by Ciana Stone
But that wouldn’t get her back on the road, so just before his lips met hers, she raised her hand and covered his mouth with her fingers.
He didn’t release her, but did straighten, letting one of his hands drift down her back to slide across the swell of her ass. She stepped back, forcing him to drop his hands.
“So, what kinda riding is it gonna be today, Roxie?”
“Hmmm, don’t know that I’m much interested in riding today, Beckett.”
His eyebrows rose a moment before his smile. “Not Mr. Beckett? Does that mean the rules have changed?”
She smiled and reached up to trace her fingers along the side of his face. “Hmmm, let me think on that a minute.”
Even as she acted, she knew she was treading dangerous ground. Playing with Cade Beckett was definitely like handling fire. Fire that could spread in an instant. But she couldn’t resist.
She stood up on her tiptoes and slowly brushed her lips across his. He made no move to take control of the moment, which pleased her. Her tongue snaked out and his lips parted to allow her access. It was a slow, long kiss with nothing of their bodies touching except their lips. Finally, just before she ended the kiss, she leaned in, grazing his chest with her breasts.
When she moved back, he reached for her but she stepped back and reclined against the door.
“Well?” he asked.
She cocked her head slightly to one side. “Sorry, Beckett.”
“Your eyes tell a different tale, sugar. And a kiss like that makes promises. Very hot and wet promises.”
Unfortunately, hot and wet was just how she felt. Were it not for the bet, she’d be on him like white on rice. But losing wasn’t an option and all she could do was bluff her way through the moment.
“I like it hot.”
He moved too fast for her to evade and pulled her to him. “Then you’re gonna love this, sugar.”
His mouth crushed down on hers, one hand tightening in her hair and the other moving up to cup one breast. It was like a bolt of electricity. Every nerve ending in her body went into high gear, sensation screaming through her from his touch. When his thumb tracked over her nipple, she fought to stifle a groan and was only partially successful.
He lifted away from the kiss, a cocky smile on his face. “You are so going down.”
His tease brought her back to the game, allowing her to establish some measure of control over her traitorous body that was screaming for her to rip his clothes off and fuck his brains out there on in the vestibule. She stepped away and circled him.
“Not on you. And since we know we’re not doing that, what else you have for entertainment around here?”
She moved into the great room and took a look around. Beckett sure had a nice place. Clearly, he wasn’t hurting for money. And that was curious. Sure, the Honky Tonk did a good business, but she didn’t see a small town bar providing the capital for this kind of house, and certainly not the furnishings it contained. He had to be into something else to afford all this.
“How long have you lived here?”
“About a month.”
“A month?” That surprised her.
Cade shrugged. “I hadn’t really planned on buying a place, but this one came up for sale the week I arrived and the price was too good to pass up.”
“It’s a nice place.” She walked over to the massive entertainment center that dominated one wall. Who the heck needed a television that big?
Apparently, he did.
When she spotted an X-Box console in one of the glass cabinets to the side, she smiled. Ah ha, a gamer.
“What kind of games do you have?”
Cade nearly groaned. The last thing on his mind was playing video games. What was on his mind was touching and tasting every inch of her. But like his granddaddy always said, “You can hog that ice cream cone fast or lick it slow and savor the taste as long as possible.” That was a pretty smart old fella as far as Cade was concerned. So he gave in. Prolonging the anticipating and taking it slow only made the having that much sweeter.
“In the cabinet beneath. Take your pick.” He took a seat on the couch and watched as she knelt and opened the cabinet.
Gypsy. That was the first thing that came to mind when he looked at her. With the colorful skirt hanging low on her hips and its irregular hem giving glimpses of bare legs and her hair loose and flowing down her back, he could imagine her in a Gypsy camp, dancing around a fire and tempting every man in sight.
She selected a game and put it in the console then turned to him. “Where do you keep your controllers?”
“Drawer to the left.”
Roxie took two controllers from the drawer. She kicked off her sandals and took a seat on the sofa beside him, hiking her skirt up then tucking it between her legs as she arranged herself, Indian fashion.
The complaint that rose to his lips died as an idea came to Cade. “What’d you pick?”
She held up the DVD case and Cade smiled. “Ah, a zombie killing fan. I like it. So version one or two?”
“One. I have a thing for Francis.”
Cade chucked. Why didn’t that surprise him? Of course, Roxie would go for the character who looked like a big muscular biker with a hair-trigger temper and a bad attitude.
He reached for the remote and turned on the television.
“So, we teaming up or you want to go at it one on one?”
“One on one sounds good.”
Cade nodded. “You play much?”
“When I can.”
“Enough to put a wager on the outcome of the game?” He could see hesitation on her face. “It’s okay, if you’re not up to it, then…”
Oh, he had her. He could tell from the way her jaw tightened and her eyes narrowed that she couldn’t back down.
“What’re the stakes?”
He let the moment draw out, running his eyes over her. Damn if he didn’t like what he saw. Like the way her tank top clung to her breasts. And those big hazel eyes going a shade darker when they met his. He most decidedly liked what he saw.
