Disorderly Cowboys [Lone Wolves of Shay Falls 6] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour)

by J. Rose Allister

  “Better not,” she told herself. “He might think I’m checking up on him.” Or worse, checking him out.

  Turning away from the sight of his tight ass bent over the car, she focused her attention on unpacking. The bedroom was cozy and snug, with a huge bed taking up much of the space. There was a tiny dresser, nightstands with Victorian-style table lamps, and a rocking chair in the corner with a granny square afghan tossed over it. All the furniture shone with glossy wood finish.

  A hope chest sat at the foot of the bed, and she creaked open the lid to find it empty.

  “Sadly fitting,” she said, closing it again.

  Lana hummed to herself as she worked, chasing Sage off the bed so she could lay out her wrinkled clothes and press them with her travel iron. Only a few stray items that absolutely needed hanging wound up in the tiny closet. The rest went back in her suitcase. If she had to bolt in a hurry, it was better to be ready.

  Once finished, there was little to do but sit around wondering what Jayson was up to. Her stomach was growling by then, and she realized she’d had nothing but tea since the previous day. Jayson was probably hungry too. The nice thing would be to offer him lunch in exchange for his hard work, however suspicious his reasons may be. But alas, she still hadn’t made it to the grocery store. All she’d brought in the suitcase was tea and cat food.

  “Might as well see if there’s anything to rustle up,” she said.

  The tiny maple kitchen with its charming, frilly yellow curtains came fully stocked in terms of cookware and dishes, but food wasn’t part of the rental deal. There were soda crackers and a bag of trail mix in one of the cupboards, but that was it. She couldn’t very well offer saltines to a hungry cowboy.

  She refilled Sage’s bowl, and the cat nibbled at it while Lana pulled open the fridge. Two beers remained in the cardboard holder of a six-pack, no doubt a souvenir from Jayel’s recent visit. That was probably where the leftover snacks had come from as well.

  “Don’t suppose you want to share your food?” Lana asked, but the cat was too intent on crunching chow to pay attention.

  “Didn’t think so,” Lana went on. “Beer and trail mix it is. Guess it’s better than nothing.”

  She wasn’t big on beer, so she brewed up some tea for herself, chilling it with cubes from the ice maker. Her stomach began churning at the thought of going outside. Hopefully, Jayson wouldn’t think the offer of food was because she wanted to spend time with him. She was just doing the proper thing, focus on proper. She wouldn’t even invite him inside. The porch swing would do just fine. After a quick, simple food break, she’d leave him to get back to work. No big deal.

  Nevertheless, her feet refused to move when the time came.

  “Just go out and say hello,” she told herself in a stern whisper. “Stop acting like this is a first date.”

  Tucking the trail mix under one arm, she took a deep breath and carried the beer and tea outside. She chided Sage and nudged her away with a foot when the cat tried to make a run out the front door. The day was warm with the sun right overhead, making Lana wish she could sit out in it. Maybe someday, when she wasn’t in hiding or leery of the strange man lying in her driveway.

  She closed the screen door behind her and wandered to the steps. Jayson’s booted legs stuck out from under her car, which he’d jacked up somewhat to slide his body beneath. She set the trail mix on the wooden porch railing and headed down to him. Her breath caught when she saw he’d taken his shirt off, and while most of his upper half was hidden by the car, she could see the deliciously flat stomach she remembered. One long leg was bent casually, and behind his fly was a bulge she knew she shouldn’t be staring at.

  He must have heard her approach, because he slid himself out from under the car. He picked up the old towel he’d been lying on and used it to wipe his hands.

  “Ma’am,” he said, pushing slightly damp, but shiny, strawberry blond hair out of his eyes. The motion flexed his bicep impressively, and she noticed a tattoo of a bird with its wings spread and flames around it.

  She tried to speak, but the word “hello” vanished from her vocabulary. Intriguing western drawl or no, Jayson without his hat and shirt looked less like a cowboy and more like a male model by day, sex god by night. She tried to stop her eyes from sliding over the rippling muscles, but they flat refused to obey.

