Summer Love: A Steamy Small Town Romance Anthology

by Piper Rayne

  “Probably not. God, did I really throw myself at you?”

  He turned his head and grinned up at her. “At me, on me. Let’s not quibble. Feel free to do it again. Anytime. Well, at me, not on me. I can’t afford another pair of boots.”

  She rolled her eyes but laughed. “I’ll bet that’s not true, though I would have been sorry if I ruined them. They were nice boots, if impractical.”

  “Why not?” He propped himself up on his elbows despite the protestations of his lower back. He now had a second chance with Sierra, but he sensed he had to play it cool and easy. “Why can’t we have a nice dinner and see where this goes?”

  “Because you’re leaving and I’m staying. This can go nowhere.”

  “Does everything have to go somewhere? Can’t we just have fun?” Yup, play it cool. He had to ease her into this. She was not looking for anything more serious, which was ironic since he was usually the one running away as fast as his two feet could move. He sensed she’d be worth it. He could be patient.

  She paused, her hands stilling on his ribs as she pondered his words. “I don’t do fun. I don’t have time for that. Not usually.”

  She was clearly conflicted and he found he wanted to know why. No, he needed to know. His gaze bore into hers, holding her hostage. “Just one dinner. Don’t you want to see if the heat is there without the alcohol?”

  A long pause, then she said quietly, “Yes.”

  Her hands remained on his lower back, the touch an agonizing pleasure that was making his position face-down on the table really uncomfortable. Hearing her admit her attraction to him, when he’d expected her to deny it without the fog of alcohol, was doing incredible things to his libido. It was all he could do to not roll over and start the date right now. He wondered if anyone else had ever had that kind of reaction during a massage and why there wasn’t a hole in the table south of his face to accommodate it. Somehow, he hoped he was the only asshole to respond like that to her.

  He forced himself to listen to the godawful music that made him want to claw his ears off and think about anything other than her sweet scent and the touch of her hands. After a moment, when he did nothing else but lie on the table, she dug back into her work, attacking his knots with renewed vigor. Sadly, even the pain didn’t deflate his interest.

  After several long, agonizing minutes that did loosen some of the spasms, she trailed her hands up his back a few times to soothe the muscles.

  “Roll over so I can work on your front.”

  If only she meant to satisfy the new craving in his body . . . But she was being the consummate professional. More’s the pity.

  He groaned. “Yeah, I think I’ll stay where I am for now. Unless you want to see more of me than you already have.”

  She scoffed. “Colt, trust me. You have nothing I haven’t already seen. Now roll over so I can work on your legs and stretch you out a bit more.”

  He gave a strained laugh. “You asked for it.”

  Yeah, maybe he should have stayed on his stomach, though before she averted her eyes, he saw the appreciation in them and the male inside him preened.

  That Saturday night, Sierra tried on several outfits before settling on a long denim skirt, a peasant blouse, and a pair of cowboy boots. She had no idea what to wear for a date with a country music star and she was damned sure she had nothing in her closet that would suit. He would have to deal with who she was.

  Maybe she was being unfair. Colt never seemed to put on airs the few times she’d met him, except for his fancy boots. She was just nervous. There was something between them, more than sexual heat, though she was more than willing to explore part of their attraction. But she wasn’t ready to pull up stakes and live the travelling life, not even for love. She’d been there, done that, watched her mother do the same thing. Love was unreliable and if she followed him, soon she’d be stranded in some strange place, with nothing to her name and no way to support herself. She’d be her mother all over again and she’d be damned if she’d allow that.

  She’d spent far too much time building her life here in Granite Junction, becoming a small business owner, gaining a reputation. Now, she was poised for more growth, right on the cusp of being ready to expand to her real dream of a full spa at the guest ranch at Redemption Ranch. She and Tara had been talking about the spa since Tara opened the guest ranch and only now was Sierra ready, with the clientele, the materials, and the collateral to do it. Leaving Granite Junction to follow a guy on the road was not in the plan.

