1001 Dark Nights (18 page)
Authors: Lorelei James
Tags: #1001 Dark Nights, #cowboy, #rodeo, #erotic romance, #Blacktop Cowboys, #Lorelei James
“I’ll defer to my expert horsewoman. But I’ll point out you didn’t think Dial had the best judgment when he chose me.”
“You’ll still be harping on that years from now, won’t you?”
Sutton liked that London was already imagining a future for them. “Maybe. Unless you agree to keep working Dial until he’s found a new home.”
“Hell no. He’s
your
horse. You can put him through his paces every day. Besides, I’m officially not your horse trainer any longer.”
“Mmm. But you will keep that ridin’ crop? Cause I have a feeling you’re the type of woman who’ll need a whack every once in a while to keep things interesting.”
Three months later...
“I can’t thank you enough.” Stitch kept pumping Sutton’s hand as he spoke. “He’ll be in good hands. You’ll never have to worry he ain’t bein’ well taken care of.”
“That’s why we’re letting you take him,” London said sweetly. Then she laughed. “Well, not
take
, exactly.”
Stitch nodded, his gaze zipping to his horse trailer as if he couldn’t believe what it held. Then he met Sutton’s eyes again. “You’re really okay with payments starting in January?”
“This year is a loss for me, at least professionally”—he sent London a wicked smile—”on the personal front, it’s been a bang-up year.” London melted when he wrapped his arm around her shoulder. “I’ve no problem waiting until you’re starting a new season.”
“That’s just...awesome, man. Thanks.” Stitch smiled at London, his gaze zeroing in on the big sapphire ring on her left hand. “I heard you two got engaged. Congratulations.”
“Thank you,” London said, sneaking a peek at the ring Sutton had given her just one short week ago. In typical Sutton fashion, his proposal had been a little offbeat; he’d tied the ring at the end of a fancy ribbon and looped it around the barrel of her new shotgun, begging her to make an honest man of him.
“Have you set the date?”
London said, “No” the same time Sutton said, “Soon.”
“Good luck.” Then Stitch climbed in his rig and drove off.
Sutton kissed her temple. “Whoda thunk, huh? That Dial would take to Stitch and vice versa?”
“Stitch is a good guy.”
“Just not the guy for you,” Sutton said with a growl.
God, she loved that possessive tone. She loved that the shy man wasn’t shy at all about showing her every day, in so many different ways, how much he loved her and how happy she made him.
And she was more than happy to return the favor. To be the woman he could count on to love him through the good times and bad.
He draped his arm over her shoulder. “What’s on the agenda tonight?”
“We could pick up and clean the shell casings for the new line of bullet jewelry I’ve started.”
“Pass. I get enough shell casing clean-up duties at my day job. What’s my other option?”
“Hanging out in front of the fireplace. Playing cards.”
His eyes lit up. “Strip poker?”
“No, you cheat.”
“Me?” he said innocently. “I’m ‘The Saint,’ remember? I don’t cheat.”
“Ain’t no one calling you that anymore, bulldogger.”
“Thank God.” He pulled her closer and his lips grazed the top of her ear. “To be honest, I don’t care what we do just as long as I’m with you.”
She sighed. “I’m so crazy in love with you.”
“Same goes, sweetheart.”
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1001 Dark Nights story on 1/1/15.
The First Night
by Shayla Black, Lexi Blake & M.J. Rose
Turn the page for a full list of the
1001 Dark Nights fabulous novellas...
Click to purchase
A Wicked Lovers Novella
by Shayla Black
A Krewe of Hunters Novella
by Heather Graham
A MacKenzie Family Novella
by Liliana Hart
SILENT BITE: A SCANGUARDS WEDDING
A Scanguards Vampire Novella
by Tina Folsom
A Masters and Mercenaries Novella
by Lexi Blake
A Demonica Novella
by Larissa Ione
by Lisa Renee Jones
A Masters of the Shadowlands Novella
by Cherise Sinclair
A Blacktop Cowboys ® Novella
by Lorelei James
A Midnight Breed Novella
by Lara Adrian
by Christopher Rice
A Phoenix Brotherhood Novella
by Julie Kenner
A Redwood Pack Novella
by Carrie Ann Ryan
Also from Evil Eye Concepts:
A Stark International Novella
by J. Kenner
Acknowledgments from the Author
A big yee-haw! and tip of my hat to the wonderful, marvelous Liz Berry and MJ Rose for asking me to be part of the 1001 Dark Nights project!
When I saw the list of authors who’d signed on, I was…humbled and excited and now I’m thrilled because I can call so many of them my friends. That October weekend was a blast and I can’t wait to do it again – although this time I will pull my arm back when Cherise Sinclair assures me the rubber flogger “doesn’t hurt that much” and I will be 100% prepared for dinosaur porn readings, jello shots, amazing southern cooking (bacon every day!) field trips, beach walks, wine tours and late nights gab sessions with my roomie Julie Kenner.
Extra thanks to Liz Berry who never balked at my crazy texts and just went with it when I made changes to the story/plot/characters…again. This one is for you darlin’…
Lorelei James is the
New York Times
and
USA Today
bestselling author of contemporary erotic romances in the Rough Riders, Blacktop Cowboys, and Mastered series. She also writes dark, gritty mysteries under the name Lori Armstrong and her books have won the Shamus Award and the Willa Cather Literary Award. She lives in western South Dakota.
Connect with Lorelei in the following places:
Rough Riders, Book 1
By Lorelei James
One lucky woman is in for the ride of her life with three sexy cowboys...
