He had no right to be angry. And she was so fucking pathetic for wondering what angry sex would be like with him that she didn’t notice she’d drained her entire drink in about one minute.
“Georgia?”
Startled out of her glum mood, she glanced up to see Leah and Roxanne standing at the table edge. “Hey ladies, what’s up?”
“Are you waiting for Tell or something?”
“No. I helped out at the community center and stopped in—” to avoid Tell, actually, “—for a bite to eat.”
“Mind if we join you?”
She managed to hide her surprise. “That would be great.”
Roxanne and Leah already had drinks. Pink ones. “What are you drinking?”
“Cosmos. Ned teases me endlessly about my love of girly drinks. But if I drink beer, I feel like shit the next day.”
“Bull, Rox. You feel like shit because you’re usually doing tequila shooters and drinking beer.”
“True. So let’s order a cosmo for Georgia so we don’t look like lushes.”
After they toasted, Leah blurted, “You are so different from what I remember.”
“Is that why you’ve had the big change of heart? Did I pass some secret test?”
Leah looked thoughtful. “Well, we did take a hard look at our small-town, bitchy selves after what you said in the parking lot that night.”
“And we’ve gotta respect you called us out on it. Plus, it took a lot of balls to show up at the reunion. Not only because Deck is now your ex, but also because you lost RJ.” Roxanne patted her arm. “I can’t imagine losing my sister. Sometimes she annoys the piss outta me, but she’s my best friend.”
“That’s probably why I didn’t have many close girlfriends in high school—because I had RJ.”
“Well, you’ve got us now, and we’re making up for lost time.” Roxanne smiled. “Now that we’re pals and all, I gotta ask you something. And be warned, it’s personal.”
“Geez, Rox, way to put her on the spot,” Leah grumbled.
“You can ask, but that doesn’t mean I have to answer,” Georgia said coyly.
“Were you really a virgin throughout high school?” Roxanne leaned forward. “I mean, you proudly wore a purity ring. And Ned said Deck got pissed whenever someone asked him if you two were doin’ it. But I’ll bet you were doin’ the nasty and lying about it.”
“Technically, yes, I was virgin.”
“Technically?” Rox repeated.
“Deck and I didn’t have intercourse until we were married.”
“So in other words, you messed around.”
“A lot. I had broad knowledge of certain non-penetration acts involving my hands and mouth.” She smirked and pinned Leah with a look. “How about you and Warner?”
Leah laughed. “We didn’t save it for marriage. But you probably got the better end of the deal by holding Deck off for a few years.”
“How so?”
“The benefit of lots of foreplay because that’s all you could do. Once you start screwing…that groping, grinding and crazy-kissing part of sex becomes less important.”
“I never thought about it that way.”
“What the hell does any guy know about sex at age sixteen anyway?” Rox sighed. “Maybe that’s why I was bitter about you wearing that purity ring. I shoulda waited.”
“I know part of the reason Deck and I were at the altar a month after graduation was so he could finally fuck me.”
Roxanne choked on her drink. “No shit?”
“Not a good way to start a marriage,” Georgia said dryly. “Because the deed lasted less than a minute.”
“What was the other reason Deck married you?” Leah asked.
“To go into the family cattle business with my father and RJ.”
“My parents weren’t happy about me’n Warner tying the knot when I turned nineteen. They wanted us to wait. We didn’t.”
The sandwich arrived and the conversation lagged while she ate.
As soon as Georgia finished eating, Leah whistled for the waitress. “A round of shooters.”
Those shooters went down the hatch pretty damn easily. Especially when the toasts were directed to our new fun friend, Georgia.
I do too know how to have fun, Tell.
And Georgia was having a great time. Amidst Leah and Roxanne’s heated discussion about the TV show Tabatha’s Salon Takeover, a couple of young, good-looking guys came by the table and hit on them. Georgia might’ve felt self-conscious that two married women were more accomplished flirts, but these ladies were just too damn entertaining. Somehow the duo convinced the guys to buy them another round of shots and then charmed them into leaving.
