by Em Petrova
After searching the stables and motel he ended up at the bar. Asher wasn’t here either, but the stool looked mighty inviting, so Buck dropped his weary ass onto one.
The bartender gave him a smile of recognition and he said, “Whiskey.”
“Sure thing, cowboy.”
When he got the glass in his hand, he stared at the liquid and wondered if he was doing anything right. The best thing for Asher would be to drop out and take care of his family, even if he had to take a crappy job to pay the bills. Having insurance would help with his wife right now. And his kids needed him.
But Buck needed the income too. And dammit, he hated the idea of quitting in the middle of the season, even if it was early. He tossed the shot back and exhaled as the alcohol blazed a path to his stomach. One would never be enough to anesthetize his brain, so he ordered another.
“Make that two.” Silky tanned arms slid around him from behind. His breath hitched as he sucked in a breath of Channing’s perfume. His heart spasmed and, dropping his head, he closed his eyes.
She simply held him for a minute, her warm curves molded to his back. The bartender set two whiskeys down, and Channing reached around him to take hers. He caught her hand and covered the engagement ring with a fingertip. A shiver ran through her, and then she raised the glass and drank the shot.
Still leaning against her, Buck tossed his down his throat too and then turned into her arms. She pulled him tighter against him. All sweet and fragrant and God, he wanted her.
He rested his head just above her breasts, nuzzling her warm cleavage. “What are you doing, Channing?”
“Making sure you’re all right.”
He lifted his head and pierced her with his gaze. “Is that all?”
She swallowed hard and shook her head. Soft blonde hair swished over her shoulders.
With his pulse pounding and his cock as hard as steel, he got off the stool and took her by the hand. Leading her out of the bar and into his room took longer than he wanted, and by the time they were inside and the door closed, he was on fire for her.
Faced with all of his fantasies, though, he didn’t know where to begin. Their rocky relationship had no rules of engagement. He didn’t know if he could touch her or if she’d slap him in the face.
But she was here and looking at him with those big blue eyes…
“Why’d you change your mind?” he grated out.
She lifted a slender shoulder in a shrug. “It’s too hard to stay away.”
He took a step toward her. She didn’t back off, just opened her arms. A noise of surrender sounded from his throat as he wrapped her close and lifted her off her feet. She rubbed her soft cheek against his rougher one, her long lashes covering her smoldering gaze. “Take what you need, Buck.”
“What about you? What do you need?”
“I need you,” she whispered, turning her mouth into his with a desperation born of weeks apart.
He claimed her lips, his growl erupting. She parted her lips for his searching tongue, and the kiss turned carnal. She dragged her teeth over his lower lip. His cock lengthened another inch as he whirled to the bed.
Bearing her down on the mattress and covering her with his body felt as natural as breathing. When she parted her thighs and he sank against her scorching hot pussy, they shared a fervent groan.
He yanked his mouth free and, sucking a path down her neck, roamed his hand over her breasts. Kneading them to fit his palms, tweaking the hard nipples. She cried out, arching into his touch.
“I need you, Buck.” Her plea sent him spinning. Shoving back onto his haunches, he striped her in seconds. Then it was her turn. She tackled him, just about popping all the pearl buttons of his western shirt in her haste to get at him.
He gazed up at her, taking in her mussed hair and the pink high on her cheekbones. Her hands trembled slightly and her breasts jiggled as she unhooked his belt and jeans. When she reached into his boxers and curled her fingers around his erection, he threw his head back.
Sweet heaven.
She slid her finger around his swollen cock head, and pre-come oozed from him. If he didn’t stop her, he’d lose it too soon.
Hooking an arm around her back, he whipped her into the sheets and hovered over her, panting for control. “I hope you don’t need me to use a condom. I’ve been faithful to you.”
She cupped his face and looked into his eyes. “No. Just take me.”
He kicked out of his boots and the rest of his clothing in a split second. All he wanted was to drive into her tempting body, but first he had to taste her. He’d been craving her delicious flavor for weeks.
“Spread your legs.” His command made her quiver, but she did. Letting her knees fall apart to reveal her tantalizingly wet folds. Moaning, he covered her mound with his hand. “This is wet for me.”
“Y-yes. Buck—”
“Draw your thighs up and back.”
She writhed as she did his bidding. He loved ordering her to hold various poses while he pleasured her out of her pretty little head. Dark need gripped him as he prostrated himself between her thighs, his lips poised over her slick folds.
“Look at me while I eat your pussy.”
“Oh God. Buck…” She looked straight into his eyes as he snaked his tongue out to taste her. Oh God was right. His cock throbbed against the mattress at the first lick. Holding her gaze, he lapped her from bottom to top, and then zigzagged across her juicy opening.
She twisted the sheets at her hips. When he covered her hard nubbin with his mouth, she jerked into him. He latched on to her clit and teased it with his tongue.
Just when her stomach muscles began to twitch, revealing she was close, he released her clit and sank his tongue into her pussy. Driving it as far as he could, need blasting him. Small cries left her and she let go of the sheets to dig her nails into his shoulders.
