Where Have All the Cowboys Gone? (2 page)

Lauren closed her eyes and inhaled his citrus aftershave. She shuddered as his lips brushed her hair. God, she wanted to lift her head and kiss him. His warm mouth grazed her temple releasing a rush of lust straight to her pussy. He moved again and the front of his damp shirt brushed her tight nipples.

She looked up, saw his intent expression and allowed his lips to meet hers. She forgot about the elevator and the crush of people as he slid his tongue inside her mouth and gently kissed her. With a sigh, she went on tiptoe to mould her body more intimately into his.

When Lauren opened her eyes, the elevator was empty. Grayson straightened and guided her into the corridor. At the door to his room, he hesitated.

‘Just for the record, I don’t usually invite women I’ve just met into my bedroom.’

‘You didn’t; I invited myself.’

Grayson smiled down at her. ‘Well, as long as we’re clear on that. Come on in.’

His suite smelt faintly of lemon and leather and was remarkably tidy. He took off his hat and ran his hand through his crow-black hair.

‘Make yourself comfortable, I’ll just be a minute.’

He disappeared into the bathroom. Lauren contemplated the flashy view of The Strip below. She was trembling. For the first time in her life she wanted to be reckless. Grayson seemed like a nice guy. He was obviously attracted to her. Why not take advantage of her anonymity and have the ride of her life?

Lauren took a deep breath and walked into the bathroom. The faucets were running and Grayson had finished unbuttoning his shirt. She paused to take in the glory of his muscled chest and flat stomach. He went still as she took the wet washcloth from his unresisting hand and rubbed it over his chest.

‘Lauren . . .’

She followed the droplets of water down his belly and traced the snap of his jeans with her fingertip. Grayson’s hands closed around her waist and he lifted her onto the edge of the vanity unit. His chest rose and fell with each laboured breath.

‘Are you sure this is what you want?’

‘Yes, aren’t you?’

Grayson moved forwards, spreading her knees with his hips, hitching her skirt up to her waist. ‘Honey, I’m more sure about this than of anything I’ve ever done before. God help me, it just feels right.’

Lauren wrapped her arms around his neck. The harsh fabric of his well-filled jeans against the silk of her panties only increased her desire for him. He bent his head, his blue eyes locked on hers. She tensed as his mouth descended and then relaxed into the kiss. He kissed with a restraint she knew he was far from feeling judging by the urgent pressure of his cock against her pussy. The sharp edge of his belt buckle jammed into her stomach. She struggled to insert her hand between their bodies to release it.

He groaned deep in his throat as her fingers worked on his belt and the button of his jeans. She stroked his shaft through the denim, amazed at her boldness, enthralled by his response to it. He tilted his hips, allowing her a glimpse of the crown of his huge cock as it fought its way out of his jeans.

She slid her hand inside and slowly lowered the zipper. His kisses became more urgent as she cradled his shaft. Turned on by the thickness and length, her body softened in anticipation.

‘Wait.’ He closed his hand over hers and drew back. ‘Let me see you.’

Grayson ripped off her pantyhose and stared at the thin black scrap of satin between her legs. He licked his lips as he drew the panties down her legs. He licked her with a voracious need that soon had her pushing her pussy into his face and grabbing his hair to keep his inventive mouth locked onto her.

The slick wet sound of his lapping and the suck of his fingers as he slid them in and out echoed through the bathroom. Lauren didn’t care, her attention focused on her fast-approaching orgasm. Grayson continued to circle her sex with his tongue as he searched blindly through his washbag.

Lauren took the condom out of his hand and covered his straining shaft. Without further urging, he wrapped one hand around the base of his cock and positioned it between her legs.

‘Tell me you want me. Tell me it’s still OK.’

His terse words almost destroyed Lauren’s sexual high. He was being way too considerate for a man she never expected to see again. Dammit, but she wanted him. In answer, she pulled him close, driving his cock deep inside her wet entrance. She came almost immediately, clenching around his thick shaft with all her strength. He kept thrusting, making her peak again. His hands were busy pushing her blouse out of his way. His hot mouth latched onto a taut nipple.

