Josh's Justice, Cowboy Romance (Bad in Boots, Book 4)

by Michelle, Patrice

  Josh squeezed her hand and pulled her toward the steps. When Sabrina saw a couple horses standing at the bottom of the stairs, she glanced his way. “We’re not taking your truck?

  He shook his head. “It’s a nice day. Thought we’d take a ride to my place.”

  She squeezed his hand, her stomach knotting. “Um, I haven’t gotten up the nerve to ride a horse, yet. I was working my way up to that by grooming Lightning.”

  “Really?” Surprise flickered. “Okay, then.” Releasing her hand, he called out to his nephew through the screen door, “Ben, can you put Queen away? Sabrina’s going to ride with me.”

  Ben appeared at the door and nodded. “Sure thing Uncle Josh.”

  Sabrina shot him an apologetic smile, then followed Josh down the stairs to his horse.

  “What’s his name?” She rubbed the black horse’s neck as Josh secured her small backpack behind the saddle.

  Josh patted the animal’s rump, then tugged on her hand to pull her toward him. “This here is Ace.”

  He’d barely released her hand before gripping her waist. Sabrina let out a yelp when he quickly lifted her across the horse’s back. “Damn, you’re so tiny I could put you in my pocket,” he said softly as she settled into the saddle.

  Sabrina felt so high up she gripped the saddle horn like a lifeline while Josh pulled himself up behind her.

  Josh’s arms came around her waist and he chuckled low in her ear. “Relax, Brina.” Retrieving the horse’s reins, he nudged Ace with his knees, and the horse turned around.

  “Why aren’t we taking the drive?” she asked, pointing toward the entrance to the Double K.

  Ace headed for the back of the Kelly’s house. Once the horse reached the edge of the property, Josh entered the woods, saying casually, “My place is this way. I’ve taken a couple of days off. As much as I’d like to say I’m doing this to watch over you, the truth is…I’d just like to spend some time alone with you.”

  “Oh,” was all Sabrina got out before Ace began to climb the slight incline. The fact that Josh wanted her all to himself made her heart hammer, while the horse’s movement upward forced her body to lean back against Josh. Being up so high still made her nervous. She tried to relax and let her head rest in the cradle of his shoulder, while her body settled against him as she slid back in the saddle.

  Josh wrapped his arm around her waist and spoke in a low tone against her neck. “You’re so tense. I can help you learn to enjoy riding if you’ll let me.”

  She released an anxious breath. “Oh, yeah, what’s this technique called?”

  “Distraction,” he whispered seductively in her ear.

  “Distraction, huh? Is this foolproof?”

  “Only if you give yourself over to it.” His arm around her waist tightened slightly. “Are you up for trying?”

  Sabrina really wanted to overcome her fears. She blew out a tense breath and nodded.

  As the horse walked at a plodding pace up the slope, Josh slid his hand to her belly. “What do you do when you’re not visiting friends on vacation?”

  She sucked in her breath when she felt his thumb slide along the underside of her bra in a slow, deliberate motion. How did the man sound so casual and laidback while he aroused her body with his tantalizing touch? She had to focus to answer. “I work in an advertising firm.”

  “Travel much with your job?” he asked at the same time he began to pull her tucked-in shirt from her jeans.

  Her heart sped up. His purposeful, unhurried seduction made her want him that much more. It’s like he was giving her time to change her mind. At anytime, she could ask him to stop, but rational thoughts were fading fast, along with her fear of being high up on a horse. “Uh…um…no. Actually most of my job is done in the office. I only travel to a couple of meetings a year. Marketing isn’t always as glamorous as it sounds.”

  “I was hoping you traveled to Texas a lot.” He emphasized the last word as his fingers brushed against the bare skin just above the waistband of her jeans. Warmth began to spread through her body, competing with the Texas heat that clung to her even in the shade-covered trail.

  “I haven’t had a reason to travel this direction.” Her voice trembled a little by the idea that he hoped to see more of her.

  Josh suddenly clasped her waist tight. “I want to give you every reason tonight, Brina. Again and again.”

