Santa in a Stetson Read online

  “And what else did my big brother have to say about me?” He trusted Steve not to blab stories Russ had specifically asked him not to, but that still left a lot for Steve to talk about.

  “He said you were hell on women.”

  “Is that right?” Russ lost himself in the softness of her gaze. “And did you believe him?”

  “Well, Steve isn’t the kind to lie, so I suppose I should believe him.”

  “Then what are you doin’ here, sweetheart? Why aren’t you headed for home as fast as you can go?”

  “I figured a dance or two wouldn’t hurt anything. I like to dance.”

  “So do I.” He tightened his hold on her and watched the flame in her eyes grow brighter. If Steve knew the ideas that were coming to his mind, he’d likely want to horsewhip him. “How come you moved all the way down here from Montana?”

  “How come you never stay in one place very long?”

  He smiled, recognizing himself in her. That’s just how he liked to answer a personal question, by turning it right back. “Maybe I like seeing different scenery.”

  “Maybe I do, too.”

  He liked her spirit. He could imagine how that spirit would spice up a session in bed, not that he planned to find out

  That tightness in his chest was back, though, as if something was about to happen. “You sure have improved the scenery around this place,” he said.

  Her cheeks grew pink, but she didn’t look away, as some women did when he gave them a compliment. She kept gazing right up at him. “I could say the same, cowboy.”

  Heat surged through him. “Oh, lady, you’re playin’ with fire, here.”

  “But playing it safe isn’t much fun.”

  “You got that right.” The song ended and they stood still, gazing into each other’s eyes. He was afraid if he stood like that too much longer he might kiss her, and he had no intention of doing that in front of Eddie and three nosey cowboys.

  As the next ballad started, he cupped his hand around her head and nestled her cheek against his chest. “That’s enough talkin’. Let’s just dance a while.”

  “Mmm.” She snuggled against him.

  He wondered if she could hear the pounding of his heart and if she knew how much she was affecting him. Something was different about this woman. He didn’t usually go off the deep end so fast. In fact, he was having a hard time remembering if he’d ever gone this crazy over simple flirting and a couple of dances.

  It wasn’t the booze. He’d been so busy playing pool he hadn’t had much time to get serious about drinking. Some of this might be Steve’s fault If Steve hadn’t told him to stay away from Jo, maybe he wouldn’t have been so interested in getting a little closer. But being ticked off at Steve didn’t explain this pull he felt every time he looked into her eyes. It didn’t explain the way she fit into his arms as if the two of them were connecting pieces of a puzzle.

  The top of her head was just the right height for him to lay his cheek against her hair, and he gave in to the temptation. Her hair was soft as silk and smelled like flowers. He closed his eyes. No use trying to figure it out. Some things in life were beyond his understanding, and this perfect moment of dancing with a girl he’d never seen before tonight was one of them.

  They covered less and less dance floor as Russ was happy just to sway to the music holding this warm, sweet-smelling woman close in his arms. He kept moving with her even during the gaps between songs, as if the two if them had established a rhythm that didn’t depend on the tunes coming from the jukebox.

  The pressure of her body against his created an ache in his groin that was persistent but manageable, so long as he didn’t look into her eyes again, so long as he couldn’t hear the gentle temptation of her voice. Steve was right This woman was far too good for the likes of him. But for the time being, he could warm his soul and ease his pain, letting the blackness that followed him everywhere gradually drift away.

  Then somebody tapped him on the shoulder and the magic evaporated.

  With murder in his heart, he raised his head and opened his eyes to find Dusty standing next to them. He focused his best narrow-eyed glare on the man. “Son, I hope for your sake the building’s burnin’ down.”

  Dusty looked nervous, but he held his ground. “My pool game’s gone cold. I’m ready to leave.”

  Jo stiffened in his arms, and he rubbed a soothing hand over her back. “Give me a minute, Dusty. I’m dancing with the lady.”

  “After this song, then.”

