Naked Desire: Naked Cowboys, Book 5 (8 page)

Before he realized what he was doing, Jesse had taken a step forward and closed his fingers around one arm in an iron grip.

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”

The smile she gave him was pure evil. “Rumor has it she tinkered with the recipe and put something in there that can make people sick. Do you think anyone will buy her stuff when they find out what she did?”

He forced himself to remain calm when he wanted to shake this woman until her teeth rattled.

“I don’t think you want to do that.” He ground out the words. “This store will succeed and you’ll be left looking stupid.”

“We’ll see,” she taunted.

“She’s made some powerful friends,” Jesse warned. “I don’t think you want to cross them.”

“You should have thought of that before
you
crossed
me
.”

Then she was gone, her tires leaving strips of rubber in the parking lot. Jesse stood there for a long time, reaching for a calm he didn’t feel. He debated telling Cyn about it but then decided to leave it. At least for the moment. Lisa might be a bitch, but she wasn’t stupid. She didn’t want to borrow trouble. He hoped.

Shaking his head at his own idiocy at getting tangled up with her in the first place, he let himself back in the store. He looked around, proud of the work he’d done. He could hardly wait until the weekend when he’d hang the special sign he’d made.

Anticipation raced through him as he thought of Cyn’s reaction. Then he smiled. He looked forward to telling her how she could express her appreciation.

Chapter Eight

Cyn locked the door and leaned against it, exhausted but exhilarated. The opening had succeeded beyond her wildest dreams. The big article Jinx had run on Friday, along with pictures of her serving samples and a shot of one bottle of the rub, had captured the attention of everyone who hadn’t heard the gossip about the possibility of a
special
ingredient. Customers had already been lined up when she’d arrived. Jesse had been waiting to pull down the butcher paper from the windows and the swarm had invaded.

“You’ll probably need to hire part-time help,” Amy pointed out.

She and Reenie were collapsed in two of the chairs in the coffee corner. Georgie had had to return to the B&B and Jinx and her husband, Dillon, had a dinner party to attend, so she had left about two hours ago.

But Cyn swore almost everyone in the county had shown up today.

“I’m not sure there’s anyone left to make a purchase,” she said with a tired laugh. “I swear they were all here today.”

“Not hardly,” Reenie said. “Besides, the newspaper gets distributed in the surrounding counties, so you have all that population to draw from.”

“Jinx said she was going to try and get the story picked up in the San Antonio paper too,” Amy added. “I’ll bet she can do it. She has a lot of clout.”

“Better get ready for another onslaught,” Amy teased. “How are you fixed for supplies?”

Cyn hitched her hip onto the stool behind the counter. “I ordered what I thought I’d need and then added twenty percent on top of that. But tomorrow I’ll need to get on the horn and reorder everything. Including the barbecue supplies and the Texan goodies.” She rubbed her forehead. “I never ever, even in my wildest dreams, expected this kind of opening day.”

“Maybe everyone heard about your special ingredient.” Reenie laughed. “I bought three bottles of the rub for myself. Can’t wait to slather it on some ribs for Buck.”

Amy, Reenie’s sister-in-law, put her hands over her ears. “Too much information. I don’t need to hear about that in connection with my brother.”

“We need to get crackin’ on the web site,” Reenie reminded her. “Let’s do it one night this week after you close.”

Cyn looked at Jesse, who was leaning against the door frame, arms crossed, mouth curved in a gentle smile.

“Thank you so much for that absolutely gorgeous sign, Jesse. It’s exquisite.”

He had hand-carved the logo into a solid piece of oak, sculpting the edges. A deep blue filled the letters and the entire piece was polished to perfection and sealed against the weather. He had arrived before her that morning to hang it as a surprise.

“It was my pleasure, darlin’.”

Cyn glanced quickly at her friends to see their reaction to the endearment, but they just smirked knowingly.

So much for keeping this a secret. These women could ferret out state secrets.

