TroubleinChaps (10 page)

“
Ummm
,” she purred as his hands moved over her body. “That feels delicious.”

“You are delicious,” he murmured as he moved his lips down her neck.

Roxie sighed in pleasure, forgetting about the lack of sleep. All time slipped away as they explored each other with their hands. Cliff slid his fingers into the wet folds between her legs. Her body quivered when his fingers slowly slid into her.

He spread her lips and moistened her clit. While his fingers explored between her legs, his tongue slowly circled her nipple, flicking across the hardening flesh.

Cliff gently awakened her body with his touch. Roxie reveled in the sensations, riding the waves of pleasure his hands and mouth created. Her body was his to manipulate, his to explore. For the first time in her life, she had no fear of what surrendering control would bring. Love had changed all that. It changed the quality of a touch from mere physical pleasure to the pleasure that comes from an emotional connection.

His mouth moved from her nipple to the underside of her breast, causing her to arch toward him as she sighed. He ran his tongue up her cleavage to the base of her neck. There he feasted, fueling both their passions.

She grew wetter but he kept the movement of his hands slow and rhythmic. When his body moved up hers, she could feel his hardness against her hip. Her hand traveled down his hard chest and stomach. She stretched her fingers in the tight hair that surrounded the base of his shaft. She stroked his length with her fingertips, circling the pulsing head. Her rhythm of matched his, touch for touch, stroke for stroke. As their mouths met and connected, they pleasured each other with their hands, lovingly fondling one another.

Soon it wasn’t enough. Roxie needed that ultimate connection. She needed him inside her. “I need you….in me,” she whispered in his ear after her tongue traced his lobe. Her hand guided him into her as he positioned his body between her legs. Her body quivered as he entered her. She moved her hand from his shaft, letting her fingers feel him enter her. He sank in slowly and she sighed in pleasure, savoring the feel of his dick entering her warm, wet core. Her muscles quivered around him, earning her an additional thrill as his dick pulsed in answer to the call of her body.

Roxie kept her fingers between them, rubbing
herself
to his rhythm. The first orgasm had her whole body tightening around him. Her legs wrapped around his waist, stopping his motion until she released. As her legs loosened, he began to move faster and harder in her. She pulled her legs up, giving him deeper access, rocking her hips to meet him. Cliff slipped off the bed and pulled her over to the edge. He went to his knees and buried his face in her. He ran his tongue from her opening to her clit. He lapped at the nub until it hardened. Roxie arched her back, pressing into his tongue. Just as she was tightening to climax, he stood and pushed into her. He rode her climax, letting her push against him as he drove into her. Flesh slapped flesh, an accompaniment to the low gasps and soft groans.

Feeling the pulsing in his groin, Cliff tightened his hands around her hips and drove one final time into her as he stars exploded behind his closed eyes. He pressed into her, wrapping his arms around her. There he held her until the orgasm receded.

Moments later, he withdrew and climbed back into bed with her, spooning around her body. Hours later, the ring of the phone pulled her from a sound sleep. Untangling herself from Cliff’s arms she reached for the phone, seeing the lighted display of the clock on the nightstand announcing that it was after ten.

“Hello?
Hey, Sam.
Yeah, it’s Roxie. Yeah, tell her I’ll call her in a few minutes.” Hanging up the phone, she sat up and brushed her hair back over her shoulders. “Sorry. I didn’t even think before I answered. Anyway, that was Sam. Lola was looking for me. I need to call her and Emily and fill them in.”

Cliff groaned and pushed himself into a sitting position. “Are you nervous?

“Only that their feelings will be hurt that I didn’t tell them before now.”

“They’re your friends, honey. They’ll be happy for you.”

“You’re right. I just don’t want them to be hurt.”

“It’ll be fine, baby. Oh hell, what time is it?”

“After ten.”

“God, I’m late,” he grumbled. “Got people coming in to do some work on the club
today.
I need to call and tell them I’m going to be late.”

“Okay.” She stood and padded naked to the bathroom. “I’ve got to shower but there’s plenty of room if you want to join me.”

“As soon as I make this call.”

“I’ll be waiting.”

Cliff watched her firm ass as she crossed the room and blew out a breath. Damn if the woman wasn’t too tempting for
his own
good. And he couldn’t be happier.

* * * * *

Roxie waited until they were seated at the table in Cliff’s kitchen with plates of sandwiches and chips before she said anything about her mysterious trip with Cliff. He had offered to stay with her but she wanted to do this alone. She, Lola and Emily were best friends. They deserved to hear this from her.

He’d promised he’d be back in a couple of hours. Roxie was pretty sure that in two hours life as they knew it would change dramatically.

It took more than half an hour for her to tell Lola and Emily the whole story. It took two hours of questions before they were ready to move on from the tale of her marriage to Danny.

“Cliff’s some guy,” Lola commented. “So did you tell Danny you were doing to divorce him?”

“Yeah.”

“Do you think he understood?” Emily asked.

Roxie shook her head. “He didn’t even know who I was.”

“You okay with that?” Emily asked.

“Yes. I am. I never thought I’d hear myself say it, but I’m at peace with it now.”

“Damn, honey, I wish you’d told us all this before. You didn’t have to bear this by yourself.” Lola reached out to cover Roxie’s hand with hers.

“Yeah, I did,” Roxie said softly. “But I appreciate it. You guys are the greatest. I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you before now, but this is something I had to deal with alone.”

“Until Cliff,” Emily commented.

“Yeah, until Cliff.
Which brings me to the second part of my news bulletin.
”

“Oh god, there’s more?” Lola looked around. “Do we need booze for this?”

