Curves and the Cowboy (BBW Romance - Coldwater Springs 1) (2 page)

Opening her closet door,
she stared at her shoe collection. She didn’t usually wear
heels, and if Chase was picking her up in his truck, it would be
silly to wear them. She wouldn’t want to wobble when she
climbed in, unless... A mischievous smile lit up her face. Heels
meant he would have to put his arm around her to help her into his
truck. Hmm.

Four pairs plus a pair of
three inches high strappy black sandals. Not much to choose from.
However much she wanted to wow Chase when he came to pick her up, she
had to be some kind of sensible. She chose a pair of wedges with
white cinches. They did look good with her outfit, even if the heel
was low.

The doorbell rang, just
as she slipped her feet into her shoes. She crossed to the bedroom
window and peeked out the front. Chase’s gleaming black SUV
was parked right outside.

Sarah’s stomach
fluttered with nerves as she checked her reflection in the mirror one
last time. With her parents gone for the evening, she snapped up her
purse and tried not to race down the stairs.

She swung the door open a
bit too fast, her pulse thrumming with the thrill of their first
date.

“
Hi.” She
tucked a wayward strand behind her ear and smiled at Chase from under
her lashes, taking in his appearance. His crisp white button down
shirt emphasized his honest tan, while his form-fitting dark jeans
screamed pure male.

“
Hi.” His
blue eyes flickered over her appreciatively, and her breath
quickened. “Ready to go?”

“
Yes.” Sarah
silently cursed the breathy quality of her voice as she stepped out
and locked the front door. His scent wafted over her, tantalizing
her with a sexy combination of leather and hay. Chase opened the
door of the SUV for her and helped her in, his hand under her elbow
tingling her skin.

She fastened her seatbelt
and waited for him to come around to the driver’s side,
pinching herself again just to make sure this wasn’t a dream.
Frantic butterflies quivered in her stomach and she took a deep
breath to try and calm herself. Although it was a fantasy come true
-
no, wait, that was Chase ravishing her in her bedroom - she
hoped he didn’t realize how nervous she was.

On the way to the
drive-in, they talked about what had been happening in town recently
and the movie they were going to see. To her surprise, Chase enjoyed
old-fashioned movies just like she did.

Chase parked the truck,
and a second later, the only sound in the cab was the engine ticking
down
.
Sarah’s jitters returned as she realized she was
alone with her teenage crush.

“
Like some
popcorn?” His deep-timbered voice broke the silence.

“
Sure.” She
smiled, pleased that she sounded normal, and not a breathy mess.

“
Back in a minute.”
His lips quirked up and he got out of the truck.

His feet hit the ground
and he strode to the concession stand. She admired his denim-clad
butt, glad he couldn’t see her staring after him. Once he
was out of view, she turned her attention to the cars surrounding
her. She remembered the drive-in as being very popular on Friday and
Saturday nights when she was in high school, but tonight, there were
only about fifteen cars in the lot. She guessed times had changed.

Although a lot had stayed
the same in Coldwater Springs during the six years she had been away,
some things had changed as well. There was a new fast food place at
one end of town, and a large chain drug store had replaced the small
pharmacy. Fortunately though, her old friends and acquaintances had
stayed exactly as she remembered them, including Chase.

Excitement rippled
through her at the thought of watching a movie with him in the cozy
confines of his truck. For years, the drive-in had been well known
as the place to go to watch a decent movie, as well as for steamy
make-out sessions. She just wondered what Chase had in mind for
tonight...

The sound of the driver’s
door opening snapped her out of her thoughts. “Here.”
He handed her a large tub of popcorn while he placed two soft drinks
nestled
in a cardboard tray on the dashboard.

“
Thanks.”
She curled her fingers around the warm bucket of popcorn, the aroma
of the buttery treat teasing her senses.

Chase slid into the
driver’s seat and smiled
at her. “We made it just
in time. The movie’s about to start.”

Sarah glanced at the
screen, surprised to see the opening credits. She’d been so
busy anticipating what might happen tonight,
that she hadn’t
noticed the movie screen flickering to life. She settled down in the
seat and held out the tub of popcorn to Chase.

He placed the tub between
them on the bench seat and took a handful of kernels, his even white
teeth closing over the popped corn.

Sarah watched,
mesmerized, and her mind flashed back three days ago, to when he had
stolen bites of her cherry pie in the diner. She had never thought
watching a man eat was sexy - until then.

Trying not to blush, she
turned her attention to the screen. It had been years since she had
watched
His Girl Friday
,
and she intended to enjoy every minute of it.

Halfway through the
movie, she realized that Chase was the perfect movie-watching
companion. He didn’t talk and he didn’t try to grab her
attention with loud guffaws or snickers during the funny moments.
Instead, his chuckle was soft and low, the sound igniting her nerve
endings.

Sarah wished that he
would put his arm around her or let her know in some way that he
considered this to be a romantic date. But maybe it was exactly what
it seemed. Two old acquaintances catching up at a movie.

After all, there was a
distinct possibility she just wasn’t his type. She had never
seen him with a curvy girl, and it would be just too incredible for
him to be attracted to her. Sarah told herself to focus on the movie
instead of wishing for something that would never happen.

The only indication she
had that this date wasn’t totally platonic was the few times
their fingers had brushed against each other while reaching for
popcorn. Each time his hand had grazed
hers, her spine
tingled. She told herself it was just coincidence, that it didn’t
mean anything, but after the fourth time, Sarah resolved to keep her
hand away from the popcorn tub - at least for a while.

