Bought by the Lone Cowboy

by E. Walsh

  Chloe could see what he was coming from. It wasn't nice when to keep contact with people you cared about you had to keep those you didn't want in your life relatively happy. It was a vicious catch-twenty-two.

  "How's your ankle?" Jack asked.

  "Sore, but manageable."

  Chloe limped over to the counter. The pain was lesser now but it still throbbed. Jack nodded at the counter by the kettle.

  "I've just made a fresh lot of coffee. Help yourself to something for breakfast." He drained the rest of his mug and set it down. "If you don't mind, I'm going to get some work done. I need to get my daily word count in before I lose the flow completely."

  "I understand." Chloe glanced up at him, aware that he hadn't moved. He was also standing quite close and her body was tingling from the proximity. She bit her lip. "Would you mind if I sit in with you? I won't bother you; I've got some work to do myself."

  "That's fine." Jack's eyes raked over her face, zeroing in on her mouth. "I brought your bag in from the car, by the way. It's in the lounge."

  "Thanks."

  Chloe, aware that he was scrutinising her, licked her lips. Jack made a sound like he was in pain and pushed away from the counter.

  "I'll get going." He murmured.

  Chloe watched him as he left, aware that he was walking stiffly.

  * * *

  Chapter Seven

  It felt strange having someone in the house while he worked, but Jack found that he liked it. Chloe was obtrusive in any way.

  She came in half an hour after he got going and sat on the couch with her bag, fishing out her iPad and a portable keypad.

  Fixing it up, she began typing herself, her fingers flying over the keys quickly than Jack's ever could. Damn, the woman's touch-typing was incredible.

  He also found that he worked even better with her around. It was as if she was the muse he didn't believe he had. She didn't talk to him, didn't look over at him - well, she wasn't looking when he looked.

  And Jack looked a lot. With her reading glasses on as she frowned at the screen, her hair tied back in a ponytail, Chloe looked really sexy when she worked. Very sexy.

  Jack had never written with a hard-on before and while he found himself accelerating towards his word count quicker than he had before it was a little uncomfortable when his erection was pressing against the zipper of his jeans.

  That would have to go eventually.

  After a couple of hours, Chloe put aside her iPad and stood, stretching her arms above her head. Her shirt rode up and again she flashed her navel ring at Jack, who did his best not to look.

  She left the room and Jack felt both relief that she had gone and wishing that she was back already. While she had caused him some discomfort she had made him work the best he had done in a long time.

  Maybe having someone around when he was working was a good thing after all. He had given up some years ago when Janna said she wanted to sit in while he worked but she had distracted him constantly, wanting to talk about anything and everything and talking loudly on her cell phone. Chloe knew that he needed quiet and focused on her own work.

  It had been a good silence. Neither of them needed to speak at all to know they were on the same page.

  Jack finished his word count for the day and saved his work. Then he stood and stretched, his legs telling him he had sat still for too long.

  A glance at the clock told him he had finished work an hour earlier than his usual time. It also told him that Chloe had been out of the room for half an hour.

  A horrible thought came to him. He hadn't checked for a concussion. Perhaps Chloe had fallen down due to a previous head injury and she was unconscious. Jack cursed himself for not checking.

  He hurried out the room. A quick check of downstairs told him she wasn't on the first floor. Jack climbed the stairs two at a time and went into Chloe's room. The bed was made and her clothes were on the floor. The bathroom door was partially open and he could hear the shower going.

  She was having a shower. Jack suddenly thought about Chloe under the spray, her naked body dripping with water and soap suds. His cock strained against his jeans, eager to get a look.

  Jack was still frozen to the spot when the door opened and Chloe came out, wearing just a towel that barely covered anything. Her hair was dripping and her face was scrubbed clean.

  She froze when she saw Jack, clutching the towel tighter to her.

  "Jack! I didn't know anyone was in here."

