Marrying the Cowboy

by Trish Milburn

  He didn’t realize she was awake until she started kissing his neck. When her hand drifted down to encircle him, he went rock hard.

  “Don’t,” he somehow found the willpower to say.

  “Why not?”

  “Because I need to get back to my room before Verona wakes up.”

  Her tongue ran over his right nipple. “We still have time.”

  “You’re killing me.”

  Elissa pushed him onto his back and rolled atop him. “I seriously doubt that.”

  It was all he could do not to cry out when she took him inside her. When she began to rock her hips, he was a goner. Even if Verona found out, there was no way he could leave Elissa now, not when her body was making his come alive. He ran his hands up her ribs to her breasts.

  “You’re so beautiful,” he said.

  He couldn’t tell for sure in the dim light, but he thought his words surprised her. How could they? She had to know how beautiful she was. After all, she never lacked for male companionship and she’d once been the Belle of Blue Falls beauty queen.

  She leaned down to kiss him, and he felt so much emotion in that kiss that it gave his heart a kick. It was on the tip of his tongue to tell her he loved her, and that shocked him probably as much as it would her. But he kept it inside, not willing to scare her off. Having her in his arms like this was the best moment of his life, and he wasn’t going to part with it willingly.

  He lifted himself to a sitting position, bringing her with him. She wrapped her legs around his hips, a movement that nearly had him coming apart before he wanted to. Needing to taste more of her, he captured one of her breasts in his mouth. When Elissa threw her head back and rocked against him, he knew he’d never seen anything more beautiful in his life.

  Pete gripped her hips as she rode him until he almost couldn’t see straight. After he came, she continued to move for a few more seconds until her entire body stiffened with her own release.

  Elissa felt as limp as a noodle as he fell back. She lay on his chest, her naked breasts pressed against him. The entire world outside her room could go up in flames and he was afraid he wouldn’t care as long as he could hold her like this.

  But he wanted to protect her, too, and that meant not letting Verona know what was going on until Elissa was ready. As much as he hated to, he shifted away from her. He half expected her to try to stop him, but this time she didn’t. Instead, she openly watched him as he slipped out of bed and got dressed.

  “You looked nice all dressed up last night,” she said. “And you’re sexy as hell when you’re wearing your typical cowboy clothes. You even do nice things for that uniform of yours. But I have to say you look best wearing nothing at all.”

  He smiled. “So are you saying I should walk around Blue Falls naked?”

  “Only if you want to cause wrecks and give little old ladies strokes.”

  He laughed before bending down to give her a long, deep kiss that he hoped had her thinking about him all day. How he was going to get through his morning shift, he had no idea.

  “Talk to you later, okay?” he said.

  She nodded and then gave him another quick peck before he headed for the door.

  He listened for a moment before opening the door as quietly as he could. Mentally crossing his fingers that Verona wasn’t awake, he eased open the door to the guest room and stepped inside.

  Even though he’d had more sex in the past eight hours than he had in, well, a very long time, he already wanted Elissa again. He had no idea how he could suddenly crave someone who’d been his friend half of his life, but there was no denying it. And he was already counting down the hours until he could be with her again.

  He only hoped that she felt the same way, that he didn’t go the way of so many other guys she’d dated. He was going to do everything in his power to ensure that Elissa didn’t feel the need to seek male company elsewhere. And that meant, oddly enough, getting out of this house and into his own place, somewhere neither one of them would have to hold back the next time they fell into bed with each other. So as soon as he finished his shift, he was going to see Skyler and convince her that he needed that apartment now.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Elissa lost count of how many times she had to refocus her attention on work. Her thoughts kept going back to the night she’d spent with Pete, how it almost seemed like the hottest, most erotic dream she’d ever had. She still couldn’t believe how Pete had begun things with her, how many times they’d made love, how very, very good he was at all of it. Her friend had been hiding a sex god underneath that uniform and cowboy hat. And she had the overwhelming desire to keep that knowledge to herself, to make sure she was the only one who ever saw that side of him.

  Despite all the work she had to do pricing the new stock, updating her computer system and periodically checking on the construction progress at the front of the building, the day seemed to drag by. She’d fantasized about dozens of ways they could be together again without Verona knowing. She just wasn’t ready to face her aunt’s “I told you so,” especially since she had no idea what the future held for them. For right now, she just wanted to focus on the moment and worry about the future later.

  “Hey, looks like the new construction is coming along pretty well.”

  Elissa looked up from her desk to see India standing in the doorway. “Yeah. Brett added a couple of guys to the crew to get it done faster.”

  India sauntered into the room and sat on the edge of the desk. “Probably thinks that’ll help his chances of going out with you again.”

  Elissa shrugged. “Can’t help what people assume.”

  “You really should tell him you’re off the market.”

  “Why do you say that?” Elissa was afraid she already knew the answer.

  India pointed at Elissa and made a circular motion toward her head. “Because you have that I-had-sex-last-night face.”