Leah and Roxanne called their technique for procuring free drinks the power of the cleavage.
A power Georgia breezily admitted she’d been born without. Which sent her new pals into hiccupping laughter.
Roxanne got that look in her eye again and Georgia braced herself. “Okay, Miss G-Thang. Next snoopy question. Can you still do a herkie?”
Georgia rolled her eyes at Roxanne. Miss G-Thang was her new nickname? “Those are easy.”
“Prove it.”
“What? Now?”
“Yep. You’re the one who said it’s easy,” Leah said with sweet belligerence. “So do one.”
She could stall. The chatty pair would probably forget about it and move onto another topic. “I’ll need another shot.”
Leah motioned to the cocktail waitress and she dropped off three tequila shooters.
Roxanne smirked. “Are you gonna do the shot before you jump? Or after?”
Now she was stuck. “After.”
The women clapped and whistled like her private cheering section.
Georgia scooted out of the booth. She’d done this many times, piece of cake. She briefly closed her eyes—whoa, not good for her balance after a few drinks—and reopened them, smiling, bouncy, peppy, in total cheerleader mode. She clapped her hands twice and followed it with a double fist pump.
“You’re on a roll, sista. Do it!” They chanted Georgia, Georgia, Georgia.
She brought her body into alignment. She threw her arms in the air, performing back-to-back herkies. And she added in a pike, just to mix it up.
Applause broke out. Even some catcalls.
Breathing a little hard and thankful she practiced Pilates to stay limber, Georgia knocked back the shot and exchanged high fives with Roxanne and Leah.
“Now one of you has to do something since I totally humiliated myself.”
“I know!” Leah said, sliding out of the booth. “Ever seen the movie Coyote Ugly? That’s me’n Rox’s favorite. And sometimes, if it’s kinda slow in here, Lettie lets us do that boot-scootin’ dance on the bar. Let’s ask her.”
“But only if you’ll do it with us, Georgia.” Roxanne cocked her head, sizing Georgia up as she scooted from the booth to stood beside her. “Men love to watch chicks’ body parts bouncing. If you did a couple cheerleading jumps off the end of the bar? All sexy-like? Dude. We’d be drinkin’ free all night long.”
“Hells yeah, that’s what I’m talkin’ about,” Leah said, giving them each a fist bump.
“Sorry, ladies, but that ain’t happening.”
Georgia’s heart jumped into her throat when she heard Tell’s voice behind her. She turned around and looked into his furious face.
“Hi, Tell,” Roxanne said brightly. “What are you doing here?”
“Trying to spoil our fun, sounds like,” Leah said suspiciously, “which is ironic since Tell McKay is the self-proclaimed king of fun, right?”
Tell’s eyes never left Georgia’s. “I’m lookin’ for her.”
“Why? Didja have a date?”
“No,” Georgia said to him. “But if you wanna hang around, after I’m done dancing on the bar I’ll sell you some ad space for the Devil’s Tower Rodeo program guide.”
“Not. Fucking. Funny. Say your goodbyes, Georgia. We’re leavin’.”
>
Then Roxanne and Leah were flanking her. “Not so fast. You’re looking a little pissed off, McKay.”
“I am pissed off and this doesn’t concern you, Roxanne. So butt out,” Tell said in a measured tone.
Leah wagged her finger in his face. “According to the girlfriend code—”
Tell put his mouth on Georgia’s ear. “You can walk out. Or I carry you out. Your choice.”
His he-man tactics ticked her off, making her bolder than usual. Or maybe that was the booze. Putting her hand on his chest, she pushed him back. “You butt out, McKay.”
Roxanne and Leah released a chorus of oohs.
Georgia turned her back on him and continued the conversation, although Tell’s angry gaze was hot enough to burn holes in her clothes. “Do we choose our own music for the table dance? Because ‘Girls Just Wanna Have Fun’ would be—”
Her sentence ended in a shriek as Tell picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder.
“What are you doing?”
“Makin’ good on my warning.”
