Cowboy Love (28 page)

The door slid open. She didn't have to look. The hair standing up on her arms told her who stood behind her. His hands found her shoulders and she allowed herself to lean into his chest as his warm breath whispered across the flesh of her neck.
Good grief, just his touch sends me into a sexual frenzy.
He turned her around in his arms and the look in his eyes sent her heart slamming against her ribs in anticipation.

This wasn't the same staunch, trussed up in a fancy suit lawyer she'd come to think of him as. He was all male, obviously a very aroused male as his musky, sexy scent met her nostrils.

His mouth slanted across hers, grinding his lips against her softer ones. She moaned softly under his onslaught, and as she parted her lips under the pressure, his tongue darted inside to take possession. After several moments, he lifted his head, breathing rapidly as his big body pinned her where she stood.

"I couldn't stand being here with you and not feeling your lips under mine anymore," he whispered as his mouth trailed across her cheek and down her neck.

She moaned before she said, "But Amy and Tanner…"

"They've gone off to bed, and I expect they're doing exactly what I want to do to you right now."

"I…" She sighed as his teeth nipped at her throat.

He raised his head and looked into her eyes. "Make no mistake, lady. I want you. I want to bury myself inside you right now so badly I ache, but we need to get to know each other better before that happens. I don't want you to think this is just something sexual because it isn't." He trailed his fingers across her cheek a moment before he stepped back and disappeared into the apartment. Several seconds later, she heard the front door shut as he left.

Chapter 20

"Gilley's should be crowded tonight. I'm sure you'll get some great exposure," Amy said as they parked a couple of blocks from the club and Tanner grabbed his guitar from behind the seat.

"I'll take whatever I can get."

He wrapped his arm possessively around her waist as they stopped at the door and paid the cover charge. Tanner asked the doorman how to go about getting on the list to play and the man pointed toward the back where a small table sat in the corner.

Approaching the table, a platinum blonde with a shirt low enough her enormous fake boobs almost spilled over the top, raked Tanner with her eyes as Amy bristled beside him. He leaned close to Amy's ear and whispered, "I love you," before moving away and stepping up to the table.

"I need to sign up for the open mic night."

"Sure, sugar. Sign on the line." The woman pointed her bright red fingernail to the spot on the paper.

She whipped the page around when he finished and smiled again. "Well, Tanner Lewis, I'm sure you'll do fabulous. I can't wait to hear your deep baritone voice."

Tanner flashed a dimpled smile at the blonde and Amy gritted her teeth so loud she thought for sure, everyone in the bar could hear it. Resisting the urge to elbow him in the side, she spun around with the intent of disappearing into the crowd without him. He grabbed her elbow and tugged her back. "Goin' somewhere?"

"I thought I might find a cowboy around here interested in a girl without size double D boobs spilling out of a shirt that is three sizes too small."

He nudged her ear with his nose and licked her earlobe, sending tingles clear to her toes. "I happened to like your tits just like they are. And I love you with all my heart."

She murmured as he nibbled her neck, "Women don't like them called tits."

He chuckled before he said, "She's nothin' more than another woman Amy, and you're
my
woman. The one I love and the one I'm goin' home with no matter who else tries to come on to me." He lifted his head finally and looked into her eyes as he stroked her cheek. "Do you love me enough not to be jealous?"

"I'll always be jealous, Tanner, when other women throw themselves at you, but I'll try to keep it under control."

"No one else holds a candle to you in my eyes." He leaned over and kissed her. "Let's find a table."

Sitting down just to the right of the platform positioned at the front of the bar, Tanner ordered them both a beer and took her hand in his.

"Are you sure you're up for this? You probably needed to rest a little more before trekking out with me."

"I'm fine. Quit being such a worrier."

"I'm gonna worry. Get used to it. I love you and worryin' about you comes with lovin' you." He kissed her fingers. Their eyes turned to the stage as a tall, lanky man stepped up to the microphone.

