by Chloe Lang
The guy shook his head. “Not possible.”
Folding her arms in front of her, she glared at the technician. “Then I guess I’ll have to find someplace else to get my car worked on.”
Sidling up to her was her recent cowboy rescuer—Drake Strong. The man had made her knees wobbly from the moment she’d met him. If she weren’t careful, he would be her biggest obstacle to overcome while in Nevada.
“Charly, that won’t work out. This is the only garage within four counties.” Drake wrapped his arm around her shoulders with a big dose of familiarity, though she’d only met him just an hour ago. A warm ache grew deep inside her. “Harry, surely you could speed things up for this pretty little thing.”
Charly knew she could handle this situation just fine on her own, and she didn’t need Drake Strong’s help. She was about to tell him so when he pulled her in closer. Her mouth remained closed as a tingling grew in her stomach. Male touches were so foreign to her, especially since the trial of the star football player at her university. Still, there was no denying her body was responding like mad to his warm touch. So close, she inhaled his smell—forest and musk. She tried to wiggle free without making a scene, but he held her tight, causing her heartbeat to speed up.
She took a deep breath. “I really need to be on the road by Monday morning.”
Ever since meeting the six-foot-six sexy giant, her nerves had clobbered her insides like a molten sledgehammer. Next to him, she felt tiny, protected, and so very feminine. His cowboy good looks were making it hard for her to concentrate, to stay focused, or to be able to string words together to form a comprehensible sentence.
“Harry, you’ve got to help us out here.” Drake had a square jaw, dark-brown eyes, even darker hair, and muscles that bulged in all the right places. His manly perfection would delight any female onlooker, and Charly was no different.
Sure, she’d seen other men wearing western clothing like his, but back East, it was more costume than anything else. With Drake, it was not fakery. His black cowboy hat, blue T-shirt, worn jeans, and scuffed boots were the perfect combination of attire for him, adding authenticity to his incredible masculine package.
The mechanic shook his head. “Son, I’ve got your Aunt Mary’s Cadillac’s transmission to work on.”
“Great. She will not want to hold up Charly’s car. Move hers ahead of Aunt Mary’s.”
“Hell no. Not without hearing from her or your uncles.” There was a hint of humor in the man’s tone. “Drake, I know you are all family, but I have to get the okay from one of them.”
Drake shrugged and began punching some buttons on his cell. “Aunt Mary won’t need it until after the wedding of her sons to Charly’s cousin anyway. And if Aunt Mary needs a ride before then, one of her three husbands will be happy to take her.”
Husbands? Three of them…
Charly was still reeling from the news about Jessica’s plural marriage to five men. Apparently, her cousin’s future in-laws were just as insane as everyone else around here. It was too much to take in for Charly. But Jessica had seemed really happy when she’d spoken to her on the phone. The three-hour conversation had reconnected her and Jessica. That thrilled Charly. She and Jessica had grown apart, not for any falling out but just the busyness of each of their own lives. There was another factor that played into it, too, though Charly didn’t like to think about that much. She’d always been intrigued and intimidated by the wealth of Jessie’s family.
Charly loved her cousin and had agreed to be in her wedding as a ruse. The real reason she was here in Wilde was to talk some sense into Jessie.
Drake put his cell up to his ear. “Hi, Aunt Mary. I’ve got a pretty little visitor right here. Yes. She is. We’re in Elko. Will you tell Harry that you’re okay with him moving Charly’s car ahead of yours?” The mouthwatering cowboy handed the phone to the mechanic.
“Hello, Mrs. Wilde. Yes. Uh-huh.” The technician closed the hood of her car with one hand and continued holding the cell to his ear with the other. “I sure will. Thank you. Bye.”
Harry handed the phone back to Drake.
“Was I right?” the cowboy she was having wicked thoughts about asked.
“Don’t gloat, Drake.” The mechanic shrugged. “All right. I’ll get on it right now. I’ll have it ready for you by Monday morning.”
