The Cowboy Meets His Match

by Sarah Mayberry

  Jesse above her, watching her face as he slid inside her inch by inch. Jesse between her thighs, her hands fisted in his thick, dark hair. Jesse shuddering into climax, his big body hard as granite as he held her to him.

  Right. That explained that, then.

  She blinked a few times, trying to get her brain to move past a salacious blow-by-blow reliving of last night’s events and onto today’s challenges. Namely, navigating the morning after with Jesse’s family playing witness to everything, and then the minor issue of competing in her first final at a pro rodeo.

  Small potatoes. Nothing to get too excited about.

  “Relax.”

  His voice came from behind her, sleep-roughened and husky, and just hearing it sent a little thrill through her body, thanks to all those sense memories still percolating through her bloodstream.

  “I’m relaxed,” she lied. “I just woke up.”

  “I can hear you thinking from here,” he said. A large, warm hand landed in the middle of her back and moved in a soothing circle. “Here’s what’s going to happen,” he said, his hand continuing to circle gently. “It’s only five. I’m going to make you come again, then I’m going to go inside and pretend I spent the night in my bed. Then we’re both going into town to kick ass in the short round.”

  She was lying on her stomach, her head turned toward the wall, and she levered herself up onto both elbows so she could look across at him. He was lying on his side, one hand still resting on her back. His jaw was shaded dark with stubble, and his hair stuck up in adorable tufts on top of his head.

  “You always wake up this confident?”

  “You telling me you don’t want to come again?” he asked, a lazy, challenging glint in his eye.

  She shrugged a shoulder, affecting a casualness she definitely did not feel. Hidden by the sheets, her nipples were already tightening in anticipation of his touch.

  “I guess it’d be okay,” she said with studied casualness.

  His grin was slow and devastating. “Is that so?”

  His gaze stayed on her face as his hand swept down her back, pausing to appreciate the curve of her butt cheek before sliding between her thighs. His eyes darkened as he discovered how ready she was for him already, his fingers sliding into slick heat. She did her damnedest to remain still, to win this game of chicken they were playing, but his fingers were too clever, too knowing. He stroked her folds, circling her entrance, teasing her by almost sliding inside her and then backing away. She wanted him to touch her there so badly, she had to hold her breath and grit her teeth to stop from moving.

  “Poor baby,” he said, laughter in his voice. “Is this what you want?”

  His delving finger found the firm little bud hidden between her folds, slicking over it once, twice, three times. CJ abandoned all pretense at distance, clenching her hands into the sheet and widening her thighs to give him greater access.

  “You like that?” he asked.

  “Shut up and stop messing around,” she growled.

  He laughed, and she closed her eyes and lifted her hips into his maddening, delicious touch.

  “You’re so wet, baby. It blows my mind,” he said, rolling closer so she could feel his cock against her side. He pressed himself against her in a sensual rhythm as his finger slid inside her.

  It was amazing—but it wasn’t enough. Opening her eyes, she reached for the box of condoms they’d left lying off to the very side of the bed. Securing a foil packet, she passed it to him.

  “Don’t make me ask twice.”

  He laughed, but he ceased his torture and she closed her eyes in gratitude when she heard the sound of the packet opening. There was a short pause, then she felt the weight and heat of Jesse’s body pressing down on her own as he rolled on top of her. His hands found her hips to encourage her onto her knees, but she was already rising up, pressing back against his hardened cock.

  He murmured something unintelligible before sliding inside her, thick and long, hard and fast.

  “Yes,” she breathed, and then she forgot everything else as he set a pace that soon had her arching her back and calling his name as she came hard around him. No sooner had she come back down to earth than he slid a hand around her hip and found her with his hand.

  “No,” she said, trying to bat him away. It was too soon and she was way too sensitive.

  “Yes.”

  He stroked her gently at first, matching time with each deep, powerful thrust, and she groaned as everything coiled tight inside her again. He was with her when she came the second time, mouth pressed to her shoulder, his breath harsh in her ear as he shuddered his way to climax.

