Текст книги "Make Mine a Cowboy"

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A Secret Cravings Publishing Book

Erotic Romance

Make Mine a Cowboy

Copyright © 2013 Sandy Sullivan

E-book ISBN: 978-1-61885-727-9

Second E-book Publication: May 2013

Cover design by Dawné Dominique

Edited by Stephanie Balistreri

Proofread by Courtney Karmiller

All cover art and logo copyright © 2013 by Secret Cravings Publishing

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.

All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

PUBLISHER

Secret Cravings Publishing

www.secretcravingspublishing.com

Dedication

For the cowboy lover is all of us!

The Cravings e-book Club

The Cravings Paranormal e-book Club

Have you heard about the newest idea in ebooks, the ebook club? Secret Cravings Publishing has started two ebook clubs and we invite you to become a member of either The Cravings e-book Club or the Cravings Paranormal e-book Club. Join now and get two books absolutely free!

As a member, you will receive Trouble With a Cowboy* by Sandy Sullivan and Forget Me Not** by Jaden Sinclair FREE, just for joining!

You’ll also receive 4 BRAND-NEW EBOOKS, specially selected by our Editorial Director, every month for a total price of only $9.99 for all 4. This comes out to barely $2.50 per book, much less than the retail price and you’ll be able to enjoy your books even before they hit Amazon or Barnes & Noble. We send your books before they are uploaded to the popular sales sites.  One of several privileges of club membership.

*Trouble With a Cowboy, a western, erotic romance:

Can some slashed tires and an ornery bull bring two hard-headed people together for some fun in the sun and a little more?

**Forget Me Not, paranormal erotic romance:

A war is brewing, a war that could destroy an entire vampire race if left unchecked, and Julian Marino has been requested to participate in it.  He stops his search for a long time friend to go home and discovers there is more at stake than just his wants.

As a member of the Cravings Club, you’ll receive 4 books in a variety of genres every month. We will try to match your books to your preferences, however, if you’re a major paranormal fan, I suggest you join the Cravings Paranormal Club. Everything is the same, 4 books every month for $9.99 except that 3 of your 4 books will be paranormal. The remaining book will be of a different genre.

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To join and tell us your favorite genres and heat levels  plus which format works best for you, go to the Secret Cravings Publishing website (www.secretcravingspublishing.com) At the bottom of the page you’ll see a button for the club. You can sign up there and share your preferences for genre, format and heat level with us. You will be charged, automatically, through PayPal, only $9.99 every month.  Your books will be shipped within 1 day after PayPal payment has cleared. You may cancel at any time by clicking on the “unsubscribe” button located on the Cravings Club tab at the bottom of our website and keep the FREE BOOKS as our gift.

We hope our Secret Cravings books will delight you each and every month.

                                                                                                                        Best wishes,

                                                                                                                        Beth Walker

MAKE MINE A COWBOY

COWBOY DREAMIN’ 1

Sandy Sullivan

Copyright © 2013

Chapter One

“No, no, no, no!” Mesa Arraguso banged on the steering wheel of her rental car with both fists. The gas gauge read E. “I can’t be out of gas! I’m in the middle of fucking nowhere.” The sting of heat from the leather burned her fingertips. The stifling warmth rose exponentially inside the car without the air conditioning running. It was, after all, the middle of May in Bandera, Texas.

A rumble of thunder broke the stillness as she contemplated what to do. She’d taken a drive to clear her head and jumpstart her muse for her next book, not end up on the side of the road, out of gas, with no houses within several miles.

This was cowboy country. Hill Country in Texas boasted some of the biggest longhorn cattle spreads in the state. Several cattle mooed in the distance but she couldn’t tell how close a house might be. At least cattle meant humans…somewhere.

Large banks of dark clouds continued to roll across the sky. Several huge raindrops hit her windshield with a loud splat before the sky opened up in a torrential downpour.

