Trouble With a Cowboy

by Sullivan, Sandy

  "Sure, why not," she replied with a shrug of her shoulders.

  If there's one thing I love, it's playing pool and it doesn't hurt that one hot cowboy wants to play. I wonder how friendly he really wants to get.

  "Up for a little adventure?"

  A sexy smile spread across his face. "Adventure?"

  "Down boy. I'm only askin' if you want to play for a little cash."

  His lips formed a pout and she had to stifle a giggle.

  "Five bucks a game?"

  "That could get mighty expensive unless you're good," he replied, pulling out his wallet to lay a five dollar bill on the edge of the table. "You're on, babe."

  Chalking the stick while he racked the balls, she debated on whether to tell him how often she shot pool. Nah. Let him suffer a bit. Taking him down a notch or two won't be a bad thing. Besides, his ass fills out those jeans mighty nicely when he bends over the table.

  For the next two hours, they continued to knock the balls around the table fairly evenly. Beer flowed as bottle after bottle appeared at their table. Little did her pool partner know, she held her liquor well. It would take a lot more than a few beers to get her drunk.

  The flirting got raunchier with each passing compliment or innuendo and she thought about upping the ante to include a roll in the hay or between the sheets. Rarely did she run into a man who could send her thoughts in the direction of hot, sweaty sex so quickly, but Tucker sure had her thinking about it and thinking about it hard.

  Kyle walked by their table a couple of times, piercing her with a wait until I get you alone stare. She wondered if she should ask Tucker to take her to the hotel. A shiver of apprehension slithered down her back. Something sinister lurked in Kyle’s eyes.

  The games seemed to be pretty well matched. Both of them won four games apiece and now they were in a stare down.

  "One more game?" he asked before he tipped the bottle to his lips.

  Damn, he's got one sexy mouth. I wonder what it would feel like sucking my clit. She let the cool liquid slide down her throat as she took a long swig, hoping to cool some of the desire rushing through her with each look from Tucker's gorgeous eyes.

  "Winner takes all?" she asked with a saucy toss of her curls.

  A flirty grin spread across his lips, bringing the lone dimple in his cheek to the surface. "What did you have in mind, darlin'?"

  She stopped in front of him to let her fingers crawl up his chest. "Mmm…maybe checkin' out how squeaky the springs are on the bed in my hotel room?"

  "How does that fit into winner takes all? Sounds like both of us would win."

  "Maybe," she whispered and shrugged one shoulder as she looked up at him through her lashes. "If I win, I get to handcuff you to the bed and do whatever I want to with this gorgeous body."

  "And if I win?" His voice dropped to a sexy growl. She could feel his chest vibrate under her fingers.

  "You get to decide," she replied with a tilt of her head.

  "Hot damn! Bring it on, darlin'."

  She almost laughed at his enthusiasm, but decided to let his handsome smile send anticipation rolling down her back instead. The hot zip of need and shiver of desire he enticed, had her wondering at what kind of delights he could bring to her body when their clothes came off. Come off they would—eventually.

  Once the balls were racked and the pool cues chalked, she broke the balls into a nice mixture of placement. The decision on whether to let him win came as a hard one. The thought of having him spread eagle on her bed, open to her exploration of his body, verses letting him do whatever his little heart desired to her, made her stomach clench and her pussy cream.

  The position over the side of the table as she went to make her next shot made her exhale forcibly. One warm palm smoothed over her ass cheek made her squeak, forcing her pool cue to glance off the edge of the ball.

  "Not fair, cowboy," she said, straightening up, watching him walk around the other side of the table.

  "All's fair in love and pool," he replied with a wicked grin and a twinkle of challenge in his eyes.

  "Ah. So we're going to play that way, are we? Two can bend the rules like that."

  He leaned over the pool table, winked and blew her a kiss before he cracked the balls in several directions, landing two solids into their respective pockets.

  Shit! It appears I've been taken for a ride. The man's good. "Well, now. You've been playin' possum. Hold onto your belt buckle, cowboy, 'cause you're in for the ride of your life."

