Tempting His Heart

by Dawn Sullivan

  “How about we get this show on the road?” the announcer yelled. As the stands roared in response, the announcer went on, “Our first rider tonight comes to us all of the way from Omaha, Nebraska. Let’s give Neil Johnson a round of applause.” The crowd erupted as the gate was flung open and the bull and rider bounded through.

  Sloane had always loved this event. It took so much courage and talent to ride the powerful beast the full eight seconds. Neither of the first two riders lasted the full time that night. The third rider scored low. The crowd went crazy when the fourth rider was announced. Sloane had never heard of him, but that didn’t surprise her. She didn’t know who any of them were. Even though she used to keep track of both the barrel racers and the bull riders when she was younger, it had been so many years since she’d been to a rodeo. She hadn’t realized how much she missed it until now.

  As the rider mounted the bull behind the gate, the bull went crazy, slamming the rider into the side of the fence. When the bull finally calmed down, the rider signaled that he was ready. Sloane gasped as the gate was swung wide and the bull burst through. He twisted and bucked, but the rider held on until right before the buzzer sounded. At the last second, the bull put his head low to the ground and twisting hard, he bucked throwing the rider up and over his head. Sloane cried out, grasping tightly to Creed’s hand, as the man came down hard on the ground. The bull snorted, pawing the ground. Then he caught the man with his horns, throwing him into the air.

  Three clowns ran into the ring, trying to distract the bull from the rider, but the bull ignored them. The clowns tried to get closer to the bull, but it was obvious they were scared of him. When he would swing in their direction, they would jump back quickly and run. “Oh God,” Sloane cried, clinging tightly to Creed’s hand. “Someone, help him!”

  Suddenly, a man jumped over one of the gates the bulls came out of and into the arena. Running straight for the bull, he yelled loudly as he took off his Stetson, waiving it directly in front of the bull’s eyes. Sloane stiffened when she heard Cara scream, “Linc!”

  Eyes widening, Sloane watched in awe as Creed’s brother worked the bull away from the other rider. The huge beast swung around going after Linc. Linc raced to the other side of the arena, jumping up on the far gates, just barely missing the bull’s horns. Sloane had never seen anything like it. The crowd was going wild.

  While the bull’s attention was on Linc, the clowns were able to get the other rider out of the arena. He was limping heavily, but was still moving with the help of a couple of the clowns.

  Glancing at Creed, Sloane saw him shaking his head, a small grin on his lips. Pride shone in his eyes as he watched Linc hop down to the ground after the bull was ushered from the arena. Ignoring the screaming and clapping from the crowd, Linc made his way back behind the bull pen.

  “And that, ladies and gentlemen, was Linc Caldwell from Serenity Springs, Texas,” the announcer said into the loud speaker. “From what the ladies tell me, if you ever need saving, Linc’s just the man to do it.”

  As the crowd laughed good naturedly, Sloane felt Creed’s arm slip around her, hugging her close to his side. Looking at him excitedly, she offered her lips for a quick kiss, moaning softly when Creed immediately accepted the invitation. Smiling at him when he pulled back, she ran her finger over his bottom lip. As their eyes met, she gasped at the heat in his. Clenching her thighs tightly together, she panted at the delicious ache between them.

  The loud music blaring again shook Sloane out of her fog of desire. Turning back to the bull riding event, she tried to keep her mind on it instead of on how much she wanted the man sitting beside her. However, as exciting as the bulls were, Creed held all of her attention through the next couple of riders. Then it was Linc’s turn.

  Sloane focused on Linc, waiting impatiently as he mounted the bucking bull inside the small, fenced in area. When Linc nodded that he was ready, she quickly moved to the edge of her seat. The bull burst through the gates and she watched as Linc easily won the event. It was the most beautiful ride she’d ever seen. It was like he and the bull were one, they were so in sync. Linc easily countered every twist and turn the bull threw his way. She swore he could have kept going, even after the eight seconds was up, but he vaulted from the bull. Landing on two feet, he quickly collected his Stetson off the ground where it had fallen before running to the side of the large arena where they were sitting and climbing the fence. Raising the arm holding his hat, he whooped loudly and waved to the crowd. Linc’s family stood proudly and cheered for him, Sloane right along with them. Creed put his fingers to his lips and let out a piercing whistle, then two more. Linc’s head swung around, looking through the crowd, then seemed to stop on where they stood, just two rows up.

