The Cowboys Heart: 3 (7 page)

F
or a fleeting moment, I wondered where that
condom had come from. I don’t generally stash them anywhere, so I just assumed
he must’ve had it and set it there when he got undressed. It didn’t really
matter. I would’ve done this with or without protection. My heart raced as I
watched him put the condom on, and if I wasn’t mistaken, his hands were
shaking. I’d driven him to the edge of the cliff, and he was fighting for
control just like I was. He once again settled between my legs, his body
arched, and his lips working feverishly against mine. Despite the frantic
nature of his kiss, he was taking his time, savoring every second we had
together and making sure I did, too. And then I felt it. The slow stretch, the
pleasurable burn as he entered me. I seemed to easily forget how large he was.
I cried out, my fingers clutching at his arms.

“My God,” he groaned, drawing out each word as he pushed
further and further into me. “So tight.”

My breath hitched as he filled me to capacity. It amazed me
my body was capable of this, and even more so that Hudson seemed to be fighting
to adjust to the sensations of our bodies joining like they were. “Kiss me.”

I could’ve sworn I heard him make a snarl like sound before
pressing his mouth to mine. It was rather cute in an alpha male sort of way. I
hooked my feet under his butt, afraid he might decide to spontaneously get up
and leave me there. But he wasn’t moving, at all, and that drove me insane.
It’s like he’d completely froze, afraid to move or he’d forgotten how. It was a
certain sort of erotic torture and I wasn’t sure I liked it.

“Hudson, please.” I lifted my hips in a pathetic attempt to
get him to make love to me, but he grabbed my hip and pinned me to the bed.

“Easy.” Finally, he moved, withdrawing slowly and thrusting
back in just as slow. “If I go too fast, I’m going to lose it, baby.”

He kept his rhythm steady, controlled. That alone was enough
to make me see stars, but the sounds of his moans took me to an entirely new
level. His mouth was everywhere–on my lips, on my neck, on my breasts, back on
my lips. I could barely keep up, as I’d never been with a man who was so
concerned with my pleasure before. It was just like all the other times we’d
made love, except this time was a lot slower, a lot more meaningful. We had a
lot of lost time to make up for, a lot of apologies to make.

“I need more,” I whimpered, unashamed.

Holy crap, did he give it to me, too. I shouldn’t have
asked. Man, he was hard.
Fast. Frenzied. Sounds of our flesh coming
together repeatedly were a chorus to our moans. His name fell from my lips in a
wailing chant that got progressively louder. I knew I should be quieter, but I
couldn’t help myself. He felt too good, made me feel too good. The room started
to spin again, and my vision clouded. Release was seconds away, and I was racing
toward it, clinging to the relief I knew wasn’t too far away.

But before I could get there, Hudson wrapped his arms around
me and rolled us over so I was on top. I let out a surprised yelp, and he
laughed before his expression turned serious again, his eyes wolfish with
hunger. He clutched my waist. “Ride me, Heather,” he said.

That small command held enough power to almost make me lose
my mind. “Ah, God, Hudson.” I dug my fingers against his chest, allowing my
body to readjust to him.

It wasn’t possible, but it felt like he was even bigger now
than he’d been just a moment ago. I rotated my body on his, driving him as deep
into me as possible. The sharp pain of him filling me was dulled by the
incredible pleasure of his length throbbing and pulsing against my sensitive
inner walls. I flung my head back, closed my eyes, and bore down on him. No
matter how close we were, how deep he was, it wasn’t enough. I didn’t think it
would ever be enough. I craved him like an addict craved drugs, and the only
thing that kept me grounded was the knowledge that Hudson wasn’t going
anywhere. I knew, deep down in my heart and soul, he was mine forever. Every
touch and kiss he gave me only proved that. He sat up, bringing our bodies
flush, and I wrapped my legs around his back and my arms around his neck.

“You feel so good, baby.” He scraped his teeth along the
column of my neck. I trembled, and he held onto me tighter. “I can’t get
enough,” he panted, holding me down on him. If we pressed our bodies any
closer, I’d lose track of where he ended and I started. It was mind blowing to
be so close to another person like this.