  Russ clenched his jaw. Most of the time he was relieved not to have a driver’s license, but needing to hitch a ride with arrogant pups like Dusty didn’t sit well with him. He gave Dusty a brief nod and turned Jo so that his back was toward the lanky young cowboy. With a sigh he settled his cheek against Jo’s hair again and closed his eyes.

  Jo tightened her grip on him and murmured something, but it was muffled against his chest.

  Russ leaned down so his ear was closer. “What did you say, little darlin’?”

  “I don’t want you to go.”

  His heart slammed against his ribs and he wondered if she knew what she was saying. “I don’t want to go, either. But Dusty’s my ride home.”

  She lifted her head and her mouth was kissing close.

  “I could give you a ride.”

  He looked into those green, green eyes. Being a good guy was getting tougher by the minute. “I have no doubt of that, sweetheart. But my brother’s right. I’m not the type for you to get tangled up with. I’d best go with Dusty.”

  “Is that what you want?” she said.

  He closed his eyes and tried to hold on to some sense of honor. “You don’t need to be considerin’ what I want.”

  “Then I’ll tell you what I want,” she said quietly. “I’m feeling alive again for the first time in ages, and I need that feeling just for a little while longer. Right or wrong, I can’t be alone tonight.”

  Opening his eyes, he faced the need shining from hers. It was a perfect match to the need in his heart. “I can’t make you any promises.”

  “I’m not asking for any.”

  He hesitated, wondering if he’d burn in hell for giving this woman what she wanted tonight when he knew that was all he’d ever be able to give her.

  “Go tell Dusty you have a ride home,” she whispered.

  Come to think of it, he’d probably burn in hell anyway. One more sin wouldn’t make much difference. “All right.”

  3

  WHAT THEY WERE about to do was wild and irresponsible, Jo thought as she and Russ climbed into her old truck. Well, not totally irresponsible. Russ had made a stop in the men’s room before they left the Roundup and Jo knew good and well what he’d been after.

  She was scared, no doubt about it, but still absolutely certain that she’d regret it for the rest of her life if she didn’t spend this night with Russ. He made her feel desirable again, and she hadn’t realized how much she needed that.

  Maybe it took somebody like Russ, a man with his own secret sorrows, to ease the pain in her heart. Dancing with him had been heaven, and she could only think of one thing that would be better than that. She deserved to know what that other pleasure was like.

  But risking this much made her nervous, and she ground the gears on her truck while backing out of the parking space. Then she killed the engine by forgetting to shift into first at a stoplight. Her Alan Jackson tape in the cassette player sputtered to a stop when the engine died, and when the heater didn’t work right she discovered she’d switched on the air conditioner instead.

  “You don’t do this much, do you?” Russ asked.

  She tried to calm herself as she twisted the key in the ignition, got the truck going again and turned on the heater. “Shoot, I’ve been driving a stick since I was twelve,” she said. “Old Bessie probably needs a tune-up.”

  “I wasn’t talking about driving.”

  Jo sighed. He seemed to see through her so easily that she might as well be
honest about her lack of experience.

  “No, I don’t do this much.”

  “You can still change your mind.”

  She took a deep breath that was filled with the scent of leather, after-shave and aroused male. “I don’t want to change my mind.”

  “Then maybe you oughta switch on your headlights.”

  With a groan she pulled out the knob for the truck’s lights. “Real smooth, huh?”

  There was a smile in his voice. “I’m not complainin’, sweetheart.”

  Her pulse lurched. She wasn’t very experienced at this, but he was. When she got him inside her apartment, she could relax and let him take the lead. The thought made her dizzy and the engine bucked as she forgot to shift...again.

  Russ steadied himself against the dashboard. “Although I do hope you don’t live far away.”

  “No, not far.” Alan Jackson’s song filled the silence. “I guess it was fate that Dusty beat you in pool.”

  His low laughter rumbled in the darkness. “Fate might’ve brought me into the Roundup tonight, but fate had nothin’ to do with losing that game.”

  Warmth spread through her. “You lost on purpose?”

  “Yep.”

