A Cowboy's Song

by Megan Ryder

  “We don’t need to go anywhere tonight. This cabin is used for hunting and fishing tours, so it’s fully stocked and prepped for people to stay overnight. Not only that, it has food and gear in case one of the hands gets stuck out here during a storm and needs a place to stay. We’re fine here.”

  She furrowed her brow and frowned. “Won’t Tara and West be worried about us? And I’m not looking forward to food canned in World War II. Beans and Spam.”

  He grinned and pointed to a picnic basket. “Some Good Samaritans dropped off some food and a note. We’re good until tomorrow. No Spam and beans, although we have more recently packaged food and it’s freeze-dried, not just canned.”

  “Good. I hate Spam. My dad loves it. It’s gross.”

  He looked at her in mock horror. “Are you kidding? Spam is the best. Fried up with eggs or on a sandwich. There are so many ways to eat it.”

  She made a gagging noise. “Who knows what’s even in it? No thanks. I’ll have whatever is in that basket, and you can have the weird stuff. Just don’t let me smell it.”

  He laughed and headed to the basket to see what Tara and West had left for them. He opened the lid and lifted a bottle of wine and two glasses, packets of homemade fried chicken, and chocolates. He showed them to Piper, who laughed.

  “Saved from Spam.” Her lips tilted in a playful look, and she got up from the log. “That food looks like it will hold for a while. Maybe we can work up an appetite before dinner?”

  He stuffed the food back in the basket and scrambled after her, belatedly remembering to bring it with him into the cabin to keep it safe from any wild critters, and they spent the next several hours working through the basket and each other until they fell asleep to the sound of the rushing water and the distant call of coyotes.

  Chapter Eighteen

  The next several days passed in a whirlwind of activity. Piper spent most of the days with Tara and the other bridesmaids, preparing for the wedding because, as usual, Tara was doing most of the wedding planning and work herself, farming out the tasks to her bridesmaids.

  At night, Piper collapsed in her cabin, exhausted from the day’s efforts, but she had one thing to look forward to. Ty spent every night with her, ostensibly to practice the song in preparation for the wedding. But music practice often led to practice of another sort on the couch, in the shower, in the bedroom. Dundee was often relegated to the porch, only let inside when they went to bed, where he slept on the couch, banished from the bedroom. She tried to feel pity for the dog, but honestly, it was so hard to care when she had Ty in her bed. It really was so much better sleeping with a real, live man who woke her up at odd hours with sexy kisses, hard lovin’, and sweet words that only made her fall even more for the cowboy than she already had. In the morning, as the sun was coming up, he’d wake her up with a screaming orgasm, then tuck her back in to sleep while slipping out to go to work.

  No wonder she was often late meeting Tara, though the other woman seemed rushed enough herself, so Piper didn’t really care too much. She was enjoying the little bubble she was living in for now and trying to ignore the fact that the calendar was rapidly ticking down on when she needed to leave and go back to reality. And she still had no songs, no ideas for where to start with her new album. And she was dodging her family, her business manager, and her producer, all in the name of focusing on the wedding, playing a Scarlett O’Hara. She’d deal with it all next week.

  Because today was the rehearsal dinner, and it was all hands on deck for the main event. Tara was remarkably calm, settled into the guest ranch house where the women would spend the night, while the guys were hanging out at the main house with West. Piper smoothed the lines on the black sleeveless dress she wore and adjusted the deep red bow between her breasts, modifying the cleavage to ensure the lace covered her. She grabbed her white pashmina that accented the white daisies on the dress and headed downstairs. No one was ready yet, so she wandered down the short hallway to the ranch manager’s apartment in the back where Tara was staying.

  She knocked on the door twice and entered when Tara called her. Tara was standing in front of the window, dressed in a floor-length red sheath that looked breathtaking on her. Her blonde hair was loose around her shoulders, and she was toying with a necklace at her throat.

  Piper swallowed. “You may not want to wear that tonight. West will throw you over his shoulders and steal you away.”

