Redeemed by the Cowgirl (Mills & Boon Desire)

by Silver James

  Roxanne had her own finger in motion now. Cash took cover with Big John and the two of them wisely let the “women folk” go at it.

  “A herd of coyotes? Where are you from, girl? Are you from up north? Dear Lord, we don’t need any of your kind around these parts.” Miz Beth turned away from Roxie to stare at Cash. “You bring a stranger into my kitchen, Cashion? You’ve done nothing but stir up trouble and now you bring this...woman and that monster dog of hers—”

  “Harley’s not a monster! And don’t be so hard on Cash. This isn’t his fault!” Roxie’s cheeks were flushed a becoming pink and her hair almost looked like it was on fire.

  Cash glanced at Big John. Yup. He’d caught that flash of triumph in Miz Beth’s eyes, too. Miz Beth’s reaction to this situation had been totally out of character and now Cash was suspicious of the woman’s actions and motive. Then he glimpsed someone attempting to stay out of sight just around the corner in the family room. Jolie, CJ’s mom and his brother Cord’s wife, her cell phone pressed to her ear as she talked almost as fast as Roxanne.

  Crap. He walked on eggshells whenever his sisters-in-law were around. They all pretty much hated him and he believed deep down that his brothers only tolerated his presence because he was the one who kept everyone safe and cleaned up all the family messes.

  “You could have handled the situation, Big John.” Nodding in Jolie’s direction, he didn’t keep his disappointment out of his voice. “Roxanne and I didn’t have to come up here.”

  The man who had practically raised the Barron brothers shook his head, but his blue eyes were twinkling. “You have to admit, there’s a lot to admire about the way that woman’s mind works.”

  Cash muttered something under his breath that would have gotten his mouth washed out with soap had he been a kid. John guffawed and clapped him on the shoulder. The women, now including Jolie, ignored the men.

  “Beth saw you drive around to the office and saw the girl with you. You never brought one out here before. She just wants you to be happy, Cash. She worries about you. We all do.”

  He glanced sharply at the other man. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  Big John’s expression turned sad. “Someday, your old man and I are gonna have words, Cash, for what he’s done to y’all.”

  “Leave my father out of this.”

  Too late, he realized the three women had stopped talking and his declaration dropped into a heavy silence. Fed up, he stomped into the walk-in pantry, grabbed a mop and other supplies. Without a word, he returned to the kitchen and began wiping up the pool water Harley had tracked in. Silently, Roxie took the roll of paper towels and spray cleaner.

  When they’d cleaned up the mess the dog had made, Roxie returned the supplies to the pantry while Cash pulled out a money clip. He peeled off a hundred-dollar bill and laid it on the counter. He stared pointedly at Miz Beth while he did it. “To replace the roast.”

  Roxanne slipped past him and headed for the door. He followed her. On the patio, he whistled sharply. Both dogs came running and CJ stared at him, his mouth forming a little O. Cash paused to pet Dusty’s head and direct him back to the boy.

  “Look after Dusty, will you, CJ? Make sure he doesn’t chase the car?”

  The child nodded, looking solemn, but didn’t speak.

  “It’ll be okay, bubba. Miz Beth is mad at me, not you.”

  CJ huffed out a breath as he glanced over his shoulder. “They’re all mad at you, Uncle Cash.”

  “I know. It’s okay.”

  “No, it’s not. I know the secret, Uncle Cash. I tried to tell Mom and Dad but they wouldn’t listen to me.”

  Cash didn’t breathe for a minute. “There is no secret, CJ.”

  “Yes, there is. I know why you took me.”

  Before Cash could react, CJ charged, colliding with his thighs. The boy wrapped his arms around Cash and he wondered when the child had gotten so tall.

  CJ leaned his head back so he could look up. Cash obliged by tilting his head down. “Thank you, Uncle Cash. Without you, I don’t think Mom and Dad would be my mommy and daddy.”

  Before he could respond, the boy turned loose and ran across the yard, yelling for Dusty to follow. Cash didn’t speak as he took Roxie’s arm and pulled her toward the gate. Even if he knew what to say, he wouldn’t be able to get words out around the lump in his throat.

