Going Home

Going Home

Cowboy Casanova #3

by

Bridget Hollister

The material in this document contains explicit sexual material that is intended for mature audiences only and is inappropriate for readers under eighteen years of age.  

©Bridget Hollister, 2014. All rights reserved.

Editing by Phoebe M. West. Cover by 
Cormar Covers
.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the author.

This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer's imagination, have been used fictitiously, and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons (living or dead), actual events, locales, or organizations is entirely coincidental.

All characters depicted in this book are assumed age eighteen and older.

The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademarked owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication and use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

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About This Story

As a successful lawyer in Miami, going home to the tiny town of Broken Branch for her older sister's wedding was the last thing Alexis Beauchamp really wanted to do.  After the devilishly handsome rodeo cowboy Kip Caldwell catches her attention at the rehearsal dinner, she decides the trip may have been worthwhile after all.

Kip has two reasons to be in town: the Professional Rodeo Riders Association finals and a wedding he doesn't really want to attend. Will Alexis, the stunning and sassy redhead he encounters, be enough for him to consider leaving the saddle bronc circuit and settle down?

Going Home

"Can I get everyone's attention for a minute? Brian and I have something to say."

Alexis Beauchamp took a sip of merlot to keep from rolling her eyes at her older sister's syrupy-sweet voice. Going home to Broken Branch for Jennifer's wedding had been bad enough, but being required to serve as a member of the bridal party was far worse.

"We just wanted to say
thank you
to everyone for coming out for our rehearsal dinner," the faux-platinum blonde droned on, making Alexis want to find two breadsticks from the buffet table to shove in her ears. "As you know, tomorrow is a big day for us—becoming Mr.
and
Mrs. Caldwell—and we're so excited to share it with all of you."

As the crowd cheered, Alexis fought back the urge to vomit. It wasn't that she didn't feel happy for Jennifer—the exact opposite, actually. She just hated the prissy attitude her sister often conveyed, something that had driven a rift between them since they were children.

And, then there was the matter of sibling rivalry, too. Each woman felt the need to "one-up" the other, creating a constant battle of who could impress their parents the most raging between them.

Alexis pondered her sister's upcoming nuptials, gritting her teeth to keep from saying something incredibly sarcastic and loud in response to the bride's cheerful little speech.

Of course, they were as different as night and day to begin with. While Jen decided to marry Brian for oil money, spirited redhead Alexis forged her own path. 

As the youngest managing partner at one of the largest law firms in Miami, she was able to live the way she dreamed of since she was a little girl. She had a fabulous condo overlooking the beach and a slew of pretty boyfriends—each of whom was completely interchangeable within her vibrant and carefully orchestrated world.

Now, Jennifer was getting married and would likely provide the Beauchamp's with their first grandchild. Even though Alexis hated kids and couldn't see herself as a mother, she still felt jealous her sister would be the first of them to tie the knot.

Unintentionally scowling, she wondered how many aging relatives would ask at the reception tomorrow whether or not she was next—or even had a suitor lined up. 

"I give them a year, tops. Two on the outside," a purely masculine voice said from beside her, catching Alexis's attention.

Turning to face him, she was surprised to see a good-looking cowboy standing next to her. He was just under six foot tall with broad shoulders that tapered down to a slim waist clad in tight Wranglers. Through his long-sleeve button-up shirt, she could see the outline of his hard torso, causing her to want to rub her hands all over his body while enjoying the feeling of his pouty lips grazing her neck. 

"Oh?" she asked casually, pursing her lips as she continued to survey the delicious specimen of male delight standing before her. "What makes you say that?"

"Well," he continued with his voice low, peering out from underneath the brim of a black Stetson hat and taking a sip from the longneck bottle in his hand. "The moment she realizes his faults—and believe me, Brian has 'em—she'll be less interested in what his bank account or the size of that rock on her pretty little hand looks like."

Alexis stifled a bit of laughter. "Sounds about right," she replied, smirking slightly. "Jennifer isn't a saint either, you know. The moment Bridezilla over here tries to control her groom—and believe me, she will—he'll be straight out the door."

The pair laughed for a moment at their shared cynicism of the couple, causing others around them who hadn't heard the conversation to shoot dirty looks in their direction.

"I'm Alexis," she said, holding out her hand to the stranger. "And you are?"

"Kip," he replied, touching her palm lightly and sending sparks of heat straight to her core. "Any chance you want to get out of this place and go grab a bite to eat or a drink or something?"

"Not just yes, but
hell
yes!" Alexis answered, ecstatic to have a reason to leave the party. Setting the wineglass down on a table, she turned to Kip. "Just let me grab my purse."

"Meet me in the parking lot in five minutes," he demanded with a slight growl, sending shivers of arousal down her spine.  

"Will do."

***

Alexis took extra time to check her makeup in the bathroom mirror before stepping out of the restaurant. Glaring at her reflection in the bad florescent light, she decided she looked pretty damn good for just over thirty with a slim waist, perky tits, and long auburn hair that nearly reached her ass. 

Fixing her lipstick, she wondered if Kip would still be waiting for her outside now that she'd taken much longer than five minutes.

The warm evening air felt good against her skin and Alexis was glad she'd chosen to wear a sleeveless top and miniskirt to the rehearsal dinner. Her stilettos, though, were a different story. Slipping them off and walking barefoot across the parking lot, she found her mysterious cowboy leaned up against a white Ford pickup.

