The Rebel and the Cowboy (The Carmody Brothers Book 2)

by Sarah Mayberry

  Well, how about that. Apparently she’d been sleeping with a freaking superstar for the past two nights. No wonder poor Ashley had a crush on him—Eva suspected half the women in the room harbored X-rated fantasies about the hot, talented man singing his heart out on stage.

  She watched, bemused, as the Shots powered straight into a second song, barely giving the audience a chance to signal their appreciation.

  Glancing across, Sierra laughed when she saw Eva’s face.

  “It’s a little shocking at first, I know,” Sierra said, obviously enjoying Eva’s bafflement. “He’s the last person to draw attention to himself in everyday life, but up there, he owns it because it’s about the music for him. That’s all he cares about, making it as good as it can be, and people just respond to that passion.”

  It was an astute observation. Genuine passion combined with great skill was very attractive all on its own, but combined with Casey’s hard body and pretty face, his appeal was undeniable.

  “How have they not been discovered yet?” Eva asked, because she’d seen enough bands in her time to know that the kind of alchemy she was witnessing right now was rare and precious.

  Sierra shrugged. “Beats me. But it will happen one day, and I can’t wait for him to be able to do what he loves instead of feeling torn in two all the time.”

  Eva wanted to ask what Sierra meant by that, but now was not the time or place to pump the other woman for information about her brother.

  Or you could just let it go, because you’re being smart and concentrating on what you came here for. Remember?

  The crowd went wild at the end of the song, screaming and clapping so loudly Eva had to cover her ears. Casey smiled, lifting a hand in acknowledgment, then took off his guitar. Returning to center stage, he wrapped both hands around the mic as the opening bars of a ballad filled the space. Casey lowered his head, his hair falling forward to mask his face. Then the music opened up, and he lifted his head and started singing with a raw emotional intensity that gave Eva gooseflesh all over again.

  Which was when she understood she was not going to be smart or sensible when it came to Casey Carmody. Far from it.

  That ship had sailed the moment Casey walked on stage.

  She was going to be reckless. She was going to indulge herself. She was going to let this beautiful, talented man do incredible things to her body, and worry about the consequences afterward.

  The realization should have made her anxious, but Casey was on stage, and she couldn’t look away.

  She’d worry about tomorrow when it came. And tonight…tonight she would simply enjoy.

  *

  Casey pushed his hair off his forehead and looked out over the crowd. A sea of faces looked back at him, the air vibrating with the force of the applause as the final notes of the final song reverberated around the bar.

  “Marietta, you brought it tonight. Thanks for partying with us and giving us all the love. We love you guys,” he said into the mic.

  His words set the crowd off again, and when he glanced over his shoulder to see how the band was taking it, he could see they were getting off on it as much as he was, mouths stretched wide in crazy grins.

  Nothing in the world matched this feeling. Nothing.

  The crowd wouldn’t let up, so he looked to Wyatt, eyebrows raised in question. Wyatt nodded and Casey faced front again and leaned into the mic.

  “All right, you sweet-talking fools. One more, but it’s gotta be the last or we’ll be in trouble with the management. If you haven’t kicked up your heels yet, now’s the time.”

  He launched into “Blue Sky Dreamer,” feeling the bass and the beat in his bones, loving the expansive feeling in his chest as he gave the lyrics everything he had.

  Too quickly the song was over, and even though the applause was just as crazy and sustained, he didn’t cave and sing another encore. The show had to end sometime.

  Giving the audience one last wave, he slipped his guitar strap over his head and carried it offstage with him. Later, when the bar was empty, he and the boys would come back out and pack up their gear, but for now all he could think about was getting his hands on a cold beer.

  “Oh, man,” Wyatt said, collapsing into a chair in the windowless room set aside for the entertainment backstage. “That was epic.”

  Casey smiled and reached for one of the beers waiting on ice for them. “Yeah, it wasn’t too bad.”

  “Did you see them turning people away at the door?” Danny said.

