by Beck, J. L.
As if he knew she was having doubts, he slowly shook his head at her. You will lose. He mouthed at her.
Her eyes widened at the challenge. She then squared her shoulders as everyone was talking around her about moving her things and when her mom and dad could visit. Blank slates can’t win, she mouthed back.
His eyes flared with anger.
“Besides, I think you smell too purty and you wear way too much lipstick to be very dangerous,” the hushed insult slipped out before her brain could stop it.
Jet looked shocked.
At his expression, Maggie felt smug once again, as she peeked around to make sure no one saw them staring and talking to each other.
Jet wasn’t looking anywhere else, so when she gazed back up, he caught her eye. He wore a huge grin now, as if he’d already won this game of ‘Smart girl against Hot cowboy.’
Maggie bit at her lip, like she always did when she got herself into more ‘nonsense and trouble’. Then out of nowhere, one of those sayings just slid into her mind and took the top spot. I think I just dug up more snakes than I can kill!
CHAPTER NINETEEN
A whisper in a whirlwind!
KANDA
The Triple K Ranch, up at the Big House…
Kanda burst through the door of her room and sighed as she tried to calm down. So many things spun through her mind… The geology report about the minerals to be mined on the ranch. The statement by Wade about this thing between them being serious. Yeah, so, I admit my thoughts are not in that order. Did he just tell ma that to satisfy her? Just to ease the tension? She shook her head, remembering when he told her: never lie to me, and I don’t do anything I don’t want to do. No, it didn’t fit his personality. She sat on the bed and tugged her dirt-caked boots off.
She tore off her grimy blouse. It’d seen better days and so had her dusty looking jeans. She lowered them down over her curvy hips. Shower! Her mind wanted to pursue any activity to push away the anxiety that flooded her.
This Wade Monroe was something she bit off and he WAS more than she could chew. With the way he talked to Mable? Wade further proved to her that he was indeed the type who would shoot craps with the devil himself! A mountain of a man all right, but could she take the rocky climb all the way to the top? She gave a shiver just thinking about climbing him in general. She let out a nervous titter and dashed to her bathroom to turn on the shower.
He didn’t know where her room was just yet and she could be done by the time he came in—then again, maybe, he wouldn’t even take ma up on the bold suggestion.
The thought of all of what her mom said made her flush with anger again, as she put her head under the warm water. The warmth on her skin instantly brought the main object of her thoughts to mind. Oh…the things he made her feel. Things out of this world. She titled her head and grabbed the shampoo. Why is he with me? She’d been wondering that off and on for the past few days.
Her shower door opened, revealing the living image of her thoughts. I shoulda known he would head straight for me. Got dammed persistent and dammit—I love it!
“Is there room for a big bear in here, little girl?” he asked as he shut the glass door.
Kanda didn’t answer, instead gawking at his hard towering build again. He already looked hard and erect while his powerful thighs looked downright lickable. Water spray landed on his tanned skin, the droplets running down along places a girl could only dream of touching.
“Kandy?” he called to her.
Her embarrassed gaze shot up to his face. “Unh?”
Chuckling, he pulled her up against that gloriously hard warm chest. “Are you day dreaming, sweet piece of Kandy?”
Her smile came slow and firm. “You should ask, you are my dream and it is day…and here you are!”
Grinning, he reached around to grab her ass cheeks. “Mmm, I can’t get enough of you,” he purred to her ear.
Kanda’s heart was pounding already and she sucked in her breath as his hands roamed up from her plump ass to her waist.
“Here, let me wash your hair,” he suggested.
Kanda blinked her eyes at him. “Wash my hair?” she asked as though it were a foreign thing to suggest.
“Why, of course; I’ll do you and you can do me.” He grabbed the bottle from her hands.
Kanda let a giggle slip out at his expression.
He turned her around and poured some shampoo onto her head then massaged her hair and scalp.
Her head automatically tilted back feeling pampered…again. “Oooh.” She’d never had a man bathe her, never been in a shower with a guy before. Wow, I decide to get rid of my virginity, then all kinds of firsts keeping happening to me.
Wade moved her head under the shower stream and rinsed her hair out. Her long black tresses lay on her back in tendrils. His hands reached around and he grabbed each boob.
She hadn’t expected it after he acted like they were going to just shower and she smiled. Hell, I never expect the things he does.
He thumbed her nipples and kissed her moist neck.
Her body nearly slumped from the combined affect; he knew all the spots to hit, without even looking for them. I swear, this man could find a whisper in a whirlwind! She let out a long sigh as he lowered his fingers and stroked her between her folds.
Kanda was panting like a lizard on a hot rock now while she wondered what he would do next.
Acting like he had all day long, Wade just kept up with the nipple and clit play while kissing her tender skin along her neck.
Her body grew hot and moisture pooled between her thighs, mixing with the water in the shower. “Oh, Wade…” she sighed the words out.
Remaining silent, he built up a rhythm and kept playing her body like a tightly strung harp.
She was getting close and she even struggled in his grip.
