Trouble With a Cowboy (15 page)

She
couldn’t help but think of the gorgeous women downstairs.

"Why
me?"

"Why
you what?" he asked, turning her in his arms so she faced him.

"You
could have any woman you wanted. The sparkle of diamonds, sequence, gold and
silver downstairs on the women hanging around was enough to blind me."

"I
don’t want them. I want you."

"I
know, but why?"

He
pressed his forehead against hers. "You’re funny, sexy, intelligent, and
beautiful." She snorted as he cocked an eyebrow. "Even in your jeans
and T-shirt, you put every one of those women to shame. You’re natural. They
are so fake, their boobs come with a price tag." His fingers found the
button at her waist to flick it free. "You say what’s on your mind. You
don’t know the meaning of playing games. I have a feeling when you love, it
will be forever no matter what anyone says or does to change it." His
hands slipped around the waistband of her jeans, down the back and cupped her
butt cheeks. He growled low in his throat and closed his eyes. "God, I
love your ass, darlin’."

She
slipped her fingers over each button on the front of his shirt, releasing one
at a time, slowly until it parted and gave her access to the chiseled muscles
of his chest. "Warm water and scented bubbles are calling our names.
Dinner can wait until after you make love to me in the huge tub in there."

"Sounds
like a plan to me." He scooped her up in his arms and walked toward the
bathroom. Florescent lights reflected every shiny surface as Tucker released
her legs and helped her remove the rest of her clothes. She found his nipple with
her lips and tongue while he caressed her spine and hips.
 
"You are a temptress."

She
lifted her head and smiled. "We need to start the water," she said,
turning toward the tub to flip on the hot water spigot.

"I’ll
grab the bubbles."

A
tormented growl sounded behind her seconds before she felt his cock sandwiched
between her butt cheeks. The package of bubble bath found its way into the
water. "You’re trying to kill me. Sticking your gorgeous ass up in the air
like that." Rubbing against her, he forced desire to rush through her
veins like the rapids of the Colorado River. "I want to bury myself in you
so bad, I hurt." Both of his hands cupped her breasts, and rasped the
callused fingers over her nipples. She stood upright, her back to his chest. "You
are so beautiful. You take my breath away."

The
moan trapped in her throat slipped from between her lips as she tipped her head
against his shoulder and closed her eyes. One of his hands slipped down her
abdomen and through the curls guarding her sex.

"Open
for me, baby."

She
parted her thighs as his finger moved over her clit. A whimper left her mouth as
a shiver raced down her body.

"Do
you want me to fuck you?" he asked against the skin of her throat. He
rocked his hips a couple of times, making sure she felt every inch of his
length behind her.

"Oh,
God, yes."

His
hands disappeared. "Into the tub."

The
pleading on her lips almost broke free, but she held it inside. The water felt
like heaven—soft, hot and soothing when she slipped below the surface. The long
days in the truck did nothing for her muscles, but this and Tucker did wonders
for her. She rested her head against the rear of the tub and watched her lover
through her lashes. Thick brown hair, baby blue eyes and muscles in all the
right places, the man could stop traffic if he took his shirt off. Everything
about Tucker took her breath away.

He
slipped between her parted thighs as he brought their lips together. His tongue
slid between her lips, stroking along the side of hers, coaxing it to come out
and play—and play she did. She loved to hear the groans coming from his mouth.
The muscles and hair on his chest rubbed enticingly against her nipples, bringing
them to stiff peaks. He wrapped one hand in her hair to tilt her head and deepen
the kiss to almost impossible proportions. She loved every second of it.
Tongues danced, stroked, licked and speared while they kissed.

The
length of his cock rubbed the inside of her thigh and bumped at her opening.
She needed him inside her. With her heels planted on the bottom of the tub, she
lifted her hips, encouraging him to give her everything.

He
tore his mouth from hers and skimmed across her cheek to her ear. "Hold
that thought. I need to get the condom out of my pants, darlin’."

The
need to keep him right where he was overrode common caution. They had been
together several times now and for some unfathomable reason, she trusted him explicitly.
"I’m clean. What about you?" she asked, pulling back far enough she
could look into his eyes. Trust came at a huge price. The price this time was
her heart.

"Me,
too. I get tested after the end of every relationship."

"Even
after Tiffany?"

"Especially
after someone like her." He rubbed his nose against hers. "Are you
sure you want to do this without protection?"

"I’m
on the pill, if you’re worried."

His
smile lit up the room. "I’m not worried. For some unexplainable reason, I
trust you."

"Good.
I’m glad I’m not alone in the trust department."

He
closed his eyes as he slid the head of his cock between her pussy lips. "You
feel incredible."