  His possessive hold, coupled with his sensual promise made it hard to focus on her surroundings. She glanced down to regain control, only to realize a moment’s panic when Josh suddenly dropped the knotted end of the reins against Ace’s neck and lowered his palms to her thighs.

  “Josh, the reins,” she gasped. Leaning over the saddle horn, she started to grasp the reins lying across Ace’s neck when Josh quickly pulled her back against his chest.

  “Ace knows the way,” he replied, full of confidence. “I need both hands to learn every inch of this new territory I’ve never explored before on this trail,” he whispered darkly before planting a tantalizing kiss on the sensitive spot behind her ear. The gentle brush of his lips on her skin caused a shiver to course through her, but the sensation of him slowly pulling the buttons apart on her shirt set her pulse racing.

  As he flicked the last button and her shirt fell open, her stomach tightened in arousing anticipation while pressure rushed to the center of her body in pulsing tension.

  When he cupped her breasts through her bra, Sabrina gripped the saddle horn tighter. She closed her eyes and waited with bated breath as her heartbeat thrummed in response.

  The first brush of his thumbs across the swell of skin above the fabric of her bra made her gasp, but when he dipped his fingers past the cups’ soft fabric to lightly run them over her nipples, pleasure shot straight down to her lower belly.

  “Put your hands on my thighs,” he suddenly said, the gruffness in his voice telling her he wasn’t as calm as he let on.

  Sabrina’s eyes flew open. “No,” she breathed out, jerking a panicked gaze to the ground as she clung to the saddle horn even more.

  He twisted the front of her bra, popping it open. As his fingers gently traced her nipples, warm air kissed them, adding an unexpected layer of titillation that made them so sensitive she wanted to scream.

  “Trust me, Sabrina,” he seduced, then pinched the hard nubs.

  The slight pain heightened her arousal, eliciting an unbidden moan before she could hold it back. He applied a bit more pressure and even though it only aroused her further, she got it. He wanted her to trust him. Slowly, she released her “lifeline”, setting her hands on his thighs.

  “That’s my girl.” Satisfaction laced his tone and he gently slid his thumbs back and forth over her nipples to ease the earlier sting. “Now lean your body fully against mine, close your eyes and feel.”

  She did as he requested, sinking into his warmth and closing her eyes.

  When Josh’s lips touched her neck, nuzzling her at the same time his hands cupped her breasts fully, she inhaled deeply, loving how he made her body respond to his every touch.

  “Do you feel the horse moving under you, Brina? Feel his movements? Anticipate with your body and move with him, instead of against him.” As he spoke, he traced a hand down her bare belly.

  He was going to kill her with this slow sexual torture. She could only nod her answer. The tactile sensations of the horse swaying beneath her and his tender touch, combined with the scent of fresh outdoors, faint aftershave and leather melded into a provocative, arousing experience.

  “I can feel how you’re moving with Ace now.” He sounded pleased, making her want to follow his next instruction. Slowly her body began to fully relax, moving with the horse’s motion.

  When she started to put her hands back on the saddle horn, he gripped her breast and belly tight, his body tensing behind her. “No, keep your hands on my thighs.” His voice had lowered, turning darker as he moved his hand to her knee.

  Her eyes opened once more. “What are yo
u planning—” She sucked in an excited breath when he began to slowly massage her inner thigh.

  “There’s a lot I’m planning to do to you, darlin’,” he drawled. Feathering his lips down her throat once more, he cupped the inside of her other thigh as well and applied pressure to both, pushing her legs further apart.

  “Josh,” she hissed out. Gripping his hard thighs, she tried to tighten her own thighs against the horse, but Josh’s firm hold wouldn’t let her. Instead he lifted her thighs and moved his muscular ones under hers, giving her the secure seat she sought.

  “I would never let you fall, Brina. I’ll always keep you safe.”

  He wanted her to fully put her trust in him. The only hold she had now was to depend on his thighs to keep her balanced. The throbbing anticipation was almost her undoing.