Although most of her
attention was on the movie, she was aware of Chase’s every
movement. And it had been long minutes since she had reached for the
popcorn. Funnily enough, she hadn’t noticed Chase dipping into
the tub out of her peripheral vision. Although it was just regular
popped corn, somehow it tasted better than the versions she’d
had at movie theaters two hundred miles away in Laramie. One more
handful couldn’t hurt, surely? And it would prove that she and
Chase reaching for the popcorn at the same time was pure chance.
What were the odds of it happening again?

Sarah put her hand in the
tub, her fingers closing around a few kernels. Her breath stalled
when a second later, Chase’s hand brushed
against hers.

Feeling a little daring,
she left her hand in the bucket for a few seconds, wondering what
would happen. Chase’s fingers lightly caressed hers for a
moment before drawing away
.

She smiled to herself.
She definitely hadn’t imagined that.

Sarah found it hard to
focus on the movie after that deliberate proof. Instead of watching
the movie, she imagined how the end of the date would play out.
Would he kiss her goodnight? How would he taste? Would he venture
to touch her elsewhere? The sensible half of her cautioned her not
to get carried away. Touching her fingers in the popcorn tub didn’t
mean he wanted to kiss her. Or ask her out on another date. Before
she could turn her mind inside out with possibilities, Chase’s
low voice broke into her thoughts.

“
Sarah.”

“
Yes?” She
silently cursed her shaky tone. Why couldn’t she sound cool,
calm and collected when she wanted to be?

Chase muttered something
she couldn’t quite hear, and then reached for her, hauling her
against his body.

The popcorn flew through
the air, scattering inside the truck’s cab. Chase pressed her
against him, chest to chest, his strong arms holding her tight. Her
thighs straddled his lap, the soft denim of his jeans brushing
against her bare legs. Her quickened breath beat in her ears at the
intimate position.

Her eyes traced his
features in the dim light from the movie screen. He was a hungry
wolf and she was the only living thing in existence.

His firm, sensual lips
covered hers, softly at first, as if testing her reaction to his
kiss. When she parted her lips on a soft gasp, he deepened the kiss,
his tongue thoroughly exploring her mouth, as if he couldn’t
get enough of her.

One of her fantasies
became reality - being thoroughly kissed by Chase McCord. She
stifled a moan and wound her fingers in his dark hair, returning his
kiss with fervor.

His hands stroked her
back as the kiss became even more heated. She breathed in his scent,
knowing that from now on she would always associate the smell of
leather and hay with Chase.

Her nipples hardened to
taut peaks, and half out of her mind with desire, she rubbed her
breasts against him, spurring him to further deepen the kiss.

He tore her lips from
hers and nibbled at a sensitive spot on her neck. Sarah inhaled
sharply as an electrifying shiver raced through her. His hard shaft
pressed against her and at the same time her panties grew damp - damp
with her desire for him.

Chase trailed kisses down
her neck, his lips skimming the pulsing hollow at the base of her
throat. He dragged down the zipper of her dress, his eyes feasting
on her generous breasts spilling over the top of her white bra.
His nimble fingers reached for the front clasp of the lacy cups.

She emerged from her
desire-induced fog. “Chase, stop.” Sarah placed her
hand over his. Although it had been exciting to make out with him,
she didn’t know if she was ready for him…for this.
Especially in his truck at the local drive-in.

“
You’re
right.” He breathed heavily, slowing drawing his hand back
from her breasts, as if it was something he found very difficult to
do. “Not here.”

He reluctantly zipped up
her dress, cupped her face in his hands, and kissed her deeply. “The
first time I take you I want all the time in the world to explore
you.”

Sarah thrilled at his
words. Although she had put a stop to their make-out session, her
body still ached for his touch. But was he only interested in a
one-night stand, or something more? He’d starred in her
night-time fantasies for a while now - years, in fact. She didn’t
know if she could handle just one tryst with Chase when she wanted
more. Much more.

His finger stroked the
curve of her cheek.
“
Remember the rodeo just before you
left for college?”

An image flashed in her
mind. Chase smiling, holding his trophy, their eyes interlocking.

“
Yes,” she
whispered, her eyes searching his in the near darkness.

“
I was going to
come over to you, but when I looked again, you’d disappeared.”

“
I thought you’d
be too pre-occupied with your rodeo groupies.” She pulled back
slightly, pleased her voice sounded almost normal. Just the thought
of those stick-thin, bleached blond Barbie dolls annoyed her
.
If
Chase liked that kind of woman, then why was he here now, with her?

He snorted. “By
the time I got out of their clutches, you’d gone.”

“
I didn’t
think you were interested,” she admitted
in a small
voice.

“
I’ve noticed
you since you were a senior in high school, Sarah Grant.” His
lips snared hers in a seductive kiss until she found herself clinging
to him once more, her arms wrapped around his neck. His large hands
stroked her, skimming the sides of her breasts before trailing along
her spine in a rhythm that was both sexy and soothing.

“
Oh, Chase,”
she murmured when he released her mouth.

“
I didn’t do
anything about it back then because I knew you were going to college.
I wanted you to know how I felt, but we hadn’t even gone on a
date. I thought maybe it was for the best when you left for college
straight after the rodeo.”