by Peyton Banks
They put in their orders with Sandy. Of course, Wade being a cattle rancher, ordered a steak dinner, while Joy stuck with the lamb.
No shame in supporting their own industry.
“I’ll be right back with your drinks.” Sandy snatched up the menu and spun away.
Wade snickered and glanced at Joy.
“What?” she asked.
“Iced tea?”
“What’s wrong with that?” She crossed her legs. From past experience, she knew alcohol was like truth serum for her. No way was she having any of her true thoughts of Wade ever coming forth.
“Not a thing.” He stood and strolled over to the computer screen, typing out a few commands. “Ladies first.”
Joy looked up at the television overhead to see Whitaker versus Brooks on the scorecard. She smirked.
A good old country rivalry was about to commence at the bowling alley.
A party of young women a couple rows away kept throwing appreciative looks toward Wade. An unknown feeling swept over her.
This isn’t a date, she chanted, but she couldn’t shake the voice in the back of her mind. Wade had surprisingly been the gentleman, opening doors and carrying her heavy bowling bag.
“I hope you’re ready for an ass kicking,” she joked and stood.
“Those shoes go perfect with that dress,” he teased.
She modeled her outfit for him. She gave a twirl, and rested her hands playfully on her hips. Wade smiled, his gaze roaming her body.
Her breath caught in her throat. It was as if she could feel his touch from the heat in his eyes. She sashayed over to him. She didn’t know where this flirtatious nature was coming from.
Joy hadn’t thought there was a seductive bone in her body.
“I hope you brought you’re A game.” She ignored the huskiness in her voice and tossed him a wink. Brushing past him, she grabbed her ball and slid her fingers inside the holes.
An older gentleman in the party next to their area was walking up to the line. She paused, waiting patiently for her turn. He strolled forward and tossed his ball, which slid effortlessly down the waxed floor, and slammed into the pins with eight toppling over. His group cheered for him as he went back to them.
Joy narrowed her eyes on her lane and stalked forward. She swung her arm back and threw the ball forward, releasing it. It slid smoothly down the slick wooden floor, crashing into the pins.
Strike!
She fist pumped the air and twirled around, smiling. Wade’s eyebrows shot up as he started to clap.
“Impressive.”
She threw an extra twitch in her hips as she sauntered back to him. She couldn’t help the competitive nature in her. It was in her bones.
She poked him in the chest playfully. “Your turn.”
Wade’s hand slid down her waist and pulled her to him.
Holy mother of God.
His body was nothing but hard, sculpted muscles. Her knees grew weak, and Joy had to lock them in place to keep them from giving out.
“Watch this,” he murmured into her ear. Wade’s warm lips brushed ever so slightly against her earlobe. He released her just as fast as he had grabbed her.
She dropped her eyes down to his ass, and the way the jeans highlighted it.
She bit her lip and sighed. Who was she kidding? As much as she wanted to hate Wade, she couldn’t. She took a seat and openly watched him. He patiently waited for the woman in the other lane to finish.
He glanced at Joy over his shoulder and winked at her.
Her heart skipped a beat.
“Here you go, hun.” Sandy appeared by her, setting their appetizers and drinks down. Wade had ordered a beer, and she’d ordered an iced tea.
“Thank you.” Joy smiled and reached for her drink.
Sandy disappeared quickly, rushing off to another party. Joy took a sip of the sweetened tea and turned back to focus on Wade.
Of course, his form was perfect. His ball flew down the lane and slammed into the pins.
Strike!
He spun around, grinning wide.
The competition was on.
Wade was seeing an entirely new side of Joy. He didn’t know where it came from but he could feel the pull to be near her. The entire game she was sexy, flirty, and set on teasing him.
The attraction between them was growing.
There was no denying it was there.
The way her hips swayed when she ambled toward the lane drove Wade crazy. The nice shape of her calf muscles, and the little glimpse of her smooth brown thighs, left him strung tight.
His cock had taken notice, and it was a constant battle to keep it down. At the moment, this was one fight Wade was losing.
He’d had a constant hard-on since Joy had walked to him and poked his chest. It was an automatic reaction to tug her to him. The feel of her soft body against his lit a fire in him.
The bowling competition had heated up.
The score was 180 to 178, with Joy in the lead.
In between their turns, they ate their food.
“Here you go, Wade,” Sandy announced, placing two shots in front of him. He’d ordered them while Joy was taking her turn.
Joy came back and sat on the leather bench. He wasn’t sure why, but he needed her closer.
“Why are you a mile away?” He snagged her hand and pulled her close to him. Joy’s body slipped in next to him. He rested his arm on the back of the bench, not caring how it appeared.
This hadn’t been a date, but it had all the feels, and he wasn’t going to ignore the flirting, sensual looks she had been throwing his way. He was a hot-blooded male, out with a beautiful woman.
Wade was enjoying himself immensely.
“What are these?” Joy asked, pointing to the glass on the table in front of them.
Wade reached for them and handed her one. “Celebrating us burying the hatchet.”