  She collapsed onto the mattress, boneless, utterly wasted, and he rolled to one side. Her body was still pulsing with tiny residual shock waves as she opened her eyes and turned her head to look at him.

  “Okay. You’ve convinced me on part A of your plan.”

  His eyes were closed, but a slow smile tugged at his mouth. “No kidding.”

  He looked pretty amazing, lying stretched across the bed, his body loose and relaxed. The light filtering through the Airstream’s windows was tinted gold by the curtains, and he looked gilded, like a decadent statue in a French palace.

  After a minute or two he stirred, sitting up to take care of the condom. Then he made the short walk to the other end of the trailer. The moment the door slid shut she scrambled out of bed and went in search of her panties. She found them on top of her saddle and managed to get them untangled and on before she heard the toilet flush. By the time the door opened, she had her T-shirt on and had folded his jeans, boxer briefs and T-shirt on the end of the bed. His gaze went from the neat pile of clothes to her, lingering on her panties.

  “If getting dressed was supposed to make me want to leave, you have no idea how hot you look in those panties,” he said.

  “You need to get back up to the house,” she reminded him, recognizing the glint in his eye. This man was insatiable, and, God help her, she was helpless where he was concerned.

  “True.”

  He pulled his boxer briefs on, then his jeans. Next came his T-shirt before he sat to pull on his boots.

  “I’ll probably shower out here before coming up to the house,” she said, feeling suddenly, unaccountably off-balance now that he was about to leave.

  Once he walked out the door, everything that had happened between them would be in the past. They would no longer be lovers. This moment in time would be done.

  It was a little scary how hollow the thought made her feel. Which was beyond dumb. She’d only met him two days ago. She’d spent a single night in his bed. The feelings tightening her chest and throat were both inappropriate and unjustified.

  People didn’t fall for each other this quickly. They simply didn’t.

  He pushed to his feet, and for a beat they just eyed each other, her barefoot in her panties and T-shirt, her hair a tangled mess, him in his boots and jeans, stubble peppering his jaw. His gaze was warm as it traveled her face, mapping her features. Then he reached for her, his thumb sliding along her jaw before he palmed the back of her head. He drew her to him slowly, his gaze never leaving hers, and his mouth was whisper-gentle on hers as he kissed her one last time.

  The way he was holding her, the gentleness of his kiss—it was so sweet. But it was also goodbye, and she had to grit her teeth to stop herself from protesting as he took a step backward.

  “See you up at the house,” he said.

  She smiled and nodded because it was beyond her to speak at that moment.

  He opened the door. And then he was gone.

  *

  The early morning air smelled of damp earth and green things, thanks to last night’s rain. Jesse made his way as quietly as he could toward the kitchen door. He eased his boots off when he reached the porch and padded on sock-clad feet to the door. Feeling sixteen again, he turned the handle, fully aware that one of his siblings might have woken in the night and decided to check the house wa
s locked up tight. It turned easily beneath his hand, though, and he slipped into the darkened kitchen. Boots in hand, he made his way into the living room, then up the hallway to his bedroom. Once there, he shut the door and set down his boots before sinking onto the end of the bed.

  So far, so good. He glanced at the clock and saw he could probably sneak a couple more hours of sleep before he needed to be up again. Shucking his jeans, he climbed under the covers and closed his eyes.

  The idea of more sleep was fine in theory, but his mind was full of CJ. The smell of her, the taste of her, the tiny unconscious sounds she made. The warm silk of her hair sliding over his skin, the tensile strength of her lean, athletic body.

  He’d been awake a full twenty minutes before her this morning, but he hadn’t been restless or antsy. For the first time in his life, he’d simply been content to lie next to a naked woman and listen to her breathe. Not because he didn’t want her again—he was pretty sure he would always want CJ—but because being with her, being near her, filled him with a quiet satisfaction and contentment.

