“This can’t happen.” He shook his head. The last thing he wanted was Jessa’s money, even if she could spare it.
“It can happen. Won’t you just consider it?”
As he was processing her words steam shot out from under the hood followed by a loud spewing sound. He looked at the dashboard and the temperature gauge was jetting back and forth. “Shit!”
“What is it?”
“Looks like we have a problem.” He pulled over and turned off the engine as more steam poured out, fogging the window. He lifted the hood and cringed. He wasn’t much of a mechanic, but it didn’t take a professional to surmise that the radiator was busted.
“Oh no,” Jessa said as she joined him at the front bumper. “This can’t be quickly fixed, right?”
“No, and it’ll be dark soon.”
She reached into her back pocket and pulled out her phone. “Uh ohh. I don’t have service.” Waving her phone, she moved it back and forth. “Do you?”
“No clue.”
She lowered her phone and looked at him disbelievingly. “Don’t tell me you didn’t bring your phone.”
“Okay, I won’t. You feel like walking? We’re only about a mile away from the one-light town we passed on our way here.”
“Better than being out here at night.”
They walked as the sun started setting. Neither said a word, until Jessa broke the silence. “So, will you consider my offer?”
He kept his eyes glued on the pavement ahead. “I considered it. The answer’s no.”
“This is ridiculous. Who wouldn’t accept a loan like I’m offering?”
“A man with values and ethics. It wouldn’t be right.”
“And why not?”
It wouldn’t be appropriate to tell her that he was sexually attracted to her. A man never did business with a woman he wanted to sleep with. That move only spelled T-R-O-U-B-L-E. No, he’d rather not step into that boat. “Just because.”
“You’re not going to tell me why?”
He stopped and faced her. “Fine, I’ll answer. I don’t need anyone to give me a loan.”
“Wrong, you need it, but your pride stands in the way. That’s ridiculous.”
“You’ve said that already.” He started walking again. He heard her hurried footsteps as she rushed to catch up to him.
“But it’s true. You’re being stubborn and that’s selfish considering you could help your friend in this deal.”
“Instead of worrying about me, my finances, and my friends, you should worry about yourself.”
She stopped walking and crossed her arms over her chest. “What’s that supposed to mean?” Again, she had to hurry to catch up to his pace.
He shrugged. “Come on, it doesn’t take a genius to see that you’re not happy.”
“At the moment, no.”
“You know what I’m saying.”
She groaned. “You mean because I’ve complained a few times? Doesn’t everyone?”
“No, because what country music singer at the height of her career runs away to a ranch in the middle of nowhere? What woman breaks up with her boyfriend because she’s married to her career.”
“Jace, you really have to stop using Google to gain all your knowledge.” She rolled her eyes.
“I didn’t use Google. This is my thought. You could go anywhere you like and you chose Nirvana. Your people choose to vacation on yachts, luxurious locations, places where you can rub elbows with the rich and famous.”
She snorted. “My people? First time I’ve heard that.”
“Come on. Admit the truth. When you decided to take vacation, you were thinking busy cities and hot spots.”
“I told you why I came.” Her breathing was growing heavy so he slowed his pace.
“You didn’t come for me, not really. You came to make yourself feel better, probably because you’re not happy with how things are in your life. I’m the first man who didn’t kiss you just to kiss a star. That must be real lonely.”
“How would you like your payment, Mr. Therapist? By mail or PayPal?” she snapped.
He cast her a look over his shoulder. “Oh, I hit a soft spot, did I?”
“No!”
He popped his brow up. “Liar!”
“So, while we’re airing our attic, allow me to ask, what grown man holds a grudge against someone over something that happened when he was fifteen? It was prom, not a kidney.”
“I remember telling you that I forgive you.”
“Yeah, I heard that, but it’s not true.”
“Now who’s grasping at straws?”
“You know it’s true. Any man who has forgiven he wouldn’t still walk around with a sour expression. He would follow through.”
He stopped and she ran into his back. She rubbed her nose.
“Follow through with what?”
“Making a move, on me, in some way. We both know there’s a connection. We’re adults, not kids anymore.”
He blew out a long breath. “I don’t move that quick, sweetheart.”
“Really? You moved pretty fast behind the stables at the rodeo.”
Damn. He walked himself straight into that trap. “That was different.” He started walking, needing to ease some of the tension growing in his gut.
“Different how?”
“I didn’t know you.”
“That makes about as much sense as you on a road trip without your phone.”
He gritted his teeth. “What are you wanting from me?”
“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe a reality check.”
“I get the feeling you’re not going to give me any peace until this is hashed out. Fine. Sure, it’s no fun getting turned down, but what’s harder is the fact that you made me feel inferior to make yourself look better in front of your friends. If you weren’t interested in me then you shouldn’t have pretended that you were.”
“Wait,” she grabbed his arm and he stopped, but didn’t look at her. “How do you think I was sending you signals that I was interested?”
“Smiling at me. Looking straight at me during the football games while doing your cheers, flipping your pony tail over your shoulder.”
She laughed and it ripped through him. He gave her a narrowed gaze before stomping on his way. “I wasn’t sending any secret messages. Could it be that I was just being nice?”
