Marriage-Minded Cowboy

by Vicki Lewis Thompson, Stephanie Bond

  “But I—”

  “You have to set the record straight ASAP. Or next thing you know she’ll book a flight and throw me a bridal shower.”

  “She’d probably drive.”

  “I don’t give a hoot if she shows up on the back of an elephant! Call her and stop the crazy train!”

  “Okay.” He pulled out his phone. Then he shoved it back in his pocket. “But first I have something to say.”

  “You have something to say? Buster, I have an entire speech on the tip of my tongue. But I’m holding my fire until after you make that call.” She crossed her arms.

  “Val, hear me out. Please.”

  She met his gaze. That intense look of his still got to her. She’d been avoiding direct eye contact ever since he’d walked through the door. But his heartfelt please had coaxed her into turning her head and there it was — her kryptonite. “Talk.”

  “I’m not the same guy I was back in June.”

  No, you’re even sexier. “Funny, but you look a lot like him. Same hat, same boots.” Same muscles that make me want to give you a long, slow chest massage.

  “I got caught up in marriage mania. Seemed like every five minutes somebody at the Buckskin was getting engaged.”

  “I wouldn’t know.”

  “Take my word for it. I’ve been hanging with that bunch for years. Nobody was talking about getting married. Then boom, everyone was into it. I let myself get swept up in their deal. Thank you for slapping some sense into me.”

  “I did not slap you, although I was tempted.”

  “You probably should have after I hounded you to see things my way. And in the process, I ruined a good thing.” His voice grew husky. “A very good thing.”

  A shiver ran up her spine. He used to have that same throaty murmur after they’d had sex. Fantastic sex. “And your point is?”

  “My mom wants to meet you. If you’d pretend to be my fiancée when she’s here, she’ll drop the idea of moving in with me.”

  “That’s a lot to ask. I don’t see why I should—”

  “Did you like having sex with me?”

  Heat rose to her face. And settled lower, too. “I — uh — suppose I—”

  “Never mind.” He smiled. “I know the answer.”

  “That was never the problem. The problem was—”

  “Me getting serious. I’m aware. And I’m suggesting a reboot. A do-over. Sex without strings.”

  She took a shaky breath. “You’re not capable of that.”

  “What if I give you my word? Ask anybody who knows me. My word is solid.”

  Oh, boy. She’d experienced first-hand how solid he could be. How hot. How creative…

  “You’re thinking about it.”

  “Am not.”

  “Are so. Your eyes just went dark green. That’s a tell.”

  “Just because I’m thinking about it doesn’t mean I have any intention of—”

  “Why not? Isn’t that what you’re looking for? A carefree romp with a guy who won’t get mushy?”

  Her stupid heart was pounding at the prospect. What was the hitch? “I thought you wanted your mom to believe we’re engaged.”

  “I do.”

  “Engaged people say mushy things to each other. Zeke and Nell do it all the time.”

  “What I say in public will just be part of the charade. What I say in private is what counts. I doubt I’ll be saying much at all. I’ll be too busy making you—”

  “Stop it.” She whirled away from him as a fresh wave of heat flowed through her. “No fair.”

  “Val, there’s no downside to this.” His voice was like velvet. “You can test me during my mom’s visit. If I fail the test, which I won’t, just walk away. Except I’d appreciate it if you stick with the program until she leaves. Once she does, disaster averted. She won’t be looking to move once the school year starts.”

  Dear God, she was weakening. She turned back to him. “She’ll want to hear about our wedding plans.”

  “I told her you needed two months to decide before you accepted my proposal, so—”

  “She doesn’t know our history?”

  “No, which turns out to be a good thing. Anyway, she thinks you live with me so you’d need to move in. We both know what will happen if we’re alone in that house overnight, so why not enjoy ourselves?”

  Her body said yes while her head said are you an idiot? “Two months ago you wanted to marry me. Now you want a pretend engagement. You’ll sink into marriage mode in no time.”

