Smoke. Fire. Cowboy (Cowboys of Nirvana Book 3) (6 page)

BOOK: Smoke. Fire. Cowboy (Cowboys of Nirvana Book 3)
11.51Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

He laughed, couldn’t help himself. “Okay, we’ve established that we got off on the wrong foot. I thought we were getting somewhere until I unplugged my filter. I had no clue my question would cause a rampage.”

She blinked. “You know, a bit of advice, if you’d learn to control your tongue you wouldn’t have to apologize so often which I doubt you mean it anyway.”

He sniffed loudly. “You keep tossing compliments my way, sweetheart, and I’m going to get a bigger head.”

There was a long hesitation.  “We should call it a night.”

He nodded and stepped out of the way. She threw open the door just as a bat flew toward the light, close to her face. She jumped, flew backwards and lost her footing. He reached out to stabilize her, but her arms were flailing to gain her balance and the bottle landed hard against his crotch. Pain ripped its way through his body, wave after wave.

“Oh shit!”

He barely registered her words. Lights flashed in his eyes and he went down to his knees, cupping his jewels.

 

CHAPTER TWO

 

Sofie heard Jared moan and his knees hit the floor.

What had she done?

His face turned red and he twisted his mouth as he cupped his groin.

“I’m sorry,” she said.

Slowly, he stood to his feet and leaned his back against the wall, still holding himself. “Fuck!”

A scorching humiliation rolled through her. “I-I saw the bat and I jumped and...”

“Are you sure that wasn’t intentional?” His voice quivered.

“No. I would never do that.” She took a step closer to him. “Really. I’m so sorry. Are you okay?” She skimmed her gaze over him. Unfortunately, she couldn’t ‘examine’ that part of his body and there was no way of knowing how severe the damage she’d caused.

Some of the color was coming back to his face and his pale eyes burned through her. “I’d say we’re even.” He pushed away from the wall and finally removed his hands from his zipper.

He moved down the hall, looking as though he’d lost some of the cockiness in his step. She continued to watch him until he turned the corner.
Go now, girl. You’ve done enough here.

Instead of following logic, she walked back into the kitchen. He was sitting at the table drinking his beer.

“Jared?”

He turned, his gaze narrowed. “Come back for more? I think one testicle still has some feeling.”

She chuckled. When he growled, she sucked back her laughter. “That’s what you call being in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

“Glad you find the humor in this.” He threw the bottle across the room and it landed squarely into the trashcan.

“I really am sorry,” she said between snickers. Why was she being so inconsiderate? This was unlike her.

“Yeah, it seems that way.” He rolled his eyes. “Didn’t you have some place to go?”

“And allow you to be in misery all alone? What kind of a friend would I be?”

“The kind that I like really well.” He growled.

“Okay, let’s make a truce. Nirvana isn’t big enough for us to continue to act this way.”

“Why? So you can use your fist the next time?” His jaw remained hard, but all of his color was back. With a long exhale, he finally lifted his chin and he no longer looked right through her. He cleared his throat and sent his hand through his hair in a jerky motion. “A truce you say?”

She nodded. “I’ve been cold toward you, that I’ll admit. That’s not fair or provoked on your part.” Her chest tightened. “I overreacted when you asked when the last time I was kissed.” She couldn’t dare tell him that she’d kissed Chase earlier in the evening.

“Most women would have just lied.” Thick brows came up over curious eyes. “I wouldn’t have known the difference.”

“I’m too transparent.”

“I haven’t noticed.”

She caught his sarcasm. He stretched his long legs in the worn denim and crossed his ankles. She couldn’t stand there all day, so she walked deeper into the room and placed the bottle on the table. His gaze met hers and something released inside of her. “My husband—my ex-husband—could charm a rattlesnake into submission.”

“Are you comparing me to your ex?” His jaw hardened again.

“Honestly, I saw similar characteristics.” There was no reason to lie. “Superficial similarities.”

He shifted, leaning his elbows on his knees. “Sweetheart, I might be a lot of things, but a cheat isn’t one of them.”

He held her gaze, and what she saw reached deep inside of her, touching a part of her that still hurt from the betrayal of her past. For the first time in a long time, she wanted to unscrew the cap to her emotions and allow them to flow freely. She’d kept her past bottled up, hiding the facts because she was humiliated. How could she have allowed Luther to make a fool out of her?

