by Tessa Layne
He fixed her with a look so intense, she stilled. Was he telling the truth?
“I’ll not deny I have a reputation.”
“One that apparently your sponsors don’t care for,” she responded dryly.
“That appears so. But I also have a reputation to maintain in, er, other circles.”
She rolled her eyes. “Oh for heaven’s sake. That’s horseshit. Why not admit you like the attention? You always have.”
“Of course I like the attention,” he shot back, sitting forward. “Who wouldn’t?”
“A normal person? Who values relationships?”
Her words hung suspended between them, and her heart sank at the stubborn set of his face. “Look, Colt, I’d love to help you–”
“Please,” he rasped. “There’s no one else I can ask. No one I’d want to ask,” he amended, eyes darting to where she sat still curled up. “Name your terms. I’ll even double my investment if you want.”
“Oh for heaven’s sake,” she groaned, pushing off the couch and rounded the coffee table. She had way too much energy coursing through her to sit still. “You’re not going to pay me to be your fake fiancée.” She could feel his eyes tracking her as she paced back and forth across the room. “What about Millie Prescott?”
“The hippie?”
She’d laugh at his tone of voice if she wasn’t so out of sorts. “Or-or Emmaline? Or Luci? You’re friends with her brother.” Surely, there was someone. And seeing him with another woman would be the perfect antidote to the late-night fantasies that had become a regular occurrence since Vegas.
He shook his head with a half-laugh. “Tony’d kick my ass if I looked sideways at his sister.”
“Okay, good point.” The way he was staring at her made her insides jump. Like he wanted to eat her up. And she liked that thought too much for comfort.
He stood, not taking his eyes from her. “Lydia.”
“Emma Sinclaire?” she squeaked as he stepped around the coffee table. She stopped short, struck by the sheer magnetism of him. He moved with a lethal grace. To be sure, he had swagger, too much of it, but this was something else, born of confidence and trial by fire. “No go, huh?” she offered once her voice returned.
He shook his head, and caught her hands, bringing them to his mouth. Her pulse ran out of control when his lips grazed the skin on the back of her hands, and a rush of exquisite heat settled between her legs. It was all she could do to not squirm from the sensation.
“Only you, Lyds.”
She bit her top lip, hard. The pain didn’t do anything to calm her breathing. But Colt seemed to like it, given his sharp inhale and the spark of desire that heated his eyes when she tongued the mark.
“You can’t deny the chemistry between us,” he murmured, grazing his mouth over her hands again. Her skin danced where he touched it. Fizzing like fresh champagne.
But no, she could, and she would. The second she gave into her baser feelings where Colt was concerned was the second things would spin out of control. “I-I don’t want to talk about it,” she said breathlessly.
His voice sounded like sin and smoke. “Darlin’, you stripped down to your very sexy skivvies and propositioned me. We’re absodamnlutely gonna talk about this. No going back.”
The way he looked at her heated the room. Hell, it could set the whole town on fire. She could feel her resolve weakening. The curious, more reckless side of herself itching to take a walk on the wild side with Colt. “My mother will never buy this,” she murmured faintly.
“She doesn’t have to know.”
“But she’ll find out. Mama always finds out.”
“Will that be the end of the world?”
His eyes were hypnotic, capturing her, melting her defenses one excuse, one kiss at a time. “She will tan your hide, Colton, if she finds out any way but from us.” Her breath came in shallow puffs, dictated by the speed of her heart galloping in her chest. His hands were big and warm, and he had such a firm grip on her that for the first time ever, she wanted to lean into him, absorb some of his strength. His confidence.
She leaned forward. She couldn’t help it. “You better keep your mouth shut about this.”
“Anything else darlin’?” Colton gave her a saucy grin that reached all the way to his eyes.
“No other women. Not even in a hot tub.”
“No problem,” he agreed rapidly, without even a blink.
“No drugs.”
“Been clean nine years.”
“No booze, either.”
“No booze?”
