Cowboy Country (2 page)

The chuckle returned. "Probably right on the money."

"Occasionally, that's not a bad thing, but tonight…not necessarily what I'm looking for."

He leaned closer as the music started again. The spicy, almost citrusy scent of his cologne and virile male mixed with…cattle, reached her nose.
Interesting.

"Can I buy you another beer?" he asked, his breath rushing over the shell of her ear.

One shoulder lifted in a shrug. "Sure."

Signaling for the bartender, he stood to pull some money from his front pocket, bringing his chest into close proximity with her shoulder. The heat radiating off his skin sent shivers skittering across her arm, and she fought the urge to rub the flesh to calm the goose bumps.

His tanned hand held a bottle out in front of her.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome." He sipped from his beer, but when he lowered the bottle his eyes found hers again. "What are you doing in Littleton, Oklahoma?"

"Hanging out with you."

"Yeah, right. A babe like you doesn't
hang out
in small town honky-tonks."

She flinched at his comment as she dropped her gaze to the front of his shirt. "Just passin' through."

"I see. Mysterious. Works for me." He set his beer on the bar behind her. "Care to dance?"

Do I really want those hands on me? Hell yeah!

"Sure." She set her bottle next to his before they headed for the dance floor.

The song changed to a slow ballad causing her to cringe. Slow dancing with this gorgeous, rugged cowboy could send her right between the sheets with him in a heartbeat. Good or bad, she wasn't sure he would be the type to easily walk away from. When she turned, she sucked in a ragged breath before she slipped her hands up around his neck. He settled his palms on her hips. Her heartbeat hitched up a notch and her fingertips itched to run along the solid ridges of his pecs—ridges that came from hard work, not a gym.

Tucker slowly tugged her closer—close enough her breasts brushed against the tantalizing muscles beneath his shirt. The flesh of her nipples pucker tight.

Okay, it's been way too long since I've had a man hold me.

"You smell nice," he whispered, his lips next to her ear.

"It's only a dance, Tucker. Don't get any ideas."

Wait a minute. Isn't that what I came here for? A little attention from a handsome cowboy and maybe a tumble between the sheets, before I'm stuck in the cab of my truck with nothing for company but my radio and my vibrator. That does sound mighty nice.

"Just a dance."

They swayed slowly to the music while the warmth of his hand penetrated the thin material of her shirt, heating the skin like a branding iron.

"Problem?" he murmured, brushing his nose into her hair.

She cleared her throat. "No." Goose bumps pricked her skin as his breath flittered across her neck. She fought the urge to tip her head to give him access to the spot below her ear. Wanting to relieve some of the tense feelings he stirred, she asked, "Do you ride?"

"Some." He stepped back, giving her a little breathing room, but now his stare held hers. Heat zipped straight between her thighs to her now aching clit. The throb of need took her by surprise. Most men didn't stir this powerful desire in her and she wondered why she reacted to this one so strongly.

Shit!

"Bulls, horses?"

"Both, but not often. Mostly horses." His eyes crinkled at the corners when he smiled. The blue of his iris's sparkled in the lights swirling around the bar. "You?"

"Horses."

"Mmm…too bad you don't drive a big rig."

"Why's that?"

"I know someone looking to transport a bull to Vegas for the rodeo."

"Yeah, too bad."

The music came to an end and she reluctantly stepped out of his embrace.

"You'll have to excuse me. I need to use the little cowgirl's room."

"Of course."

Sweat trickled down her spine.
Lord, it's hot in here.
She glanced at Tucker one last time, noticing how his gaze slid enticingly down her frame before returning to her face.
Okay, maybe it's the heat directed at me from him, but holy hell, I'm likin' it.

After a quick inhale, she headed for the restroom.

The door marked women stood partially open. The loud laughter of several females met her ear as she stepped inside. Bright florescent lighting glared and she had to squint to focus until her vision adjusted. Talk around her centered on the cowboys hanging out nearby.

"That Kyle. He's got one heavy hand," said the blonde standing near the sink.

"I don't know why you let him hit you. He's an ass," replied the petite brunette next to her.