  His eyes widened in surprise, a grin spreading across his face as he saw the whole family there. To the crowd’s delight, Linc climbed to the top of the fence and dropped several feet to the ground below on the other side. Racing up the steps of the stadium, he went straight for his mother, enveloping her in a huge hug. Cara cried as she held him close. Charles slipped an arm around his shoulders and said loudly, “I am so damn proud of you, son.”

  The three of them stood like that for several moments before Linc looked up and glanced around at his siblings. Sloane watched as he clasped hands with Ryder and Caiden, and then pulled Katy into a hug. In the background, the announcer was giving his closing speech and the lights of the stadium lit up. It was over, but for the Caldwell’s, the night was just beginning.

  Linc turned to Creed and held out his hand. Creed ignored it, wrapping his arms around Linc and slapping him on the back. “So glad to see you, little brother,” he said roughly. “So fucking glad to see you.”

  “Me too,” Linc responded, pulling back. As the people surrounding them started to stand and leave, Sloane stood silently when Linc’s eyes lighted on her. “Who’s this pretty lady?” he drawled as his eyes raked down her body.

  Sloane laughed when Creed’s eyes narrowed in warning. “Keep your eyes off my woman,” he ordered.

  Linc looked back and forth between Creed and Sloane. “Yeah, right,” he chuckled. “We all know you don’t date.”

  Creed slipped his arms around Sloane’s waist and pulled her close, kissing her softly on the lips. Sloane laughed at the stunned look on Linc’s face. “Don’t worry, Linc. It’s new to all of us,” she said as she snuggled into Creed’s side.

  “Uncle Linc, Uncle Linc,” a small voice piped up. As Linc turned to Cassie, picking her up in his arms, she giggled. “I’m too big for that now,” she told him.

  “Never,” Linc growled as he tickled her side. Sloane’s heart swelled at the love surrounding her. She was so happy to be a part of it.

  Clapping Linc on the shoulder, Creed looked around at the stadium that was slowly emptying while they talked. “Let’s get out of here,” he told the family. “We have some hotel rooms nearby at the Double Tree, Linc. We have a lot of talking to do, and then everyone needs to get some rest. We need you to leave tomorrow morning on an early flight with Mom and Dad.”

  “Flight?” Linc inquired, the eyebrows above his clear, crystal blue eyes rising. “I’m not going anywhere, Creed. Tomorrow night is the final ride here. I won the last two nights. If I don’t show, I forfeit my right to the winnings. I’m not giving up the prize purse.”

  “Not even for Justice?” Ryder asked from the row above them.

  At Justice’s name, Linc’s expression immediately closed up. Putting Cassie down, he got in Ryder’s face. Grabbing a fistful of Ryder’s tee-shirt and yanking him close, he growled through gritted teeth, “What the fuck are you talking about?”

  Sloane stepped closer to Creed, a slight shudder going through her body. “Knock it off, Linc,” Creed ordered. “You’re scaring Sloane. She’s been through enough shit lately. She doesn’t need this, too.”

  Slowly letting go of Ryder, Linc backed away. “Would someone please tell me what the hell is going on?”

/>   “Everyone needs to just calm down,” Cara said as she reached out and rested a comforting hand on Linc’s arm. “This conversation is not for here. Linc, get your things and tell them you won’t be able to participate tomorrow night. You are coming with your father and I to Washington D.C. to get Justice and bring him home.”

  Linc gulped, before asking quietly, “Is he dead?”

  Smiling gently, his mother told him, “No, sweetheart. Your brother is alive. They found him and brought him home. Your father and I are going to go get him and we need you with us.”