“You? Nice?” he grumbled. Damn. How did this woman reach in and grab his heart so easily? He should be cool headed, immune to her sweet expression and beautiful body.
“That hurt.” There was a sliver of sadness to her tone.
“And you laughing at me again shouldn’t?”
“I wasn’t laughing at you, Jace.” He chuckled. “Okay, I was laughing and I shouldn’t.”
“No worries, sweetheart. What prom queen wants to be seen with an overweight, pimply faced, awkward teen. I get it.”
There was a long moment of silence and he was hoping she’d let it drop, but he should have known better. “Wait, let’s clear the air, shall we? I didn’t turn your invitation down because of the way you looked.”
“Sure.”
“For your information, I was asked by several boys to the prom and I turned all of them down too.”
This was a bit of information that he didn’t know. “Were they also from the geek squad?”
“Feel sorry for yourself much?”
“Can we just stop talking about this?”
She hurried around him and blocked his path. He had no choice but to stop walking. “No, we can’t. Stop running from me, Jace.”
“I’m not running. I’m right here.”
With one tiny step, she was so close he could breathe her in. It triggered his every desire. He shoved his hands into his pockets to keep from dragging her in and kissing her.
“Physically, yes. Mentally, I want to find you…”
“I-I’m not good at this.”
“At what? Connecting?” she whispered. “You seem pretty good to me.” She walke
d her fingers down his chest.
“Jessa…don’t…”
“Don’t what? I’m tired of ignoring this tug of war between us.” The sun’s rays caught her lovely eyes, making them blue orbs of emotion.
There was no longer any way he could resist her. He reached out, snagged her waist with his arm, and with one small tug she was against him. He could feel each soft line and delicate curve of her beautiful body. Her breath mingled with his as her mouth opened slightly. “You’re going to be the death of me,” he muttered.
“Only if that means the death of history and the birth of a new beginning.”
He growled under his breath. This woman, this breath of fresh air, had a hold on him so profound that it made everything else irrelevant. He started to lower his head, ready to taste her succulent lips…
Honk!
They both jerked at the sound of the beeping horn, which led them into laughter.
He took a step back, looking up into the darkening sky. “It’ll be dark soon and I don’t want you out here at night.”
One corner of her mouth quivered into a smile. “Are you protecting me, Mr. Jackson?”
“Possibly so, Miss Garvey.”
“I’m going to need a road map of the layers of Jace Jackson. Full of hills and bends and curves. Lush with scenery over cliffs and flatlands.”
He took her hand, once again realizing how small it was compared to his. “We’re close to town. We can make it in ten minutes if we walk fast.”
*****
“Is this what I think it is?”
“Sorry, Jessa. It’s bumfucked and nothing else is open past sundown. If you want you can wait here and I’ll go in and use the phone,” Jace offered.
“And miss out on a strip joint?”
“I think the politically correct term is gentleman’s club, sweetheart.”
“Oh, excuse me.” She grabbed his hand and together they pushed through the warped outer door and were met by a beefy bouncer who held his hand out, palm up.
“How much?” Jace asked.
“Twenty. Each.”
After digging into his pocket, he took out a few bills and handed it over as Jessa leaned in closer to him. “Cost of living must be pretty high here in bumfucked.”
He winked. “Pretty expensive for a phone call.”
“Oh, look, the entertainment has already started.” She pointed to a young blonde swirling around the pole clad only in a teeny lace bra and matching thong.
Jace chuckled. “For what we paid, it should go on all evening.”
“That’s what I’m hoping.” She knew he understood because his hand clasped her fingers tighter and his jaw followed suit. Her inner thighs quivered, imagining Jace between her legs, putting out the flame that had been ignited the second he kissed her at the rodeo. She was hostage to a need that she’d never known before, and if her plans panned out, she’d extinguish them very soon with Blue-eyes.
The place was filled with people as they mazed their way to the bar and Jace asked to use their phone. The muscular bartender handed over a dirty cordless and Jessa stepped away to admire the dancer on stage. Maybe she could learn some dance moves for her ‘stage’.
“I managed to get ahold of the towing company and they will pick up the truck in the morning, but I didn’t have any luck with calling Chase to pick us up,” Jace said next to her ear.
“So, what do we do then?”
“Should we get out of here before someone recognizes you?”
“It’s dark in here and I don’t think I could tear their attention away from the stage. She’s pretty good.”
“I think you’re highly underestimating yourself.” His warm breath tickled her cheek, swarming her senses in a pleasurable grasp.
“I need to run to the little girl’s room. Okay?” She swung around, their noses almost brushing. “Can you behave yourself?” Reaching up, she touched his chest, then lightly moved her fingers down the front of his shirt, pausing at the large belt buckle.
He cleared his throat. “If you’re not in the room, there’s no misbehaving.”
Tapping the metal with her fingernail, she smiled as she slid one finger in the space between his waist and the band of his jeans, pulling him closer. “I’ll be back.”
“Hurry.”
