planned it perfectly. She was wearing a scrap of see-through red lace that tied at the sides. "You are so fucking sexy, I could come just from looking at you."

  "What do you say, you wait for me?"

  "Sounds like a plan."

  The scent of fresh hay, clean air, and Jake surrounded her. Being with Jake quickened her pulse. Her breath catching in her lungs, and moisture pooled between her thighs. She wanted him to touch her. She needed to touch him. He was so gorgeous, his already dark eyes going impossibly black, his gaze fierce and filled with desire. She had to feel him against her. Now.

  She pulled him down on top of her and kissed him. Hard. He reached up to open the clasp between her breasts and then pushed the bra down her arms. When he lay on top of her, her breasts against his warm chest, the coarse hair prickling her nipples, she sighed as with each breath, the hair grated harder, causing more and more of the glorious friction she craved.

  She opened her legs in invitation and wrapped them around his thighs—and then her phone ring. Damn it. Why had she tucked the damn thing in her boot?

  "I better get that." He flopped back on the blanket breathing hard, his forearm covering his eyes.

  "Hello?" No one answered.

  "Oh, you have got to be kidding me."

  Jake sat up next to her. "What?"

  "Hello, hello, hell-oo?" Again, silence. She all but growled as she snapped her phone shut. "That is really starting to piss me off."

  "What?"

  "My heavy breather."

  "Still?"

  "Still. Sometimes two or three times a day."

  "What the hell?"

  "Good question."

  "An even better one would be, how did this person get your cell phone number?"

  "Yeah, that is a better question."

  "Is this the first time you got a call like that on your cell?"

  She nodded.

  "You need to report it to the phone companies and get your numbers changed. It wouldn't hurt to report it to the sheriff either."

  "Aww, man," she whined. "Do you know how many people I'll have to inform of my new number? And can you imagine the gossip if I went to the sheriff?"

  He put his ar
m around her shoulder and pulled her to his side. "Which is worse? Changing your number? Or putting up with the annoying pissant who is making the calls?"

  "You're right," she said begrudgingly. She leaned into him, giving him a bit of a shove with her body. "Why do you always have to be right?"

  "It's just the way it is, Darlin'."

  She rolled her eyes. "Whatever."

  He chuckled and lay back on the blanket.

  Well, the seduction was a total wash. She'd have to make up for that later.

  He was totally relaxed when she moved to lie on her stomach next to him, folding her arms on his chest, then resting her chin on her hands. He was so damn good looking she could look at him all day, every day and never tire of seeing his gorgeous face. She openly stared at him without abandonment not caring when he caught her.

  He looked down at her and smiled. "What?"

  She shook her head. "Nothing." She let her gaze roam over his strong, tanned face and drank in the sight of him. She knew he'd scoff at the fact she thought he was beautiful, but to her, he was beautiful. From his deep chocolate brown eyes and lashes that any woman would envy, to his nose that was just slightly crooked from being broken in a fight in high school, and finally his mouth. His sensuously sexy mouth that was now curved into a devastating smile showing his straight white teeth, and those dimples that could bring even the strongest of women to her knees.

  "It's not nothing. You're staring."

  "Just enjoying the view."

  "Yeah?" he asked, running a finger down her cheek.

  She sat up, then leaned forward and pressed her lips to his for a sweet, soft, lingering kiss. "Yeah." She heard hoof beats in the distance and squealed, "Who is that?" She scrambled to gather her clothing before someone got a mid-day peep show of her in her sexy see-through lingerie.