Cowboys Last All Night

by Jennifer Ashley

  Not that he needed a light. Not for what they planned to do.

  Putting her on her feet, Lucas didn’t let go of Kenzie, fusing his lips to hers and cupping her face in his hands.

  When she shrugged out of her jacket, tossing it onto the dresser behind him, Lucas sucked in a breath. And then, when she reached beneath his jacket for his shirt, pulling it from the waistband of his jeans, he held his breath. Her fingers found his skin, soft and cool against him, and he knew… He knew he’d waited too damn long for this. He’d purposely sealed himself off from the world, blocking everyone out because a woman had crushed his heart into a million pieces. Yet here he was, ready to jump into bed with a woman he hardly knew, a woman he feared, after just talking to her a few times, sharing a few blazing-hot kisses, could very possibly get under his skin.

  “Lucas.” Kenzie whispered his name as she pulled away from him. “I want this.”

  She sounded as though she were trying to reassure him, but what she didn’t know was that he was trying to reassure himself. And it wasn’t working.

  As much as he wanted to be that guy, the one who could spend the afternoon fucking this incredibly beautiful woman into oblivion, he knew he’d hate himself tomorrow.

  And possibly her, too.

  “Fuck,” he growled, pulling away from her and pacing in the opposite direction.

  He still had his fucking coat on, damn it. What the hell was wrong with him?

  Turning back to look at her, Lucas noticed her eyes were wide. “I’m sorry.”

  Kenzie’s sweet mouth turned up in a slow grin as she stared back at him. Her charming giggle had his nerves settling.

  “What’s so damn funny?” he grumbled.

  “You. Is it just me or are the roles a little reversed here?”

  “Perhaps.” He couldn’t argue with her logic.

  “You know what’s even funnier?” she asked, still smiling.

  Lucas cocked an eyebrow, waiting for her to enlighten him.

  “I’ve never done this before.”

  “What? Sex?” God, please don’t let her be a virgin. “Or a one-night stand?”

  “The last one,” she said sweetly, her eyes softening. “I didn’t mean to attack you when you so kindly saved my butt.”

  “Darlin’, trust me, I ain’t complainin’.”

  “Come on,” Kenzie said, reaching her hand out for him to take. “How ’bout that coffee?”

  Unsure what he was supposed to say or do, Lucas took her hand and followed her into the kitchen. Shrugging out of his coat, he placed it over the back of a chair before sliding into the wooden seat. He watched her, the easy way she moved around her kitchen. He noticed she was limping, and that bothered him. He hated the fact that she’d been hurt, and maybe that was one of the reasons he was acting like a fucking pussy.

  What thirty-eight-year-old man walked away from a woman like Kenzie? What the hell was he thinking? He could’ve been naked, buried balls deep in her by now, but instead he was in the kitchen, sitting at the table, waiting for her to make a pot of coffee. Yep, it was safe to say he was an idiot.

  Once she had the pot brewing, she moved over to the island and retrieved the bag she’d brought from the pharmacy.

  “Sit down,” he urged her, taking the bag from her and dumping its contents on the table in front of him.

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Put your foot on my leg,” he instructed, moving his knee out so she could rest her leg on him.

  A few minutes later, he had cleaned and doctored her scrape with the peroxide she’d pulled from the cabinet, then applied the ointment and bandaged her up.

  “Good as new,” he said.

  Kenzie grinned and got to her feet. “Thank you.”

  A minute later, she returned to the table with two mugs. “Need cream or sugar?” she asked kindly.

  “No. Despite my earlier actions, I’m not a fucking girl,” he retorted without heat.

  “No, I’d have to agree. You’re certainly not a girl.” The desire in her gaze made his dick throb. He was still hard, still aching, but he was doing his damnedest to ignore the damn thing.

  It wasn’t easy.

  “So, tell me about yourself,” Kenzie prompted, sliding into the chair across from him rather than taking the one beside him, where she’d been only moments ago.

  “Not much to tell,” he answered, immediately realizing his mistake.