“Just fucking great. Now fate is going to throw me into a huge thunderstorm. Why? Because I was stupid enough to go for a drive by myself during a writers conference in San Antonio and I ended up out here in the middle of the country. Now, I’m stuck on the side of some dirt road, out of gas, and God only knows how far from the nearest house.”

Lightning flashed, followed shortly by a loud crash of thunder. Mesa jumped. A shiver raced through her body as her heart clenched in fear. She hated thunderstorms.

Her cell phone beeped—the ominous sound of no cell phone coverage. Great!

She glanced out the window and saw water rushing under her car along a gulley she didn’t realize she’d straddled when she stopped. “Shit. Flash flooding? I’m so screwed.”

As the water began rising rapidly, she realized she needed to get the hell out of her car before it was washed away. In the distance she could make out several larger rocks. “If I can get on top of them, I should be safe from the rush. Of course, that means I’ll be out in the rain getting soaked.” Fear rose, threatening to choke her with the lump in her throat. She rubbed her arms trying to calm the chills while deciding what to do. She really didn’t have much choice. Water ran in rivulets down the windshield. Lightning continued to flash and thunder rolled over the area. She sucked in a large breath as she bit her lip.

A moment later a tap, tap, tap on her window startled her out of her thoughts. She jumped and screamed as a face appeared near her door. Blue eyes with long lashes stared back beneath a black cowboy hat. Black hair ruffled slightly with the wind.

“Ma’am? Are you all right?”

“I’m fine.”

“You need to get this car out of the water. You’ll be washed away. It’s rising fast.”

“I can’t. I’m out of gas.”

“Open the door.”

“Hell, no. Do I look crazy to you?” she asked, her voice shrill with terror.

“Trust me. If I were a serial killer, I wouldn’t be out in this shit trying to find women to abduct. I’m going to help you, but you need to get out of the car first before we’re both swept away.”

Mesa bit her lip. Should she trust him?

“Ma’am?”

“All right.” She eased open the door to find the water almost reached the bottom of the car. The cowboy pulled the door the rest of the way as she grabbed her purse.

“We have to hurry,” he said, offering her a hand to help her from the car. “Let me help you. This water is rushing pretty fast.”

A red horse stood patiently several feet away with its head down, riding out the storm the only way horses knew how. A cowboy on a real horse out here in the middle of nowhere? Surely, it’s safe. I mean serial killers don’t ride horses, right?

Her tennis shoes were soaked the moment she stepped into the rushing stream, chilling her feet even though the temperature outside today was a balmy ninety degrees. She shivered as the man pulled her from the car, but chalked it up to her cold toes rather than the broad chest, wide shoulders and trim hips of the cowboy in front of her.

Oompf !

“Sorry, ma’am,” he said, setting her back from where she landed against his chest. “Let’s get out of this downpour.” He slammed the car door before he pulled her toward his horse. “You’ll have to ride behind me.”

“No problem.”

His ass looked fabulous swinging up into the saddle. What the hell? I’m checking him out like a piece of meat and the man is here saving my butt from drowning.

“Ma’am?” he asked, holding out his hand so he could help her behind the saddle.

“Oh, yeah right. Thanks.” She swung up behind him and grabbed his waist like a drowning victim in the middle of a raging surf. “Sorry.”

“No problem. You need to hang on. I don’t want to dump you off the back.”

“I’m sorry you’re getting wet because of me.”

“I was wet before I found you. I’ve been ridin’ fences in between the downpours.”

The horse sidestepped to the right. A squeal broke from her lips. “Sorry.”

“You don’t have to apologize, ma’am. I shoulda asked if you were okay on horseback.”

 As the horse continued forward she caught the rhythm of its walk and relaxed into the gait. “My name is Mesa.”

“Excuse me?”

“Mesa is my name. I feel like some fifty-year-old woman with you calling me ma’am.”

“Sorry. Habit.”

“I can imagine.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Mesa. I’m Joel.”