She cocked an eyebrow at him. She crossed her legs, and Wade had to fight to keep from looking at the smooth expanse of skin. The fantasy of feeling her supple legs wrapped around his waist was getting harder to resist.
“Are we?” she asked.
Wade blinked, temporarily forgetting what they were speaking about. His gaze met her large brown pools, and he nodded. His tongue was stuck to the roof of mouth. She took the drink from him with a slight smile on her lips.
He raised his glass to hers. “New beginnings.”
The light clink of glass filled the air. The background noise faded away, as if it were just the two of them. He was impressed by the way she knocked back the glass. His gaze fell down to the smooth column of her neck. He ached to bury his face into the crook of her neck and breathe in her scent. Her perfume was light, but intoxicating. He did the same, ignoring the slight burn of alcohol. He took their empty glasses and placed them on the table.
Wade leaned back and rested his arm behind Joy. She turned to him, her body fitting snug next to him. She looked up him with a small tilt of her lips.
“This was fun,” she admitted.
He nodded again, and his fingers found their way into the dark strands of her hair. Her eyes darkened. He wondered if he leaned in and pressed his lips to hers, whether she would accept the kiss or push him away.
He didn’t care if they were in a very public place.
They were both consenting adults.
Her plump lips were calling to him.
Throwing caution to the wind, he dipped his head down and claimed them. He cupped her face as his lips moved over hers. She opened her mouth and welcomed his tongue.
The kiss was short, but packed enough heat to tell him the attraction was not one-sided.
Wade pulled back and opened his eyes. Joy’s were slightly out of focus. She blinked a few times before they settled on him. He kept his hand on her face, rubbing her flawless skin with his thumb.
“Wanna go back to your place?” she blurted out.
Wade’s heart paused, then began to race in an erratic manner. She h
ad taken the words right out of his mouth. He inched forward and pressed a soft kiss to her lips.
“Yes, but first,”—Another kiss to her slightly swollen lips—“it’s my turn. Don’t think you’re going to distract me to win.”
He grinned wide and stood. He was just as competitive as she was, and wasn’t going down without a fight.
Her laughter floated through the air behind him. As rock-hard as his cock was, he wasn’t sure he could focus, but dammit, he was going to try his best.
7
Joy didn’t know what came over her. She had never been so bold to ask for a man to take her back to his place. That just wasn’t her. And on the first date?
It hadn’t started as a date, but as the night progressed, it ended up being a date.
If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, then it must be a duck.
Everything about Wade tonight was not what she had assumed. Joy had figured they would have a friendly game of bowling, eat some good food, and then head home.
Boy, had she been wrong.
One heated look from him, the hussy in her came out.
Maybe she could blame it on being single for so long. There was something about a man who wasn’t afraid to be a man when out with a woman.
Even though those other women kept eyeing Wade, not once was his attention drawn to them. They hadn’t been shy at all in openly gawking at him. They were well into their cups and had grown louder as the night went on.
He had her feeling as if she were the only woman there.
Wade joked with her, making her smile and laugh more than she had in a long time. The subtle touches, his hands on her waist.
That kiss…holy mother of God.
Her panties had gone up in flames and practically melted off her body. Wade Brooks could have asked her for anything at that moment, and she would have done it.
She had forgotten they were even in the bowling alley.
The second his lips pressed against hers, she’d leaned into the kiss with everything she had. Her body was immediately engulfed in the need to be with him.
“It’s my turn. Don’t think you’re going to distract me to win.”
When he’d walked away from her to bowl his turn, Joy knew at that moment she was hooked.
They’d both fought to the bitter end. Wade had ended up beating her by two points. She had gracefully bowed to him.
But, oh, there would be a rematch.
Wade led her from Pin Pushers with their fingers entwined. She held on to his arm and leaned on him.
“I had fun tonight,” she remarked.
The parking lot was full of cars, and even thought it was late, some of the people were just arriving.
“Good. I knew you would.”
“Hey.” She lightly hit in him the stomach.
He feigned as if she had hit him hard.
“What’d you do that for?”
“You Brooks are all arrogant,” she muttered.
He squeezed her fingers tight and pulled her in to wrap his arm around her shoulders.
“We have a right to be.” He howled when her hand shot out again, slamming into his abs.
She registered the ridges underneath her hand. He barked out a laugh as they reached his vehicle. They walked around to the passenger side with him guiding her back to the door.
“Oh, really? Why is that?”
He moved in closer, closing the gap between them. He reached up and ran a finger down her cheek, cupping her face. She bit back a moan at the feeling of his body and his hardness touching her stomach.
“Well, this Brooks man was out with the hottest woman in town,” he murmured. He bent down and brushed his lips against hers.
“I’m listening,” she whispered.
Her eyes fluttered closed when he covered her mouth with his. His tongue slipped inside to duel with hers.
He was right. He had a reason to be arrogant.
He could kiss.
Joy was lost in him. She gripped his shirt tight with her fingers as she leaned into him.
It wasn’t soft and sensual, but hot and explosive.
