Beauty and the Cowboy Read online

  “Come on, I’ll follow you to your place,” he said. Right now the only place he wanted to be was in her bed.

  The drive to her place felt like the longest journey of his life, but when they finally climbed the stairs to her apartment and shut the door behind them, she slid her arms around his neck and kissed him. It was a deep, open-mouthed kiss that had him fisting his hands in her blouse, pulling their bodies closer, leaning into her as if his next breath depended on hers.

  She tasted like cinnamon from the gum she must’ve chewed on the drive over and an indefinable honey flavor that was uniquely Charlotte, something, he suddenly realized, he’d been desperately hungering for—no, he’d been ravenous for—all his life.

  It was that hint of the familiar with a taste of the forbidden. Only this wasn’t forbidden. They both wanted to be here. He sent up a silent thanks for this moment.

  She was finally his.

  He slipped his hands between them. His fingers lingered on her stomach, slipped underneath her blouse and worked their way up to her breasts. He loved the way she seemed to melt at the feel of his touch. Explosions of desire and fiery need unfurled in his gut.

  He slid his hands around her back and pulled her tight against his hardness. When he kissed her neck, her head lolled to the side in approving bliss.

  “I’ve wanted this for so long,” he whispered.

  He’d never felt such all-consuming longing in his life. He wanted to show her how much he ached for her, how much he craved this moment. He wanted to show her with his lips and hands and body why they would be so right together.

  He touched her, and in response, his own body swelled and hardened. He loved the feel of her curves, so strong yet so pliable to his touch. When he moved his hands to cup her bottom and pull her closer, she arched against him, firing his rigid desire.

  He raised his hands to her breasts, savoring their full curves before teasing her hard nipples. She gasped and seemed to lose herself all over again in his touch.

  The thought of making love to her sent a hungry shudder racking his whole body. But that was nothing compared to the feel of her hand on the front of his trousers. She teased his erection through the layers of clothing. The sensation was almost more than he could bear. Suddenly, he needed her naked so that he could bury himself inside of her.

  Right there in the living room, he eased her down on the couch, kissing her throat, her jaw, her cheeks, and tenderly biting down on her earlobe.

  He wanted to savor the moment. Slowing down, he undid each button on her blouse. In one swift, gentle motion, he lifted her so that he could remove it. Next, he unhooked the front clasp of her bra. He freed her breasts and lowered his head, suckling until she cried out in pleasure.

  The sexy sound almost undid him.

  She must have sensed as much, because she made quick order of getting rid of his belt and unbuttoning his trousers before sliding down the zipper. He helped her get rid of his pants and boxers. They fell to the floor, freeing him.

  She lay beneath him, looking like the most beautiful woman in the world. And then they were kissing each other deeply again. Tongues thrusting, ravishing each other. When he was sure she was ready, he buried himself inside her. That’s when he knew without a doubt that this was where he wanted to be, where he needed to be. Always.

  Chapter 6

  On Wednesday, the annual Fair Kickoff Parade featuring the twenty-two contestants for Miss Marietta Fair went off without a hitch. So had the fair’s opening, which had drawn record crowds.

  On Thursday, Charlotte herded her twenty-two girls through their one-on-one interviews with the judges. By Thursday night, both she and Jesse were ready for a little fun. They’d made a date to go to the fair themselves.

  The town had been abuzz with talk of his truck being parked outside her apartment all weekend, but this was their first public date.

  Calliope music filled the air. Charlotte took a deep breath, inhaling a mélange of scents: funnel cakes, French fries, popcorn and corn dogs, all blended with the smell of diesel fuel and summer fair excitement.

  Jesse wasn’t shy about holding her hand and showing all of Marietta that they were…together. The thought kind of boggled Charlotte’s mind, in a good way, of course, once she decided she wasn’t going to let all the staring and whispering bother her. Actually, the silently surprised people didn’t bother her as much as the ones who came up to her with questions and comments.