“Hi, Joel. Do you live around here?” she asked, liking the feel of his firm chest beneath her fingertips until she let them slip down to wrap around his waist. The urge to run her hands along the ridges under his wet shirt overwhelmed her, sending tingles up her arms. She could feel the ripped abdomen beneath her palms.

“A few miles up the road. My family owns a ranch on the ridge.”

The man knew his way around horses from the way he sat comfortably in the saddle riding the animal’s gait like he was born to it.

Well duh, Mesa.

The rain had moved off, only pelting them now and then with big, fat drops. The smell of wet leather reached her nose and she wrinkled the bridge at the stench. Another smell permeated her senses. Cologne? She slowly inhaled, taking in the scent from his shirt. Damn, he smells good.

“What are you doin’ out here on this back road?”

“I took a drive. I’ve been in San Antonio at a conference and I needed to clear my head.”

He chuckled, a low, dry reverberation that made her sit up and take notice. Her nipples pebbled at the sound, sending frustration down her back. Could he feel the hard nubs rubbing against his solid back? Probably, you dummy. It had been way too long since she’d been with a man if just sitting close to one made her horny. The rear end of a horse wasn’t the place to get hot and bothered.

The material of her shirt caught against her breasts. The rough fabric of her jeans chafed the inside of her thighs. The seam of her pants rubbed against her clit, turning her insides to mush. Never mind the clean, musky scent of the man squashed against her boobs.

“What kind of conference were you at?”

“A romance writer’s conference.”

“Romance writer?”

“Yes. I’m an author. I write romance novels.”

“Oh.”

She waited for him to ask what type of romance novels she wrote, but he didn’t. Wasn’t he interested? Maybe not. Really, how could she tell him she wrote about guys like him? Westerns. Cowboys. Riding off into the sunset with some hunky cowboy on horseback. It would be totally embarrassing to tell him, so maybe it would be a good thing he didn’t ask. “Where are we headed, by the way?”

“My parents’ place.” He chuckled again. “We’ll get you some warm, dry clothes to change into. If the car didn’t get washed away, we’ll get you some gas so you can make it back to San Antonio.”

“Thank you. You don’t know how much I appreciate you coming to my rescue.”

“It’s what cowboys do.”

Oh, hell yeah, they do. Especially in my dreams.

They continued chatting about mundane things as they plodded along. The constant shift of the horse’s rump made her realize how long it had been since she’d ridden. How far was this place anyway? “Joel?”

“Yeah.”

“How much farther?”

“A mile or so.”

“Hell.”

“Somethin’ wrong?”

“I’m gonna feel every step this horse took tomorrow.”

A deep laugh started beneath her fingers and rumbled up his chest until it burst from his lips. “You are too much, Mesa.”

“I’m glad I could make your day,” she grumbled, a little put out by his laughter. “I haven’t been on horseback in ages. My thighs are already screaming mercy.” She felt his body quiver from laughter again. “How do you ride all day without dying?”

“I’m used to it. I ride all day everyday so it doesn't bother me.”

“You live on a working ranch?”

“Yep. Longhorns and city folk.”

“Huh?”

“We have what most folks call a dude ranch. We let people come and stay on the ranch. Do ranch work, ride horses…you know, play at bein’ a cowboy for a while.”

“Really? That sounds like fun.”

“How long are you in town for?”

“The conference is over in a couple of days.”

“So you’re flyin’ or drivin’ home afterward?”

“Flying, yes.”

He got quiet for several minutes as the horse continued to walk along under his expert guiding hand. “What kind of books do you write?”

There it was. “Westerns.”

“Oh yeah? Like cowboys and Indians? Louie L’Amour type stuff?”

She shook her head and almost unseated herself from the back of the horse. A fistful of his shirt kept her in place. “No. Like cowboys and the love of their lives. I write erotic modern westerns.”

“Interestin’.”

