Beauty and the Cowboy (9 page)

“Where would you like to go?”

“I like scrambled eggs and steak. Your scrambled eggs and steak.”

“Why don’t we see what we can cook up then?”

“You said Mattie is away, so how about my place?”

“I think that sounds like the best thing I’ve heard all week.”

He leaned in and planted a kiss that affected her all the way down to the core of her being. Places inside her she’d been trying to ignore since last Friday night sparked again, and this time they ignited into a blaze that couldn’t be extinguished.

He kissed her so thoroughly that she forgot that she should object to the public display of affection out in the open where anyone could see them… Because suddenly she didn’t really care who knew. All the reasons why they shouldn’t be together were kind of fuzzy right now. Her fears were transported outside of herself, until all that was left was the longing for this man who made her feel so safe.

His tongue sent shivers of desire rippling through her, and her body demanded more. She wanted to discover the real him, the man who needed and wanted her. The man she couldn’t get enough of. She wanted to bridge the distance and reach the essence of Jesse that was hidden behind that gruff barrier he’d erected to protect himself.

As if reading her mind, his arms tightened around her, encircling her with an intimacy she realized she’d longed for her entire life.

Or maybe it was Jesse that she’d been waiting for all her life? This man who, in the past, had shied away from getting emotionally involved. But now he was letting her in, and that was the only thing in the world she wanted.

Jesse groaned softly, and Charlotte tried to remember the last time a man had overwhelmed her senses the way he did. A man who made her crave his touch, hunger for his kiss. A man who made her want nothing less than to be naked with him in bed for long hours, until they knew each other so well the memories were etched on each other’s souls. All she needed was Jesse, and she needed him now.

It made her vulnerable and exposed her heart to a world of potential hurt, but she didn’t care. Look where playing it safe and going with the flow had gotten her.

It was time to take control of her life.

“How about if we order in tonight?” she suggested.

“No eggs?”

“You know what happens when you make me eggs.”

“I think ordering in could be very promising.”

*

Jesse leaned in
and kissed her again. Somewhere in the haze between longing and lust, he found what was left of his shredded senses. He gazed into Charlotte’s eyes, trying to make sure he was reading her right.

He closed his eyes, tried to catch his breath for a moment, tried to gather himself. Damn, they needed to get out of there now.

“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.

O
n 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.

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.