Her Sexy Vegas Cowboy

by Ali Olson

  It wasn’t supposed to come out as a question, but somehow it did. He nodded. “I know this might seem a little crazy, but I needed to come tell you—”

  Her brain was still struggling with the unexpected situation. “Wait, you’re here at my apartment. How did you get here?”

  “Jeremiah got the address from Marilyn. I had to talk to you.”

  “I asked for your phone number days ago, but Marilyn said that Jeremiah didn’t want to give it to her. I thought you didn’t want to talk to me. Now you’re in New York to talk to me?”

  She didn’t mean to grill him, but it was all just so bewildering she couldn’t help trying to wrap her mind around it all. The elevator dinged and the door closed, but neither of them moved from their impromptu hug to push a button.

  “Jeremiah thought he was being helpful. I didn’t know you wanted to talk to me. I thought you hated me and never wanted to see me again. I mean, you left Vegas just to get away from me. I waited outside your room the night you left, but you were already gone.”

  That brought reality crashing down. “I didn’t leave because of you, Aaron. I got a phone call from my family. My dad was in the hospital. I had to come back.”

  His eyes filled with shock and empathy as he took in her words. “Is he okay?”

  She smiled, but her eyes filled with tears. She was sad, but she’d had enough time to process the event that it wasn’t overwhelming to answer. Besides, she wanted him to know. “He died. He’d been sick for a long time, but he finally passed away.”

  She found herself pressed against him as he hugged her close. She let her tears fall, his arms holding her, comforting her.

  When the elevator began moving up, reacting to another tenant’s call, she looked around, surprised to find herself in a small metal box. She had forgotten where she was. By his reaction, so had he. He looked at the doors for a second, then reached over quickly and hit the emergency button.

  She laughed through her tears. “I don’t think you’re supposed to do that unless it’s an emergency.”

  He tilted his head. “They can wait. Can I do anything to help?”

  She snuggled closer to him. “You already have, and I’m okay, really. We’ve known this was coming for a long time, and he was in a lot of pain, so... I just can’t believe you’re here. Why are you here?”

  It had just occurred to her that it made absolutely no sense for him be in New York. If he found out she was trying to reach him, why didn’t he just call?

  “Well, this might be terrible timing now, but...” He took a deep breath, and she could feel his chest expanding against her body. “I came to tell you that I love you.”

  She stopped breathing. Before she could process and respond to it, he continued. “I know that’s insane. I only met you a few days ago, we live thousands of miles apart and you’re fully justified if you want to run away and never see me again. But I’ve never loved someone before and I had to tell you. I want to be with you, just you. If you have any feelings at all for me, I want to try to make this work somehow.”

  She was still silent. She had things to say but hadn’t been able to find any way to say them, so she stood there, pressed against his chest. He exhaled. “I’m sorry, I know I shouldn’t have said anything. You’ve got too much to deal with to worry about—”

  His words cut off as she leaned up and kissed him, pressing her lips hard against his. He lifted her off her feet and kissed her back. She pulled her face back a fraction of an inch, just enough to look into his eyes and speak, her lips brushing against his. “I feel the same. Stupid, crazy, illogical as it all is.” She pressed her lips back onto his.

  The kiss quickly became deep and insistent, and she had to pull away regretfully. “We’re in the elevator. Probably not the best place for this. Any better ideas?”

  “Back to your apartment, or to my hotel? The apartment’s closer, but you have a roommate...” He looked at the box crowding the corner of the elevator. “Or are you moving out? Did I interrupt something?”

  She looked at the box, remembering her mission. “Oh, right. Yeah, I am moving. Cindy’s getting married in a few days, so I’ve been trying to get everything out before then. She’s been really sweet about the whole thing and said I could stay as long as I want, but I’m ready.”

  He hit the emergency button again and then the one for the ground floor. The elevator began going upwards, continuing to its original destination. It opened to an empty floor, though. Apparently the person had given up and taken the stairs. They began their descent.

  He picked up the box for her. “So, where are you moving?”

  Jessica wasn’t sure exactly what to say. “Well, I’m putting my stuff in storage and was planning on staying with my mom for a week, until after the funeral and Cindy’s wedding. It’s a weird week.”

  “And then?” he prompted, looking curious.

  She blushed and looked down. “And then I was going to Texas. I promised my dad I’d try to find you.”

  The box shifted, nearly falling out of his hands, and she had to reach out to make sure it didn’t crash to the floor. “You were going to Texas? As in, all of Texas?”

  He was looking at her as if she were indomitable or crazy or something. She hoped it was the first option. The elevator door opened, and they stepped into the lobby of her apartment building. She guided him outside into the cold.

  There was a black car waiting outside, with Jeremiah sitting in it. The moment they walked through the building doors, he rolled down the window and waved. “Hi, Jessica!”

  Aaron groaned quietly. “Jeremiah came with me.” Louder, he said, “Things are good, Jeremiah. See you at the hotel later?”

