Hot Damn (4 page)

Several locals hollered out and she smiled and waved in turn. Sweetridge was a friendly town as a rule. Everyone loved it when the rodeo season came around since most of the time there wasn’t much in the way of entertainment around here unless you counted high school football games when fall rolled around.

When she handed over her ticket, she wandered around for a while just soaking in the atmosphere. Over the arena, flags representing the home states of the participating cowboys and cowgirls fluttered in the breeze giving the place a festive atmosphere. Crowds were already filing into the spectator stands to watch the show and the sounds of horses and the chattering of voices filtered through the air.

Scarlet walked farther out, knowing she had plenty of time, and saw the rows of concessions stands offering beer on tap, roasted corn on the cob, turkey legs, hot dogs and sausage on a stick. Two little boys ran toward her, each carrying a glob of cotton candy. In tandem they laughed and darted to either side of her. Breathing deeply, she smiled and watched them tear off through the crowds. The fair atmosphere sent a sizzle through her blood and the mingled scents in the air made her tummy rumble. Or was that anticipation over seeing Nash perform in the steer roping event that headlined the day’s activities?

A sea of horse trailers and trucks stretched out as far as the eye could see. Everywhere she looked were cowboys of every shape and size getting ready for the show. Ropes swung out in perfect circles and other cowboys stretched and bent, warming up for what was to come. They were athletes, she realized, in perfect shape to take the battering that occurred every week for months on end.

An ambulance sat parked, at the ready, near a big white first aid tent. Curious, she walked toward it. The tent was a sideless affair with the white canvas top supported by poles. Small Texas flags fluttered at each end, waving in the wind.

Scarlet stopped short and drew in a quick breath.

Nash!

Lord have mercy!

Bare from the waist up, he stood with his back to her as the tall man from last night wrapped white tape around his ribs. Scarlet swallowed hard. The dim shadowy lights from last night hadn’t done the man justice.

Tall and lean, he stood there with his heavily muscled arms outstretched. Upper-back muscles flexed and rolled with every shift of his body. He was bronze and sexier than any man had a right to be. Without the hat, she could see his hair, dark brown and streaked with reddish highlights. She remembered plowing her fingers through that thick, straight stuff last night and she wanted to do it again.

What was up with the tape? She frowned. Was he hurt?

The other man straightened and reached for a pair of scissors on the table. “There. That ought to do it,” he said.

Nash lowered his arms and reached for his shirt. When she cleared her throat, he stiffened.

“Nash?”

He turned, giving her a glance over his very broad shoulder, and she saw his eyes widen a bit. “Hey.”

Scarlet walked underneath the tent, and reached out tentatively to touch the tape that bound his ribs. “Are you hurt?”

Nash smiled faintly and shook his head. “Just a precaution. I cracked a couple of ribs a few months ago riding a bastard-mean bull in Calgary.”

“Canada?”

He nodded. “Can’t say I’m not well-traveled.” He pulled on his shirt and began snapping it closed. The pearl snaps were a stark contrast to the bronze color of his hands and Scarlet resented each button that hid his flesh from her sight.

Looking down at the toes of her boots, she felt suddenly overwhelmed by his big, powerful body. Yeah, she could be really brazen but she felt dumb chasing him down like this. If nothing else, she was honest. Her being here wasn’t an accident.

“Scarlet this is my friend, Shorty Dobbs. Shorty, this is Scarlet Ballew. She’s a dancin’ fool.” Nash flashed a wicked, white grin, lightening the moment.

“Nice to meet you, ma’am.” Smiling, Shorty tipped his battered straw hat and headed out.

“Look, Nash, um… I’m sorry to intrude.”

“No intrusion. Really.” He ran his fingers through his hair and gave her a look. “Listen, I’m glad you’re here.” He gestured toward a long bench sitting near the table. “Have a seat.”

Scarlet sat on the bench. Nash propped his foot there and leaned his forearm on his knee. “I need to apologize about something,” he said.

She held up a hand. “No, you don’t have to.”