Then I began to rock on his lap. My movements were slow but
self-assured. When he moaned so loud I was afraid it would wake Jamie, my
entire world exploded and melted, and the only thing that remained was me and
him, our bodies, hearts and souls becoming one. He took my face into his hands
and kissed me, his tongue matching the rhythm of my body. It amazed me how he
could do that. I never wanted this night to end.

“Hudson.” I bit down on his bottom lip, quite hard, by
accident. I pulled away and looked at him, ready for him to say something about
how I’d hurt him, but he seemed to barely notice. Maybe that was because he was
too focused on the way I was tightening around him, coaxing him into crashing
over the edge with me. I couldn’t survive another almost orgasm. If he didn’t
let me come this time, I’d go crazy.

“Heather, baby, please, slow down. I don’t—”

“I can’t,” I whimpered, “I’m gonna come, Hudson.” Everything
felt like it was in slow motion, and it felt like my words were slurred. My
face was numb, by body tensed and ready for what I was sure would be the single
best orgasm of my entire life.

We’d both waited so long for this moment, for the second when
we both gave ourselves to each other so completely. As much as I’d love to
prolong this, to ride the pleasure he gave, I just couldn’t do it. My body
wouldn’t allow it. We both needed to get off, and then we could spend the rest
of the night making love, slowly, the way Hudson wanted to. He tightened his
arms around me, bringing his hands up to curl over my shoulders and hold me
down on him while he thrust up into me. It was like a hard jolt of ecstasy that
made me scream. Then I cried his name, my forehead dropping to his shoulder, my
moans low and needy and for him alone. And he returned the gesture, his moans
deep and insistent at my ear.

I loved the way, even in the midst of an orgasm, he was so
genuine. He wasn’t moaning just for the sake of making noise, like it was some
sort of statement about how great he was; but he was doing it because he meant
it, because he was taking just as much pleasure from me as I was from him.
Neither of us needed the world to know how great it was. All we needed was each
other, and that was like a natural aphrodisiac.

Hudson held me as I came, my body trembling from the force
of it, my breath hot and ragged against his skin, and then I felt him let
himself go, too. I could feel him swell inside of me moments before his body
jerked as he came harder than I’d ever felt him come before, and then he hugged
me, burying his face in my hair.

I blew out a shaky breath and clung to him, afraid to let
him go. I placed feather light kisses across his shoulder, and he closed his eyes,
sighing. “You’re amazing,” he said, his voice tinged with a post coital haze.

I smiled against his neck and nodded. “So are you.”

He chuckled and hugged me even tighter. “I’m never going to
let you go, Heather.”

His words melted my heart. I pulled away slightly and looked
him in the eyes. “Promise?”

“On my life,” he said without hesitation.

I bit on my bottom lip and nodded again. My heart was like a
freight train in my chest, threatening to burst free. “Then ask me again.”

He tilted his head to the side and gave me a confused look.
“What?”

“To marry you. I want you to ask me again,” I said, hoping
my voice was a lot stronger than my resolve. If he said no, I wasn’t sure how
I’d handle it. I couldn’t bear the thought of not being his wife.

Hudson smiled and lifted me off him. Then he got out of bed.
I swallowed back the urge to cry, to grab hold of him and beg him not to leave.
But I sat on the bed, frozen, afraid any movement would send him running faster
than he already was. Tears burned the back of my throat, and I coughed in an
effort to keep them at bay.

He grabbed his boxers from the floor and pulled them on. I
watched, wide eyed, waiting for him to grab his jeans, too. But he didn’t.
Instead, he dragged a hand through his hair and blew out a breath. “I can’t,”
he said softly.

I swear my heart fell out of my chest and shattered all over
the floor. “Oh…okay, well, I just…”

“Heather,” he said sternly as if he could read my thoughts.
I never did have a very good poker face. I’m sure my emotions were playing
across my face like a movie. “It’s not that I don’t want to ask you again. I
do. Believe me, I do. But I don’t have the ring with me.”

The relief that washed through me was all consuming. I
kneeled on the bed and reached for him. He sat on the edge of the bed, and I
kneeled behind him, wrapping my arms around him from behind. “I don’t care
about the ring, Hudson. That’s not what’s important.”