She
couldn’t talk—only feel. Every amazing inch of him felt fabulous. Without the
barrier between them, the slide of him inside her felt like nothing she had
ever experienced before. The silky expanse of his cock inside her sensitive
tissues had her mewling like a kitten in heat.

His
powerful thighs flexed and lifted them both from the water. Her butt hit the
cold tile and she moaned at the contrast of sensations. She wrapped her legs
around his hips and rode the tide of exquisite feelings that came with each
thrust.

"I
don’t want you to get an infection. I’ve heard it can be a problem with making
love in a bathtub," he whispered as he ground his pelvis against hers.

Each
plunge of his cock and each whisper of his lips over hers drove her higher
until she hovered on the edge of completion.

"Please."

"Please,
what, darlin’?"

"Make
me come, Tucker. I need—" He thrust harder picking up the pace so that he
thrust at a furious pace. "Yes. More."

His
hands on her hips brought her up tighter against him, pelvis to pelvis, skin to
skin and lips to lips as he crushed his mouth over hers.

Heat
rushed from her toes and burst through her belly as she screamed into his
mouth. Breathing came out in rasping pants as they tried to calm the tempest,
but the impossibility of it wasn't lost on her befuddled mind.

After
several more almost uncoordinated plunges, he swelled inside her and came hard,
her name on his lips.

She
gladly allowed him to lift her as he settled them both inside the water. With
his back to the tub, she rested on his lap, cuddling against his chest and
sighed.

"You
okay?" he asked, smoothing her hair with his hand.

"Perfect,"
she purred.

"We
should wash up and get something to eat. You’re going to need your strength to
keep up with our nightly activities."

"Nightly,
huh?"

The
warm chuckle from his lips made her smile. She loved his laugh. "If I had my
way, it would be several times a day, but we do have other commitments during
NFR."

"True.
But I like cuddling like this."

"Me
too, darlin’," he replied, one hand skimming down her spine and the other
running his fingers over her forearm. "The water is starting to cool and
I’d much rather cuddle in the huge bed with the lights of Vegas out the window."

"I
like the way you think," she said, slipping out of his embrace and
grabbing the soap.

After
they had finished their bath, he wrapped her in one of the huge fluffy robes,
kissed her lips. With her hand in his, he headed for the bedroom. "Why
don’t you pick something from the menu, order room service and I’ll get my bag
unpacked."

The
prices on the menu almost made her choke. She couldn’t possibly order them food
from this. "Uh, Tucker?"

"Yeah?"

"Have
you seen the prices on here?"

"Don’t
worry about the prices, Jacie. Pick something good and order it."

"But…"

He
leaned over the chair, brushing his lips against her ear. "Order, darlin’.
I can afford it. Trust me."

How much money does he have? This
suite, and these prices for food make even what my parents usually pay, seem
paltry.

Chapter Eight

"Make
sure they bring up champagne with it."

A
heavy sigh left her lips and she picked up the phone to order supper. It felt
awkward—almost like they were married or something. The woman on the phone
simply wrote down what she asked for and hung up. "They said it would be
here within thirty minutes."

"Perfect.
Do you want to eat like this?" he asked. His hand swept over the white
robe wrapped around the goodies she knew were hidden beneath. "Or shall we
get dressed."

"I’m thinking like this."
                       

"Wicked
girl. I love it," he replied, taking her hand to pull her up in front of
him. "We’ll spend tonight here. Just the two of us. Tomorrow morning we
will go shopping for some clothes for you." She opened her mouth to
protest, but he quickly silenced her with a kiss. "You need to have
appropriate attire for the functions we must attend. I hate going to them too,
but it’s important for me and I want you next to me."

"I’ll
never be able to repay for you everything you’re spending."

"No
repayment necessary. You’re doing me a huge favor by acting as my companion.
You’re saving me from fighting off women like Tiffany." He kissed her nose.
"Now, why don’t you turn down the sheets and blankets on the bed so when
we’re done eating, we can crawl beneath them and shut out the world until
tomorrow."

"Yes,
sir," she replied with a saucy toss of her head. "Shall I find the
handcuffs?"

"Oh,
yes please. I had almost forgotten about those and your punishment."

The
smack of his hand on her bottom stung, but it also sent desire straight to her
pussy.
Who’d a thought?

A
soft knock on the door announced their food while she pulled and tucked the
sheets and blankets down, then arranged the pillows on the head of the bed. The
thought of cuddling with him after they made love again with the glow of the
Vegas strip out the window, gave her shivers.

"Come
and eat, Jacie. The food looks fabulous, but it’s going to get cold."

"I’m
coming."