  “No shit?” Rory said, eyebrows raised. A slow grin stretched his mouth. “Well, how about that. A full house.”

  “We did good, boys,” Wyatt said, lifting his beer in a toast.

  They all leaned forward to clink bottles.

  A knock sounded on the door before it cracked and Sierra peeked into the room. “Just me, plus one,” she said.

  Casey had already spotted Eva in the corridor, his gaze running over her scrap of a dress and bare legs and arms, her tattoo a bright, bold splash on her upper arm. He’d lost count of the amount of times he’d stopped himself from asking his sister if Eva had agreed to come see him play over the past two days. The thought that she might be in the audience tonight had added an extra buzz to the adrenaline coursing through him when he stepped on stage, but he hadn’t known until this moment if she’d actually come or not.

  Her gaze met his and she smiled, and he could tell by the look in her eyes that she’d enjoyed his music. It was a little pathetic how relieved he was that that was the case.

  “You guys were so good tonight,” Sierra said. “So. Good. I thought the roof was going to lift right off there at the end.”

  “This is why you are always welcome in the band room, Sierra,” Rory said.

  “You had a good time?” Casey asked, his gaze still on Eva.

  “I did, I had a great time. I’m officially a country convert,” she said.

  “She even stood on her seat at the end,” Sierra said.

  Eva shrugged a shoulder and laughed. “I got carried away, what can I say?”

  There was something about the way she lifted her chin and shifted her shoulders that reminded him of the way she’d held herself when she straddled him that first night, and all of a sudden all he could think about was getting her alone and naked.

  Okay, take a deep breath. You’re high on adrenaline and endorphins right now.

  It was true, he was, but that didn’t diminish his need for her. He’d been thinking about her for two days, living off the occasional glimpse of her as she disappeared around the corner of the barn or headed off in her van, telling himself she had to make the next move because he wasn’t going to be That Guy.

  “All right, we’ll leave you to it,” Sierra said.

  “Okay, good to see you, gorgeous,” Danny said.

  “You know you’re still Plan B for me if Louanne gives me the heave-ho, right?” Wyatt said.

  “Be still my heart, you old romantic,” Sierra said, blowing him a kiss before switching her attention to Casey. “See you at home.”

  Casey nodded, doing his best to not stare at Eva like a hungry dog.

  “Great show. Really amazing,” Eva said, flashing him a smile before following Sierra out the door.

  It took every bit of self-discipline Casey had not to go after her and stop her from leaving.

  “Holy guacamole. Who is the smoking-hot blonde?” Danny asked, giving a long, suggestive whistle, the moment they were gone.

  “Her name’s Eva King. She’s in town for the week, renting the trailer out at our place,” Casey explained.

  “You lucky bastard,” Danny said.

  Casey took a pull from his beer and lifted a shoulder, hoping it would be enough to change the subject.

  “So, is she single?” Danny asked. “Because I know a guy who likes hot blondes.” He gestured toward himself and the other guys cracked up.

  “She’s here for work,” Casey said, and he could hear the tightness in his own voi
ce.

  Danny’s eyebrows rose toward his hairline. “Uh-oh. Did I just step on your toes, Carmody?”

  “She our guest, that’s all. She doesn’t need a bunch of horn-dog cowboys sniffing around like desperados,” Casey said.

  “Definitely stepped on some toes there,” Rory said. “Good luck, buddy—I think you’ve got your work cut out for you there. She’s got big-city girl written all over her.”

  Casey tossed his empty beer bottle into the nearby trash can. “I wasn’t happy with the mix at the start of the gig. Anyone else notice the bass was out?”

  Wyatt took the bait, and instead of taking apart his private life, they did an autopsy on the gig for the next fifteen minutes. By then the bar was closed and they filtered back to the stage to pack up their gear. He’d just returned from taking his guitar and amp out to his truck when Wyatt caught him in the corridor.

  “Hey, Case—don’t listen to what Danny said earlier. So what if she’s a city girl? Louanne is from New York City. Doesn’t get more big-city than that.”