“Thank you,” she sighed. “About how much will this cost?”
“Depends, but if it’s the starter…around three hundred.”
Charly gulped. That would leave her with only sixty dollars left to her name, but she didn’t have a choice. “Do it.” A few days and nights in Nevada, and then she’d be on her way to her new life in Malibu.
Drake shook the guy’s hand. “Thanks, Harry. I owe you.”
“Let me in on one of the infamous poker games at Sneaky Pete’s, and we’ll call it even.”
“Done.” Drake turned to Charly, fixing her with his dark gaze. She blinked as desire for the man welled up inside her. “Ready to go to Wilde?”
I will not let hormones and instinct run me over no matter how strong they are. Determined to stay in control, she answered, “As ready as I’ll ever be.”
Chapter Two
Charly snapped, “Seen enough, cowboy?”
She’d been in the sexy man’s truck cab for only six miles of driving, yet he’d brazenly scanned her body at least twelve times, turning her into a total bundle of nerves.
Drake laughed wickedly. “Hell no. I’d like to get a peek at even more of you.” His arm came around her back, even though there were at least two feet between their seats in the truck. “The single women in Wilde are going to be green with envy the minute you show up, Charly.”
She spotted a sign that informed Wilde was only eighteen miles up the road. Good thing. He had a confident possessive intensity that unnerved her. His wicked stares worked to heat her up, and even though a part of her was ready for him to look elsewhere, another part, deeper and more instinctual, enjoyed every lusty leer.
I wonder if he’d back off if I told him that I’m still a virgin? She pushed the thought aside. With all that happened her freshman year of college and the following universal cold shoulder by the male students, she’d forgotten what it felt like to have a man come on to her so strong.
“You’ve got quite the lines, Drake.”
“Every word is the truth, sweetheart. You got a boyfriend back East?”
She shook her head.
“Want one?”
“What? You?” Tingles spread through her body like electricity. “You’re too much.”
“I thought big-city girls all liked cowboys. You don’t?” he asked in a faux-innocent tone.
Her lips curled up. “Never been around one before.”
“Then you’re in for a treat.” He pulled the truck over to the side of the road and stared at her with his big brown eyes. “Get over here.” He patted the middle seat next to him.
“Why?” she asked meekly.
“I want my reward for saving you tonight.”
“What reward?”
“A kiss from those luscious lips of yours.”
She felt her cheeks warm as blood flooded into her face. “How about an IOU?”
His eyebrows shot up, causing her to get dizzy. “Not a chance. Either move over here, or I’ll come over there. Your choice, sweetheart.”
He was only asking for a kiss, and she knew she wanted one, too. The last time she’d been kissed had been in high school. “You did save me.”
“Now you’re talking.”
“And what harm’s a little kiss?”
He smiled and patted the bench seat once again.
Charly unbuckled her seatbelt and scooted over slowly.
“Too slow.” In an instant, Drake pulled her next to him and cupped her chin. “God, your eyes are so blue. Gorgeous.”
His words and touch ignited her passion. “Thank you. I mean it. I appreciate you for—”
His kiss left her s
ilent. Everything inside her went kablooey. His lips pressed firmly against hers, then softened. As his tongue demanded entrance, she parted her lips. He tasted warm and sensual. Her toes curled as the kiss went on and on. New sensations fired inside her one after another. Every cell vibrated and heated. Overwhelmed by it all, her mind suddenly grabbed the old standby thought—don’t trust men, any of them.
She put her hands against his chest and pushed.
Drake frowned but didn’t budge. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” she lied. Why am I like this? He wants me. My body is responding. And what do I do? Push. Push. Push.
“Liar. Someone hurt you really bad, didn’t they?” He tilted his head down.
Instinctively, she snapped, “Are you playing psychologist or mind reader?” Breathe, Charly. Use your head.
“Neither, but I can tell you have some pain and invisible scars that some prick inflicted on you.”