  Without another word, Linc hugged Cara quickly and walked away. Ignoring all of the screams and cat calls from fans, he made his way to the back of the stadium and out the gate. Sloane watched him go in concern. She could not imagine what he was going through right now. Linc had altered his whole life after the military declared his brother dead.

  Before that, he’d been working as a deputy for Creed in Serenity Springs, but from what Cara had told her, Linc had filled out an application to be an agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigations. Now he rode bulls for a living. While Sloane was sure he enjoyed it, he couldn’t do it for the rest of his life.

  “Let’s go to the hotel,” Charles said as he started down the stadium stairs. “Linc will come when he’s ready.”

  On the way to the hotel, Sloane once again huddled close to Creed in the middle seat. She was exhausted, but too wound up to sleep. Her mind slipping back to the bedroom at Creed’s house, she shivered as she wondered what would have happened to her if she had walked in on the man slicing the curtains and bed up. Would he have turned the knife on her? Would she even be here now?

  When the SUV stopped at the hotel, Sloane got out and shouldered the overnight bag Katy handed her. Entering the establishment, Sloane waited with Katy while Creed went to check them in. When he came back, he handed a key to Katy, one to his parents and one to Caiden. Unsure what room she was staying in, Sloane followed the family up a flight of stairs and down to the end of the hall.

  Creed stopped at one door, Katy moved on to the next one. When Sloane would have followed her, Creed grabbed her hand holding her next to him. “Cassie is going to stay with Katy tonight,” he said quietly. “I want you with me. If that’s okay with you?” She could tell he added that last part for her benefit, but the grip on her hand told her he didn’t plan to let her go.

  Her heart jumped as she nodded in agreement. Yes, she wanted to be with this man. Panting softly in anticipation, she blushed profusely at the thoughts going through her mind when she heard Cara’s voice telling them goodnight. Creed chuckled softly as he opened the door to their room.

  Sloane gasped at the large king size bed in the middle of the room covered in pillows and a large, soft looking comforter. There was a red rose lying on each large pillow. On a table in the corner was a bucket full of ice. A bottle of champagne was encased in the ice, with two glasses lying on top of it. On the other side of the room was a hot tub. “Wow,” Sloane breathed. It was amazing.

  Creed took Sloane’s overnight bag from her and placed it in the corner with his. Coming back to her, he took her hands in his. “I told you I wanted our first time to be special.” Leaning down, he lightly kissed her forehead, then her lips. “You mean so much to me, Sloane. Let me show you how much.”

  “Please,” Sloane moaned softly, shivering as the hairs of his beard tickled her neck when he kissed his way down to her shoulder. “Oh, God,” she whispered softly as he slipped her shirt from her jeans and slowly pulled it up her body and then removed it.

  “You are so beautiful, Sloane,” Creed groaned as he kissed and nipped his way down her chest. Unhooking her bra in the back, he slipped it off her shoulders and let it drop to the floor. Cupping her full breast in his hand, he leaned down and licked the nipple, nipping lightly and then blowing softly on it. Sloane trembled, the sensation sending waves of pleasure through her body.

  Tugging Creed’s shirt up and over his head, Sloane sighed in pleasure at the sight before her. Running her palms over the hard contours of his body, starting at his shoulders and making her way down to the top of his jeans, she whispered, “I want you, Creed. I want to feel you inside me.”

  Scooping Sloane up off her feet, Creed settled her in the middle of the bed. Watching her, he removed his boots and jeans. When he stood naked before her, she gasped at the beauty of his body. All hard lines and muscles. A tattoo with an intricate design ran over his shoulder and down one arm. And the nipple ring was sexy as hell. Who would have thought that Creed Caldwell, Sheriff of Serenity Springs, would have a nipple ring?

  Not willing to wait any longer, she undid the button on her jeans, sliding them down her hips and tossing them to the floor by the bed. “Stop,” he growled when she would have removed her light pink panties. “Let me.”

