Catching the Cowboy

by Kennedy Fox

  Rowan: Sometimes.

  Diesel: You gonna come visit me or what?

  Rowan: Where are you?

  Diesel: Just got out of the shower.

  Rowan: You’re done with work?

  Diesel: We had extra hands on deck today, so I bailed early since someone’s been keeping me up all hours of the night.

  Rowan: Then you should take a nap. I can come over later since I have the day off.

  Diesel: Hell no! Get your luscious ass over here right now.

  Rowan: On one condition…

  Diesel: …what?

  Rowan: You actually go to bed early. No more working on three hours of sleep.

  Diesel: I’d sleep a helluva lot better if you were in my bed with me.

  Rowan: Play your cards right, Cowboy and MAYBE.

  Diesel: DEAL.

  Though we’re not rushing into sex, there are times I’m tempted to rip off our clothes and give in to the emotions swirling between us. I gave in to my desires last week when I got down on my knees in the bar office. It was hot as hell and perhaps a little reckless, but the memory of it makes it hard for me to continue to take things slow. It’s not that I don’t trust him or my feelings, but once we cross those lines, there’s no going back. If something bad happens, and we break up, it’d be impossible to be just “friends” and pretend nothing ever happened. I know I’m over Nick, but it doesn’t mean I’m over how he violated my trust. Diesel would never intentionally hurt me like Nick did, but I still need to be cautious. My heart is still fragile.

  I also know the moment Riley finds out, he’s going to be red-hot angry. Even though Diesel’s reassured me he’ll get over it, I don’t want to be the reason their friendship blows up. Since we were younger, Riley’s been clear about me being “off-limits” to his friends. While I’m not a child anymore and can make my own decisions, I only hope he’s not as mad as I think he’ll be when he finds out.

  I drive toward Diesel’s house but don’t park in front of his cabin. Instead, I leave my car near one of the barns, then walk the rest of the way. Before I go up his porch steps, I look around and make sure none of the ranch hands are working close and can see me. There’s no doubt it’s weird for me to be at his house.

  Once the coast is clear, I knock, and within seconds, he whips it open.

  “Hey—” Before I can finish my sentence, Diesel has me wrapped in his arms and shuts the door behind me. Then he pushes me against it and covers my mouth with his. After a moment, I suck in a breath and laugh. “What the hell was that?”

  He flashes a lopsided grin. “Didn’t want anyone to see you.”

  “I checked before I walked up the porch,” I tell him, smiling. “Mmm…you smell good.” I clench my fingers in his shirt and pull him closer, inhaling his scent. “Really good.”

  “Fresh outta the shower.” He winks, sliding his hand down to squeeze my ass. “I missed you today.”

  “You just saw me last night,” I remind him.

  “With a bar between us and a dozen pair of eyes on you.” He growls. “I hate that all the guys stare at you.”

  “They do not.”

  “Trust me, they do. I want to go all caveman on their asses and claim you publicly so they know you’re mine.” He holds me tighter.

  “Oh yeah? And then what?”

  “Then we get hitched, knock you up, and raise our ten kids on the ranch.”

  My eyes go wide at the seriousness of his tone. Pulling back, I look at him wide-eyed. “Okay, that’s my cue…”

  He grabs my wrist before I can slide out of his grip. “Okay, fine. I’ll compromise. Five kids.” Then he winks, and I burst out laughing.

  “Why do I feel like you’re actually serious but downplaying it for my sake?”

  “I don’t wanna scare you off, so…” He casually shrugs.

  “Have you ever done this before?” I ask as he leads me into his living room. It’s half covered with tarps from his remodel.

  “Done…what?” he asks, pulling me onto his lap when he sits on the sofa.

  “A relationship. Commitment. Dated someone longer than one night,” I reiterate.

  “Well, there was Billie Sue in fifth grade. She told everyone she was my girlfriend and made me hold her hand at recess.”

  I arch a brow, amused. “That skank. How dare she!”

  “I broke it off during the second recess.”

