Trouble With a Cowboy (5 page)

His
next words were like a cold shower. "Why do you drive big rigs? I mean
it's not the normal type of job for a woman."

Anyone
mentioning her job and how it wasn't the type of work for a woman usually
pissed her off. Obviously her irritation showed as her fingernails tapped on
the table in a rapid tempo.
 
"No,
it's not, but it's what I like so it's what I do."

"Easy,
Jacie." Both of his hands came up in surrender. "I wasn’t insulting
you. I'm curious. Not many women drive eighteen-wheelers."

"Very
true, they don't, but I like the open road. No one tells me what to do, when to
drive, or where I need to be, except me. But just because I do what most
consider to be a man's job, doesn't mean I'm not a woman."

His
appreciative gaze slid over her face, down her neck, and across her chest.
"Oh, I have no doubt there's a very attractive woman under those clothes.
Unfortunately, I didn't get to find out all your hidden attributes last
night."

She
pulled back her shoulders and looked right into his eyes. There would be no
mistaking her sincerity on this. "One thing I need to make clear before I
agree to this deal."

"All
right."

"No
mixing business with pleasure. This is strictly a business deal."

His
eyes narrowed slightly as his gaze skimmed down to her breasts. Need zinged
from her nipples to her clit. The sensitive buds tightened, rubbing against her
shirt. She fought the urge to slide her hand across them to calm the ache.

"Deal,"
he said as his lips lifted into a we'll-see smile.

"Fine,
but we should be heading over to Kyle's garage. If he has to order the tires,
then we need him to do it today."

Fifteen
minutes later, the bell dinged over their heads as Tucker opened the door to
Kyle’s garage for her. They stood next to the counter, waiting for the annoying
man to show.

"Oh.
It's you two again. What the hell do you want?" Kyle snarled, coming
through the door leading to the shop area.

A
quick glance at Tucker and Jacie saw the tick in his jaw, giving away the
frustration they both felt at dealing with this dickhead.

"Four
tires for her rig. Do you have them?"

"Mmm.
 
Let me check," Kyle said before he spun
on his heels and took two steps toward the door. "Nope. Sorry."

"You
didn't even look you moron," she growled.

Kyle
smirked as he continued to wipe his hands on the dirty rag. "I know my
merchandise. I don't have them. I'd have to order them."

"Do
it," Tucker snarled. "I want them here by tomorrow."

"You
payin'?"

"Yes."

"Fifteen
hundred. Up front."

"No
way! Those tires aren't more than three hundred each. That's a damn rip-off,"
Jacie spat.

"Fifteen
hundred. Take it or leave it." Kyle leaned against the counter, looking
very superior, knowing he had them between a rock and a hard place.

The
urge to wipe the smug look off his face almost outweighed the need for the
tires, but Tucker's calming grasp and whispered, "Easy,” near her ear,
brought her anger down a notch or two.

Tucker
reached into his pocket to pull out his wallet, then sorted through several
bills. "I've got five hundred in cash. Will you take a credit card?"

"Nope.
Cash only."

"You
son of a bitch." Tucker took a step toward Kyle. Now it was Jacie's turn
to calm him.

Kyle
grinned. "Sorry. I don't have any way to run a credit card. There's a bank
about a mile down the road, but…" He glanced at his watch. "You'd
better hurry. It's almost four. They close soon."

"Let's
get to the bank, Jacie. We can deal with him later," Tucker said, taking
her hand and pulling her out of the shop.

"I
swear that son of a bitch is gonna get his. Lord, he makes me so mad."

Tucker
shook his head, pulled out his cell and dialed the cab company.

Ten
minutes later, they stood in front of the bank and she pulled on the door only
to find it already locked.

"I
do not believe this." Jacie yanked on the door as if she thought it might
miraculously open on the second try.

Tucker
grabbed her shoulders and turned her around. "We'll come back first thing
in the morning. Kyle won't be able to order the tires now anyway. It's too
late. What do you say to a little pool, a couple of beers and we'll relax for a
few hours. You know, get our minds off this whole thing."

"I
guess. But I would so love to have wiped that smug look off Kyle’s face."

A
wide grin lifted the corners of Tucker’s mouth. "Let's get some dinner. Then
we'll hit the bar. Maybe you'll get a chance to do a little damage to the man's
pride there, since it's the only decent place in town. And do me a favor?"

"What's
that?" she asked, suspiciously.

"Remind
me never to get on your bad side."

His
words deflated her anger and she felt a smile spread across her face.

"Much
better. I like your smile."

A
heavy sigh left her lips. "Okay, fine. I need to go to my room though to change
clothes and freshen up."

"Maybe
wear the little tank top you had on last night or something similar and those
skin tight jeans?"

The
smile turned into a frown.
I can't let
him get to me. Last night was supposed to be one night. I wasn't supposed to
run into him again. Everything's changed. The rules don't apply anymore.

"Hey.
What's the frown for?"

"Don't
get any ideas, Tucker. Remember, we are strictly business partners. Nothing
more."

"Business
partners. But I can't help it if I still find you one of the prettiest women
around, even in your ball cap," he said, lightly tapping the brim.
"Do you want to meet me at the diner or the bar?"

"How
about the bar? I'll see you there in about an hour."

The
cab stopped next to them. Once it had pulled away with Tucker inside, she
kicked at a rock near the toe of her boot. Her motel was only a block or two
away so she’d told him she’d just walk. She needed to think. Being around him waylaid
her thoughts on a continual basis.
Why do
I get the feeling this is a really bad idea? Taking him to Vegas and being
stuck with him in the cab of my truck for two fricking days could turn into the
worst mistake of my life.
Her long brown hair fell to her waist when she
took the dirty ball cap off only to smack it against her jeans.