“Shhh, I want to give you all kinds of climaxes…”
She wondered at this and her body began to tighten as an orgasm took over. “Ahh…” she cried out helplessly
“Grab the wall, Kandy,” he panted out. “I gotta have you.”
Clumsy, and with her hands shaking, she placed her open palms on the wall. Her body kept jumping like water on a hot skillet.
Wade lifted her up and plunged his cock straight in.
Here is the hot skillet now, she thought with elation. “Unh…” the sound was forced from her lips.
The man just held her up like she weighed nothin’ at all! He pulled her closer and shoved up deeper inside of her, just as her orgasm peaked. I’m just like paper in his hands, just burning pieces of paper.
“Oh, you are gripping me…” he groaned. “Milking me so wetly, Kandy love.”
Kanda panted like she couldn’t breathe as she came and felt the entire length of him sliding in and out of her. “Oh-oh—oh!”
Wade forcefully pulled her toward him and held her there as she squirmed wet and quaking with ecstasy.
Then, she could feel him come inside of her, hot and jetting. It doubled the feeling of her climax as she lost her breath entirely. Lord Almighty! Her hands slipped away as she became entirely helpless with pure ecstasy, but he hefted her up and held her on his cock as if impaling her while he came. Oh, he’s always ahead of me…just a goddamn three-jump cowboy!
Her moans were halting while her breath never came back and she felt dizzy with a high like none other ever in her life. Oh, my heroin who is Wade kicking in—yes, hit me, give me more! I’m a gone—a dang goner.
CHAPTER TWENTY
“Call the dogs and piss on the fire—let's go!”
MAGGIE
Departing the Plush Stud Ranch…
They all gathered down at the trucks. Brea jumped into Cole’s cab and beamed at him. Cole started his truck up and they both gazed over at the other couple.
Jet headed over to his truck and opened the passenger door, then walked back over and grabbed Maggie’s two bags that were left on the porch.
Once Cole saw that his brother had
it handled, he headed on down the drive.
Maggie’s eyes rounded as she watched what was happening. Brea waved madly at her while wearing that beautiful smile of hers and their truck sailed on by. Uh-oh! I gotta ride with him? It never occurred to her that she would get stuck in a vehicle with him for a 2-hour drive. She looked around and since she already said good-bye to the staff of the ranch and her parents, she really had no choice but to follow Jet.
He chucked her bags in behind the seat and held the door open for her.
She gazed up at the enormous bulky looking vehicle, then over at his smiling face. “Think it’s big enough?”
His smile dropped as if it was the last thing he expected her to say.
She felt a momentary bit of guilt, but then pushed it away as she remembered how he’d challenged her. “Are you compensating for something?” she asked firmly, but knowing if he were truly identical to his brother, it was far from true. She’d gotten a glimpse when she first met Cole in Brea’s room, when he let the sheet slip. Her cheeks grew warm and she took a peek over at Jet.
The man wore a huge grin, as if the insult never affected him at all.
Her stomach did a definite flip-flop as her guess at his, well—his size was now confirmed. She quietly stepped up, but the cab still seemed too high.
Strong hands came up and grabbed her by the waist as Jet easily lifted her onto the seat.
Maggie gasped when she found herself sitting in HIS truck as she blinked her eyes.
He went around the front, then swung up through the driver’s side and beamed at her.
Oh, he’s getting overly confident again and he looks entirely too happy for her security. Panic set in as he swung the hefty Texas truck around and flew down the daisy adorned drive.
Maggie kept her gaze directed out through the window as the dust flew by.
“So, tell me why all the acting?” he asked outright.
Maggie almost flinched. He sure gets to it! she thought with annoyance. “What do you mean?” She played it coy.
He laughed and shook his head. “All that ya’ll and the drawl like you was born in the Lone Star state.”
“Well, how do ya’ll know I wasn’t?” she quipped.
His focus stayed on the road as he answered, “You kept slipping back to East Coast college girl accent.”
Maggie refused to look at him—it would be safer since he looked as yummy as a hot fudge sundae. She giggled, as she realized he was a Hot Cowboy Sundae.
“What so funny?” he asked and glanced over at her. “I feel like you keep laughing at me like I’m some dumb hick or something.”
Oh! She had gotten to him. “No, it wasn’t like that at all. In fact, I was thinking about how yummy you always look.”
It must’ve been the very last thing he expected her to say as his eyes rounded and his mouth popped open.
Maggie did look at him this time and his wide-eyed-open-mouthed expression was just too rich as she tilted her head back and truly laughed loudly.
He shook his head and gave her a sideways glance as if he couldn’t tell if she were kidding or what. “If you aren’t the damndest female I ever met.”
Maggie straightened her shoulders with a leftover chuckle. “I would hope that would be a compliment.”
Jet shrugged and turned the vehicle out onto the highway. “You are different, I’ll give you that.” He watched the road as he spoke. “Like, why did you cover for me? When I do remember I did hit on you for sure.”
Maggie took her turn to give a shrug. “I felt sorry for ya.”
He again looked stunned and swung his surprised gaze over. “What?”
Maggie had to bite her lip to keep the smile at bay at how dammed easy this was. She thought besting him would be at least a little bit of a challenge.