  “Exactly the opposite. After what happened in June, there’s no way I’ll go there. But I sure miss what we had together. It was good, Val. Really good.” That slow smile turned her inside out.

  “I never denied that, but—”

  “Then give me another shot.”

  “What about our supposed wedding plans?”

  “A long engagement makes sense after you took two months to decide. She knows you’re cautious about this.”

  “She’d be right.”

  “If I tell her not to pester us to name a date, she won’t.”

  “Is there an end game?”

  He shrugged. “We’re not committing to anything. Eventually it could just fizzle out on its own.”

  “Maybe.” More likely it would blow up like last time. He wasn’t a fizzle out kind of guy.

  “Meanwhile, I’ll have breathing room, time to gently coax my mom to stop worrying about my future.”

  There had to be a catch. She’d better locate it before he seduced her into going along with this nonsense. If he invited her into the bedroom he’d make his case for sure.

  “Anyway, that’s my pitch. Take some time to think about it.”

  “Really?” She blinked. Why hadn’t he pressed his advantage?

  “Yes, ma’am. Seems only right.”

  “But what if your mom—”

  “She won’t head over here until I say the word.” He put on his hat and tugged the brim low over his eyes. “But if you could let me know before the riding lesson tomorrow, that would be helpful.”

  Her breath caught. He’d never looked more manly, his hat pulled low to shade his eyes and his scruff giving him an edginess that dampened her panties. She clenched her fists to keep from grabbing him and hauling him to bed.

  She cleared her throat. “I’ll contact you before then.”

  “Thanks.” Touching two fingers to the brim of his hat, he walked out the door without looking back.

  Whew. The Teague who’d proposed in June was not the Teague who’d just left. She wanted this one. She wanted him bad.

  Chapter Three

  By riding into the sunset when Val clearly wanted a kiss and possibly more than a kiss, Teague acted on instincts he’d never used. His previous approach to women had been uncomplicated. He’d worn his heart on his sleeve.

  But that behavior had netted him a painful rejection back in June. Time to change tactics. Had he intrigued her? Or had he given her an opening to scamper away? Who knew? But he couldn’t do much worse than he had in June. Now he was in wait-and-see mode.

  Back at his place, he made himself some dinner, cleaned up the dishes and carried another bottle of cider out to the porch. A few stars had popped out in the navy sky. Should he fetch his harmonica?

  Nah. He was too agitated to do that instrument justice tonight. Boots propped on the railing, he glanced up at the lighted windows of the big house on the hill.

  His boss — Edna Jane Vidal, better known as Ed — could be entertaining some of the Babes on Buckskins, a competitive barrel racing group. Henri Fox, owner of the Buckskin Ranch and a member of the Babes, was his connection with the Buckskin Brotherhood. Best buddies a guy could have.

  His claim to Val, that he’d been caught up in the recent marriage frenzy gripping the Brotherhood, had a smidgen of truth to it. But he’d fallen hard for that woman and his devotion had only deepened over the summer. His feelings went beyond any copycat behavior.

  Did she
suspect? He’d done his best to hide his feelings tonight. If she agreed to his plan, he’d continue that trajectory. Wouldn’t be easy, but if it prevented his mom from becoming his roommate—

  Headlights. Probably someone going to see Ed. Or not. The headlights passed the big house and made the turn toward his cabin. His chest tightened. The distinctive sound of a V-6, the motor in Val’s little pickup, kicked his pulse into high gear.

  He set his half-full bottle on the porch floor and swung his booted feet off the railing. She wouldn’t have driven out here to tell him she wasn’t interested. His heart pumped faster as he descended the steps.

  Slow down, boy. He planted his feet at the bottom of the steps. Rushing over to open her door and help her out would send the wrong message.

  The arousing beat of Luke Bryan’s Country Girl poured out the open window of her cab as she drove in, headlights on high beam pointed right at him. He tugged his hat down to block the glare as she braked about five yards away.