Dropping down into the chair, she leaned onto the table. He continued to watch her, quietly, reflectively.  “I haven’t told anyone what happened,” she whispered.

“Maybe it’s time you did.” He raked a hand through his hair, sending locks falling over his forehead. He seemed sincere. Could she really spill everything to Jared? A stranger in an ambiguous way? Up until today, she had kept her distance from him. She’d insulted him several times just this evening and accidentally cracked him a good one in his jewels. Yet, he seemed the most likely person to talk with.

Swallowing the persistent lump in her throat, she shifted again and crossed her legs. “Truth is, I don’t want to go back to my cabin.”

He scraped his palms down his face, the thick layer of beard rasped, making the soft hairs on her nape stand. “Are you asking for my company?”

His husky voice combined with his pale gaze did hypnotic things to her body.

She threaded her fingers through her hair, feeling the tremor start in her bottom lip and travel like molten lava through her neck, chest, and down to the pit of her stomach. Her inner thighs were warm and achy. “What do friends do on an evening when no one else is around?” One corner of his mouth slipped up into a panty-melting smile. She blinked. “Not that,” she muttered. His smile grew bigger.

He pushed up from the table and held out his hand for her. She looked at his callused palm. Alarms sounded in her head, but the sensations in her chest gained more attention. Without any more reservation, she laid her hand into his, shocked by the electrical current passing between them. She shivered, allowing him to bring her to her feet.

His free hand fell to her waist. His delicious heat oozed through the material of her shirt and his scent tantalized her nostrils. His hot breath swept across her cheek, tickling her ear as his thumb traced a figure eight on her back. She leaned in, easily, and he groaned. The sound vibrated her chest, tightening her nipples.

Bright eyes burrowed into her before dropping lower, stopping at her breasts before coming back up. His sparkling gaze told her he wanted to kiss her. Would he? Hope rattled through her.

“Soon, sweetheart, soon,” he whispered then offered her a smile that reached between her legs and tickled her fancy. Only a virile man like Jared could make a woman feel as if she’d been made love to with only a look.

“Are you promising to kiss me later?” He did say that he always kept his promises. Anticipation slithered through her.

“Come on. I have an idea.” He still held her hand as he guided her toward the back door.

“Where are we going?” She tipped her chin to look up—way up—into his gaze.

“Trust me.” Two little words, innocent in nature, but releasing havoc on her emotionally. Trust wasn’t something that came easily for her. She opened her mouth to resist, but he laid a thick finger over her lips, stifling any words of conflict. “I’m only asking for a little trust, sweetheart, not a kidney. I promise it won’t hurt.” His eyes dazzled liked a thousand diamonds. She couldn’t have removed her hand from his if the world tumbled down around them. A muscle in his jaw worked. “Okay?”

“Okay.”

He led her onto the screened in patio. The night had cooled and the breeze swept across her skin, not even touching the heat in her loins. A pool table was set up on one side of the space and the hot tub on the other. He let go of her hand and slipped off the cover to the tub. Steam billowed up from the water. His gaze met hers as he pulled his shirt over his head, tossing it to the cement. She gulped air, brazenly lowering her eyes over his bare upper body. She could stay here forever, admiring every dip and masculine curve of his toned arms, chest, and abs. Clearing her thoughts, and her throat, she asked, “Wha-what are you doing?”

“I’m getting in the hot tub.” He started for the belt buckle for the second time that night.

“I asked what
friends
do when they hang out.”

“Friends can’t enjoy a soak in the hot tub together?” His humored expression made her lungs work harder.

“So I’m just one of the guys?” she squeaked.

“No matter how hard you try, you’ll never be just one of the guys.” He swept his eyes over her, leaving a trail of throbbing need. Oh hell! She was a goner. He kicked off his boots, dropped his jeans and tossed them to the side. He stood there in his pale blue boxers and the cotton tent was unmistakable.

“I-I will just sit over here.” She stuck a finger toward the wicker chair.

“What are you afraid of, Sofie?” His soft voice tickled her senses.

“Afraid? I’m not. I just don’t feel much up to getting in the water. And I don’t have my suit.” She was fully aware of how her voice trembled.

He laughed. “A suit? There’s only you and me, sweetheart.”

What was he suggesting? “Yes, and your point is?”

He shrugged a broad shoulder. “I won’t tell if you don’t.”