“Okay, no boozing when I’m not with you, and when I am with you, you better hold your liquor.”
“Fair enough.”
“Flowers occasionally.”
He winked at her. “Happy to oblige, but don’t you think that will make people suspicious?”
He had a point. “You’re right. No flowers. What about church?”
“You might as well announce it with a neon sign.”
“True. Okay, no church either.”
“Business stays business.”
“Of course.”
Suspicion began to worm its way into her conscious. Was he so desperate to clean up his reputation that he was agreeing to everything? He was a businessman. He should at least want to negotiate something.
Alright then, she might as well push his buttons all the way. “And one last thing,” she said primly, removing her hands from his, ignoring the hole the loss of his touch left inside her. “If we’re keeping this strictly business – no sex.”
CHAPTER 14
No sex?
She had to be kidding. She’d put the moves on him, and now she wanted no sex? When their chemistry was so explosive, it was a miracle the house was still standing? This woman would kill him. At the very least, give him a permanent case of blue balls.
But he was desperate, so he’d agree to anything she asked. “Sure you won’t change your mind about the last one?”
She hesitated. “I think it would needlessly complicate things.”
“Or it could be the perfect arrangement.”
Her eyes grew hungry, and he took his opening, drawing a thumb down her cheek and sweeping it over her luscious lower lip. “I wanna see this mouth swollen from my kisses. I want to feel your gorgeous tits pucker in my hand and turn pink from my tongue. I want to feel your soft, sweet pussy wet for me, and I don’t care if it complicates things. I want a long, good taste of you Lydia Grace, and I want to finish what you started in the barn. I’ll jump through whatever hoops you toss up, but I dare you to deny what’s between us.”
Her eyes had gone hazy and unfocused. Fuck, she had no idea how magnificent she was. His cock did, and it strained against his pants.
“Say it,” he rasped as he stepped closer, mouth watering to kiss her again. He could see the answer in her eyes. The words were right there. His heart pounded with expectation, his reply ready on his tongue when she gave the word. “Say it, Lyds.”
“You could charm the–”
“Pants off a rattlesnake,” he filled in for her, stomach dropping in disappointment. “You’ve said that. And I pride myself on that skill.”
“People will talk,” she murmured.
“They always talk. Might as well give them something to talk about.”
“Oh, they are definitely not finding out.”
Her comment stung. In the back of his mind, all his old demons rose in a chorus of you’ll never be good enough. Had he blown his chance with her in a fit of stupidity all those years ago? Because he couldn’t stand even one person looking at him like they cared? Well, fuck him, if that’s the way it went. Just another consequence in a long string of shitty consequences. Still, the overwhelming urge to prove himself to her, to show her that he could be worthy, hit him with the force of a charging bull.
With a sigh, he stepped away. “Fine. You’re calling the shots, darlin’. But you know where to find me if you change your mind.” He scooped up his hat,
jamming it on his head as he made for the door.
He risked a look over his shoulder when he reached the door. His stomach twisted at the sight of her. Damn if she didn’t look forlorn. Conflicted. It took everything he had not to close the distance and wrap her in a protective embrace. Instead, he tipped his hat and stepped out into the cold, letting the door snick shut behind him.
He counted the steps to the truck, hope rising in his chest even though he knew better.
Two. He crossed the porch.
Five. His boots hit the bottom stair.
Nine. He reached the driveway.
Fourteen. His hand came to rest on the door handle. He paused, eyes drifting back to the door, willing it to open. Ten seconds. Twenty. “Ahh, hell.” He shook his head and yanked open the door, hopping in with a swallowed curse. For a shining moment, an alternate future had rolled out before him. He’d been foolish to think he could win Lydia’s trust. Or anyone’s in Prairie, for that matter. He turned the ignition and gunned the gas, casting one final look at the door. As if in slow motion, the door swept open, golden light flooding out from behind Lydia’s silhouette. His gut clenched as she bounded down the steps, flew around the front of the truck and knocked on the window.
