Send Me a Cowboy (8 page)

He shifted her in his arms until her head lay
on his right shoulder, her dark hair cascading over his arm. She
looked sexy and wild. She looked like a woman who’d needed to be
loved. His hand pushed her knees apart, giving him access to her
body. “I’ll make it better, sweetheart.”

“John.” Kate gave a token protest.

He knew she wanted him. Was she stubborn
enough to deny them both? He smiled but his hand kept moving up the
soft fabric that covered her thigh. The waistband of her pajama
pants was drawn tight with a ribbon. He untied it slowly, enjoying
every sensation. God, she was so soft. Her stomach wasn’t flat or
model perfect. It held a roundness that called to everything male
inside him. He trailed his fingers down her middle until he reached
her hidden treasures. “Tell me you don’t want this and I’ll
stop.”

“I can’t.” Her legs fell slightly open,
giving him unspoken permission to continue.

John’s hands roamed over her slowly,
reverently. He loved a woman with curves. Katie was soft and
feminine the way a woman should be. And she felt like home.
Something he’d missed for the last twelve years. His grandfather
had told him he’d been born with an old soul, but lately he’d
started feeling the weight of the years, of the responsibility. He
wanted someone to share his life. Someone to love.

And Katie Lenard was that woman. Most of his
acquaintances would think him an absolute idiot for falling under a
woman’s spell so quickly. But John had always been an instinctive
person who usually made the right decision the first time. He’d
known from the beginning that Katie Lenard would be his forever.
He’d just fought it. And he’d done such a good job he’d driven her
away.

Now he had to convince her she belonged to
him. Always.

He bit her lower lip gently then soothed it
with his tongue as he eased his fingers under the waistband of her
bottoms.

“No, no, we can’t do this again.” She pushed
against his shoulders.

Slowly it seemed to get through to him that
she was saying no. He withdrew his hand and leaned back. “You
wanted me Katie.” His breath was harsh and ragged. “You still do,
damn you.”

“I don’t.” She shook her head. Seeing the
anger in his face she relented. “You’re right. I do, but that’s not
all I want. Please let me up.”

He still had a grip on her shoulders, holding
her to him. He let his arm drop to his side but made no move to
help her from his lap. If she wanted to leave him, she could damn
well do it on her own.

Katie thought John looked impossibly
arrogant. He still wore his leather jacket and his once neatly
combed hair was rumpled from her fingers. She hadn’t even realized
that she’d ran her fingers through the dark locks as he kissed her,
so lost had she been in the sensation of his touch. No doubt her
mouth looked as swollen as his from the intensity of their kisses.
She knew if she hadn’t called a halt, she’d be lying beneath him
right now feeling the surge of his body as he brought them both the
most intense pleasure that she’d ever known. She went to move, but
his arm came back around her.

“What I said to you on the ranch was uncalled
for.”

She laid one hand on his chest, keeping him
at a distance. “Yes, it was.”

“My only excuse is that I’ve never had these
feelings before. You exasperate the hell out of me, woman.” He ran
a frustrated hand through his already disheveled hair. “I should
never have let you leave the ranch that night. I should have tied
you back to the bed and kept you there until you told me the
truth.”

Katie blushed as she remembered the one night
they’d shared together. To say John was a demanding lover was the
understatement of the year.

“I was just so jealous. Crazy with it.” He
laughed harshly. “I thought you’d gone from me to him.” His hand
was faintly unsteady as he pushed back her hair. “I’d never felt
the urge to deck a man as strongly as I did James. My own
brother.”

He sighed and placed a quick kiss on her
parted lips. “Not only did I distrust you, I thought my brother had
betrayed me as well.”

Katie sighed, feeling the coldness in her
chest warming a little. “You believed what you needed to
believe.”

“Come again?”

“You weren’t ready.”

“You’re probably right. But after that night
in your arms I felt ready to take on the world, Katie.” He pulled
her closer, his arms like steel bands, holding her tight. “I was
scared. Scared you wouldn’t love me the way I loved you. Scared it
happened so quickly. One minute I was on the phone closing a deal
on a bull and the next you walk in looking so damn sexy in that
little green skirt, I thought I’d explode just from the sight of
you.”

His lips found hers in a kiss that was dark
and hungry and passionate. Yet it was so gentle and touching, it
melted her heart.

“How do you suppose we get to know each other
better, Katie-cat?”

“Well, we could do more of this.” Her sharp
teeth nipped his earlobe then suckled gently, soothingly, eliciting
a deep-throated grown.

“More of this?” he questioned as his hand
moved to cup her breast.

Her breath hitched at his warm touch. “Yeah,
more of that.”

He eased his hand across her stomach. He
moved it lower. “And this?”

“Oh, yeah,” she groaned huskily, “lots more
of that.”

Those were the last words they spoke as he
proceeded to show her just how much he loved her.