The
crystal and silver on the table gleamed in the candlelight from the candelabra
placed in the middle of the table. Tucker had turned the lights off in the
room. Flickering light bounced off the walls around them and the silver domes
covering the plates. Champagne chilled in the bucket. The whole thing almost
brought tears to her eyes. If she didn’t know better, it could have been mistaken
for a special dinner.

She
cleared her throat and moved to her chair. Within seconds, he stood behind it to
pull it out for her to sit.
Such a
gentleman.
Some woman would be incredibly lucky to call him hers some day,
even if she would never be between the two of them.

The
cork popped on the bottle with slight pressure from his thumbs before he poured
the pale yellow liquid into her fluted glass. "For you, sweetheart,"
he said, handing her the glass.

Whoa!
The
new endearment made her do a double take. He’d called her darlin’, baby, and
honey, but never sweetheart.

"What’s
wrong?"

"Nothing,
why?"

"You
were frowning."

She
touched the skin between her eyebrows. "Sorry. I didn’t realize it."

He
took her fingers in his hand and brushed a kiss to the tips. "Shall we
eat? I didn’t know how hungry I was until the food arrived." Her stomach
growled in protest. "Sounds like you are too."

"Yeah.
It smells amazing."

They
continued their small talk through dinner, but she found herself extremely
aware of the magnetism of the man across the table. Every look, smile and wink
made her think of nothing more than getting him in bed again and letting him
have his way with her.

When
they had finished eating, he stood and pulled out her chair. With one hand in
his, she sank down on the leather couch next to him. She hadn’t noticed the
small plates with cheesecake and cherries until they sat, since the waiter had
placed them on the coffee table.

"Shall
we have the cheesecake now or later?" he asked, with a wicked sparkle to his
eyes.

"I’m
full enough to pop now. Why not wait until later and we can eat it in bed?"

One
eyebrow rose and the grin on his lips had her sucking in a ragged breath. "I
think I love you."

Her
heart stopped and restarted with a slam. "I…uh."

"I’m
kidding, Jacie. You are a woman after my own heart though. Your thoughts mirror
mine so closely it’s scary sometimes, but a good scary."

She
exhaled forcibly. "Don’t scare me like that, Tucker. Love is a four letter
word we shouldn’t be using in each other’s company at all."

"I
agree. Forget I said it. I don’t want to ruin our time together by bringing unwanted
feelings into the mix." He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled
her half on top of his lap. His lips brushed against her ear as he whispered, "Shall
we watch television for a bit and let our food digest or should we cuddle in
the bed and watch the lights of the town for awhile?"

"I
like the cuddling in bed idea."

"Good.
Me too," he replied, coming to his feet. "Shall we?"

A
quick nod and he swept her up into his arms. "I can walk, you know."

"I
know, but I like holding you." The few steps it took to reach the bed
seemed to take no time at all. He gently laid her down and crawled in beside
her. His fingers untied the robe at her waist and parted the soft material. "I
want your skin next to mine."

"You
need to get rid of yours then too."

"So
I do." He rolled off the side of the bed and pulled his robe off. With the
lights off in the room, no one would be able to see in, but they could see out.
His hard body felt wicked next to hers when he slid in and drew the covers over
the top of them.

"Mmm,"
she hummed as she cuddled in next to him and laid her head on his chest. "I
like this."

His
fingers danced over her shoulder and down her arm. Goose bumps rose in their
wake. His touch made her think of lots of things, but mostly naughty things
like him licking her from her toes to her lips.

The
lights of the Strip blinked outside the window as she wondered how long they
could live in this fantasy they were creating.

"How
long have you been coming to NFR?" she whispered, her lips brushing
against his skin.

"Five
years."

"With
bulls?"

"Not
always. I rode the first couple of years, but I realized it was a lot more
profitable to breed the bulls than ride them."

"A
lot less dangerous too."

"Very
true." The silence between them stretched for several minutes. "You
know, you haven’t told me much about you, other than you have three sisters,
four brothers and your parents own a place in Tennessee."

"Not
much else to tell."

"Have
you been married?"

"No.
Not even close."

"No
serious boyfriends or anything?"

"Nope.
Most men don’t like my independent nature."

"I
find that hard to believe. I think it’s one of the sexiest things about you."

"You’re
different, Tucker. You aren’t put off by the way I am—my occupation doesn’t
make you feel incompetent because you have your own business and way of life.
Besides, we aren’t trying to impress each other and make each other fall in
love."

"Would
you do things differently if you did want me to fall in love with you?"

"No.
This is me. Take it or leave it."

