Текст книги "Playing With Fire"

Автор книги: Alison Bliss

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Текущая страница: 11 (всего у книги 20 страниц)

As he flagged down a passing waitress, I gazed across the room and watched Cowboy take a seat at the bar with his back to me. He seemed oblivious to everything that had transpired moments ago between the Barlow boys and me. It only took me mere seconds to figure out why.

A gaggle of gorgeous, skin-baring ladies flocked around him, smiling and giggling as he spoke to them. I rolled my eyes. No woman was safe. From what I’d heard, he damn sure had never considered any off-limits. That man should come with a disclaimer stamped across his forehead.

Then I grinned, considering how his disclaimer would read.

Warning: appendages of this virile male are under constant pressure. Prolonged exposure to him may result in rash behavior, absurdity, coarse language, doses of immaturity, and occasional fainting. This man may not be suitable for women of any age. Batteries not included…or needed.

“You got something going with him, huh?”

Startled, I tore my gaze from Cowboy and shifted it to the man sitting beside me. “Um, no, I…well, not exactly.”

“Hmm. That’s too bad,” he said sarcastically. Then he stealthily slid his hand onto my thigh. He might as well have palmed a hand buzzer the way I jumped. “Whoa, calm down, honey. I won’t bite.” He shrugged his brows suggestively. “At least not unless you want me to.”

“I’m sorry. I think you misunderstood my intentions. I’m not available.”

He winked slyly at me. “Oh, I know, sweetheart. That’s what makes this so much fun.”

Befuddled by his comment, I pushed his hand off my leg and started to stand. But before I could, he grabbed my wrist, pulled me forcefully against his chest, and locked his repulsive lips onto mine. He tasted of sour liquor and smelled like cigarette smoke, which made me want to gag. I pushed against him, but he wouldn’t let go. So I dug my nails into his bicep and bit him.

Finally, he released me. The asshole.

“There,” he said, taking a quick glance over my shoulder. “That should do the trick.” I raised my hand to slap him, but he stopped me by grabbing it before it made contact. “Hold up, sweet lips. We’re still waiting on the last party guest to arrive. Wouldn’t want to start the show without him. Don’t worry, though. He’s on his way.”

He wore a smirk that reeked of trouble as he nodded across the bar in Cowboy’s direction. I hadn’t known this guy was manufacturing a scenario for Cowboy’s benefit. And after the way Cowboy had acted on the dance floor about Bubba Ray touching my arm, I didn’t have to turn to know exactly what I would see.

Yet I did anyway.

One very fired up country boy wearing a white Stetson shoved his way through the wall of onlookers. His eyes, blackened with intensity, reflected the colorful strobe lights as one hundred and fifty inquiring spectators followed his movements. The surrounding chatter dropped to a whisper before a hush fell over the crowd, as if his sullen, ominous mood stunned the audience into a muted trance.

The indignant, disapproving expression on Cowboy’s face spoke volumes as to his mindset. Between that and the other man’s smugness over sampling my goods, this moment had all the elements of disaster. Hoping to petition Cowboy’s sensibility, I ejected myself from my seat, squeezed past the man at my table, and stood in front of the demon spawn who had fueled Cowboy’s anger with his outlandish shenanigans.

“Move,” Cowboy ordered, the strength in his voice weakening my knees.

But I lifted my chin, daring him to make me. “No. You’re not getting into a fight.”

“Wanna bet?”

“Stop it right now. You’re making a scene.”

“I haven’t even begun to make a scene…yet.”

The man behind me stood and came up beside me, leering at Cowboy. “Hey, bub. You’re trespassing. This is my side of the bar, remember?”

“That’s because you’re poaching,” Cowboy said, glaring at him. “What do you do—cruise the bar, stalking our women, just waiting for a chance to make a move on them?”

Our women?

“What, are you jealous she chose me over you, dickhead?”

Cowboy started for him, but I put my hand to his chest to stop him. “No fighting. I mean it.”