  A wide smile spread across his mouth. "Come on, darlin'. I'm ready."

  She missed a shot.

  He missed a shot.

  She pocketed one stripe and he pocketed one solid.

  One shot separated them with her turn to shoot. The ball sailed into the appropriate pocket and they were now dead even with nothing more than the eight ball to go. He had the next shot.

  "So what's it gonna be, cowboy? Which hole?" she asked, widening her stance and bracing her legs apart so her belt buckle almost rested on the edge of the left corner pocket.

  "Right between your gorgeous thighs, babe."

  Interesting choice of words. Let's see if I can make this a bit more exciting.

  She ran her tongue over her lips as she bent down to rest an elbow on the edge, giving him one hell of a view down the front of her tank top.

  With one eyebrow arched, she challenged him with what she hoped looked like a sexy peek through her lashes and an I-dare-you glance.

  The sexy-as-hell grin spreading across his face had her biting her lip.

  The cue cracked against the ball and sent the black eight ball straight for her. Her breath caught in her throat while it sailed right at the pocket.

  * * * *

  Come on ball, you can do it. I need to get this pretty little honey in bed tonight. My dick is so fucking hard, I can't stand the pressure behind my fly. I'm stuck in this hell hole in the middle of Oklahoma until I can get another big rig to pull the trailer to Vegas. Who says I can't have a nice babe like her to warm my bed for a day or two.

  Tucker prayed and prayed hard. When the ball bounced off the edge of the pocket and reflected away, he closed his eyes with a groan.

  The brush of her tits against his arm and the warmth of her breath against his ear almost had him coming in his pants.

  "You missed," she whispered, then ran her tongue around the shell of his ear.

  I don't think I've ever been this damned horny.

  "Seems I did. Your shot, darlin'. Which pocket?"

  Her tongue rimmed her pouty red lips and his dick got harder than he thought possible. When she'd first walked into the bar, he knew she wasn’t from around here. No way. A pretty thing like her wouldn't hang her hat in small-town America. As he watched her put Kyle in his place, he knew he liked her style and wanted to find out more about her. Her big hazel eyes held a sparkle and a challenge to every male in the room. It wouldn't be easy gettin' in her pants, but he wanted to try—Lord he wanted to try. Plus the images zipping across his mind of her on her knees in front of him, sucking him hard between those luscious lips while he wrapped his hands in her glorious, thick brown tresses, made the challenge even sweeter.

  "Right corner, cowboy. And you stand over there," she said, pointing to the far side of the table. "No more free groping."

  "I sure didn't expect it to be free. I knew I'd be payin' up later."

  "Damn right," she replied as she lined up her shot.

  He knew she had to be good if she'd challenge him to five bucks a game. What she didn't know was he played several nights a week and actually made pretty good money betting against fools who thought they could beat him. Their skills turned out to be fairly even.

  "Take your shot, honey."

  With her pool cue lined up, she slid the round stick through her fingers and narrowed her eyes. The stick cracked against the ball, sending it flying over the felt. The black ball bounced off the edge of the hole, spun around twice before it teetered on the e
dge and then fell in.

  The smile spreading across her full lips made him want nothing more than to pull her into his arms and kiss her until they were both breathless.

  "You lost," she said, letting her fingers crawl up his chest to toy with the buttons on the front of his shirt.

  "I sure did. I sure can't wait to let you handcuff me to the bed."

  The fingers stopped their dance and her eyes narrowed slightly as their gazes met. "You didn't let me win, did you? Because if you did, it nullifies the whole deal."

  "Gentleman I am, but I never let anyone win at pool even if the temptation was there with you spelling out your terms," he murmured, then nudged his nose against her ear. "I couldn't quite decide whether I wanted to win so I could do whatever I wanted to your sweet body, or let you have your way with me."

  "I'm thinkin' I like both scenarios," she whispered.

  "Back to your place?"

  "Sounds like a plan to me."

  "Let me hit the restroom first and we'll blow this joint."

  "I'll meet you outside. I need to cool off."

  "Babe, hot is your middle name."