  Jack watched as the towel rose higher, flashing even more thigh, and was lost. He crossed the room and grabbed Chloe, pushing her against the wall.

  Chloe opened her mouth in protest, but was cut off when Jack kissed her, pressing him against her and rubbing his cock against her belly.

  Chloe's cries quickly turned to moans. The towel dropped to the floor and she clutched at his shoulder, hooking a leg round his waist. This tilted her hips towards him and Jack dipped his hips to meet hers, rubbing his erection against her bare pussy.

  Chloe shivered and held on as she hoisted herself up, wrapping both legs around his waist, all the while never breaking the kiss.

  Jack pried her mouth open with his tongue and tangled with Chloe's, growling as Chloe responded in kind, her tongue doing things to his that made his head spin.

  He reached down and gripped her buttocks with both hands, squeezing enough to make Chloe squirm in his arms.

  Jack pulled away and moved his mouth to her neck, kissing and nipping at her throat and shoulder. Chloe moaned and leant her head away to give him more access.

  "God, Jack. That feels so good."

  Jack knew he should stop now. Chloe was too young for him, for crying out loud. But she was so delectable and she tasted so sweet. There was no way he was backing away now.

  He had to have her.

  Pulling them away from the wall, Jack carried Chloe to the bed and laid her down. Then he disentangled himself from her limbs and pulled away. Chloe whimpered and tried to pull him back but Jack wagged a finger at her.

  "You stay right there." He ordered. "Just like that."

  Chloe closed her mouth and nodded. She lay back, arms above her head, and smiled. Her breasts rode up and Jack's mouth watered.

  Undressing quickly and tossing his clothes to the floor, he opened the dresser and found a condom. He ripped it open with his teeth and rolled the condom over his cock.

  It jerked in his hands and Jack had to grit his teeth. He was so close to coming it was only going to take a little thing to set him off.

  He leant over ran a hand down Chloe's body, palming her breast before running it down to her legs. Pushing them open, he found her pussy and plunged two fingers inside her.

  Chloe gasped and arched up towards him. She clutched at him as Jack attacked her breasts with his mouth, not easing up on pumping his fingers in her pussy.

  He added a third and Chloe writhed under him, her keening cries getting higher.

  When he judged her to be close and unable to hold himself back, Jack pulled his fingers away, moving out of Chloe's reach.

  "On your hands and knees," he growled.

  Chloe complied immediately, looking over her shoulder at him with a heated look, her bottom wiggling at him. Jack swallowed and gripped her hips, holding her still.

  Then he thrust, pushing his cock in to the hilt. Chloe moaned and pushed back, pulling his cock in deeper. Jack didn't waste time with preliminaries. He pulled back and thrust hard, digging his fingers into her hips.

  Their fucking was animalistic, Chloe's moans as hungry for more as Jack's growls. His balls slapped against her pussy and Chloe met his thrusts with her own.

  Her pussy squeezed around his cock and Jack could feel his orgasm building fast. But he held off; he wasn't coming until Chloe had climaxed first.

  It wasn't longer before Chloe was screaming, screaming his name as the orgasm hit her. She arched her back and Jack bent over her, linking his hands with hers.

  She gripped his fing
ers tightly as he increased his thrusts, her pussy spasming enough to make him see stars.

  Then when Jack's orgasm hit he felt it ripple through his body. He felt like the top of his head had blown off.

  He was still coming when he slumped to the bed, taking Chloe with him and cradling her in his arms.

  * * *

  Chapter Eight

  The first thing Chloe was aware of when she woke was the warm body pressing against her back, an arm around her waist and cupping her breast. For a moment she wondered what had happened, the fogginess of sleep taking a while to lift.

  Then it all came back in a rush. She had had sex with Jack. Lots of amazing, sweat-building sex. For someone in his forties Jack had a lot of stamina. He also knew a lot more ways to have sex, something Chloe's previous boyfriends had been seriously lacking.