Inside the restroom, she splashed her face with cool water, finger combed her hair and smiled widely. She had a plan…
Stepping back into the outer room, she stopped dead still. Jace was sitting at a table, but he wasn’t alone. The dancer was no longer on stage. Instead, she was standing in front of Blue-eyes, gyrating her scantily clad hips seductively, her arms high above her head, pushing her breasts upward in the sequined top. Jace brought his gaze to Jessa and he shook his head. She sashayed her way across the room, keeping her gaze connected with his as she brushed past the pretty dancer who was working hard to earn a buck.
“I can’t leave you alone for one second, can I?” Jessa teased.
“I didn’t have anything to do with this.”
“She hasn’t asked you to sign her breasts yet, has she?” Because the room was dimly lit, she couldn’t see if his cheeks were red, but by the way he shifted uncomfortably, she guessed he was feeling the heat. “Do you have any cash?”
He hesitated, then reached into his pocket, dragged out his wallet, and brought out a ten. Jessa took it and turned to the dancer who looked as if she’d sucked on a lemon wedge. With a laugh, Jessa slipped the bill in her thong and waved the woman away. The dancer smiled and shimmied toward the unexpected man a few tables down.
Back to the cowboy, Jessa bent over and whispered in his ear, “I have an idea. Interested? Only say yes if you’re willing to take a plunge.”
“Lead the way.”
CHAPTER NINE
They barely made it inside the hotel room before they were grasping wildly at each other’s clothes, kissing, panting in need.
Jace tangled his fingers in her hair and pushed her against the wall, bracing her face as he looked down at her, his chest rising and falling heavily. She could see that his usual concrete control had slipped a few notches.
“So, you like my idea?” She removed his hat, tossing it to the desk.
“Hell yeah. You know where this is headed?”
“I’m taking a guess.” She twirled a lock of his hair around her finger. “A girl can certainly hope.”
He stared at her a long five seconds. The pounding of his heart vibrated her chest. “You’re beautiful,” he growled. “Taste so good.” He kissed her neck. “I’m going to enjoy every second.”
The heat of flush flowered from her roots all the way to the tips of her toes. Although she had a good idea how excited he was, a woman always liked to hear a man say what he was feeling. Pleasure washed through her. She’d always received compliments from fans, but Jace wasn’t one, at least not in the same way. He was just a man that she liked…a lot. But there was nothing ‘just’ about him. He was amazing.
His brows knitted together. “Are you sure about this?”
“Am I running?”
“No, not yet.”
“Please tell me you’re not doing this because the dancer back at the club got you all hot and bothered.”
“What dancer?” His voice was husky and bothered.
She worked her bottom lip. “Now that’s a good answer.”
“It’s only the truth, sweetheart. I haven’t thought of anyone, hardened for anyone but you since that kiss…that wild kiss at the rodeo. Who knew one kiss could ruin a man for others?”
“You’re making me blush.”
“I not only want to make you blush, but I want to hear you call my name.” He brushed the backs of his knuckles along her cheek. “Feel you squirm under me.”
Her heart beat frantically. “I’ve wanted you, this, for so long. Is it possible for two people to be so connected? I’m on fire.”
“We’re going to handle that situation very, very soon.”
“My situa
tion?” she muttered.
“I’m going to make love to you, slowly. Then fast.”
Her toes curled. “Oh.” She didn’t realize she was holding her breath until her lungs burned.
“Is that okay with you?” He kissed her ear lobe, drawing the flesh into his mouth and suckling until she arched her back.
“Okay with me.” Her throat turned dry. “If you don’t, I’d be highly disappointed and I don’t see you as a man who disappoints often, if ever.”
“I aim to please.” He rolled his tongue in the hollowed spot of her neck.
“My God. I need you. I need this. I’m burning alive.”
His wicked grin sent erotic heat traveling through her veins, settling at the apex of her throbbing core. She’d never known such an almost unbearable need buried there.
“We wouldn’t want that, now would we?” One thick brow popped up.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and stood on tiptoe. “Tonight, we forget about everything, especially who we are outside of these walls. We forget the rules. I want you and I know you want me too. Let’s not think about what tomorrow brings, or what it doesn’t bring. Is that a deal, cowboy?”
His eyes turned bright, eager…excited. He pulled her against him and she could feel the length of his stone hard body. His fingers touched the nape of her neck as his other hand settled at the small of her back, his thumb creating feverish figure eights. His gaze held hers, steady, a silent message roaming between them.
“You amaze me, Jessa. I’m in awe of your talent. I’m in awe of how you make me feel.”
His whispered words seeped into her bloodstream, igniting every cell, turning her into a flesh and bone collision of emotions. He leaned down and kissed her gently, then rolled his tongue along her bottom lip, drawing it in between his teeth to nibble lightly. A moan slipped from her lips.
“You nibble your lip when your nervous,” he murmured against her mouth. “I don’t want you to be nervous.” He tugged her lip again with his teeth.
She moaned and he released her. His smile waged wars inside of her body. He held out his hand and she slipped her palm against his as he led her to the bed.
There wasn’t much to the room. White walls. Nightstand. Mirror. On the opposite wall was a painting of the ocean. All they needed was the queen-sized bed.
Cowboys Forgive (Cowboys of Nirvana Book 8) Page 9