Wilde Riders (Old Town Country Romance) (9 page)

When I enter the library wearing my borrowed clothes, Cooper is hidden behind a mountain of receipts. I clear my throat and he looks up.

It takes him a few seconds to realize it’s me and his eyes look like they’re going to pop out of his head.

“That’s what you’re wearing?” he exclaims, as he jumps from the desks and takes a few strides towards me.

“This is what Harley brought for me,” I say in my defense.

He stares at me for a few seconds taking in the outfit. “With that on, you’ll cause a riot at the Farm and Horse Show.”

“Seriously?”

“I’m dead serious. You’ll have men fighting with each other. Women will be fighting with their husbands. I’ll be fighting with all of them. It’ll be chaos. Maybe we can find some kind of jacket to cover—that…” He points to my breasts that have never been pushed up so high in my life. They’re practically spilling out of the top Harley gave me. “And that…” He points to the back end of my painted on jeans, which are prominently displaying my ass. 

I frown. “I’m not wearing a jacket. It’s supposed to be like eighty degree today.”

“I’m not going to be able to keep my hands off of you in that outfit. You look incredibly sexy.”

To my surprise, Cooper grabs my ass and pulls me into him. He’s not lying about liking the outfit. He’s already hard.

When he kisses me it’s filled with need. He must have brushed his teeth recently because I can taste the remains of mint toothpaste.

“If the desk wasn’t covered in receipts,” he whispers. “I’d take you right here.”

“Is there a lock on the door?” I venture. I’ve never had sex anywhere but in a bed before and my curiosity is definitely piqued.

Cooper doesn’t waste any time moving over to the library door and locking it. When he turns back toward me, I see that his eyes have gone dark with desire. His eyes dart between me and the desk piled high with papers. He seems conflicted for a moment until he mumbles something unintelligible under his breath and in one fell swoop, rids the desk of all the receipts with his arm.

Then he lifts me up and places me on the edge. He steps in between my legs. Then he kisses all of the exposed skin peeking out from the barely there top and before I know it, the barely there top isn’t even there anymore.

  “Holy hell,” he says as he takes in the push up bra. “You can’t give this back to Harley—ever.”

He can barely control his mouth as he ravages mine. There’s so much raw desire in the room, it’s palpable.

“I have to have you,”
he whispers. “Right here, right now.”

I can feel an ache deep in
side me. I have to have him, too. The need to feel him inside me is almost unbearable.

He pulls me from the desk, turns me around
, and presses his rock hard erection against my ass. I’ve seen women being taken over a desk in movies but I never thought about it actually happening in real life.

But as Cooper slides my skinny jeans down, I realize it’s really happening.

“Holy, Hell,” he says and I imagine that’s the result of the thong I’m wearing. “Now that I know what you’re wearing under these jeans, it’s all I’ll be thinking about.”

“I could skip the underwear all together,” I tease.

He gets up close to my ear and whispers, “If you’re trying to kill me, you’re doing a great job.”

He takes the opportunity to nibble on my earlobe, which sends a wave a shivers through my body. Then he places light kisses down my neck and along my shoulder blade. Now, I’m beyond shivery. My entire body feels like it’s ready to explode.

“Do you want me,” Cooper teases as he pushes his hard cock against me again.

“
Oh, yes…,” I say breathlessly.

I can hear him remove a package from his pocket and open it. He only takes his pants down far enough to put the condom on. My pants are only half down, too.

“Put your hands on the desk,” he instructs. I do as I’m told and I can feel him push the thong out of the way so he can enter me.

I’ve never felt so wet and so full of desire in my life. Cooper
’s thrusts into me are hard and just as needy. He grabs hold of my hips as he continues to drive into me, forceful and fast.

I have to bite my lips closed to contain my screams of pure pleasure as he fills me so completely and so deeply. It doesn’t
take long before I can no longer contain the screams and I cry out as he sends me soaring into orbit.

“Oh, Baby,”
he cries out as he pushes into me so hard and so deep that I actually slide up the desk.

I can feel his entire body spasm as
he takes one final thrust and falls on top of me in a heap.

“That was amazing,” he whispers into my ear. “You’re ama
zing, Riley Smith.”

“You’re not so bad yourself, Cooper Wilde.”

“I’ve got a bit of a mess to clean up,” he says as he pulls out.

We both look at the receipts that are scattered all over the floor.

“Do you need some help?” I ask as I pull my skinny jeans back up and try to locate my top.

Cooper locates a tissue box and is removing the condom when he says, “Why don’t you run upstairs and get cleaned up? I’ll worry about the receipts. We still have time to make it to the Farm and Horse Show for lunch.”

“As long as it’s not corn dogs,” I say.

He
frowns. “But the corn dogs are the best food at the fair.” He looks like a little boy who just lost his brand new balloon.

I shake my head. “I was warned.”

Nine

Cooper

The County Farm and Horse Show has been a local tradition for over seventy-five years. The fair takes place for ten days every August and it’s the major source of summer entertainment for the people of Old Town and the surrounding communities.