She rolled her eyes at him. “Come on, Beckett. What’re the stakes?”
“I win; we spend the rest of the day in bed.”
“Nope. That cancels our original bet.”
“I didn’t say I’d get in you, baby. How ’bout this? I win and you get naked with me in bed and everything but that is on the table.”
“Define everything.”
“Tasting, touching—anything two people can do except actual intercourse.”
“And if I win?”
“Name it.”
“You fix the T-Bird and chip in two grand, cash, so Dini and I can get outta this town.”
Shit. That wasn’t what he’d hoped for. He wasn’t ready for Roxie to leave. Was she that certain she could win?
Bigger question, could he beat her?
The gambler inside decided for him. “Done.”
Now came the moment. He could almost hear the wheels turning in her brain. Could she take him? Seeing the uncertainty in her eyes bolstered his confidence.
She gave him a smile that spoke of determination. “Maybe I should call Dini and tell her to start packing.”
“Maybe you should wait till tomorrow and tell her about how I drove you damn near crazy with my hands and mouth.”
She smirked. “Get your game on, stud. You’re about to go down in flames.”
Cade started the game, hoping she was wrong.
Two hours later, Cade was starting to worry that she was right. She was good. They were in a dead tie. As the next match loaded on the console, he turned to look at her.
She watched the screen, unaware that he was watching her instead of the television. He liked the way her brows drew together slightly as she studied the available weapons and made selection. Not to mention the sexy way she pursed her lips.
Damn if this woman wasn’t a breathing hard-on.
“This is it,” she said.
He looked at the screen. “I’ve heard
that before.”
She cocked her head as she studied the screen. “You won’t survive this one. I’ve got your number, Beckett.”
He hoped not, but just in case, maybe he’d better turn his game up a notch. This match he was playing a zombie and she was playing a human survivor. If she was smart enough to keep out of areas where she had no room to maneuver and got a good bead on him, she just might survive. Or worse, she might get the drop on him and take him out.
And if she took him out, that took her out. Of town.
“Get ready to get naked, Roxie.”
She cut him a sassy smile, then turned her attention back to the game. “You’re such a flirt. Okay, here we go.”
A stab of something akin to anxiety lanced through her. They’d battled for hours, evenly matched, neither of them able to get more than one match on the other. Now suddenly her character was trapped in an alley with zombies coming at her from both directions.
Gritting her teeth, she fought harder. She couldn’t lose. This was her chance to get out of town.
That thought brought another. Just why was she so eager to leave? She had nowhere to go and no one to go to. Was she running toward something or away from something?
That was what undid her. In a blink it all caved in on her. The truth was she was running away. Away from Cade Beckett and the feelings he inspired. Not just the lust. That was a horse she could ride. There was something else. Something more. Something about him that said it would be all too easy to lose herself in him.
And that scared her. She’d sworn off love a long time ago, vowed to never let herself become hostage to emotion. It only brought pain.
Distracted, she lost focus and made a fatal error. His character, a special zombie that could jump vast distances and had razor sharp nails, pounced.
“Come on, come on, help me out!” she screamed at the artificial intelligence characters who fought alongside her. If one of them didn’t shoot the hunter off her, she was a goner.
Seconds ticked by, her life force clicking down steadily until those fatal words appeared on the screen. “You Are Dead.”
“Noooo!” Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit. It was all she could think. She’d lost.
She turned to look at Cade and when their gazes met all the air in the room seemed to have been sucked out. Locked in the desire in his eyes, she could only stare.
“Looks like I’m not the only one going down today, sugar.”
It took all the control she could muster to tear away from the look. It wasn’t going to take much more for her to fall victim to him and she couldn’t allow that to happen.
She had to play it cool.
“God almighty, you’re cocky. But I’m curious. Do you always go to such lengths to win?”
“I go after what I want.”
“Yeah, that’s obvious.” She added a little snort for effect, hoping she appeared completely unaffected by his nearness. “But the question was, are you always so determined?”
“Only when the situation calls for it.”
She shook her head. “Okay and I’m supposed to translate that…how? That you feel a hankering for a new diversion and I look like a likely candidate?”
The frown that appeared on his face surprised her. He reached out to take her hand and tugged on it so that she angled to face him.
“Listen up, Roxie. I’m only going to say this once. I don’t meet many women who intrigue me. But you do. So while I do have a hankering for you, it’s not just a conquest. It’s more a discovery. Discovering what’s beneath the surface. And sugar, I’m just as interested in pleasuring you as myself.”
Nothing could have surprised her more. Had she gotten him completely wrong, assuming he was just another guy looking for a quick slap-and-tickle who would immediately move on to the next woman he met?
“Why?”
“Because you’re all mystery and fire. You’re bold but wary and you bluff like a champion. You don’t trust easy and you keep a tight rein on what’s inside. You’re smart, strong and…”
“And?”
A slight flush rose on his face along with a grin. “And thinking of you keeps me awake at night.”
“Well…well, I’m flattered. But don’t confuse me with the fantasies, Beckett. Reality rarely lives up to fantasy.”