  She let out a low moan while jolts of desire radiated from the center of her body. Her moan turned into a loud gasp when Josh’s hold on her inner thigh tightened and this thumb slid along the seam of her jeans, straight across her throbbing center.

  “When I touch you for the first time,” he whispered in her ear. “I want to see your expression and the color of your eyes change.” His grip on her breast tightened as he continued, “Do you want to know what I thought about last night while I lay on that damned couch?”

  She could only nod while he leisurely brushed his thumb back and forth across her nipple, sending waves of desire curling from her breast straight down her body.

  “I thought about pulling all your clothes off, taking my time so I could discover every inch of your sweet flesh,” he said as the palm of his hand slid higher.

  She bit her lip, anticipating, wanting him to touch her. The wait was agonizing.

  Josh didn’t skimp in the seduction department. She was completely under his spell, her body a quivering, molten mass of nerves.

  “I’d lay you down and run my hands all over your body. I’d touch you everywhere. Gentle you, nice and slow, then rev you up with each stroke across your soft skin. You’d arch your back, silently begging me to make my way to your breasts, then you’d lose control and tell me exactly what you wanted.”

  Gentle her? Holy shit. She felt anything but gentle. He made her feel wild and untamed. “You ah, really are the best riding instructor ever,” she managed to get out.

  A low, sexy laugh rumbled, then he continued in a seductive voice, “But I’d want to taste those rosy peaks instead.” His breath warmed her ear as he slid both hands up her body to cup her breasts fully, his grip firm and possessive.

  “I’d suck long and hard on each nipple, giving them equal time until you twisted and whimpered and pushed my head between your gorgeous thighs.”

  Sabrina’s pulse thrummed. She missed the warmth of his hand so close to touching her. God, this man was the best at word foreplay. When his thumbs just barely brushed across her nipples, she squirmed, trying to assuage the painful ache that had settled between her legs, but he barely let her touch the saddle. Damn him!

  “Then I’d move to your thighs and spread them wide, while my thumbs massaged your pink flesh. It’d turn me on to see just how wet you were for me. My mouth would start to water and I’d be unable to resist taking a long, leisurely taste with my tongue.”

  Sabrina dug her fingers deep into the side of his thighs underneath hers. He’s trying to kill me.

  “Easy, baby,” he rasped, then slowly slid the flat of his warm palm down her stomach to cup her mound through her jeans.

  Sabrina let out a whimper and his voice turned to velvet. “Like that, do you?” He applied slight pressure and continued in an aroused tone, “But one taste wouldn’t be enough and I’d go back for more and more.” His voice took on a relentless edge. “I’d trace every soft fold, every bit of your sensitive skin, making you so horny you’d beg me to make you come.”

  Sabrina’s breathing turned choppy and her heart felt like it might beat right out of her chest. Wanton…that’s how Josh made her feel.

  Perched atop a horse, holding onto this sexy man’s rock-hard thighs, his muscular chest and hard-as-marble erection pressed against her backside—all while his words and teasing touches built a fire burning inside her—she’d never been more turned on in her life.

  “You’re panting,” he continued, his voice gruff. “I hope that’s because you want this too. Tell me you want this,” he demanded. His grip tightened on her sex at the same time he plucked at one of her nipples as if he wanted to make sure of her answer.

  “Yes, I want this!” she breathed out in a hiss.

  A rumble of male satisfaction sounded in his throat. “I can’t wait to hear you scream when you come. I know you’re a screamer, Brina, and fucking hell, all I thought of last night was hearing it.”

  Sabrina closed her eyes and moaned. His sudden intensity turned her on even more. The need for physical release engulfed her body, causing a sensual burn to rage and spiral inside her.

  She didn’t realize that she was rocking against his hand, until she felt the counter pressure of his palm and his pleased comment bleed through her consciousness, “That’s it, baby. Damn, I can’t wait to feel your sweet body wrapped around me.”

  When he suddenly folded his arms around her waist and set his chin on her shoulder, saying, “We’re here,” she realized his horse had stopped walking. Sabrina blinked her eyes open to try to regain some kind of control.