The house came into view and she sighed in relief. She’d be able to get off the back of the horse shortly, but it also meant giving up sitting behind Joel and removing her hands from his magnificent chest.

As they rode into the yard, she could see what appeared to be a main house and several smaller cabins of some sort. She assumed this is where the guests stayed. A large corral sat in the back of the biggest building where several horses stood. A handful of cowboys hung around the front of the tack room.

One guy stepped forward, taking the reins of the horse as she slid off the left side. “Hey, Joel. Where’d you pick up a rider?”

“Behave yourselves,” Joel answered, swinging down from his saddle. “This is a lady whose car stalled out near the north pasture line. Mesa, these are some of my brothers, Joseph, Jackson and Josh. Guys, this is Mesa.”

“Howdy, ma’am,” Joseph said, tipping his hat.

Wow, twins? “Do you all always call every woman ma’am?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Jackson replied. “Our mama would skin our hides if we didn’t.”

“Well, call me Mesa, please. I feel old when you call me ma’am.”

“So.” Josh moved closer, taking her hand and slipping it through the crook in his elbow. “How did a beauty like you get stuck with Joel?”

“Uh…” she stammered slightly as she blushed from the attention.

“Enough, Joshua. I’m taking her into the house so Mom can help her into some dry clothes,” Joel said, taking her hand from his brother and capturing it within the warmth of his own. Tingles started in her fingers and worked their way up her arm. She frowned at the sensation. Surely she wasn’t attracted to Joel other than being grateful for his rescue? Why the hell not? I fantasize about cowboys all the time. He’s the finest specimen of a cowboy I’ve ever seen.

“Don’t mind them, Mesa. They’re all bachelors. When a pretty woman gets within fifty feet of them, they can’t help but drool and act like idiots.”

He thinks I’m pretty? “Thank you for the compliment.”

“It’s true. Anyway, let’s get you inside and dry.”

“You don’t have to do that. My clothes are almost dry now from the heat.”

“I’m sure you could use something to drink and to at least dry your shoes. I can hear ’em squishing from here.”

“True.” She laughed as she wiggled her wet shoe. “I would be nice to put them in a dryer along with my socks. I’ll probably get blisters.”

“Mom will try to feed you too since it’s almost supper time around here.”

“I hope I’m not taking you from your chores. You said you were checking fences when you found me.”

“It’ll be fine,” he said as they walked toward the large, house-like structure. “We don’t work on any time schedule.”

Built out of what appeared to be logs and flagstone, the house boasted three huge dormers, a porch the size of a football field stretching across its front, and huge, wooden doors on the side they were headed toward. Joel held the door as she made her way into the dining room. Several picnic tables lined the huge room. Each one gleamed from the sunlight now pouring in through the big windows. Rough wood paneling lined the walls with a brand burned into several boards—TR with a circle around it. Huh. Interesting. I wonder what it stands for?

“Thunder Ridge.”

He read my mind?

“It’s the brand our cattle wear too.”

“It’s really cool you have it burned into the wood on the walls.”

The smell of cooking food floated to her nose. Her stomach growled impatiently when she realized she hadn’t eaten since breakfast. Joel grinned and her heart flipped over in her chest. Damn, he has a sexy smile. He could probably melt butter with that grin.

With her hands still encased in the warmth of his, he tugged her along toward a room in the back. “Come on. We’ll get you something dry to wear, put your shoes in the dryer, and get you some food.” As they approached the back of the dining hall, she noticed a small office built into the back of the huge room. The woman taping away at the computer screen seemed oblivious to their presence until Joel said, “Mom?” Mesa could see where Joel got his black hair. The cascading length only added to the woman’s stunning beauty.

“Hey baby.” She glanced up with the same blue eyes that Joel had and stared. “What’cha got there?”

“I found her out on the road with her car stalled.”

Indignation ruffled her ego, causing her back stiffened. They were making her sound like some lost puppy or something.