  Tara turned with a smile. “Looks like we’re both doing a little teasing tonight. Showing a little more of the girls than you usually do, aren’t you?”

  Piper tugged at the vee of her dress. “Damn, I knew it was too low.”

  Tara laughed. “It’s perfect. Ty can handle it.” Tara reached for her and drew her down on the bed. “You’ve been good for him the past couple of weeks and don’t bother denying anything. He’s more relaxed and open than he’s ever been. I adore my brothers-in-law, but Ty is the quietest, the one I worry about the most. Sometimes, I wonder how he feels about West and Chase getting married. He seemed to be pulling away, and I was concerned. But then you came, and he emerged from his shell.”

  Piper’s face burned. “We had music in common and spent some time talking.”

  Tara’s brow rose. “Talking? Is that what you call it? Well, whatever you’ve done, thank you. But I have to ask. What comes next? I think I’ve kept you too busy, and I didn’t keep my promise to let you rest and work on your own music.”

  Piper glanced away. There were times when she thought she could hear the music, just out of reach, but then it was gone, dancing away on the wind, and she was left drifting again. Instead, she shrugged. “It’s fine. I’m happy to be here, celebrating your big day for the last time.”

  “Definitely. This one is going to stick.” Tara laughed. “But seriously. Stay for an extra week or more if you want. No one is coming for the cabin for a couple of weeks. And if they were, I’m sure we could find you a place to stay.”

  Noise from the reception area filtered down the hall, the rest of the women arriving. “I think we have a rehearsal to get to. Not that you haven’t planned this out to the very second,” Piper noted.

  Tara stood. “I may know exactly what needs to happen, but we all know everyone else will screw it up! Let’s get this show on the road.” She hugged Piper. “Thank you again. You’re always welcome here, no matter what.”

  *

  The rehearsal went almost exactly as planned. Hailey and Chase’s son, A.J., was adorable in his jeans, button-down shirt, vest, and cowboy boots. A mini-me of Chase, almost. All the women sighed when he walked down the aisle with the pillow that would hold the rings, looking so solemn and intense. Of course, they would have been less thrilled if they had seen him about twenty minutes earlier playing catch out back with his best friend and the same pillow. Ty and Chase had rescued the pillow and lectured the boys, but Ty saw the spark of mischief and knew they’d have to keep an eye on them. And if Hailey’s eyes narrowed a bit at the different shirt her son was wearing because his original one had gotten dirty, she didn’t say anything at that moment, only gave Chase a long, telling look. Chase, for his part, kissed Hailey until she breathlessly pushed him away, laughing, and then joined the guys by the beer.

  Ty couldn’t take his eyes off of Piper. She was wearing a simple black dress with daisies on it, fitted around her chest and upper torso, then flaring out around her hips to the floor. The plunging neckline had some black lace tucked along the edges to tease anyone looking, and he itched to trace the valley with his fingers or his tongue until she squirmed and begged for more. He loved how responsive she was, and having her waiting for him every night made getting through the workday easier, even when West was riding them hard to get more done. Just knowing he had someone waiting for him to spend the evening instead of staring at the four walls, pregnant cows, or even his dog, made all the difference.

  Yet this wedding was the beginning of the end. She would have no reason to stay once Tara and West were marri
ed. In fact, he had heard her listening to her voice mail the prior evening from her business manager, asking when they should schedule time to discuss the next recording and her plans for the next album. She couldn’t stay in Montana forever, and Nashville was across the country, both geographically and in terms of lifestyle. They had no future. Yet neither one had held back, not yet. He didn’t even know when her return flight was scheduled, and he didn’t want to ask.

  But time was running out on them.

  Dinner had ended and Tara was puttering around, putting the finishing touches on some pieces in the barn when she turned to him.

  “We really should practice our first dance and test the sound system. Maybe you should give us a preview of the song, Ty.”

  Sneaky woman. He suppressed a grin. “You just hate not knowing something, don’t you?”