  With her body still quaking, she managed a shaky smile as she took in the quaint house. His two-story wood-sided home with a bench swing off to the left of the front door and a couple of pale wood rocking chairs to the right created a homey look that surprised her considering he was a bachelor.

  She noted that there wasn’t a big front yard and about the same sized backyard with stables set on the far left corner. Woods stretched beyond the stables. Nodding to indicate the front yard that blended right into the woods, she said, “Now I know why you didn’t drive me up here. Is there even a road to get to your place?”

  Josh slid off the horse and retrieved his hat. Sliding his hat back on his head, he smiled. “Yeah, I guess the grass driveway you see appears to lead nowhere. We only used the road to bring up the materials to build my house, and then on the day I moved my stuff in. I prefer riding my horse, so the driveway has grown over by forest underbrush over time, but it’s there.” He pointed to the back yard. “There are open pastures beyond the woods behind my house. I just haven’t cut a path to them yet.”

  Once he finished speaking, he reached up and clasped her around the waist. When he effortlessly lifted her off of Ace and set her on the ground, a gust of cool wind blew Sabrina’s shirt open, pebbling her nipples. Heat suffused her face at the reminder she was standing there all brazen and bare breasted.

  When she quickly re-snapped her bra, then pulled her shirt closed, Josh tilted her chin so he could see her face. “Are you blushing?”

  She glanced away and fumbled with the buttons on her shirt in an effort to close it as quickly as possible. “I’m not usually so—”

  “Free?” He clasped her arms and he pulled her against his chest so her hands were trapped between them. “I love that you can be your true self around me.”

  Her true self? This wasn’t how she’d acted with other men she’d been with. Not at all. Her gaze snapped to his, but before she could decide how to respond, he released her and slowly buttoned the last few buttons for her.

  “Sabrina,” he began, resting his hands on her shoulders, where he rubbed his thumbs gently along her collarbone. “I want to get to know the real you. Don’t hold back.” His gaze held hers as he slid his hands down her back. Cupping her butt, he pulled her hips to his, a wicked smile crooking the corner of his mouth. “I certainly plan to share.”

  His quick-witted, sexy humor soothed her embarrassment, making her laugh.

  Josh took off his hat and ran a hand through his hair, his penetrating gaze searching her face. A long, sexually charged moment passed between them, sweeping away her a
bility to speak.

  Handing her the backpack he’d pulled off the horse, he said, “Why don’t you go on inside and get comfortable while I put Ace away?”

  Sabrina took her backpack and slipped it onto her shoulder. As she watched Josh walk Ace around the side of the house, she realized that she really did feel more comfortable riding Ace by the end of that ride. Smiling, she walked up the steps, then paused in the doorway before she walked inside.

  The contemporary design showed her another side to Josh she wouldn’t have expected. “Aren’t you full of surprises, Josh Kelly,” she murmured as she took in the kitchen and dining room, which sat on a two-step, raised up “island” in the center of the room. Josh must put an emphasis on cooking for his eating space to be such a large focal point in his home.

  Shutting the door, her stomach pitched. God, she sure hoped he didn’t expect her to cook. Eggs and toast were about all she’d learned to do. She’d always been in awe of her girlfriends who could just “whip up” a meal from practically nothing. Sabrina’s creativity came in the form of advertising slogans and understanding target markets.

  Even though Josh’s choice for his kitchen placement seemed very modern and contemporary, he’d kept his place warm with rich leather and polished wood barstools against the tall wood and slate counters. Spindle back chairs graced the oval oak dining table. Wood floors spread across the entire house, giving it a welcoming feel.

  To her left, the living room boasted a well-worn leather sofa and matching smaller two-seater sofa sitting on an Aztec design rug. Very few pictures graced the walls, but the ones that did depicted horses. Oils and watercolor pictures hung in the living room, while black and white photos of galloping horses decorated an office room off to her right.

  Once again, Josh had added an Aztec rug in deep maroons and blues in the center of his office. A single mission style desk in a rich cherry wood and a tall black leather chair were the only pieces of furniture. A laptop, a printer/fax machine, and a telephone sat atop the desk.