He blew out a breath. “Yeah, I do.” He stared off into the distance and her heart started to hammer wildly in her chest. “I thought about you last night. After you left.”

“You did?” She held her breath as she waited for him to say something, anything, but his face seemed carved of granite, unmoving. Patience had never been a virtue she possessed so she spoke again. “What did you think?”

Unsmiling, he looked at her. “Figured I was about to break my cardinal rule.”

“Cardinal rule?”

“I don’t fool around with the locals. It’s a dangerous thing. I’m not a man who’s going to stick around and entanglements wouldn’t work for either of us.”

“Oh.” Her response came out in a sigh and disappointment rolled through her body in a totally unexpected way. She wanted to be tough and pretend it didn’t matter, but it did.

Then without warning his expression softened. “Funny thing about rules,” he whispered gruffly. “Sometimes maybe they just beg to be broken because I swear I couldn’t sleep for thinking of how fucking good you felt against me. I thought about how close I’d been to burying myself deep inside you, Scarlet. Damn. That’s what I thought about.” His intense gaze flicked to her lips and lingered before he met her eyes. “Last night got out of hand in a hurry.”

Nash reached out and tucked some of her hair behind her ear. Then he cupped her chin. “I’ve wanted women before. Had plenty of them. But you threw me last night. It was fast, what I felt. Hot. Wild. Kind of knocked me on my ass.”

Nervously, she licked her lips and focused her gaze on his oh-so-sturdy chest. His thumb lazily stroked along her cheek as if it were the most natural thing in the world and her belly fluttered in response to his casual touch. More sexually aware than she’d ever been before, Scarlet could be nothing but honest.

“Me too.”

“Yeah?”

She mustered her courage and met his eyes. “How about we start all over, Nash?”

His lips kicked up at the corners as he dropped his hand and straightened to his full height. His looming over her this way should’ve been intimidating but it wasn’t. For a second, he looked like a gunslinger from an old western. Hard, strong, and confident in his power. A warrior. “You know I won’t be here long.”

“Yeah. I figured. I’m not a child.”

Nash’s gaze flicked over her body, lingering on her breasts for a nanosecond and her body reacted quickly, almost violently. His eyes were hot, flashing wicked fire. Oh yeah. He wanted her.

“You’re no child, darlin’, that’s for damn sure. You’re a heap more woman than the fellas around here know how to handle, if I don’t miss my guess.”

Scarlet stood to face him and looked him straight in the eye, her mama’s words ringing in her ears. “Am I too much woman for you?”

There. She’d said it and the words had been pretty dang brave, even for her, but she felt her face burn.

Nash moved closer. His scent wrapped around her. “Just so happens I like a lot of woman.” Like a lightning flash, his arm snaked out and pulled her in. Big rough hands settled at her hips, flexing. His lips brushed hers when he spoke. “We both know we shouldn’t be getting involved like this but I haven’t been able to get you off my mind. I’ve tried but it just makes me want you more. It’s a hell of a bad idea for us to get involved.”

Moving his mouth a tiny increment, he took her lips in the hottest kiss this side of heaven. He ate at her mouth with a voracious hunger, then plunged his tongue deep inside. Teasing, tasting, he changed the angle of the kiss and dragged her body flush against his chest. Scarlet fluttered her fingers against his side, felt the tape that bound his warrior’s body and whimpered.

Once again, they were in a very public place but Nash seemed to have no qualms about taking what he wanted and damn the consequences. How aggressive would he be if they were all alone? Heaven help her! Scarlet brushed her breasts against that firmly muscled chest wanting to weep at the feel of him.

Everything spiraled out of control in a big hurry. A frantic feeling soared through her veins. She wanted to devour him.

He drew back, his breath easing against her mouth as he spoke. “Dinner tonight?”

“Yeah,” she whispered in response. “My place. Give you the address.”

“Good. Steaks? I’ll bring ‘em. Ah honey. You’re killin’ me.” He kissed her again, his wicked mouth playing a devastating game with her self control. Finally he rested his forehead against hers as he seemed to struggle for breath.  Holding her tight, he pressed his mouth to her forehead. “I just know this is a bad idea.”