  Piper wandered over to his side and slipped an arm around his waist, laying her head on his shoulders. “You have to wait until tomorrow. You wanted to be surprised.”

  Tara wrinkled her nose. “I never said anything about being surprised. I just asked for a song, and I don’t want West caught off-guard and not prepared, you know? We should really practice so we look good for our first dance.”

  Piper snorted. “As if the two of you would ever look bad. And I’ve seen you dance at The Rock. You’ll be fine.”

  “Bride’s privilege.” Tara planted her hands on her hips.

  Ty could have made serious cash if he had bet on Tara saying those words. “You’ve been using that excuse for the past month. You have barely twenty-four more hours for it now. But not this time. You have to wait. However, you do bring up a good point. We should test the sound system. Piper? And maybe practice the bridal party dance.”

  He led her to the makeshift stage and grabbed his guitar. They began singing, a duet they’d sung at The Rock one night, a romantic ballad. Tara and West, Hailey and Chase were on the dance floor immediately, followed more slowly by the rest of the bridal party, including Emma and Cam and Sierra and Nathan Holt, Emma’s older brother and sheriff of the small town. One song led to another; partners switched, and they played a few more until A.J. and his friend were slumping in their seats, finally tired out.

  Hailey bundled up A.J. for Chase to take home, since she was staying with Tara tonight. Tara and West disappeared to say their final good nights. Emma and Sierra busied themselves doing a final cleanup, with Nathan and Cam helping. Ty and Piper made a few final adjustments to the sound system, then Ty led her out of the main arena by the back door, to a side room where Chase stored supplies. He closed the door to the storage room, the only light coming from the moonlight that shone in from the small, narrow window near the top of the room.

  Hopefully, no one saw them slip away.

  Piper gave him a questioning look, but before she could speak, he pressed her against the wall and did what he had been wanting to do all night. He kissed her, pressing his lips to hers with a passion that had been pent up, stored up while he watched his friends and brothers hold their significant others and he had to wait. She gasped then wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer until she was pressed against him, one leg winding its way around his thigh to hold him in place. He buried his hands in her hair, his fingers spearing the thick strands, and he angled her head for a deeper kiss, his tongue sweeping into her mouth to express the pent-up sexual frustration he’d held inside all night at seeing the dress, the flirty flare of the skirt, the teasing neckline all acting to fire up his senses, while he couldn’t do anything about it.

  She broke off the kiss to suck in oxygen. “What brought that on?”

  He rested his forehead on hers and did the second thing he’d been dying to do since he saw her sashay down the aisle at rehearsal. He ran a calloused fingertip from the pulse beating wildly in her throat to nudge aside the lace and trace the valley between her breasts. Her heart pounded under his touch, and she shivered in the cool night air, but she never took her eyes off of him, wide and dark with arousal. The shadows hid them behind the barn, secluded as they were, and he was emboldened to tug one side of the bodice over a creamy mound until her lacy bra was exposed to his hungry gaze.

  “I fucking love your lingerie.”

  She sucked in a breath as he gently caressed the lace over her nipple, the tip beading under his touch. “This is my favorite set. You should see the matching panties.”

  “Is that an invitation?”

  He didn’t wait for her answer but unzipped the back of her dress then slipped his hand under the bodice of her dress and pushed it off her shoulders and down her arms until she stood before him in only her bra. The top of her dress tangled around her waist. He didn’t pause but swept his hands over both shoulders, skimming his fingers over the softness of her skin and taking the straps of that amazing bra with it down over her arms. Deftly, he unhooked the back of the bra and let it drop, freeing the mounds to his gaze and touch. He covered them with both hands, his thumbs gently rolling the tips. She let her head fall back against the storage room wall, her eyes closed as her breathing came faster, harder. One of these nights he was going to find out if she could orgasm from nipple play alone, but, as usual, he was too eager to be inside her, his cock pressing painfully against the zipper of his jeans until he feared he’d have the imprint permanently etched on the hard length.

  She wiggled her hips a little and stood in front of him in nothing but her panties, a sheer black lace thong that left nothing to the imagination and had one white bow on the front. She gave him an impish smile. “Do you like them?”