Lauren edged closer until her butt almost slid off the counter top. She wrapped her legs around his pumping hips and surrendered to the surge of his cock inside her. As her climax built for the third time she wrenched her mouth away from his, afraid she’d bite right through his luscious lower lip. She screamed her pleasure as Grayson came, his last urgent thrust made her spasm around him again.

When she could finally breathe, Lauren just stared at Grayson. She’d never come three times before in one night in her life. He smiled and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. He slowly eased out of her but held her close. She realised she liked the way he smelt. She wanted to nuzzle his skin, lick off the combination of sex and sweat until he was ready for her again.

‘Do you still want to get dinner?’

She pointed at the phone. ‘Does this hotel have room service?’

Laughing, he picked her up and headed for the bedroom.

An hour later, Lauren sat up and straddled his chest. ‘We’ll have to go down.’

He smiled up at her, his eyes lazy with lust, his whole body relaxed beneath hers. ‘Why’s that?’

‘Because we have no more condoms.’

He groaned and rubbed at his eyes. ‘Damn it, you’re right. I wasn’t expecting to meet a beautiful demanding woman like you. I only came to Vegas to watch the bull riding and do a little gambling.’

Lauren stroked his nipple. ‘I could just go.’ She shrieked as he sat up and dragged her hands behind her back.

He glanced down at his cock which now nestled between her breasts. ‘I don’t think so.’ His erection grew as they stared at it. ‘We’re not finished yet.’

Lauren attempted to climb off him but he pushed her down into the tangled bedclothes.

‘How about I make sure you want to come back upstairs with me?’ He lowered his head and kissed his way down her stomach. Her hips jerked forwards as he traced her swollen sex with his tongue. She closed her eyes as he lapped at her, his strokes sure and powerful, his finger sliding inside to complete her pleasure. She grabbed the bedcovers as her tension mounted and she anticipated the flood of desire.

He raised his head and grinned at her. ‘I think that will do nicely.’

She gaped at him. ‘Aren’t you going to finish?’

‘Nope. If you want more, you’ll have to stay the night with me.’ He rolled off the bed and hunted for his jeans.

Lauren squeezed her thighs together in a desperate bid for release. How did he know that she craved him enough to put up with being left high and dry? She wandered into the bathroom and picked up her skirt and blouse.

Grayson glanced over at her as she located her bra. ‘I ripped your hose and your panties. I’ll buy you some new ones.’

It felt strange walking down the corridor with no panties on. Lauren wondered if anyone apart from Grayson could tell. He stood behind her in the elevator, one arm wrapped around her waist. For the first time in her life she allowed herself to lean back into a man’s strength. Their lovemaking had only confirmed the depth of the attraction between them. She sensed she could spend a lifetime exploring Grayson’s sensual potential.

Lauren waited while Grayson visited the small general store tucked away in the corner of the lobby. An elderly lady and her husband parked themselves on the seat next to Lauren’s. As soon as the lady smiled at her, Lauren knew she was going to be dragged into a conversation whether she liked it or not.

‘Hi, I’m Peggy. Are you here with someone special, dear?’

Lauren smiled back. ‘Yes, I am thank you.’

Peggy kissed her husband’s gnarled cheek. ‘This is Doug. We come here every year to celebrate our wedding anniversary. We ran away together fifty years ago.’

‘That’s amazing. Congratulations!’ Lauren studied their blissful faces and then turned towards the lobby. Grayson walked across to her with his easy long stride. Peggy followed her gaze.

‘Is that your young man, dear? He looks like the steady reliable type. Are you married then?’

‘Not yet,’ Lauren said with a laugh. ‘He hasn’t asked me.’

Lauren became engrossed in studying Grayson as he approached her. What would it be like to take a chance and marry a stranger just because you thought you’d connected at a soul-deep level? Was it possible that she and Grayson would be coming back to Vegas in fifty years to celebrate their own special anniversary?

‘Lauren, are you OK?’ Grayson tipped his hat at the elderly couple and then crouched in front of her. She met his searching blue gaze as best she could. Peggy poked Grayson in the ribs with her walking stick.

‘She’d probably feel a lot better if you made an honest woman out of her, young man. I don’t hold with all this living together nonsense,’ Peggy said.