“Well.” Amy pushed herself out of her chair and reached a hand out to Reenie. “We need to get going. Matt went to a meeting with Buck, but I’m sure they’re home by now.”

“Are you finished for the day?” Reenie asked. “Is there anything else we can do?”

“I’ll help her if she needs anything,” Jesse told them. “Y’all go on ahead. We’re good here.”

“All right. How about breakfast at eight in the morning at the Bit and Bite? Before you open.”

“You don’t have to do that,” Cyn protested.

“We want to,” Reenie insisted. “We might even get the guys to join us. And Georgie has no guests tomorrow, so they’re good.”

“A celebration,” Amy added.

“Okay. Thanks so much, you guys.”

“Have fun,” they chorused.

“You know what they’re thinking,” Cyn told him after they left.

“And I’m hoping they’re right.” He held out his hand. “Come on. I have a surprise for you.”

She took his hand and let him lead her into the back room, lifting her eyebrows in question when he closed the door to the front area.

“What’s going on, Jesse?”

“Hang on for a minute.”

He sat her on the stool by her worktable and then let himself out to the parking lot. In seconds, he was back carrying a wicker basket and a heavy quilt.

“What—”

The look in his eyes made her nerve endings sizzle.

“This place has a special niche in my heart, Cyn. It’s the first place we made love. The place where I really fell for you all the way. I thought it would be a fitting spot to celebrate your success.” He held up the quilt. “Only on something softer than an old tarp.”

She watched in amazement as he spread the thick covering on the floor and then set the basket down and opened it.

“Wine.” He held up a bottle. “The kind you said you really liked.” He reached into the basket again and lifted out a covered plastic tray. “Crackers and cheese. Something to take the edge off your hunger.”

Cyn stared at him. “I can’t believe you did all this. On top of everything else.”

“Not done yet.” He made sure the back door was securely locked and turned out all but the single light over the sink so the room was filled with soft shadows. Apparently satisfied, He moved to stand with his legs bracketing her, the bulge at his crotch evident, his eyes filled with hunger and desire.

“You have to know how I feel about you. I haven’t said all the words because I didn’t think you were ready to hear them yet.” He cradled her face in his warm palms. “But you’re it for me, Cyn. You’re all I want.”

Unexpectedly, the block of ice surrounding her heart began to melt, and emotions she’d kept a hold on for so very long swam deliberately to the surface.

“People will make nasty remarks about cougars and younger men.”

“Because they’ll be jealous.”

“They’ll gossip.”

“For five minutes, until something better comes along.” He touched his mouth to hers briefly. “And they’ll still shop in your store.”

Casting aside the last of her reservations, she gave in. She had been miserable for so many years, embarrassed by the circumstances of her divorce, dispirited by Frank’s nasty demeaning remarks. Somehow, with slow patience and better sex than she’d ever dreamed of, Jesse had managed to break through her wall and make all those things fade into the background.

“I-I think I might be ready to hear them soon.”
Very soon.

“Then that definitely calls for a celebration.”

He uncorked the wine, extracted two wine glasses from the basket and poured the amber liquid into them. Handing one to her, he touched his own to it.

“To
Cyn’s Cyn-Sational Rub
. And to us.”

Cyn took a steadying breath. “To us.”

A warm, happy smile spread over Jesse’s face. “Let’s drink to that.”

She had barely taken two sips of the wine when he took the glass from her hand and set it on the table along with his.

“Enough wasting time.” His voice was thick with desire.

He thrust his tongue into her mouth, sweeping it over every surface. The kiss devoured her. Sliding his fingers through her hair, he gripped her head and turned it this way and that so he could plunge deeper, taste more. He stole every bit of her breath, but she decided breathing was highly overrated.

They were both gasping when he lifted his mouth from hers.

“I love you, Cyn. I plan to keep saying it until you really believe it.”

“I-I do, Jesse. I think.”

“Then let me convince you.”

