Wild Rodeo Nights Read online

  “God, you feel like heaven,” he whispered against her lips, his hips riding hers in a slow, rhythmic dance meant to bring her to the brink.

  She whimpered and lifted her buttocks higher, wanting him deeper. He brought her calves up on his arms and tilted his hips, pushing as far as he could. After several strokes, he let her legs down and grabbed her hips while he pounded into her.

  Opening her eyes, she could see his blue gaze sparkling in the moonlight filtering through the window. “Come with me. I want to feel you grip me tight, milking everything I have.”

  She moaned, and the walls of her vagina started to contract. She could feel the pressure building inside her, waiting to burst behind her eyelids and coat her with warmth.

  Cole murmured above her, “Oh, God.” His hips surged against her as his name spilled from her mouth on a scream.

  Chapter Eight

  The moonlight streamed through the gauzy curtains, casting shadows on the walls and across the rug on the floor. The moon was so bright it almost lit the entire room, illuminating their entwined limbs on the bed. His fingers caressed her arm where it lay across his stomach, and she slept peacefully on his chest. He couldn’t sleep. Tomorrow loomed in the cloudless sky like a shroud over his head.

  He wished he had someone to talk to, but Chase and Abby were still on their honeymoon, and Justin would never understand. His conversation with Abby swept across his mind, and he smiled. She would just say I told you so if he told her about Carrie. He loved Abby like a sister. It made him feel good to know Chase had found someone to love, and Abby was the perfect complement to his brother.

  Carrie shifted in her sleep, rubbing her cheek against him before she settled back down and her breathing became even again.

  What the hell am I going to do now? Walking away seemed so easy before. Why does it have to be so difficult this time?

  He frowned as the confusing thoughts swirled around in his head.

  You never cared this much before, his heart murmured, and the frown deepened. He lay there for a long time wishing tomorrow would never come but knowing it inevitably would. He had to leave in the morning, and he would probably never see her again.

  The room began to lighten when the sun rose over the horizon, and their time together slowly came to an end. He felt Carrie’s lips start to drift over his chest, and he groaned softly. The hand resting on her back the entire night moved up and slipped into her hair. Her mouth found his nipple with the rough pad of her tongue, flicking and nipping until he couldn’t stand it anymore.

  He flipped her over, bringing her hands up to rest above her head and holding them in place. A teasing smile lifted the corners of her mouth when their eyes met.

  “Witch,” he whispered before his mouth drifted down and found her ripe nipple with his tongue.

  She moaned and arched against him when he lapped at her breast.

  You really shouldn’t be doing this. It’s not fair to her if you make love to her and then walk away, his heart whispered, but he chose to ignore it as his body took over.

  “Oh, God, Cole—please.”

  He let go of her hands and moved down her body with swipes of his tongue, stopping at her belly button to swirl and tease. He kissed her stomach and the inside of her thighs before settling his mouth on her wet pussy. His fingers spread her labia before he sucked on her clit, and her body shuddered at the sensations zipping through her. He alternated between licking and sucking as his fingers slid into her hot warmth. Within moments her vagina started to contract around his fingers, but he pulled back and she let out a tortured groan.

  “I want inside you when you come.” He slid back up her body, taking her mouth with his while he slipped between her swollen pussy lips. Letting out his own painful growl when he felt her warmth surround him, he whispered, “God, you feel so good. I can’t get enough of you.”

  She wiggled her hips and he thought for sure he would come unglued when she whimpered against his mouth, “Make me come.”

  His hips rocked against her, and she wrapped her legs around his back and held on. His mouth found her breast, suckling, and licking, until the nipple stood up hard and proud. When he finally felt her start to contract around him, he lifted his chest, bringing her legs up so he could fill her to the hilt. His movements became almost frantic when she moaned his name and his own release rose to the surface. He groaned and slammed against her pelvis with his own as he released his seed deep within her. He felt her squeeze his cock, milking everything he had.