Grayson took Lauren’s cold hands in his. ‘Are you planning a wedding, Lauren, honey?’

She waited for the masculine reaction of caged terror which usually accompanied the use of the word wedding. Grayson didn’t move and his expression remained as intense as ever.

‘If I was going to get married, I’d need a bridegroom wouldn’t I?’

His smile died. ‘You wouldn’t have to look far. I’d marry you in a heartbeat.’

She stared at him intently. What if he was the one? What if he offered her a new start in life and the opportunity to leave her troubled past behind? She needed to move on. She needed to be brave. His gaze narrowed and he brought her hand to his lips.

‘Marry me, Lauren, and I swear I’ll be the best darned husband in the universe.’

She touched his cheek, felt the roughness of his stubble and the strength inherent in his jawline. If she could trust him with her body shouldn’t she be able to trust him with her heart?

‘All right then, I will.’

Lauren woke with a start as the never-ending rumble of traffic penetrated the silence in the room. With great care, she removed Grayson’s arm from around her waist and scurried into the bathroom. She checked her watch. It was five in the morning. Her gaze remained riveted on the cheap gold wedding band Grayson had placed on her finger not two hours earlier.

She buried her throbbing head in her hands and silently screamed. Two hours ago she’d thought she’d found the perfect man, a man who didn’t know who her father was or care less. A man who liked her for herself, not for her connections or for what she could do for him. They’d connected on a level so deep that it stunned her. Marrying Grayson had seemed the perfect opportunity to move beyond her father’s reach and declare her independence.

After a deep breath, Lauren raised her head and looked in the mirror. She had to leave. She had no right to involve a good and decent man in the complicated relationship between herself and her father. Las Vegas wasn’t big enough for her to hide in. And she was done with that anyway. She had a business to run, a new life to lead.

Slipping into her clothes, she took off the wedding ring and laid it carefully on the countertop. She’d left her business card in Grayson’s wallet. She swallowed a sob. When he woke up and discovered she’d gone would he be secretly relieved or mad as hell? If she was lucky, perhaps he would call her and they could begin the messy business of the divorce proceedings.

With a murmured excuse, Lauren squeezed past the passenger on her left and headed for the bathroom. In the enclosed space, the hum of the aircraft increased to a dull roar. She peered into the mirror and, despite the yellowish tinge the lights cast on her skin, she still looked much calmer than she felt. Her light-brown hair remained secure in its sophisticated knot. Only her hazel-green eyes held a hint of apprehension.

What on earth was she doing? When she’d fallen into the arms of the tall, drawling cowboy in the bar of her Las Vegas hotel, she’d never imagined that six months later she’d be on a plane heading towards his ranch in Oregon.

Lauren washed her hands with the sliver of airline soap and inhaled the citrus fragrance. She closed her eyes and recalled the breathless moment when she had landed in Grayson Turner’s lap. The scent of his aftershave, even when combined with the smell of the beer she accidentally tossed over him, had intoxicated her. He had held her like a precious object; his touch was at once familiar and so reassuring that she’d felt completely safe.

Lauren winced as the soap slipped through her fingers.

Their marriage in a tacky wedding chapel decorated with white plastic flowers, flooded with piped music and officiated over by a pastor dressed in drag still seemed surreal. But she’d kissed Grayson and promised to love him forever. That was all too real.

Lauren’s eyes snapped open. After six months of furtive emails, she’d agreed to meet him. She wanted a divorce but Grayson obviously wasn’t prepared to go without a fight. Wearily she wondered if he’d found out her family had money. Her father always maintained that everyone had a price.

Lauren propped open her old leather purse and withdrew the file of printed emails. Grayson’s instructions were simple. She was to meet him at the airport and he’d take her back to his ranch for the weekend. Lauren swallowed hard. A weekend in which she’d promised to allow him to convince her to remain married.

She pictured Grayson Turner. Six foot two in his bare feet, short black hair, faded-blue-jean-coloured eyes. A 35-year-old graduate of agricultural college and a rancher by trade. He was a formidable sight to a five-foot six-inch female even if she did run her own business.