They shared mutual gasps. He moved his attentions back to her clit, swirling his tongue around and around it while thrusting two fingers into her tight, wet sheath.
“B—” She stopped breathing before his name had left her lips. He watched her face contort, her lips open on an O of ecstasy.
Her inner walls slammed around his fingers and juices spilled from her as she began to come. He didn’t have to tell her to look at him while she released. No, she knew already.
His chest walls seemed to cave in as he dragged a long, stuttering moan from her and coaxed more and more juices out with his tongue. While she still shook under his hands, he slowly raised his head. Then he did a pushup, moving forward and guiding his cock like an arrow to its target.
“Keep your legs back.”
She mewled and held the pose he wanted. But as soon as he leaned down to kiss her, she wrapped her lush thighs around his hips and he was helpless against her. Grunting, he filled her with one hard shove.
Extreme heat crawled through his cock and flooded his entire body. She reared up and kissed him. His heart rate spiked as he shared her flavors with her. Teasing her lips with his tongue and then drinking deeply from her.
He withdrew with exquisite slowness, wanting this to last forever. If he never had her again, he wanted to remember it as something amazing. And she sure as hell would feel his imprint forever.
He eased into her tight walls inch by mind-blowing inch. She yanked him down with a fast jerk of her heels on his spine. Growling, he looked into her eyes. “Naughty wench. For disobeying me you have to hold completely still. Feel my cock pulse inside you but you cannot move.”
She made a noise of wanting that nearly made him eat his words again. But watching her squirm and fight to remain still was too damn good.
Her eyes were blue fire like sparks off a torch. Catching her lower lip between her teeth, she waited for him to give her what she needed. Damn right. Nobody can give you this.
He plunged into her hard and fast. She gasped. Her pussy clutched around him as he withdrew and sank in again. When his head bumped her innermost spot, they cal
led out together.
Uncaring of the paper thin walls, he reached back, caught her ankles and lifted her legs to rest on his shoulders. The new angle gave him another fraction of space and he took it. Filling her, his balls resting against her body.
“Buck, I’m so close. Please.” Her raspy words shot him with extreme pleasure. Fuck, he loved being responsible for her orgasms. For every single cry escaping her sweet lips.
“You want to come on my cock, darlin’?”
“Yes. Please!” She pushed into him. Started to shake.
“Come. Come for me.” As her release gripped her in its iron fist, he watched her beautiful face for a split second before his balls clenched tight and he was spurting into her body. Hot jets of come that claimed her fully as his, and not a single second of it felt like a farce.
* * * * *
Channing came back to herself all at once, aware that her sanity had been on pause for the past ten minutes. Beside her, Buck lay red-faced and handsome as hell. She stole secret peeks at him, feeling a little shy and wondering why things had to be so screwed up between them.
In bed he was a different person. But out of it, he hardly acknowledged her existence. When he’d ignored her after his ride and gone to speak with his family, it had cut her to the quick. She didn’t resent him taking time for his family. She understood completely.
But would it be so hard to smile at her? To let her see that she meant something to him?
He gave that low rumble that sent goose bumps skittering all over her body and pulled her against him. She rested her head on his bulging chest muscle and inhaled the spicy scent of his flesh.
When she drew a breath to speak, he said, “Listen.”
She strained to hear but detected nothing but the sound of the ice machine outside the building.
He relaxed again, but his chest moved with a chuckle. “I thought it was the film crew.”
A giggle left her. “How horrible.”
“I think we escaped before they spotted us. Damn, I hate this whole show and it’s only been filming for about six hours.”
“Are they prying into your business so much?”
His dark eyes flashed with amusement. “Can hardly take a piss without one following me into the restroom.” Smoothing his hand down her side, he said, “How about you, darlin’? They bugging you much?”
“No. They only came by when they were following you.”
“That’s good. I worried…” He broke off for a long minute. “Well you had a strange look on your face when I found you that last time and I wondered.”
She’d just gotten off the phone with her brother. Then Buck had pushed her between the vendor booths and stole her mind with his sweeping kisses.
She wiggled closer. He nudged his leg between hers, and her wet pussy adhered to his furred thigh. Before she could even moan at the pleasure it gave her, he had her flat on her back and his stiff cock at her folds again.
As he gathered her hands and pinned them over her head, he said, “I’m not letting you out of this bed for the rest of the day. I’ve waited too damn long for you.”
A thrill deep in her belly radiated into her heart. She bit down on her lower lip and held his gaze. He slipped into her body in one swift glide. Her sensitive muscles had a thousand more nerve endings than before and now there was no holding still even if he commanded it.
She pushed against his cock, taking him to the root. His grip on her hands tightened as he began to move. Hard thrust after hard thrust, he took her higher. She came once more on him. Twice.
Then he flipped her onto her stomach and yanked her ass up to meet his thrust. The second he entered her again, she was coming a third time. He churned his hips, tension rolling off him. He was close. His breathing told her as much. What she wouldn’t give for a mirror to see his face as he let go or the perspiration glistening on his chiseled muscles as he took what he needed from her.
She arched her back, giving him total access. He grasped her hips and his movements became disjointed as he poured his hot seed into her. “Fuck, you’re still pulsating around me,” he grated out.
