Her husband.
The thought rooted in her mind as the driver tipped his hat before rolling the security window into place. The engine roared to life and the massive vehicle rumbled down the road, away from the festivities.
Not that theirs was a real marriage, but still. At the moment, it almost felt real with the kiss at the altar and the plush limousine and, well, it was their wedding night.
And she was feeling uncommonly good thanks to half a bottle of wine, one hell of a spectacular kiss and the fact that her mother had turned on her heel and marched off in the opposite direction after Cole’s big display of familial affection.
“I can’t believe she bought it.”
“Did you see Sally Fisk and Tara Lawrence?” He grinned. “They were texting before we even said our ‘I dos.’ Half the town has to know about this by now.” His grin widened. “This just might work.”
“It will work,” she said with more confidence than she’d felt in a long, long time.
He was so close and so strong and he smelled so good—like sweet vanilla-bean wedding cake and while her palate had graduated to more sophisticated flavors, she found herself with a sudden craving for something simple. Tasty. Satisfying.
“Yep, I think this is just what the ole doc ordered.” He half turned. A grin tilted the corner of his mouth as he pinned her with a gaze.
Nikki’s heart stalled and she couldn’t help herself.
She leaned forward and touched her lips to his. It was nothing short of explosive. The chemistry ignited and mushroomed, and what started as a subtle press of mouths soon morphed into a deep, urgent, delicious probing of tongues.
No, no, no, a voice whispered. This was too fast, too soon. At the same time, she’d wanted to kiss him like this since she’d been a seventh grader, sitting at the Dairy Freeze, watching him feed a banana split to her oldest sister. She’d been too much younger back then, but now... Now the age difference didn’t matter. They were both adults.
Married adults.
Caution melted away in the face of so much heat, and arousal washed through Nikki from her head to the tips of her bright pink toenails. The pulsing awareness started in her scalp and spread through her body, pausing at every major erogenous zone. Her nipples tightened and hardened. Pressure hummed between her legs. Her thighs quivered. Her heart pounded as loud and as fast as the drummer for Buckcherry, and her blood rushed at an alarming rate.
“We probably shouldn’t be doing this,” she murmured.
“Then again, if anyone should be doing it, it’s us.” Cole’s hand found its way under her dress and swept a burning path up the inside of her thigh.
“True enough,” she breathed as his finger traced the lace edge of her panties before dipping underneath.
His finger ran back and forth, his callused skin arousing Nikki’s sensitized flesh. Back and forth. Up and...oh, boy.
He pushed into her and she gasped. She wiggled, pivoting her hips, desperate to feel him deeper and harder and... There. Just like that. And that. And—oh, wow—that...
His lips left her mouth to blaze a trail down her throat to her pulse beat. He rasped the tip of his tongue against her skin and worked his finger inside her body. A moan vibrated from her throat. Cole caught the sound with his mouth and devoured her in another luscious kiss.
Suddenly, the limo swerved and the driver’s muttered curse penetrated the haze of desire that enveloped them. Not that the driver could actually see anything with the privacy window firmly in place. But it was still obvious from the panting and moaning going on that Cole was doing something, and that Nikki was enjoying it and—
The thought scattered in a rush of desire as he pushed deep inside.
She relished his deep, thrusting touch for a few more delicious moments before he pulled out of her completely. The tips of his fingers skimmed her swollen flesh as he caught her thigh. She trembled as he urged her leg up and over his lap until she straddled him. They faced one another, her dress bunched around her waist.
Cole’s violet gaze drilled into hers, his eyes dilated with hunger and a deep appreciation. Warmth bubbled inside her, a feeling that might have spooked her if she hadn’t been so hot and bothered in the first place.
Barbie women didn’t do bubbling warmth. Or soft fuzzies. Or any of those girly feelings that undermined even the most determined woman when it came to men. They didn’t let themselves get involved in the emotional aspect of sex because that would only make it harder to walk away the next day. And they always walked away. They had a reputation to maintain, after all.
Not that Nikki had done a lot of walking away the morning after. Because there hadn’t been much sex the night before. Her sisters perpetuated the reputation with their carousing ways, and so all Nikki had ever had to do was dress the part and flirt her ass off and bam, she’d been part of the one-night-stand club.
But she’d never actually gotten good at it.
She might be a Barbie in name, but she didn’t have near the expertise her sisters possessed when it came to pleasuring the opposite sex. Sure, she’d tried. With a basketball player named David. He’d asked her to the senior prom, but before they’d even made it to the dance, he’d had her in the backseat for a little pre-dance action.
She’d given in and then instead of taking her to the prom, he’d made some lame excuse about having to go home for an emergency. He’d dropped her off at her door so fast she’d had whiplash. He’d gone on to brag about it, but he’d never come back for seconds. No late-night calls to hook up. Nothing.
Meanwhile, when one of her sisters had given it up, she hadn’t been able to get rid of the guy. Men had chased after them mercilessly. Because her sisters had been great in the sack.
