Crazy For You (23 page)

“Damn, but you’re fine.” He pushed up her T-shirt, grabbed her red bra, and jerked it below her large breasts. “I’ve got to have you.”

She gasped as cool air tightened her nipples and then his warm mouth latched onto her. He thrust his hips as if taking her, his cock rock hard against her through their clothing.

Desire and need coursed through her and she whimpered to be even closer to him. She moved both of her hands down between them and fumbled until she unbuttoned his jeans. She slid her hand into the waistband of his jeans and his underwear, and wrapped her fingers around his cock.

He groaned and moved his hips as she eased her hand up and down his length. He was thick and long and she gave another soft moan, imagining how it would feel once his cock was inside her.

“Garrett.” She sighed his name as she begged him. “Please.”

His mouth found hers again and his muscular chest pressed against her chest, his T-shirt abrading her bare nipples. Her eyes were closed as she became lost in the kiss, loving the way he was taking control and the unleashed power he was exerting over her.

He stilled, then moved his mouth from hers as he pulled back. She opened her eyes and found him looking down at her with pain and anger in his expression, his hands braced to either side of her head.

Confused, she furrowed her brow. “What’s wrong, Garrett?”

He didn’t answer. Instead he pushed himself to his knees between her thighs, pulled her bra back over her breasts and tugged down her T-shirt. He got to his feet and taking her by the hands, brought her up with him.

The anger in his expression almost frightened her. “I’m sorry, Ricki.” He released her hands and took a step back as he fastened his jeans. “I shouldn’t have touched you.”

Her mind was still reeling from his kisses and the feel of his body against hers. “Did I do something wrong?”

“I did.” He turned and took the two steps from the entryway rug to the front door. He grasped the door handle, lowered his head, and paused for a moment. Then he straightened, and without looking at her again, he jerked open the door. He walked through the opening and closed the door solidly behind him.

# # #

Cheyenne McCray

Butterflies traveled through Jo’s belly as she and Tate headed back to her house. What was she doing, inviting him over for dinner? It was one thing to go out with him, another to have him over for dinner.

She let them into the house. It was a large home that she’d fallen in love with when she moved back to the town. She set her purse on the table in the foyer and he set his ball cap there, too, before she led him to the kitchen.

Hair had escaped her braid and she pushed it out of her face as she turned to face him. “What sounds good?”

He hitched his shoulder up against the archway into the kitchen and hooked his thumbs in the front pockets of his Wranglers. His T-shirt was pulled taut against his muscular chest and his hair was mussed from being under the ball cap. “Anything easy.”

She rummaged around in the pantry and pulled out a package of angel hair pasta and a jar of three-cheese spaghetti sauce. “How about spaghetti? That’s fast.”

“Great.” He watched her with an intense look that made her feel a little unnerved. “What can I do to help?”

“Stand there and keep looking sexy,” she said without thinking.

He grinned. “Sexy, huh?”

She shrugged and tried to hide a smile. “You have your moments.” She grabbed the large stockpot she used to boil water in for pasta and filled it with water.

While the water heated, she washed up then cut thick slices of the French bread she had just bought and made several pieces of garlic bread with fresh garlic and olive oil. When the water was boiling, she put the angel hair pasta in then grabbed a package of pre-made salad from the fridge and put it into a bowl.

They talked as she put together the simple dinner and he set the table with dishes she got out of the cabinet and silverware from a drawer. He also set out the wine glasses and opened a bottle of Merlot from her wine rack. She kept wine on hand even though she only drank if she had company.

She was glad he was so easy to talk with and there weren’t any lulls in conversation.

When dinner was ready and on the table, they both slid into their chairs. They sat at the small table in the kitchen rather than the large one in the dining room.

She served a huge pile of spaghetti in his pasta bowl before serving herself a much smaller amount. She was hungry, but she couldn’t help feeling like she was overdoing it today. She forced herself to shove aside thoughts of the chilidog, and bites of curly fries, and chocolate cake she’d had earlier. Spaghetti and a high-calorie day wasn’t going to hurt her. It was something she had to remind herself all the time. Counselors had told her that her fear of eating too much was something she’d probably have to work through for the rest of her life, and she’d found that to be true.