"I hope I didn't keep you waiting," she said coyly, giving him a flirtatious look.

Kip bit his bottom lip. "Well, when a woman looks as good as you do… It's worth waiting an extra ten minutes."

Alexis watched as he opened the door and waited for her to climb into the passenger seat. As he walked around to get in his side of the truck, she took in the view of his tight jeans once more.

Holy hell, he's got a nice ass!
she thought to herself.

"Now, here's where the real party begins," Kip said with a slight smirk, starting up the engine.

"Indeed it does, cowboy." Flirting with this gorgeous man was fun, and Alexis was glad the night was just beginning. 

As they made their way through town, Alexis quietly spotted several sights she hadn't seen in years. The corner café was still in the same place, although it seemed like the name had changed. She noticed a sign welcoming members of the Professional Rodeo Riders Association strung high above Main Street, reminding her that this was the time of year in which the whole area gleamed with "rodeo fever."

Growing up in Broken Branch, Alexis knew what happened when the PRRA came around. With their headquarters centered in the small town, the association's final event of the year brought in enough tourism money to pretty much fund most of the businesses of Broken Branch for the next twelve months.

"Is the PRRA event this weekend?" she asked, casually making conversation.

"Yeah," Kip replied. "That's why it is harder than hell to get a hotel room around here right now."

Alexis nodded. She vaguely remembered trying to get a hotel suite when her sister mentioned the wedding, but not being able to and having to stay at her parent's house instead. "Go figure. Leave it to Jen to have her wedding on the busiest weekend of the year," she huffed under her breath, too quietly for Kip to hear.

The Scarlet Saddle Dance Hall and Saloon sat just on the outskirts of Broken Branch. The rocky gravel lot filled with muddy trucks of all shapes and sizes only further confirmed that it was rodeo weekend. Alexis smiled as Kip's diesel pickup pulled into the parking lot, reminiscing over late-night shenanigans with friends during her youth.

That was a lifetime ago
, she thought to herself with a slight smile.

"Something funny?" Kip asked with a soft laugh and a raised eyebrow as he parked the vehicle.

"No," she answered with a shrug. "Just thinking about all the trouble I got into after high school at this place."

"I see," he grinned, putting up the center console and reaching across the seat. When he placed a callused hand seductively on her thigh, she felt her body start to tremble beneath his touch. "Something tells me you still get into a bit of trouble now."

Alexis smirked. "Well, cowboy. Perhaps I do. What about it?"

Kip laughed. "There's nothing about it. I just haven't known a single redhead in my life that didn't find herself in a bit of a wild situation every now and again." His thumb began to stroke her soft skin, causing her to wish it were just a bit higher, reaching under her short black skirt. Instead, it remained in place—teasing, tempting, and taunting her.

"Oh, I'm sure you're no angel, either," Alexis scoffed with an eye roll.

"Most men aren't," he replied seriously. 

"And cowboys?"

Kip grinned. "We're the
worst
… Especially those of us on the rodeo circuit." It was then Alexis noticed the shirt he was wearing actually had emblems across it, signifying he was a member of the PRRA.

"So, what's your poison?" she asked, reminded of the bull riders she'd taken a spin on before moving to Florida. "Bull riding? Roping?"

"Saddle bronc," he replied with a nod.

"And?" she asked, carefully gauging whether or not he was an actual competitor or just some groupie that had come to town to watch.

"And, what?"

"Are you any good?"

Kip's mouth flirted dangerously close to hers, making Alexis silently will him to kiss her. He didn't and she suppressed the urge to pout. "Honey, I'm good at a hell of a lot of things. Riding wild things that buck, included." Pulling away, he shut off the engine and got out of the truck. 

Heat pooled between Alexis's thighs and she could feel her panties start to dampen as she put her shoes on, opened the passenger door, and stepped out.

As they walked in, she thought she spotted people whispering Kip's name—the men giving him appreciative glances and the women giving her dirty looks.

"Damn, cowboy. Perhaps I didn't give you enough credit," she conceded after they'd gotten beers from the bartender and had sat down at a small picnic table on the outdoor patio of the bar, their backs against the tabletop. A live band played some rocking tune across the place, making Alexis glad they'd opted to take things out into the night air.

Kip raised an eyebrow. "Oh? How so?" he asked, placing an arm around her and drawing her closer on the bench.

"For starters, practically every woman in the place knew who the hell you were and was ready to drop their panties the moment we walked in," she explained with a laugh. "Second, I heard what the men were saying about you, something about being good enough for the Hall of Fame." 

"Well, I just do what I do." He took a long sip of his beer. "Ain't no rhyme or reason to it. Just been doing it longer than I can remember… And haven't had enough sense knocked into me to do something different."

Alexis was surprised at his casual response. As cocky as his demeanor had been in the car, when it came to serious talk about his occupation, Kip was surprisingly modest.

"That's a good way to look at it," she replied.

"You haven't told me exactly what it is that you do," he said, obviously trying to change the subject.

"I'm an attorney," Alexis answered, following his lead and taking a drink from the longneck bottle in her hand. "In Florida."

Kip pretended to grimace, causing her to laugh. "You had me right up until the moment you told me you were a lady lawyer, darlin'!" he chuckled with an irresistible drawl.