Pressure Point (Rhinestone Cowgirls Book 3) (10 page)

She backed up and pressed against the rough boards of a beam. “Of course not. Why would you think that?” Her voice quaked, much like all areas of her body.

He wasted no time in taking another step toward her. “I think you know exactly what you do to me, and probably every other red-blooded man this side of the state.”

She squinted. “I don’t know what you’re suggesting, but I don’t like it, not one bit.” She started to cross her arms but he stood so close, her hands bumped his sides. She dropped her arms at her sides.

“Relax, darlin’. I’m complimenting you.” His pale pondering glare sizzled her blood.

Her body threatened to melt into her shoes. It ticked her off that he could do this to her. Ten minutes with the man and she was half hanging on to sanity, and her panties were moist.

He leaned forward. Would he kiss her? Her heart thumped heavily. Instead of moving in for the kiss, he stepped back so fast that Em thought she’d fall to the hay-strewn floor.

Damn him!

She marched toward the door and paused at the threshold. He teased her and she didn’t like how her body responded. “Apparently the heat has gotten to you today too.”

He skimmed his gaze down her body, slow and steady, and one corner of his mouth popped up.  “Or something else.”

“I suggest a cold shower before tonight.” She was glad her voice worked. “Pick me up at six-thirty. And leave the ego at the door.” She heard his laughter all the way to her car.

****

Nash had a bad feeling about tonight. He’d wanted to call Em and tell her he’d changed his mind, but he didn’t. He’d done what she’d asked. Dressed in his best digs, newest pair of boots, and pulled into Rhinestone Ranch at exactly six-thirty-five…a tad late. He couldn’t jump at her every command.

He didn’t even make it to the door before she swept out onto the front porch. Nash forgot to breathe. One thing about Em, she competed against the rays of the sun. The strapless top of the red dress accentuated her slender shoulders and the tops of her firm breasts. He practically salivated as his chest popped out. She didn’t have large breasts, but in the dress, they popped out just enough to make a man curious how they’d feel in his palms. The material fit her body like a second skin of satin, showing off her firm, round bottom and long, tanned legs. Her hair was pulled up into a neat style, showing off the feminine curve of her neck.

The whole idea of this date was for him to connect with Katy, but how could he keep his eyes off the one woman who held all of his attention? And boy did she have it.

A scorching heat ignited in his stomach and every part of him came alive, especially the part below his belt that hadn’t gone flaccid since the night of the reception.

He blamed his attraction on the fact that he hadn’t been with a woman, intimately, in far too long. He’d gotten so busy at the R&R that time for dating had gone out the window. Wow, he certainly did miss holding soft curves…and this was his proof. If he could get this horny, this hard, without one touch, he could be in deep shit—deep embarrassing shit.

The dating scene had grown cold for him. Not that he’d made much of an effort in asking a woman out, but he’d heard once a person reached a certain age, their lifestyle changed and games were no longer fun. A few years back he’d had all of the dates a man could ask for, but he hadn’t found the right one. Then dating took a nosedive and he found himself working longer and longer hours. Work had become his significant other.

A man did need release, though, in more ways than could be provided with his hand.

The only type of woman who wanted to fuck without commitment just wasn’t worth the money, and certainly wouldn’t fulfill his needs.

He couldn’t even remember the last time he’d had a relationship. High school maybe? At almost thirty, he needed to start thinking about his future.

She sashayed toward him and his dick made the zipper on his jeans tight and uncomfortable. At least he knew his body worked.

He whistled through his teeth. “Now that’s a dress.”

Her cheeks turned the prettiest color of pink. “Thank you. You don’t look half bad yourself.” She scooped her gaze over him.

Nash willed his body to behave and his cock to stay in his pants. He could look all he wanted, but Em was out of his reach. He certainly didn’t want to be ashamed by an obvious hard on.

The woman triggered something in him that he couldn’t quite describe. “Are you ready?” he asked.

“As ready as I’ll ever be.”

He held open the passenger door to his truck for her and she slid in. He caught a glimpse of the high heels, which could second as weapons, and her delicate ankles. He grabbed a flash of long, toned legs and firm thighs before he shut the door. Rounding the back of his truck, he stopped long enough to adjust his dick in his pants before he slid into the driver’s side. He really didn’t want to come off as a pervert and needed to gain control of himself.

What the hell had come over him? He didn’t know Em, and had no plans of getting to know her better. After all, they were only together now because she wanted to fix him up with the barista. In his mind, Katy’s long blond curls and pale blue eyes were exchanged for dark, chocolate expressive gaze and ebony silken hair.

He gripped the steering wheel and counted to ten inside of his head.

“Are you okay, Nash?”

“Sure, I’m fine. Why?” he answered a little too quickly. Em’s eyes widened.

“You seem a bit uptight?” One corner of her mouth twisted.

“I guess I am.” He started the truck and shifted the gear. He pressed the gas pedal too hard and the tires kicked up gravel. Damn, he was out of control.

He couldn’t blame Em for what craziness was taking place inside of his body.

He snuck a peek of the exposed thigh that the short skirt didn’t cover. Why couldn’ she have dressed in an ankle length dress? Or a nun’s habit, for better. He had a feeling she could don a potato sack and he’d still get as hard as a rock.

She resituated her legs and he tore his gaze away. She had the body that any man would ache to touch. He ached to reach over and sample the smoothness of her knee, just to see if the softness of her skin matched his fantasy, but she’d slap him into tomorrow and he’d deserve it.

The growing pains of his dick were almost too much to handle. Having zipper marks etched into foreskin forever didn’t sound like something he wanted any part of. As subtly as possible for a man his size, he shifted his hips and eased the tension in his groin. Em didn’t even look his way.

