Cowboy Most Wanted (Copper Creek Book 1)

by Stina Lindenblatt

  “She deserves a lot better than what Deacon’s father gave her. Both she and Deacon deserve a lot better. The question is, do you want Violet and Deacon in your life? Or are you going to be that much of a coward and let her walk away?”

  “Are you telling me that she loves me?” Because things would be simpler if I knew how Violet feels about me.

  Aubrey peers into her coffee cup and swirls the contents, as if she’s about to tell me my fortune. “To be honest, I’m not sure if she has even admitted it to herself yet. After what her ex did, she’s afraid to let anyone in that way again.”

  “So you want me to throw myself out there and tell her, even though she might not feel the same way about me?” That doesn’t seem quite right.

  That gets an exaggerated eye roll from Aubrey. “God, you really are an idiot, TJ. That’s what love is all about. It’s about taking risks with your heart.”

  I smirk. “Says the woman who’s sworn off falling in love.”

  She returns my smirk with her own. “My sentiments on falling in love have nothing to do with my best friend.”

  “You’re forgetting about her great job in LA.”

  “Have you even talked to her about it?” Aubrey pops a piece of scone into her mouth.

  “You’re also forgetting the reality show and Austin. Austin will never let me be with his sister. And if I even look at Violet the wrong way and the producer suspects something is going on between us, I could be slapped with a lawsuit.”

  Aubrey leans forward in her chair, elbows on the table. “I think it’s time you discuss all of this with Violet. And do it before she leaves Copper Creek.”

  “But if the show’s producer finds out, it could damage Violet’s career.” And she and Austin will never forgive me if that happens.

  “Then you need to figure a way to tell her the truth, without anyone discovering what you’re up to.”

  Fuck. And how the hell am I supposed to do that?

  26

  When was the last time I sneaked into a girl’s room late at night? Try sometime in never. It’s suicidal to do it and assume you won’t get caught.

  Yet here I am—doing exactly that.

  “Why are you in the tree?” Violet asks in a loud whisper from Aubrey’s open guest room window.

  And my heart almost leaps from my chest. Not because I’m afraid of falling from the tree and not because she spooked me. It’s from the need to have Violet in my arms and to tell her how much I love her. It’s from the need to bare my soul to the woman currently leaning out of the window.

  “Why do you think I’m in it?” I pull myself up with the next branch. Now I just have to hope the neighbors don’t see me and call the cops—and more specifically, Austin.

  Yes, this is my great plan to talk to the woman I love. Only I hadn’t anticipated the tree to be so damn tough to climb…especially with my sore knee. Whoever lived in this house before Aubrey never had to worry about their teenagers escaping at night by way of this tree.

  “I don’t know. Maybe to hang out with the squirrels?” she says. “Are you sure you should be doing that? It’s not like you’re seventeen anymore.”

  “Are you insinuating I’m old?” I might not exactly be old, but damn, right now I feel as though I am. Tree climbing is a lot easier when you’re younger.

  And in a different tree.

  “Why didn’t you just come in the back door?” Violet asks.

  “Because Aubrey told me to climb the tree,” I huff. That, and because I had no idea if the back door was unlocked.

  Violet laughs. “I don’t know about you, but I’d rather you didn’t die. So get out of the tree and come in through the door like a normal person.”

  I gauge the distance between me and the ground versus between me and the window. And then factor in the difficulty rating when it comes to climbing into the window from the tree.

  Apparently, Aubrey isn’t helping me talk to Violet; she’s hoping to kill me off.

  If I were the same seventeen-year-old who frequently scaled the tree outside his bedroom window, I would have scoffed at the odds of falling and breaking every bone in my body.

  But somewhere between then and my thirtieth birthday, common sense kicked in. I start my slow descent.

  I climb down until there are only a few feet between the ground and me, and then I jump. My knee doesn’t even bitch about the rough landing. It’s just relieved I’m finally out of the tree.