  "Such a charmer, Tucker," she said before she kissed him on the cheek. "I’ll see you in a minute."

  He tipped his hat as he headed for the bathroom. When she'd disappeared earlier, he'd checked his wallet realizing he'd forgotten to stock it with a condom or two, but he knew the bathrooms in these places usually had plenty.

  A couple of bucks and a turn of the wrist gave them both the protection needed.

  With a happy tune on his lips, he headed for the double doors leading outside. The cold November air hit his face like tiny needles pricking his skin as a chill zipped down his spine. Holy shit, it's still pretty cool out here. He glanced around but didn't see Jacie. Well, where did she go?

  Raised voices met his ear as he strained to hear over the loud music filtering from inside the club.

  The distinctively female tone had apprehension running down his back, urging him to hurry in the direction of the side of the bar, especially when he heard, "Get your fucking hands off me, Kyle, before your nuts end up in your throat."

  "Get your hands off her, buddy, before I break your damned neck," Tucker growled as he slid to a stop behind the other man and wrapped one arm around Kyle's throat.

  "Easy man," Kyle said, grabbing Tucker's arm, trying to relieve the pressure on his neck. "I only wanted to get acquainted with the lady."

  "She's with me, asshole. She already told you inside, she knows a real cowboy when she sees one and you ain't it. I suggest you find yourself one of those buckle bunnies in the bar and leave Jacie alone," he said, pushing Kyle toward the doors.

  "You'll pay for this. Both of you," Kyle grumbled, but kept on moving.

  "Are you all right?" Tucker asked, worried he hadn't been in time and Kyle had actually hurt her.

  "I'm okay," she said, her voice soft, almost unsure—not at all like the spunky woman he'd spent the last few hours with. She picked at a torn spot on her sleeve.

  Tucker put one finger under her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze. "Why don't you sit down on the steps there for a minute? I'm sure you're shaken up a bit."

  "Thanks," she whispered.

  Her whole body trembled from her ordeal. He tried to help calm her by running his hands up and down her arms. "How about we get a cup of coffee, huh? I know an all-night diner in town. They make some pretty good pie too."

  Her palms ran down her arms. "I don't think so, Tucker. I'm sorry, but I should be getting back to my room. I've got an early morning tomorrow. Being accosted by a drunk, overbearing asshole, kind of ruined the mood."

  "I'm sorry too. Is your car parked around here?"

  "I walked."

  "Let me at least escort you to your motel. I wouldn't put it past Joe Slugger there to try something."

  Her bottom lip disappeared between her teeth while she contemplated his offer. She could be thinking I'm just as big of an asshole as Kyle. In an attempt to reassure her, he said, "Only a ride to the motel, Jacie. I promise."

  "Okay. Thanks. It's kind of cold out here."

  "It is November. You never know about the weather this time of year."

  He pulled out his cell to call a cab. It sucked being somewhere without transportation, but right now he didn't have any himself after the disaster his own situation had become. Tucker Marshall was always in control, always had his finger on the pulse of the cattle business and always had the number one bull on the PBR circuit. Sitting in Littleton, Oklahoma trying to find a big rig driver to get his prize bull to the National Finals Rodeo didn't sit well with him at all.

  Several minutes later, the cab pulled up. He held open the door for her while she slid inside and he took the seat next to her.

  "The Little Motel, please," she said, giving the driver directions.

  "Sounds like a charming place."

  "Yeah, if you like dive motels, hard beds and thin curtains, it's just dandy, but it's all I could afford for tonight. I needed to give my mare a break from the road."

  "Been driving for awhile?"

  Her lips lifted in a small smile. "You could say so. Tennessee to Nevada is a long haul."

  "Where are you headed to in Nevada?" As the trust in her eyes disappeared, he kicked himself mentally for the change in her openness with him. "Never mind. It's nothing more than small talk."

  The cab stopped in front of the motel and he asked the man to wait while he walked her to the door.

  "Thanks for the lift, Tucker."

  "You're welcome. I guess I'll see you around."

  "Probably not. I'm leaving in the morning."