  The grin on Jeremiah’s face widened. “Sounds good. You two have fun.” He winked and turned to the driver, and the car pulled away.

  Jessica felt as though she should be embarrassed, but the man seemed so good-natured that it was impossible. She and Aaron hurried down the street dodging the bags of trash and ice patches that littered the sidewalk, him carrying the large box.

  “So, about Texas...” he prompted.

  “Well, I had a plan,” she explained. “I’ve looked up ranches that participated in the rodeo and started going through their websites looking for owners’ names. I was pretty sure I could narrow it down to a few before leaving.”

  He looked impressed before he tilted his head, clearly curious again. “Wait, you promised your dad you’d find me? Why?”

  She paused for a second before answering. This had gone too far for anything but complete honesty. “He said that I was different when I came back. I was sparkly. I don’t know exactly what that means, but it was obviously because of you. He told me I should see you again. Before he died—” she cleared her throat, keeping her voice level “—I told him that I would try. So I was going to try.”

  They arrived at the storage facility a few buildings down, and she used her key to unlock the door. They walked the rest of the way to her unit in silence. She wasn’t sure what else to say, so she waited, wishing he wasn’t carrying anything so she could slip into his arms again.

  Once he set down the box inside her nearly full storage unit, he turned toward her and enfolded her in a tight hug. Her heart was happy. She could almost hear her dad’s approval. He spoke into her hair, his cheek leaning against her head. “So, do you still want to go to Texas, or do we need to find a place here?”

  She moved back slightly so she could see his eyes. “Here? I thought you loved your ranch.”

  He lifted and dropped one shoulder. “I do, but I’m going to be here if that’s where you are. There are plenty of people who can run the ranch just fine without me.”

  She smiled and snuggled closer to him. “Nah, it’s too cold here. And I could use some open space. Let’s try Texas. But we’ll have to wait a week for
all that.”

  “I’ll be here. You’ll be staying at your mom’s, right? I’ll find a room near her place, and you just let me know what you want me to do. I won’t impose on your family time.”

  “Actually my mom’s in the middle of moving and is very much of the mind-set that I should take care of myself. It’ll make me stronger and whatnot.” She leaned up to kiss him again, brushing her lips against his. “I think she’d like it if I was staying at a hotel nearby. Are you up for having a roommate?”

  His lips told her everything she needed to know.

  Epilogue

  “YOU’LL HAVE FUN. Cindy would never make you do something that made you feel uncomfortable,” Aaron said.

  Jessica looked at him, skeptical, as she pulled her carry-on from the overhead bin. “Do you remember the dresses she made me wear at her bachelorette party?”

  Aaron grinned. “Oh, I remember. Do you think she brought the black one with her? I wouldn’t mind seeing that again. And underneath it—”

  Jeremiah popped up from the row behind them and cut in before Aaron could finish the thought. “Whoa, dude, you’re in public and I’m standing right here. In fact, I don’t even care about the public thing. Just the me thing.”

  Jessica laughed. “Jeremiah, after the stories you’ve told us, and whatever I’m sure Aaron’s shared with you, since when are you so squeamish?”

  “Since you two became old almost-married people. Your sex life has probably degraded into some perverted deviant stuff just to keep it exciting. Or worse, completely boring. I don’t want to hear it.”

  Aaron raised his eyebrows at his friend. “The first one, absolutely. Totally deviant.”

  “Really? Like what?” Jeremiah asked, leaning in.

  Jessica sighed. “Guys, focus. Cindy’s going to get me on a stripper pole or something, I just know it. Help me.”

  Aaron shrugged. “There’s only like a fifty percent chance of that happening. Besides, remember how much fun you have when we go dancing? You love to dance. This time it’ll just be with a stripper pole instead of me. That’s awesome. Tell Cindy to send me pictures.”

  “And me!” chimed in Jeremiah, earning him an elbow in the ribs from Aaron. “What? As an amusing anecdote about my good friend Jessica. Not a sexual thing.”

  Once they were off the plane, Aaron wrapped his arm around Jessica’s shoulders. Even after two years, it still made her melt to feel him so close. He leaned in to her, and her heart fluttered. How could it be possible that she was lucky enough to marry this man?

  “We’ll have a fun weekend. A little bachelorette party, a little rodeo. And you miss Cindy.”

  Jessica rested her head against his shoulder slightly. “I do miss her. I just know she has something crazy planned. I would never have guessed two years ago that I would be excited about going to a rodeo and nervous about spending time with Cindy.”

  “Of course you’re excited about the rodeo. We’re going to get first place this year.”

  Jessica answered, loud enough for Jeremiah to hear, “We’ll definitely get first place. Jeremiah doesn’t stand a chance.”

  Jeremiah sped up so he was walking on the other side of her. “Just you wait, Jessica. You’ll both be crying at the wedding, and not because of all the love or whatever. A week isn’t going to be nearly enough time to get over how bad you’re going to lose this weekend.”