  Chuckling, I wrap my arms around his neck as I straddle his lap. “So what makes you think you know how to be a boyfriend?”

  “Is that what I am?”

  “I don’t know. Do you wanna be?”

  He blinks hard. “You have me going in circles here.”

  We both laugh, and I blush at the direction this conversation is going.

  “What if I said I’ve considered it?” I shyly admit.

  “I’d say…is it too early to propose?”

  I throw my head back with a groan. “How can you just throw those kinds of lines out when you’ve never had a girlfriend before? Aren’t you like, terrified of commitment and shit?”

  “Nope,” he says immediately and with certainty.

  “You’re strange.” I lean in closer. “You’ve pushed my buttons for as long as I can remember, and then you’d hook up with my friends.” I pop a brow, waiting to hear how he explains himself.

  “You—” He punches the word, gripping my hips tighter. “Wouldn’t give me the time of day.”

  “That’s your excuse?”

  “If memory serves me right, and I’m sure that it does, you weren’t so nice to me either. Even when I was nothing but sweet to you.” He tilts his head, daring me to argue, but he’s right. We’ve been going back and forth for years.

  “You’re obnoxious sometimes!” I admit, chuckling, then biting my lip. “I could never take you seriously, and you liked making me uncomfortable. Or like last month…” I throw up my hand. “You went through my boxes and brought up my red thongs in front of my brother!”

  His head falls back with loud laughter, and I swat his chest.

  “See!”

  “Alright, so I’m not the subtle type.” He shrugs unapologetically. “Most chicks dig that, by the way. In fact, a lot of girls in high school always commented on how much attention I gave you, but you wouldn’t have any of it. Instead, you found ways to get rid of me.”

  Rolling my eyes, I shake my head. “Not true. You’re so full of shit.”

  “Right. So me going out of my way to do things for you was for what? Shits and giggles? Boredom? It’s not like I had any motive to be nice to you unless I wanted to be.”

  His words hit me hard as I think back to all the ways he did do things for me during middle and high school. “I thought it was because Riley told you to,” I admit. “Or you had some best friend’s sister code.”

  “The only rule he had was not to touch you, so…”

  “So I was the shiny forbidden toy that made you want it even more?” I mock.

  “If you mean the smart-mouthed, sassy pain in the ass, then yes.” He wraps an around my waist and hoists me up higher until I feel his erection between my legs. “You gonna be my girl, or do I need to get a plane to spell it out in the sky?”

  I arch a brow, confused.

  “You’re not as subtle as you think you are, Rowan Bishop. I knew exactly where this conversation was going, and if you need to throw a bunch of questions at me to make sure I’m ready to be in a relationship with you, then go ahead because I’ve been waiting years for this. I’m not gonna be the dumbass who lets the girl of his dreams slip through his fingers.”

  My breathing quickens at his unexpected confession, but it’s one I’ll replay in my head over and over again. Adam Hayes officially has my heart.

  “Okay,” I whisper, then bite my lip. For whatever reason, my nerves are shot, and I can feel my cheeks heating.

  “Okay what?”

  “You’re gonna make me say it, aren’t you?”

  The smirk on his face tel
ls me his answer.

  “I’m gonna need to hear you say it just so there’s nothing lost in translation,” he states, clearly loving how nervous I am. I rock my hips against him, and he groans. “Better stop that.”

  “Or what?”

  “Or you better be prepared to finish what you start, sweetheart.”

  My eyes lower down his sculpted body. He’s large, and I feel small next to him. Everything on him screams man—his large hands, long legs, and toned arms.

  “You’re the one who pulled me onto your lap,” I remind him.

  I screech when he shoots off the couch and lays me down on my back, then towers over me. “Answer my question, Row. Are you mine?”

  Licking my lips, I nod. “Yes, I’m yours.”

  He grins, shaking his head in disbelief. “About goddamn time.”