  Leaving the lights and the music on, she climbed out, her body moving to the rhythm. When she stepped into the spotlight, the breath left his lungs. She danced toward him wearing a filmy red dress. And nothing underneath.

  He began to shake and sweat. His cock thickened as she wiggled her hips and spread her arms to add a shimmy to the mix. She was coming for him.

  About four feet away, she continued to tempt him with her sexy dance as she gave him a once-over, her gaze lingering on his fly. A slow smile spread over her rosy lips. “Want some of this, cowboy?”

  “Yes, ma’am.” His voice rasped. “I surely do.”

  “Tell you what.” She ran her tongue over her lips. “I’ll go inside and make myself comfy while you tend to my truck. Then you can come tend to me.”

  “Got it.”

  She swirled past him, the scent of her perfume mingling with the aroma of hot woman. Clearly this maneuver had turned her on, too.

  Ignoring the pain in his crotch, he crossed quickly to the pickup and cut the engine and lights. Luke Bryan’s song stayed in his head as he shoved the truck door closed and hobbled back to the house.

  The living room was dark, the way he’d left it, but light spilling from his bedroom doorway was enough to see the boots she’d left by the door and the red dress tossed over the back of the couch.

  He sent his hat sailing in the same direction and pulled his T-shirt over his head while nudging off his boots. By the time he reached the bedroom, he’d unbuckled and unzipped.

  She’d tossed the covers back and piled the pillows against the headboard. Lounging against them in all her naked glory, she inspired a surge of lust so strong he almost came. “I take it we have a deal?”

  “Depends.” She held his gaze. “How do you like the tone I’ve set tonight?”

  “I like it fine.”

  “Think you can maintain it?”

  “Oh, yeah.”

  “Then take off those Wranglers, cowboy. Let’s get this par—” Her breath hitched. “Oh, my. I’d forgotten how well-endowed you are.”

  He kicked away his jeans and walked toward the bed. “Then allow me to refresh your memory.”

  “I do believe I will.” She scooted over to make room. “Bring that bad boy down here. I’d like to—”

  “Not this time.” He yanked open the bedside drawer. Still a few little raincoats left in there. He’d replenish the supply tomorrow. “After that dance routine, I have business to transact with you, lady.” He ripped open the package and rolled on the condom.

  “Are you taking charge?”

  “Yes, ma’am.” Climbing into bed, he straddled her, cupped her face in both hands and kissed those saucy lips until she began to moan and dig her fingers into his backside.

  He lifted his mouth a fraction from hers. “Slide that sweet tush down so I can get some traction.”

  She wiggled into position and he moved between her thighs, his brain a lava field, his groin so taut he feared an instant explosion. Centering his cock, he drove deep, just in case he lost control.

  He didn’t, but she did, arching upward and yelling his name. He milked the moment, thrusting fast and treating her to another orgasm before he ran out of room and surrendered to an epic climax. He made noise. Lots of it.

  When the roaring in his ears eased up, he opened his eyes and checked to see how she was doing. Pretty good, judging from her pink cheeks and sparkling eyes. God, she was beautiful.

  Couldn’t say that, though. He cleared his throat. “Was that the tone you were looking for?”

  “Sure was.” Her voice was breathy. “Did you have fun?”

  “Big fun.”

  “Excellent. Now let me up, please. I’m going home.”

  “Home?” True, she hadn’t asked him to fetch her overnight bag when he switched off the truck. But they’d only had a taste just now. He’d assumed she’d stay and—

  “You said you wanted a reboot. That’s what tonight was all about, making sure we’re on the same page. And in all honesty, after our conversation tonight, I was a wee bit… frustrated.”

  “Better now?”

  “Much. Thank you.”

  “There’s more where that came from.”

  “Don’t I know it. I remember your amazing stamina. But seriously, I should go home. We’ve established ground rules and we’ve had an excellent reboot. I feel more confident this could work, but let’s not push our luck.”