He twisted around to look at me. “I know it’s not, but I had
this whole romantic evening planned for you, and I wanted it to be absolutely
perfect. Then Jamie went missing and everything with your ex.” He dragged his
hand through his hair again. I could tell he was agitated and conflicted on
what to do. I hated the thought of pushing him to do something he didn’t want
to do, but I couldn’t bear the thought of prolonging our future any longer.

“And I’m sure it would have been perfect, but now is
perfect, too.” I came around to sit beside him and took his hands into mine. “I
love you, Hudson, and all I want is to be with you. I don’t care how you ask
me.” I smiled, hoping he could see how important this was to me.

Sighing, he nodded. Then he got off the bed and kneeled in
front of me. He took my left hand into his, caressing it with his thumb. His
gaze was trained on my hand as if he were trying to gather the courage to ask
or trying to find the right words. I was much too impatient and had to bite the
inside of my cheek to stop from rushing him.

Finally, he looked up at me. His eyes were soft and caring.
“I thank God every day that you were brought into my life, and I’d be a damned
fool to ignore what fate has given me. I love you, Heather, more than anything
else in this world, and I want to have a future with you. I want to wake up
with you every morning; I want to be your partner through everything.” He took
a deep breath, and I realized I was holding mine. “Will you marry me?”

And there they were – the four little words I’d longed to
hear since the first time he’d asked them. I knew what the answer was. I’d known
before he ever asked me, but I figured since he made me practically beg him to
ask, I was going to have some fun getting even. I sighed, pulled my hand from
his.

“I don’t know, Hudson. This is a big step. We haven’t been
together all that long and there’s Jamie to think about…” I looked at the
shocked expression on his face, the way his jaw hung open in disbelief. I
couldn’t help myself any longer, and I laughed. When he narrowed his eyes and
pursed his lips, I laughed even harder.

“Oh, you’re gonna get it,” he said playfully. He pushed me
down on the bed and brought his body over mine, effectively pinning me beneath
him. “I’m not letting you up until you answer me.” His eyes sparkled with
affection.

“Really, Hudson, if you want an answer, you’re going to have
to come up with a punishment that I don’t find tempting.”

With that, he began to tickle my neck and ribs. I laughed
and kicked and squealed, but there was no getting away from him. He silenced me
by kissing me deeply, and just like that, we’d gone from goofing around to
fireworks exploding between us. When he finally released my lips, I gasped for
breath.

“Well?” he asked, raising a brow in that way he always did
when he was challenging me.

“Yes,” I whispered. “I would love to be your wife, Hudson.”
I reached up and caressed his face, and he leaned into my touch. “I love you so
much.” He kissed me again, and I knew my future was secure. He was the type of
that would devote his life to making me and Jamie happy, and that was more than
I could have ever asked for.

“You’ve made me the happiest man in the world, Heather. You
have no idea.”

I smiled against his lips. “I have a pretty good idea.”

He laughed and wrapped me up in his arms. For the first time
in a long time, I felt at peace, like I’d found a home and a life that was
truly, once and for all, mine.

The End

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(Excerpt)
Loving The Bull
Rider

by

Helen Evans

Chapter One

Dinner Guest

I
distractedly chewed my food, my attention too
focused on the novel I was reading to notice much of anything else around me.
Although the sterile, cool air of the hospital caused goose bumps on my arms,
which was hard to ignore, or maybe that was a result of the place I was at in
my book. The heroine was moments away from certain death, but the hero was
right outside the door, ready to barge in and rescues her. I sighed.

If only my life were a romance novel. I could get out of
this small town, away from the monotony of my job, and the loneliness of my
bed. Of course, I’d have to leave my family, but that would be a small price to
pay for some excitement in my life. I took another bite of my turkey sandwich,
and then set it down on the cellophane wrapping it had come in. I flipped
through the pages faster, wanting to witness the heartfelt reunion between the
two main characters when the hospital’s intercom buzzed.

“Nurse Montgomery to the ER. Nurse Montgomery to the ER.”

So much for having a peaceful lunch break. I really should
stop expecting the luxury of finishing a meal in this place. I gathered my
trash and tossed it into the garbage can on my way out of the cafeteria. As I
stood waiting for the elevator, I seriously considered what my life would be
like if I were to leave this town. I’d been born and raised here in this small
town of Onalaska, Georgia. But the town was dwindling, people were leaving,
factories were closing, jobs were being lost. Don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful
everyday for the things I have, but I can’t help but wonder if there isn’t more
out there.