His words unhinged her. “Some, but I’m fine. What woman hasn’t been hurt by a guy?” How could a man she just met see so easily into her?
His large hands stroked her hair, easing her nerves and quieting her mind. “Whatever it is, you’ve carried it for a while.” His easy tone and gentle caresses were hypnotic.
“I guess.”
“Some motherfucker, no doubt.” He cupped her chin and fixed his stare on her, causing her to blink. “I’m not him, Charly.”
She closed her eyes, trying to calm herself. “I know that.”
“Tell me what happened.”
He pulled her even closer, and she melted into his body, leaning her head against his chest. It felt so normal, and she was able to quiet her mind’s resistance to a whisper. Why did she want to tell Drake everything? He was a stranger. Maybe that somehow made it okay. No judgment or preconceptions. A true unbiased ear.
“I don’t want to talk about it,” she lied.
“Okay.” His tone vibrated low and powerful in his chest. “Another time, sweetheart.”
Normally, Charly was in control. She wondered if her fatigue from the long drive had caused her to lose her mental steadiness or was it just being with this cowboy, whose honesty and masculinity had tripped her up?
“You want to go to the hotel now?” he asked.
“Can we just sit here for a bit?” She hoped he would say yes.
“All night if you want, sweetheart.”
“Thank you.”
“No, Charly. Thank you. But you have to know, now that I’ve sampled your lips, I’ve got taste them again.”
Thrilled by being next to Drake, tears rolled down her cheeks. She’d felt so untouchable for so long. Now, an incredibly sexy male desired her—and bad.
His eyebrows shot up. “You’re crying.”
“I’m okay. Just tired, I guess.”
He kissed her forehead, and sparks shot up her spine. “You want me to kiss you again?”
Though against all her rationale, she nodded.
The cowboy who’d rescued her from the side of the road didn’t say another word. Instead he cradled her chin, lifting gently. Then he captured her lips with his. She closed her eyes, losing herself to his mind-blowing kiss. Shivers shot through her body and down to her pussy.
When his hand moved to her breast, she pushed it away in a flash.
“Too fast for you?” he asked.
She shook her head and grabbed his hand and placed it back on her breasts. For the love of God, she wanted this, needed it.
“Pretty adventurous for a city girl.” He pinched her nipple, and everything inside her turned to dizziness and liquid.
His other hand cupped the back of her neck, and he kissed her once again. As his tongue shot into her mouth, his hand on her breast began to knead so softly. No longer did her mind fight against her urges, but instead seemed in harmony with her body, whirling with want.
No cars passed his truck, but she didn’t care, or couldn’t. His kiss demanded all her mental focus. Nothing else mattered. And the more he pressed his lips against hers, the more her body demanded. Her skin was warming, her nerve endings were firing, and her pussy was getting really damp.
Without releasing her lips, he used one hand to unbutton her top. Resistance was impossible.
Her lips were swollen from his never-ending kiss, and she loved every moment of it.
“Mmm,” she moaned into his mouth. Never before had she wanted something so bad.
Slowly, he removed her top and bra. His fingers felt amazing on her bare skin. When his thumb grazed one of her nipples, her clit began to throb and ache. When he pinched both her rosy buds, she felt them peak, sending a spark down her torso that ended in her channel.
And still he kissed her. No one had ever kissed her like that. The more he pressed his lips to hers, the more her dreaminess took hold of her. Wonderfully woozy and filled with want, Charly’s sensual instincts took over. She opened her eyes and saw his brown orbs staring at her.
He released her mouth. “Fuck, you’ve got awesome lips, sweetheart. But I’m ready to taste your breasts, now.”
Though he wasn’t asking, she couldn’t help but nod her approval. For so long, she’d felt unattractive. Tonight, she felt beautiful under this cowboy’s constant gaze.