  Let’s do. But she had a point. If they made love again so soon he might accidentally say something that would wreck the whole program. He was still learning the ropes. “You’re right.” He gave her a quick kiss and left the bed. “But don’t leave until I have a chance to pull on my pants.”

  “I won’t.”

  Damn, he really didn’t want her to leave. But he couldn’t let on. He washed up as quickly as possible and returned to the bedroom. She wasn’t there. “Val?”

  “Out on the porch.”

  He tugged on his briefs and jeans before walking barefoot through the darkened living room. Her boots and dress were no longer there and the porch light was off.

  He stepped through the open door. She was waiting for him in the shadows, her hips propped against the railing as she faced him. A cool breeze brushed his sweaty chest and he shivered.

  Don’t go. He swallowed the words. “We need a plan.”

  “I figured. Let’s start with this. Can we ditch the engagement ring routine?”

  “I guess. But I don’t know how—”

  “We could tell your mom we’re having it custom made.”

  “Sure. That works.”

  “In fact, let’s say we’ve only told a few close friends and we’re waiting until the ring is finished before going public.”

  He nodded. “And if she asks about this mythical ring, we can have the mythical designer run into glitches.”

  “You’ve got the idea.” She hesitated. “Please tell me you don’t have one tucked away. From before.”

  “No, ma’am. I might have been stupid to propose so quick, but I wasn’t completely clueless. I knew you’d want to help choose it. I mean, if you’d said yes.”

  “Which I would. If I’d said yes.”

  Ouch. This conversation wasn’t nearly as much fun as they’d had back in the bedroom.

  She cleared her throat. “How soon will your mom show up?”

  “If I give her the word tomorrow, she’ll be here by Wednesday afternoon at the latest.” Meeting her gaze, he curbed the urge to move within touching distance. Seemed wiser to avoid body contact when he still craved her.

  “When do you want me to bring some of my stuff over?”

  “Your choice.”

  “I’ll do it Tuesday night, then.”

  “Not tomorrow night?” Watch the hopeful tone, buddy.

  “Monday nights I have a standing date with Nell. It’s our girl time now that she’s living at the ranch instead of a few blocks away. I plan to fill her in on this development.”

  “Un
derstood. I’ll contact Zeke tomorrow and have him pass the word to the Buckskin gang.”

  “But not Claire.”

  “Right. Not Claire.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I hadn’t thought about her and her three friends. Can we keep them out of this?”

  “We have to try. We only have two lessons and the performance on Saturday. What if you tell your mom that we haven’t mentioned the engagement to the kids because they’d get excited and it would distract them from doing their best on Saturday?”

  “She might buy that.”

  “I think she will. She’s a teacher. We’re all about keeping our students focused.”

  “I’ll ask Ed to reinforce that idea from a riding teacher’s perspective. Mom will be staying up at the house with her.”

  “They get along?”

  “Like a house afire. Ed looks forward to her visits.”

  “Will Ed be upset that we’re fooling her with this fake engagement?”

  “I don’t think so. She’s fond of my mother, but she’ll be on my side.”

  “What about the Buckskin gang?”

  “I doubt anyone will have a problem with it.”

  She gazed at him in silence for a moment. “Is that because they’ll expect a fake engagement will lead to—”

  “Maybe.” No maybe about it. They’d love this plan.

  More silence. “Tell me the truth. Do you expect the same thing?”

  Careful, dude. “I have no expectations. Well, except for lots of time in bed with you.”

  “To soften me up?”

  “I gave you my word. No mushy declarations of love, no veiled references to a happily-ever-after.”

  “I’ll believe it when I see it.”

  “You can still back out.” He held his breath.

  “I don’t want to.”

  He exhaled. “Why not?”

  “Two reasons. Making love with you is amazing.”

  Making love. He probably shouldn’t put too much stock in her use of that phrase, but he liked hearing it. “What else?”

  “I’m curious as to whether you can actually do this. If you can’t, oh, well. But if you can, then we could have a very good time for… however long it lasts.”