“I had a great time today.” She smiled at him after she’d eaten some of the pasta and a piece of garlic toast. “I don’t know if I’ve had that much fun in a long time, especially on a date.”

He returned her smile. “There’s more where that came from.”

She took a sip of her Merlot then set her glass down. “Angling for another date?”

“Is it working?” he asked as he twirled the pasta on his fork.

“Maybe.” She felt a warmth inside her that she hadn’t felt in a long time. A sense of contentment that probably should have scared her, but right now it didn’t.

She thought about Tate’s old girlfriend and wondered how much time he’d spent with her at lunch and what he and Daphne had talked about. But that wasn’t any of her business and if she said anything it would make it sound like she was jealous. She wasn’t, of course. She had nothing to be jealous of and no reason to be.

As they ate, she would take him in from beneath her lashes. He was so large and virile, an alpha male that drew her for so many reasons. She enjoyed being around him and the fact was she was incredibly attracted to him, both mentally and physically.

If he was everything he seemed to be, he was a good guy, too, like Charlee had said.

After they put the small amount of leftovers away and loaded the dishes in the dishwasher, they walked out of the kitchen into the living room.

He looked at her when they came to a halt. “I had a great day, Jo. Thank you for saying yes.”

She slipped her hands into her back pockets to keep herself from touching him. She wanted nothing more than to feel his chest beneath her palms, his hair sliding through her fingers, his body tight against hers. And the way he was looking at her was enough to make her forget everything…forget every last hesitation she might have.

He reached up and skimmed her cheek with his fingertips, his green eyes studying her for a long moment. He cupped her face in his palms and slowly began lowering his head toward hers.

She caught her breath, a tangle of emotions whirling through her. Fear, excitement, even a little bit of shyness.

And then his lips were pressed against hers and he was kissing her, gently exploring her mouth with his.

It was perhaps the sweetest kiss she’d ever experienced. She found herself surprised that such a dominant man could be so gentle.

She slipped her hands out of her pockets and touched him like she’d been dying to. She ran her palms over his hard biceps to his broad shoulders. Slowly she eased her hands down the firm muscles of his chest before moving back to his shoulders.

Wanting more and more of him, she clenched her fingers in his T-shirt and pressed her mouth more firmly to his. She became the aggressor, desiring him so much that her entire body ached for him.

He answered her with a groan and matched the strength of her kiss until he was dominating her. She loved a man in control when it came to passion and sex and she had a feeling that Tate could be everything she wanted and more.

She moaned as he grasped her hip with one of his large hands and pulled her tight up against him as he slipped his hand into her hair and cupped the back of her head.

His erection was large and rigid against her and a thrill went through her from her belly to the place between her thighs that now ached to have him fill her. Her nipples were hard and tight as his chest pressed against her breasts.

She slid her arms to his neck, her hunger fierce, unbridled. He grasped her ass in both hands and then she wrapped her thighs around his hips and he was carrying her.

The next thing she knew, her back was up against the wall, his jean-clad cock pressed against her hot center. She wished her own jeans were gone as well as his and that he was sliding into her now.

Her mind spun from the kiss and she could barely breathe. He moved one of his hands beneath her top and his palm cupped her breast through the satin of her bra. She gasped as he fondled and pinched her nipple.

He broke the kiss and she tilted her head back as he moved his lips down the column of her throat to the V of her blouse. He shoved up the material and pulled down her bra, exposing her breasts to his gaze.

Her nipples tightened ever more and she gave a loud moan as he ran his tongue over each of the hard nubs. She slid her hands into his hair, pressing him tighter to her breasts as he sucked and licked one nipple and then the other.

He moved his hips, rubbing his cock against her, mimicking what he would do when he took her. His cock was so rigid and hard that it felt like it could bruise her if he pressed any harder.