  I try the back door. The handle twists easily in my hand, and I make a mental note to get revenge on Aubrey for my near demise.

  Except, if I’m being fair, without Aubrey, I wouldn’t have this chance to tell Violet that I love her.

  Yes, I know that telling her how I feel about her won’t change anything. She’s leaving Copper Creek in two days either way. But at least I will have told her the truth. And once she leaves, we can go back to our neat little lives of denial, where we pretend I never said those three words.

  Violet isn’t downstairs waiting for me. I head upstairs to the guest room where I had planned for my dramatic entrance. That had been Aubrey’s suggestion.

  The grand romantic gesture.

  If I hadn’t died first.

  A soft light glows from under the door at the end of the hallway. I push the door open and enter. Violet is pacing across the floor, wringing her hands.

  “Hey,” I say.

  She startles but quickly recovers. “Aubrey said you need to talk to me. Alone.”

  Remind me to send Aubrey a big box of chocolates.

  I walk farther into the room and my palms go sweaty, my chest tightens, and the fluttering sensation of a jar full of butterflies takes up residence in my stomach.

  I lick my suddenly dry lips. “I didn’t know Natalie was following me yesterday when I went to the river. My knee was sore from the calf roping. So I figured the cold water would ease the pain. I didn’t realize Natalie had followed me, not until it was too late.”

  Now I have to just hope no one witnessed my great escape this time and track me down here.

  “If that’s true, why were her naked breasts pressed against your chest?”

  “You’ve seen what happens every time she kisses me in front of the camera, right?”

  The corners of Violet’s mouth twitch up. “My advice? Don’t give up your day job to become an actor. Your kissing skills need a lot of work.”

  I step toward her. “I don’t remember you complaining about my kisses.” My gaze drops to her luscious mouth. The memory of her kisses from a few weeks ago parades across my mind in all its HD glory.

  The tip of her tongue traces along her lower lip. I close the gap between us.

  “Maybe it’s not my ability to kiss that’s the problem. Maybe it’s the woman.” I lightly drag the pad of my thumb along the same path her tongue just took. Her lips are invitingly soft.

  Violet releases a shuddering sigh.

  “Because I know when I kiss Natalie, it feels nothing like when I kiss you. When I kiss her, it feels empty and fake. When I kiss you, it’s like every part of my soul is buzzing with life. And when I’m not kissing you but you’re in the same room as me, it’s all I can do not to show everyone that you’re the part of me I never want to give up.”

  I lightly press my lips to hers. “What were you and Austin doing there last night? You never did say.”

  “I was looking for you.” She kisses me back. “Jake told me where I could find you.”

  “So how does Austin factor into this?”

  “He saw me driving and followed me. I couldn’t very well tell him I was hoping to see you there and do things to you that would freak him out. So I told him I was there to shoot photos of the river. I had my camera gear in my car, so he bought my excuse.”

  My lips brush hers again. The air swirling around us becomes electrically charged. “Do you believe me when I say nothing happened between Natalie and me?”

  It takes a heartbeat, but Violet nods. It’s not a fa
st nod, the nod that she’s one hundred percent certain I’m telling the truth. It’s a slow, hesitant nod—which will have to do for now.

  “I love you, Violet. I hadn’t planned on it. Hell, I hadn’t planned on any of this. But I fell in love with you during these past few months. Oh, who am I kidding?” I caress her jaw with my knuckles. “I was in love with you even when we were teens. But I knew your brother wouldn’t approve…and then you went to college and never came back.”

  My breath clings to my lungs, unwilling to let go, as I wait for her reply. I don’t need her to tell me that she loves me. But I do need for her to see how important she is to me.

  She caresses my mouth with her lips. “Make love to me, TJ.”

  Her voice is a whisper, then her mouth is on mine again.

  Our lips part and our tongues glide together. There’s nothing rushed about it.

  She might not have said the words I long to hear, but her actions tell me what her heart is not ready to say yet.

  And that’s all I need.