The Farm and Horse Show has all of the typical activities you’d expect at a fair: carnival rides, food booths, games of skill and chance. There are also agricultural and artistic exhibits and competitions; various kinds of races both automotive and animal; musical concerts and other forms of family entertainment.

Many of the participants and attendees look like they just stepped off the farm. It’s just the place I need to convince Riley that I’m the country boy she wants. 

I wasn’t able to convince
her to wear a very large jacket over her sexy outfit. She’s definitely attracting the attention of every male at the fair. Even half of the females have given her a second look.

I haven’t taken my hand from hers all afternoon.

Not that I can keep my hands off of her anyway. I’ve never had an addictive personality but Riley has become like an addiction. 

“I’ve never seen vegetables this big,”
she exclaims as we enter one of the agricultural exhibition areas. “Amazing!”

We peruse the tables where 4-H students have displayed some of the extra-large zucchinis and squashes they’ve grown. 

“Do you want to see the animals?” I ask.

“As long as it doesn’t include cows,” she replies.

She has me intrigued. “What have you got against cows? Don’t you like milk and cheese? What about ice cream?”

“Cows just freak me out. They
’re so big and their noses are funny. They also stink.”

I smile. “Okay, no cows. What about watching the pig races?”

That makes her smile. “Pigs, really?”

“They’re little ones. They’re adorable.” I grab her elbow and pull her toward the small track they have set up for the juvenile pigs to race.

We manage to get there in time to see the tail end of one of the final laps around the small track and I catch Riley smiling and laughing. I wish I could capture that smile for every bad day in my future. It would immediately cheer me up.

I’ve never thought about having a woman in my future except in the abstract. That is, until I met Riley. Now I can’t imagine a future without her and I know that’s dangerous.

“I think we need to get a snack,” I suggest after the pig race ends.

“What did you have in mind?”

“I guess pulled pork is out of the question.”

She gives me a playful slap on the arm. “I couldn’t eat a pig after seeing those little guys race.”

“What about a corn dog?” I offer.

She
shakes her head. “Harley warned me off the corn dogs.”

“You’re really going to take Harley’s advice over mine?” I try to give her my best grin.

“Hey, Harley’s the one who gave me this outfit that you love so much.”

I nod. “You have a point there.”

“How about we compromise and get some funnel cakes?”

Riley scrunches up her nose. “I’ve never had a funnel cake.”

“Haven’t you ever been to a fair before?”

“No, my parents always said fairs were dirty and were ente
rtainment for poor people.”

“Your parents have no idea what they’re missing,” I say
as I grab Riley’s hand and pull her toward the main concourse with all of the riders, carnival games and food vendors.

“I need to give you
the full fair experience,” I state. “Since it’s your first time.”

She
scrunches up her little nose again. She’s so sexy when she does that.

“What does the full fair experience entail?” she asks.

“Rides and games,” I explain. “Rides first.”

She gulps. “Are they safe?”

“Of course they’re safe,” I assure her even though I’m not really sure at all. “I’ve never heard of anyone getting hurt on a ride at Farm and Horse Show.”

“Okay,” she replies although she still looks skeptical. “What
shall we ride first?”

I glance down the main thoroughfare at the various amus
ement rides. I want to bypass anything that might cause motion sickness, which is a good chunk of the offerings. “I know just the thing,” I state when I spot the bumper cars.

There are two boys ahead of us in line. One has brown hair and the other is a red head. They look like they’re about eight years old. When they stand in front of the measurement stick at the entrance to the ride, they’re just tall enough to be admitted.

It’s me and Riley against the eight-year-olds, or so I think. The boys grab the two red cars and I help Riley into a green car. I take a blue one. The boys waste no time bumping into me but they completely avoid Riley. She seems a little unsure about what to do, so I yell over to her to hit the gas pedal. She does and bumps right into me—hard. The two boys think this is hilarious. Before I have a chance to turn my car around to go after the boys, they gang up on me and come after me from either side. The redhead bumps into my right side and then the brown haired boy follows with a big hit to my left. I can see Riley laughing as she joins the attack and bumps into the front of my car. The boys are laughing as they high five each other then they drive over and each high five Riley.   

“Very funny,” I yell. I just about get the words out when all three of them are back at it again, bumping into me from all sides.

The blitz on my bumper car doesn’t stop. The boys are ruthless as they trap me wherever I try to drive my car. And Riley isn’t much better, joining the boys in their offensive.

After what could have been the longest five minutes of my life, I limp from the bumper car area, still a bit shaken from the onslaught.

Riley is biting back a smile when she joins me. “Are you okay?”

“No.” I frown.

She takes my elbow and places a kiss on my cheek. “Don’t be a grump.”

“That was really mean.” I give her a playful pout.

She laughs. “That was really funny.”

“Those boys were ruthless. And you were, too.”

“I guess I have a little bit of a competitive streak.”

“You have a little bit of a pitiless streak,” I tease. “No rest for the weary with you around.”

“There’s a reason they call them bumper cars.” She laughs. “And I guess you found out.”

I love
it when she laughs. She lets her guard down just a little and her eyes sparkle with joy. Without overthinking it, I pull her close and give her a kiss, right there in the middle of the thoroughfare.

After a few passersby whistle and hoot, Riley pulls away.