  The kid didn’t know a damn thing. He hadn’t gone with the Oklahoma County deputies to remove CJ from Jolie’s home with the plan of getting Jolie and Cord together. He’d been doing his best to break them up, and to secure Cord’s rights as CJ’s father. That act had been one more nail in the coffin containing his brothers’ love. Hell, when it came right down to it, what did a Barron know about love anyway?

  Except Cord and Jolie had gotten together and married. They now appeared to be living their own happily-ever-after. What a stupid phrase. Except every one of his brothers had found someone who made him happy. And every one of those women was totally wrong for his brothers. His father knew that and Cash knew that. All that happiness made his skin feel tight and itchy. Barron men weren’t meant to find true love. Just look at his old man.

  His phone rang while he was herding a still-wet Harley into the backseat of the Rover. Speak of the old devil himself. He’d barely said hello before his father started in.

  “What are you doing to get my cattle back, boy?”

  Yeah, his dad was having that predicted cow about now. “Law enforcement has been alerted. My livestock agents are combing the area sale barns. The fence has been fixed and the remaining cows were moved closer to the home place.”

  “Who’s the woman you moved into your condo?”

  That was a question Cash hadn’t been expecting but he wasn’t surprised his father knew Roxanne was at his place. “She’s someone I need to keep an eye on in regard to another situation.”

  “You turning into your twin now, Cashion? I’m not surprised. I’ve been waiting for you to betray me just like they did. Disappointment doesn’t even come close—”

  “I told you, Dad. It’s a case. That’s all. Look, I have to go. I’ve got a call coming in. It might be about the cattle.” He cut off the call.

  After the chewing-out from Miz Beth, Big John’s insinuations and now his father’s outright accusations, he’d had more family than he could stomach. He climbed into the driver’s seat and noticed that Harley seemed unnaturally subdued, as if the dog was picking up on his mood. Backing out of the drive, he glanced at Roxie. She was subdued, too.

  Great. Just...great. What a craptastic day and it wasn’t even midafternoon. Time to do something different.

  Nine

  Most Saturday nights, he’d be out somewhere. Either Donovan’s, the midtown pub where he usually went, or one of the nightclubs in Bricktown where the party girls hung out looking to hook up. The quiet woman at his side precluded both of those things. For some crazy reason, after that call from his father, he’d driven back to the ranch office and barns and saddled two horses. He’d made the excuse that a trail ride would give Harley time to dry, because who wanted to drive with the stink of wet dog filling the air. Roxanne had all but glowed with excitement and she’d turned out to be a better rider than he’d anticipated. Harley had frisked like a puppy and Cash had sort of felt the same way.

  Now they were headed back to Oklahoma City and he had no idea what to do with his guest and her furry companion. Donovan’s didn’t seem her kind of place—not that he had any idea of what she liked to eat or do. Still, the idea of fish and chips and a Guinness held appeal.

  “How’s the furball in public?”

  Roxie furrowed her brow. “What do you mean?”

  “Do you like fish and chips?”

  Her whole face squished into an “I’m totally confused and what was that segue anyway” look. He swallowed his chuckle. “I’m hungry. There’s a pub with the best fish and chips in the state. Can Harley be trusted to lie under the table and not make trouble?”<
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  “They’d...let him in?” Confusion morphed into shock before settling into speculation. “Because I happen to love fish and chips.”

  “Guinness?”

  She scrunched her nose. “Harp.”

  “Close enough.”

  “Close? Harp is nothing like Guinness.”

  “Still Irish. Close enough.”

  Roxie sputtered and looked like she was going to argue but Harley picked that moment to stick his head between the seats and bark furiously at the semi-truck in front of them. The clamor covered Cash’s laughter.

  An hour later, Harley was installed on the floor of the back booth at Donovan’s, happily gnawing a bone, Roxie was licking malt vinegar off her fingers, and Cash thought he was going to lose his mind if she didn’t stop. Her tongue could be a lethal weapon—in more ways than one. In that moment, Cash knew he would seduce her. And he would start as soon as he got her back to his place.