"Because he's good in bed," the first one answered.

Jacie snorted.
Yeah, I don't think so. There isn't a man alive who would dare hit me. I'd kill him first.

Once she completed her business, she made her way out toward the bar to find Tucker in her chair.

"Um…you've got my seat."

"Well, someone took mine, so you'll have to sit on my knee."

She lifted an eyebrow, placed her hand on her hip and shook her head. "I don't think so there slugger."

"We could always find a table or play a little eight ball. There's one free."

"Sure, why not," she replied with a shrug of her shoulders.

If there's one thing I love, it's playing pool and it doesn't hurt that one hot cowboy wants to play. I wonder how friendly he really wants to get.

"Up for a little adventure?"

A sexy smile spread across his face. "Adventure?"

"Down boy. I'm only askin' if you want to play for a little cash."

His lips formed a pout and she had to stifle a giggle.

"Five bucks a game?"

"That could get mighty expensive unless you're good," he replied, pulling out his wallet to lay a five dollar bill on the edge of the table. "You're on, babe."

Chalking the stick while he racked the balls, she debated on whether to tell him how often she shot pool.
Nah. Let him suffer a bit. Taking him down a notch or two won't be a bad thing.
Besides, his ass fills out those jeans mighty nicely when he bends over the table.

For the next two hours, they continued to knock the balls around the table fairly evenly. Beer flowed as bottle after bottle appeared at their table. Little did her pool partner know, she held her liquor well. It would take a lot more than a few beers to get her drunk.

The flirting got raunchier with each passing compliment or innuendo and she thought about upping the ante to include a roll in the hay or between the sheets. Rarely did she run into a man who could send her thoughts in the direction of hot, sweaty sex so quickly, but Tucker sure had her thinking about it and thinking about it hard.

Kyle walked by their table a couple of times, piercing her with a wait until I get you alone stare. She wondered if she should ask Tucker to take her to the hotel. A shiver of apprehension slithered down her back. Something sinister lurked in Kyle’s eyes.

The games seemed to be pretty well matched. Both of them won four games apiece and now they were in a stare down.

"One more game?" he asked before he tipped the bottle to his lips.

Damn, he's got one sexy mouth. I wonder what it would feel like sucking my clit.
She let the cool liquid slide down her throat as she took a long swig, hoping to cool some of the desire rushing through her with each look from Tucker's gorgeous eyes.

"Winner takes all?" she asked with a saucy toss of her curls.

A flirty grin spread across his lips, bringing the lone dimple in his cheek to the surface. "What did you have in mind, darlin'?"

She stopped in front of him to let her fingers crawl up his chest. "Mmm…maybe checkin' out how squeaky the springs are on the bed in my hotel room?"

"How does that fit into winner takes all? Sounds like both of us would win."

"Maybe," she whispered and shrugged one shoulder as she looked up at him through her lashes. "If I win, I get to handcuff you to the bed and do whatever I want to with this gorgeous body."

"And if I win?" His voice dropped to a sexy growl. She could feel his chest vibrate under her fingers.

"You get to decide," she replied with a tilt of her head.

"Hot damn! Bring it on, darlin'."

She almost laughed at his enthusiasm, but decided to let his handsome smile send anticipation rolling down her back instead. The hot zip of need and shiver of desire he enticed, had her wondering at what kind of delights he could bring to her body when their clothes came off. Come off they would—eventually.

Once the balls were racked and the pool cues chalked, she broke the balls into a nice mixture of placement. The decision on whether to let him win came as a hard one. The thought of having him spread eagle on her bed, open to her exploration of his body, verses letting him do whatever his little heart desired to her, made her stomach clench and her pussy cream.

The position over the side of the table as she went to make her next shot made her exhale forcibly. One warm palm smoothed over her ass cheek made her squeak, forcing her pool cue to glance off the edge of the ball.

"Not fair, cowboy," she said, straightening up, watching him walk around the other side of the table.

"All's fair in love and pool," he replied with a wicked grin and a twinkle of challenge in his eyes.