"Howdy y'all." A round of applause rippled through the room until he raised his hand to quiet the crowd. "For those of you who have been here before, you know tonight is open mic night. We have several people signing up to stand up here and sing their hearts out so let's give a big round of applause to our first performer. Come on up here Cole Wright."

For over two hours, different men and women stood up on the stage. Some strummed guitars as they sang and some had recorded background music as the lights focused on their faces. Tanner listened intently to each and every one, giving Amy his opinion of a few. She could tell which he thought were good. Those were the ones he didn't say a word about. When it came to his turn, he leaned over and kissed her quickly before he whispered, "For good luck."

"Okay, everybody. Let's give a hardy welcome a good looking cowboy from south of here near Houston. This is Tanner Lewis."

Tanner took the stage as Amy moved close to the bottom so she could be near his feet. "Howdy, folks. I would love to do a couple of songs for you. I wrote both of these myself so I hope you enjoy 'em." Her chest swelled with pride as the crowd grew silent when he started to pick his guitar. You could have heard a pin drop in the bar as his voice filled the space around them. No one talked and even the bartenders were quiet during his two songs. When he finished, he flashed his heart-stopping dimpled smile and the crowd erupted in applause so loud, the noise hurt her ears. The announcer moved up on the stage and said, "Wow!" He grabbed Tanner's hand and pumped it a number of times before he let go. "Let's give it up again for Tanner Lewis, y'all."

Tanner jumped down from the stage, wrapping his arm around her as he escorted her back to the table. He picked up the beer on the table, slamming the remainder down his throat. His eyes sparkled in the light as he leaned down and kissed her soundly on the mouth. Several people came over to congratulate him and bought both of them drinks while he talked and laughed.
He sure knows how to work a crowd.

She tapped him on the arm and put her mouth next to his ear. "I'm going to the ladies room. I'll be right back." He smiled and nodded, his attention drawn back to the two men standing next to him.

The wait in the bathroom took a considerably long time, before she started to weave her way back through the ever increasing crowd in the bar. She had a hard time even seeing Tanner over the group of people, but she knew the general direction of their table as she squeezed between bodies. Finding a break in the horde of people, she could finally see Tanner and her eyes narrowed. Her man stood in the middle, surrounded by a group of women, two of which had their arms wrapped around his waist.
I'll kill 'em!

Making her way to his side, she forcefully wormed her way between one of the girl's and Tanner, wrapping her own arm around him before she reached up and tugged on his hair until he brought his mouth to hers. She slipped her tongue between his lips as he moaned softly into her mouth. When she finally let him go, the group of women had disbursed into the crowd around him.

"Possessive, aren't we?" He chuckled softly as he slid his fingers down her cheek.

"You're damned right. You are here with me and as such, I expect you to pay attention to me, not them."

"They were only makin' conversation, Amy."

"Conversation doesn't require their lips on your face." She looked from one side of his face to the other. "You have red on one cheek and pink on the other."

"And yours on my lips." He pulled her tight against his chest. "Yours are the only pair that will touch mine."

He bent his head and kissed her, slipping his tongue inside her mouth as she melted into him until they heard someone clear their throat behind them.

"Excuse me. I don't mean to interrupt, but I would like to talk to you for a moment." Her gaze found an older gentleman wearing a simple dress shirt and slacks, with graying hair at his temple and a smile on his face, standing off to their left. "My name is Arthur Foster."

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Foster," Tanner replied, taking the hand offered.

"I have a proposition for you, son, but we need to go somewhere not so crowded and loud. Can I buy you a cup of coffee? There is a coffee shop around the corner."

"Uh…sure." Tanner grabbed his guitar case and her hand, before they followed the gentleman out the door into the cooler night air. She hadn't realized how hot the bar had gotten until they were outside and she could take a deep breath again.

They followed the man through the double glass doors and took a seat in one of the booths in the corner.

"What can I get for y'all?" the waitress asked as she approached the threesome.

"Coffee for me, Millie."

"Coffee is fine. Amy?"

