No. I want everyone to know we’re a couple and you’re mine. “Sneaking around sounds a little tawdry, don’t it? How about if we call it a private preliminary test drive?”“You sure you haven’t had law classes?”He slapped her ass hard. And wasn’t that interesting? Ginger didn’t yelp. Or protest. She sort of…moaned.“I want to keep seeing you too, Kane, but the issue is where? I can’t spend the night at your place.You can’t spend the night here. It seems high schoolish to have you show up after Hayden and my dad are in bed. And as totally hot as it was for you to fuck me in my office, I do have clients show up unannounced during the day. I can’t make them wait in the reception area while we’re going at it on the floor.”He’d take the floor idea as a challenge for a future hook-up. “But you get a lunch hour, right?”“I usually eat lunch at my desk.”“I could eat you at your desk,” he offered with his best big, bad, wolf growl.She whapped him on the bicep. “Stop derailing my train of th
Ginger wasn’t a virgin to anal sex, but that first stroke hurt. She bit her lip and held her breath, hoping the pain would ease and give way to that hazy feeling of floating.Kane’s focus wasn’t on her, and strangely that didn’t bother her—rather, it turned her on. The visual of his cock balls-deep in her ass must’ve been an erotic sight; he couldn’t tear his focus away from where they were intimately joined. He pulled back, coming completely out of her ass, the tiny hole rippled open again as his entire shaft slid in. And back out. And in again. Harder. Faster. Deeper. And as Kane fucked her ass, she felt a thrilling sense of his possession. No other man had touched her the way he had, physically, emotionally.The knowledge freed her. The bite of pain as his hard length scraped her delicate tissues became an exquisite ache—a welcome ache. She countered his thrusts, meeting his urgency. His need. Silently encouraging him to take.His climax rolled through them both, his hot ejaculate
Dalton’s eyes widened. “Christ, cuz, you bet that kinda money on keepin’ your dick in your pants?”“It ain’t a cash bet. If I can do it, Marshall’s givin’ me a quarter share in this up and comin’ buckin’ bull named Atomic Fireball.” Chase pointed his beer bottle at the guys at the table. “So you all need to be getting some serious ass to make up for my lack of it.”Tell and Dalton high-fived, and Tell said, “We’ve got ya covered.”“With who?” Brandt demanded.“The Sweeney twins. Kristol and Marisol. And here’s the kicker.” Dalton leaned in. “They wanna play musical brothers. Hell, when we go out, we ain’t ever sure which one we’ll end up with that night.”They high-fived again.Kane shifted in his seat. He remembered those days. Mostly. Quite a few days, even a few months were a blur, but he’d been in plenty of threesomes with Colt and their woman of the night. Funny thing was, he couldn’t recall the faces of the female players.But he could recount every freckle on Ginger’s skin.Wha
“Chase, you gonna be around in two weeks?”He shook his head. “Hitting the event in Memphis.”“Good luck.”“Thanks.”After he picked up trash and shoved the remaining beer in the fridge, he plopped on the couch. Too early to hit the hay. He snagged the remote and started flipping through channels. About ten minutes into mindless surfing, his cell phone trilled. He looked at the caller ID. It read: private caller.Ginger.Kane answered on the fifth ring. “Hello?” His smile dried. “No, it’s okay. I told you to call me. I’ll be right over.”By the time Brandt reached Jessie’s trailer on the outskirts of Moorcroft, he’d lost the edge of rage his clueless brothers’ comments had invoked.Few people knew about his temper. Brandt took great pains to keep it hidden, as it was an embarrassing trait he’d inherited from his father. He scowled. He’d rather have male pattern baldness than sudden bouts of fury with no outlet besides taking it out on the people he cared about.He sat in his truck and