"Ah. So we're going to play that way, are we? Two can bend the rules like that."

He leaned over the pool table, winked and blew her a kiss before he cracked the balls in several directions, landing two solids into their respective pockets.

Shit! It appears I've been taken for a ride. The man's good.
"Well, now. You've been playin' possum. Hold onto your belt buckle, cowboy, 'cause you're in for the ride of your life."

A wide smile spread across his mouth. "Come on, darlin'. I'm ready."

She missed a shot.

He missed a shot.

She pocketed one stripe and he pocketed one solid.

One shot separated them with her turn to shoot. The ball sailed into the appropriate pocket and they were now dead even with nothing more than the eight ball to go. He had the next shot.

"So what's it gonna be, cowboy? Which hole?" she asked, widening her stance and bracing her legs apart so her belt buckle almost rested on the edge of the left corner pocket.

"Right between your gorgeous thighs, babe."

Interesting choice of words. Let's see if I can make this a bit more exciting.

She ran her tongue over her lips as she bent down to rest an elbow on the edge, giving him one hell of a view down the front of her tank top.

With one eyebrow arched, she challenged him with what she hoped looked like a sexy peek through her lashes and an I-dare-you glance.

The sexy-as-hell grin spreading across his face had her biting her lip.

The cue cracked against the ball and sent the black eight ball straight for her. Her breath caught in her throat while it sailed right at the pocket.

* * * *

Come on ball, you can do it. I need to get this pretty little honey in bed tonight. My dick is so fucking hard, I can't stand the pressure behind my fly. I'm stuck in this hell hole in the middle of Oklahoma until I can get another big rig to pull the trailer to Vegas. Who says I can't have a nice babe like her to warm my bed for a day or two.

Tucker prayed and prayed hard. When the ball bounced off the edge of the pocket and reflected away, he closed his eyes with a groan.

The brush of her tits against his arm and the warmth of her breath against his ear almost had him coming in his pants.

"You missed," she whispered, then ran her tongue around the shell of his ear.

I don't think I've ever been this damned horny.

"Seems I did. Your shot, darlin'. Which pocket?"

Her tongue rimmed her pouty red lips and his dick got harder than he thought possible. When she'd first walked into the bar, he knew she wasn’t from around here. No way. A pretty thing like her wouldn't hang her hat in small-town America. As he watched her put Kyle in his place, he knew he liked her style and wanted to find out more about her. Her big hazel eyes held a sparkle and a challenge to every male in the room. It wouldn't be easy gettin' in her pants, but he wanted to try—Lord he wanted to try. Plus the images zipping across his mind of her on her knees in front of him, sucking him hard between those luscious lips while he wrapped his hands in her glorious, thick brown tresses, made the challenge even sweeter.

"Right corner, cowboy. And you stand over there," she said, pointing to the far side of the table. "No more free groping."

"I sure didn't expect it to be free. I knew I'd be payin' up later."

"Damn right," she replied as she lined up her shot.

He knew she had to be good if she'd challenge him to five bucks a game. What she didn't know was he played several nights a week and actually made pretty good money betting against fools who thought they could beat him. Their skills turned out to be fairly even.

"Take your shot, honey."

With her pool cue lined up, she slid the round stick through her fingers and narrowed her eyes. The stick cracked against the ball, sending it flying over the felt. The black ball bounced off the edge of the hole, spun around twice before it teetered on the edge and then fell in.

The smile spreading across her full lips made him want nothing more than to pull her into his arms and kiss her until they were both breathless.

"You lost," she said, letting her fingers crawl up his chest to toy with the buttons on the front of his shirt.

"I sure did. I sure can't wait to let you handcuff me to the bed."

The fingers stopped their dance and her eyes narrowed slightly as their gazes met. "You didn't let me win, did you? Because if you did, it nullifies the whole deal."

"Gentleman I am, but I never
let
anyone win at pool even if the temptation was there with you spelling out your terms," he murmured, then nudged his nose against her ear. "I couldn't quite decide whether I wanted to win so I could do whatever I wanted to your sweet body, or let you have your way with me."