Play it cool. He needed to play it cool. He jabbed the window button, and as the glass lowered, he was hit with the scent of her perfume.
“Don’t go,” she called softly, bouncing up and down.
“I’m not gonna play games, sweetheart.”
“What if we started our agreement tomorrow? Got each other out of our systems tonight?”
His brows furrowed. “Are you sayin’–”
“One night. Full-on-sex. No regrets. Everything starts tomorrow.”
She was still hopping. He craned his neck, trying to see down through the dark. “Where are your shoes, woman?”
She gave him a toothy smile, still bouncing. “You’re right. Everything you said was right. I don’t take risks. And-and, I’ve regretted that. At times,” she added. “A-and…” she took a deep breath. “I can’t stop thinking about you. And everything you said. And holy shit, it’s freezing out here. Will you just come inside? Please? I promise I won’t change my mind.”
She didn’t have to ask twice.
He cut the engine, not caring the window was still down. If some critter made itself at home, he’d deal with that later. She stepped back as he opened the door, and before she could turn, he scooped her up and stalked the fourteen steps to the still open door, kicking it shut behind him once he’d landed inside. “You sure ’bout this?” he asked gruffly. He didn’t want this coming back to bite him in the ass.
She nodded, eyes wide. “My bedroom’s down the hall.”
He didn’t stop until he reached her door. He hesitated, scanning the tiny space. One wall was covered with sketches of boots and shoes and a desk in the corner was covered with paper, pens, and samples. Aside from the chaos in the corner, the room was relatively sparse. His pulse threatened to race out of control as the realization hit him. He’d never once made love to a woman in her space. Always his – his terms, his space. Colt set Lydia down and moved to study the sketches, feeling like a bit of an intruder, yet savoring this tiny glimpse into Lydia’s private domain. His eyes flicked from one paper to the next, amazed at how each design was unique, yet there was a gesture, a way she moved her pen that made them unmistakably hers. Kind of like the way a good rider threw his arm or marked his ride in a telltale manner. “These are good, Lyds. Real good.”
The sound of material whispering to the floor had him turning. “I didn’t invite you back to look at my pictures, cowboy,” she said with a hungry look in her eye.
Oh hell, tonight her bra was blush pink. Barely there, and he could see her nipples, dark and dusky, pushing through the fabric. His hand went to his belt buckle as he moved a foot to toe off his boots.
Her eyes widened in shock. “Don’t you dare toe off those boots.” Moving with surprising speed, she dipped behind the bed, popped up and tossed him a boot jack.
He caught it with a grin and set it on the floor and set the heel in the groove, giving a little pull. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Tell me you haven’t toed them off.”
“Never. Cross my heart.”
She narrowed her eyes. “You just gave me an idea. I need to include a boot jack with each pair of boots I make.”
He set the second boot next to the first and rose, hands on his hips. “I thought you didn’t invite me here to talk business.”
Her eyes lit as the slow sexy smile he loved curled up her mouth, and she sashayed to where he stood. He stilled as she placed a hand on his chest, right over his heart. Could she feel it kicking like a bronc just free of the chute?
“I wanna see your tattoo again,” she said, her voice going husky and her eyes darkening to deep turquoise pools.
It took all of three seconds for him to loosen the buttons on his shirt and shrug it to the floor. He whipped off his tank top, deciding to give her the whole show. The appreciative rumble that came from her throat reverberated through his bones, settling in his balls with a tingle. “You have no idea how sexy those noises are.”
“Hmm?” she answered as if she knew exactly.
She lightly traced the outline of his tattoo. The movement was so innocent, yet so erotic, a shudder rippled through him. Hell, he’d ink his entire body to have her touch him like that.
“Colt?”
“What is it, baby?”
“Take off your pants.”
He eyed her jeans, perfectly molded to her curves, and slipped his fingers inside the waistband, tugging her closer. “You first.”