  “Goodness. Dusty will be bragging about that for weeks. I can’t believe you ruined your reputation as a great pool player because of me.” His lack of ego added another layer to his considerable appeal.

  “I had a hankerin’ for a dance or two.” He paused. “But I want you to know I didn’t plan this part. I was going to walk away.”

  “I know you were. I—” I’m the one who begged you to stay with me. “I’ll take responsibility for changing your mind. With Steve, I mean, if he—”

  “Don’t worry about Steve,” he said gently. “I’ll handle him.”

  “I don’t want Steve to think you took advantage of me.”

  “Well, now, little darlin’, you may not be able to do anything about the way Steve thinks. Knowing him, he’ll figure I had this in mind from the first time I saw you.”

  “But you didn’t.”

  “That’s not entirely true, either.” His voice stroked her like a caress. “I just thought I’d be strong enough to resist you. Turns out I’m not.” .

  She let out a long breath. “Thank you for that. I don’t think I could have survived another rejection tonight.”

  “Another one?”

  Damn. That had slipped out. Now she’d have to offer some explanation or he’d think she’d propositioned somebody else before he came along. “I didn’t mean I’d been rejected tonight. It was a year ago tonight, and it’s...been on my mind. But that’s all I want to say about the subject, if that’s okay.”

  “Sweetheart, you don’t have to talk about a blessed thing you don’t want to. I have a few things I don’t like draggin’ out in the open, myself.”

  He understood, as she’d sensed he would. He could give her what she needed without questioning why, because he hungered in the same way. For this night, they would bring comfort to each other. She wouldn’t think beyond that.

  As she turned down her street, she decided not to bother hauling up the garage door and putting the truck inside. She’d be driving him home again in the morning, anyway. Oh, God. She was trembling with excitement and anxiety.

  “No roommate?” he asked as they walked up to her front door.

  “No. I like my space.”

  “Me, too.”

  After a couple of tries she got her key into the lock and in short order they were inside, with the door locked behind them. The lamp she always left on filled the small living room with a soft glow.

  He looked around. “Looks real nice.”

  She gazed at him, barely able to believe this was happening. She’d never brought home a guy she’d just met. Never. “Can I...take your coat?”

  He took it off and laid it across the back of the rocking chair. “That’s good enough.” Then he removed his hat and hung it on the chair arm. “Maybe I can take your coat.”

  She held her breath as he came close and slipped the heavy wool coat from her shoulders. She looked into his eyes, dark as midnight, and her heart pumped fire through her veins.

  “There’s all kinds of ways to forget what we don’t want to remember,” he murmured. “I reckon I’ve tried ’em all. But this here’s one of my favorites.” Taking his time, he reached up and stroked his knuckles lightly from her throat to the plunging neckline of her blouse.

  She gasped as a spasm of reaction rippled deep within her.

  “It’s been a while for you, hasn’t it, sweetheart?”

  She nodded. She had no desire to remember that last time with Tommy.

  “That’ll make my job real easy, then.” He popped the first pearl snap on her low-cut blouse. “Nothin’ better than making love to a gal who’s been saving up.”

  Moisture pooled in her mouth as he popped the next snap, then the next She swallowed. “Should we...go into the bedroom?”

  “Not yet, sweet thing.” He finished with her blouse and reached for the front catch of her bra. “There’s a lot we can get done right here. And I like the light.” He flicked her bra open with a practiced hand and gently moved the material aside as his gaze lowered. “Now, if that ain’t a mighty fine sight.”

  She trembled as he cupped her breast in his work-roughened hand.

  “God didn’t make anything prettier or nicer to touch than a woman’s breast.” He brushed his thumb lazily back and forth across her nipple.

  She closed her eyes and wondered if she’d have her first orgasm while they stood right here, his hand caressing her breast

  “Ah, sweetheart, you’re shaking already, aren’t you?”

  She opened her eyes and looked up. Never in her life had she felt so vulnerable. Never had a man brought her to the brink with just the look in his eyes and the casual stroke of his thumb.