“Anna,” he said, gritting his teeth. It was a one-word warning.

The way he said my name irked me. As if there was some sort of prize element involved. With their heated glares and ready-to-charge postures, they looked like two territorial bulls in rut. The only thing left for them to do was the embarrassing scratching of their private areas.

“This gentleman and I—”

“Gentleman, my ass,” Bobbie Jo said as she pushed through the crowd. “What the hell did you do now, Jeremy?”

Jeremy? Oh, good Lord.

“He’s Jeremy?” I said meekly, keeping my eyes from meeting hers.

Though I hadn’t thought it possible, the already tense atmosphere heightened to an even more uncomfortable level. Rooted in a long-time feud, these two men had some bad blood between them. Bobbie Jo had told me all about the rivalry between her boys and Jeremy, which happened to be the chauvinistic chameleon I was protecting. At least I finally managed to determine the cause of Cowboy’s extreme irritation.

“Yeah, this is the asshole who broke my nose with a beer bottle last summer,” Cowboy sneered.

I thought his nose looked slightly more crooked than when I last saw him at camp. Guess that explained it.

Jeremy shook his head. “Why don’t you shut the fuck up and quit crying about it already.”

“Why don’t you make me?” Cowboy said, pushing me aside and getting into Jeremy’s face.

Taking prompt measures, I squeezed back in between them. “Guys, please. This situation doesn’t warrant a repeat of whatever happened last summer. Behave yourselves and act like grown-ups.”

Jeremy chuckled behind me. “You always let a woman tell you what to do, Cowboy?”

Hoping to throw a wrench into Jeremy’s plans, I turned to face him and poked him in the chest. “Stop goading him, you jerk. You’re just looking for a fight.”

He grabbed my hand and lifted it to his mouth, nipping it lightly. “Actually, I’m more of a lover than a fighter.” His gaze roamed down to my breasts and he smirked. “Why don’t you come home with me tonight and find out for yourself?”

Before I could even respond, Cowboy latched onto my arm and jerked me away from Jeremy. “I’m about a pecker hair away from kicking your ass, you sonofabitch.”

Jeremy grinned wide and cracked his knuckles as four men at a nearby table stood up and joined him. “Let’s see it then.”

Ox and Judd moved closer, stationing themselves behind Cowboy as Jake maneuvered Emily and Bobbie Jo behind him. When Cowboy tried to shift me behind him, I dug my heels into the floor. “Move out of the way,” he ordered. “I don’t want you to get caught up in this.”

“The hell I will.” I shook his hand off my arm and turned back to Jeremy. “If you thought for one second that you ever had a chance with me, you’re crazy. No wonder Bobbie Jo is tired of putting up with you. You’re nothing more than a…a mooncalf.”

Jeremy’s eyebrows squeezed together in puzzlement as he looked over at Cowboy. “What the fuck did she call me?”

Cowboy shrugged. “Beats the hell out of me, but I don’t think it was a compliment.”

“Dear Lord.” I shook my head in frustration. “I called you a mentally defective person.”

“An idiot, in other words?” Jeremy asked.

Several women, including Bobbie Jo, giggled nearby.

Cowboy’s laugh caught my attention and I looked over my shoulder at him. “Why didn’t you just say that to begin with?” he asked.

“What’s the difference? I can’t help it if this vile oaf doesn’t understand basic English.” I turned to walk away, but stopped beside Cowboy. “Unlike you, I don’t have to settle a dispute with fists. I know how to use my mouth effectively.”

“I know how to use your mouth, too,” Jeremy said to my back. “Those pretty lips sure would make a great resting place for my dick.”

In the blink of an eye, Cowboy launched himself at Jeremy, tackling him onto a nearby table that crashed to the ground beneath their weight. The two of them broke apart on impact, but that didn’t stop the squabble. They wrestled with each other, both trying to gain a foothold to return to a standing position. When Cowboy finally managed to shove Jeremy away, they jumped to their feet and the entire bar erupted into a madhouse.