  After that first time they had made love three more times throughout the day. Jack had taken her to the shower to wash off and had fucked her against the wall, her legs wrapped around his waist as he leant them against the tiles. The second time had been in the kitchen when they had gone to get some food. Jack had taken her from behind again, Chloe leaning against the counter, the cold surface a stark contrast to the warm pressed against her back.

  The third time had been initiated by her. After eating and fucking in the kitchen, Chloe had suggested they take a soak in the Jacuzzi.

  Jack had eagerly complied and they had relaxed in the tub. Then Chloe had ducked under the water and used her mouth on his cock, Jack's moans audible even underwater.

  She had come up for air before climbing onto his lap and riding him until both of them collapsed in exhaustion after their fourth climax.

  Then Jack had lifted her out and dried both of them off before carrying her back to the bed and covered them with a duvet.

  Chloe had been so sated and so tired she had fallen asleep immediately. But now the euphoria was wearing off doubts were beginning to come into her head.

  Was this just a one-off?

  Was Jack expecting just an outlet?

  Or was this something more? While she had jumped taken what she could at the time, now she was wondering if she should have pushed him away and told him to stop.

  She was in danger of falling for him and he wouldn't reciprocate?

  She needed to get out of there.

  Somehow Chloe managed to get out from Jack's arms. She gathered her clothes and ducked into the bathroom to dress, dragging her bedraggled hair into a messy ponytail.

  One glance in the mirror told her there was nothing she could do about looking like she had been seriously fucked.

  Bracing herself, Chloe slipped out of the bathroom. Jack was still asleep, spread across the bed, his arm still where Chloe had left it.

  For a moment Chloe hesitated. She wanted to stay. She wanted to wake him and demand to know what was going on between them. But she wasn't sure she liked the answer.

  So she left, tiptoeing from the room. She gathered her things into her bag and let herself out, closing the door quietly.

  "Chloe?"

  Chloe screamed and spun around. Angie was coming up the drive towards her, her forehead creased in a frown. Chloe put her hand to her chest as if that would help slow her pounding heart.

  "Angie. What are you doing here?"

  Angie rolled her eyes.

  "Because I'm a stalker. What do you think? You sent me a text telling me where you were, remember? Just in case something happened?" Then she peered closely at Chloe. "What's going on? What have you done?"

  "I don't know." Chloe closed her eyes, aware that she was so close to crying. "I need to get out of here."

  Angie didn't argue. She put her arm round Chloe's shoulder and led her down the drive.

  "Come on. My car's parked up the street."

  * * *

  Chapter Nine

  Jack knew before he opened his eyes that Chloe had left. The bed felt cold. He sat up. Her clothes were gone. So were her sneakers.

  A hollow feeling in his chest told him that Chloe wasn't in the house. She had sneaked out while he was asleep.

  Jack lay back and stared at the ceiling. He didn't know what to feel now. Sex with Chloe had been amazing and he wanted more, even after all the times they had fucked during the day.

  Evidently Chloe hadn't felt the same way if she wasn't in his bed. If she was he would be holding her close, not willing to let her go.

  The damn woman had grabbed hold of his heart in such a short space of time and now she was nowhere to be seen. Jack hadn't pegged her for a runner, one of those who fucked and ran. She hadn't given any indication that she thought this was a mistake.

  Maybe Janna was right. Maybe she was a groupie. But even as he said it Jack couldn't believe it. That wasn't Chloe at all. She was one of those few people, even with her youth, that was genuine. She couldn't fake anything.

  And that included the look in her eyes when he had taken her over and over. She was as much into him as he was into her.

  It still didn't make her running away hurt any less.

  Jack let out a frustrated sigh and sat up, sliding off the bed. He might as well get dressed and try to find something to do. There was no point moping over Chloe when she evidently didn't want to be near him. She would come back and talk to him when she was ready.

  He hoped.

  His cell phone was going off when he entered the lounge twenty minutes later, vibrating across the desk where he had left it.