*****

Valentine’s Day was cold and snowy but Katie
didn’t care. She had a boyfriend for Valentine’s Day. Not just a
boyfriend, she had a cowboy. She giggled and hugged the knowledge
to herself as she made her way to Jessica’s office. They were going
to the cafeteria for lunch. Many of the desks she passed already
sported large bouquets of roses and heart shaped boxes of candy.
Again, Katie didn’t care. It would be nice if John sent her
flowers, but she wasn’t expecting it. They were going to have
dinner at her apartment. She was cooking pasta. Quick, simple, with
easy clean up. Because she wanted to get to the dessert quickly.
There would be no chocolate mousse or flaming Baked Alaska in a
fancy restaurant. No her dessert would be John spread across her
silk comforter—a smorgasbord of male delight.

She couldn’t wait.

“Are you ready for lunch?”

Jessica sat behind her desk, her cell phone
in her hand. She was rapidly texting. Katie sighed. Jessica and her
phone were rarely parted for long.

“Come on, already,” she pleaded when the
other woman held up her hand indicating she would be just a minute
more.

Katie walked to the window and looked out
over the city. The snow was continuing to fall and she hoped that
wouldn’t hider John from showing up tonight. She loved John more
and more every day. Even though it had been only a little less than
a month since they’d met, she knew he was the man for her.

“Okay, all done,” Jessica said, coming to her
feet. “What are you doing over there? Let’s go.”

Katie rolled her eyes and followed her sassy
friend from the office.

As they passed through the department, Katie
suddenly noticed no one was at their desks. While it was lunch
time, many employees chose to eat at their desk or work through
lunch so they could leave a few minutes early. The silence was
almost scary.

The cafeteria was several floors down and the
women took the elevator even though Katie knew she should be taking
the stairs. While John said he loved her, curves and all, she knew
she needed to eat healthier and exercise more. Not because she
needed to lose weight, but because she wanted to stay healthy and
be around for a long, long time.

“So what are you having today?” Jessica asked
as they neared the cafeteria doors.

“Maybe a salad?”

Jessica laughed.

“What’s so funny? I can eat a salad if I want
to.”

Jessica stopped at the door, one hand on the
large stainless steel handle. “I think tomorrow might be the day
you’ll want a salad. We’re having a special lunch today. Prime rib
with all the fixings.”

“Oh, is that why there was no one at their
desk?”

Jessica laughed. “Yeah, that’s why.”

She opened the door and ushered Katie
inside.

After a few steps Katie came to a dead stop.
The lights were dimmed and the room was decorated like a movie set.
Hearts in all different sizes hung from the ceiling and more lined
the entire perimeter of the room. Their colors ranged from the
palest of pinks to the darkest red. Some were covered in glitter
while others were made from silk and satin. Each one was more
beautiful than the last.

The middle of the cafeteria was empty, the
tables having been swept to the side. Each was dressed with a white
tablecloth, an arrangement of colorful flowers and heart shaped
candles. Fog-like smoke rose from the floor, giving the whole room
a magical, other-worldly quality.

“What in the world?” Katie spun around to
question her friend.

“Jessica told me how you felt about
Valentine’s Day, Katie-cat. I want to make this Valentine’s Day
extra special.”

John stood behind her dressed in a dark gray
suit. Jessica stood by the door, a huge smile on her face. Now that
Katie’s eyes had adjusted to the light, she saw most of her
co-workers were huddled in the back of the room on either side of
Jessica.

“What are you doing?”

He stepped toward her, seeming to float
across the floor, a bouquet of at least two dozen red roses and a
shiny heart shaped box of candy in his hands. She had to be
dreaming. He cleared his throat as though suddenly nervous. A
smiling Jessica stepped forward and took the flowers and candy.
Katie’s hand flew to her mouth when John dropped to one knee. A
small red velvet box appeared in one hand. He opened it slowly.

“Will you do me the honor of becoming my
wife, Ms. Katie Lenard? And allowing me to spend the rest of my
life showing you how much I love you?”

“Oh, John,” Katie whispered as tears flowed
from her eyes.

He took her trembling hand in his and slid
the diamond solitaire on her finger, placing a lingering kiss there
before looking up at her.

“I’m taking that as a yes, sweetheart.” He
rose and took her in his arms. “Happy Valentine’s Day,
Katie-cat.”

Tears of pure joy streamed down Katie’s face
as her friends and co-workers cheered loudly. Everything was
beautiful. She had everything she’d ever wished for. Flowers,
candy, a diamond ring. But she held the best gift of all in her
arms. Putting her mouth next to his ear, she whispered, “Happy
Valentine’s Day, cowboy.”

Thank you for purchasing a book by Joann
Baker and Patricia Mason. We believe in happy endings and more
importantly happily-ever-afters. Our heroes are alpha males through
and through – cowboys or princes, lawmen or outlaws, corporate
executives or blue collar mechanics – when they meet the “one”
they’ll stop at nothing to have her. Our heroines are never
Barbie-doll-perfect but they are always beautiful on the inside.
Shy, awkward, plain, plus-sized – they have one thing in common,
the ability to bring a man to his knees.

If you enjoyed
Send Me a Cowboy
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word out to others who enjoy reading good old-fashioned romances
(with a little heat sometimes). We’d love to hear from you. Please
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