  Creed crawled on the bed and hovered over her. Staring into her eyes, he reached out a hand and traced a finger down her cheek. “I want to make love to you,” he whispered. “I want to show you how much you mean to me.”

  “Yes, I want that too,” Sloane responded, feeling loved and cherished as he continued to gaze into her eyes. Slowly he leaned down and kissed her softly. She sighed, as he ran a hand lightly down her chest and over her stomach, resting it on her hip. Leaning back, Creed’s eyes raked hotly over her body. “You are so perfect,” he told her as he slipped his fingers inside her panties and slowly slid them from her body. Running a hand back up her leg, he leaned down and took her nipple in his mouth. Arching her back, Sloane cried out as he sucked gently on it before letting go and moving to the other one.

  Reaching out, Sloane lightly tugged on the ring attached to Creed’s nipple. She laughed as he groaned and tugged again. Letting go of her nipple, he rasped, “You’re making it hard for me to go slow.”

  “Who asked for slow?” she questioned as she leaned up and took his nipple in her mouth, flicking the ring back and forth with her tongue. As she did, she moved her hand down and found his hard cock. Closing her fingers around it, she moaned in anticipation as her hand started to move.

  “Sloane,” Creed groaned as he thrust into her hand. “I can’t wait any longer. I need you.” A shudder rippled through his body as he grabbed her hands and held them above her head. His eyes meeting hers, he slowly pushed inside her. Sloane cried out as he filled her. The feeling was intense, the moment unforgettable. She’d never felt this kind of pleasure before.

  Creed stopped when he was fully seated inside of her. “Are you okay?” he asked as he let go of her hands and cupped her face. “We can stop if you aren’t, Sloane. Just tell me.”

  This man was unbelievable. Here he was, deep inside her, offering to stop if she wanted him to. She could feel him shaking with the need to move, but he restrained himself. There were little beads of moisture on his forehead, his muscles strained in his arms. He was sexy as hell, and he was hers.

  Shoving her fingers in his dark hair, she pulled his face to hers, kissing him deeply. As her tongue entered his mouth, she circled her hips on a moan. That was all it took. Creed lost control and slammed into her. Again and again he pushed into her, and Sloane reveled in it. She made him feel this way. She made him lose control. Something he never did.

  Breathing raggedly, Creed groaned, “You feel so fucking good, Sloane. So hot, so wet.” Grabbing hold of her hips, Creed rolled over onto his back, pulling Sloane on top of him. Guiding her with his hands on her hips, Creed slid her up on his cock before pulling her back down, thrusting his own hips to meet her. Panting, Sloane moved her hands up her sides and cupped her breasts. Her eyes connecting with Creed’s she lightly squeezed her nipples and cried out in surprise at the pleasure that shot straight through her body. “Hell yeah, baby,” Creed groaned. “Do it again.” Flinging her head back, Sloane squeezed them again as Creed slammed into her. Unable to hold back, Sloane screamed as she came, her body tightening around Creed’s cock as it pulsed over and over in pleasure. Creed came on a loud groan as he shoved
into her one last time, her name slipping past his lips.

  Coming down from the euphoria she was in, Sloane collapsed against Creed’s chest. “I didn’t know it could be like that,” she admitted after a few moments. “Nothing like that has ever happened to me before.”

  “You mean you’ve never had an orgasm before?” he asked in surprise.

  Shrugging, she whispered, “Not while having sex.”

  “Then someone wasn’t taking care of you the way they should have,” Creed rasped as he held her closer. Sliding his fingers into her hair, he pulled her head back and took her lips with his. Several minutes later, he whispered, “How about a glass of champagne in the hot tub?”

  Sloane’s eyes lit up at the thought of the hot tub. Nodding excitedly, she winced slightly when Creed pulled out of her. “Shit, did I hurt you?” he asked in concern.

  Shaking her head, Sloane laughed. “It’s just been a long time for me is all. I’m sure the hot tub will help.” Sloane stiffened at the expression on Creed’s face. Wondering why he suddenly looked upset she asked, “What did I do?”