Scarlet shifted against him, more turned on than she’d ever been in her life. Lifting her face, she instigated a kiss of her own. She looked into those whiskey eyes and smiled, sealing her fate.

“Didn’t you know, Nash? Sometimes it’s good to be bad.”

Later she sat at the highest row in the audience section and watched the activities in the arena. The barrel racers had just finished their competition and the finalists would vie for prize money and a new saddle sometime tomorrow. Near her ear a flag flapped wildly as a wicked wind picked up from the south. As was typical for west Texas, a howling would set up and an over-layer of dust would shroud a horizon that stretched all the way to God’s hand.

Didn’t happen every day but, still, it wasn’t unusual either. This was a dry, dusty place and it wasn’t out of the ordinary to drive by the First Baptist Church and see the sign out front asking folks to “Pray for Rain”.

The forecast for today was hot and windy.

Though it wasn’t windy in this big arena, things were certainly hot.

The hottest cowboys this side of heaven were hovering near the chutes soothing their mounts for the upcoming steer roping event. Tense with anticipation, she caught a glimpse of Nash sitting on the wooden railing near the head of a beautiful black horse. A rodeo clown wearing a fluffy orange wig, face paint and enormous overalls looked up and said something. Nash grinned in response.

Lordy, what that man could do with a smile!

He wore a plaid western shirt with tiny pearl snaps and worn leather chaps hugged his strong thighs. Amazing! Oh yeah, she thought, as her heart thumped at the sight of him, he was a hell of a man. Big time cowboy eye-candy. She wanted to trail her tongue over every inch of that muscular body to see if he was as delicious as he looked.

Just thinking about tonight made her twitch.

“Howdy ya’ll” said the announcer. “It’s time for the steer roping event and we have some of the fastest steers and smoothest, roping cowboys around in this arena today. How ‘bout we start this out by giving these fellas a round of applause.”

The crowd went wild and Scarlet was among them. Nerves skittered down her spine. Oh, man, she’d never had anyone special to cheer on before and she was nervous for Nash.

Several cowboys, numbers pinned to their backs, took their turn at roping the giant steers. They were amazing. Graceful, but strong, and very athletic.

Finally it was Nash’s turn and Scarlet went still. Gazing toward Nash’s chute, she saw his face go hard. He leaned over and said something to Shorty and then focused again on his horse.

The announcer spoke into the microphone. “All right then, cowboys and cowgirls, let’s give a friendly Sweetridge welcome to a fine cowboy from down south of here. Nash Logan hails from New Braunfels, Texas and the Rocking R Ranch. Three-time all-around cowboy in steer roping and bull riding. The man has won more prize buckles and saddles than you can shake a stick at. Eight seconds on a mean old bull is nothing for this cowboy. Let’s give it up, folks.”

Applause broke out again as the enormous steer shot like greased lightning from the gate. Scarlet watched Nash jump down into the saddle as his chute sprang open.

There was something almost majestic about the way he moved. Leaning over the pommel of the saddle, he narrowed his eyes in concentration as he twirled is rope high in ever widening circles. Standing in the stirrups, focusing on the steer, he never paused as his cowboy hat flew from his head to bounce on the dirt floor of the arena. When he let the rope fly, it settled smooth as silk around the wicked looking horns and his horse went still as a statue. The rope tightened and Nash jumped down to race toward the steer.

Scarlet gasped and leaned forward.

The snorting steer jerked his head, his eyes wild in his head. Nash grabbed the huge animal by the horns and forced him to the ground. Reaching to the rope at his belt, he tied the animal’s hooves with an economy of motion that was amazing. Back hooves, front hooves, then they were tied together as Nash tossed his arms in the air.

“Seven point six seconds!” The announcer bellowed. “Would you look at that? Nash Logan, ladies and gentlemen! Give this cowboy a hand! This is a new record, people. This Texas boy can rope a steer quicker than lightning. Good job, Nash.”