  She glanced up and sucked in a breath, holding it a moment before exhaling. He studied her from beneath hooded eyes and didn’t even try to hide his slow smile as her cheeks flushed. Reaching across the table, Cash snagged her hand and tugged it toward him. He used his own tongue to clean her fingers. The tart, malty taste of the vinegar coupled with the texture of her skin turned his thoughts to tasting her in other places.

  “Finished eating?” His voice was little more than a growl.

  Roxanne didn’t speak, just nodded, as she stared at him with wide eyes. She tugged her bottom lip between her teeth, alternately nibbling and wetting it with the tip of her tongue. He was about three seconds from embarrassing them both. Cash was honest enough to admit that he liked sex. A lot. And he was going to enjoy teaching this woman just how much he liked it.

  Tab, dog and woman were handled—one paid, one called, one led by the hand outside to his Rover. Cash helped Roxanne into the passenger seat and leaned across to buckle her seat belt. He enjoyed her quick inhalation almost as much as her exhale. Her breath whispered across his cheek with just enough force to ruffle his hair.

  Cash plotted on the way to his condo. Just sex. Roxanne was amenable—as evidenced by the vibes she was putting off. He’d make no promises to her, there would be no flowery words, no declarations of anything more than what this was. Sex. Plain and unadulterated.Two consenting people attracted to each other, with no commitment.

  Perfect. Just the way he liked it.

  Twenty minutes later, he had Harley locked out on the patio and was pouring Roxanne a glass of wine. He carried the glass to her, waiting until she’d sipped and swallowed before he moved in. Without touching her with his hands, he leaned forward, his gaze focused on the prize—her lips. A light brush of his against hers, a long pause. Then more pressure and a curious lick with his tongue. She sighed, parting her lips, and that’s when he gathered her close, angled her head and kissed her deeply.

  Roxie’s heart jittered against his chest and it occurred to him that his own drummed out the same erratic beat. This woman definitely turned him on. The calculating part of his brain that never shut off considered the implications. She definitely wasn’t his type. In fact, Roxanne Rowland was not a woman he would ever pick out of a crowd, yet he could find her in a sea of faces without a moment’s hesitation. The woman he’d watched on security cameras at the Crown Casino was an actress playing a role—poorly, as it turned out. The woman standing here in his living room was a contradiction.

  The Roxie he held in his arms was nerdy, a little accident-prone, but seemed...real. She had a temper to match her hair. As clichéd as that was, it was still true. And now it was time to see what else Roxie Rowland was made of. The neck of her sweater was wide, so he eased one side over her shoulder so he could kiss and nibble her skin. She sucked in air and held it. Good. She liked that.

  Cash brushed her cheek with his and whispered in her ear. “Drink.”

  “Are you trying to get me drunk?” Her question came out in a rush of breathless words.

  “No. Just relaxed.”

  A nervous giggle and then, “I don’t think I want to be relaxed.” Still, she gulped the rest of the wine. While Roxie was doing so, Cash nibbled along her collarbone.

  “I love the feel of your skin.”

  A delicate shiver danced through her and he felt her muscles slacken. Her fingers lost their grip on the wineglass and it dropped toward the floor. He snatched it in midair.

  “Stop doing that.”

  “Doing what?” He offered a smug grin. “Cleaning up after you?”

  “No. Making me lose control.”

  “Is that what I do to you?” Damn but he hoped so.

  Her breathing deepened. “Yes.”

  Things were progressing right on track. “Good. I think you need to lose control, Red.”

  “No, I don’t. That’s not a good thing.” She pushed against his chest but the gesture seemed halfhearted.

  “I think it’s a very good thing.”

  “Ha. You would. You’re a man.” Her eyes glittered like whiskey in cut glass. “I think you need to lose control.”

  To prove her point, she wrapped her hands around the back of his neck and tugged his face down to hers. Balancing on her toes, Roxie stretched up to kiss him. He let her have control for a moment, then claimed her mouth, greedily tasting her with his tongue. It could have been five seconds or five minutes when he finally broke contact. Cash stared down at her, surprised that his breath was hitching in his chest, just as hers was.

  “I’m going to make love to you, Roxanne. Sooner or later. Personally, I think it should be now.”