  Her fingers work on unfastening my shirt. Mine are busy slipping the tiny buttons of her knit top through the holes. Our movements aren’t hurried. They’re slow and teasing and filled with longing.

  Once her top is undone, I remove it and her bra. With our mouths still attached, I knead her beautiful, full breasts.

  She moans, and I breathe it in. Forget chocolate—I owe Aubrey so much more.

  Maybe a new house.

  Preferably one with a tree designed for climbing.

  My hands leave Violet’s breasts and travel to the waistband of her jeans. I’m no longer kissing her. I want to see every one of her reactions, hear each of her sounds, touch every part of her.

  I’m not the only one who’s thinking the same way. Violet unzips her jeans.

  Once free of our clothing, I guide her onto the bed and lie down beside her so we’re facing each other. I kiss her again, shifting her onto her back.

  I study her for a long moment, heat rolling throughout my body. My fingers move to between her legs. I brush her core with my thumb. She gasps. I grin.

  “I could make love to you all night,” I murmur against her lips.

  “I wish we had all night,” she whispers back and reaches for my cock. Her fingers wrap around it and she pumps her hand down its length. “Especially since we can’t take any more risks like this again.”

  I grunt—because I know what she’s thinking, and it pisses me off. “I can’t do this anymore.”

  I’m not talking about the sex, because hello, there are no “I can’ts” when we’re talking about Violet.

  “You want me to go?” Disappointment and raw emotion drips from her tone. The same raw emotion I can’t get a grip on but it feels like an echo to the one in my heart.

  I circle my fingers around her clit, then run them along her dripping pussy. My length swells some more, almost painful in Violet’s hand.

  “I don’t want you to go anywhere,” I say. “I want the show to go away. I want Camilla and Natalie to go away.” Far, far away. “Thank Christ, I only have to put up with this crap for two more days, and then it will be over.”

  Violet pumps her hand along my cock again. I groan.

  “Except it won’t be over. Natalie told Camilla she’s picking you. You’ve still got months before you’re free.”

  Free, but not with the only woman I want. She’s returning to her life in LA.

  “Not if I can help it. I’ll tell them the truth. I’ll tell them that I’m in love with you and can’t keep doing this.” I lightly press my finger against her mouth, stopping the words I’m aware are coming. “I know you’re going back to LA and back to your career once this is all over. But it doesn’t matter. I can’t keep pretending I want to be with Natalie when she’s not the woman I crave.” It’s not like I’m doing the show for fame or for the chance to do endorsements.

  And it’s not like Noah’s plan has worked like he had hoped. It hasn’t gained us visibility with the correct target audience.

  I just want my life back to the way it used to be.

  Violet scrapes her lower lip with her teeth. “If you quit pretending that you’re hoping to win Natalie’s love, you could face losing the ranch because of the potential lawsuit.”

  I can guarantee my grandfather is currently searching heaven for a lightning bolt to fry my ass with.

  Hopefully he finds one with Noah’s name on it, too, since he’s the one who got me into this mess to begin with.

  “So I just need to figure out how to avoid advancing to the next round,” I say.

  Violet caresses her thumb over the most sensitive part under the head of my cock. My dick sings a round of hallelujahs. I won’t last much longer.

  “Could you do that after we finish making love?” she says.

  I’m all for that.

  “Let me just get a condom from my wallet,” I say.

  “I’m on the pill now and I’m clean…so…if you want to go without one…” She leaves the rest of the sentence hanging.

  “I’m clean too. And more than anything, I want to be bare inside you.” I tenderly kiss her.

  I shift to between her legs, my tip against her entrance. She wraps her legs around my hips and I ease my way in.

  Her soft heat devours me, hugs me, begs for its release. And everything from the past few weeks is forgotten. We’re in the here and now—with me repeating Violet’s name again and again like a prayer.

  I plunge deep inside her, twisting my hips in the way I know she enjoys. “Oh. God. Yes. TJ. Just like that.”

