Catch Me a Cowboy (28 page)

Since his words were so sweet, she didn’t argue. She just stood there smiling while he finished getting undressed.

“Don’t tell me you’re planning on keeping my shirt on,” he said as he tossed his jeans and underwear into a corner. “I like you in it and all, but….”

Shirlene wasn’t modest about much, but her unfettered breasts were one of the things she was modest about. It didn’t help that Billy had left the light on in the kitchen, and it spilled across the floor and directly on her. Or that his body was so damned tight and perfect. She thought about asking him to turn off the light. But before she could get the words out of her mouth, his warm fingers slipped into the opening of her shirt.

“You aren’t shy, now are you, Shirley Girl?” He sweetly kissed her mouth as a snap popped. “Because there’s nothin’ to be shy about.” Two more snaps followed. “It’s just little ol’ me.” The rest came undone, and he slipped the shirt off her shoulders.

But before he could lean back and take a look, Shirlene crossed an arm over her chest and started rambling like an idiot. “I know they aren’t as perky as some girls. And they might look a little like two overripe melons hanging from the vine, but you can’t expect gravity not to kick in—”

He placed a finger over her lips. “I hate to be the arrogant kind of asshole who brings up other women during sex, but you need to check out a couple of
Playboys,
sweetheart.” His finger blazed a trail of fire down her chin and along her neck, stopping just shy of her breasts that swelled above her arm. “If you had, you would know that you’re every man’s fantasy.” His finger dipped into the softness of her cleavage. “And you wouldn’t be so cruel as to let me get this close to my fantasy and then keep me from doing all the things I’ve only dreamed about, would you, honey?”

She took an uneven breath. “What kind of things?”

His eyes crinkled in thought. “Well, I’d love to tell you, but don’t you think it would be better if I just showed you?”

Before she could answer, he had her panties off and had eased her down to the edge of the bed. Kneeling before her, he coaxed her legs apart and moved so her thighs cradled his ribcage. The sight of his hard stomach inches from her hot center distracted her so much she wasn’t aware that he had removed her arm until his warm hand encased one breast.

She might’ve pulled away if he hadn’t been so gentle. He held her breast as if it was as breakable as Hope’s mama’s fine china, as if any sudden movement might cause it to scatter into a million pieces. Then slowly he began to caress her, his rough fingertips barely touching as they skated over her flushed skin. Her nipple tightened with need, but he chose to ignore it, teasing her with feather-like touches until she thought she might go insane. Then he firmly took her in hand and lowered his head. The wet heat that settled over her nipple had her hips lifting from the mattress as he pulled her into his mouth and teased her with his tongue. When he finished with one breast, he moved on to the other until Shirlene locked her legs around his torso and tugged on his hair.

He lifted his head, his eyes a sweet chocolate glaze. “Are you telling me you’re ready, Shirley Girl?”

She answered him by reaching down and taking him in hand. And after only a few strokes, he was reaching for the nightstand. His movements were clumsy and endearing as he placed the extra large condom on. Until that moment, she hadn’t really given much thought to how he would fit. But any apprehension she felt was quickly put to rest when Billy eased her back to the mattress and slipped inside of her. It was a snug fit, but a perfect one. Billy seemed to fill all her empty spaces, spaces Shirlene hadn’t even known needed filling.

“You okay?”

Shirlene looked up at the man who hovered above her, a man who had turned out to be so much more than she had ever imagined. Reaching out, she brushed a lock of hair off his forehead. “What? You think this west Texas girl can’t handle an average-sized boy from the sticks?”

He grinned, but it faded when she adjusted her hips for a deeper fit. With his hands braced on either side of her shoulders, he started to move. The down stroke held the bliss of expansion, the upstroke, the tingle of contraction. It was an explosive combination that had her hips rising to meet each thrust and her hands grasping his butt cheeks. He allowed her to control the tempo, moving faster when her fingers tightened and slower when they relaxed. And when she moaned and went tumbling over the edge of an intense orgasm, he rode the wave with her, prolonging her climax with deep, smooth thrusts. It wasn’t until the last tingle of sensation melted from her body that he went after his own satisfaction. She watched as his handsome features tightened in ecstasy before all strength drained out of him, and he slumped down on top of her.