  “Is there somethin’ you wanted?” he asked when she failed to do more than clear her throat.

  Gods, yes, there was. Even worse, he was fully aware she was ogling him. She could tell by the way his eyes were lit with inner fire and the teasing lilt in the question.

  “Here,” she blurted, looking away and shoving the beer at him. “I mean, I thought you might like something to drink.”

  He just stood there a moment, eyeing her without taking the bottle. It dawned on her belatedly that perhaps he wasn’t a beer drinker.

  “Or maybe you prefer iced tea,” she stammered, holding out the glass. Now both hands were stuck out ridiculously, offering him beverages like a blithering idiot.

  His dimple reemerged, and she willed herself not to get sucked in by it. Her knees were wobbly enough.

  “I’ll have the beer, if it’s all the same to you,” he drawled, dropping the towel and taking the bottle from her. Their fingers brushed when he did, and she barely managed not to yank her hand away from the jolt.

  He popped the cap and took a swallow. “Thank you kindly. I sorely needed somethin’ long and wet.”

  She tried not to analyze various interpretations of the comment. “There’s food on the porch, if you want to take a quick break.”

  “I’d be much obliged.”

  He grabbed his shirt off the roof of the car, and after setting his beer down, he pulled the fabric over his head. His back muscles were just as well defined as the front. And there were so many of them.

  He turned back around, and she pretended to be studying the ink on his arm.

  “What’s the bird on your tattoo?” she asked.

  “A phoenix.”

  “Rising from the ashes,” she said, nodding to the flames around the bird.

  He glanced at it. “I confess that meant somethin’ a lot different to me when I first got it. But I like to think it’s a fittin’ statement of my life soon after.”

  She eyed him, a bit surprised. She’d have figured he’d choose a naked girl as body art, not a complex personal statement. Maybe someday, she’d rise above the ashes of her life as well.

  She swiveled around and headed for the cabin, and Jayson followed. “Mind if I wash up before we eat?” he asked.

  Damn, she hadn’t thought of that. Now he’d have to go inside. Well, let him. She would just plant herself firmly out on the porch until he returned.

  “Of course,” she managed, climbing the steps. “The bathroom’s at the end of the hall. Careful of Sage when you go in, though.”

  He gave her a skeptical look.

  “I mean she might try to get outside.”

  As it turned out, that wasn’t an issue. Sage gave a wild hiss and vanished the minute Jayson approached the screen.

  While he was gone, she sat down on the swing to wait. She drank her tea, enjoying the soft breeze and letting the swing sway with a gentle creak. How lovely it would be to live in a place like this, sitting out in the open without fear or a care in the world. Just that thought prompted her gaze to dart here and there, scanning for any sign of eyes watching from behind trees or the corners of her cabin.

  “Don’t be ridiculous,” she murmured. “You’ll embarrass yourself again over the next squirrel that comes along.”

  She had just torn open the bag of trail mix when Jayson returned, and her face heated at the look he gave her when she offered it to him.

  “I’m sorry I don’t have anything better,” she said as he joined her in the swing. “This and some crackers is all I’ve got until I can get to the store.”

  Understanding flashed in his expression. “Damn it, that’s ri
ght. You mentioned that. Why didn’t you remind me before I went to town?”

  Her mouth opened in surprise. “I couldn’t have asked that. You’re already helping with my car. It’s not like you’re my personal errand boy.”

  Jayson gave her a tiny laugh and sat down beside her. “Feel free to make me your personal boy anytime.”

  The omission of “errand” turned the offer on its head, and she almost choked on her iced tea. Maybe the sit-on-the-porch strategy wasn’t as benign an idea as she’d hoped. They weren’t pressed as close together as they had been in the tow truck, but she could practically feel male heat throbbing around her.

  Jayson pulled a cell phone out of his pants pocket and dialed. “Hey, it’s me. Grab some basics when you get off, will ya? Lana ain’t got no groceries.” There was a pause. “Yeah, that’s where I’m at. What’s it to you? Same to you, hot stud.” He blew a kiss at the phone, and her eyes widened briefly. “See you later.”