  Resting on his elbows lying on both sides of her shoulders, he pressed his forehead to hers, and their breathing slowed. “You okay?”

  She smiled wistfully as she looked at him. “Mmm…better than okay.”

  He groaned when he pulled out of her and rolled onto his back, bringing her along with him so she rested on his chest. He brushed his fingers along her shoulder and behind her neck, letting the strands of her hair slide through them.

  The silence stretched between them for some time. He didn’t know what to say. Goodbye seemed wrong after what they shared.

  The alarm clock on the bedside table beeped before it started playing a country song, and Carrie moved to shut it off. He watched her sit up on the side of the bed and reach for a bathrobe hanging on the wall. She slipped it on, pulling her hair out of the back before she tightened the belt around her waist. When she turned around to face him, he couldn’t read her eyes and he frowned.

  “I need to get ready to go. The store has to open in about an hour.” He didn’t reply while he tried to figure out what she thought before she dropped her gaze and moved toward the bathroom.

  She went inside and shut the door.

  * * * *

  She sighed and tipped her head back on her shoulders. Gripping the sink in front of her, she fought the tears that threatened to fall down her cheeks.

  What the hell was I thinking? It doesn’t matter. He’ll leave today, and I’ll be right here in Silver Ridge, taking care of the store and Jess until I’m so old no one will want me anyway.

  “Carrie, are you all right?”

  “Yeah, Cole. I’m fine. I just need to get ready to go. There’s coffee downstairs if you want some.”

  “Okay.”

  She heard his footsteps retreat out the door of her room and down the stairs. Sighing heavily, she turned on the water, washed her face, put on her makeup and pulled her hair back. Stepping back into her room, her gaze stopped on the bed with its tangled sheets and the scent of sex in the air. She shook her head.

  It won’t do any good to linger on what happened. It’s done, over, and he’s leaving.

  Grabbing some clean clothes, she slipped on her jeans and blouse before heading downstairs for a light breakfast and coffee. “What are you doing?” She laughed when she spotted Cole. He didn’t seem the type to cook and here he was, scrambling eggs on the stove.

  “Cooking. What’s it look like?” He smiled as their eyes met, flashing those devastating dimples in her direction, making her heart skip a beat. “Coffee is on the table. This will be ready in a minute.”

  “You are making me breakfast?” She cocked an eyebrow, and her lips lifted at the corners. When she took a seat at the dining room table, she was surprised to find the coffee doctored exactly the way she liked it.

  “Sure. I figured you could probably use some before you go to the store.”

  He dished up the eggs and put some toast on the plate along with a couple of pieces of bacon before he sat it down in front of her. Bending down, he stole a quick kiss before he took the other seat across from her.

  A piece of meat crunched between her teeth while she studied him. He confused her with his behavior and attentiveness. Wasn’t he supposed to just get dressed and leave? Not that she normally had short-term relationships, but that’s what she always heard anyway. He sure didn’t seem to be in any hurry to go.

  “Where is the next rodeo?”

  He flashed a grin before he answered. “Are you tr
ying to get rid of me?”

  “N–no,” she stammered and dropped her gaze to her plate.

  He put a finger under her chin, forcing to her to look at him. “I’m kidding, Carrie. Jimmy and I are headed to Crawford, Nebraska. There is a rodeo this coming weekend.”

  “Oh." Damn it! Jimmy needs to own up to his responsibility, but I shouldn't get Cole involved. It's not fair to him. He is Jimmy's friend, though.

  Cole cocked his head to the side and stared. "What's wrong, Carrie?"

  "You're Jimmy's friend, but…"

  "Yeah."

  "Jess hasn't told me if she's talked with him about the baby, but tell him he needs to do right by her. Otherwise, she'll get a paternity test when it's born, and he'll be forced to at least pay child support.”

  "I'll tell him."

  "Where are you going after Crawford?" Catching her lip between her teeth, she chewed it for a moment. She wanted to feel nonchalant about Cole's leaving, but something tugged at her insides, something she didn’t want to think about it.