  Elissa sat back and let her head drop against the back of the chair. She cursed under her breath. If India could tell, then the moment Verona saw Elissa she was going to be making wedding plans.

  “I knew it!”

  Elissa looked toward the door. “Keep it down, would ya?”

  “I can’t help it. I’m just so excited.”

  “Why?”

  “Well, gee, I can’t imagine. Oh, maybe it’s because two of my best friends have found out they’re perfect for each other.”

  “You never said anything about me and Pete before.”

  “I didn’t know either of you was interested in the other.”

  “We weren’t.” She hesitated a moment. “How is that even possible, being friends one moment and then wanting to jump his bones the next?”

  India’s smile widened. “Good, huh?”

  Elissa thought about how she’d told herself she wanted to keep what she and Pete had shared secret, but she couldn’t stand it a moment longer. She had to talk to someone. “Unbelievable. I’ve barely been able to think about anything else all day.”

  India shook her head. “You are seriously messing with my worldview. Sweet Pete Kayne is a hottie in bed.”

  “In bed, out of bed, he’s just a hottie, period.”

  “So, what now?”

  Elissa leaned forward onto the top of her desk. “I don’t know. To be honest, I’m afraid of looking too far ahead. This could just be a fling that’s burning hot and will flame out soon.”

  “You don’t really think that.” India sounded so certain that Elissa met her friend’s gaze.

  “I’m afraid of saying it out loud, afraid of jinxing it, but no. This feels...different somehow.”

  “Like you’re all jittery inside, like you’re dying of thirst and Pete is the only water in the world?”

  “Yeah.”

 
India placed her hand atop Elissa’s. “Hon, you’re falling in love.”

  “But I’m not the falling-in-love type. Everyone knows that.”

  “Maybe you were never serious with anyone because it wasn’t the right person.”

  “But Pete’s always been there. Why now?”

  India shrugged. “Right timing? One of the great mysteries of the universe? Who knows? But don’t analyze it to death. If it feels right, it probably is.”

  “But how do I know for sure? I don’t want to hurt him.”

  “Don’t give what Skyler said another thought. Besides, she can see the difference in you, too. The old Elissa would be taking advantage of that good-looking man working on your building. But no, you’re in here daydreaming about someone else. When was the last time you did that?”

  Never.

  “Exactly,” India said, as if she’d heard the word in Elissa’s head. “Take my advice, and don’t overthink it.”

  That was easier said than done, proven by the fact that Elissa was completely useless after India left. She alternated thinking about making love to Pete again and worrying that if things fizzled between them there was no way to salvage their friendship. Not after what they’d done the night before. She wasn’t even sure that she wouldn’t die of embarrassment the moment she saw him face-to-face again.

  As the sun began to set, she heard footsteps coming toward her office. Her heart rate increased until she realized the sound was work boots and not cowboy boots like the ones Pete wore. In the next moment, Brett appeared in her doorway.

  “We’re packing it in for the night.”

  “Okay, thanks for all the work today. It’s already looking a lot better.”

  “We aim to please.” With a smile, he walked away.

  Elissa stared at the empty doorway. It was the first time Brett hadn’t tried to flirt with her, and she wondered if he could tell the same thing that India had. Wow, when had she become so transparent?

  With the work crew leaving for the day, she was free to go home, as well. She shut down her computer and made sure the building was secure before walking out into the parking lot. She stopped in her tracks when she spotted Pete standing next to her SUV with a bouquet of flowers in his hand.

  Feeling giddier than she ever had over a high school crush, she smiled and crossed the distance between them. “I didn’t expect to see you out here.”

  “Were you expecting someone else?”

  “Oh, you caught me. My supersecret boyfriend was supposed to pick me up for a hot night on the town.”

  Pete pulled her close. “Is that right? Well, I just might have to arrest this boyfriend and introduce him to one of our county’s finest jail cells.”

  “I thought you all had a full house.”

  “As luck would have it, we happen to have a couple of vacancies.”

  “Well, I can’t be seen dating a jailbird, now, can I?”

  “How do you feel about a lawman?”

  “Depends.”

  “On?”

  “On how soon he stops talking and kisses me.”

  Pete’s smile melted her heart just before his mouth captured hers in a kiss hot enough to rival the Texas heat. What India had said about being thirsty and Pete being the only water ran through Elissa’s head, and that’s exactly how she felt with Pete’s arms around her and his mouth doing things to hers that made her brain go on the fritz.

  Eventually, Pete stepped back and offered her the flowers.

  “How am I supposed to explain these to Verona?”

  When her eyes met Pete’s, there was something there looking back at her, some emotion she couldn’t quite name, before it disappeared in the next moment.

  “Maybe you could keep them somewhere else.”

  “I guess I could put them in my office.”

  “I have another idea.” He took her hand in his and led her toward his truck.

  “Where are we going?”

  “It’s a surprise.”

  Willing to go along for the ride, she slid into the passenger seat. When he made the turn into the parking lot for the Wildflower Inn, she thought maybe they were going to dinner there. But as he led her toward the building, he didn’t head for the front door. Rather, he took the path that led to the exterior door to Skyler’s old apartment.