  Casey bit back a sigh, aware his friend was coming from a good place. “She’s in town for a week. Don’t go picking out a tuxedo just yet,” he said, trying to keep it light.

  “Plans change, man. Feelings happen. Never say never, right?” Wyatt said before clapping him on the shoulder and heading outside.

  Casey shook the moment off, but his friend’s words came back to him as he took the road out of town fifteen minutes later.

  Plans change. Feelings happen. Never say never.

  It was ridiculous how much he wanted to take heart from Wyatt’s wisdom, but he knew he’d be setting himself up for a fall if he pushed things with Eva. He already liked her more than he should, and she’d made it clear in lots of ways that what had happened between them was about sex and only sex for her.

  He didn’t hold that against her, but seeing her again had driven home to him that he was playing with fire.

  If he let her, Eva King could break his heart.

  He caught the glint of animal eyes on the side of the road and slowed, just to be safe, wishing he was built differently. More like his brother, Jesse, who never seemed to have trouble moving on or enjoying temporary dalliances. He’d never bragged about it, but Casey had a fair idea what the lifestyle of a pro rodeo cowboy was like.

  Of course, Jesse was head over heels for CJ now, and that was unlikely to change anytime soon from what Casey had seen. His brother was about as lovestruck and besotted as it was possible for a man to be.

  But Eva was not CJ. Not even close. No way was Casey going to talk himself into believing that, regardless of Wyatt’s wildly optimistic advice.

  It shouldn’t be too hard to avoid her for the rest of her stay. She’d kept to herself the last two days. There was no reason to think she wouldn’t keep doing so, given how immersed she was in her work. And if Sierra invited her to dinner again, he could handle that.

  He just had to stay out of her bed. Definitely achievable, he figured.

  Then he pulled into the yard and his headlights caught a slight, blond figure sitting on the porch steps and all his good intentions went up in flames.

  Chapter Nine

  His body got hot with instant lust and he took a deep, steadying breath as he got out of the car. She stood as he approached the steps, dusting her backside off with her hands.

  “Hi—”

  He kissed her, hauling her body against his, cutting off whatever else she’d been about to say. She came willingly, her arms wrapping around his shoulders as she strained closer. She tasted so fucking good, so addictively, insanely hot, he couldn’t stop himself from moaning into her mouth. She responded by wrapping a leg around his hips and rubbing herself against him, her body shaking with need.

  He needed to be inside her like he needed air, and he pushed her dress up and pushed his hand roughly inside her panties. His cock got even harder when he discovered how hot and wet she was. He pressed her against the porch railing as he slid a finger inside her. She started to shake, her breath coming in anguished sobs.

  “Please… God… Feels so good.”

  He reached for his belt, ready to give her what she needed and wanted—and then an owl hooted and sanity made a hard, unwelcome return.

  They were on the front steps to the house, in plain view of anyone who cared to look out the window. No way could he do what he wanted to do to her out here.

  “Damn,” he said, sliding his hand free from her panties.

  “What?” she asked, blinking, her eyes heavy-lidded, her cheeks flushed.

  She’d been so close, and he’d just pulled the rug out from under her.

  “Take your shoes off,” he said.

  She blinked up at him for a moment, then leaned down to tug off her high-heel sandals. Taking her by the hand, he led her up the steps. As he’d hoped, the house was dark when he opened the front door.

  His tread steady, he led Eva across the living room and into the hallway toward his bedroom. A light showed under Sierra’s bedroom door, but Jed’s was dark. His hand on the small of Eva’s back, he steered her through the doorway to his bedroom and pushed the door shut behind him.

  Flicking on the light, he took a moment to savor the way she looked right now—utterly wanton, her mouth swollen from his kisses, her nipples hard beneath the soft fabric of her dress.

  “Where were we?” he asked.

  “I’m pretty sure I was about to come,” she said.

  “Right. Let’s see what we can do about that.”