During summer break, wannabe wild woman Channing Kinkaid is offered the chance to shed her inhibitions and horse around on the road with a real chaps-and-spurs wearing rodeo cowboy.
From the moment Colby McKay—bull rider, saddle bronc buster and calf roper—sets his lust-filled eyes on the sweet and fiery Channing, he knows she’s up to the challenge of being his personal buckle bunny. But he also demands that his rodeo traveling partners, Trevor and Edgard are allowed to join in their no-holds-barred sexcapades.
Although Channing secretly longed to be the sole focus of more than one man’s passions, all is not as it seems with the sexy trio. Colby’s demand for her complete submission behind closed doors tests her willful nature, and his sweet-talking ways burrow into her heart.
Will Colby have to break out the bullropes and piggin’ string to convince this headstrong filly that the road to true love doesn’t have to be as elusive as that championship belt buckle?
Warning:
This story has tons of explicit sex, graphic language that’d make your mama blush, light bondage, ménage a trois, and—yee-haw!—hot nekkid cowboy man-love
* * * *
On a drunken dare after too many kamikazes, Channing Kinkaid found herself standing on a shellacked bartop while a bartender named Moose sprayed her chest with ice-cold beer.
“Contestant number four! Strut your stuff, baby!”
Channing thrust out her enormous rack, hardened nipples leading the charge. She completely overshadowed the other contestants. She grinned saucily. It was the first time since her thirteenth birthday she hadn’t been ashamed of her large breasts.
Amidst catcalls and wolf whistles she sexed it up, shimmying her hips. Stretching on tiptoe to force the tight T-shirt higher up her flat belly. Widening her stance, she spun on her boot heels, bent over, and grabbed her ankles, jiggling her ass and her boobs.
The crowd of men went absolutely wild.
The tease paid off when Moose announced she’d won the Golden Knockers trophy and one hundred bucks.
“Yee-haw!” she yelled and jumped from the bar.
Never in a million years would anyone she grew up with believe that sweet and quiet Channing would enter a wet T-shirt contest, let alone win first place.
A tiny chorus of Toby Keith’s “How Do You Like Me Now?” broke out inside her head and she smirked.
After receiving congratulations from admiring cowboys on the circuit and a few frat brats, she poured a fresh kamikaze in the trophy cup. She toasted herself in the cracked mirror behind the bar and liked what she saw.
She glanced around, half-afraid she’d see Jared storming toward her, intent on spoiling her good time by dragging her off to celebrate her victory in private. The man was seriously antisocial. And dammit, she was having fun for a change.
The Western bar was jam-packed. Jared hated crowds, but he hated leaving her alone in a crowd—especially a group of horny, drunken men. Where could he have gone?
Did she really care?
Sweet, warm breath tickled her ear. “Lookin’ for someone, darlin’?”
Channing tilted her head. Colby McKay—king of the rodeo circuit—stared down at her. From far away—he looked a total package. Up close—he was simply stunning. Icy blue eyes, dark chestnut hair and chiseled features that weren’t typical rugged cowboy, but rather, brought to mind the image of a brooding poet.
His toned body spoke of his athletic prowess with horses and bulls; his thickly muscled arms and big, callused hands spoke of his skill with ropes. Mmm. Mmm. He was yummy and he knew it. He also was aware he made her skittish as a new colt.
She flipped her hair over her shoulder, a nervous gesture she hoped he’d misread as dismissive. “Hey, Colby. Have you seen Jared?”
“He’s on his cell phone over by the bathroom.” The eye-catching cowboy flashed his dimples. “Which leaves you unattended. Which is a damn shame. Dance with me.”
Her stomach jumped, a reaction she blamed on booze, and not the intensely sexy way Colby studied her.
Okay, that was a total lie. She
always
acted tongue-tied whenever she got within licking distance of Colby, and his equally sexy traveling buddy, Trevor Glanzer.
Jared had kept her sequestered so she hadn’t put truth to the rumors Colby and Trevor were the bad boys of the circuit. She knew they were fierce competitors; they worked hard and played hard—on and off the dirt. She’d seen the buckle bunnies of all ages and sizes constantly vying for their attention.
But she, little city-slicker nobody Channing Kinkaid, had captured Colby’s interest.
So, for some unknown reason, Trevor and Colby courted her shamelessly at every opportunity. Sometimes separately. Sometimes double-teaming her with hefty doses of good ol’ boy charm. It made her wonder what it’d be like to have them double-teaming her in private.
Whoo-ee. With as hard as they rode livestock? They’d probably break the damn bed frame. Or her.
“Come on, Channing,” Colby cajoled. “One dance.”
Jarred from her fantasy of becoming a Colby/Trevor sandwich, she stammered, “I-I’m all wet. And I smell like beer.”
Colby’s hot gaze zoomed to her chest. “I ain’t complainin’.”
“You will be once I’m plastered against you and getting you wet.”
He bent to her ear and murmured, “Nuh-uh, shug. I like my women wet. Really wet. I like it when they get that wetness all over me. All over my fingers. All over my face. All over my—”
“Colby McKay!” Flustered by the image of his dark head burrowed between her legs, his mouth shiny-wet with her juices, she attempted to push him away. He didn’t budge. The man redefined rock solid. No wonder bulls and broncs had a tough time tossing him off.
“You ain’t as indignant as you’d like me to believe, Miz Channing. In fact—” he nipped her earlobe, sending tingles in an electric line directly to her nipples, “—I suspect a firecracker such as yourself prefers dirty talk.”