“Uh-huh. Want me to get it?”“Please.” Kane watched the uneven rise and fall of Ginger’s chest. Choppy breathing. Flushed face.Sweat soaking her skin. He swiped away a few stray tendrils stuck to her damp neck. “Ah sugar, what am I gonna do with you? You still won’t ask for help when you need it.” He ran the backs of his knuckles down her cheek and murmured, “I’m stickin’ around to take care of you, whether you like it or not.”Hayden returned and handed him the thermometer.Kane hadn’t a clue how to use it. “How does this thing work?”“You hafta put it in her ear. Probably she should be awake.” Hayden stood in front of Kane and shook Ginger’s shoulder. “Mommy?”No response.Hayden whispered, “I couldn’t wake her up before, either.”It pained him to do it, but Kane pinched the underside of her arm.“Ouch. Stop.” She mumbled, “Leave me alone,” and attempted to turn away.“Mommy?”She rolled flat, blindly reaching for Hayden’s hand. “I’m here. Just give me a sec.”“We need to take your
“Can’t say as I’m unhappy to hear that.”She rubbed her face on his pec. “You’ve pretty much ruined me for any other man.”“How’s that?”No response.“Ginger?”She’d fallen asleep.When Ginger woke up alone, she assumed she’d dreamt of Kane cuddled up to her all night. He’d been so warm and solid. Sweet. Comforting. Saying such loving things. Showing his vulnerable side while offering reassurance he didn’t see her as weak.Had to’ve been a dream.She’d scooted up to rest against the headboard when Hayden tiptoed in. “Mom! I came to see if you were still sleeping.”“I’m awake now. Has Grandpa fixed you breakfast?”Hayden frowned at her. “Mom. What are you talking about? Grandpa’s in Deadwood, remember?”But…if that was the case, who’d been watching Hayden?Kane sauntered in and set his hands on Hayden’s shoulders. “Mornin’, Red. How’re you feelin’?”Like a total idiot. Like I lost an entire day in a fever-fueled daze. “So it wasn’t a dream,” she muttered.Kane frowned. “Excuse me?”“Ne
He sank his teeth into her earlobe. “You must be feelin’ better if you’re bein’ contrary first thing.” His warm breath drifted across her cheek. “Say yes, Ginger.”“Yes, Ginger,” she teased.“There’s that smart mouth I’ve been missin’ something fierce.” He kissed her, sealing their lips together.Clothes disappeared. Kane pushed inside her on a long, smooth glide and her body was ready for him.He made love to her sweetly, passionately. The intimacy of being cocooned in their own little world in the predawn hours amazed her. Body to body, heart to heart, face to face.When his pace increased, it sent them spiraling into the abyss of pleasure together.More dreamy kisses. More feather-light caresses. He whispered, “Go back to sleep, sugar. No reason for us both to be up.” He headed for the shower as she snuggled into the sheets that smelled like him.Ginger awoke an hour later. She saw Kane’s wristwatch on the nightstand and knew she hadn’t been dreaming.“And then Buck came over. We t
“Like a yard light?”“Exactly.”“Maybe if you cut the headlights.”Kane clicked the lights off, even the interior lights.Talk about dark and spooky. Ginger focused on the blackness out her window. A snow squall faded and she caught a fleeting glimpse of light. “There. Straight ahead.”“You sure?”No. “Yes, I’m sure.”“Hope you’re right, Red. If I run over a fence, you’ll be out here fixin’ fence with me early summer.”“I know how to wield a pair of wire cutters, so bring it, cowboy.”Kane gunned the truck. For a second it felt as if they were airborne. They landed hard and Ginger held onto the support strap hanging from the top of the doorframe.“Sorry.” Snow covered the windshield as they annihilated another drift. The wipers whisked away the remnants in a rapid slap slap slap and they skidded to a stop.“We’re here.”Ginger made out the faint orange glow of the porch light. Snow had drifted in front of the screen door up to the door handle.“Looks like I’m gonna hafta shovel again