She kicked and thrashed until he clamped his arms more tightly around her legs. She beat on his butt with her fists. “Let me go, you jackass.”
Tell strode away. Jeers, whistles and more catcalls followed them outside.
So did Roxanne and Leah. They were trying to free her from Tell’s fireman’s hold until he yelled, “Enough! This is between me and Georgia. Now go on home to your husbands before I call them myself and tell them what you’ve been up to tonight.”
“How do you know what we’ve been doing?” Roxanne demanded.
“Because I’ve been watchin’ you for the last two hours.”
Silence.
“Uh. Georgia, we had a great time tonight, but we’ll see you later.” Leah made the universal hand signal for call me and their boots were smoking, they took off so fast.
Traitors. Leaving her with a pissed-off Tell.
“Put me down.”
“If I put you down, I’m putting you over my knee.”
“Try it and I’ll rack you,” she snarled.
“Tough girl, are you now?”
“Caveman, are you now?” she mimicked.
His response was a low-pitched warning growl.
She thrashed, smacking her hands into his butt as he carried her to God knew where.
“That’s it!” Tell flipped her around and set her on her feet. Then he pulled her blouse over her head and down to her wrists, tying some cowboy knot that immobilized her arms from hands to elbows.
“Are you fucking serious? You tied me up with my own goddamn shirt?”
“Yep. And if you keep bitching at me, I’m gonna gag you with your bra too.”
She gasped. “You wouldn’t dare.”
Tell was right in her face. “Try me.”
Shit. His don’t fuck with me male thing was a total panty-dampening turn-on.
What the hell is wrong with you?
That made her rally. “If you think for a second I’ll let you—”
“Hush.” He rested his hands on her shoulders and placed his thumbs over the pulse points in her neck. “Two things. First: do you really think I’d hurt you, Georgia? Out of anger? Because if your answer is yes, well, then the second thing don’t matter.”
Her eyes searched his. Tell might push her boundaries, but he wouldn’t do anything she didn’t want him to. “No, I don’t think you’ll hurt me.”
“Good. Second thing: we’re gonna air out our differences.”
“Will I be tied up during this discussion?”
“Do you wanna be?”
She opened her mouth to deny it, only to have Tell’s mouth on hers. Kissing her with such potency she felt her resistance melting into a warm puddle alongside her sanity.
The longer he kissed her, the more she understood the different ways he could communicate everything about the way he felt, just with his wicked mouth.
He released her mouth in tiny increments, smooching, nibbling, nuzzling, leaving tiny love bites until they were both breathing normally again. “Now, see? Ain’t it better that I didn’t gag you?”
She sighed.
“But I am gonna keep you trussed up for a little while yet. Gives me all sorts of interesting ideas. Hang on.” He swept her into his arms, carrying her to the passenger side of his truck. “And you might as well relax, ’cause it’s gonna be a long night.”
Chapter Twenty
Once they were in Georgia’s house, Tell made his move. Before she turned the lights on.
Not that she could with her hands tied.
Good thing she couldn’t see his smug smile about that fact.
They probably oughta talk, because unresolved issues hung between them, but talking wasn’t his strong suit. He always said the wrong thing, which made the situation worse. Or he cracked the wrong joke at the wrong time. When he tried to be serious, no one took him seriously—another drawback from being known as the fun-lovin’ jokester. Everyone expected him to be that way all the time.
He crowded her against the wall, bracing his hands by her head. Then he began the seduction, whispering, “Close your eyes,” into her ear.
“Umm. What happened to us talking?”
“I said we were gonna air out our grievances.” He nibbled on her lobe.
“Without words?”
Tell pressed an openmouthed kiss behind her ear. “Actions speak louder than words, don’t they?”
She shivered.
“The words will come after.”
“After what?”
“After I touch you.” He rubbed his mouth over her skin. “After I taste you. I’m dyin’ for you, Georgia.”
Another shiver, followed by a moan.
“Arch your neck.” He trailed sucking kisses down the cord straining in her neck. Stopping to sweep his lips across her collarbone. “Be honest. Me goin’ caveman on you turns you on.”