  Jack picked it up and glanced at the number, groaning when he saw his sister-in-law's name flashing up. He didn't want to deal with her right now.

  Nevertheless he answered.

  "What is it, Janna?"

  "I need to talk to Chloe."

  Jack was thrown.

  "Chloe? Why? You going to tell her to get lost again?"

  "It's not that. My..."

  Janna's voice trailed off. It was then that Jack realized Janna sounded shaken. She sounded frightened. His annoyance evaporated.

  "What's wrong? Janna?"

  "My sister's escaped from the house again."

  "What? I thought she was under close supervision at the hospital."

  Janna's kid sister was unstable. Jack had noticed that the first time they had met at Janna and Mikey's wedding. She had latched herself onto Jack and refused to budge, even when other female guests asked Jack to dance.

  Not wanting to ruin the evening for his brother, Jack had stuck it out but he had been extremely embarrassed. Mikey had told him later that his new sister-in-law had a few mental health problems that she refused to have medicated and that resulted in regular visits to the secure unit at the hospital due to attempted suicides, volatile behaviour and extreme depression.

  Since their parents were dead Janna was her sister's carer, constantly checking on her and making sure she took her medication - not that it made much difference.

  Since becoming a widow they had lived in the same house, which had worried Jack with regards to his nieces. But everything seemed to be okay apart from the visits to the secure unit. They appeared to be settling down.

  "She was but she was released to my care some weeks ago. She was very good, keeping to her curfew, taking her medication and not talking about you at all." Janna sighed. "But I've just discovered that she's been slipping out when she's mean to be home, usually when I'm out. She's found a way to bypass her ankle monitor."

  This was not good.

  "But why do you need to talk to Chloe?" Then something else struck Jack. "And what do you mean by she's not been talking about me?"

  "She wants you, Jack. She believes that she's in love with you and you're in love with her. Something about you two clicking at my wedding. She saw you with Chloe last night and has become obsessed with the idea that Chloe is stealing you away." Janna paused nervously. "She wants to get rid of Chloe to make the way free for her."

  Jack sat at his desk. His head was spinning. He knew the sister was a bit of a nutcase but he hadn't realiz
ed she was gone on him. The signs were there but this was another level entirely.

  "I thought that's what you wanted?" He queried.

  Janna snorted.

  "Why would I want you? I loved your brother and that's not going to change. It was my sister who wanted you. I had to hang around you whenever she was out of the unit to make sure nothing happened. I'm sorry if it came across the wrong way but I had a feeling she would hurt you if she managed to get near you and you rejected her."

  This was all Jack needed. A woman obsessed with him as well as a stalker.

  Wait a minute...

  "How long has she been obsessed with me, Janna?" He asked carefully.

  "Since our wedding. As soon as she met you all she wanted was you."

  That was about the same time Jack started getting the emails. And his girlfriends began receiving death threats. Eight years and he had never figured it was someone closer to home.

  And Janna knew.

  "You know I've had a stalker over the years." Jack felt his anger rising. "It all started shortly after you met Mikey. Why didn't you tell me? I thought it was you for a while."

  "I didn't think it was her." Janna sounded miserable enough that Jack's anger dissipated. "I didn't think she was go as far as to take the head off a dog."

  Jack sighed and rubbed at his eyes.

  "It might've saved me a lot of aggravation." He said wearily. "I should've connected the dots years ago."

  "I'm sorry. I didn't want to worry you. I thought this stalker was someone else and didn't want to unload onto you more."

  "Maybe you should have." Jack said grimly. "Chloe's gone. She left the house a while ago."

  "What do you want to do?"

  "I'm going to call her now. Meet me here and we'll go looking for her."

  "Will do."

  Jack hung up and began dialling Chloe's number, which he had swiped from her cover letter on her iPad. It rang six times before going to voicemail. And a second time. And a third.

  All the while Jack's heart was racing.