  Those are her last words before her inner muscles clench down on me. A mild tingling forms in my lower back, like the early beginnings of a storm. Just a few clouds that build into something bigger, something more intense, something mind-numbingly spectacular.

  My balls tighten, and I call out my release.

  Once I’m finished, I remove myself from Violet and collapse onto the bed. I pull her against me and hold her tight as our breaths return to normal.

  Then I consult with the angel and the devil on my shoulders for the best way to get me out of the show.

  Too bad neither of them is all that creative.

  It’s official.

  I’m screwed.

  27

  There comes a time in a man’s life when he just has to suck it up and get over his fears. It’s the only way he can move forward. And if good fortune is shining on him, things won’t be as bad as he expected.

  “You said you needed to talk to me. Is now a good time?” Austin asks from the doorway to the tack room. “I’ve got a few minutes before my shift starts.”

  “Sure.” I gesture for him to enter.

  Well, here goes nothing. World, it’s been nice knowing you.

  He glances around the room, then his mouth slides into a one-sided grin. “Where’s the TV crew and your future bride-to-be?”

  “I’m assuming you’re referring to Natalie? I have no idea. She’s not here flirting with me. That’s all I know.”

  His appraising gaze studies me for a second. “I take it you’re hoping she doesn’t pick you for her happily ever after.”

  “That obvious, huh?”

  “It’s hardly a surprise for anyone who knows you. You’re not the marrying type.” Austin was away on a mission when I found out about Katherine’s wandering ways.

  “It’s not that I’m against marriage. I’m just against marrying someone who has no issues with cheating on me.”

  He frowns. “Katherine was having an affair?”

  “It wasn’t an affair. Noah wouldn’t have let it get that far.”

  His frown twists into eyebrows-raised astonishment. “Wait, you’re saying she cheated on you with your brother? Shit, man. I’m sorry. Why didn’t you say anything?”

  “Because by the time you returned, I was past it and didn’t want to discuss it anymore. You were only on leave for a few days. You didn’t need what happened to be dumped on you.”r />
  “Okay…so you’re not against getting married, but you’re not interested in marrying Natalie. That’s what you wanted to see me about?”

  “No.” I start pacing. Not only because I’m still figuring out how to break this to him…I figure it’s a lot harder to shoot a moving target. “You remember how I gave Violet the belt buckle for her seventeenth birthday?”

  “Yeah…?” The word is drawn out in an And-your-pointis? question.

  I stop, pivot, and walk toward the opposite wall. “And you interrogated me as to why I gave her the gift?”

  “Yes, I remember that. You told me it was because you guys were friends, and you figured she’d like it.”

  I pause for a moment and look him straight in the eyes. “That much was true. But I was also in love with her.” The pacing resumes. “Don’t worry, nothing happened,” I quickly add. “She had no idea of my feelings for her.”

  “Okay, so you had feelings for her back then.” His nearly casual tone has only a hint of tightness, but I keep on pacing. “Can’t say I like it, given you were nineteen and she was only seventeen. But that’s in the past. Yes, I would have beat the crap out of you if you had told me the truth back then, but that was over ten years ago. So that’s why you wanted to talk to me? To confess that once a upon a time you were in love with her?”

  I stop pacing and turn to him. “I wanted to see you, so I can tell you that I’m still in love with Violet.”

  The frown returns to his brow. “That’s impossible. And please don’t tell me you’ve been having sex with my sister or I’ll have to arrest you.”

  I chuckle—which is a dumbass thing to do given the circumstances. “On what grounds?”

  “On the grounds that she’s a minor and you’re two years older than her.”

  I’d roll my eyes but I figure he won’t appreciate it. “Violet is a twenty-eight-year-old woman with a toddler. I’m pretty sure she stopped being a minor a while ago. Look, I know you don’t think I deserve her, that she’s too good for me—”

  “She’s my sister. She too good for any man.”

  “All right, I’ll give you that. But it doesn’t change the fact that I love her. Always have. Always will.”

  He scowls at me. Not exactly a good sign. “Does she love you?”