Second Chance Cowboy (8 page)

Drifting her gaze over him, he looked
sexy in his green button-down shirt, sleeves rolled up his muscular
arms, worn jeans--so worn she could see the bulge behind his
zipper. How could one man have so much sex appeal? A man with
calluses on his hands may turn some women off, but to her, he was a
man above all men. The rough skin of his palms was heavenly against
her skin. She had never tired of their long nights, exploring one
another, trying new positions.

“
How about we have awesome
make-up sex?” She slid the tips of her fingers over the back of his
hand.

Ring.

She glanced at his
cellphone.

Carly waited. Would he answer? Her
mind repeated in silent hope, “Don’t answer the phone. Don’t answer
the phone. Don’t answer the phone”.

He answered it.

Her stomach dropped and the heat in
her loins cooled.

She half-listened to his rushed
conversation. Water...pipes...prices. All she could think about was
sex...sex...and more sex.

What had come over her? When had she
ever been so needy? So horny? She should feel a sense of shame, but
instead she wanted to rip off Chance’s clothes and claim her man.
She knew how he liked it, where he liked it, and she could almost
taste the fervor.

Hearing him chuckle, she watched him,
but he turned his back to her.

With his distant behavior, she had to
take matters into her own hands. She couldn’t remember a time when
Chance had walked away from her for any reason when she so
blatantly threw herself at him.

Carly ignored his conversation and
stared at the black framed picture hanging on the wall by the door.
A feeling of raw emotion rippled through her.

In the photo, she was standing in
front of Chance, his arms were wrapped around her shoulders, and he
was kissing her cheek. They were smiling, and happy,
and...

Her mind came to a sudden standstill.
She couldn’t finish her thought. Were they celebrating? Her mind
fabricated unclear images of balloons and cake and people
surrounding them.

Bringing her fingers to her temples,
she pressed. She tried to force her brain to function. She wanted
to remember, but her mind went blank.

Chapter Seven

CHANCE HUNG UP the phone and looked at
Carly. She stared up at the picture taken during a celebration
party.

He wondered what was going through her
mind. Did the photo bring back any memory of that wonderful day? He
wanted to ask, but he didn’t know how without pushing.

“
This is my favorite
picture. Look how beautiful and carefree your smile is,” he said
the words and emotion clogged his chest.

“
Tell me the events of that
day, Chance. Help me remember.”

He wished she’d memorize the happier
times. She could barely contain herself that day while she had
divulged the news that she was pregnant. “It was your father’s
birthday and we had a small party with friends and family here. We
were ecstatic. We had news—”

“
I recall the feeling of
happiness.” She turned and caught him with a smile.

“
You do?” He flipped up a
brow.

She nodded. Her smile grew wider. “You
told everybody you bought three-hundred acres of neighboring land
from Mr. Dates and planned to buy another four-hundred head of
cattle.”

His heart clenched. He’d forgotten
that. He opened his mouth to explain further, but she cut him
off.

“
Is work taken care of
now?”

“
I’m sorry, Carly. Duke
needed to speak to me regarding the irrigation system. He’s working
late tonight.”

She hooked him with an intense blue
gaze and a luscious pout. He sucked in a deep breath. He knew the
look well. She was inviting him to have his way with
her.

Sweat beaded on his upper lip.
Hestiffened and adjusted his fly.

Message received.

“
Shall I beg for your
forgiveness for taking the call?” Chance wasn’t the groveling type,
but he realized he’d be willing to go to great lengths to please
her.

“
You won’t get off so
easy.” She shook a finger teasingly.

“
Oh yeah? You know I never
liked it easy.” He enjoyed the verbal foreplay. The old Carly, the
one he couldn’t keep his hands off, looked up at him in
challenge.

“
I have a problem—a big
one. And it seems you have one too.” Her eyes dropped to the zipper
of his jeans. He knew he bulged and his erection threatened to pop
a seam or two. “I don’t think those Wranglers can take much more
pressure.” She chuckled and the raspy tone sent a shiver down his
spine.

“
What’s it going to take,
sweetheart?” He forced the words through his tight
throat.

“
The last time we did it on
the desk I wore those slinky red stilettos you love and nothing
else but a smile.” A slow, sweet smile curved her pink
lips.

“
You’re making an offer
that’s hard to refuse.”

“
So don’t.” Her tone fit
the allure in her gaze.

And the phone rang again.

“
Hell. Damn technology.” He
raked his hand through his hair.

Carly threw up her hands in
frustration. He wanted to apologize again, but before he could, she
turned and marched out of his office.

Fifteen minutes later and off the
phone, Chance went in search of Carly and found her on the patio.
The evening sky was dark. The strings of globe lights surrounding
the outdoor space were aglow and a row of lit candles twinkled from
the table. Carly sat in a lounge chair close to the rose
trellis.

Her eyes were closed, her cheek was
pressed against the cushion and her bare feet were tucked
underneath her bottom. She looked in deep thought, or
asleep.

He should never have answered the
call.
To hell with responsibility.

Before the interruption, he’d been
determined to give in to the deep need surging through his veins.
She made him hot enough to come in his jeans and he’d held back. He
hadn’t been this needy since he first met her.

His excuse was the beautiful woman
before him, who not only held his heart in her hand, but also
reminded him of how good life was for them, in and out of
bed.

He needed to think clearly. His dick
couldn’t occupy the driver’s seat.

But was he strong enough to deny the
intense yearning? Should he admit defeat and give in to his
desire?

“
Carly?” he said in a soft
voice. If she slept, he didn’t want to wake her. He glanced over
her soft features and his gut clenched. He could stand there the
entire evening watching her.

