Roman's Choice (Saddles & Second Chances Book 1) (3 page)

Roman had heard that question many times. And every time he answered the same, “Me and the bulls had an agreement. They let me live until I was thirty-four, then I’d hang up my spurs. I held my part of the bargain.”

Satisfied with his answer, and his signed poster, Benny smiled happily and went on his way. The next in line was a platinum blonde, big blue eyes, and full crimson lips.

“Hi there, honey.” She winked.

He smiled and dipped his hat. “Hello, ma’am. Thanks for coming out today.”

“You don’t remember me, cowboy?” she said in a breathless tone.

He looked at her closely and her face wasn’t ringing a bell. “Sorry, ma’am.” He saw many people, had met thousands over the lifetime of his career, and had never been good at remembering names—and sometimes faces.

“Maybe you just need a reminder.” She reached for the hem of her shirt and dragged the material up to her neck, exposing a pair of large, firm breasts with both perky nipples pierced with hoop earrings. He still had no clue. Her bottom lip puckered as she lowered her T-shirt. “The name’s Sally.”

His mind jarred. Yeah, he did remember Sally. She was his best fan at the start of his career and never failed to show it. A wave of guilt washed over him. There were a few buckle bunnies he wouldn’t remember just by looking at their faces. An image of Pippa clouded his vision. Would he ever have a chance with a woman like her if she knew his past? His throat constricted. Penn elbowed him in the ribs. “You disappeared. Get tired of the rodeo?”

She rolled her tongue along her bottom lip. “No, never. I got hitched, moved away, had a kid, divorced, and now I’m back. I drove an hour just to see you again.” Her eyes dazzled with unspoken promise.

Sally was still gorgeous, but Roman didn’t feel anything like he should. Not when he knew Pippa Wilder was waiting for him. “That’s very sweet of you. Here,” he reached behind him, grabbed a poster from the stack on the shelf and held it out. “On the house.”

Her nose wrinkled. “Oh…thank you.” Penn’s chuckle made the hairs stand on Roman’s neck. He wanted to throttle his brother for being nosy. “Are you going to sign or not?” Sally sighed, pointing to the front of her shirt.

“Sure, sorry.” Another signature down.

Penn whistled as Sally sashayed away. “Damn. You just turned down a blatant offer. I hope the brunette is worth it.”

“Wouldn’t you like to know,” Roman murmured.

“If she is, you better marry her. It isn’t every day a Jericho looks into a woman’s eyes.” Penn laughed then turned his attention to helping the next fan.

An hour turned into two, until Roman lost any hope that Pippa would still be hanging out at the rodeo. Disappointed, he walked away from the booth and stopped dead in his tracks. She was leaning against the side of the livestock barn, one leg bent and her thumbs hooked in her front pockets. She looked good enough to eat…and he planned to do just that the first opportunity he got.

“Care to buy this girl a sweet tea and elephant ear?” She lifted one thin brow.

“It’d be my honor.”

CHAPTER THREE

SEVERAL ICED TEAS, elephant ears, and cheeseburgers later, Pippa dragged the sexy cowboy into the elevator and pushed him up against the mirrored wall, planting kisses on his jaw, his neck, and the top of his chest. She’d been wanting to do this all day. He’d given her enough heated looks and subtle touches that she was about to explode.

He sucked in a deep breath, threading his fingers in her hair. “Now what did you say your name is?”

She pulled back slightly, looking at him through the veil of her lashes. “Seriously?”

A smile broke out over his expression. “I’m only kidding. Pippa’s a name a man won’t forget. It’s different. I like it, and it suits you.” The tips of his fingers massaged her scalp.

“I like Roman too. Reminds me of a powerful crusader.”

He chuckled and it vibrated his chest. “You’re making my head swell.”

She brushed her fingers over the bulge in his jeans and moaned deep in her throat. “Now which head is swelling?”

“Damn. I’m about ready to burst through my zipper.” He smoothed his palm over her breasts. Her nipples puckered, wanting more without her shirt as a barrier.

“That would be a crying shame.” She rolled her tongue along the thick vein in his neck, resisting the urge to rip the buttons from his shirt. She’d have to, at least, wait until they were in the privacy of her hotel room. “Are we going too fast?”

“Do you feel like you’re being pressured?” he asked.

“No. I was worried that I was pressuring you.”

He laughed and it was one of the nicest sounds she’d ever heard. “Don’t worry about me, darlin’. I’m a go-with-the-flow type of guy and I like where this flow is headed.”

The bell
dinged,
alerting them that they’d reached the tenth floor. She stepped away from him, dragged the hem of her shirt down her hips and attempted to look normal as the doors came open. Together they stepped out into the corridor and found her room. Slipping the keycard into the slot, they were barely inside with the door closed before she was again pressed up next to him.

“Make love to me,” she begged as she tugged at the shiny buttons of his shirt. He brought his thick arm around her shoulders and gently backed her up until her knees hit the king-sized bed.