Drake leaned down and took her right breast in his mouth. Overwhelming sensations poured through her. He worked into a frenzy of desire. Her nipples seemed connected to her clit. All three bits of flesh throbbed and swelled together. She craved to be out of her jeans so that he could touch her aching pussy. But the cowboy didn’t seem in a hurry at all, instead working his magic on her body slowly, heightening her desire to near-painful levels.
“Your tits are the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen,” Drake said, coming up from his meal of her chest.
She sensed he meant it, and that thrilled her.
He grabbed her hand and placed it between his legs. She felt the monstrous cock underneath the denim of his jeans. “What do you think, sweetheart? I’m so hard it’s killing me. You’re way turned on, too, aren’t you?”
She chewed on her lower lip and blinked. His stare never left her eyes, but he still was able to unzip her pants. He pulled them down so slowly it made her tingly all over. Expertly, he stripped her of all her remaining clothing—even her panties.
He sees all of me.
Her heartbeat sped up. His large hands guided her to sprawl out on the seat of his truck. She watched as he stripped out of his clothes. Drake’s muscles could’ve passed for a superhero’s. They bulged in all the right places. Then Charly saw his long, hard cock, and anxiety filled her up. What would he think or do once he realized she was a virgin?
“I need to tell you something.”
“Shh. I have a condom, sweetheart. Don’t worry.” Without fanfare, he sheathed his shaft with the latex.
“B–But...”
He kissed her silent, once again. And the world began to spin as the weight of his powerful body came down on her. One of his hands traced her side, and the other threaded through her hair.
“You do want this, Charly, don’t you?”
“Yes,” she answered meekly.
When the kiss ended, he whispered wickedly, “Just be in the moment. You and me. This is our moment. Nothing else matters right now.”
Before she could say another word, she felt his dick slide against her pussy’s folds, and it sent her to the moon. Sensations rocketed through her body. She wanted this, needed this. This was the moment to experience finally having a man’s cock inside her pussy. Her fear of the unknown was still there deep inside her, but the overwhelming flood of desires that Drake had awakened kept her anxiety at bay.
“Before I get inside your body, I want to taste your pretty little cunt.”
How the tall cowboy was able to reposition himself in the cab of the truck so that his mouth was next to her pussy, Charly had no idea. But thankfully he did. His hot breath skated over her sensitive skin, and her clit throbbed even more.
“Go
rgeous,” he said quietly.
Then she felt his tongue dart through her swollen folds, and her back arched off the seat. His fingers joined in the invasion of her pussy, threading through every inch. She felt damp and totally dizzy. The more he lapped against her flesh, the more she lost herself to her urges. He pushed her legs apart even more, and then his licks became even more mind blowing.
“You okay, sweetheart?”
She nodded, craving like mad to be filled up with his cock. So many times she’d tried to masturbate, but never had she succeeded in reaching a climax. Would she actually orgasm now, since it was her first time? She wasn’t sure but didn’t care either, since overwhelming passion was pushing her forward.
Drake crawled up her body until his dick was pressing on her mound and clit. He stared at her, and his lips curled up.
Gazing into his brown eyes, Charly saw something that thrilled her. Drake was completely focused on her and her pleasure. She needed him inside her, and soon. But this wasn’t fair. He had a right to know.
“I’m a virgin, Drake.”
He blinked but didn’t speak.
Her body began to shake. “I’m not kidding. If you don’t want to go through with this, I’ll understand.”
He studied her, clearly confused by her confession.
“I’m such a freak.” She put her hands up to her eyes.
He took her wrists and moved her hands free of her face. “Shh, sweetheart. It’s okay.”
“I know you didn’t expect that, but I am. It’s crazy, I know.” She choked out, “Twenty-five years old.”
He kissed her again, and she felt a flood of tears stream from her eyes down her cheeks.
When the kiss ended, he said softly, “If you’ll let me, Charly, I’d love to be your first.”
“You’re not put off by me being such an old virgin?”
“Not at all. I want you more than you can imagine, but you have to tell me if you want me to continue or not. Sure, I’d like to make love to you, but if you’re not ready, this can end right now.”