“There’s nothing to tell.” She sucked in a quick breath as her inner thighs pulsated, looking at him through the veil of her lashes, wishing her bottom lip would stop trembling.

“Then wear your bra and panties. Covers just as much as any bikini. He snapped the elastic waist of his boxers and jerked them downward. She turned so fast she almost lost her balance. “I’m decent, sweetheart.”

When she looked at him he was smiling ear to ear. She realized he got an internal rise from her modesty. .

Steam floated around his shoulders and he relaxed into the pool. She wasn’t sure what was more inviting…Jared or the perfectly heated temperature of the water that would certainly ease the tension in her body. Standing there, watching, she knew she should turn and walk away. She could endure a night of solitude in her cabin. “What if the staff comes back?” She didn’t realize she’d said the words aloud until he answered.

“They won’t be back for hours. We’re just soaking, sweetheart, unless you have other plans.”

Her cheeks flamed. “Of course not!”

“I need to ease these stressed muscles. Pounding most of the day has my body tense.”

Pounding. Tense
. She caught only those two words in the sentence. “Okay, I’ll get in, but you have to close your eyes.”

His brows scrunched. “Seriously?”

“Just because you’ve seen other bodies doesn’t mean you have the right to see mine.” Thinking of undressing in front of Jared did funny things between her thighs. That’s why she needed to tread carefully. A lonely woman was a dangerous woman. She needed to get a grip. Jared wasn’t just some man she picked up in a bar. He was a co-worker and since neither of them planned to leave Nirvana, this could lead to a very sticky situation. However, she had been willing to take the chance with Chase.
Yes, and look at where that got me.
Jared was different though. He made her feel like she stood on top of a mountain with her arms spread wide, ready to jump off and fly. No man, not even Luther, made fireworks explode in her center. Jared was exasperating. Egotistical. And sexier than should be legal.

“Suit yourself.” He closed his eyes.

She tiptoed to the side of the tub and moved her hand in front of his face. Nothing. Now that she was certain he wasn’t looking, she quickly removed her clothes, except her strapless bra and panties, and climbed into the water. Choosing the seat farthest from him, she dipped into the water. It was heavenly just as she thought it would be.

“Have you forgotten about me?”

Oops! “Okay. You can open now.”

He looked at her. “Aren’t you glad you got in?”

“I can’t deny how nice this is.”

“See what you’re missing when you stay huddled up in that cabin of yours.”

“For someone who doesn’t like me much, you sure seem to know what I’m doing.”

He rubbed his palm down his face, wiping away droplets of water. “Let’s make this experience even better. Shall we?” He slid forward, so close she could have kissed him. But she wouldn’t. No way. What if he kissed her? No, she wouldn’t stand for a kiss, but the hunger building within her crashed through her logic, paralyzing her from speaking out or resisting.  She closed her eyes, parted her lips, anticipating the moment when his lips would touch hers. The jets kicked in, the whirling sound penetrating the silence. She opened her eyes.

“Glad that I’m earning your trust.” An indulgent smiled laced his lips and it ripped through her like a searing blade.

She refused to allow him to have the upper hand. “Don’t flatter yourself. I wouldn’t go there.”

“I think your eyes say you would, darlin’.” His slow drawl puckered her nipples.

“Don’t call me darling. I’m not your darling.” How did she end up here, in a hot tub with Jared? How could he turn her inside out so easily?

“Are we back to verbally sparring again?”

“Only if you continue to egg it on,” she challenged.

His laughter rang out above the jets as he pushed himself back into the seat across from her.

****

He watched Sofie through the steam for a good five agonizing minutes. Her eyes were closed and her lips were slightly parted. Her cheeks were perfectly pink. Was she still imagining that he’d kiss her? Oh how he’d wanted to kiss her. In the mere seconds that he’d been close to her he’d debated ten times, back and forth, whether he should just throw his pride to the wind, haul her into his arms and kiss her breathless. For the life of him, he had a feeling that’s what she wanted—and needed.

BOOK: Smoke. Fire. Cowboy (Cowboys of Nirvana Book 3)
11.51Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

Other books

In the Moons of Borea by Brian Lumley
Terminal by Williams, Brian
Solstice Heat by Brown, Leila
Finding Eden by Sheridan, Mia
Her Tiger To Take by Kat Simons
Shattered by Teri Terry
Believing by Wendy Corsi Staub