Page 61 of Ride Me Cowboy
I was wrong. I want to see her. I just don’t want to talk about this, but time with Beth is probably exactly what I need to get our financial mess the hell out of my mind. Which solves absolutely nothing, but at least it’ll feel good.
My eyes hang on the window a beat longer, so I see the moment she glances up, her eyes sweeping across the landscape until they land on me and stick. Memories of this morning swirl inside me, pushing away the meeting I’ve just had, the stress I’m carrying, making me feel a thousand and one things that I really, seriously like.
“What the hell you standin’ out here for?” Beau asks loudly, as he comes down the steps and over to me, banging me on the shoulder, like he doesn’t have a care in the world.
I jerk my eyes to him. “What’s wrong? You missin’ me?”
He laughs. “Yeah, I’ve been crying into my pillow. Nash’s here.”
“So, I gather.” I jerk my head toward the house. “Smells good.”
“Nash?”
I punch him on the arm. “Yeah, right.”
He starts to walk around the side of the house, to the courtyard. Years ago, Beau built this barbecue out of wire and stone. It’s his own design and works both as a grill or a smoker, depending on what he’s making. The only problem is how close it is to the house, because the smell can drive you out of your mind some days.
Another car comes up the drive, and I recognize the Callahan’s pick up, with its tomato red paint. Hank and Ash jump out.
Despite the fact Ash and Beau have had a friends-with-benefits arrangement for at least a year, she barely looks at him as she comes over. “Y’all, that smells so good,” she says, grinning at me before winking briefly at Beau, not stopping.
“Your folks coming over?”
“Nah, but that don’t mean they wouldn’t love some leftovers,” Hank grins, shaking first my hand, then Beau’s.
I look back toward my office window; Beth is still there, head bent now, and as I look, I mentally will her to glance my way. But she doesn’t.
“You comin’?” Beau asks, and I realize he and Hank are halfway to the courtyard.
“Yeah,” I call. “I’ve just gotta check something in the office.”
“Right-o. Bring a couple of cold ones back with you,” Beau says, turning and locking into conversation with Hank. I watch their retreating backs for about three seconds flat then stride acrossthe gravel toward the office window. I tap on it, and Beth glances up, her cheeks showing the sweetest flush of pink when her eyes land on mine.
She lifts her hand in a small, tentative greeting.
I nod to the side of the house. Not the courtyard side, where the Callahans and Donovans will be setting up for a long night. No. I want my girl somewhere private. Somewhere away from the rest of them.
She stands up, looks at me quizzically. I point again and this time, she nods, begins to walk to the office door. I stay just long enough to enjoy a nice glimpse of her neat ass and then break into a jog, so I’m there waiting for her when she steps out into the late afternoon sunshine.
“Well, howdy, Cowboy,” she says, a little breathlessly, and I drag her into my arms and kiss her, like I haven’t been able to stop thinking of anything else all day. Like I exist purely for this reason alone. I kiss her until she’s moaning and her body’s pressing against mine, and her hands are roaming my chest, my back, curving around my ass, as though the only thing she can think of is how to be with me.
But I don’t stop, because kissing her is not only addictive, it drives every worry from my mind. Or maybe it doesn’t, because I’m still stressed as hell about the property, the bank, the money we owe. But when I can kiss Beth like this, and turn her into a puddle of need in about three seconds flat, I feel like I’m the most powerful man on earth. Like there ain’t nothing that matters quite so much as this.
“Cole,” she moans into my mouth, before ripping free and staring at me, panting, lips parted and swollen. “God, Cole, I want…”
I know. I want it, too.
“What do you want, darlin?” I ask, pulling her closer to me at the same time I push her back against the house and lift her, wrapping her legs around my waist so my hard cock is right there, at her sex, showing her just how much I want her too.
She groans and sinks lower, like she’s trying to get me inside even though we’re both still fully dressed. I buck my hips a little, and she bites into that kiss-swollen lip, closes her eyes and lets out a shuddering laugh.
“I think we need to take this someplace else.”
“Tell me what you want,” I say, knowing there’s no way in hell we can be together right now, but that we shouldn’t stop having our fun when we can.
“I want…I want…damn it, Cole, youknowwhat I want.”
“What’s the matter, City Girl? Too shy to spell it out for me?”