  Instead of replying, he fell to his knees and pressed a kiss to the bow. Her head fell forward, her hair cascading around them like a waterfall, surrounding them, providing them even more privacy. He tugged the panties down and kissed her bare mound, then opened her and slid his tongue through her slit to tease her. Piper widened her legs and angled her hips to give him better access, burying her fingers in his hair to hold him in place, her pants and breathy moans encouraging him to continue.

  Her hips jerked under his mouth, and he gripped her tighter, holding her in place, until she broke with a low cry, orgasming suddenly. He drew out her climax, avoiding her sensitive nub and teasing her until she sagged against the wall, her hands idly stroking him. He rose to his feet, body tense and shaking, not sure he’d make it, not sure he’d get inside her before he’d embarrass himself like a teenager. She looked so beautiful with the shaft of moonlight shining on her face, her slightly dazed expression, her smile as she ran her hands over his body.

  She reached for the button on his jeans and fell to her knees, undoing his waistband, releasing his cock. It sprang out, and she traced the head, spreading the drops of precum around the sensitive head until he hissed and jerked back. She pushed his jeans and briefs over his hips and pulled him closer, closing her mouth over his cock, her warm mouth like a little slice of heaven.

  This time, it was his turn to grab her head, his fingers tightening on her scalp, flexing, trying not to pull her in too hard, even as he tried not to come too soon.

  “God, baby. I can’t wait, can’t hold on.”

  She pulled off just enough to murmur, “Then don’t.”

  She lashed the tip with her tongue, running it over the head then along the underside while he tried everything to distract himself from her teasing. He thought about calving, castration, branding, anything but her wicked tongue and mouth torturing him. When her hands started massaging his balls, he gave it up and came with a roar, not able to stop, holding her in place while he emptied himself into her.

  She cleaned him and sat back on her heels, giving him an impish grin. “Think you’ll sleep well tonight?”

  He grabbed her shoulders and pulled her up. “Not quite yet.”

  He bent down and dug around his jeans for a moment and came up with a condom, ripped it open, and fitted it over his hard cock, then lifted her, pinning her against the wall and wrapped her legs around his waist.

 
“Maybe after this.”

  He drove into her, balls deep on the first thrust, hard and deep. She gasped, her head falling back. He froze, letting her adjust to him. After a moment, she moved her hips, clenching her muscles inside around his cock to get him to move. So, he obliged, pulling out, then in, at first slow and steady, a deep, driving rhythm, hitting all of her spots that made her wiggle and sigh and suck in her breath all at once. Suddenly, she spasmed around him and came again, her cries echoing in the room around them. Her orgasm unleashed him; he began to move faster, harder, driving deeper, his shaft hitting her sensitive slit on every thrust. She arched, pulling him to her and meeting him halfway, pleading with him to let her come. Finally, she cried out, another climax ripping through her, and he followed her over, feeling like it was pulled from his spine, emptying himself into her.

  He slumped against her, pinning her to the wall as her legs slowly slid down his body. Their breathing slowed, and the cool air drifted over their sweat-slicked bodies. Piper shivered a little as she came back to awareness.

  Ty pulled back and cupped her cheek, kissing her. “Are you okay?”

  She smiled, a little shyly considering all they had done. “Way better than fine, thank you.”

  A banging on the door interrupted them. “If you two are done in there, we’d like to close up for the night and go home, okay?”

  Ty slammed his fist into the door. “A little privacy would be nice, asshole.”

  Chase chuckled, and they could hear his boot heels walking away.

  Ty turned back to Piper, whose face was bright red in the moonlight. “Oh my God. How long was he standing there?”

  “Probably a few seconds, no more,” Ty lied.

  She gave him a doubtful look and scrambled into her clothes. “How do I look?”

  She looked like she’d been thoroughly fucked, but he wasn’t going to tell her that, since she was already pretty self-conscious. Instead, he went with the other truth. “Gorgeous.”