He undressed her slowly, with great care, sprinkling kisses on each area of her skin as he exposed it. He gave her nipples slow licks and damp kisses, pulling the nipples into his mouth. She could feel the tug clear to the center of her pussy, so strong that moisture flooded her bikini panties. She clutched his head, laced her fingers through his thick dark hair. The late-day stubble of beard was just rough enough to be erotic against her skin.

He popped the button on her embroidered jeans and dragged the zipper down with his teeth, stopping to nuzzle the curls on her mound before pushing the fabric down her legs. Pausing only long enough to tug off her shoes, he tossed the jeans and panties aside and lifted her in his arms. He placed her carefully on the quilt, infinite tenderness underscored with barely leashed lust.

“You have too many clothes on,” she said, panting.

“If I take them off, this will be over before we get started. Let me do this first.”

His mouth was everywhere on her, from her breasts to her cunt, her inner thighs, her knees, her hips. He took a long, slow lick at her wet slit and paused to tease her clit with his teeth. By the time he slipped two fingers into her, she was already teetering on the edge, her inner walls grasping him.

The climax slammed into her with sudden ferocity, shaking her, and every part of her body quivered in response. He rode her through it, curling his fingers in her hot channel and scraping them against her sweet spot.

“You know exactly how to touch me,” she said between panting breaths as she came down from the orgasmic high.

“And I plan to keep on doing it,” he assured her with a satisfied smile.

Cyn lay with every muscle in her body limp and sated, even though the edge of need still buzzed within her. Her gaze never left Jesse and he rid himself of his clothes, removed a condom from his jeans and knelt between her legs.

“I love you, Cyn,” he murmured as he rubbed his cock against her tingling clit.

I love you, Jesse.

Would she ever get the courage to say the words out loud?

Again, he took his time even though she knew he had to be riding the edge of explosion. He kissed and nibbled and tormented. Every pulse point thundered its response, every nerve sizzled and sparked. When at last he positioned her so she was wide open to him and slid his cock into her, she sighed with relief and pleasure.

The muscles of his back were rigid beneath her hands, evidence of the restraint he was using to make this last for her. But she didn’t want to wait. She wanted it
now
. Right now. Impulsively, she lifted her legs and locked her ankles at the small of his back.

“Jesus, Cyn,” he groaned. “I’m on the edge as it is.”

“Let go, Jesse,” she whispered. “I’m ready for you. Now.”

The leash snapped and he drove into her, all restraint gone, all control abandoned. His hips were like a jackhammer, pounding into her over and over. Despite her earlier climax, she was ready for him.

“Now,” he shouted.

The coil in her belly unwound, Jesse stiffened for a moment, and they fell over the edge together.

She had no idea how long they lay there connected, limbs intertwined, hearts beating in a single rhythm.

“Mine,” Jesse whispered. “All mine.”

Cyn was sure she had never been so content in her life. She would have felt differently if she had known that someone had managed to climb up to the little window at the top of the outside wall and peer down on them. And snap pictures with a cell phone.

Chapter Nine

Cyn breezed into the restaurant a few minutes after eight the next morning and headed for the table where her friends waited. The moment she stepped inside, the loud buzz of conversation stopped as if someone had thrown a switch. Every pair of eyes turned in her direction.

“What’s going on?” she asked, sliding into the last empty chair at their table. “Why is everyone staring?”

At that moment, a fit of laughter erupted from a large table in the center of the room and someone pointed at Cyn and her friends.

“I have no idea,” Amy told her.

Cyn looked around the Bit and Bite, realizing half the people had suddenly looked away from her.

“Whatever it is,” Georgie said, “it’s not good. That’s Lisa Harrelson and all her friends in the middle, and they are definitely up to something.”

That much was obvious. They were giggling and looking at their cell phones.

“Something to do with me?” Cyn lifted her eyebrows. “I don’t even know her.”

“Consider yourself lucky,” Georgie told her. “That female is a bitch on wheels, and I wouldn’t trust her for a second.”