Roxie suddenly grinned. “Actually, I think we do.” She jumped up and hurried to the refrigerator. “Bless you, Beckett,” she said as she pulled a bottle of champagne from the refrigerator.

“Champagne?” Emily’s eyebrows rose.
“In the middle of the day?”

Roxie found glasses, put them on the table and popped the cork. Once the glasses were filled, she took a seat and lifted a glass. “Ladies, say hello to Mrs. Cliff Beckett.”

There was total silence. Lola’s mouth rounded in an O and Emily’s eyes grew wide. Roxie looked at her friends and grinned. “We were married in Vegas two days ago.”

The silence was shattered by a high-pitched squeal from Lola.
“
Ohmygodohmygodohmygod
!”

Roxie burst out laughing. “My sentiments exactly when he popped the question.”

“You’re married?” Emily blurted. “Really married?”

“That I am.”

“Well damn!”

Another moment of silence fell only to be broken by all three of them suddenly squealing. Seconds later they were all on their feet, dancing and bouncing in a group hug.

“I can’t believe it!” Emily exclaimed. “Roxie Ellis, you surprise me.”

“Beckett. Roxie Beckett. And sometimes, I surprise even myself.”

“Oh, honey!” Lola hugged her again. “I’m so happy for you.”

Roxie smiled at her friends. “I’m happy, too.
Really happy.”

“He really is the one, isn’t he?” Emily asked.

“Yes.” Even Roxie heard the change in her voice at the answer. “God,
Em
, I never thought I could love someone like this.”

“So, now I guess we’re not the only ones who think staying in Mesa Blanco is such a horrible idea, huh?” Lola asked.

Roxie took a seat and sipped her champagne. “That’s something else I wanted to talk to you about.”

“Should we sit for this?” Emily asked.

“Might as well. We’ve got this bottle of bubbly that needs drinking. And I have this idea.”

“Why did I get a sudden chill up my spine?” Emily teased.

Roxie laughed. “Cliff and I were talking. I don’t really want to work at the bar and—oh my god, I didn’t tell you. Cliff’s loaded.”

Both her friends burst out laughing. “What? I’m serious. He…hey, wait, you already knew?”

“Men can’t keep secrets near as good as they claim,” Lola replied. “Sam told me. Cliff’s loaded.”

“I nearly fainted when he told me,” Roxie admitted.

“Was that before or after you said I do?” Emily asked.

“Oh meow,” Roxie, retorted good naturedly. “After. Hell, I’d have married him if he had nothing.”

“I believe you,” Lola assured her. But you were talking about not wanting to work at the bar?”

“Oh, yeah.
He asked what I wanted to do and I told him I’d always wanted to have my own shop—sort of a funky boutique. I know this seems like a strange place for something like that—or not. I mean, since we’ve been here I’ve seen Lola being asked for fashion advice a dozen times. So, I thought, how about a boutique that caters to a variety of styles.
A little of the glitzy and a little of the homespun?”

Emily pursed her lips. “Not a bad idea. Maybe even add a little day spa for people who want a little pampering?”

“Oh I like that!” Roxie grinned.

“Nails and hair and oh, oh, a masseuse!”
Lola added.

“Yes!”

Suddenly they were all chattering a thousand miles an hour, tossing out one idea after another. Before they knew it, the champagne was gone.

“So, I guess this means you like the idea?” Roxie asked.

“Yes!” Lola squealed, followed by a “Definitely,” from Emily.

“Then what would you think about being my partners?”

The split second of silence preceded another round of squealing and all three of them jumping up to hug and bounce around.

“Oh my god, no more waiting tables?” Lola heaved a dramatic sigh.

“No more cooking—except when I want to?” Emily added.

Roxie grinned. “Cliff said it would be his wedding present to me, but I said he would invest and we’d pay him back. That okay with you?”

“Absolutely,” Emily agreed.

“No problem,” Lola added. “We’ll make this thing a smash!”

“Indeed we will,” Roxie replied. “And I was thinking of a name. What do you think about Sequins, Saddles and Spurs?”

Emily and Lola looked at each other then back at Roxie. “I think you better see if there’s another bottle of champagne in the fridge,” Emily replied. “’Cause, ladies, it’s time for a toast.”

Roxie dashed for the refrigerator. Minutes later she stood with her best friends, glasses of champagne rose. “A toast,” she said.

“To new beginnings,” Lola said.

“To friendship,” Emily added.

“To love,” Roxie offered.

“Amen, sister.” Lola
clinked
her glass to Roxie’s then Emily’s.

They all drank then Roxie giggled. “What?” Lola asked.

“Who would’ve thought it would end like this?”

“End?”
Roxie jumped when she heard Cliff’s voice behind her. “Honey we’re just getting started.”

Also by
Ciana Stone

Acid Rayne
with Nathalie Gray

An Unwanted Hunger

Cougar Challenge: Cam’s Holiday

Entwined Hearts
with Nicole Austin, TJ Michaels & N.J. Walters

Hot in the Saddle 1: Chase ‘n’ Ana

Hot in the Saddle 2: Molding Clay

Hot in the Saddle 3:
 
Scout ‘n’ Cole

Hot in the Saddle 4:
 
Conn ‘n’ Caleb

Memory’s Eye

Riding Ranger

Saturday Night Fever

Sexplorations
: Finding Her Rhythm

Sexplorations
: The Thing about Cowboys

Sexplorations
: Working Up a Sweat

The Hussies: A Taste for Jazz

The Hussies: All in Time

The Hussies: Maxwell’s Silver Hammer

The Hussies: Sin in Jeans

Wyatt’s Chance

Also see
Ciana’s
release at Cerridwen Press (
www.cerridwenpress.com
):

That Which Survives