  So…you and Jesse, huh?

  Is that why you left Tom?

  What does Tom have to say about this?

  I’ll bet there’s going to be a fight when Tom gets home for the awards ceremony next week.

  Of course, there were also the ones who didn’t forget that Tom had married someone else as well as those who were just pleasant and supportive, including Mattie, who was so happy you’d think her own crush had declared his love.

  “I called it,” she’d said. “Didn’t I totally call it last week when you stayed for dinner? I just love you guys. You’re the perfect couple.”

  All they’d said was a good-natured, “Mattie, take a breath.”

  Others challenged Mattie’s claim that she was the first to know.

  Yep! I called that relationship a couple of weeks ago when I saw them together at Grey’s!

  But most just showed support.

  Her personal favorite was when Jason Grey said, “So, you’re Jesse’s girl.” It was a corny remark, referencing the Rick Springfield song, of course. Still, Charlotte blushed when he winked and added, “I’ve always wondered who she was. Now I know.”

  Other people said things like, I’ve always thought the two of you would make a good couple.

  You go, girl. Jesse is hot and Tom is a fool. I’m glad to see you’ve moved on. Tom doesn’t deserve you.

  Moved on? Was that what she’d done? As if she’d traded in an old broken-down car for a hot new model? When it came down to it, it really didn’t matter what other people thought. Or at least that’s what she told herself.

  She and Jesse continued to hold hands as they walked down the midway. She hugged him when he won her a bear by shooting hoops. They rode the rides, shared a famous Big Marietta Fair Caramel Apple, and she didn’t balk when he stopped at the kissing booth and plunked down a twenty-dollar bill—kisses were only five dollars a pop, and all proceeds were going to benefit the Jenkins family, who had lost everything in a fire.

  Only, Jesse didn’t buy four kisses from Tori Thomas, who was obviously disappointed. He planted a toe-curler on Charlotte right there in front of God and everyone who cared to watch.

  Then, without another word, he swept her off to the Ferris wheel. He put his arm around her, and they sat in silence, the big bear he’d won for her at their feet, as the ride carried them up, up, up, above Marietta and all their friends and neighbors.

  The thing about living in a small town, being part of a community like Marietta, your life was a glass house. People made it their business to know your business, and sometimes, what they didn’t know, they made up.

  One of the benefits of Tom being away was that there was not much for the fine people of Marietta to see. Sure, they’d known that he and Charlotte had been together, but mostly, it had been out of sight, out of mind.

  Was it bad that Charlotte liked that cloak?

  Sure, people would eventually get bored with this shiny, new relationship. Their interest would shift when something fresh and more exciting came along. But until then, she and Jesse were the main attraction.

  It made Charlotte feel like a freak in a circus sideshow.

  She tried to shake away the thought because, obviously, she just felt a little claustrophobic here at the fair on her night off under the scrutiny of the entire population. She and Jesse had been so discreet, maybe they should’ve rolled out their new relationship gradually—by being seen together at dinner and then at a movie a few nights later. This big plunge off the high-dive almost felt like…a little too much.
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br />   There. She’d admitted it. And she hated herself for it.

  The only reason it hadn’t felt like this with Tom was because he had rarely been in town. It had been a long-distance relationship that provided way too much space.

  Tom and Jesse were apples and oranges.

  Jesse, who had seemed so gruff, had always been a private, solitary island of a man. Yet, he actually wanted to spend time with her.

  Every single spare moment.

  Where Tom—Mr. Gregarious, who loved to be in the public eye—had never been around to take her to the movies or kiss her high atop the Ferris wheel. Jesse did just that, and she lost track of her internal conversation for several heated minutes. When they finally came up for air, their car was stopped at the very top. She decided she needed to stop comparing Jesse and Tom.

  She didn’t want Tom, and it wasn’t fair to Jesse.

  What was wrong with her?