Of course, she had no clue of the turmoil racing through him. She could care less. To her, he was the boy next door. The one that pulled her pigtails on the bus. He wondered if she even remembered all of the times he’d attempted to get her attention. Until he got smart and realized the Stone girls were too high and mighty for the likes of a cowboy.

He didn’t know her well enough to want her this much, and yet the connection between them seemed as comfortable as his favorite pair of boots. He turned the truck toward the highway. “Where are we headed?” He forgot that he had no idea where this so-called party would be.

“Rutherford’s ranch.”

Oh fuck! He once dated Nancy Rutherford. He should turn the truck right around, but what explanation would he give? Did Em even realize he’d dated Nancy?

“By the way, Nancy is married” Em eyed him from across the leather seat, her eyes sparkling. “Thought I’d tell you that before you got any ideas of rekindling the old flame.”

“So, you knew about us?”

“Who didn’t?” She chuckled. “You broke her heart.”

He snorted. “Sure. I think it might have been the dude she cheated with who broke her heart.”

Em smiled. “No, I think she married him.”

“Wow, I must really be out of the loop,” he said.

A sexy smile danced at the corner of her lips. “That’s a very good thing. After all, you did say you dislike drama. I find that the members of this town don’t have much to do besides keep the rumor mill turning.” She twirled a tendril of hair that had come undone from the mass at her neck.

He shrugged. “Who cares about rumors or what people think? I don’t see you much caring either.”

“Oh, maybe on occasion,” she admitted.

“I once had a crush on you. Did you know that?” The words came out before he could stop them. Hell, he didn’t want to get all up close and personal. She already had his balls in a vise grip.

She turned her cheek. Her smile indicated that she didn’t believe him for one second. “I remember you used to be mean to me. You know how much pride a girls takes in her hair and clothes?”

“By the looks of that outfit and those shiny shoes, I’d say yes, I do. They certainly do look good on you.”

She chuckled. “Wow, who’d have thought Nash Walters would grow up and become a charmer.”

“I’m sorry if I was mean to you back when we were kids. Boys just don’t know how to use their tongue until a certain part below the waist takes second fiddle.”

Her cheeks turned a delicate pink. “I think you’re the first man to ever admit that.”

“Just stating a fact. Lucky you I realized you were out of my league and moved my interest to Nancy.  She didn’t mind me tugging her hair or looking up her skirt in the slightest. In fact, if I didn’t look, she’d pull it up to her neck just so I would.”

Her fingers toyed with the hem of her skirt. “Out of your league?” She rolled her eyes. “More like football star couldn’t see anything beyond athletics and cheerleaders.” She laughed.

“Wow, you don’t have a good view of me, huh?” She shrugged and the top moved around the white mounds of her breast. He knew the fit of the dress was designed to drive men like him crazy. The exposed sliver of skin here and there could drive a man mad, making him wonder what her breasts looked like underneath. “I have to correct you, madam. Since I could walk, my brothers and I worked on the ranch. If I wanted to play sports, I had to get up at the first crack of dawn to do my chores and, after practice, I had to race home and do the afternoon tasks. I didn’t have much time to even smile at a pretty lady like you.”

“Has anything changed?”

“Since the expansion of the R&R, I have to say, no. Busier than ever. Can’t complain though. I love working the ranch. I don’t deal much with the business side of things. Thankfully, DJ runs the business, and now I hear Pearl will be joining in. Getting my hands dirty makes this boy a happy cowboy.”

“What about a family? Kids? A wife will expect to see her husband now and again.”

He glanced at her. “Are you asking for personal reasons?”

“I’m certainly curious.”

“I guess I’ve thought about it once or twice. It’s only natural a man like me who believes in family would want to leave his own legacy on the world. We need descendants to keep the ranch in the family. Meeting the right one just hasn’t presented itself.” Or had it? “Not every woman wants a rancher for a partner. I’m sure though, for my soul mate, I’d hang the hat up every evening at a reasonable hour.”

He noticed how her mouth thinned. “I think you’re right. Long hours. Stressful work. It can take a toll on a family.” She sighed. “But if ranching is in a man’s blood, no one can stand in his way and keep him off the land. There’s an undeniable pride in that.”

“How about you, Em? No thoughts of a partner?” Now they were getting to the good part—the details he was most interested in.

Her tongue swept across her lips. A tirade of bittersweet pain rushed through him and around him. He wanted her. Right then. Right now. He could only imagine what her mouth would feel like on his body, especially on his cock that throbbed and threatened to send the teeth of his zipper exploding across the truck. He shouldn’t allow his mind to wander in these dark, sensual places. He would only regret it when he realized it’d go no further than a wish and dream.

He didn’t need this shit! He didn’t need to imagine her naked body under his, or her screaming his name as he pounded inside of her.

Damn his libido! Damn his dirty mind!

“I don’t think I can find a man who can be with a real woman like me. I’ve been known to be hard to handle.” Her words made him smile.

“You ain’t shitting me.” He laughed.

“No, I’m not shitting you.”

“I can tell you that a man like Nazarene certainly wouldn’t be fit for the job of taming Miss Stone.” He sniffed loudly.

“Oh, is that right? Do you have anyone in mind?”

The hem of her skirt had shimmied up a quarter of an inch more and he found it as hard as pulling a tooth to keep his gaze off her legs and on the road. “I don’t think you’d be interested.”

“Yeah, I can see you with a girl like Katy.”

There was something in the tone of her voice that resembled sarcasm. “Is that right? You say that like it’s a bad thing.”

“Katy would be the perfect mate. From what I hear, she is a prime catch around these parts in the way of a wifey. All she needs is a willing hubby. This could be a match made in heaven.”

He ignored the acerbity in her tone, because all he could think about was how he thought Em would be a perfect catch.