  Jessica smiled at him. He was such a fun guy to have around. She could see why Aaron had been friends with him for so long.

  Then she heard her name being screamed across the airport.

  It could only be her best friend. She spotted Cindy running to her, and Jessica broke away from the boys to give her a tight hug. “I missed you!” Cindy said, squeezing her.

  Jessica squeezed her back. It had been almost a year since she saw Cindy. Far too long.

  * * *

  AARON WATCHED THE GIRLS, happy that they were finally back together. Despite her worries, he knew that Jessica had missed her friend and was happy to be in the same city as her again.

  Cindy turned to them, her arm still around Jessica. “Okay, boys. You do your thing, but Jessica’s mine for this evening. We’ll catch up with you at some point. Aaron, say goodbye to your bride-to-be. There’s no promise she’ll be coming back to you in one piece.”

  Jessica crossed the few feet between them and he enfolded her, bathing in her presence. She pressed her lips to his, and even that slight touch made him wish they were going to their room together, not separating for the evening.

  As they broke apart, Jessica’s eyes gazed into his, giving him the answer to his question. Tonight. He let her go with regret.

  Then Cindy had Jessica by the arm and was bustling off. Jessica gave him one last look, mouthed a quick I love you and followed her friend. In just a few seconds, they were out of sight.

  Jeremiah crossed his arms. “She seriously has no idea Cindy’s pregnant?”

  Aaron shrugged. “I didn’t tell her, as per Cindy’s orders. I think she wants Jessica to sweat until they get to dinner.”

  “I have no idea how you, her mom and her sister managed to keep that from her. When are they supposed to get here?”

  “They arrived this morning, I think. If Cindy has everything as well planned as it seems, Jessica’s going to be in for her perfect bachelorette party.”

  “A pleasant dinner with family and friends still doesn’t sound like a bachelorette party to me,” Jeremiah said.

  Aaron nodded, but he knew Jessica would love it. And then she would come back to him tonight and they would have their own celebration in their room. It would be another amazing weekend in Vegas.

  * * * * *

  Keep reading for an excerpt from RED HOT by Lisa Childs.

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  Red Hot

  by Lisa Childs

  1

  “ARE YOU GOING to a fire?” the receptionist asked as Fiona O’Brien hurried past her desk in the blue and beige lobby of The Northern Lakes Insurance Agency.

  Her briefcase swinging from her hand, she spun on a heel to turn back to Rita. “No, no fire...”

  But her pulse was racing as if there was one. She drew in a deep breath and forced herself to calm down. Unfortunately, the old adage about redheads had proven true in her case, no matter how hard she tried to control her temper.

  “I am going to see a firefighter, though,” she admitted.

  Rita arched a blond brow. “I would hope you’re seeing him for a date, but since your weekly delivery of insipid carnations came today, I know you’re still seeing the boring accountant.”

  Fiona cursed. She’d forgotten her date with Howard—although she wasn’t certain how when they went to the same place on the same night at the same time every week. Actually, she did know how...

  That damn firefighter.

  “So do you have a business appointment with the firefighter?” Rita asked.

  No. Wyatt Andrews had no idea she was coming to see him. Until the call she’d just taken, Fiona had had no idea and no desire to see Wyatt Andrews again, let alone talk to him. Not that she’d seen very much of him...

  Six feet plus a few inches
or more of muscle and arrogance and attitude. Black hair that was too long—like the stares from his brilliant blue eyes. Fortunately, she hadn’t seen him that often over the past four or five years.

  Nor had she ever really talked to him.

  “So it’s not business?” Rita prodded her.

  Fiona shook her head and glared at the lock of hair that wriggled out of her bun to fall across her eyes. “There’s no way I would ever sell a life insurance policy to a firefighter. The risk is too great.”

  Rita moved her thin shoulders in a shrug and casually remarked, “Everybody’s going to die someday.”

  With her dyed blond hair and heavy makeup, the receptionist’s age was impossible to determine. So Fiona didn’t know if the other woman was too young or too old to care about death.

  “But firefighting is a hazardous profession,” Fiona said. “According to the statistics, a firefighter is far more likely to die than say...an accountant.” And that was why she hadn’t ever really talked to Wyatt Andrews on the few occasions she’d seen him. She had learned to not waste her time or her attention on a man with a death wish.

  “If you marry ol’ Howard, you might wish accountants died sooner,” Rita warned her, her pale blue eyes glinting with laughter. “He might bore you to death.”

  Fiona would rather be bored than scared to death. And what her younger brother had told her moments earlier on the phone had scared her to death—or at least to outrage. She wasn’t mad at him, though. She knew who’d put that outrageous, dangerous idea in his head: Wyatt Andrews.

  Since he had become her brother’s mentor six years ago, he’d had too much influence on Matthew’s life. Now he was even endangering Matthew’s life, or at the very least his future.

  That was why she had to see Wyatt Andrews again. Why she had to have a real conversation with him. Her temper reignited, and she spun back toward the door.