“Sorry,” I say. “I couldn’t help myself.”

“I’m not sorry at all,” she whispers in my ear.

I can’t believe what an effect she has on me as I feel myself getting hard again. If we weren’t standing in the middle of the fair, I’d take her right there.

“Let’s get on the Ferris Wheel,” I suggest. “Before it gets crowded.” The Ferris
Wheel is one of the most popular rides at the Farm and Horse Show and even though it’s still early, there’s already a small line forming.

“You know the first Ferris
Wheel was built for the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair,” I state, as Riley and I join the line.

She takes my hand. “And just how do you know that?”

“I wrote a paper about it in history class in high school.”

She
looks at me like she’s studying me. “You’re a pretty smart guy.”

I swallow. I don’t want the conversation to continue if it might lead to a discussion about college. I don’t want to lie about attending Columbia. For the first time ever in my life, I’m not bragging about my Ivy League education. It actually feels strange. I’ve left myself no option but to try and impress Riley with
who I am rather than what I own or what I’ve accomplished. It’s a little scary.

Riley’s looking up toward the top of the Ferris
Wheel. “That’s really high.”

I nod. But when I study her face, she looks a little scared. “You’re not afraid of heights, are you?”

She furrows her brow. “I’m not sure.”

“You live in the city. I assume you’ve been inside tall buil
dings before.”

“It’s not exactly the same thing.” She points up to the top of the Ferris
Wheel. “Those cars are completely exposed. When we get to the top of the wheel, we’ll just be dangling in the open air.”

“I’ll be there with you,” I
reassure her.

Then I put my arms around her because I want her to feel safe. I want to take care of her. I want her to know that I’m there and that I can protect her.

“Okay,” she agrees. “I’ll give it a try.”

The line for the ride moves quickly once they start filling up the cars. Once we’re buckled into
our seat, Riley looks over and gives me a weak half smile.

It’s not enough. I need to see her full smile. I grab her hand and kiss her knuckles one at a time. This is enough to bring out a full grin and she’s
beaming again.

At least until our car starts its ascent up toward the top of the wheel. Then I can feel Riley start to shake.

“It’s okay,” I assure her. “You can squeeze my hand if it’ll help.”

She does just that. And she’s a lot stronger than I thought she would be. But I let her keep squeezing as we make our way to the very top of the Wheel.

“Pretty cool, huh?”

Riley carefully glances around. I feel like she doesn’t want to move too much so she doesn’t rock the car. “It is pretty cool,” she agrees. “Not quite the view we had a
t Sunrise Mountain but it’ll do.”

As we make our descent back down the Wheel, I place a quick kiss on
her cheek. She gives me that awesome smile of hers. “What was that for?”

“You lost your Ferris Wheel virginity with me.”

That makes her laugh.

***

“I made sure to bring a pocketful of quarters,” I mention as we stroll past all of the games of chance. Or as I like to say: the games of not-much-of-a-chance. I realize most of the games are set up so you’re unlikely to win, and even if you do, it’s only after spending about ten times what the lame prize you win is worth.

But I think the games are fun and I still like playing them.

“See any games that strike your fancy?” I ask.

We stroll past the water gun game and the balloon darts but neither elicits much of a response. I’m fairly good at both games and could probably win Riley a small prize
, but she doesn’t seem too interested.

Then she spots a row of
Skee Ball machines and her eyes go wide. She points at them. “What’s that?”

“
Skee Ball,” I reply, as I pull her over to one of the machines. “Do you want to try it?”

“How do you play?” she asks, as she examines the machine more closely.

“It’s easy. My brothers and I have played Skee Ball since we were kids.”

I drop a quarter into the slot on one of the machines and all of the balls roll down. I take one and roll in up the lane. It lands in the top hole for fifty points.

“You’re good at it,” Riley comments.

“Lots of practice,” I admit. “Do you want to try?”

When she nods I move out of the way so she can play a few balls. Her first ball lands in the large bottom pocket for only ten points.

“Good start,” I encourage.

She scrunches up her nose the way I love. “It’s a lot harder than it looks.”

“You just need to keep practicing,” I assure her.

She tries another ball and this time, she does a little better and hits the twenty point ring.

“See? You’re practically an expert at it.”

She laughs.

“Why don’t you take over this game and I’ll start another one. We’ll get tickets faster that way.”

“Tickets?” she asks.

I point to the row of tickets coming out of the bottom of the machine. “The more points you score the more tickets you get. You can trade them in for prizes.”

Her eyebrows shoot up. “Prizes?”

I laugh. “Don’t get too excited. The prizes aren’t that great. They’re like toys you can get at the dollar store. But it’s still fun.”

I hand her a few dollars’ worth of quarters and then move over to the machine next to her and start playing.

After a few minutes, I look over and see that she’s really go
tten the hang of it. Most of her balls are going into the forty and fifty point holes.

Then, to my surprise, she hits the hundred point hole in the very corner of the game. It’s a difficult hole to hit and one that even I don’t make that often.

The lights on the top of her machine start to blink and a little siren goes off. Her eyes go wide and she looks over at me. “Did I do something wrong?”