  He hung up and tucked the cell away. “Zane will bring some stuff by in a while.”

  “You didn’t have to do that.”

  “You’re always sayin’ I don’t have to do this or that. Let someone help you out, Lana. It won’t kill you.”

  Gods, why were his eyes so startling? From this close up, she could see intriguing flecks of pure gold glittering within his crystalline-green irises. A fringe of long lashes ringed those heavenly eyes. Beautiful, mesmerizing eyes.

  Time to think of something else.

  “So, where is Zane today?” she asked, popping trail mix in her mouth.

  “Work. He’s a stock boy down at the grocer’s. So it ain’t nothin’ for him to get a few things on the way out.”

  “He seems nice,” she said guardedly. “Are the two of you good friends?”

  The mesmerizing eyes shone brighter. “Oh, Zane can be extremely nice. Except when he’s bad. Then he’s so bad that he’s damn good.” He reached an arm out along the back of the swing. He managed not to touch her, but she could still feel his arm clearly behind her seat. “As for him and me, I think you’ve already guessed we’re more than friends.”

  She’d been trying to figure out how to extricate herself from his arm without being obvious when the words froze her. She pictured Zane and Jayson in a non-platonic embrace. Holy goddess of nature, what a sizzling hot couple they would make.

  “Oh,” she managed. “I see.”

  “You sound disappointed.”

  “Why would I be disappointed?”

  He shrugged. “Would it make a difference to hear someone’s missin’ from our bond, someone we knew would appear someday?”

  She dropped trail mix in her lap and brushed it off hastily. “Makes no difference to me what kind of relationship you two have. I’m not out to judge.” Time for another change of subject. “So, did you and Zane find what you were looking for out in the woods yesterday?”

  His eyes measured hers. “Matter of fact, I think we just might have.”

  “So what was it? A bear? Mountain lion?”

  He cocked his head in question.

  “You know, whatever you were tracking.”

  “Ah, that’s what you meant.” He gave a little grunt. “Sorry about that, by the way. We meant to help you find where you were goin’.”

  “It’s okay. I didn’t mind.” It simplified matters at the time. Now she was as confused as ever.

  “You didn’t find it,” she guessed aloud.

  He sat back and shook his head. “Lost the trail.”

  “Is there some wild animal skulking around I need to be aware of?”

  “There’s someone out there huntin’ when they oughn’t be.”

  Ah. Off-season poachers. Hopefully they’d steer clear of her cabin. She’d seen enough of guns for a while.

  “You best mind you stay out of harm’s way,” he added.

  “That’s pretty much the plan.”

  “And what about you?” he asked, watching her while he took another gulp of his beer. “Why ain’t your friend handlin’ the shoppin’ for you? Where is she?”

  A stab of panic shot through her. She’d forgotten all about the invisible friend. And a sly one, that Jayson, slipping the word “she” into the question. Maybe he was wondering how likely Lana would be to want him as her personal boy. Odd, considering what he’d just confessed about his sexual orientation.

  A wicked impulse struck when she considered her answer.

  “He’s not here right now, obviously,” she said. “And like most guys, he can’t be bothered with shopping.” She nodded to the longneck in his hand. “Except for making sure the beer is stocked.”

  That shifted him around in his seat until he was facing her. “He ain’t here?”

  “Not until later. Sorry you missed him.”

  “So am I.” Yet his tone sounded anything but. “Maybe he might have lent me a hand fixin’ your car. Maybe he wouldn’t have needed me at all.”

  Lana swallowed. “Oh, well, he’s not really into auto repair.”

  His jaw quirked. “Come on. You ain’t got no friend.”

  She was out of the swing in a heartbeat, nearly dumping the trail mix in the process. “Why, am I so repulsive you don’t think I’m capable of having friends?”

  Maybe he didn’t think she was attractive enough. But if he was gay, he wasn’t really qualified to judge, was he?

  He stood up and set the beer bottle on the railing. “I didn’t say that. But I do think you ain’t bein’ honest about havin’ a guy here.”