Women spread in every direction, scattering to avoid getting hit, while other men jumped into the fight and threw punches. I yelled for Cowboy to stop, but my words were drowned out by the ribald shouts of the men and terrified shrieks coming from the ladies.

Stunned, I stood in place and watched Jeremy land a jab to Cowboy’s ribs that shoved him against the wooden banister of the dance floor. Reacting, Cowboy wheeled around and struck Jeremy with a well-aimed thrust of his boot and a punch to his chiseled jaw.

The dramatically chaotic situation worsened as more men closed in. Shoved back through the crowd, I lost sight of the others. That’s when I realized I stood smack dab in the middle of something closely resembling a war zone without a single recognizable face in the bunch.

A dizzying number of glass bottles, broken chairs, and bloody fists flew around me. And the men who weren’t fighting sure as hell weren’t helping the situation. They stood on the outskirts of the entanglement, taking bets and shouting encouragements to the soldiers in battle, as if they enjoyed the entertainment.

Then I caught a glimpse of Cowboy swimming through the sea of people with his eyes focused solely on mine. He had a painful-looking bruise on his left cheek, a knot on his forehead, and a small cut over his right brow. Yet he kept a diligent watch on me as he swiftly and competently made his way toward me like his body was on autopilot.

Once he made it to me, he didn’t waste any time sliding his arm around my waist and escorting me toward the side exit. As he pushed us through the crowd, he kept his body close to mine, insulating me from the splintering wood, shattering glass, and wild punches. Without a single word, he towed me out the door, through the parking lot, and lifted me into passenger seat of his truck.

Relieved, I let out the breath I’d been holding in. Sanctuary, at last.

As Cowboy maneuvered around the front of the truck to the driver’s side, a horn sounded nearby. Jake, Emily, and Bobbie Jo were piled into the front seat of Jake’s truck and waved as they pulled out of the parking lot. I’d forgotten all about them when the fight broke out, but they’d apparently waited outside to make sure we’d made it out okay.

We had, but the way Cowboy gave them a half-hearted, pissed-off wave and climbed silently into the driver’s seat led me to believe this wasn’t the shelter from the storm I’d originally thought. Not only was he pissed, but I had no doubt we were about to have an unavoidable discussion I wanted nothing more than to…well, avoid.

Cowboy started the truck and peeled out onto the highway. His fingers held the steering wheel in a death grip as his dilated eyes fixed on the dark road, but he stayed silent the entire drive. If his strategy was to wait me out, it didn’t work. I wasn’t looking forward to talking to him. And at the rate of speed he was driving, maybe I wouldn’t have to.

The small cut above his right eyebrow wasn’t bleeding, but the goose egg on his forehead and the large bruise on his left cheek were swelling more with every passing minute. I wanted to ask him if he was okay, but his white-knuckled grip on the steering wheel kept me from doing so.

Within minutes, he slammed to a stop in front of my house, jerked open his door, and slid out. Guess our night wasn’t going to end quite as soon as I’d hoped. Still completely mute, he walked me to my front door and waited for me to unlock it. The moment I pushed it open, Cowboy said, “What’s your fucking problem?”

I blinked at him. “My problem?” I asked, my tone littered with disbelief. “I’m not the one who started a riot in the bar.”

“Yeah, well what the hell did you want me to do? Not only did that bastard put his filthy hands on you, but he also put his disgusting mouth on yours. Ya know, we call him ‘Germy’ for a fucking reason.” Cowboy exhaled a hard breath, as if to calm himself down. “You expect me to just walk away after how he treated you.”

“Really, Cowboy,” I said, rolling my eyes. “How is it any different than the way you’ve treated me yourself?”

I started inside, but Cowboy braced his arm across the doorway, blocking my entry. “Wait just a fucking minute. I’ve never treated you like that.”

I raised a brow to him. “Oh, yeah?”

“You damn well know I haven’t. I’ve never forced myself on you. You wanted me to kiss you…both times.”

“How do you know? Did you ask me?”