  “What’s going on?”

  He didn’t answer. Instead, he slipped a key into the lock and opened the door for her. She gave him a curious look before she stepped inside. Just when she thought Pete couldn’t surprise her any more, he did exactly that.

  The dining room table had two covered dishes, lit candles and an empty vase the perfect size for her multicolored bouquet. Soft music played in the background.

  “Skyler lent you her apartment?”

  “No, it’s my apartment now.”

  That surprised her so much that she spun toward him. “You moved out?”

  He stepped close to her and caressed her cheek. “I took a leap of faith that I might be needing more privacy.”

  “Oh.” An uncharacteristic flush of heat flowed up her neck to her face.

  “Was I wrong?”

  Her thoughts went back to the previous night and how she’d been unable to stop replaying their lovemaking in her mind all day. “No, you weren’t.”

  He kissed her softly before taking her hand and leading her toward the table. “We better eat before it gets cold.”

  But food wasn’t exactly what Elissa was hungry for at the moment. She stopped walking and tugged back on Pete’s hand. At his questioning look, she said, “That’s what microwaves are for.”

  Desire flickered in his eyes. “Then I guess I’m lucky that Skyler left her old one here.” He ran his fingertips up her bare arm, sending delicious shivers along her skin. “What did you have in mind?”

  Instead of telling him, she started walking backward, towing him toward the bedroom. When they stood next to the bed, she wasted no time ridding him of his clothing, tossing his Stetson halfway across the room. He got caught up in her urgency and helped her out of hers. When they fell back on the bed, she was more than ready for him as he drove his way home.

  They’d taken their time and kept as quiet as possible the night before, but tonight was different. Their lovemaking was fast and frenzied, and she felt her climax building within moments of them beginning. A rush of excitement went through her. Slow, thorough lovemaking was a wonderful thing, but this, this had its merits, as well.

  Pete cupped her hips and increased his pace. His breath was hot and heavy near her ear. “Don’t hold back.”

  And she didn’t. She let herself go, meeting his thrusts and moaning in pleasure. When she found her completion, she cried out his name, asking him to keep her pleasure going as long as possible. So he did, until he finally climaxed, too.

  Pete collapsed beside her. “I really think you’ve killed me this time.”

  “Not a bad way to go, huh?”

  He laughed and kissed her. Lying with him like this, naked and spent, was the most wonderful feeling in the world. She just wished she could kick the feeling that it wasn’t going to last.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing.”

  “You’re lying.” Pete rubbed a finger over her forehead. “You get creases here when you’re concerned about something.”

  “I’d rather not say.” Because the last thing she ever wanted to be was a clingy female. That wasn’t her, no matter how much the desire to hang on to Pete with all her strength might say otherwise.

  He skimmed her lips with his fingertip. “We’re fine, Lis.”

  She hoped he was right.

  After a lovely dinner and another round of lovemaking, Pete held her hand as he led her out to his truck. But instead of taking he
r back to her vehicle, he drove in the opposite direction.

  “Where are we going?”

  “To see a friend.”

  That friend ended up being Frankie. “Hey, boy,” Pete said as they entered the barn. “Did you miss me?”

  Elissa would swear from the look in Frankie’s eyes that he understood Pete and would have said yes if he could talk. She stepped up next to Pete and rubbed her hand along Frankie’s smooth neck.

  “Want to go for a ride?” Pete asked.

  “I think I already did that.”

  Pete laughed. “Naughty girl.”

  She smiled up at him. “I try.”

  He dropped a quick kiss on her lips before saddling Frankie and leading him from his stall. Frankie nearly pranced with excitement. Pete scratched the horse between the ears. “I haven’t had time to ride as much since the tornado. Ol’ boy’s feeling neglected.”

  “Well, we can’t have that.” Elissa let Frankie sniff her hand.

  Pete helped her onto Frankie’s back, then swung up behind her before guiding Frankie out of the barn and toward the trail that ran around the edge of Glory’s property.

  It was a clear night, and out here away from the lights of town the sky stretched out like a star-studded black canvas. Elissa had visited some of the most awe-inspiring places in the world, but she couldn’t imagine being anywhere else at the moment. This slice of Texas was home, but what was beginning to feel more like home was the man behind her. She closed her eyes and breathed in the night air, listened to the clop of Frankie’s hooves against the ground, relished the feel of Pete’s arms and legs around her.

  “You’re awfully quiet,” he said near her ear.

  “Just enjoying myself.”

  “Me, too.” He kissed her lightly next to her ear and fell back into silence.

  They didn’t say much on the ride, just enjoyed the peace and quiet, simply being in each other’s company. After Pete guided Frankie back to the barn, Elissa wandered outside to wait for Pete. Happiness welled up inside her so much that it scared her a little. She pushed the concern aside as Pete came out of the barn and took her hand as they walked toward his truck. The only time he let go was when he had to walk around to get in the driver’s side.