  The summer-night breeze was a little cool up there. It brought with it the faint sound of the fair below. The lights on the other rides and the midway looked magical and small from this vantage point.

  “You’re quiet,” Jesse said. “Everything okay?”

  “Just tired. I think everything is finally catching up to me. But this is nice.”

  She added the words despite the uncertainty that was beginning to niggle at her. She was tired. She still had a million things to do to get ready for tomorrow night, when the girls would compete in formal wear and the outfits that showed their personalities.

  What had she been thinking? With all this on her mind, she was bound to seem preoccupied and distant. She should’ve asked if they could do this next week, after the new Miss Marietta Fair was crowned and the bulk of Charlotte’s responsibilities were fulfilled.

  “Yeah, a lot’s happened over the past few weeks, but I…” He seemed to choke on his words. He leaned in and kissed her again. His kiss seemed to equalize her, because for a minute there she was afraid he was going to say something impulsive. Something that would have been said much too soon.

  He leaned in so that his forehead was resting on hers. The Ferris wheel was moving again, and she hated that she was glad.

  “I know things are moving fast. But it just feels so… right. Charlotte, I love you.”

  Don’t, Jesse. Please, not yet.

  The thought must’ve been written all over her face—or, oh, God, please don’t let me have said the words out loud. Whatever the case, Jesse seemed to know exactly what she was thinking, because he stiffened and pulled away.

  His wall—the one that she knew had taken so much trust for him to let down—was back up.

  “I know this is fast, and you may not be ready to—”

  “Tom’s married. It’s over.” She said the words a little too fast and was sorry for it, because it came out sounding all wrong.

  Her phone sounded a text, but she didn’t look at it.

  “I wasn’t talking about Tom, but obviously he’s on your mind. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, because maybe it is a little too much too soon.”

  It wasn’t. But it was. This didn’t have anything to do with Tom—or maybe it had everything to do with him—or with her and who she’d become when she had been with him.

  The breakup had stripped away part of the facade she’d built around herself. What was left underneath? Who was she? What did she want? She’d spent so much time cultivating the image that she didn’t know how to just be herself.

  Even right now, when the best, most wonderful man in the world was professing his love—oh my God, he’d said he loved her—

  How could he love her when she was such a mess? How could she fall in love with him when she didn’t even know herself?

  As their Ferris wheel gondola came back down to earth and the attendant opened the door and ushered them out, Charlotte’s phone chimed again, reminding her of the unread message waiting for her.

  She fished her cell out of her purse as Jesse waited there with the big teddy bear under his arm.

  “It’s from Jane. She needs to go over some logistics for tomorrow’s competition. I’m really sorry, but I have to go. I need to take care of this right now.”

  “No, you don’t. You can let Jane handle it.”

  “No, I can’t, Jesse. This is my job.” She turned and started walking away, but Jesse caught up to her in a couple of long strides.

  “I understand that and you’re damn good at your job. But I think you’re using it as an excuse to run away from this, Charlotte. Please don’t run away from us.”

  “I’m sorry, Jesse. I can’t do this now. I have to go.”

  *

  Saturday night was definitely a time of mixed emotions. Out of twenty-two contestants, Mattie captured the award for personal style and made it onto the queen’s court as third runner-up. She couldn’t have been happier if she’d been crowned Fair queen.

  It was still hard for Jesse to wrap his mind around the fact that she was enough of a girly-girl to even be interested in doing anything like this. But she was and she did, and in the aftermath, she was nearly bouncing off the walls.

  “Can you believe it, Jesse? I can’t believe it. First beauty pageant ever, and I made the court and won a category. Where’s Charlie? Do you two have a date tonight?”

  He couldn’t bear to cast a shadow on her big night by telling her that they were… What were they doing? Were they over? Were they giving each other space? He had no idea. So, he changed the subject.

  “Proud of you Matt, er, Mattalyn.”

  She feigned a look of frustration and then hugged him. “I couldn’t have done this without Charlotte.”