“Well, no. But I—”

“Exactly. And I do believe the second time I specifically asked you not to. But you didn’t listen.” I shook my head at him. “You men are all alike. You take whatever you want because you’re so afraid someone else might get to it first. Well, I’m not a trophy to be fought over. Good night, Cowboy,” I said, stepping inside as I swung the door closed.

But not before the toe of a boot slid inside.

Chapter Twelve

Cowboy shoved the door open. “I’m not done with you, yet.”

“Well, I’m done with you.” I spun on my heel and stormed into the kitchen.

His boots thudded on the tile behind me. He’d shadowed my movements because as I neared the sink, he grasped my shoulders and spun me around to face him. “Sonofabitch, Anna. Stop walking away.”

I sighed in defeat. “What do you want from me?”

He dropped his hand from my arm and clenched his fist at his side. “One fucking date. That’s what I want.”

“No.”

“Just dinner, nothing else.”

“I said no.”

Cowboy closed his eyes and counted to ten under his breath. “Darlin’, I’m about to blow my fucking top. Never in my life have I had to beg a woman to go out with me.”

I crossed my arms and looked at him in disbelief. “And what? You want a round of applause? A monument in your honor? How about a cookie?”

“No, I want an explanation.”

“I don’t owe you anything, Cowboy, an explanation or anything else for that matter.”

His eyes glazed with fury. “You damn sure owe me something after the bullshit you’ve put me through for the last week.”

I looked him directly in the eye and scoffed under my breath. “I already told you I wasn’t interested in dating you. But you just won’t listen. You’re crazy if you think you can blame—”

“Shut up.”

I blinked, registering what he said. “Did you just tell me to—”

“Damn straight I did. I’m tired of listening to your bullshit excuses. That story of yours about you not being interested has more holes than chicken wire. Every time I touch you, your body reacts to me. And you already know what you do to me. I’ve had the same goddamn boner for over a fucking week. And jerking off hasn’t done a damn thing to relieve it. So why don’t you do us both a favor and quit blowing sunshine up my ass.”

My mouth had fallen open, but I managed to snap it shut. “You don’t need to use your licentious language on me.”

His brows furrowed. “In English this time?”

“You know…the…um, sexy talk,” I explained, my face flaring with heat. “Stop it. You’re embarrassing me.”

His expression lightened as he grinned with amusement, obviously delighted by my discomfort and not exhibiting the least bit of remorse for his behavior. “Darlin’, I hate to tell you this, but there’s no one else here.”

I straightened my spine and took on a chastising tone. “Doesn’t matter. Someone has to teach you proper etiquette.”

“Oh, fuck me,” Cowboy groaned, shifting the bulge in his crotch and shaking his head. “I can’t believe I’m getting all hot and bothered for a woman who acts like an old-fashioned schoolmarm.”

I glared at him. “Why don’t you just leave me alone, then? Lord knows I’ve asked you to several times.”

He closed his eyes and pursed his lips. “Because I can’t, okay?”

“What do you mean you can’t?”

“You’re like a…drip on a leaky fucking faucet. You know, where at first you don’t notice it, but once you do, it’s the only damn thing you can concentrate on.”

“So now I’m a drip?”

“No. That’s not what I… What I mean is…” He pinched the bridge of his nose as the delivery of his lines stilted. “God, I’m fucking this up.” He took a deep breath and looked back at me. “Don’t you get it? Anna, I want you.”

My stomach twisted into a knot, and I clamped my eyes shut, trying to block out his words. A sickening wave of nausea washed over me. Though I wasn’t planning on staying much longer, the thought of having Cowboy at least once was enough to tempt me. It was a fantasy I’d played over and over in my head many times before. But could I actually do it? Could I allow myself one night with him, knowing it would mean more to me than it would to him?

No. I couldn’t possibly torture myself that way. To even consider it meant he’d already gotten under my skin. But to grant him one night would only ensure that when my time was up, I’d leave with nothing more than fond memories and a broken heart.