  His warm smile and soft voice flowed over her.

  “Don’t be scared. It’s good to want someone like this. Some folks never let themselves.”

  She swallowed. “Do...you?”

  “I sure do. Right this minute I do. I’m fixin’ to wear you out” He slid his arm around her. “Arch your back, darlin’.” He leaned down and urged her breast closer to his mouth. “Let’s see if you taste as nice as you feel.”

  As he took her in his hot mouth, the moist tug of his lips and tongue arrowed straight to her core.

  “Mmm,” he murmured. “Doggone if you don’t taste even better.” Cradling her breast in his hand, bringing her hips tight against his, he settled in.

  She gripped his shoulders as the rhythmic suction of his mouth sent an urgent signal to her trembling center. She couldn’t possibly be coming apart this fast...but she was. A small cry escaped her and she held on for dear life as she began to shudder and gasp in his arms.

  The wave of her climax splashed her with such force that she didn’t realize he’d unfastened her shorts until he slipped his hand inside her panties. He probed deep, synchronizing his strokes to the tremors rocking her. Before the first explosion was spent he urged her upward again, finding her other breast with his mouth, seeking her passion-drenched channel with his knowing touch.

  She began to pant, and this time, when he flung her over the edge, her small cry became a lusty groan of delight. He kept his fingers moving within her until the last quiver subsided. Then slowly, gently, he withdrew his hand, sliding it over her belly and up the valley between her breasts. When he cupped her chin in that same hand, the scent of her unbridled response wafted between them, tightening the knot of desire in her once again.

  He gazed into her eyes. “Now that your motor’s running, it’s time for that trip to the bedroom.”

  She took a deep breath. “I can’t. My bones have melted.”

  His grin was pure male. “Now, I do like hearing that.”

  “It’s true. If you let go, I’ll slide right down to the floor.”

  “But I’m not lettin’ go, honey.
We’ve got a whole lot of night left.”

  She looked up at him, her senses dazed by the possibilities. “I still have my boots on.”

  “That’s a fact.”

  “I’ve never...had that happen while my boots were still on.”

  “It happened twice,” he reminded her with a twinkle in his eyes.

  “So it did,” she murmured. “And you haven’t even kissed me yet.”

  “We’ll get to that.” He swung her limp body into his arms and walked toward the bedroom. “Later.”

  “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were a tease.”

  “That’s just what I am.” He laid her on the bed and switched on the lamp. “And I love teasing pretty ladies like you.” Sitting beside her on the bed, he pulled off his boots before turning to hers. After her boots hit the floor, he peeled off one sock and began to massage her foot.

  “Mmm, that’s not teasing. That just feels nice.” She was as relaxed as a rag doll, everywhere except at the moist place between her thighs, which began to pulse, even from something as innocent as a foot massage.

  “Course it feels nice. You’ve been on your feet for hours.” He slid off the other sock and began to rub her other foot “Ticklish?”

  “No.” She lay there in total abandon, her clothes unfastened, most of her body revealed in the lamplight.

  “Then just hold still.” He brought her foot to his mouth and slipped his tongue into the crevice behind her toes.

  She gasped at the sensuous glide of his tongue as he pushed it between each of her toes. She’d never imagined the space between her toes was an erogenous zone, but with this man, every inch of her was fast turning into one. She moaned as a now-familiar ache began to build. He massaged her calves and sucked gently on her toes until her breathing grew ragged. Oh, he was a tease, all right. She reached for her shorts, meaning to push them out of the way.

  “Let me, little darlin’.” Still ministering to her right foot, he bent her left knee and pulled her shorts and panties off on one side.

  “I want—”

  “Let me guess.”

  Before she quite knew how it happened, he’d slipped down on the bed, hooked her knees over his shoulders, and claimed the most intimate caress of all. “Good...guess,” she whispered. Oh, Lordy, the man was an artist. He’d coax her up the slope, then pause just shy of the top to let her tumble partway down again. After several rounds of that game, she begged for release. When he gave it, she celebrated with heartfelt cries of completion.