Warmth bathed her insides. She buried her face into the sheets that smelled like him and reveled in the closeness between them. She was glad he’d been faithful—he could have had his pick of any Buckle Bunny out there. Women chased rodeo guys, making a game of their conquests. From what she saw, Buck was different in this regard. He ignored those women totally.
No, it had never been other women she was competing against. It was…what? She didn’t know why he withheld his time and attention from her except in bed. If their relationship could catch up to their sexual relations, life would be so perfect.
With Buck she had no idea what to expect in the throes of bliss. But he was so predictable otherwise. She wished like crazy that things were different but she knew better. After she left his arms and his bed, she’d be nothing more than a passing obligation to him.
I have to steer clear of Buck. This can’t happen again.
Chapter Four
As Buck sat down to a breakfast table full of Calhouns and production people, he fought a growl of annoyance. They were going to ask where Channing was and he’d have to tell them she’d left.
She’d driven home with Asher right after crawling out of Buck’s bed. Dammit, he knew she didn’t have any romantic interest in his partner, but it stung. She hadn’t even told him—she’d left him a note at the motel front desk.
“Where’s Channing?” Ryder asked.
Buck leveled his stare at him. “She went on home.”
“What? Why?” Wynonna asked.
“She had something to do there.” He rubbed a hand over his jaw to quell the urge to punch something. His sister looked at him too damn closely for his comfort, so he ducked his head to avoid her gaze. Nosy little shit was going to hear about it when he got her away from the camera. Trouble was, she was basking beneath the lens like it was a fucking sun lamp.
Not that she wasn’t acting natural. Actually, she was eerily natural.
A waitress brought several pots of steaming coffee, and Buck grabbed one first and filled his mug. After keeping Channing screaming with pleasure for hours, he could use a caffeine injection.
She’d worn him down and he’d spent himself numerous times. But he had a creeping feeling that his intense emotions after finally having her back in his bed had sapped his strength.
Fuck that. Cowboys don’t do emotional exhaustion. That was reserved for delicate folk. And he was far from delicate.
He sipped his black brew and tried to focus on the meeting being held around him. The production manager was giving them a rundown of what they’d like to see today during filming.
Buck listened with half an ear. Had Channing confided to Asher about their relationship? She had to have given him a reason for wanting to ride home with him. Not that he’d kept anything from Asher a day in his life. But he hadn’t exactly told him about his and Channing’s split, mostly because on the surface they were a couple of lovebirds.
Besides, Asher had enough crap to deal with. He didn’t need more dumped on him.
Platters of pancakes, scrambled eggs and bacon were placed on the long table, family style. Buck looked up, startled. Hell, this was his family now. All these people toting cords and cameras were part of his day-to-day life. He’d better start getting used to them.
Or at least learning their names. Starting at the head of the table, he tried to conjure each person’s name. By the fifth person he gave up and tucked into his eggs.
“We’d like an interview with Buck about his loss,” a guy who could only be described as a hipster said.
Buck leveled him with his stare. “We’ll see,” he muttered.
Beneath the table West stomped on his foot.
Swinging his head in his brother’s direction, he said, “What the fuck’s that about?”
“Musta slipped.”
Everyone looked between the brothers, and one gu
y raised his camera to capture the moment. Ignoring them all, Buck eyed West. “If you’ve got something to say to me, say it. We aren’t hiding anything. We’re all friends.” He swept a hand toward the table at large. The blinking lights of video equipment made him want to get in his truck and not come back until well after the season was concluded.
“If any of us were hiding from an interview about losing our events, you’d give us hell.”
Several of his siblings nodded, which made Buck wonder why the hell his parents had so many damned kids.
“Everyone loses a time or two. Seems to me, West, you lost two weeks ago back in Tulsa.”
West nodded, a warning spark in his eyes. “The difference is I’m not afraid to admit my shortcomings.”
“Look, I’m only as good as my partner, and Ash didn’t make the toss.” As soon as he laid the blame on his partner, Buck hated himself. He pushed away from the table and dropped his fork before he stabbed West for provoking him.
Silence hovered over the table. Wynonna finally spoke up, “I had a great time in Tulsa—took the record time.”
Thank Christ the cameras centered on her, leaving Buck time to storm off. Head down, strides long, all he could think about was escape and how damn good it would be to confide in Channing. He hadn’t meant to lay the blame on Asher. Hell, it was a wonder his partner was even in the arena after what he was going through. Buck didn’t resent him at all.
Yet he’d been pushed. Was being pushed. Somehow he couldn’t help but think if Channing had been sitting next to him, her soft fingers curled around his, he would have reined himself in.
A second later footsteps sounded nearby and he glanced back to see the hipster trying to catch him. “Wait up.”
With a heavy sigh Buck stopped walking. “Look, that was great back there.”
Buck’s eyes bulged. “What?”
“It’s exactly what we’re looking for—footage of the Calhouns cracking under pressure. Your ranch is about to be lost. Your fiancée—your rock in life—isn’t around to support you after your loss. We want more of that.”