 
The short walk did nothing to sort out her
thoughts. Everything still seemed jumbled and out of sorts. The attraction
between the two of them sizzled with every look and every touch. Air seemed
thicker making it harder to breathe. Her body reacted to his in such a way it
had her thinking of hot sweaty sex and hard naked bodies.

Standing
inside her room several minutes later, she flipped through her meager wardrobe
for something to wear. "No. No. No. Damn it!” She hadn’t really brought
much to be out on the town in besides the outfit she had on last night. She’d
have to wear the same jeans and a black tank. It was the best she could do. The
rest of her clothes consisted of more jeans along with a few long sleeved
western style shirts. A nice, skin-tight, short black dress would get his
attention, but she hadn't brought one of those. Besides keeping their
relationship strictly business is the best option. Getting involved with him
would make things harder in the long run.

After
a quick shower, she dressed, brushed on a little makeup, curled her hair and
splashed on a dab of her favorite perfume.

Why
was she bothering with all this? Her body wasn't listening every time her brain
tried to reason with it. Every moment they got close, she wanted nothing more
than to feel the hard plains of his chest against her breasts, to feel each
inch of his bulging biceps under her hands and to have him fill her completely
with his rock-hard erection. Sex with Tucker would be out of this world. Thinking
about his hard muscled thighs, flat abdomen, hard chest naked and him pleasuring
her made her shift her stance to relieve the pressure building between her
legs.

Macy
meowed from the bed bringing Jacie back from her erotic thoughts. The cat
blinked several times and rolled over on her back, giving Jacie her
pet me
look.

"Spoiled
cat," Jacie grumbled, and then smiled. "Guard the room for me. I'll
see you after while."

The
door slammed shut behind her as she tucked the key into her front pocket. Just
like the night before, her trek to the bar got her several honks, some whistles
and a few passing propositions.

Judging
from all the cars in the parking lot and the steady flow of customers, the
place had to be packed. It would be difficult to find Tucker in the crowd.

"Jacie."

At
the sound of her name, she turned to find Tucker standing off to the side of
the long porch.

"Hi."

"Hi
yourself. Ready to eat?"

Eat? Mmm…eat me maybe.
"Yeah, food would be good."

His
blue eyes sparkled with something akin to mischief, and she had to wonder if maybe
he’d guessed her thoughts.
But damn it, I
really was looking forward to getting him between the sheets. Now, it's not
going to happen.

The
warmth of his palm at her lower back as they walked toward the diner, zipped a
line of heat down her legs and upward again to settle between her thighs. Her
clit throbbed almost painfully with need as she fought the moan trapped in her
throat. Her libido had been on high idle since the night before. He wasn’t
doing anything to squelch it. Each brush of his hand, the hot lust burning in
his sky colored eyes and the soft whisper of words on her skin, had her
igniting into raging lust.

"Everything
all right?" He chuckled softly next to her ear. Unconsciously, she closed
her eyes, then snapped them open when his warm breath flittered over her neck.
 
She glared in warning as he reached over to
pull open the door

He knows exactly what he's doing to
me.

They
slid into a booth across from each other right before the waitress handed them
each a menu. "You two are becoming regulars. What can I get you to
drink?"

"Ice
water, please," Jacie said. Tucker gave her a knowing chuckle—the jerk.

"I'll
take coffee."

"Are
you ready to order or do you need a minute?"

"I'm
not sure what I want," Jacie replied while she attempted to focus on the selections
in front of her.

"I'll
be back in a bit then."

I need to get my head out from
between my legs or the road is going to be hell if this keeps up. Either that
or I'm going to have to rethink my no mixing business with pleasure philosophy.

"What
are you going to have?" Tucker asked, his eyes twinkling with mirth.

"Chicken
fried steak, I think."

"Sounds
good. I haven't had any good old fashioned fattening food for a while."

"What
do you eat at home?"

"My
cook is a motherly type woman and tends to force me to eat things I should
rather than stuff like chicken fried steak and mashed potatoes."

"You
have a cook?"

A
small laugh sprang from his lips. "Yes, only because if I didn't, I'd
never eat. I can't cook a lick."

Once
the waitress returned to bring their drinks, the ice cold water slid down
Jacie's throat with each sip, but did nothing to cool the heat raging through
her.

"So
it's going to be either I cook for both of us or we eat out the whole trip,"
she said, keeping the conversation on something mundane and non-sexually
related.

"You
cook?"

"Actually,
yes. I love to, but I certainly don't get much of a chance being on the road.
My rig doesn't come with a kitchen."

"You
have full use of the trailer while we're on the road, if you'd like."

"Full
use as in what?"

"Whatever
you want, Jacie."

I'm so not going there. I have to
keep this simple.
"The kitchen in your trailer is a pretty
good size."

"You
know, I've never seen the inside of an eighteen-wheeler."

"We'll
fix that problem, I guess."

He
smiled his charm-the-pants-off any woman smile and she shifted on the bench
seat, her clit throbbing hard with every rapid beat of her heart.

Jacie
whispered a prayer of thanks as the food arrived. Eating gave her an excuse to
avoid his gaze and the amusement dancing in those incredibly hot, lust filled eyes.

After
dinner, she managed to snag the bill before he did and plunked down her credit
card. "My turn."

"We've
got a long couple of days in front of us, Jacie, for us to be worryin' about my
turn, your turn."