The elevator dinged, and I stepped inside the crowded car.
There were a couple of nurses who were new to the staff. They gave me polite
smiles and carried on with their private conversation as if I weren’t even
there. I stared at the glowing numbers as they slowly ticked down, until they
finally stopped on the first floor.

“This is me,” I mumbled as I stepped out into the ER. “You
paged me?” I said to Claire, the secretary on duty.

“Oh, hey Rebecca. Doctor Masters is looking for you. He’s in
the fourth exam room on the left.”

“Thanks,” I said, as I headed back toward the hallway of
exam rooms. I wasn’t all that surprised Doctor Masters paged me specifically.
We worked well together, and I was one of the few nurses who could handle his
brusque, no-nonsense attitude.

I carefully pulled open the curtain and peeked inside. “You
asked for me, Doctor Masters?”

“Yes. Come in.”

Stepping inside, I pulled the curtain closed to protect the
patient’s privacy, and went to stand beside the doctor.

“What do we have today?” He said. There was a young boy
lying on the table, face pale and clammy, eyes closed.

“Broken ankle. It needs to be set, and I need your help,”
Doctor Masters said as he moved around the bed. “He’s already been given a mild
sedative and some pain medication. I had to send his parents back to the
waiting room. His mother was inconsolable.”

I nodded. I would’ve preferred to have been able to speak to
the patient directly, but he was clearly out as a result of the sedative. It
was for the best. Setting a bone was painful, and not something any child
should have to be conscious enough to experience. “What’s his name?” I asked.

“Billy Jenkins.”

The Jenkins boy. I should’ve known. His family had lived on
my street for almost three years now. I smoothed the hair from his forehead and
leaned closer. “It’s okay, Billy. It’s me, Rebecca. I’m going to be right here
the entire time, okay?”

I knew he couldn’t answer me, and I doubted he could even
hear me, but I was a firm believer that a kind voice during a trauma like this
was helpful. Other nurses and even a majority of the doctors thought I wasted
my time, but I didn’t care. In my mind, I was helping and that’s all that
mattered to me.

“Are you ready?” Doctor Masters asked.

“Yes,” I leaned over the boy’s body in an effort to keep him
still in the off chance he jerked involuntarily while having his ankle set. It
wouldn’t be the first time it happened.

I closed my eyes and tried to prepare myself for the
unmistakable sound of the bones being cracked and set back into place. I heard
Doctor Masters quietly count to three, and then I cringed. No matter how many
times I did this, I would never get comfortable with that sound. It always
reminded me of the time I’d fallen off my grandfather’s horse and broke my leg.
I swore the sound of it had been worse than the pain itself.

“All right, let’s get this foot into a cast before he
wakes.”

“Ok,” I responded. I once again smoothed the hair from the
little boys face and smiled. There didn’t appear to be any signs of distress on
his face, and I was thankful for that. “Would you like me to let his parents
know things went well?” I asked.

“Yes, that would be great,” he said, scribbling on the boy’s
chart, not bothering to look up from it. “Have me paged as soon as you get that
cast on, and I’ll give his family discharge instructions.”

“Okay,” I told the Doctor. I scurried out of the room to
gather the supplies for a cast, including another set of hands. Thankfully, I
only had an hour left of my shift. It had been calm compared to some nights,
but still, I was exhausted. It would be heaven to get home and climb into my
bed.

***

I pulled into my driveway and shut
off my car, but not before I saw the silhouette of someone sitting on my porch.
My heart leapt into my throat. I rarely had visitors, and I never had them at
this late an hour. I turned my headlights back on to get a better look at who
was lurking, but it didn’t do much to help. So, I rolled down my window and
stuck my head out.

“Hello, can I help you?” I asked nervously.

“For God’s sake, Becca. It’s only me,” a familiar voice shot
back.

“Michelle?” I breathed a sigh of relief and got out of the
car. What was my sister doing here? Better yet, why was she on my porch like
this? “Why didn’t you use your key?” I asked as I climbed the steps up to the
porch.

“I lost it,” she said.