“I heard she’s pissed because Jesse stopped seeing her,” Reenie said.

“Wait, wait, wait.” Cyn held up a hand. “Did you say Jesse? Was she dating him?”

“I wouldn’t call it dating.” Georgie frowned. “I thought he only went out with her a few times.”

“And then it wasn’t serious,” Reenie added. “Nothing more than good times.”

“Well, something’s going on,” Amy said. “And I have a bad feeling about it.” She shoved her chair back and bounced to her feet. “I want to know what the deal is.”

She marched over to the big table, and before Lisa could realize what was happening, Amy snatched her cell phone out of her hand and marched back to her own table. She plopped into her chair, thumbed the phone to see the screen…and her jaw dropped.

“What?” Cyn wanted to know. “Is it about me? It must be, since half the people in here are stealing glances at me. Does it have to do with the store? The rub?” She rubbed her forehead. “Oh, my God. That must be it. People are talking about the damiana in the rub.”

Amy closed her hand over Cyn’s forearm. “Not the rub, sweetie. I almost wish it was.”

“Then what?” Cyn persisted.

“Yeah, what’s on the screen?” Reenie wanted to know.

Her face pale, and with obvious reluctance, Amy turned the phone so everyone could see the screen. The image was fuzzy, obviously taken without much light, but there was no mistaking Cyn’s blonde curls or Jesse’s tattoo.

Cyn stared at it, nausea rising in her throat.

“Oh, shit,” she whispered. “Who could have taken that picture?”

“My guess is the bitch, Lisa,” Georgie said. “Probably from the little narrow window high up in the back room.”

“Jesus,” Reenie breathed. “How the hell did she get up there?”

“Cyn.” Amy still had hold of her arm. “It’s obvious this is you and Jesse doing a little…celebrating after we left last night. I am so, so sorry, hon.”

“Oh God.” Cyn could hardly catch her breath. “She must have sent it to everyone whose number she had.”

“And they passed it along,” Reenie added in a grim tone.

“I—I have to get out of here. I can’t open the store today. I can’t—”

Cyn couldn’t breathe. She picked up her purse, slid out of her chair and practically ran from the restaurant. Her hands shook so much she had trouble starting the car. At last, she pulled out of the parking lot and headed for the B&B.

I’ll sell the store. Leave Saddle Wells. Go someplace where no one has ever heard of me.

Maybe Alaska.

Maybe she could dig a very deep hole and jump in, because she’d never be able to face anyone again. Ever. At the B&B, she brushed past Cade when he tried to stop her.

“Cyn, Georgie called me. Hold on a second.”

“I can’t talk to you now. Maybe not ever.”

She pulled away from him and ran up the stairs to her room, slamming the door after her. Throwing herself down on the bed, she tried to pull herself together, but tears spilled down her face unchecked. In a moment, she rushed into the bathroom and vomited into the toilet. She felt as if she was throwing up her life along with the contents of her stomach.

“What’s going on?” Jesse strode to the table where the four women sat. “Cade called me and told me to get my ass down here pronto. And where’s Cyn?”

The women all looked at each other.

“Will someone answer my damn question?” Jesse demanded.

“Why don’t you ask your ex-girlfriend,” Reenie snapped. “Here she comes right now.”

Jesse looked up as a furious Lisa Harrelson stormed over to the table. She reached over to grab her phone from Amy’s hand.

“Give me that, you bitch,” she raged.

“I think we know who’s the bitch here,” Amy retorted, holding the phone out of the woman’s reach.

Jesse suddenly realized the entire restaurant was silent, all eyes focused in their direction. He grabbed the phone from Amy’s hand.

“I think I should take a look at it.” He pushed the button to bring the screen to life and when the image came up, he was sure his heart actually stopped beating. He knew he couldn’t breathe. The picture might be fuzzy, but he knew who it was.

He glared at Lisa. “I can’t believe you did something this rotten. What the fuck’s the matter with you?”