“Now, wait just a dammed minute there, Miss IQ. Women have felt lust for me, hatred for me at times, and even some love for me…” he paused and swung his hot gaze over to her, “…But most times, they felt a lot of hunger for me…” he purred the word low in his throat.
Maggie gulped at the sound and the look he held in his eyes. She immediately turned her gaze back to the highway in sudden fear.
“But never in all my born days…has any of ’em EVER felt sorry for me!”
She held her hands tightly clasped in her lap and shrugged as nonchalantly as she could. “There’s always a first time for everything, I suppose?”
“A—first?” he stammered.
“Yes, sure,” she answered primly.
Sudden laughter rumbled from his chest. “Yeah, you are something else all right, just downright contrary.”
“Again, Mr. Kincade…I’ll take that as a compliment.”
Jet let out a bit of a chuckle as he kept shaking his head.
Maggie could feel his mystified gaze locked onto her face and her confidence soared. Yep, I am definitely gonna best this puffed up Chicken Hawk Cowboy!
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
On a first name basis with the bottom of the dammed deck!
DAISY
Plush Stud Ranch…Daisy’s Romper Room
Daisy stood at her window and watched her daughters leave with the Kincade cowboys. She’d never seen Brea this happy. That Cole is the man for her. She could tell by the way he became completely entranced by every word and action Brea uttered or made. She thought about how Brea up and quit that nowhere waitress job and took up cooking at the Triple K with an aim in mind to land her cowboy. And she’d done did it, too! I’m so dang proud of that bud off the ole flower, she done did herself right!
Then, there was Mags. What a smart girl, smarter than them all, with graduating from college at age 20. She knew she was foolin’ us all with that excuse she made for dumping that man into the chicken coop the way she did! Holy cow, was he conquered by that move! Speaking of him, she watched Jet taking Maggie’s bags to his big ole Ford F-150 behemoth of a truck. Mmm, she thought with a little uneasy flutter in her chest. He intends some nonsense there, all right. He might just be slicker than a slop jar and twice a tricky.
She grabbed the windowsill while watching her Mags step off the porch and sashay all confidently to the mouth of the stud monster…Daisy held her breath.
Seems Maggie took the defensive approach, as she stopped in front of him and put her hands on her hips— Oh! Just like her mama! Daisy felt pride swelling in her chest now. Tilting her blonde head in a sassy way, Maggie said something to the overconfident stud of a cowboy.
His jaw dropped and he looked like he just squatted on his own spurs…looks like she bested him there! Daisy laughed aloud. Yep, her Mags could take care of herself—though…she paused as she took another gander at the hard-bodied cowboy who now suddenly boasted a huge panty dropping smile. He sure could melt butter while sitting on an iceberg all right. Still, her girls were better off not being around a strip show, stud muffin collecting bordello like her ranch. She let out a sigh. “It is for the best…”
“Yeah, they have their lives to live and so do we, Daize.”
She flipped around to stare at the only man who ever had the power to break her heart. “Our lives?”
Shaking his head with amusement, Rand stepped closer. “Yes, why do you think I’m here?”
Daisy took a step back. “I sure as hell don’t know!” she yelled. “Why are you here?”
Rand blinked his eyes at her loud tone and took another step closer. “You do know why,” he responded quietly.
Shaking her head vehemently, she took another shaky step back.
“Why are you running from me?”
Sucking in her breath, the question became the all time question. “It’s what I’ve been doing all these years, don’t ya know?’
He took all the remaining steps across the carpeted floor to come right up against her quivering body.
“Oh!” she squealed out at his sudden proximity.
Rand stared at her frightened face and laughed. “You just now answered your own question about
why I’m here. I suppose the chase never really ended.”
“None of this is funny, Leather man!” she retorted.
He did stop laughing. “No, it ain’t. What I can’t figure out is why you act so god damned scared of me. I never hurt you, I never laid a hand on you before!”
She flinched at his declaration. “No. But you laid…” Her defensive line faded away.
Putting his arms around her, he gazed down at her face. “I laid…?”
She decided to just put all the cards on the table, and heaven help her if he really did have some maleficent ace up his sleeve and was here to exact revenge. “Yes, laying your fingers and body on me, marking my heart with all that is you.”
“I do recall laying myself over you…in you.” He purred the words to her lips.
Trembling, Daisy felt panic rising again. “What is it you are here for? I mean really here to do?”
Rand shrugged his wide shoulders. “I thought I made that clear earl—”
“No! You’re saying we are gonna get hitched? That makes absolutely no sense. Why—it’s like trying to fly a kite inside a twister!”
He grinned at her and stepped back.
Daisy almost slumped with relief. If he got his big warm skilled hands on her body, there’d be no telling what she may give up.
“I want you to make plans for the ceremony. Pick out an outrageously expensive audacious dress, hire the best hoity-toity caterers…as you Texans say. Do up the whole thing. Make it as big and lavish as you want. I’ll pay for it all.”
Batting her lashes at him, she still felt befuddled. “You still never answered my question, Rand.”
He turned to look at her. “Oh?”
“Don’t OH me! You damn well know you didn’t!”