She pushed her hips back, meeting his every hard thrust with a soft grunt. The fringe on his chaps swung forward, the leather connecting with her skin.Even as his cock plunged into her fully, even as his balls drew up, aching for release, even as his legs shook and sweat coated his skin, he planned for the next time he fucked her. The next hundred times.Chase closed his eyes; his hands yanking her body back to meet his escalating thrusts. Faster, harder, deeper, the only words echoed in his head as primal need roared. Impossible to hold off his orgasm, no matter how much he wanted to prolong the sensation of sinking into her soft, wet, flesh.He threw back his head, groaning as his cock emptied in hot pulses. Groaning louder when he felt Ava’s pussy contracting around his dick as she came again.Heart thumping, mouth dry, lungs lacking air, Chase fell forward onto Ava’s back, bracing himself on his hands. Although this rendezvous was supposed to’ve been a dare, a fun, wild slap and
“Who are you?” Douchebag demanded.“The guy tellin’ you to get the hell outta my room.”The douchebag looked at Ava. “I thought you said this was your room.”“Hey, fuckface, eyes on me, not her.” When douchebag turned, Chase stabbed his finger at the clothes by the bed. “You’re done. Grab your shit and get gone.”“Nuh-uh.” Douchebag gestured to Ava. “I get gone when she tells me to, not you, little man.”Ava said not one word.Chase’s anger hit the boiling point. Instead of yelling, his voice dropped lethally low. “Get. The. Fuck. Out.”“Or what? You gonna throw me out?” Douchebag sneered. “You’ll have to eat your spinach and grow some first.”Faking calmness he didn’t feel, Chase scooped up the man’s belongings, opened the door and dumped the pile onto the walkway.“What is wrong with you?” Douchebag loomed over Chase.“You have fifteen seconds to get out of my room and out of my face or I will beat you bloody. You’re not the first asshole who’s tried to take me on, believing a short
That vague comment got his back up. Was she trying to get rid of him? Just to be ornery, he said, “I hadn’t planned on goin’ anywhere today. Thought I’d stick around the room and rest up. Hang out with you, my friend.”Panic darted through her eyes. “Oh. Obviously since you’re paying for half the room that’s your prerogative. But I was hoping…”“Hoping for what?”“To have a few hours of quiet time so I can get your rides separated from the other footage.”Quiet time his ass. She wanted nookie time. And he’d be goddamned if he’d just fucking walk away and make it easy on her to bang a total stranger in his hotel room. “I’m not exactly loud, Ava.”“I know, Chase, but I need quiet. Complete silence. No TV. No talking. No cell phone conversations. No fighting.”The sneaky-ass woman knew that lying on his bed, counting the flaws in the ceiling tile for hours would drive him bonkers. But the idea of any man, in here—the private space Chase shared with Ava—touching her, kissing her, fucking
Ava nodded. “I’m new to the world of rodeo. He agreed to show me the inside scoop. That’s all.”“Dollface, that surely ain’t all. Not even close. The man has it bad for you.”Not bad enough to act on it.“I seen how he’s been lookin’ at you.”“And how’s that?”“Like you’re a hot, sweet fried Twinkie and he’d like to lick you up one side and down the other before devouring you completely.”“Except the man seems to be on a sugar-free diet,” she said wryly.Taz chuckled. “Maybe. But I reckon he’s just trying to keep from gorging himself.”“Such an overactive imagination, Taz.”“I try. Better to be one of them colorful characters folks talk about than an average Joe.”The conversation drifted to Ryan. Upcoming rodeos they’d all be attending. Other events. Then Taz took off, leaving Ava alone. It was enough to give a girl a complex about men.Right. She already had enough complexes, although she doubted anyone would look at her and believe that.A guy paused behind the barstool on Ava’s ri
“I’ve gotten up early to work out. I met this rookie kid last week. After I rode, he cornered me, calling me out as Chase McKay.” He smiled sheepishly. “The little shit promised to keep my secret if I gave him bull ridin’ pointers.”“Which you did.”“Not that he listened to me. Kid is such a greenhorn. And stubborn? He won’t turn his foot out, refuses to wear a helmet, won’t consider a trying a different wrap. So I gave up talking to him about bull ridin’ and we watched the slack competition. What did you do—” his knuckles grazed her breasts as he reached for the lanyard around her neck “—besides craft fake press passes?”“I had my assistant whip them up. Realistic, don’t you think? I needed access behind the chutes so I can video you from a closer angle. It’s made a huge difference. You won’t believe the footage I got today.”His rough-skinned hand enclosed hers. “Ava. We need to talk.”The lanky, shaggy-haired young rider inserted himself between Chase and Ava. “Man, that ride was e