The waitress disappeared and Amy turned her attention to the man across the table.

"I'm sure you're wondering what this is all about."

"Yeah, you could say that," Tanner replied.

Arthur pulled out his wallet and slid a small, flat business card across the table. It read, Arthur Foster, A&R Representative, Country Life Records.

Amy read the card from Tanner's side and when the implications of the man's title hit her, she gasped. "You're from a record label?"

"Yes, Miss and I'd like to have your boyfriend here, come by and do a few songs for some people."

"You're serious?"

"Yes, son, I am. You are very talented and we are always looking for new talent in country music. As I'm sure you know, it is also a very cutthroat business, but I think you have what it takes to make a great career. Are you interested?"

"Interested? Of course I'm interested." The smile that spread across Tanner's face melted Amy's heart. Singing meant everything to him and God meant to hand him his chance on a silver platter. "When and where?"

"Call me in a couple of days at the number on the card and I'll let you know. I need to set things up with the studio and make sure the execs I want are available."

Tanner sat in stunned silence for a moment as he studied the card in his hand, but Arthur just smiled.

"He'll call you. Thank you so much for giving him this chance. You have no idea how much this means to him," Amy said, watching as the man began to rise from his spot in the booth.

"I'll talk to you soon then, Mr. Lewis." Arthur dropped several dollar bills on the table to pay for the coffee.

"Uh, yeah. Thank you," Tanner replied as he stood and shook Arthur's hand, before Arthur turned and walk out of the diner.

Amy quickly slid out of the booth and hugged Tanner tight as she exclaimed, "Oh my God! This is fantastic! I never in my wildest dreams thought bringing you here tonight would result in this."

He finally seemed to come out of shock as a huge grin flashed across his face and he hugged her tight enough, she thought he might break her in two. "A record deal. Oh man! I might have a record deal! I can't believe this."

"Believe me, it's for real." Amy held on tight as trepidation rolled down her back.
If he makes it big, how am I going to handle all of these women throwing themselves at him? I can hardly stand even a few, much less thousands.
Flashes of rock concerts where women threw bras and underwear at the artists, rippled across her mind and she sighed.
Can I deal with the life of a star?

* * * *

"You are awfully quiet. What are you thinkin'?" Tanner asked as they lay side-by-side in her bed later that night, his fingers stroking the arm lying across his chest.

"I know you better than that. You're too quiet for nothin'."

She kissed his chest, sliding her lips over the expanse until she reached the flat copper disk and laving it with her tongue. He moaned for a moment before he pushed her back and forced her to look into his eyes. "Distractin' isn't fair. Tell me what's botherin' you babe."

She rolled away and sat on the side of the bed. "I'm just not sure I can handle the whole thing with you being a star."

"Amy, I'm a long way from bein' a star."

An unladylike snort left her mouth. "I've seen you perform, Tanner, and I know what I saw even tonight at Gilley's. You're a natural. Oh, it may take a few years, but you'll get there eventually and when you do, I'm afraid I'll be pushed to the back of your life."

He reached over and pulled her back into his arms. "I love you, Amy Russell, and you will never, ever be pushed to the back of my life, no matter what happens."

"I wish I could believe you."

"What do I have to do to convince you?"

"I don't know, Tanner."

"Tell you what. Let's not worry about this right now. I don't even have a record deal yet. We need to see what the next few days bring before we start assumin' anythin'."

"I love you," she whispered as she trailed her lips down his neck and nipped at the soft skin with her teeth. She gently sucked it into her mouth.

"No hickies. I can't go to the audition with hickies on my neck."

Anger zipped through her at an alarming speed. "Never mind," she spat as she rolled over and got out of the bed.

"Is this the way it's going to be? I can't even make love with you the way I want to because I can't mark up their property?" Tears sparkled at the corners of her eyes and she angrily wiped them away. "This is fucking ridiculous, Tanner. The next thing you'll be telling me is you can't be near me because you can't go into the audition with a hard-on."

"This could be a huge break for me. Why can't you understand?"