  "True. It was nice spending a few hours with you anyway. I haven't had a chance to spend some downtime with a woman, just dancing and shooting pool, in a long time."

  The little smile on her lips made him want to kiss her. "Maybe you should try to relax more."

  A small chuckle left his mouth as he shook his head. "I suppose." Her lips pressed into a thin line as she dropped her gaze to the ground at their feet. "Can I kiss you goodnight?"

  Her eyes met his and she smiled again—a full one this time—one that lit up her entire face. "Sure."

  One small step brought him up in front of her. He let his fingers slip into the hair near her ear and slide behind her head to pull her closer. The feel of her lips called to him. The need to taste her overwhelmed his senses. Lust swept down his spine, ratcheting up his desire to bursting proportions and there wasn't a damned thing he could do about it now except be satisfied with the taste of her mouth.

  Her eyes drifted closed as her lips parted when he brought their mouths within a hairsbreadth apart. A growl rumbled low in his throat as their mouths touched. All thought disappeared, except the softness of her lips and the feel of her pressed against him.

  Tongues explored. Need spiraled. Fingers touched.

  God, I need her—need this.

  A honk behind them brought him out of the fog of desire. "I guess my driver is getting impatient."

  "Yeah," she whispered.

  "Goodnight."

  "Night."

  Chapter Two

  "You have got to be fucking kidding me!" Jacie yelled, kicking the flat tire on her rig. "I so do not need this!" Grumbling under her breath while she walked, she continued around the other side noticing the rest. In all total, four of her tires were cut in a circular pattern from one lug nut to another, piercing the rubber wall, making them impossible to repair. "Some asshole cut my damned tires!"

  She tipped her head back on her shoulders and fought the urge to throw something. Tempers ran hot in her family and this situation would be no different.

  I'm already in a pissy-ass mood. I am totally sexually frustrated after the kiss from Tucker and a sleepless night dreaming about all the things I'd like to do to his body. Now I'm stuck in the middle of Oklahoma with barely enough cash to get me to Vegas for gas and four blown tires that costs over three-hundred bucks apiece.r />
  "Son of a bitch, I don't need this."

  A huge, wet raindrop hit her face.

  "Great. It's going to fucking rain now."

  The sky opened up and rain started pelting her face as she headed for the diner next door. The place had a few patrons, but she didn't pay any attention to them making her way toward the booth in the corner for some privacy.

  I need to call Mom and Dad. God, I hate asking them for anything.

  The waitress wandered over to take her order of coffee. Once she had the cup in front of her, she retrieved her cell phone to dial her parent's number.

  "Jacie Margaret Hawkins. What kind of trouble have you gotten yourself into this time, young lady?" her mother asked, sarcasm clear in her voice.

  The thought of asking her parents for money soured her stomach. She hated it. Her parents thought she would never amount to anything. They didn't like her driving big rigs and spending all her time dressed more like a man than the young woman she was raised to be.

  "Hi, Mom."

  "Spill it."

  A heavy sigh rushed from her lips. "I need money."

  "Why?"

  "Someone cut the tires on my rig."

  "Where are you?"

  "Littleton, Oklahoma."

  "What are you doing in the middle of Oklahoma?"

  "I had to stop to let Brandy rest. She couldn't stay in the trailer anymore without a break."

  "And?"

  "I got a room here. When I came outside this morning to get back on the road headed for Vegas, I found four of my tires cut."

  Jacie could hear her father's voice in the background.

  "She's stuck in Oklahoma."

  "Well you know what? She needs to figure this out."

  "What are you saying, father?" She heard her mother say.

  "She needs money, right?"

  "Yes."

  "We aren't giving her any."

  "What?" Jacie said, apprehension and disbelief making her skin prick with goose bumps. "You can't be serious. Mom? Come on. I'm stuck here. I don't have twelve hundred dollars to get tires for my rig."

  Her father must have grabbed the phone because the next thing she heard was his voice. "I'm sorry honey, but you are twenty-eight years old. It's time you grow up and figure things out. Don't bother calling your brothers or sisters because I will call them myself in a few minutes."