  Her doorbell rang and she jumped. She opened the door and sucked in a breath. Damn, he was as sexy as she remembered, even without alcohol coloring her perception. His crooked grin lit a fire deep in her belly and she knew she was in deep trouble. She was ready to throw caution to the wind and seize the chance that she had screwed up one week ago—for one night.

  He held out his hand and electricity arced between them. Yup, she was in trouble.

  He took her to Montana Prime in neighboring Martinsburg where they enjoyed an amazing dinner of locally grown steak, a few drinks, and a decadent flourless chocolate cake that he insisted she indulge in, even when she protested. Heat in his eyes flared as she enjoyed the chocolate, and she made sure to tease him as much as possible. She’d never had so much fun at a dinner as she’d had with Colt. The meal felt like foreplay, not something to rush through to get to the main event.

  Even better was the conversation. Colt was easy to talk to, comfortable and casual, even when a few fans came to the table asking for autographs. He graciously spoke to all of them, even took selfies with a couple of younger women, but made it clear that Sierra was his priority. She hadn’t expected that, even when one woman was clearly making an offer of more than a picture. He politely shut her down and turned his focus back on Sierra.

  She felt like she was the only woman in the room and it was damn dangerous. When the music started from the bar area, Colt stood. “Would you like to dance?”

  “A guy who wants to dance?”

  A slow, sexy grin crossed his face. “Any reason to get you in my arms again.”

  She took his hand and let him lead her to the dance floor. He pulled her close and they seemed to fit perfectly. His arms gently encircled her, his hands warm and strong on her lower back. She looped her arms around his neck and the strands of his hair touched her fingers, so she finally gave into the temptation she’d had since last week and tangled her fingers in them, her fingernails scraping his scalp lightly. He groaned into her ear.

  “Sierra, stop that or I’ll embarrass myself on the dance floor.”

  She chuckled. “I’ll just have to distract you.”

  “You’re doing a fine job of that already,” he grumbled good-naturedly.

  She laughed, charmed despite herself, but lowered her hands to stroke the muscles of his upper body. She was a sucker for a great body and Colt certainly had one, as she’d seen up close and personal on the massage table. She was hoping she could see it again in a less professional setting this time.

  The song changed to an older duet and he stiffened, nothing anyone else would have noticed. When his muscles tensed under her hands, she felt it. He lifted his head, a faintly irritated look on his face. She recognized the song as one his parents sang, one of their most popular ones. She hated seeing him uncomfortable and, while she loved being pressed up against him like this, she had something else in mind to ease his tension, maybe redirect it a bit.

  She stretched up and pressed her lips to his ear. “I have an idea, if you want to do something else.”

  He quirked an eyebrow. “Other than holding you? It’d have to be really good.”

  She gave a secret smile. “I have a feeling it will be better than good, cowboy.”

  Chapter Six

  “So this is why everyone has a truck around here.”

  “It’s not just because it’s a country thing,” Sierra laughed and leaned against his side.

  They were sitting in the bed of his pickup, a
blanket that had mysteriously appeared in the back of the cab wrapped around them to ward off the chill. The stars were bright in the sky and the moon was full, so much more brilliant than anything he saw in Nashville. It almost reminded him of his parents’ cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Sadly he hadn’t been there in a long time. Work, traveling, and complicated family relationships kept him away. Sierra’s head rested on his shoulder and his arm draped over her shoulders. Somehow it was the sexiest date he’d had in a long time.

  “So, is this how all dates go in Montana?” he asked. If so, he could get used to it.

  “I wouldn’t know, not really. This is my first time doing this. Emma told me about the date Gabe set up at the drive-in with his truck, and I always wondered if it was as great as it sounded.”

  He wondered at the wistful tone in her voice, and at the kind of dates she was used to. “Does it live up to your expectations?”

  “Exceeds them, though I think the company is the critical piece. I don’t think any of my previous dates would have been caught dead sitting in the dark staring at the stars.”