The weight of his body felt good, and she curled her arms around his waist. A moment later, he lifted his head and looked down at her. A smile tipped the corners of his mouth, but his eyes were serious.

“Regrets?”

She shook her head. “Not a one.”

He nodded. “Good, because the tour’s only starting, Shirley Girl.”

I
T WAS STILL DARK
when Billy woke. He stared at the sheet hanging over the window. Seeing as how he felt more relaxed and content than he had in years, he wondered what had awakened him. A slight shift of heated skin against heated skin gave him his answer, and he turned his head and looked down at the naked woman cuddled against his side. He had failed to turn the kitchen light off, and a shaft of light fell over her, highlighting her creamy skin and flaming hair.

Going to bed with Shirlene Dalton was a monumental mistake. Their relationship was complicated enough without adding sex to the mix. Not only was he playing her for a fool with his country-hick charade, but now it looked as if Shirlene might be the key to ending The Cates Curse. But even knowing this, he couldn’t bring himself to pull away from the warm cocoon of her arms. His mind might be telling him that making love to Shirlene was a big mistake, but his body was telling him something else entirely.

And not just his body, but something deep down inside him.

Billy reached out and brushed the hair back from her forehead. She was so damned beautiful, each feature perfectly sculpted to take a man’s breath away. High forehead, straight nose, smooth skin, and full lips that drove him insane. They were slightly parted, and he could hear the soft sound of air being pulled in and out of her lungs.

And what a set of lungs she had. The mere sight of her standing there in nothing but a pair of cotton panties had almost caused a premature disaster, and it had taken the batting averages of most of the Texas Rangers to keep from diving into those sweet breasts like a sex-crazed fifteen-year-old. Even now he couldn’t help lowering the sheet to get a peek of her glorious bounty. Or leaning over to take a quick taste. Except a quick taste soon turned into some uncontrollable gluttony.

“Mmmm,” she hummed, her fingers gliding through his hair. He lifted his head to a smile that put the finishing touches on his hard-on.

“Good mornin’,” he said.

She leaned up to kiss him, but before her lips met his, a noisy sparrow had her glancing over at the window. “What time is it?” She rose up on her elbows. “I need to get back to the trailer before the kids get up.”

“Shhh.” He nuzzled her neck. “ ‘It is not yet near day. It was the nightingale, and not the lark, That pierced the fearful hollow of thine ear. Nightly she sings on yond pomegranate tree. Believe me, love, it was the nightingale.’ ”

Shirlene pulled back and stared at him as if he’d lost his mind. Looking at the beautiful woman before him, he figured he had. “Bubba Wilkes quotes Shakespeare?” she said.

He reached out and caressed one perfect breast. “I took a drama class in high school for the easy A. I had
a major crush on Juliet so I volunteered to play Romeo. But believe me, one kiss wasn’t worth the year of razzing I took from the football team and my brothers over those damned tights.”

Shirlene laughed. “Well, I played Juliet in high school, and I think you just stole my lines.”

“No kiddin’?” He pulled the sheet off her and dropped it to the floor. “Then maybe I should give it another try.” His gaze trailed down her body to the deep auburn hair between her sweet white thighs. “ ‘But soft! What light through yonder window breaks? It is the East, and Juliet is the sun…’ ”

Fifteen minutes later, Romeo and Juliet had died their “deaths” and were headed back toward Shirlene’s trailer. Shirlene might not have any regrets, but Billy sure did. He had made a vow that he would stay as unattached as possible. He’d broken the vow with the people of the town, and now he’d broken it with a descendant of the very man who had started it all.

Sheriff Wynn Murdock.

But when they had reached the bottom of the steps that led to her trailer door and she turned to him, he didn’t see an enemy. Just a woman he couldn’t help pulling into his arms and giving one last kiss. She melted against him like butter in a cast iron skillet, and several moments passed before he could bring himself to pull away.

Pink edged the horizon with the promise of dawn, and he rested his cheek against her head and waited for the sun.

“Do you believe in fate?” he asked.