“Well, welcome to Thunder Ridge. I’m Nina Young. This here is my son, or one of them anyway.” She held out her hand and when Mesa took it, she pumped it several times.

“Mesa Arraguso. I’m sorry to intrude. I don’t want to make you feel like you’re taking in a lost stray.”

“Nonsense. No intrusion. We love company. It’s why we run a dude ranch.” Nina looked at her clothes and said, “Oh my. You’re soaked, honey. Let’s get you something dry to put on. You look about my size. I’m sure I have something that will fit.” Nina shuffled her out of the office leaving Joel standing in the doorway. “Come with me.”

Nina walked her through another huge room with an enormous fireplace standing from floor to ceiling and almost wall-to-wall. Large leather couches invited people to sit in front of a roaring fire, should there be one blazing away. Not today, though.

Mesa followed Nina toward the back of the room and down another long hallway with a door marked private. Must be the family’s quarters.

“What on Earth were you doing out on a back road like ours?”

“Running out of gas.”

“Oh my, really?”

“Yes. I took a drive and my GPS got lost. Did you know some of these roads aren’t on the thing?”

Nina laughed. “Oh yes. Our road doesn’t exist on most of them because it’s on our land. We maintain it ourselves.” Mesa continued to follow Nina toward a set of double doors at the end of the hall. “We should be able to find you something to wear. Would you like jeans or a dress?”

“Anything is fine. I really appreciate this.”

The room looked rustic with its wood walls, large bed, and wooden dresser along the left wall. Paintings depicted different flower arrangements of pinks and purples, matching the floral comforter on the bed. A couple of good sized windows overlooked what appeared to be a garden with roses, lilacs, and several other species of flowers she didn’t recognize.

“We’ll get you something.” Nina opened a door to the right, exposing a huge walk-in closet with rows of clothes hanging on each side. Everything was color coded with yellows together, blues together, and so on.

“Damn.”

“I have a thing for clothes. My husband calls it an obsession.” She shrugged. “What can I say, I love to shop, although most of this never gets worn since we live out here on the ranch. I’m usually in jeans.” Nina grabbed a red sundress off the rack. “This should fit you. Plus, red would look fabulous on you with your black hair.” With a tilt of her head, she looked Mesa over from head to toe. “Do you have Native American blood?”

“Yes. Somewhere in my past, anyway. I’m not sure how far back.”

“Ah.” Nina handed her the dress before she walked to the window to look out. “You’re lucky to have received the thick, dark hair of your heritage like some of my sons did from me. I am a quarter Choctaw.”

“I have no idea how much or what tribe my ancestors were. It’s not talked about much in my family.”

Nine turned back to face her with a stern look in her blue eyes. “You should be proud of your heritage no matter how little Indian blood runs through your veins. We are a proud people. I try to bestow on my sons the love of the tribal people.”

“How many sons do you have? I’ve met four so far.”

“I have nine. My wishes for a daughter were never answered, although I hope to have beautiful daughter-in-laws and lots of granddaughters when the time comes. I have one grandson already, from my oldest son’s failed marriage, whom I adore, but it’s not the same as having a granddaughter to spoil.” Nina took her hands and spread them wide. “You would make a beautiful daughter-in-law.”

“Wait a minute. I don’t even live near here. I live in California.”

“I’m joking, Mesa, although you are a beautiful young woman and any one of my sons would be proud to call you wife.”

“I’m only here for a few days. No matchmaking while I’m here.”

Nina laughed and tipped her chin toward the floor. “No matchmaking.” She walked toward the door. “I’ll leave you to change. If you bring your wet clothes and shoes down the hall, we’ll get them washed and dried for you. The supper bell will be ringing soon. You will join us for dinner, won’t you?”

“I would love to, Nina. Thank you for all you’ve done for me. You have a beautiful home. I wish I could stay longer to explore. It would make a great backdrop for one of my books.”

“You’re a writer?”