  “And why’s that?”

  “For one thing, I can sense you’re lyin’ to me. I just don’t know why.”

  They were facing one another now, and as he stepped closer, she backed away until she ran out of porch and found herself against the cabin.

  “Maybe your senses aren’t as sharp as you think,” she snapped back.

  “My senses tell me plenty you’d be shocked to hear. Besides, there ain’t any men’s clothes hangin’ in the closet.”

  Her jaw dropped. “You were snooping around my room? Why?”

  “I couldn’t help it. Your scent drew me there. It’s all over your fancy clothes and on that bed. But I didn’t smell any man.”

  The thought of him prowling around behind her back, sniffing at her clothes, cinched around her throat.

  “Are you tryin’ to make me jealous?” he asked.

  “Why would I do that? I already know you have someone.”

  “Then tell me why you lied about havin’ a man.”

  “I don’t have to tell you a thing.” Her voice was shaking now. “It’s time for you to go. There’s nothing for you here.”

  “Like hell there ain’t.”

  She started to move, intent on locking herself in the cabin. But Jayson’s hand shot out to block her, and his hand braced against the wall as he pressed in even closer. “It won’t work, you know.”

  Her voice fell to a whisper. “What won’t work?”

  “Resistin’ this.”

  “Are you threatening me?”

  He shook his head. “I see how you look at me. You can’t deny the truth any more than I can pretend I don’t know exactly where we’re headed.”

  She sagged against the wall, willing her legs to support her. “The only place you’re headed is back to Zane. And I’m headed inside to call the tow driver again and forget all this just happened. If you’re lucky.”

  The smoky desire in his expression sharpened. “Oh, I’m very lucky. I look at you and realize I’m the damn luckiest man on the planet.”

  His face was moving closer with each word, and by the time he said the last, she felt his breath on her. Then he pressed his lips to hers.

  She went rigid and balled her fists at her sides. Logical instinct told her to fight him off and run, but Jayson had a way of taking her logic and twisting it in knots. His slightest touch was capable of sending jolts of energy through her. Now, the hot, hard desperation of his mouth on hers turned those jolts into shockwa
ves. She was helpless to do anything but ride out the sensation.

  She parted her lips to utter a gasp of surprise, and Jayson took full advantage. His tongue sliding into her mouth unhinged a wicked thrill low in her pelvis, and the frightened victim who’d been prepared to shut herself inside the cabin relaxed her fists and timidly slid her hands around his back. She gave an experimental squeeze to feel how strong those alluring muscles were.

  Her actions prompted a muffled “Mm,” from him, and she found her tongue meeting his to mimic his sweeping, rolling motions.

  Their mouths exploring this way touched off a damp, throbbing pulse between her legs, and when he reached around her to pull her firmly against him, the hard ridge in his crotch rubbed against a spot that made her want to thrust her hips lewdly.

  “What about Zane?” she asked when he came up for air.

  “Don’t be so greedy. Ain’t I enough for right now?”

  “That’s not what I meant.”

  “Zane would be doin’ the exact same thing if he were here. God, you feel good,” he murmured against her lips, taking hold of her thick braid and sliding his hand along the length until the backs of his fingers grazed her nipple. She jerked as her entire body ignited from that one tiny spot.

  Lana’s hands grew bolder, and she slipped them beneath his shirt to feel the warmth of his hard, bare flesh. He was walking her sideways now, then backward when he shoved the screen door open and guided her through. Lana was barely aware of it banging shut behind them. Jayson pushed her back against the wall in the dim entryway while his fingers ran up inside her shirt.

  “Lana,” he whispered, bending his head to where he was tugging aside her bra.

  The first sweep of his hot, wet tongue almost unhinged the knees she was trying to keep locked in place. She grabbed his head and held him to her, feeling the ache build in her pelvis while he nipped at her with his teeth.

  A moan escaped her, and her tentative little exploration of his back turned wilder. She dug her nails in, dragging them down his skin. He gave a growl that was equally animal and pulled away to peel the shirt over his head.