  He reached for the hem of her dress, whipping it over her head to reveal a truly decadent bra and pantie set.

  “Nice,” he said, then he flicked open the front clasp and closed his mouth over one of her already-puckered nipples. She arched her back, her hips pressing forward into his, hands clutching at his shoulders as he sucked hard on her straining flesh.

  “Oh, God,” she whispered, and she sounded so broken he felt like beating his chest and baying at the moon.

  Instead, he abandoned her breasts to sink to his knees, taking in the glorious sight of her soft little mound covered with black lace.

  “Did you think of me when you put these on?” he asked, reaching out to press a finger against the damp fabric of her panties.

  “Yes,” she said. “I thought about you doing this. Exactly like this.”

  He rewarded her honesty by leaning forward and pressing an open-mouthed kiss on her mons through her panties. Then he hooked his fingers into the waistband and pulled them down her legs so he could get more of what they both wanted.

  Her legs were trembling as he urged her back onto the bed and down onto her back, her feet remaining on the floor. Then she spread wide for him, offering him a truly heart-stopping sight and he lost track of time for a while.

  His world shrank to a few inches of delicate flesh, to the scent of her arousal, the spasmodic grip-release of her hands in his hair, the uncontrollable trembling of her thighs as he licked and sucked and teased her until her hips lifted off the bed and she shuddered into a silent, convulsive climax.

  His cock was so hard it hurt, and he didn’t bother fully undressing, just yanked his T-shirt over his head and pulled his belt free. His cock jutted out of his jeans as he opened them, quickly smoothing a condom over himself. He considered Eva’s flushed, spread-eagled body for a moment, then grabbed the pillow from the head of the bed.

  “Lift your hips,” he instructed, keeping his voice down.

  She tilted her pelvis and he slid the pillow under it, the added padding lifting her to the perfect height. He slipped a hand beneath each of her knees and lifted them toward her chest, opening her even further.

  “Hold your knees,” he told her.

  “Wow, you are really bossy tonight,” she said.

  “You love it. Now, hold your knees.”

  Her eyes flared, but she did as instructed, closing her hands over her knees. His gaze locked to hers, he took himself in hand and positioned himself at
her entrance. She sucked in an anticipatory breath, her breasts rising, and he pushed inside her in one long, firm stroke. Still holding her eyes, he slipped his hand between them, delving through her damp curls until he found the hard little pearl of her clitoris.

  She didn’t look away as he circled her with his thumb, but he could feel her tighten around him. He began stroking into her, long, strong, steady strokes, his thumb circling and circling. She started to pant, but she still refused to look away, and he watched as desire spiraled inside her, bringing out the cords in her neck, making her body tremble as she rose toward climax yet again.

  Then she was gone, her head tilting back, and his self-control slipped the leash. Planting a knee on the bed, he came down over her, kissing her breasts, biting a nipple, and finally finding her mouth as he drove into her again and again. Her legs wrapped around his hips and her hands clutched at his shoulders, his back, his butt. And then he was coming, pleasure gripping him as he held himself deep inside her, his face pressed into her neck.

  He allowed himself a few seconds to recover before lifting his weight off her, conscious of how much bigger he was. Her eyes were closed when he withdrew from her, her head turned away from him, her hands flung out to either side in utter abandonment.

  “Say something,” he said.

  “Something,” she said.

  He smiled. Even after two orgasms, she still had attitude to spare. A tissue took care of the condom in the short term, and he joined her on the bed, lying beside her.

  A moment of silence passed, then she opened her eyes.

  “So, this is your bedroom, huh?” she said.

  “Figured it was marginally more comfortable than the front porch.”

  She sat up, supporting her weight on her elbows as she surveyed his room. “Can I snoop?”

  “Sure. You won’t find much, but have at it,” he said, crossing his arms behind his head and preparing to be amused.

  “We’ll see.”

  She sat up and slid off the bed, then crossed to open his closet doors.

  “Wow. You have a lot of boots,” she said.