  He liked her, more than he could ever remember liking another person. She was straightforward and smart, brave and funny. She had guts and courage to spare, and sleeping with her last night had been one of the hottest experiences of his life.

  And now it’s over, so go to sleep and get over yourself, Carmody.

  The voice in his head was right. He’d known going in they’d only have one night. There was no point wishing it could be otherwise.

  He managed to grab another hour’s rest, then he got up quietly and showered and dressed for the day ahead. He saw a dark-haired figure out on the porch at the rear of the house as he entered the kitchen, and he realized it was CJ, wearing a pair of black yoga pants and a long-sleeved T-shirt, working her way through a series of yoga poses.

  He flicked the coffee machine on and stood at the window watching her move through what was obviously a well-practiced routine, her body fluid and powerful as she lunged, dipped and stretched. She was a pleasure to watch, a true athlete. He bet she’d be good at any sport she chose to turn her hand to.

  After a few minutes she seemed to sense his presence, turning her head toward the window. Their eyes met and she smiled faintly, lifting a hand to wave. He waved back, then turned away to empty last night’s dishes from the dishwasher. When he looked up again, CJ was gone.

  “Ugh. I slept so deeply last night, I was like a log with hair.”

  Jesse looked over his shoulder as his sister shuffled toward the fridge, yawning widely.

  “Coffee’s on,” he told her.

  “Bless you. I take back all the bad things I ever said about you.”

  He smiled to himself as he dug out three mugs. “That’s gonna take you some time, I bet.”

  “Who’s that for?” Sierra asked, indicating the third mug.

  “CJ. She was just on the porch, doing some yoga. I’m betting she’ll be in soon.”

  Sierra looked pleased. “I told her the porch caught the morning sun. Plus there’s a nice view across to Copper Mountain from there.”

  He made himself some toast, but he could feel Sierra studying him as he moved between the pantry and the fridge. He knew what she was trying to work out, busybody that she was. Even if he hadn’t given his word to CJ, he wouldn’t have let on he’d spent the night in the Airstream. Like he’d said to CJ, it was private. Possibly the most private, intimate experience he’d ever had.

  Which didn’t really bear thinking about right now, with his eagle-eyed little sister watching his every move.

  “You coming into town for the pancake breakfast?” he asked.

  “As if I’d miss it. Plus I have to be in town to see my brother ace the short round.”

  “What happened to wanting CJ to strike a blow for the sisterhood?”

  “I want that, too. I’ve got a bet each way,” Sierra said.

  He poured two cups of coffee and took one to his sister. “I appreciate you looking out for CJ last night, by the way. Making her feel so welcome.”

  “You don’t have to thank me for being kind to her. She’s good people.”

  “Yeah, she is.”

  Sierra opened her mouth to say something else and he cocked an eyebrow, having a fair idea what she was about to ask. She looked suitably chastened and shut her mouth without saying a word.

  Finally he was going to be allowed to have a little privacy, it seemed.

  He heard footsteps on the porch, then the door to the kitchen opened and CJ entered, her long hair pulled into a ponytail that sat low on the back of her head, her legs clad in dark denim. She looked fresh and alive and fucking gorgeous and he directed his gaze at his coffee mug before he gave too much away to his too observant sister.

  “Look at you. I bet you’re a morning person,” Sierra said. “You look like you’re ready to conquer the world.”

  “I’ll settle for conquering a single bronco,” CJ said with a smile.

  He got up and poured her coffee, sliding the mug onto the counter in front of her. Standing close to her, he could smell the minty freshness of her toothpaste and the bright scent of her deodorant. Her hair looked like glossy silk, and he had an almost uncontrollable urge to fist his hand around her ponytail and use it to pull her close for a kiss.

  “I’m going to go check on that mare,” he said.

  Both Sierra and CJ looked a little startled by his sudden announcement, but he simply downed the last of his coffee and dumped his mug in the sink.

  “Don’t mind him. He is definitely not a morning person,” he heard Sierra say as he left the house.