  His fingers raked through his hair, and her hand itched to comb an errant curl back in place. "Does it matter?"

  "Never mind. It's none of my business."

  The rest of their breakfast was eaten in silence even if she could feel every time his gaze rested on her face. When they were both done, she grabbed the plates and slid them inside the sink.

  A moment later, he pressed against her back and his lips brushed her neck. Shivers rolled down her spine and she tipped her head, desperately wanting his mouth on her skin.

  Good Lord, I'm pathetic for wanting him like this.

  "I wish we had time."

  "Time?"

  "I've never wanted anyone like I want you, Carrie. I can't seem to get enough."

  “Oops. Sorry.”

  Jessica stood in the doorway when Carrie turned. “It’s okay, Jess. Cole was just leaving.”

  A frown swept across his face before he said, “Uh…yeah.”

  “I’ll walk you out.” Tears threatened to choke her, but she refused to let him see how much his leaving hurt. With a smile plastered on her face, she grabbed his hat from where he left it on the couch the night before and handed it to him.

  “Thanks.” He looked like he wanted to say something else when he shot her a confused glance. After a moment, he shook his head and grabbed the handle on the front door. Once outside, she realized her truck was still at the store.

  “Looks like I’ll have to take you to work.”

  “Yeah, I guess so. I seemed to keep forgetting where my vehicle is when you are around.” A frustrated sigh spilled from between her lips. “Let me grab my keys and I’ll be back in a second.”

  She retreated inside and when she caught Jessica’s amused expression, she frowned.

  “Forget something?”

  “Yeah. My truck is still at the store.”

  “He tends to do that to you, doesn’t he?”

  “Shut up, Jess,” she said when she reached for her purse and keys with her sister’s laughter ringing in her ears. “I’ll see you at the store at eleven.”

  Not waiting for an answer, she went out the front door, slamming it behind her and grumbling under her breath about annoying sisters. Cole stood leaning against his truck, arms crossed over his broad chest with a Cheshire cat grin.

  Damn, why does he have to be so gorgeous!

  The store was only a few minutes from the house. Within a short time, they were pulling into the parking lot.

  She got out on the passenger side without waiting for him and walked toward the door. He followed her inside, and they moved toward the office only to find a huge mess. There were papers strewn everywhere. The office door stood open, and it looked like a bomb had gone off in there. The case where the silver jewelry and belt buckles were kept lay broken in several pieces from what she decided had probably been a stray bullet when the man shot the register.

  “What a fucking mess!”

  “I’ll help you clean it up.” Cole started picking up paperwork off the floor, stacking it neatly and placing it on the desk.

  “I thought you were leaving for Nebraska this morning?”

  “We are, but I have a little time.”

  She looked around and shook her head. “I can’t open the store like this. I’ll have to stay closed today so I can clean up.”

  “How about you make some kind of a sign to put on the door, and I’ll work on cleaning up this glass? I’m sure your customers will understand. The whole town probably knows about the robbery.”

  “You’re probably right. Silver Ridge isn’t that big of a place.”

  Cole reached for a broom and dustpan as she grabbed some paper to make a small sign for the door. Working in compatible silence, they got most of the glass cleaned up and the items in the case moved into the office so they could be locked up.

  They spent the morning attempting to right everything in the store.

  The cell phone on his hip started to ring. Unclipping it, he stared at the screen a moment before his gaze shot to hers across the room. He flipped it open and said, “Yeah.”

  The voice on the other end came across in a murmur, but she gathered from the conversation the caller was Jimmy and he wanted to know when they were leaving.

  “In a little bit. It’s not that far to Crawford.” His eyes met hers and she tried not to let him see the hurt she felt when she thought of him leaving.

  How stupid! I've known all along he would leave when the rodeo ended. I shouldn't be torn up about this.

  “All right.” He hung up the phone with a click. A soft knock on the window tore her gaze from his. Without a word, she went to the door and unlocked it for her sister. Once Jessica was inside, she relocked and met her sister’s gaze.