  There was plenty to tell. Especially to a woman he didn’t know. One he surprisingly wanted to get to know a little better. Maybe then he could quit being a fucking pussy and take her to bed like he had planned half an hour ago.

  Kenzie smiled, clearly realizing he’d dodged her question. “You grow up here?”

  “Born and raised.”

  “You got a last name?”

  “Burch.”

  “Nice to meet you, Lucas Burch.” Her sweet smile did strange things to him. “Kenzie Catlay.”

  He didn’t know what to say to that, so he sipped his coffee, keeping his eyes locked with hers. At least they knew each other’s last name. It was a start.

  “You knew my grandfather?” she asked, her eyebrow lifting slightly.

  “I did. Glenn was good friends with my father.” Lucas wasn’t sure how he felt about that explanation. Realizing that his father was friends with her grandfather reflected the clear gap in their ages. But as much as he wanted to ask her how old she was, he held his tongue.

  “My mother grew up here, too,” Kenzie explained. “But she left when she was eighteen. She came back to visit, and I came and stayed quite a bit when I was young. Until my grandfather passed. I hadn’t been back for a couple of years, though.”

  Lucas could see the sadness in her eyes, and he suddenly wanted to do whatever it would take to clear the clouds and bring back the sunshine that seemed to radiate from her, even on the dreariest of days.

  “How old are you, Kenzie?” he asked point-blank.

  “Isn’t it rude to ask a lady that question?” she retorted instantly, grinning once more.

  “Probably.” He knew the answer was more of a yes, but he still wanted to know.

  “How old are you?” she countered.

  “Old enough to be your father,” he rattled, looking down at the mug in front of him.

  Kenzie laughed, the sweet sound filling the kitchen and causing him to look up at her.

  “What’s so funny?” he asked.

  “Old enough to be my father, huh? So that would make you, what? Fifty-one? Fifty-two?”

  “Lord, no.”

  “Well, then I think it’s safe to say you’re not even close. I’m guessin’ you’re closer to forty than you are to fifty.”

  “That right?” he asked, liking the way she was still regarding him with that look. The one that said she wouldn’t mind if he stripped her naked right there in the kitchen and tossed her on the table.

  He was considering it himself.

  “Do you have an issue with age?” Kenzie asked.

  Damn right, he did. He’d been burned by a woman who had been fifteen years younger than him, one he’d had no business being with in the first place, but sometimes the heart wanted what the heart wanted.

  “Ah. So it’s like that,” Kenzie said, obviously tired of waiting for him to answer. “I’m twenty-six, Lucas. Not that it matters one damn bit.”

  Lucas could tell by her tone that he’d upset her. “I was in junior high school when you were born.”

  “Fantastic,” she said sarcastically. “Well, since we’re clearly declaring our location for specific events, then I’ll go next. I was kissing you a few minutes ago in my bedroom.”

  Lucas laughed. He couldn’t help himself. The woman’s wit amused him. “You win.”

  “Yep, I do. Kissing trumps junior high school any day.”

  They were both silent for a moment, and Lucas knew he needed to go. He needed to put a little distance between himself and this little wildcat. It’d been a long damn time since he�
�d met a woman he wanted to wrangle. But with Kenzie, he wasn’t sure that either of them would survive that sort of relationship intact.

  Lord have mercy. Now he was thinking about relationships.

  Fuck, he was old. And delusional.

  Pushing to his feet, Lucas smiled down at her. Her smile fell, and he instantly regretted his decision to go, but he knew it was for the best. “I need to get back to the house,” he told her.

  Kenzie nodded her head, but she didn’t move to get up. “Maybe I’ll see you around.”

  Hopefully. Lucas didn’t tell her that, though. “It’s possible. Keep that knee clean, and stay off the ice. Won’t heal if you keep splittin’ it open.”

  “Yes, doctor.”

  Lucas laughed again before grabbing his coat and heading toward the front door. He needed to go before he did something incredibly stupid. Like take her back to that bedroom.

  “Does Ralph still handle things around here?” he asked when she fell into step behind him.

  “Yeah. Without him, I’m pretty sure the cows would be dead at this point and the chickens would be running free in town. I’m not good with those, I promise you that much.”