Nikki? Not so much. Which wasn’t all that much of a problem in itself since she was much too busy to worry over a bunch of sex-crazed guys chasing after her. She had a career to think of. Goals to achieve. Even more, she had a sizable vibrator that did the job just fine and didn’t leave her angsting about a follow-up phone call.
And so she stuck to flirting to keep up her image rather than actually hooking up.
A fact that slipped her mind at that moment because she’d had a little too much wine and Cole felt too good and she wanted him too much.
As if he read her mind, his strong hands cupped her bare bottom and he worked her against the rock-hard bulge pressing tight against his jeans. The friction was incredible and stirring. Her head fell back and her eyes closed as pleasure ripped through her.
She shimmied her hips and spread her legs even wider, settling more fully on top of him. He let loose a low growl and leaned forward, his hot mouth going to the plump cleavage pushing against the low neckline of her dress. His tongue traced the edge of the material before he reached his hand up to grasp the edge of the material. He was just about to pull it down and free her aching breast when an all-important fact registered.
Nikki wasn’t clutching at his shoulders to keep from swaying to the side anymore. They were sitting stock still, the limo engine idling, the driver waiting. And probably wondering.
“We’re here,” she breathed.
Cole’s hand stilled as his gaze met hers. They stared at each other for a long moment, their breaths coming in quick, frantic gulps.
“We sure are.” He sounded disappointed.
Until reality seemed to hit, and then it was as if someone lit a fire under them. She scrambled from his lap and pushed open the door to step out onto the pavement while he followed her out.
The large building that housed the honky-tonk sat dark and quiet, closed for tonight’s wedding. She picked up her steps and headed around the side to the stairs leading to the small apartment on the second floor. Her mother had once lived in the apartment when she’d first opened the place, but when Nikki’s grandmother had died, she’d mov
ed into the small house that sat a few blocks over. And so the apartment had been left to Nikki and her sisters.
Now that Crystal and April were married, Nikki had the place all to herself.
Cole followed and soon Nikki fumbled with her key for a few moments before Cole stepped up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. His long, lean fingers closed over hers, and he steadied her long enough to slide the key into the lock. Metal clicked and hinges creaked and then they were inside. The door slammed behind them and before she could draw a breath, he whirled her around and pulled her into his arms.
He kissed her, his tongue delving deep as he pulled her close. Her thighs quivered and her bosom heaved and she came dangerously close to fainting from the desire swamping her. But this was too good to miss and she wasn’t about to forfeit what was surely to be a really incredible orgasm.
Her first with an actual man.
She reached for the waistband of his pants as he reached behind for the hooks on her dress. They both worked at the clothes until all the pieces had been pulled away. The nightmare bridesmaid’s dress landed in a heap somewhere across the room. The matching slip slapped the far wall. Nikki feared her corset-like bra would put up a fight, but Cole quickly demonstrated why he was the hottest catch in town. A few movements of his deft fingers and the bra fell away. Soon she was completely naked.
Likewise, Cole’s clothes followed hers. His jacket hit the floor along with his belt and jeans. Buttons popped and she shoved the shirt down his arms and sent the white material flying in the opposite direction. She paused only to discover whether he went for boxers, briefs, or let it all hang out—crisp white boxer briefs, just for the record—before shoving the elastic waistband down and freeing a massive erection.
She wanted to look, but everything seemed so fuzzy and surreal and desperate. She threw herself against him. Her body went flush against his as bare skin met bare skin. His lips found hers again. He kissed her as he swept her into his arms and started for the bedroom.
There was just something about the way his mouth ate at her lips and his tongue tangled with hers, stroking this way and that, up and down, deeper and stronger, that took her breath away. She’d never met a man who kissed with such passion and intensity. As if he liked it. As if he liked her.
The last thought rooted in her mind as he tumbled her back onto her full-size bed. Her dog, Sweet Cheeks, who’d been curled up on her pillow, jumped to the floor with a loud, surprised yelp. She then let loose a grumpy growl before scurrying off toward the walk-in closet that housed her doggy pillow.
Cole’s body covered Nikki’s and settled between her legs. He reached to grip her buttocks and tilt her up, to ready her for what was about to happen.
Sex.
Convenient sex.
They were stuck in a relationship together, however temporary, and so they might as well make the most of it.
And if convenient sex turns into bad sex?
The question whispered through her mind and she tried to ignore it. It would be good. It had to be good.
And you’ve got the track record to prove that, right?
“Stop,” she blurted in that next instant. “I, um, think we should put on the brakes.”
He stiffened and pulled away to stare down at her. “Why?”
Yeah, why?
“Because we don’t want to complicate our relationship, however temporary, with sex. This is supposed to be a marriage in name only. We didn’t lay out any ground rules for getting busy.”
“Maybe we should. I mean, I’ve got needs and you’ve got needs, right?”