She pressed her lips against his collarbone. “Fate as a wicked force that takes away all human decision? Or fate as a divine plan?”

“Aren’t they one and the same?”

She pulled back and looked at him. “I hope not. I’d much rather think of my life as being planned out by a loving god, then by a random roll of the dice.”

“So you can blame God for the bad things that happen to you, instead of people?” He brushed the hair off her forehead.

Shirlene laughed. “People would be shocked at the skeptical man living in the good ol’ boy body of Bubba Wilkes.” She gave him a quick kiss. “And no, I don’t blame God for the bad things that happen to me. Instead, I like to think of God as my own personal GPS. He guides me toward the right path, but it’s up to me to follow his instructions. Although I have been known to veer off course a time or two.”

“Was Lyle on course or off?” he couldn’t help asking, or feeling a swift kick in the stomach when her eyes turned misty.

“On course. But I didn’t realize it for years. I figured I’d planned it all—a grand scheme to leave a hard life behind me.” She smiled softly. “But Lyle was exactly what I needed to calm the wildness of my youth and to teach me that love transcends age and physical beauty.”

“So you loved him.”

She nodded. “Very much.” Her eyes refocused on him. “And what about you, Billy Wilkes? Have you left broken hearts all over east Texas?”

“No. The last steady girlfriend I had was in college, but we both were ready to call it quits when I graduated.”

“College?” She tipped her head. “Hmm, you never fail to surprise me.” The admiration in her green eyes had the truth bubbling up to the surface.

“Listen, Shirlene,” he said. “I’m not who you think I am.”

She blinked before her smile returned. “I know. And I want to apologize for not seeing it sooner. My mama always said not to judge a book by its cover.” She leaned over and kissed his neck. “Although you’ve got a mighty fine cover, Billy Wilkes.”

It was hard to keep focused when her lips were so hot and sweet. But he wanted to tell her—no, he needed to tell her. Except before he could, the front door opened and Jesse peeked his head out. Shirlene jumped back like a scalded cat.

“Hey, what are y’all doin’ up so early?” Jesse stepped out on the steps in his droopy underwear, his eyes sleepy and his hair shooting straight up on his head. “Swattin’ flies again?”

Shirlene looked confused. But before she could question Jesse, Billy jumped in. “We’re just talking.”

“Oh.” Jesse’s didn’t seem to be in any hurry to leave. He just stood there staring at them as he scratched his head and, then, his balls. Realizing they weren’t going to get to continue their conversation, Billy turned to Shirlene.

“I’ll call you later.”

She nodded and sent him a dazzling smile before heading up the steps. Billy was halfway through the hedge when he realized his mistake. He couldn’t call Shirlene, not unless he wanted to break the news of him being Mr. Cates via caller ID. No, he’d have to catch her alone, which could be problematic considering she was surrounded by four orphans.

Billy returned to the trailer with every intention of going back to bed. But sleep proved to be elusive, especially on sheets that smelled of Shirlene Dalton. So he rolled out of bed and took a cold shower. With little else to do, he headed over to see Beau.

When Billy arrived, Kenny Gene or Sheriff Winslow were nowhere to be seen. Austin must’ve relayed the news about Shirlene living out on Grover Road. Still, Billy took a few minutes to check out the trees that lined the driveway before he walked around back. On his way to the patio doors, he glanced over at the swimming pool. There was his little brother stretched out on a lounge chair in nothing but his boxers, his straw cowboy hat resting over his face and a cooler of beer within hand’s reach.

At ten in the morning, it was a little early for drinking. But considering it had only been four months since Beau had finished chemo, Billy couldn’t fault him. That didn’t mean he was about to let his brother lie there without a little hassling. Billy circled the pool area and came up behind him. His plan was to grab the chair and tip it over, rolling his brother straight into the pool. What he didn’t count on was Beau’s quick reflexes. On the way into the water, he reached out and grabbed Billy’s shirt. And when Billy’s boot got stuck in the leg of the chair, he went head first into the pool right after his brother. He surfaced with his cowboy hat still on his head, but only had time for a quick breath before Beau pushed him back under. The horseplay continued until Billy caught Beau in a headlock and made him cry “uncle.”