  Lucas shrugged into his coat as he made his way through the small, cheery living room. He didn’t respond to her statement, again at a loss for words.

  “Oh, and Lucas,” Kenzie called from behind him.

  With his hand on the doorknob, he slowly glanced over his shoulder.

  “I don’t usually do this,” she told him, her hand circling as though she were referencing the room, her expression serious.

  “Do what?” he questioned.

  “Blind dates. One-night stands. Inviting strange men to my bedroom. Take your pick. I’ve never done any of those things before.”

  Holy hell. Lucas’s heart missed a beat at the significance of what she was telling him. She’d never had a one-night stand, yet a short while ago, they’d been in her bedroom, damn close to making it to the bed.

  He wanted to ask her why she’d chosen him, but he decided against it. He didn’t want to know the answer. Didn’t need another reason to want to stay.

  So, he merely nodded his head in understanding before pulling the front door open.

  Son of a bitch.

  The sleet was coming down heavily, his truck covered in a thick layer of ice already. He glanced down at the driveway to see it was also covered.

  Kenzie moved up beside him, ducking beneath his arm to peer outside. “Looks like you won’t be goin’ anywhere for a while. Gettin’ out of the driveway when it’s dry is hard enough.”

  Shit.

  As much as he wanted to argue, to just walk out to his truck and drive back to his house, he knew she was right. If he tried, he’d end up in a ditch somewhere, just like she had earlier. Or maybe that was just an excuse.

  Kenzie took a step back, leaving him standing at the open door. He hesitated for another second, maybe two, but then he closed it and turned back to face her.

  It was time to be honest.

  Because otherwise, he feared that one of them was going to get hurt.

  Or worse … both of them.

  Chapter Seven

  Kenzie wasn’t sure if it was her lucky day or if the universe was just playing a cruel trick on her. But the fact that Lucas was now stranded at her place was both intriguing and frightening. Not because she was scared of him. Quite the opposite, in fact. She wanted him with a passion she wasn’t sure she had ever felt before. Definitely not in a long time, for sure.

  But he did not look at all happy about being stuck there with her, and that bothered her more than she was willing to admit.

  “Don’t worry,” she said softly. “I promise not to jump you when you least expect it.”

  A sexy smile curled the edges of Lucas’s beautiful mouth, and she couldn’t help but answer with a smile of her own.

  “Trust me, darlin’, that’s the least of my worries.”

  “Then what’s got you lookin’ like you’re ready to fight the elements just to get away from me?” she asked honestly.

  Lucas studied her for a moment, not saying anything. Kenzie figured he wasn’t going to answer, but he finally opened his mouth. But he closed it just as quickly.

  “It’s all right,” she told him. “No need to answer that. I’m sure you don’t want to hurt my feelings.”

  Kenzie started toward the kitchen but was pulled up short when Lucas spoke.

  “Darlin’, the last thing I’m worried about is your feelings.” She was facing away from him, but she heard his boots on the hardwood as he moved closer. She held her breath, waiting to see what he’d say next.

  He didn’t disappoint.

  Lucas’s big, warm hands gripped her shoulders gently as he urged her to face him. She allowed him to maneuver her easily, turning to look up at him.

  “I don’t wanna hurt you,” Lucas whispered, his voice rough with emotion, which surprised her. “I’d give my right arm to take you back there and make love to you for the rest of the day, Kenzie. That’s not the issue.”

  “Then what is?” she asked, forcing the words past her dry throat.

  “Tomorrow,” he answered simply.

  Kenzie nodded, understanding. He wasn’t going to make her any promises, but she knew, even though she knew little about this man, she knew that wasn’t how he was made. Someone had hurt him, and he didn’t trust easily.

  And she wasn’t one to make promises, either. Not when it came to relationships. She hadn’t been looking for one when he’d just happened to drop into her world, and she’d be lying if she said she wasn’t interested. But she didn’t want to get hurt, either.

  Committing to a one-night stand with this man would be the worst thing she could do, because tomorrow, when he slipped out her door, she would want him to come back. She would want to see him, to be with him … and clearly, based on what he was telling her, that wasn’t an option.