“Oh, yeah, sure. Lots.” She fought to hide the anxiety spiking inside her and forced her hands to stop holding on to the hard muscles of his shoulders. “Tons. But should we really be wasting our time on sex when what we both really need is to focus?” Bad hands. She balled her fingers and tried to remember every reason she shouldn’t be touching him right now. “That’s why we’re doing this in the first place. To kill all the distractions and focus on what’s really important. Not that you can tell anyone that. We have to keep this just between us, otherwise the entire town will figure out it’s not for real.” She scrambled out from beneath him. “I’ve got to make béarnaise sauce for Monday’s class and I’ve never made béarnaise sauce. I really need to practice. And you should be riding a bronc or something, shouldn’t you?”
“It’s one o’clock in the morning. I don’t bronc bust at this crazy hour. I usually sleep.”
“Good idea. You take this bed. I’ll just crash on the sofa when I finish up with the sauce.” And then she retreated into the safety of her kitchen and left Cole Chisholm alone in her bedroom.
No doubt thinking that she was a nutcase.
Better certifiable than a total disappointment in bed.
The last thing she needed was for Cole to know the truth—that Nikki Barbie was a fake. That her carnal knowledge amounted to zilch and she couldn’t come close to living up to her name. She knew zilch when it came to heating up the bedroom.
No, the only room she knew her way around was the kitchen. Which was where she kept herself for the next few hours as she tried to forget all about the naked man lying in her bed.
5
WHAT THE HELL was wrong with him?
Cole watched the spray of neon play across the ceiling courtesy of the honky-tonk’s buzzing neon sign that sat just outside the window.
He wasn’t supposed to jump her bones in the limo, or here in her bedroom. And he sure as hell wasn’t supposed to be so damned tense. Uptight. Ready.
To march into the kitchen, sling her over his shoulder and haul her back to bed.
She was right.
They needed to remember why they were doing this and keep their relationship strictly platonic. That’s what he’d fully intended.
But then she’d smiled at him in the limo and leaned forward, and he’d forgotten every good intention.
He hadn’t expected his stomach to hollow out at the sight of her smile, but it had. It wasn’t as if he was a damned stranger when it came to women. He’d had more than his share, particularly over the past few years since he’d nailed championship after championship. He didn’t go all hard at the sight of a pair of long legs, or a nice ass, or even a substantial pair of breasts. And he sure as hell didn’t get all hot and bothered over a woman’s smile.
Not when he was this close to a win.
No, he saved the cutting loose for the right time. The right place. The right woman. Namely one who would be on her way before the sun came up.
But Nikki’s lips were just so full and lush, her teeth straight and white. And she had this dimple that cut into her upper cheek and softened her entire expression. A sight that he remembered all too well, though the effect was much more potent now.
The first time he’d seen it had been years ago. Back when he was in middle school. She’d been in kindergarten back then and a student at the nearby elementary school. She’d walked a similar route home from school with her sisters and, of course, he’d always tagged along after Crystal. But one day Crystal had been home sick and April had stayed after school for detention, and Nikki had been all by her lonesome.
She’d been scared navigating the route home by herself, but then she’d seen him. Her eyes had sparkled and her lips had parted and she’d given him a smile that had made him feel like a superhero rather than the son of the town lowlife.
Her sisters had been back on duty the next day and he’d gone back to panting after Crystal, but he’d never forgotten the look. The memory had gotten him through more than one bad moment over the years. Even so, he’d never thought to see it up close and personal again.
But then she’d been right there in front of him and she’d smiled and...well, here he was, nursing a hard-on that was damn near painful.
He thought of closing his eyes and trying to get some sleep, but with her scent still ripe around him and her soft, flower-print sheets brushing his skin, he knew there was about a popsicle’s chance in hell of that. No, better to get the inevitable over with.
He pulled out his cell phone. It had only been two hours since they’d left the wedding, but he’d already had five missed calls from Jesse. News traveled fast in a small town. Bad news even faster, and the two wildest broncs on the single circuit definitely constituted bad news.
“Would you mind telling me what the hell you were thinking tonight?” Jesse demanded the minute he answered Cole’s call. Without waiting for a reply, his brother rushed on, “You’ve pulled a lot of stunts before, but this takes the cake. I thought you liked being unattached. I thought you thrived on it.”
“Maybe I’m tired of it. Maybe I’m trying to clean up my image and walk the straight and narrow.”
“By marrying Nikki Barbie?”
“Okay, so maybe I’m trying to reinforce my image. I’m a bad guy, Jess. I grew up on the wrong side of the tracks. Hell, I grew up on the tracks.”
“You’re preaching to the choir, bro.”
“Then I don’t have to tell you that I’m hardly a decent catch for any of the women in this town.”
“I don’t know about that. There’s one woman here who would argue with you.”
“Gracie doesn’t count. She’s practically my family. She’s supposed to think nice things about her soon-to-be brother-in-law. But you know what I’m talking about, Jesse. You know the shit everyone talked about us when we were kids.”
“And I know that half that crap wasn’t even close to the truth.”
“But the other half was. We put up with a lot when we were growing up and it changed us. We had to do things that no kid should. It made us hard. Wild.”
Texas Outlaws: Cole Page 4