  “You stayed closed?”

  “Yeah. There was too much of a mess in here to let customers in today.”

  Jessica’s gaze took in Cole's presence before her attention returned to her sister. They moved in tandem toward him.

  “Hey, Cole.”

  “Jess.”

  “I thought you and Jimmy were leaving this morning.”

  “We are.”

  "Tell him to expect to hear from an attorney since he doesn't want to admit this child is his."

  Cole's eyebrows rose. "Uh…I'll make sure he knows. I need to get going. Walk out with me.” It wasn’t a request. It was a command and one Carrie willingly followed, wanting to keep him with her just a little bit longer.

  He wrapped his arm around her shoulder, and they walked out together through the side door. Tears burned her eyelids, and her heart felt like it was shattering when they approached his truck.

  I’m not going to cry. I’m not going to let him know how much this hurts. It was supposed to be a no-strings-attached weekend and that’s exactly what he’s going to think it was.

  He unlocked the truck before he stopped next to the door and wrapped his arms around her. She inhaled his unique scent, all male and oh-so-sexy, when she buried her nose in his neck. She wanted to remember this, remember him, how it felt for him to hold her so she could pretend he loved her as much as she loved him.

  Love him? No—I won’t do that. I can’t fall in love with him. A sob caught in her throat and she forced it down with a swallow. I won’t cry. I won’t cry.

  He pushed her back and looked down into her eyes, and she almost lost it, almost let him know how she felt.

  “It was fun while it lasted, huh?”

  God, that hurt.

  “Yeah. You know, next time you’re in Silver Ridge, look me up.”

  “Sure. Never know when I might find myself somewhere close by. There are always rodeos all over these parts.”

  She stepped back and shrugged, wrapping her arms around her waist as she tried to hold her heart together. “Thanks for all your help the last few days.”

  “I’m glad I was there for you.” Brushing his fingers down her cheek for a second, he slid his hand toward her ear and
tucked a stray strand of hair behind it. His hand went behind her head before his lips slanted across hers. All the desperation and need flowed from her lips when his mouth took hers and his tongue slid between her lips to caress hers.

  When he finally released her and stepped back, his gaze held hers for a moment. “Bye, Carrie.”

  She couldn’t watch—didn’t want to see him pull out of her parking lot and never to return. The sound of his truck pulling out onto the highway ripped her heart in half. Jessica wrapped her in a warm hug. A moment later, wracking sobs shook her frame and the tears rolled down her cheeks.

  Chapter Nine

  The snow whipped across the flat fields, blurring everything except what was within a few feet. Winter in Wyoming hit hard every year, but this one seemed especially bleak. Cole stood at the door of the barn and pulled the collar of his coat up around his ears before he started toward the house.

  “Damn, it’s cold.” A shiver rolled down his back as he stomped his feet to loosen the snow from his boots. Abby would kill him if he tracked snow in the house. He smiled when he thought of his sister-in-law. She sure was grumpy these days, but being pregnant did that to a gal he guessed. Having not spent a lot of time around a pregnant woman, he wasn't quite sure.

  Leaning his shoulder against the wooden door, he pushed it open and then slammed it shut again while the howling wind whipped outside. Hanging his coat on the rack, he toed off his boots, leaving them near the door.

  “Hey. Would you like some coffee?” Abby asked.

  “You bet. It can’t be more than about five degrees out there with that wind.”

  “Well, nobody said you had to work the mare today. And that Mack truck of Mike Carroll's could have waited a day or two for your talented hands.” Abby gave him a playful smirk from the kitchen. “I know you want to keep busy, though. It must suck to have this down time from all the rough rodeo stuff.”

  “Yeah. I need to keep my mind busy.”

  She cocked an eyebrow in his direction, but he wasn’t talking. He hadn’t said anything to Chase or Abby about Carrie, but he had a gut feeling she already knew. After all, she told him way back when he would meet his match, and he was afraid she was right. He hadn’t been able to forget about the hazel-eyed beauty.