  “More coffee?” she asked, trying to break the uncomfortable tension that cloaked them like a scratchy wool blanket.

  Lucas studied her face, his eyes trailing down to her lips, and she felt that inferno encompass them both. Despite their fears, this was going to happen. She knew it and he knew it.

  The question was … were they going to give in easily? Or were they going to put up a fight?

  Lucas answered the question for her when he slid his knuckles across her cheek and then cupped the back of her head, pulling her to him. Kenzie gave in, unable to resist him.

  The kiss started slow. Sweet and gentle. But then, within seconds, it intensified tenfold.

  “Kenzie,” Lucas whispered against her lips. “Tell me we shouldn’t do this.”

  Kenzie heard the emotion in his tone, and it called to her. This might be the biggest mistake they ever made, but she couldn’t resist him. She didn’t want to send him away. But she couldn’t lie to him, either. “We shouldn’t do this.” Pressing her lips to his once again, she wrapped her arms around his neck, her breasts pressing against the hard planes of his chest.

  When he pulled back a few moments later, they were both trying to suck in air. Their eyes met, locked, and Kenzie knew that the decision had been made for them both. Taking a step back, Lucas’s hand slid down to his side, but Kenzie didn’t hesitate. She reached for him, linking her fingers with his and leading him toward her bedroom.

  Again.

  There was no denying the attraction was there, the chemistry off the charts. They were both right where they wanted to be. And it was high time she took the reins, made the decision that she would normally avoid because she didn’t want to get hurt.

  “Are you sure about this, darlin’?” Lucas asked when they stepped into her bedroom for the second time that day.

  Rather than answer, Kenzie reached for the hem of her shirt and lifted, pulling it over her head and tossing it to the floor.

  His jacket was the next article of clothing to be discarded, but as he removed it, Lucas never t
ook his eyes off her.

  Kenzie reached around behind her and unhooked her bra, allowing it to slide down her arms and drop to the floor beside her shirt.

  Then, as though it was one for one, Lucas made the next move, toeing off his boots, his eyes glued to her bare chest. Warmth pooled in her bloodstream as the temperature in the room soared from the pure passion she witnessed in his penetrating gaze.

  Kenzie reached for the button on her shorts, slowly working it free before lowering the zipper and then allowing the denim to drop to the floor.

  Lucas reached behind his head, grabbed a handful of his shirt, and pulled the dark gray cotton over his head, dropping it to the floor.

  Kenzie’s mouth dropped open as she stared at his naked upper body. She’d never seen a man built quite like him. At least not in person. His pecs were two hard planes, his abs perfectly bisected and cut, his biceps bulging. In a single word, he was perfection, a man whose body was honed from hard work, and she found she was reduced to nothing more than a jumble of out-of-control hormones.

  Kenzie slipped her fingers beneath the band of her panties, pushing them down and then allowing them to drop to the floor with the rest of her clothing. She was then standing in front of him completely naked, the heat from his gaze warming her although the room was cold.

  Lucas pulled his wallet from his back pocket, tossing it onto the bed before shedding his jeans and underwear at the same time, taking his socks off in the process. And then he was just as naked as she was.

  Unable to look away, Kenzie remained rooted to the floor, her eyes raking over every delicious inch of him starting at his sexy feet and ending on his beautiful eyes. He continued to look at her, and Kenzie wasn’t sure what to do or say, but she wanted him to touch her, wanted to feel the rough scrape of his hands against her skin. The tension fizzled inside her, making her hands shake and her breaths become labored.

  The next thing she knew, Lucas was moving closer, his hands cupping her face again as he turned her head up to face him. “You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen,” he whispered.

  His words were so matter-of-fact she had no choice but to believe him. Rather than say anything in response, Kenzie pushed up on her toes, meeting his lips. She slid her arms around his trim waist, her hands stroking up his back and then back down, the feel of hard muscles flexing beneath her palms. She had expected the passion to consume them instantly, but somehow — clearly he had more willpower than she did — Lucas managed to keep the kiss slow and gentle, the hunger surging just beneath the surface.