  He crossed to the barn, walking into the smell of hay, warm animal, manure and earth. One of the two pregnant mares was on her side in her stall, her sides swollen with her foal. He made sure she had feed and water, then leaned against the stall door and simply watched her, his thoughts still back in the house.

  Turned out it was going to be harder than he’d thought to keep his distance from CJ after last night. Probably because when it came right down to it, he didn’t want to.

  He wasn’t sure where that left him. CJ had made it pretty clear this had been a one-night thing from her point of view. And yet he knew she’d felt it, too. The connection between them, the something more that had made last night bigger than just two bodies meeting in the darkness.

  “How’s she doing?”

  He glanced over his shoulder as Jed joined him, taking in the mare’s situation with an experienced eye.

  “Seems comfortable. I’ve already taken care of her food and water.”

  “Thanks for that.”

  Jed leaned a hip against the stall, then shifted his feet. After a beat he straightened and adjusted the buckle on his belt. It wasn’t like Jed to twitch or fidget, and it dawned on Jesse that his brother was nervous.

  “What’s up?” he asked, because he’d rather have whatever it was on the table than hanging between them. There were enough elephants in the barn already.

  “I need to talk to you about the quarterly payment,” Jed said. “Not sure how you’re situated, but I might be a little late this month and I was hoping a delay wouldn’t set you back any.”

  It took Jesse a moment to get his thoughts together, he was so surprised. Ever since their parents had died, Jed had insisted that even though he was running the day-to-day business of the ranch, he was doing so only as caretaker for all four of them, since they were all equal beneficiaries of their parents’ will. Right from day one he’d followed a strict rule of thumb—any profits above wages, the costs of running the ranch and servicing the mortgage were shared equally between the four of them. Some quarters the payments were small, others they were large, but across twelve years Jed had always been scrupulous about meeting his self-imposed deadlines.

  “I’m situated fine. You take as long as you need,” Jesse said. “Like I said before, if you need to reinvest my share, I’m happy to throw it back into the pot.”

  Jed shook his he
ad, his standard response to an offer Jesse had made many times over the years. “Appreciate it, but that won’t be necessary. Payment should be with you by the middle of next month, if not sooner if I can swing it.”

  Jesse turned to face his brother fully. “So everything’s going okay, then? Casey said the calving season wasn’t so great this year.”

  “It was okay. Not our best, but not our worst, either.” Jed’s focus was on the mare again, his expression unreadable.

  Jesse’s gut told him there was more going on here, but there was no point pushing it if Jed didn’t want to talk about it. His older brother could be stubborn as a mule when he wanted to be.

  “Sierra seems pretty keen on me sticking around for a few more days once the rodeo is done,” he said instead. “If there’s anything you need a hand with for the next week, I’d be happy to pitch in.”

  Jed glanced at him, clearly taken off guard by his offer, and for a moment Jesse thought he’d caught a flash of something that almost looked like relief in his brother’s eyes.

  “There’s a run of fencing I’ve been wanting to upgrade, but Casey and I haven’t gotten around to it. Might be good to get it out of the way while you’re in town,” Jed said.

  “Count me in, then,” Jesse said.

  Jed nodded, then a frown appeared between his eyebrows. “Wages might not be coming your way until next month, same as your quarterly payment. If that’s a problem—”

  “It isn’t,” Jesse said quickly. “And you don’t need to pay me for a few days’ work. Consider it a fair exchange for room and board.”

  “I’ll pay you, like everyone else,” Jed said. He was still frowning, but there was color in his cheeks now.

  He was embarrassed.

  It was such a revelation, Jesse didn’t know where to look. For a long time now, his brother had seemed impenetrable, implacable, unreachable. And yet here he was, proving he had emotions after all.

  “Better go make a few calls before we head into town,” Jed said, pushing away from the stall door.

  “You’re coming in?” Jesse asked.

  “What’s the point of competing in your hometown if there’s no one to cheer you on?” Jed said, his mouth stretching briefly into one of his rare smiles.