He pulled her closer, reaching up to run one hand through her long hair. “I know the difference between fantasy and reality, honey. Just like I know there’s one hell of a fire burning beneath that cool exterior. And yeah, I play to win. Now that I have, I sure as hell hope you’re not gonna welsh on the debt, ’cause you can bank on it that if you let me, I’ll take you where you’ve never been before.”
“Promises, promises.” She tried to tease but was largely unsuccessful. At the moment, she felt completely overwhelmed.
He shook his head. “Iron-clad guarantee.”
For a few moments they just sat there. She searched his eyes and contrary to her nature, took the bait. Hook, line, and sinker.
Cade watched her eyes, waiting for her response. Was he about to get shot down? He hoped not. Something inside him said that she just might be the woman who could match him. Not just in verbal sparring, brains and talent, but in passion and emotion.
That concerned him a bit. When had it become about more than just sex?
Then she gave him a sexy smile and his mind went blank to everything but his hunger for her. “Well, hell, Beckett. When you put it like that…”
Before he knew it, she’d grabbed his shirt in both hands and ripped it open. Buttons popped free, flying this way and that as she bared his chest. He had time to do little more than smile before her mouth was on his skin and her fingers were working on the button of his jeans.
Eagerly, he pulled her to him, claiming her in a kiss. Her hands unfastening his belt to snake up around his neck and tighten to fists in his hair. She returned the kiss with unbridled lust
Passion hot as a five-alarm fire slammed into him. And the blaze had burned south of the belt way too quick for comfort.
He wasn’t accustomed to instant heat, the kind that made you lose your mind and revert into a primitive man with only a single thought. Get in and stroke hard. But that was where he was and it unnerved him knowing that he’d stick to the terms of the deal and not push for that.
Still locked in the kiss, he pressed her back onto the sofa, his hands tugging at the rolled waist of her skirt. She raised her hips, allowing him to slide the skirt down her legs.
He ran his hands down her sides, traveling over the curves, feeling the reaction when her thighs tightened. Damn, she felt good. Firm muscle beneath the soft skin. The return journey was every bit as good, moving up her sides to take hold of her tank top and pull it up over her head.
Roxie’s fingers tightened in his hair when he flicked his tongue across the taut nub of one nipple then sucked it into his mouth. Oh hell. Now wasn’t the time to give into the delectable sensations he was providing. She had to stay strong.
She pushed back from him. “I have an idea.”
“Yeah?”
“Um hmm. What about a nice hot shower?”
Cade was on his feet in two seconds, pulling her up. “Sounds good to me.”
He tugged her to follow him down the hall and into the bathroom. Once inside, he quickly started undressing her. Roxie allowed him to get her naked but stopped him from touching her. Instead, she turned on the water in the shower and set about taking off his clothes.
“Do you have a condom?” she asked as she pulled down his pants.
“In the drawer.”
She opened the drawer, took out a condom, lay it on the vanity, then finished the task of getting him naked. Once he was, she smiled up at him, ran her right hand over his hip to his stomach, and then lower. When she took him in her hand, he reached out one hand to the vanity. She recognized the signal and knew her touch had gotten to him.
“Ready for that shower?” She rose up on her tiptoes to nip his chin.
/> “Yeah.” His response was spoken in a much deeper tone than normal.
She didn’t release him, but put her free hand on his hip and stepped backward into the walk-in shower, pulling him with her.
Hot water cascaded over them, rivulets running across her shoulders and down over her breasts. She smiled up at him and released him to pick up a bottle of shampoo. “You’re seriously going to give me a shampoo?” Cade asked.
“You have a problem with that?”
“Aside from the fact that I’ve already had a shower and haven’t needed help washing myself since I was four? No problem at all.”
“Smart ass. Kneel down.” She watched him as she poured shampoo into her hand.
His expression told her that while he wasn’t much on being bossed around, he did get a kick out of her being a bit dominatrix. He complied and she smiled. The position put him eye-level with her navel. All he had to do was look down and there it was, the holy grail—at least to men.
His gaze moved down and a moment later he placed his hands on her ass, squeezing firmly. She wiggled against his hands but continued to wash his hair.
“Okay, stand up,” she directed and guided him face-first into the spray to rinse.
Now it was time to crank up the heat.
Cade nearly jumped when he felt her hands, slick with soap, work around his body to his penis. She stroked him for a minute then turned her attention to his back. She started at the top of his shoulders and worked down. Her touch was not that of someone at a task. She took her time, feeling every inch of his skin.
When she reached his ass, she leaned forward, pressing her breasts against his back as she ran her hand around to his erection. Her fingers moved between the cleft of his ass, over his anus and to his balls. Cade reached out, bracing himself with both hands against the shower wall in front of him.
After a minute of pleasure that was close to overwhelming, she squatted down behind him and washed his legs. When she rose and turned his back to the spray, she smiled up at him and began to soap the front of his body.
She gave extra attention to his genitals, all the while keeping her gaze locked with his. It was electric and nearly overwhelming. He was going to come at any moment. “You need to stop.” He put one hand on hers to stay her motion.