No response.
He bit down on the skin between her neck and shoulder.
Georgia’s entire body vibrated.
“Answer me.”
“Yes, you jerk. You know it does.”
“How does knowin’ what you like make me a jerk?”
“Because whenever you use that bossy tone and then put your mouth on me, I lose any rational train of thought. And I’m mad at you.”
“I’m mad at you too. So maybe it’s not my mouth you oughta be worrying about, sweetness, but my hand.”
“What?”
“Remember when I warned you that anything you did to me, I’d do to you? Do you have any idea how many times your hand connected with my ass tonight?”
She immediately stiffened. “No! And even if I did, they shouldn’t count because I was under duress!”
“Duress?” he growled. “Hot lips, I was under duress seein’ you drinkin’ with them wild women, wondering what all you were tellin’ them about us.”
Her eyes locked defiantly to his. “I had four drinks over two hours. And I didn’t tell them anything. What goes on between you and me stays between you and me. I don’t kiss and tell, Tell.” She snickered, but her humor faded when he didn’t laugh. “You still look surprised that I’m not blabbing far and wide, so you really must think the worst of me.”
“Georgia—”
“Why are you here if I’m such an untrustworthy blabbermouth?”
He rubbed his jaw along hers. “You know why.”
“No, I don’t. Especially not after you accused me of taking advantage of your family because we are…whatever this is.”
Looked like it was up to him to define it. “Whatever this is…is a relationship. Although neither of us wanted to name it, that’s what it’s been since day one.” He eased back and peered into her eyes, half-afraid she’d deny it.
“You’re good with that?” she asked carefully.
“Yep. Are you? If we continue to keep it casual?”
Georgia lifted her chin. “Just sex?”
He shook his head. �
�It’s been about more than just sex for us since day one too. I can admit that now. Can you?”
“Yes.” She briefly closed her eyes and pressed her mouth to his. “I missed you this week. I thought about you a lot. And I’m sorry that I was too unsure about us and this…relationship just to pick up the damn phone and call you.”
This sweetness was one of his favorite things about her. “Same here. For us supposedly bein’ ten years older and wiser, we sure acted like teens a snit, didn’t we?”
She laughed softly. “Let’s not do that anymore. We’ll act like adults. So should we spit on our hands and shake on it? Or will a pinkie promise work better?”
Damn woman made him laugh. “How about if we just seal the deal with a kiss?”
“Deal.” She took his mouth like she owned it. And damn if that didn’t make him hard as a fucking fence post.
Once he caught his breath, he said, “As long as we’re clearing the air, I’m sorry I listened to bullshit speculation from my family before I talked to you. You deserve better from me. I was a dick. It won’t happen again. I promise.”
Georgia seemed taken aback by the apology. She was even more surprised when he murmured, “That said, darlin’, you’re still getting a spanking.” Then he fused his mouth to hers. Kissing her until his cock was hard as concrete and her lithe body bowed into his.
When they came up for air, Tell loved the bee-stung look of her lips after his harsh kisses.
After untying her shirt and freeing her arms, he said, “Turn around.” As soon as she was in position, he nuzzled the back of her head, breathing in her scent. “Since I’m feelin’…generous, I’m gonna let you keep your pants on.”
“So it won’t be your bare hand on my bare ass?”
“You sound disappointed.”
“I’m not.”
“Good thing. Because you earned fourteen pops on this perfect butt of yours.” He kept his mouth by her ear, teasing with his hot breath and hotter words. “How pink you think your ass will be when I get done?”
She squirmed.
“I guarantee we’ll both feel the burn, even through the denim.” He traced the curve at the top of her ear with a fleeting lick of his tongue. “But if you were bare-assed, I’d use my tongue to cool down those flaming cheeks when I finished.” His nose slipped behind her ear, following that section of skin to the hollow below the lobe. “Can’t you just feel my mouth all over your sweet ass?”
Kissin' Tell: Rough Riders, Book 13 Page 22