“Of course they will. Are you by a computer? Sorry. Stupid question. Go to Faces of Rodeo dot com.”“I’m there. What is it?”“A new magazine I created,” she said with pride.“Seriously, Ava, this is your brainchild?” Computer keys clicked in the background. “The Check back for more details on the main page is vague.”“Which is perfect for my purposes. Anyone who checks it—and me—will believe this is a brand-spanking-new magazine, still working on a web presence. Ooh, now go to Behind the Chutes dot com.”“Why do you need two fake magazines? Why not just one?”“So I have options.”“You’re scaring me. You did all this?”“Yep. Thank God for cheap, quick and easy websites.”“Behind the Chutes—all the news and current standings of the stars of the PRCA. Now that is a great magazine tagline.”“Thank you.” Filled with nervous energy, Ava hopped off the bed. “So what do you say? Can you get these made up this afternoon and Fed Ex them to me by tomorrow?”“I should say no, but I haven’t heard
Wanting what you can’t have will only make this trip miserable. And this trip isn’t only about getting down and dirty with Chase McKay.Also true. Disgusted with herself for wallowing, she focused on the task at hand for today—finding a motel within their budget.Chase wandered to check out the contractor’s rough stock.Ava wasn’t content texting him; she called. “Hey, I found us a room. I actually comparison shopped. This place isn’t as nice as the first one I checked out, but it does have free Wi-Fi.”It amused the hell out of him that she sounded so damn proud of herself. “It’s less than a hundred bucks?”“Of course. Be nice if you had a little faith in me, Sundance. Anyway. I’m starved. I’ll probably try to find something healthy before I head to the rodeo grounds. Did you want me to pick you something up?”“If it’s healthy? Hell no. I noticed a couple of tempting treats as I wandered past the vendor stands.”“We are talking about food treats, right?” she said sharply.“Be nice if
“Probably their whole adult lives. Why?”She released a wistful sigh. “They’re beautiful. So in tune with each other. I can’t imagine what it’d be like to have that solid connection every day. I wish I had my video camera so I could capture their happiness.”Maybe Ava did understand more than he credited her.“By the way, when are you planning to teach me to two-step?”“I’m not.”“Do you dance?”“Yep.”She frowned. “But you don’t want to dance with me?”“Drop it, Ava.”Of course she didn’t. “I’ll only put up with so much high-handed behavior, and you’re pissing me off. Answer the question. Why don’t you want to dance with me?”“Because I’m short,” he snapped.About twenty seconds passed before she was in his face. “That’s it? That’s your reason for not dancing with me? Here’s where I tell you that is not a valid reason. That’s a sucky reason.”“It’s a valid reason to me. Christ, Ava, you’re a good three inches taller than me when you’re not wearing them three-inch fuck-me heels. I wil
“Such sweet bullshit,” she mimicked. “How soon before you’re ready to leave?”“As soon as I get my boots on.”“I’ll change shoes too.”Chase shoved his wallet in his back pocket, and maybe for the first time he’d gone out with a woman, he hadn’t double-checked his condom supply.The place was jam-packed and they scored the last table. Pretty basic menu. Several different cuts and sizes of steak. Fried chicken. Pasta. Seafood. The house specialty was the chicken-fried buffalo steak, served with mashed potatoes, gravy and a cold broccoli salad.“It all looks good. I’m too starved to pick one thing.”“Trust me to order for you?” Chase asked.Ava folded her menu and set her elbows on the table. “Please.”The waitress dropped off two glasses of peach iced tea and Chase dumped in three packets of sugar.“This is a cool place.”“Pretty standard for a small Midwestern town. I try to find joints like this rather than eating at another chain restaurant when I’m on the road.”She mumbled somethi