She barely lifted an eyelid. She
didn’t say anything, but shot him with a look that ripped through
him. Did he have a bull’s-eye on his forehead?

“
How about
dinner?”

“
Sure,” she answered
softly.

“
I’ll be back. Don’t go
anywhere.” He shifted slightly from one boot to the other like an
anxious kid. A part of him wanted to drop down on one knee in front
of her and confess his eternal love. Tell her he didn’t want to
lose her again.

Damn, when had he gotten so
sappy?

An hour later, Carly pushed her empty
plate away and dropped a hand to her stomach. “If Thelma’s plan is
to put weight on me, it’s working. I think I gained five pounds in
eating the chicken alone.”

“
Thelma’s specialty,”
Chance said, feeling his own weight gain. Thelma could lay out the
dinner table with delicious, homemade goodness. Tonight’s meal of
fried chicken, cornbread, green beans and chocolate mousse pie was
a spread fit for Thanksgiving. Was she reminding Carly and Chance
of the many things they should be thankful for? Chance knew Carly
watched him. He didn’t look her way as he relaxed into the
cushioned patio chair, hooking his feet at the ankles. “She ain’t
happy unless she’s got someone to feed and mother. She’s like a
mama cat that lost her kittens.”

“
What would we do without
her? We’d get sick of my two specialties, mac-n-cheese and hot
dogs.”

“
Starve.” He had learned
the hard way that Carly couldn’t cook. “I still have the burnt
lasagna taste scorched in my brain and an ulcer in my mouth from
the Chicken Piccata you made for the first time.”

“
You better watch yourself,
mister. I may have to give Thelma a week off.”

“
We’d think of something to
do to ease the hunger,” he teased.

They laughed, but the moment quickly
passed.

She sighed. “Ok, Chance, let’s have a
talk. Is there something going on with the ranch and you’re not
telling me? Or is it me?” She toyed with one silver hoop earring.
“I know I won’t win any beauty contests with these bruises, but am
I so hideous?”

“
Sweetheart, you could have
warts on your face, the front row of your teeth missing, and a bald
head and you’d still be the best looking thing this side of
Texas.”

“
You’re a bad liar, and
have a biased viewpoint. I guess it’s the thought that counts. Then
is it the ranch?”

He shrugged and scratched his cheek.
“Same everyday issues. We hired on some new hands, repairing this
water irrigation system has cost us a fortune and one of the new
horses is sick.”

While they were married and Carly
lived at the Swift Wind, he never discussed ranch details with her.
She never seemed interested. Harry had told him she’d become quite
the businessperson at the McAllister Ranch.

“
Why don’t you let me give
Leslie Bakerfield a call? Father hired her on for the McAllister
stables and he says she’s amazing with the horses. You know, Doc
Sheffield, although good in his time, needs to retire. He refuses
to wear his glasses most of the time, and nine times out of ten, he
mistakes the horse’s head for its rear.”

Shit. Big
problem.

“
You’re right, Doc
Sheffield is too old.”
Not to mention dead and buried from heart
failure two years ago.
“I’ve already hired Leslie.”

* * * *

Carly stared, confused. Had she
forgotten Doc Sheffield no longer came out to the Swift Wind? Or
did this change happen recently and Chance hadn’t told
her?

She certainly couldn’t remember him
telling her he’d hired Leslie Bakerfield.

Something else caught her attention,
possibly the bigger issue. Why did he call Dr. Bakerfield
Leslie
? The vet had only lived in Shelby for three years and
his acquaintance with her was minimal, not enough to be on
first-name basis.

Chance using the woman’s first name
held a certain amount of friendliness, or rather, intimacy, which
didn’t settle well at the pit of her stomach.

Now who was jealous? Her own words
bounced back. She could trust Chance. He’d never stray. She knew
that.

She waved off the silly
thought.

“
I’m sure she’ll work out
fine.” Carly got up and went to him. “You look tired, Chance.” She
touched his cheek, sliding along the warm skin, and dipping across
his prominent jawline.

“
What’s new, right?” His
husky voice trailed up her spine.

Dropping down onto his lap, she
nestled her bottom in the spoon shape of his hips. When she placed
her palms on each side of his face, his muscles tightened. His eyes
turned a shade darker, reflecting inner turmoil.

“
I’m putting a stop to
this, Chance. You are going to learn to trust the hired men to do
their jobs. You employ them for a reason, now let them prove to you
they are worthy of your confidence. I refuse to allow the man I
love to work himself to an early grave like his father did. I want
my husband back. Got it?”

He didn’t answer.

Snuggling her cheek to his chest, she
played with the top button of his shirt. She slid her finger into
the opening and touched the splattering of crisp hair. His heart
beat fast and strong, she found herself following its pattern.
Thumpity-thump, thumpity-thump, thumpity-thump.

A memory flashed through her
mind…hospital monitors beeping wildly, wires everywhere, a
suffocating feeling. A sensation so overwhelming, it shook her to
the core. She grasped the material of Chance’s shirt in her fist
and her eyes swelled with tears.

“
Carly?” His hands clutched
her shoulders.

She brought her fingers to her lips
for a lingering moment then dropped them back into her lap. “I’m
fine. My mind is tired.” She tugged her lips into a smile. “I have
you and everything will be okay, right, Chance?”

Why did she suddenly need his
reassurance?

Chapter Eight

WHAT WAS GOING on?

Chance’s mind wasn’t functioning, not
with her sitting on his lap and his cock tucked between her thighs.
His body turned stiff as a board. How did she expect him to think
and to answer logically?