The only thing that filled her mind was Wade, and the feeling of his body on hers. She slid her hands up his chest and up his neck to dive into the thick curly hair her fingers were itching to touch.
Joy pulled him closer.
She needed more.
Groaning, Wade tore his lips from hers. Their heavy breathing was the only sound that registered in Joy’s mind.
Wade rested his head on hers.
“You still want to go back to my place?” His deep voice vibrated through her.
“Yes,” she whimpered.
Wade cursed and kissed her hard before helping her into the truck. Once inside, he leaned in to help put on her seat belt.
Another kiss, and the door slammed shut.
Joy’s heart was racing a mile a minute while she watched Wade stalk around the front of the truck. Her core pulsed with the need to have him inside of her.
The driver’s door swung open, and Wade slid into his seat. A few seconds later, and a screeching of tires, they were on the road.
Joy glanced down and took in her hand engulfed by Wade’s. Soft country music played while they rode in silence.
Joy sat back and enjoyed the warm breeze blowing in through the open windows. Her hair floated through the air. Tucking her blowing hair behind her ear, she took the time to study Wade as he drove. His focus was on the road, and it gave her an uninterrupted view of his profile.
“Is there something on my face?” he asked.
She smiled. “Nope.”
“Then what is it?” He glanced over at her, then turned his attention back to the road.
“Just trying to figure out if there will be boxer briefs, tighty-whities, or nothing.”
What. The. Hell?
That one shot of alcohol was to blame.
She was a lightweight.
It had been something on her mind the entire night. With his tight-fitting Levi’s, she was betting Wade was a commando type of guy.
Wade chuckled. He brought her hand up to his lips and pressed a kiss to the back of it.
“You’re going to have to wait and see.”
A small smile lingered on Joy’s lips while they continued the drive. Fifteen minutes later, they came upon the turn that led to her family’s ranch. Wade shot her another look.
“You’re sure?”
Joy nodded. There was no way she was changing her mind. Her body was tense, and beyond aroused. She was strung tight, and she needed Wade to put her out of her misery.
They drove past the road and continued on.
The butterflies in Joy’s belly increased.
She thought back to his toast. New beginnings.
Tonight, Wade Brooks wasn’t the enemy. For too long their families had been against each other.
He again brought her hand to his lips and pressed a kiss to it. Her core clenched. The air in the cab grew thick with sexual tension. She bit her lip and tried to suppress all the fantasies she’d had about Wade.
He guided the truck down the road that led to Blazing Eagle Ranch. They drove under the welcome sign, and she knew she had officially crossed the line of no return.
Minutes later, they arrived on the land that had once belonged to her family. Wade’s home was built on it. She pushed down the emotions that swirled around in her chest. She almost felt as if she were betraying her ancestors by stepping foot on it, but what was done in the past had nothing to do with her or Wade.
He parked the truck in front of the attached garage and cut the engine. Silence greeted them. They stared at each other without saying a word.
Wade squeezed her hand before releasing it, then exited the cab.
Joy blew out a deep breath as her heart continued to gallop like a runaway stallion.
There was no turning back now.
Her door opened, and there was Wade, holding out his hand for her. She slid her smaller
one into his and allowed him to assist her from the SUV. Wade shut the door and trapped her against it. Her breath caught in her throat when he drew closer. Her hands came up to rest on his hardened chest. She stood on her tiptoes to meet him in a hard, bruising kiss.
He immediately took charge of it, and she allowed him to. His tongue swept into her mouth, commanding the kiss. Her hand rode up his chest, and her fingers entwined at the nape of his neck. She pushed closer to him. A moan escaped her.
Wade’s large hand trailed along her torso and down to her ass. He gripped her to him, pressing his hardness to her stomach.
She grew flushed and hot, needing more. Wade released her with a growl.
“Let’s go, pretty lady. Let’s take this inside,” he murmured.
Joy blinked, her chest rising and falling fast. Hell, she wouldn’t have complained one minute if he had lifted her up against his truck. He took her hand and tugged her behind him. They walked up on the small porch. She leaned close to him while he dug into his pocket for his keys.
She laughed as Wade fumbled with the key and lock. He finally got the door open and guided her inside.
“Welcome to my home.”
Joy moved past him and into the foyer. It was a beautifully decorated. There was a unique light fixture overhead. The first level had an open concept that highlighted a wonderful kitchen. Wade’s style could be described as a rustic country, and it was right up Joy’s alley.
She turned around and found him leaning against the door, his gray eyes locked on her. They had been one of the first features of his she’d noticed when they had met all those years ago. They were a unique shade of coloring, and one of the things that drew women to the Brooks brothers.
“Do I get a tour?” she asked, waving her hand in the air.
Wade pushed off the door and stalked toward her, stopping within millimeters of her. His heated gaze ripped the air from her lungs.
“Do you really want one?”
“No.” She shook her head, her voice barely coming out as a whisper. She was sure there would be plenty of time for her to see his house. Right now, there was only one room she was interested in seeing.