  Diesel crashes his mouth to mine, sliding his hand up and around my neck. My legs wrap around his waist, wanting him against me. I grind against his obvious erection, which causes him to growl against my lips. “Fuck, don’t do that. I only have so much willpower when it comes to you.”

  “I said I wanted to go slow, not that we had to withhold from everything,” I reiterate, grabbing his hand and placing it on my breast.

  Without another word, he leans back, then lifts up my shirt until it flies off. He presses kisses on my chest and wraps a hand around my back to unclasp my bra. I flash him a suspicious look. “Did you just undo my bra with one hand?”

  He shrugs, undoing my bra and flinging it off. “I’m good with my hands, baby.”

  I roll my eyes and laugh. “I’m sure you are.”

  He cups my breast and wraps his lips around one of my nipples. My eyes close at how good it feels. His hot mouth and his eager tongue have my entire body on fire.

  “Adam,” I cry out, arching my back to give him more of me.

  “Jesus fuck,” he hisses. “I love hearing you moan my name.”

  He moves his mouth to my other breast, giving it the same amount of attention. I’m smacking myself in the face for telling him we needed to go slow because right now, I’m craving more of him.

  Diesel has wedged himself into my head and heart so quickly that if I’m not careful, I’m gonna get whiplash. All of my assumptions about him hit me in the gut because I was so damn wrong.

  “I’m sorry,” I tell him softly, and he lifts his eyes up to mine. “I never should’ve treated you the way I did growing up.”

  He brings his finger up to my face, brushing back the strands of hair that fell from my ponytail. “Don’t be. It’s a part of our story.”

  “I don’t deserve you.”

  “I’ve told myself that for so long, and I started to believe it, but you know what? It didn’t stop me from going after what I wanted anyway. And now look?”

  “Your persistence paid off,” I say, chuckling at his honesty.

  “Damn straight.” He smirks, bringing his mouth back to mine. “You have the sexiest tits, by the way.”

  I snort, blushing. “Wow. There’s that romantic side of you.”

  “I’m romantic as fuck! Just wait until I can take you out on real dates.”

  “Oh, really? What would a real date with Diesel be like?” I taunt as my fingers play with his belt buckle. The damn thing must come with a combination because it’s impossible to undo with one hand.

  “You will find out very soon, sweet Rowan. Now get your hands away from my dick before I throw your rule out the goddamn window and fuck you against my couch.”

  I groan loudly, tempted to rub my thighs together for relief. Sticking out my lower lip, I give him my best pouty look. “That’s not fair. You took off my shirt.”

  “Okay, fine.” He leans back and wraps a hand behind his neck, pulling off his. “There, we’re even.”

  “Hardly,” I say with a deadpan expression. “Now, your pants.”

  “No, ma’am.” He swats away my eager hands. “I’m not just a play toy.”

  I scoff, chuckling at him feigning offense. “Then tell your cock that because it’s begging to come out and play.”

  Diesel chuckles, leaning over me. He tilts my chin up and brings our lips together, soft and slow. “Let me take you out. We’ll leave town and see where the night goes.”

  “You really take this whole dating thing seriously, don’t you?” I tease, capturing his bottom lip with my teeth.

  “I take you being my girl seriously.”

  We continue making out, his rough hands massaging my breasts while heat pools between my thighs. He’s working me up but not willing to do anything about it.

  “You need to stop, or I’m going to combust.” I grind against him, needing the friction to relieve myself.

  “Let me help with that…” He shifts our bodies so we’re chest to chest. Sliding his hands down my body, he slips beneath my shorts and into my panties. His fingers find my clit, and soon, he’s rubbing circles, and I’m gasping for air. “Better?” His voice is taunting, but I nod, arching my hips for more.

  “Don’t stop,” I beg. I wrap my hand around his bicep, squeezing hard as he increases his pace. “Oh my God…” My eyes roll to the back of my head as he slides two fingers inside me while his thumb rubs against me.

  “You have any idea how many wet dreams I’ve had of this exact moment,” he murmurs against my lips, and I can tell he’s smiling. “So fuckin’ many, Row.”