So instead, I said the one thing that would put an end to his relentless pursuit. “Cowboy, I didn’t move here with any intention of finding a relationship. Even if I had, I’d want one with substance, one that means something. Not a fling with someone who wants to take care of his…er, baser needs. I’d need a commitment.”

“So that’s what it all boils down to, right? You think I’m in it for the sexual reward? Like some sort of test to my manhood? I’m not, I swear.” He measured me with his eyes, his face serious.

Jeez. Would the man go to any lengths to get a woman in his bed? “You don’t have to pretend you’re interested in anything more than a one-night—”

His hand shot out and grasped my upper arm. “Where the hell did you get a lame-ass idea like that?”

I squirmed to free myself, but his grip only tightened. “That’s what you’ve been after since day one, isn’t it? To get me out of my clothes?”

“Of course not.”

I raised a questioning brow.

“Okay, so maybe I’ve come on a little strong. But when it comes to you, I can’t help myself. I’ve never met anyone like you. You challenge me in ways no other woman ever has.” He lessened the strength of his hold on me. “I want you to give this thing between us a chance.”

“You just see me as some sort of prize to be won because I’m the only girl who’s ever turned you down. You said so yourself.”

Cowboy’s posture stiffened and a vein throbbed in his temple. “Maybe that’s how it started out, but you’re not just some woman who turned me down. If I only wanted to have sex with you, I’d have taken you against the door when I had the chance.” I opened my mouth to argue, but he continued. “Don’t even bother denying it. Because, darlin’, we both know I damn well could have,” he said, a sly grin forming on his perfect mouth as his intense eyes focused on mine.

A lump formed in my throat and my stomach twisted into a knot. The heat from his gaze alone had me clenching my thighs together.

“Look, I know I’m a piece of shit who doesn’t deserve someone like you to give me a chance,” he said, keeping his voice controlled and his tone even, “but I’m asking you to anyway. You’re more than a passing interest for me.”

That was the moment it dawned on me.

I blinked at him in fascinated horror, as if I were watching a speeding car driving headfirst into a brick wall. He wasn’t asking for a one-night stand at all. Cowboy was asking me for a relationship, the very thing I’d just told him I wouldn’t settle for less than. Crap.

I hadn’t been prepared for this and wasn’t sure what to say, so I shook my head adamantly and said, “I’m sorry, but you’re…not my type.”

His control wavered as he sneered. “Why? Because I’m not Prince Fucking Charming on a white goddamn horse? You think I can’t measure up to the heroes in those fucking romance books you read?”

“It’s not that,” I told him, my eyes avoiding his as my body trembled. “I…I just don’t want this.”

God, I wanted this…and so much more.

He gritted his teeth. “Anna, you’re going to have to do better than that if you think you have any chance at convincing me you don’t want me. What the fuck are you so afraid of?”

“Nothing.” My voice cracked under the pressure.

“That’s bullshit and you know it,” he ground out, pulling me to him.

My hands flew to his chest and I struggled to push him away. “No, I can’t.” He held enough power over my emotions to make me change my mind and tell him the truth, but I couldn’t let that happen. I couldn’t put anyone else at risk…especially him. I wouldn’t allow him to make himself a target for the man I knew would soon be coming for me. Because he always came for me.

One of his hands held my waist firmly as the other pushed a strand of my hair back and slowly moved down my neck until his palm rested above my left breast. “You feel that—the way your heart pounds against my hand and your body trembles under my touch? Don’t tell me it’s nothing.”

It was something, but… “I…can’t do this. Not to you.”

“Then talk to me, Anna. Tell me what’s stopping you.”

“I just don’t want you to…touch me.” Tears welled up in my eyes as my voice broke.

His jaw tightened and his mouth turned into a frown. “What is it about me touching you that scares you so much?”