She stood with one hip cocked, her hand on her waist. “I thought everyone should know that you’re doing the nasty with an old lady.” Her voice was filled with venom. “And that she’s robbing the cradle. How desperate is that? Let’s see who does business with her now.”

She tried to grab the phone again, but Jesse held it out of her reach. Moving his fingers rapidly, he deleted the picture and all the others she’d taken before pitching it back to her.

“You are the lowest of the low,” he told her in a voice that was quiet but filled with a mixture of wrath and disgust. “I don’t know what the hell I ever saw in you. Maybe I should take out an ad in the paper warning other unsuspecting men what happens if they decide not to date you anymore.”

“You can have that ad for free,” Jinx piped up.

“You make this right,” he went on, “or I’ll make it my business to personally tell any guy I see you with he’d better run like hell.”

“You wouldn’t.” But her words were little more than a whisper now.

“Go ahead and try me. Please. You know this is an invasion of privacy,” Jesse continued. “Cyn can sue you. So can I.” He was gratified to see the color leech from Lisa’s face. “Tell your little friends the same thing can happen to them if they don’t delete that picture from their own phones, or we’ll include them too.”

“Damn you.” The words were sharp, but her voice had lost its punch. She stamped back to her friends.

Jesse looked around the restaurant that was still silent as a tomb. Everyone’s eyes were still glued to the little tableau.

“You all know me.” He raised his voice so everyone could hear him. “I’ve lived here most of my life. Done work for many of you. Are you going to let some vindictive bitch ruin the reputation of a good woman?”

“What’s an old woman doing with a kid like you?” someone called from across the room.”

Jesse balled his hands into fists. “First of all, she’s not an old woman, and secondly, I’m no kid. You all know that. So what if she’s a few years older than I am? No one got their shorts in a bunch when Hank Delong at seventy married a twenty-eight-year old girl. Right?” He looked from table to table. “Or maybe some of you are simply jealous. Could that be it?”

“You tell them,” Reenie murmured.

“Cyn Dellinger is one of the finest women I’ve ever met. So what if she’s older than I am? If the behavior of these thirty-something idiots is an example of what younger women are like, it’s no wonder I was drawn to Cyn right away. She’s smart, sexy, funny. Someone you should all be proud to call a friend. She’s worked hard to become part of this community. Opened a business that seems to appeal to everyone, if yesterday’s opening was any indication. She’s a decent human being who didn’t deserve to have this happen and hasn’t done a thing to be gossiped about.” He paused to draw in a breath. “Anyone who got that picture should be decent enough to delete it.”

“She didn’t do anything except screw your brains out in the back of her store,” someone from Lisa’s table said.

“And it was a damn fine screwing,” he retorted. “In a class none of you could dream of living up to. So shut the fuck up before you get in even more trouble.”

Amy rose from her chair. “Cyn has become a good friend of ours, and you know all of us. You respect us and our families and need to respect our friends. I’m ashamed of y’all for getting caught up in this kind of dirty gossip.”

People began to murmur to themselves and look away.

“Amy’s right,” Reenie spoke up. “What’s the matter with all of you? Look what you’ve all done. And why? Because some immature twit is mad because Jesse won’t hook up with her? How mature is that?” She paused. “After this, I’m not sure Cyn’s Cyn-Sational Rub will even be open again.”

“Don’t say that,” a man piped up from a booth to her left. “That rub’s special. We don’t want her to take it someplace else.”

“Yes,” another man said and grinned. “We want her special spice.”

“She was really nice when she was giving out samples to taste,” a woman chimed in. “I liked her. A lot. Jesse’s right. What if that happened to any one of us? What if someone had texted pictures of Hank Delong and his child bride? Think about that.”

Silence fell over the room again.

“Someone needs to apologize to her for us,” the man who’d spoken said.

“Yes,” the woman with him agreed. “Lisa, you should be ashamed of yourself for doing this. You may think you’re an adult, but you won’t like it one bit when I tell your daddy what you’ve done.”