  He looked out over the lake, at the reflection of the moon on the still water, at the brilliant night sky, and had to agree. “Maybe we’ve been dating the wrong people.”

  “Maybe we have,” she said quietly. After a few minutes of quiet, she shifted against his side. “Colt, we have an expiration date.”

  His arm tightened reflexively around her, holding her close, as if trying to shut out her words. He sighed. “I know. I don’t think I can walk away.”

  “I’m afraid,” she admitted quietly. “Afraid to get hurt.”

  He turned to her, tilting her face up to him. “I don’t know about you, but I haven’t felt this way about anyone in a long time. And I don’t want to give up without trying.”

  She blinked up at him, a sheen in her eyes. “I can’t see a future for us. I can’t leave Granite Junction and you have a life a whole country away and on the road.”

  “Why do we have to think about that right now? Why can’t we live in the moment, like you wanted to last week?” He knew there was something between them—something like what was between his sister and her husband, something he wanted for himself. It didn’t come around every day and he wouldn’t walk away just because of fear or a simple geographic situation. His sister had solved that problem. Even his parents had figured it out. Why couldn’t he?

  “Because I’m not drunk right now. If you wanted me, you should have taken me then, and not waited for sober Sierra. She is way too sensible.”

  He shook his head. “I refuse to believe that. I think I saw the real Sierra last week, the one who wants to break free. Spend time with me, Sierra. Be the woman you want to be, just for a while. Let the future take care of itself. Live in the moment.”

  She shuddered. “You really don’t know me, do you?”

  He shrugged. “Maybe not. Aren’t you a little bit interested in seeing if there’s fire under all this smoke? It could be amazing.”

  “And it could burn us both badly,” she retorted, but he could see she was weakening.

  He waited, letting her make her own decision. He could live with blue balls. He’d done it before, though not as bad as it had been this past week, especially after she’d had her hands on him during the massage. His dreams that night had been particularly erotic, reminiscent of his high school days, and it had been embarrassing. It would be worth it if he had a chance with her tonight and maybe a future with her tomorrow.

  She bit her lower lip, her eyes fixed on his torso. One hand rested on his chest and slowly she moved her fingers, tracing the muscles under the dress shirt he wore. He held his breath, his heart pounding, blood rushing through his body. She slowly lifted her eyes, heat and desire in them.

  “Only while you’re here. I won’t wait for you to come back. And I won’t follow you.”

  “I’m not asking you to.” Though he feared he might beg her to before this was all over.

  He slid out of the truck and held a hand. “I can’t do this in a truck bed. I need a real bed.”

  She looked horrified. “Oh my God. Your back. I can’t believe I was so insensitive.”

  She scrambled out, evading his hand. He grabbed her waist and lifted her down, holding her against him and letting her slowly slide to the ground. She stilled, her eyes wide.

  “My back is fine. I had this amazing massage that cured me. Now, another part needs some attention and I refuse to deal with it in a pickup where anyone could drive up.”

  She giggled. “Yeah, Emma and Gabe got caught by our deputy. The whole town found out. I really don’t need that.”

  “Me, neither. So I have one question. Your place or mine?”

  They drove to his cabin on the grounds of the Redemption Ranch since Sierra wasn’t too keen on everyone in town seeing Colt’s rental truck parked outside her apartment all night. She loved Granite Junction, but the last thing she needed was nosy neighbors or worse, her best friends poking their noses into her business. Not that there was much more privacy on the ranch, since three of her friends lived there, but she might be able to be a little more discreet.

  He opened the cabin door and let her precede him inside. She was immediately charmed by the rustic interior: the exposed wood beams, the loft area that looked like it could double as a bedroom space or sitting area. The plain wood furniture was clearly made by their local artisan, Gene Woodruff. The cozy living area looked quite lived in, with paper strewn over all available surfaces and a guitar resting on the couch. Colt cursed quietly under his breath and rushed past her.