“Hey, is this a vibrating bed?”

She nodded. “That’s what lulled me to sleep last night.”

“We won’t be doing any of that tonight.” He wagged his brows.

Pippa sprinkled eager kisses all over his cheeks, the corners of his mouth and his stubbled jawline. The layer of beard scraped against her lips, leaving tingles matching the explosion of sensation between her legs. She wanted this man like she’d never wanted anyone her entire thirty-two years. Had she even had sex before today because this all seemed so new—off the charts insane in a good way.

And he wanted her…

The bulge behind his zipper threatened to pop the button.

“Let me help you with these.” She dropped her shaking fingers to the large buckle and wrestled with the metal. His hand joined hers and together they released the constriction, quickly tugging and unzipping until his erection eased into glorious freedom. A low growl vibrated his chest as he lowered her to the bed.

She pressed her aching breasts upward as she closed her trembling fingers around his warm, thick shaft. Her eyes widened and her mouth salivated at the sheer size of him. She shouldn’t be surprised, not really. A man over six-foot, a good two-hundred pounds of broad, toned muscle wouldn’t disappoint. She’d known the minute she spotted him strolling across the lobby of the casino that he was a force to be reckoned with. A ride of a lifetime. And she planned to rope her cowboy—for one, fabulous night.

He dropped his mouth over one hardened nipple, suckling the tip through the fabric of her shirt and bra. She lifted her breast up, pressing against his hungry lips, crying out in delight as he turned her yearning into a deeper craving.

“Let’s get this off. I need to see all of you.” His husky voice delighted her nerve endings. He reached for the hem of her shirt and tugged it off of her body. Her nipples bunched against the wet lace of her bra. In one swift movement, he had the bra gone too. His pupils dilated as he stared down at her partial nudity. “Best tits I’ve ever laid eyes upon,” he said on a long exhale of breath.

She trembled in his arms.

He bent his head to her breasts and she wanted to watch. She grabbed his hat and tossed it onto the chair, enjoying the view of his tongue sweeping out, rolling across her nipple, his mouth hungrily sipping at her, molding her moist, pliable breast with his large, callused hand. She sank her fingers against his scalp as he pulled her succulent flesh deeper into his mouth, tenderly feasting on her. She quaked under him, consumed in his lovemaking on her sensitive body. Her breasts had never been so achy as he circled the swollen tip with his tongue, gently nipping the bud between his teeth, then again suckling until she could do nothing but cling to him like he was her only lifeline against the waves of passion.

Finding his hard length with her exploring touch, she stroked him, smoothed her fingers along the silken skin, rolling her thumb over the plump head moist with pre-cum. His breaths became shallow and ragged, his chest rising and falling rapidly. “Please…undress for me,” she said.

He left her throbbing, swollen breasts and pushed off the bed, practically ripping the wrinkled shirt from his upper body. Several buttons popped and went flying. His erection pressed against his belly, the pearl of cum at the slit glistened in the light from the table lamp. He looked sexier than hell with his smooth, bare chest and open jeans. She watched in full interest as he dropped the shirt to the side, then worked on pushing his jeans off his lean hips, something she’d fantasized of doing the entire day.

Once he was naked, he stood over her, allowing her to get a better view of his strong, muscular body. He skimmed his gaze over the length of her long legs to her curled toes, then back to the V of her thighs where she turned wet under his heated stare. His cock jerked.

“Can I taste you?” she whispered, already sliding to her knees in anticipation.

His eyes widened and his nostrils flared. He grasped his erection as she leaned closer, settling her bottom on the edge of the bed, her legs spread to accommodate his thighs. His hard length was at the perfect level for her undivided attention. He moved his hand and she replaced it with her own, touching his engorged cock that beckoned her to treat herself to a lick. She brazenly circled fingers along his wide girth, drawing him closer to meet her parted lips. His thick juices moistened her lips and she lapped up the salty goodness with a swipe of her tongue, then with a swirl around his velvety head. A deep groan rippled from his throat, the echo of a man who was experiencing great torture under her power. She inhaled his scent—a mixture of spicy cologne, leather, and the musky scent of sex. The smell was a drug, driving her to wrap her lips around him and draw him deep into her mouth—all the way until she couldn’t take any more.

Bracing her hands on his muscular thighs, the crisp, short hairs on his legs tickled her palms. She gripped him, pulled him in deeper, using her tongue and lips in tandem to give him ultimate pleasure. She felt him jerk, the tip of him rubbing the back of her throat. The part of him that wouldn’t fit inside of her mouth, she used her fingers to massage the iron-hard muscle. Working him. Suckling him. Leaving her brand.