  After Charlie’s hasty exit Thursday night, he’d decided to give her some space. Her plate was full with the pageant and, of course, Tom would be back in town this time next week to hand out awards to the winners of the junior rodeo. That had to be weighing on her.

  Of course it was. It had been such a short time since they’d broken up. What had he been thinking moving in so fast? So what if he’d been in love with her for as far back as he could remember? He hadn’t admitted it to himself it until Thursday. Couldn’t he have waited a little bit longer?

  Their entire dating lives, one or the other of them had always been otherwise engaged. Literally, in Charlie’s case. So when she was finally free, Jesse had decided he wasn’t going to let her get away again.

  That’s what his subconscious had decided. If his brain had been involved, he would’ve seen what an asinine plan moving in so fast had been, and he would’ve muzzled himself on that damn Ferris wheel the other night.

  For all he knew, Tom might have realized exactly what he’d given up. He might have the knee-jerk marriage annulled and put a ring on Charlie’s finger next weekend while he was in Marietta.

  The thought made Jesse want to punch a wall. Instead, he took a deep, steadying breath.

  “I’m going to go off to find Charlie,” Mattie said. “Wait right here.”

  “Mattie, I’m heading out,” he said.

  It was a good time to make his exit. There was a dance tonight honoring the newly crowned Miss Marietta Fair and her court. Mattie wouldn’t miss him, which was a good thing, because he was in no mood to be out tonight anyway.

  “No, wait,” she called. “I’ll be right back.”

  He just wanted to go home. He didn’t even want to go to Grey’s and have a drink. Just in case Charlie had the same idea. He’d already experienced that wild ride, and now he was living in this dark, ugly place that he’d inhabited since she’d walked away from him.

  He texted Mattie to tell her he was leaving.

  She responded: No! Wait! BRB!

  “Come on, Matt,” he murmured under his breath.

  She wasn’t kidding. A few seconds later, she came running over with Charlie in tow. His sister actually had Charlie by the hand.

  Shit.

  He was going to have to face her sooner or later. He just didn’t want Charlie to think he’d put
his sister up to bringing her over.

  Hell, let her think whatever she wanted.

  Of course, Mattie was in midsentence, talking ninety to nothing to Charlie when they stopped in front of him.

  “…and Cody said he loves my blue boots. He says blue is his new favorite color. And he wants to dance with me tonight, and then he wants to go for ice cream after the dance. Please, can I go, Jesse? Please? His mom will bring me home.”

  “Sure,” Jesse said, “but be home by midnight.”

  A tall, lanky, blond kid called, “Come on, Matt, are you ready?”

  “That’s Cody.” Mattie sighed. She directed the statement to Charlie, but Jesse could virtually see the hearts dancing over his sister’s head.

  This was another first. She hadn’t been interested in boys before. He wanted to warn her that it might seem fun now, but where there was love, there was heartache.

  That was his baggage, not hers.

  Still, why didn’t that kid come over and introduce himself? Jesse might not have been Mattie’s father, but he was her guardian. It would’ve been the decent thing to do.

  “Be home by eleven,” Jesse amended.

  “Jesse, no! You said midnight. The dance isn’t even over until eleven.”

  She leveled him with a look that she was getting so good at. He had a sudden premonition of what he was in for over her next few years of high school. God, this wasn’t going to be easy.

  “Midnight and not a minute later, I promise,” Mattie called over her shoulder as she was walking away.

  “Fine, midnight. But you’re grounded if you’re late.”

  Then Mattie ran back to him, holding up the hem of her gown and wearing her Miss Marietta Fair Court sash, and gave him a quick hug. Then she turned to Charlie and hugged her, too.

  “Thank you for your help, Charlie. I couldn’t have done this without you. I love you.”

  “I love you, too,” Charlie said.

  Something in him softened, which was a good thing, because now they were standing there alone in the middle of the post-pageant crowd.