  “Sounds like you needed a hobby,” I tease, bucking my hips.

  He chuckles. “I did. You’re it now.”

  As I get closer to the ledge, his mouth sucks on my neck, and he kisses my jawline before sliding his tongue between my lips. The heat between us is so intense, and I know I’m about to explode at any moment.

  “Let go, sweetheart. Come on my fingers,” he demands. “I wanna taste you.”

  My legs shake, my back arches, my spine tingles. So. Damn. Close.

  “Diesel!” Two hard knocks sound at the door, and we both freeze. “Open the door!”

  “You gotta be fuckin’ kidding me.” He growls.

  The doorknob jiggles, and that’s when I push him off me. “Shit, I need my bra and shirt!” I fly off the couch, gathering my things, and once I cover myself, I rush toward the bathroom.

  Diesel grabs my arm and stops me before I make it down the hall. “Stay in there, and I’ll come get you when they leave.”

  I nod. “Don’t forget your shirt.” Then I lower my gaze to his groin. “Might wanna adjust that…”

  He curses under his breath, then walks back to the living room while I go and hide.

  Like a dirty mistress.

  After ten minutes of waiting, I start to worry. I heard voices at the front, but he didn’t let them in. I don’t know what excuse he gave them, but after a while, it goes eerily quiet, and I worry he left me in here.

  Another five minutes pass, and I grow more annoyed. “Fuck this shit.”

  Slowly, I undo the lock and poke my head out. I don’t hear a thing and decide to chance it.

  The moment I open the door wider and step out into the hallway, a hand covers my mouth, and I’m slammed into a hard body.

  “Shh…” Diesel whispers into my ear, then pushes me back inside the bathroom. After he shuts the door, he twists me in his arms, then lifts me up under my thighs.

  “What the hell are you doing?” I squeal and wrap my arms around his shoulders as he carries me to the sink counter. “Who’s here?”

  “Your dad.”

  My eyes widen. “What? Why?”

  “And Riley.”

  “Oh hell. That can’t be good.” My head falls back against the mirror.

  “Nah, it’s fine. They were looking for something I had in my truck. They’re gone now.”

  I straighten and look at him. “Then why did you—” I wave my arm out. “Basically shove me back in here like we were gonna get caught.”

  The corner of his lips tilts up. “To fuck with you.”

  I narrow my eyes at him and growl.
“That was mean! Asshole.”

  He laughs, showing off his perfect white teeth. “I’m getting revenge for all those years you tortured me with these delicious tits and long, tan legs you always showed off but never let me touch. And now that I know what they feel like against my skin and tongue, don’t expect me to be able to keep my hands off.”

  I can’t even be mad at his little stunt because hearing those words from him—a guy who annoyed me for years but managed to turn what I thought about him around—changes everything. I love that no one knows about us, and we can be completely honest with one another without any outside noise.

  “Not sure I can get used to this charming side of yours…” I lift a brow. “But I kinda adore it.”

  He presses a hand to his chest. “Because I’m fuckin’ adorable.”

  I shake my head. “You’re too much sometimes.”

  “And I’m all yours, baby.”

  Chapter Eleven

  DIESEL

  It’s been two days since Rowan came to my house and we almost got caught by her brother and dad. Luckily, they didn’t ask to come in, and they only talked to me for a few minutes outside, but it was another reminder of how careful we have to be.

  Grabbing Rowan’s arm before she walks past me, I guide her into one of the tack rooms in the horse barn and bring her against my chest.

  “Jesus!” she whisper-hisses. “You’re gonna give me a heart attack one of these days.” She playfully swats at my chest. “Why can’t we sneak around without you scaring the shit outta me every damn time?”

  I cup her face and lower my mouth, brushing my lips against hers. “I like getting your blood pumping.” Waggling my brows, I slide my other hand down her back and squeeze her ass. “Now let me do dirty things to you.”

  Rowan’s eyes widen, pulling away. “What if someone walks in?” she asks as I slowly move her backward until the saddle stand stops her.