  “I’m sorry. Piper swore my clutter would come back to haunt me. Don’t hold this against me, please.”

  Even his rush to clean up charmed her and she reached down to pick up some papers from the seat of a leather swivel chair. “Is this a song you’re working on?”

  He glanced up, a lock of hair falling boyishly over his eyes. “Yeah. I’m supposed to be writing music and getting ready to go into the studio this summer in between tours. Piper got inspired up here. I’m still waiting.”

  “If I recall, she found her inspiration. Maybe you need to spend some time with Ty,” she teased.

  He snorted. “How do you think I hurt my back?” Her eyebrows raised and he burst out laughing at her expression. “Not that way. He is not the kind of inspiration I need. Are you applying for the job?”

  She shook her head, bemused by the idea. “I’m nobody’s inspiration. I’m boring Sierra. I’m sure there are plenty of other people who could give you better ideas than I could.”

  He narrowed his eyes and drew her down onto the couch, then picked up his guitar. He strummed a few times, humming, then started singing. Slowly the words sank in, about a beautiful girl dancing with abandon, eyes closed, swaying to the music. The way he sang was so moving, so heartfelt, that tears pricked her eyes. He finished and glanced at her, a hint of vulnerability in his eyes.

  “Is this what you saw last week? Because I’m pretty sure I was a drunken mess.”

  He cupped her cheek, his thumb tracing her lower lip. “I saw a beautiful woman feeling the music, loving life, embracing life. Not caring what anyone thought, and confident in who she was. I had to meet that woman.”

  Heat flooded her cheeks, but she was mesmerized by his intense stare and couldn’t break the hold he had on her. “Oh, God. That’s not who I am, Colt. I’m basically a workaholic, no time for play.”

  His thumb continued its maddening caress. “Are you sure about that? Because you’re sitting here with me and I definitely want to play. And I think you do, too.”

  She sucked in a shaky breath and nodded, finally admitting the truth to herself. She wanted him and didn’t want to resist it anymore. And why should she? She’d damn well regret it if she didn’t take this one chance, this one night with him. She wanted to remember him when she was driving down the road and his song came on the radio, maybe even the one he was writing about her. She could hold onto
those memories when she was in his rearview mirror. Because he was leaving and she was staying. That was unavoidable. But she could have this one night. Have what she wanted last week, only stone-cold sober.

  “Hell, yeah.”

  Chapter Seven

  Colt willed his cock to settle down as soon as Sierra said yes because all he wanted to do was toss her over his shoulder and race to the bedroom before she changed her mind. Not that she couldn’t still, but he wanted to kiss her and taste every inch of her, even more than he wanted a platinum album. Somehow, having Sierra in his arms would be worth far more than any record sales or awards.

  Instead, he sat on the couch, his guitar covering his raging erection that had flared to life as soon as she said yes, and fought for control so he wouldn’t seem like a caveman and scare her away. As if she sensed the battle raging within him, she rose to her feet, gently grasped the neck of the guitar, and pried it out of his death grip, propping it on the swivel chair. Then she held out her hand.

  “I haven’t been in one of these cabins before. I assume the bedroom is down the hall?”

  He lunged to his feet and took her lips in a deep kiss, his hands cupping her cheeks to hold her in place while his tongue plundered her mouth, conveying his desperation. He swallowed her gasp of surprise, but she quickly met his passion, her arms winding their way around his neck to pull him against her and let her tongue tease along his.

  He tore his mouth from hers. “Not here.”

  He considered picking her up, but she beat him to the punch and headed down the hall, dragging him with her. In the bedroom, he went to flick the lights on, but she covered his hands. “No lights. The moon is bright enough.”

  There were no neighbors anywhere around and the moon and stars shone so brightly that they lit up the room in colors of deep blue and white. She ran her hands over his shirt, then tugged the buttons free and slipped it off his shoulders. He waited for her while she gazed at him, her eyes wide and glazed with passion.