“Nothing. It doesn’t,” I said quickly, adamantly denying it. I pushed against him, hoping he’d release me. I needed to get away from him. Now. His grip only tightened. I was going to have to tell him something or he was never going to stop pressing for the truth. “I’m afraid you’ll stop, okay?” Having blurted out the one thing that bothered me most about leaving, I blinked and a fat tear landed on my cheek. But I managed to cover up the truth by giving him something that would make complete sense. “M-my scars…”

“Darlin’, I’ve already seen your scars, remember?”

Sniffling, I lowered my head, unable to look him in the eye. “Yes, but not the full extent of them.”

“Doesn’t matter. When I look at you, I don’t see scars.” He lifted my chin with one finger and used his thumb to wipe away the tear. “I only see you. And whether you believe it or not, sweetheart, you’re beautiful. If you haven’t noticed, I haven’t wanted to stop touching you since I first gave in to the notion.”

“But you did. The night you first saw them, you touched them, and then left.”

Cowboy’s green eyes glittered as a muscle twitched in his neck. “Darlin’, the only fucking reason I walked out on you that night was to keep my dick from tearing through my jeans to get at you.”

My heart squeezed painfully tight in my chest. Contemplating a one-night stand with Cowboy was one thing…even if I couldn’t bring myself to tear my own heart out that way. But the moment he clarified he wanted more from me, I was lost. Yet I couldn’t ruin his life by letting him get closer to me. I needed to end this now by telling him I was leaving because I was in danger. I had no choice. Only then would he understand.

“There are other things you don’t know about me. Things that matter. You have no idea what you’re getting yourself into. I’m not a whole person.” More tears flowed down my cheeks as I tried to make him understand. “I’m…broken.”

His gaze flickered over my face as his mouth set in determination. He ran his fingers along the nape of my neck and leaned into me. “Then let me fix you,” he whispered.

Unexpectedly, his mouth crashed against mine, sending my heart scrambling around inside my chest, searching for purchase. Sweet warmth pooled low in my belly as he parted my lips and sank deeper into me with his tongue. I plunged my fingers into his thick, wavy hair, knocking his white Stetson off his head. But even then, he didn’t stop kissing me.

The hand he held over my breast twitched, but he quickly moved it to my waist. I had no doubt it was to keep himself from shifting a little lower and stroking the pebbled nub pressing into his chest. Because he undoubtedly would look like a fool if he told me this wasn’t sexual for him one minute, then fondled me the next.

But no matter what lies I’d told him earlier, I craved his touch. Wanted it more than the air I breathed. No one had ever made me feel as alive as Cowboy, and I needed to feel his warmth against my bare skin. Just once…

In that moment, my reservations slipped completely away, no longer allowing me to keep myself at a distance. I grabbed his hand and moved it back up, covering my left breast.

Cowboy’s mouth murmured against mine. “What are you doing, sweetheart?”

Hell if I knew. “I need to feel your hands on me.”

“Christ,” he groaned. He pulled his head back and searched my face for answers. “You sure about this?”

“God, yes,” I rasped. In a gutsy, liberating move, I grabbed him by the collar and pulled his mouth back to mine, eager to have another taste.

It was a mistake, losing my composure that way, letting him tamper with my heart. But I couldn’t stop myself. He forced me to feel things I didn’t want to feel. And it was soul-shattering.

But Cowboy didn’t do things half-assed. His hand dove under my shirt, roughly pushed my bra up, and cupped my naked breast. He thumbed over my sensitive nipple and gave it a pinch that stopped somewhere short between pleasure and pain, sending chills through me.

As I gasped, he took full advantage of my open mouth and plunged his tongue inside. A small whimper escaped my throat. He pulled back a little, allowing his lips to move against mine, as he whispered, “Fuck. I’m addicted to the way you taste. You don’t know how beautiful you are.” Then his lips claimed mine once more.

His hand grew more persistent as my nipple tightened beneath his calloused fingertips. I moaned into his mouth, pleasure zinging through my veins with every touch. His ravenous hunger consumed me, leaving me dangling limply in his arms.

By the time his teeth moved to nibble on my ear, I was panting and clinging to him like static, half out of my mind in some weird, altered state. And he must’ve known because he used it against me.