  Her heavy-lidded eyes ticked up at the corners to match her smile. “That’s pretty much sooner, don’t you think?”

  “Yes.”

  “Okay.”

  Cash took her mouth again, holding her tight against him as he walked her backward toward his bedroom. He didn’t stop until the backs of her legs bumped up against the mattress. “Last chance, Red.”

  A languorous sweep of her lashes hid her eyes. When she opened them, he found resolve in her gaze—and longing. Need. Desire. She wanted him. Good, because he wanted her more than—He halted that thought in its tracks. This was just sex. He needed to discover her motivations, what her family’s plans were. That’s what this seduction was about.

  Roxanne reached for the hem of her sweater but he stopped her with a gentle touch. “I’ll do that.” He trailed a fingertip along the silky skin edged with peach from shoulder to shoulder. “Let me.”

  “Help yourself.” The words sighed out as another shiver danced along her skin, chasing his finger.

  Slowly raising the hem, he pulled the sweater off over her head. Cash forgot about professionalism. He forgot this was just sex, didn’t even consider the emotional distance he should keep between them. He forgot about everything but her. Standing there in a lacy pink bra, her skin flushed from his gaze, her lips swollen from his kisses, Roxanne was beautiful. The band holding her hair disappeared with her sweater and dark auburn waves caressed her shoulders.

  He gripped her hips, pulled her close and kissed her again. The soft, silky texture of her skin felt incredible beneath his fingers. He could taste the sweetness of the wine splashed with tart, malty vinegar. Just like her: sweet and tart. Her perfume—something subtle with hints of cinnamon and jasmine—went straight to his head.

  She twined her arms around his neck, leaned into him. She was... His brain short-circuited. Everything about her—the texture of her skin, her scent, the taste of her lingering on his tongue, the heat surrounding him... She enveloped him. She was everything he could want or need or imagine. His hands found her belt buckle before his brain caught up.

  This was a mistake. Taking her, making love to her. No. Sex. This was just sex. She whimpered softly as his knuckles brushed the bare skin of her belly and wanting her morphed into an abiding need. Who was he kidding? This wasn’t just sex. He truly wanted to make love to her. As the enemy, she should be forbidden. But that just added an
irresistible layer of attraction.

  He tugged the buckle apart, undid her jeans, set his teeth on the flesh of her shoulder as he pushed her jeans down her thighs. Her head fell back on a deep sigh and he nibbled his way toward the little moan caught in her throat.

  “Something to be said about now,” he murmured. Easing her down on the bed, he dropped to his knees to remove her boots, socks and jeans. Then he went back to whisk off her panties. “I’m definitely a here-and-now kinda guy.”

  “I’ve heard that about you.” She fumbled as her fingers attempted to unbutton his shirt.

  Cash leaned back just out of her reach and ripped the shirt over his head without bothering with the buttons. The T-shirt he wore under it disappeared in the next instant. Standing in one smooth motion, he toed off his boots and stripped out of the rest of his clothes.

  Roxanne’s expression softened. She liked what she saw. Then her gaze sharpened, running over him much like that of an appraiser faced with a piece of fine art. Her tongue appeared, teasing her bottom lip, and his body reacted. That earned him a slow, knowing smile.

  “I hope we don’t need to call 911,” she teased. “I may not survive this.”

  Bending to snag his jeans, Cash pulled out his cell phone and tossed it on the bed. “You’re going to need this.”

  Her peal of laughter stirred things deep inside him—emotional things he didn’t want seeing the light of day.

  “Promises, promises.”

  “Just remember, Red. I never break a promise.” He stalked closer and she scooted backward across the bed. Cash snagged her ankle and tugged her back to the edge. “Did I give you permission to move?”

  Her jaw dropped and Cash was delighted to discover that when her temper rose, her entire body flushed. He was pretty sure the sight of her sitting on the side of his bed all pretty and pink was going to keep him company for a very long time.

  “My bed, my rules, Red.” He lowered to his knees once more and with his hands on her inner thighs, began to spread her legs. He worked slowly, drawing out the process, his eyes locked on her face. When her knees were wide enough to fit his sides, he leaned forward. Only then did he drop his gaze to fully take in the sight of her.