I frowned. She lost my house key? That was comforting. I
made a mental note to have my locks changed.

“Please don’t look at me like that,” Michelle said, standing
and following me inside. “It’s probably somewhere in all my boxes.”

Right. She was in the process of moving. I’d forgotten.
“How’s that going anyway?” I asked as I kicked off my shoes and turned on the
lights. The scent of my lilac air freshener filled the room and made me smile.
It was so much better than the smell of that awful cleaning solution they use
at the hospital.

Michelle shrugged. “It’s going slow. Jax isn’t making it
very easy on me. Every time I go to the house to get more stuff, he’s there,
begging me not to leave, to give him another chance.” She plopped down on the
couch. “I don’t know how much longer I can go on like this. I’m so close to
giving in.” She said as she looked up at me for judgment.

“Oh, Michelle, you can’t do that.” I sat beside her and gave
her a hug. “Every time you feel like going back, remember what he did to you.”

“I know.” She sighed. “But Nana and Grandpa always told us
to forgive and forget. It’s the quickest way to a happier life.”

I smiled at the memory of my grandparents and how they would
always say things like that. They were wonderful people, taken from us much too
soon. “Yes, they did say that, but they also always told us not to be doormats,
remember?” I shot back at her.

She nodded, but remained silent.

“Jax has been mooching off you for over a year, Michelle.
He’s refusing to get a job; he’s blown your savings, and you caught him
cheating on you.” I shook my head and gave her a sympathetic smile. “Forgive
him if it will make you feel better, but don’t forget what he’s done, and
please don’t take that loser back.”

At that, Michelle laughed. “Thanks, Becca. You always know
how to make me feel better.” She hugged me then stood. “I’m sorry I was lurking
on your porch like some weird stalker.”

I laughed. “You don’t ever have to apologize for coming
here. My door is always open to you. And probably to the rest of this town, too,
thanks to a lost key.” I winked.

Michelle groaned. “I swear I will find your key.”

“Thanks. You hungry?” I responded.

 “Starved.” She told me.

Despite being grateful for my job, I was not grateful for
the weird schedule I was on as a result of it. Working nights really messed
with my internal clock. Here it was, almost midnight, and I was starting dinner.
This was not good for my waistline.

“I’m not sure what I have, but I’m sure I can throw
something together.” I went to the kitchen, and Michelle followed. After a
quick inventory of my cabinets and refrigerator, I found some leftover chicken
and pasta. I tossed them into a baking dish, covered it with a jar of spaghetti
sauce and mozzarella cheese, and put it in the oven. Not my most gourmet meal, but
it would do.

I turned to find Michelle sitting at the breakfast bar, arms
propped on the counter top, watching me. I smiled and asked, “What?”

“Nothing.” She shook her head and straightened. “How was
work?”

I shrugged. “Same old, same old. Broken bones, runny noses,
heart attacks. Nothing exciting.”

“If you hate it so much, why don’t you quit, Becca?”

I hated how intuitive my sister was; she knew me too well.
It was impossible to hide anything from her, and I knew she’d heard the
melancholy in my voice. I sighed. “I don’t hate it, but I just wish I was doing
something more fulfilling, you know?” I shrugged and turned to check on my
impromptu casserole.

“Well, you know what I think of your career choice.”
Michelle said as she joined me near the stove, opening the cabinet and
retrieving two plates. “Mom and Dad totally strong-armed you into being a
nurse.”

I really didn’t want to have this conversation with her
again. Was she right? Of course, but I didn’t need to tell her that. She knew
it already. I’d become a nurse because my parents wanted me to, convinced me it
was the smartest thing to do. It was a source of stability in an unstable town.
Even though it wasn’t my life aspiration to be a nurse, I couldn’t be angry
with my parents. They’d been looking out for my best interests, and they’d been
right. Because of my job, I was able to live comfortably and had even bought my
own house last year.

I took the pasta from the oven and set it on the counter.
“If you promise to drop this, I’ll open that expensive bottle of wine I bought
last month.”

Michelle grinned. “Deal.”

I laughed. It was so easy to distract her with the
temptation of a fine wine. While she scooped food onto our plates, I grabbed
the bottle of wine and two glasses. I was glad she was here tonight. I really
didn’t want to be alone.