"I’ll
take it." His cell phone rang on the nightstand next to the bed, saving
her from commenting on his words. "I wonder who could be calling at this
hour." He picked up the phone and stared at the screen for a moment. "Hello?"

She
could vaguely hear the voice on the other end. Something concerning the bull
and it didn’t sound good.

"What
the hell do you mean my bull is being disqualified?"

* * * *

Tucker
sprang from the bed, not caring he stood buck-ass naked in the middle of the
bedroom. "You got a tip saying what?"

"We
got a phone call from an anonymous source saying your bull has been exposed to
steroids. You know drugs of any kind in a PBR bull is strictly forbidden, Mr.
Marshall."

"Of
course, I know that and my bull has not been given steroids of any kind."

"Can
you prove it?"

"Yes.
Have the vet meet me at the arena tomorrow morning bright and early. He can
draw blood. Test it. I don’t care. Nothing is further from the truth than any
of my animals having steroids in their system."

"All
right. Because you are a known supplier, we’ll go this route. Be here at nine
and we’ll draw blood. Rest assured though, Mr. Marshall, if drugs are found in
his system, we won’t have any choice but to disqualify you and ban you from any
further participation in PBR or NFR events. You know the rules."

"I’m
aware of the rules, Mr. Hammond. I will see you at nine."

He
snapped the phone shut and threw it across the room. He paced back and forth in
front of the bed as he raked his fingers through his hair. This could ruin him.
The thought of anyone calling the commission and reporting his animals being on
steroids was ludicrous, but apparently someone did.

"What’s
wrong?" Jacie asked as she sat up in the bed and pulled the sheet around
her breasts.

"Some
asshole called the NFR to report my bulls are on steroids."

"You’re
serious?"

"Deadly
serious. We have to be at the arena first thing in the morning so they can draw
blood on the bull to check it."

"The
animals aren’t are they?"

"Of
course not! I wouldn’t do such a thing to an animal." Her bottom lip
disappeared between her teeth and he could see worry in her eyes. "I’m
sorry, darlin’," he said, crawling into the bed beside her. "I didn’t
mean to yell. This just blows my mind."

"There
shouldn’t be anything to worry about then, right?"

He
pulled her in and settled back against the pillows. "No, I’m sure
everything will be fine. It just means my bull won’t be useable for the first
couple of rounds of riders. It will take a day or two for the results to come in.
Until then, they won’t let him compete. It’s a pain in the ass to have to go
through this, but if I find out who called them, I’ll break them in half."

Every
muscle in his body was strung tight. Even with this beautiful woman lying
against him, he couldn’t think through the haze of red and it pissed him off
even more. He wouldn’t be able to think clearly until the whole mess had been
cleared up. It meant days of worrying. The only way the bull could have
steroids in his system would be for the vet in Littleton to have given him some
after the truck accident. It would be imperative for him to call the guy in the
morning. Hopefully he would be able to get in touch with him before they drew
the blood. Otherwise, he could be royally screwed and not by the pretty female
tucked in bed with him. His fingers tapped on her shoulder in a nervous rhythm.

"Tucker?"

"Yeah?"

"Want
me to take your mind off of things?"

"I
would love for you to, darlin’, but it wouldn’t be fair to you. I’m really
distracted right now."

"All
right. How about if we get all cozy and warm and fall asleep in each other’s
arms?"

"I
could to that," he replied, sliding further down into the bed, rolling on
his side toward her and pulling her close. One of her gorgeous thighs tucked
between his, bringing her hot body closer still. He tucked one of her stray
curls behind her ear and ran his finger over her jaw. "You are one special
lady."

Easy, Tucker, old man. You’ll be
head over heels before you have a chance to run for the border.

The
lighting in the room kept him from seeing the gold flecks in her eyes, but he
knew they were there. He had seen them too many times over the last few days to
ever forget.
God help me, I don’t want
to.
If only he could get past his mistrust of women and money, he might be
able to find happiness.

Jacie
didn’t come across as someone who got wrapped up in all of it, but when he
thought about it, he really didn’t know her very well. She seemed reluctant to
take anything he offered though, which spoke highly of her. Her shock at the
prices of the food on the menu told him she didn’t like spending money frivolously.

She
tucked her nose against his throat and sighed. Within minutes, her soft
breathing and slight snore told him she’d fallen asleep.

"What
am I gonna do with you, darlin’?" he asked softly as he continued to run
his hand down her arm. "You’re windin’ yourself tight around my heart and
there isn’t a damned thing I can do to stop it, I’m afraid." He knew he
wouldn’t get much sleep. The worries with the bull and his ever growing
feelings for Jacie would keep him awake long into the night. Not falling in
love with her didn’t seem to be an option anymore.