The scraping of chairs caught Jesse’s attention. He looked over and saw Lisa and her friends rising and scurrying out of the restaurant without looking in his direction.

“She’ll find some other way to get back at you,” Amy told him. “You know that.”

“I don’t think so. I plan to have a heart-to-heart with her and tell her what needs doing if she plans to keep on enjoying her life here.” He blew out a breath. “Where’s Cyn?”

“She’s back at the B&B,” Georgie told him. “That’s how Cade knew to call you. He didn’t have all the details of what happened, but he knew it was pretty bad.”

“I better get over there to see her.”

Georgie caught his hand. “Don’t be surprised if she can’t face you.”

“She hasn’t done anything wrong, damn it.”

“I know, but pile this on the wreck her life was for fifteen years, and she’s not going to be able to put it behind her that easily.”

“I called Buck and told him if we couldn’t get her to do it, I was going to open the store today,” Amy said. “I’ll steal her keys from her purse when she’s not looking.”

“And I’m going with her,” Reenie added. “Matt knows.”

“I’m heading back to the B&B.” Georgie stood. “I’ll see if I can get her to see you.”

“Thank you.” Jessie squeezed her shoulder. “I appreciate it.”

It took him a few minutes to make it to the front door. Embarrassed people mumbled their apologies and asked him to pass along messages to Cyn. He only hoped he could see her to tell her. But the sick feeling in his stomach told him that just might not be possible.

“Honey, you have to see him sooner or later.” Georgie sat in the guest room with Cyn, holding her hand. “You can’t hide in here forever.”

“Are you sure?” Cyn gave her a weak grin. “Can’t I be a permanent guest here?”

“Not that I wouldn’t love to have you, but that man is in real pain. He’s haunted this place for two days.” She gave Cyn a secretive smile. “He told us he wants to marry you.”

Cyn stared at her. “Are you kidding me? Why?”

“Why?” Georgie laughed. “Because he’s ass over teakettle in love with you. That’s why. The only person I ever saw more miserable was Cade when he decided he should leave me for my own good.”

Cyn looked at her. “But…the two of you are so much in love.”

“Exactly.” Georgie smirked. “And so are you and Jesse. We all know it. Didn’t Amy and Reenie say as much?”

The two women had shown up at the B&B and spent the better part of two hours trying to coax Cyn out of her room to talk to Jesse. To open the store. When she’d refused to budge, the two women had taken off to take care of business themselves.

“It doesn’t matter. I can never show my face in this town again.”

“Of course you can.” Georgie picked up her cell phone and scrolled through her messages. When she found the one she wanted, she held it up for Cyn to see. “Amy said she sent this to you but you didn’t even answer her. Look what she and Reenie have done in the store for the past two days. Look, damn it.”

With the phone practically in her face, Cyn had to look at what was on the screen. The receipts record for two days. Her jaw dropped at the numbers.

“Is that for real? The store must be out of everything by now.”

Georgie nodded. “People have been coming over from neighboring towns, and Jinx has passed the word to all the nearby counties.”

“B-But how? I mean—”

“Phone calls. Word of mouth. Everyone’s connected, sweetie. Now look at this.” She swiped the screen to bring up another shot. “See that big stack of greeting cards? People have been bringing them by for two days. All for you.”

Cyn was lightheaded at the news, sure she was going to faint. “But they hardly know me.”

“They know us and they know Jesse, and that’s good enough for them. And lookee here.” She swiped to another shot. “Flowers. Amy said they’re about to run out of room with all of them.”

“I’d thank everyone but I’m too ashamed to face them.” And she was. She’d never get that picture out of her mind.

“You can thank them all at the barbecue the Starks and Montgomerys are throwing for you. They didn’t get to do it because you moved up the opening of the store, but it’s on again now. Amy and Reenie said people are calling
them
asking for an invite.”

“You’re kidding me.”

“Uh uh. You’re the guest of honor, Cyn. And we’ll all be right there with you.”