“Yes, ma’am.” Mesa blushed, dropping her gaze to the dress in her hands.

“You must tell me all about it at dinner. I can’t wait to hear what you write about.” She opened the door. “I’ll see you in a few minutes. Take your time. There are sandals at the bottom of the closet that might fit you temporarily until your shoes dry.”

With a soft snick of the door, she was gone, leaving Mesa in the middle of the huge bedroom to contemplate the turn of events her day had taken. First she ran out of gas, and then was rescued by a handsome, melt your panties cowboy, and now she stood in the middle of a magnificent bedroom borrowing clothing from a woman so gorgeous she could stop traffic. Wow, what a day this turned out to be. She surely didn’t think things like this happened to ordinary women like her. Adventures didn’t come her way on a routine basis. She could count on one hand how many men she’d been out with her in lifetime. Slept with? That would only take a few fingers.

After she quickly slipped off her wet clothes and put on the red sundress, she smoothed the material over her hips. The dress fit perfectly. A pair of leather beaded sandals sat inside the closet. They looked like they would fit. Slipping her feet into the cool leather, she wasn’t surprised to realize they too fit perfectly. Weird. Joel’s mother wore the same sizes she did?

Not wanting to be late for dinner as she heard the clang of the dinner bell, she grabbed the clothes from the floor and opened the bedroom door. Joel stood on the other side with a wide grin, propped against the wall with his arms over his chest.

“Well now. Don’t you look pretty?”

“Thank you, sir.” She dipped a small curtsey.

“I’m here to show you where the washer and dryer are, and then escort you to supper since the crowd is already gathering.”

“I’d appreciate it, since I don’t know my way around the house.”

He took the clothes from her arms before he grabbed her hand with his warm one. “This way.”

Within moments, they had her clothes washing as her stomach growled again because of the mouthwatering smells coming from the dining room.

“Let’s get you some food before you waste away to nothing,” he said with a large grin. They headed back down the hall in the direction of the clanking utensils.

“Oh please. I’m plenty plump that I could miss a few meals.”

“You are not plump. Rounded in all the right places, I’d say.”

“Flatterer.”

He stopped and glanced down at her with a serious look on his face. “Don’t let my brothers ride roughshod over you, because they will. They’re a bunch of men, after all.”

“I think I can handle it.”

“Don’t be too sure. I’ll jump in to protect you.”

“Aw, thank you, Joel.” She skimmed her free hand down his chest. “What a gentleman.” What the hell made me do that?

Her reflex was to pull her hand back, but Joel grabbed it in his before she could. “You’re a beautiful woman. Other than guests, which are normally families with young kids, we don’t get a lot like you around here. Prepare to be overwhelmed.”

He kissed her fingers before he let his grip slacken on her hand so she could pull it free. The zing that raced up her arm bothered her. Those things only happened in her novels, not in real life. “Um, okay.”

As they rounded the doorway, the volume of noise increased tenfold. Several people either sat at the picnic tables chatting away or they were lined up at the serving area with plates in hand. One long table she hadn’t noticed before took up an entire wall. When she did a double take she noticed nine people, eight men and Joel’s mother, who sat there chatting while they waited for the others to be served. Holy shit! How many freakin’ brothers does he have again?

“Eight. There are nine of us boys.”

“Stop reading my mind.”

“Sorry. I can tell by the look in your eyes what is running through your head. You have very expressive brown eyes.” Joel tugged her hand and brought her to the spot where there were two empty seats. “Hey, ya’ll. This is Mesa.” A chorus of hellos echoed through the room, shushing the rest of the conversations going on around them. Joel quickly introduced the brothers around the table and that’s when she noticed two more who looked like…ohmigod. There are three of him? Yes, you could tell they all were brothers by the similar features, but…

“We’re triplets,” he whispered next to her ear with a chuckle.

Ah, hell! One gorgeous hunk to tantalize my senses is enough, but nine of them? And two who look just like him? I’m so screwed!