# # #

Cheyenne McCray

“I don’t date playboys.” Tess Grady wiped down the bar, shaking her head and trying not to smile as she looked at Gage McBride sitting on the stool in front of her. “Once again, the answer is no.”

“Playboy?” The cowboy raised a brow as he set down his cold mug of beer. “Now I’m a playboy?”

“A cowboy with a girl in every town.” Tess began polishing a glass. “I’ve heard the rumors.”

“You believe everything you hear?” An amused smile curved the corner of his mouth. “Don’t tell me you judge a man based on rumors.”

She shrugged one shoulder. “If the Stetson fits…”

He leaned forward, folding his muscular arms on the bar. Hell, every part of the man appeared muscular. She was loath to admit it, but the thought of undressing such a hot package made her mouth water. “Why don’t you get to know me?” he asked. “Judge for yourself.”

As she polished another glass, she tried to ignore the pull the cowboy had on her. Ever since Nectars had opened, Gage had been coming into the bar and would flirt with her when she wasn’t working in the Hummingbird, the restaurant side of her family’s establishment. Most of the time, she was in the restaurant so she didn’t see Gage often enough for him to corner her like he had now.

When he was near, he set her senses on fire, and she always tried to find a way to get away from the man as fast as possible. Unfortunately, today wasn’t a day she could escape because they were short-staffed in the bar.

She blew a blonde curl out of her eyes. “No thanks,” she said despite the fact that she was so very tempted.

Clear green eyes without a hint of hazel in them studied her. His eyes held the kind of sensuality that caused a woman’s belly to squirm. He had dark hair and just enough stubble on his jaws to add to his rough, sexy appearance.

The tempting thing with Gage was that rough and sexy was natural. He was not some guy trying to look like a hardworking cowboy. She’d been told how successful his water well drilling business was and that he might play hard but he worked even harder. Of course, she’d never let him know she’d been intrigued enough to learn more about him. She found it curious and rather attractive that he never mentioned his business success to lure her in.

“Come on, Tess.” Gage’s sexy drawl was enough to make her toes curl. “One date.”

She opened her mouth to respond when she saw a tall, gorgeous redhead making a beeline through the establishment, headed straight for Gage. A flare of heat was in the woman’s gaze and she looked like she could spit flames.

She came up behind Gage, so angry looking that Tess could imagine the woman’s eyes glowing red. “Well hello, Gage.” The redhead spat the words with venom.

A pained expression crossed his face and Tess thought she might have seen him wince.

Slowly he turned toward the redhead and smiled. “Hi, Nandra.”

“You—” Nandra raised her hand and slapped Gage hard across his left cheek “—
bastard
.” The sound of her hand contacting flesh was loud.

The few patrons in the bar went quiet.

The woman cut her gaze to Tess. “So you’re his little squeeze now? Just don’t get too comfortable.” Nandra spun around and marched out of the bar, her heels clicking on the wood floor.

Gage watched Nandra walk out as he rubbed his jaw while talking resumed. Fortunately, those in the bar all had full drinks and Tess could enjoy Gage’s discomfort.

He looked back at Tess as she was trying to hold back laughter. He picked up his cold beer mug and put it against the side of his face. “She packs some power.”

“You have a way with the ladies.” Tess looked at him with amusement.

“Second time this month.” He gave a rueful smile as he lowered his mug to the bar. “I guess you might as well just slap me now and get it over with.”

Tess did laugh then. “Assuming I’d be foolish enough go out with you to begin with.” She gestured toward the entrance. “And that was not the best endorsement.” She braced her hands on the bar. “I suppose you didn’t deserve that.”

“No, I deserved it.” His admission surprised Tess. “Long story.”

She leaned down and rested her elbow on the bar, her chin in her hand. “The bar is nearly empty. I have time.”

He grinned. “Go out with me and I’ll tell you whatever you want to know.”

She rolled her eyes. “Good try.”

“How about tomorrow night?” His green eyes held hers and she knew exactly what a romance heroine meant when she felt like she was melting. She felt like her bones had gone soft and she was breathing a little faster.