Her eyes sparked with amusement. “On three.”
“One, two… three.” His fingers flew, loosening first his belt, then jerking down the zipper. Their pants hit the floor at the same time, the clatter of his belt buckle filling the space. Her eyes widened as she took in the bulge in his boxer briefs. “See the effect you have on me, sweetheart?”
Lydia’s breath came out in a hiss, and she licked her lips. He was fucking lost. Stepping to her, he traced a line from the nape of her neck, across her collarbone, to the round of her shoulder. Then bent his head and followed the same path with his tongue, smiling against her skin at the ragged sigh that slipped through her lips.
Bands of desire tightened around his midsection, radiating out and pulling his muscles taut as he caught the faint floral scent of her perfume mixed with the slight musk of her skin. He was already worked up to the breaking point, but if this was his one shot with Lydia, by God, he was gonna make it damn good for both of them. He caught a finger under her bra strap and with a little tug, slipped it down her arm. “You’re so beautiful.” The words fell out of his mouth as he skimmed a finger over her creamy skin, over the luscious swell of her breast, stopping only when he came into contact with the lace top covering the best part. He grazed a thumb over her tight nipple, and again when she let out the sweetest moan. So alive, so responsive. The animal in him wanted to devour her, lose himself in her softness until he stopped thinking. “You have no idea what you do to me,” he rasped.
She answered with a gritty laugh. “I know what you do to me.”
Walking her back until the backs of her knees hit the bed, he tumbled them onto the sheets and rolled, positioning her above him. Pushing on his chest, she sat tall, arching her back while she reached behind to unclasp her bra. God, he loved a woman who gave as good as she got. A flash of hot jealousy stabbed through him at the thought that another man had enjoyed Lydia like this. The surprise of it knocked the air from his lungs. He wasn’t a jealous type, at least he never had been. But everything where Lydia was concerned came as a surprise.
She tossed her bra aside, and his mind went blank. “Your tits are perfection,” he whispered, awestruck. Heavy globes with dark pink centers that would fit perfectly in his palm. And sensitive too, as they puckered under his gaze.
“Take a taste, cowboy.”
She bent forward, offering herself.
For once in his life, he had no words. With a grunt, he clasped her waist and brought his mouth to her breast, first lapping the velvety underside before working his way around top, avoiding what they both wanted most. Saving it until neither of them could stand it anymore.
She rolled her hips against him with a groan. “Stop teasing.”
He glanced up through hooded eyes. Her color was high, her lids half-closed, and that sexy smile pulled at the corners of her mouth. Fuck, if that didn’t make him want to come instantly. His cock was hot and hard as a poker. With an answering groan, he sealed his mouth around her tight peak, lapping at it with his tongue until she cried out. Moving to her other breast, he repeated the same action, only taking her nipple into his mouth when she begged, and licking at it, sucking and grazing with his teeth until she bucked against his shaft with a cry. “I want you inside me, now,” she growled with the ferocity of a baby kitten.
“Hold on, sunshine,” he said with a chuckle. “We’re gonna take our damned sweet time.”
She raised her head and glared.
With a laugh, he rolled them over so she was caged between his arms. “You need some sweet relief, darlin’?” He hooked a finger through the side of her panties and pulled them down with a tug. She raised her hips to help. Sitting back on his heels, he gazed at her, mouth going dry at her beauty. Her pussy glistened pink and swollen, peeking out from a neatly trimmed thatch of dark curls. She was like one of those museum paintings, come to life, all curves and shades of pink. Her thighs were strong and muscled, and he began his upward perusal at her knees, drawing his hands slowly up and bringing them to rest on either side of those glorious shiny pussy lips. He looked up, catching her gaze, eyes coming to rest on her full lower lip, caught between teeth. His mouth pulled up, along with his eyebrows. “Should I stop?”
She half laughed, half growled. “I’ll hurt you if you do.”
“Ooh, such threats,” he teased, half-curious to find out how far he could push her.