She enjoyed teasing him, caressing him with her mouth, sucking him in a rhythmic motion that had his chest rising and falling, matching the fast beats of her heart. She continued to stare up his body, watching the expression changing on his face. His jaw tightened, his teeth clenched and his lips thinned. His fingers were in her hair, entwining the strands around his fists, as he thrust his length into her mouth, but gently as if he knew how large he was. He was unlike the other men who didn’t care if they gagged her, or made her jaws ache. She knew from the start that Roman Jericho, a cowboy from Texas, was different. Exactly what she needed to salve her libido. But only for tonight. She wasn’t looking for a warm body to fill an empty space—especially not a rodeo star. Not a player.

She’d never had a one-night stand before and she planned to suck every little enjoyment out of it that she could get. Roman made her feel wild and unrestricted—beautiful and sensual. She wanted to show him pleasure. She wanted to be as free as the bikini-clad buckle bunnies that brazenly tossed themselves at him.

This was a start…

Sliding one hand around, she clenched his tight bottom—a rider’s bottom. She bet he never stepped into a gym, didn’t have to. Callused hands, tanned skin, muscular physique all spoke of a hard worker on a ranch. She liked rough and tough men who weren’t afraid of taking what he wanted. Her pussy throbbed at the prospects. She walked her fingers to his thigh, then cupped his sac. He jerked and moaned. She increased the speed of her sucking, taking as much of him as she could. He dropped one hand to her back, tenderly rubbing her flesh and muscle, a gentle massage of inspiration. His rough fingers ignited more awareness in her secret places, her inner thighs were moist and tingly. She was burning in the flames of lust.

She pulled her head back, releasing him from her mouth. His cock snapped against his stomach. She smiled and rolled her tongue along her swollen lips. “I could do that all day, cowboy, but I need you to put out my fire.”

One corner of his mouth lifted into a grin that could have knocked her panties off if she was wearing them. Yeah, she knew, without a sliver of doubt, she would find pleasure in every second of this night, and walk away a new woman. A satisfied woman. She was reminded of the women back at the fairgrounds who were giddy over an autographed boob. Pippa wanted Roman’s autograph on her soul.

*****

Roman unsnapped her shorts and slowly eased the denim down her luscious hips, sucking in a breath when he realized she was going commando. The tip of his cock throbbed. Now that she was completely naked, he spread her legs wide, taking in the slick, moist lips of her pussy that glistened with eagerness. He dipped closer, breathing in the deep scent of woman. His mouth salivated as he anticipated sinking his tongue into her pink folds. He wanted to suck her into submission, hear her call his name over and over.

He shifted, placed both his hands on her ass and lifted her. He couldn’t wait to taste. “What do you want, sweetheart?”

“You,” she whimpered.

“Where?” he demanded.

“Inside of me.”

“No, not yet. I want to know you, your taste, your touch, all of you. Do you want that too?”

She shivered under him. “Yes. Taste me, Roman.”

His cock jerked and he bared his teeth. That’s what he wanted to hear. Without another second lost, he plunged his tongue into her sweet delicacy, swirling and licking. He blew on her clit, then kissed it lightly. She jolted, but he caught her with his hands on her hips, taming her bucking to light thrusts. Her juices thickened and he lapped them up, sinking his tongue into her opening to make sure he missed nothing. Her muscles clenched and her deep moans became louder. He heard her fingernails ripping into the sheet as she clung to the bed. She was close… “Come for me, baby.”

Her inner thighs squeezed around his head as she gave one last buck against his face and tongue before she collapsed onto the mattress, spent. But this was only the beginning.

He quickly reached inside of his billfold, grabbed the square packet and ripped it open with his teeth. He slipped the protection onto his cock in record speed and was between her thighs. “I want to sink my body into yours.”

“I want that too. Now.” Her eyes were glazed and her nostrils were flared. His breaths were uneven as he found her opening, positioning himself to sink deep. “Yes, Roman. Take me. Hard and fast,” she demanded.

Her juices soaked his thigh and he couldn’t wait another second. He rammed himself within her sweet body and she squeezed him like a new leather glove. He moaned as he buried himself inside her and she lifted her hips to give him full access to every delicate inch of her. Her tight passage almost sent him over the edge. “I’ve gotta slow down. Make this last. You’re just so damn good—feel so good.”

After he gained more control, he started moving again, caressing her opening with his cock, feeling her clench him with her muscles. “Do you like it a little rough?”

“Yes. Give it all to me, Roman.”

He obeyed. He slid his fingers in her hair, tugging not to hurt her, but to use her as leverage as he pumped hard in and out. He pulled completely out, then rammed her again, each time, each stroke, he managed to sink deeper.

She spread her legs wider, sinking her heels into his back, and the friction almost made it impossible to last. He found every last drop of control as she grew hotter. He slid his fingers from her hair, slipped one hand between their sweat-slick bodies, and found her clit, rubbing the swollen bead, matching the thrusts of his cock.

“Yes! Yes!” she yelled the words as passion flowed between them like an ocean of honey. His mind spun, but then it stopped and he slowly drifted into the hands of glorious paradise.

Her pussy tightened and her cries of release shattered the silence. He slammed his hips against her, pressing his body to hers as together they allowed human nature to propel them into sweet erotic bliss.