“Anna…?”

“Mmm-hmmm.”

His lips brushed against my earlobe as his warm breath caressed my neck. “Dinner with me. Tomorrow night.”

And just like the colt he’d whispered to, I was tamed into submission, unable to speak. I meant to shake my head, but instead found myself nodding. The moment I agreed, he released me and I staggered backward, swaying on my feet while feeling a little frayed around the edges.

He only looked more pleased with himself. “You okay there, sweetheart?”

No. “Yes.”

He chuckled and gave me a wolfish, smug grin. “Good. Then I’ll see you tomorrow night.” Cowboy lifted his hat from the floor, placed it on his head, and then tipped it as he gave me a quick wink. “Pick you up at seven.” With that, he turned on his heel and walked out.

What the hell just happened?

After spending three hours on the computer trying to figure out the puzzle of Chief Swanson’s missing brother, I sighed, turned off the screen, and headed to bed. For a second, I thought I’d found him, but quickly realized my mistake. The old photograph had been of Chief Swanson when he was younger and his name had been misprinted. That small setback had cost me precious time and frustrated the hell out of me. I was starting to doubt if I would ever find Ned Swanson.

Which was the exact reason I hadn’t bothered to mention it to Cowboy. I hadn’t wanted to get his hopes up if I couldn’t find the man before I left town. With only a few short months to go, I’d have to pick up the pace. Otherwise, Cowboy would have to go at it alone.

Like I’d be when I leave this place. Alone.

I slid under the covers and turned off the bedside lamp, plunging myself into darkness. Unable to get comfortable, I rolled over onto my stomach and huffed. Did he mean what he’d said about seeing what was between us? I mean, he had me right where he wanted me…yet he still backed off. Annoyed, I leaned up and punched my pillow and then flipped over onto my back. Maybe I should call the whole date-thing off.

Hell, when it came to Cowboy, there were just no guarantees. I’d learned that lesson back in summer camp while living vicariously through Kelly Deter’s tales of her intimate moments with Cowboy. Only one day after he’d had his hands up her skirt, he’d dumped the poor girl and moved on to some other unsuspecting victim of his charm.

As I imagined the other women had been, I was too easily distracted by the crook of his finger and that sexy smirk of his. He’d made me feel special, and I hadn’t been able to ignore the burning-hot desire bubbling under my skin. Before I even realized what he was doing, he’d turned me into a hopeless puddle of confusion and I’d accepted his offer of a date. Damn him.

But I wasn’t naive enough to think the moment he talked me out of my panties he’d stick around for anything resembling a relationship. Hell, he’d be gone before my breathing regulated. But if that’s what it took for him to get me out of his system, then so be it.

The mere thought of having sex with Cowboy had me blowing out a hard breath. From the first moment he’d kissed me, I’d spent countless hours struggling to control my impure thoughts.

Even now, a warm, tingling sensation spread throughout my lower body and my forehead broke into a full-on sweat. The room suddenly had become unbearably hot, sweltering even. Jesus. The man wasn’t even here and he had me all hot and bothered. I kicked the bedspread off and rose from the bed.

If I planned to get any sleep, I needed to erase the memory of what his hands and mouth had done to my body. As if I even could.

I staggered toward the back door in search of some fresh air. I opened the door and stepped out onto the back porch, smiling at the sound of an owl hooting in the distance. My hair swayed in the balmy Texas breeze as my gaze followed the silver sheen of moonlight slanting across the wooden deck and onto a pair of…cowboy boots?

My smile deteriorated as my heart pounded furiously against my rib cage, plundering my sense of security. The scent of mint and tobacco overwhelmed me. I didn’t want to look up, but I had to know if what I was seeing was real. I swallowed hard as my eyes lifted.

About five feet away, lurking in the shadows, stood a dark-skinned man with long black hair. He stared back at me, piercing me with his intense golden eyes. The frown he wore turned into more of a sneer. I gasped.