12-Alarm Cowboys (41 page)

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B
y the time
Tanner pulled into her drive, Georgie had changed her clothes no less than five times. Finally she settled on an A-line skirt, starched white blouse and a long fringe vest that hit a good five inches below her skirt’s hem. As she slipped into a pair of dress heels, her knees shook, which was ridiculous. She’d been on dates…lots of them. Why this particular one was making her as jumpy as a freshmen going to prom with a senior was a mystery.

Or was it really?

She liked Tanner Marshall. She didn’t want to, but there it was. She did. Once she’d peeled back his tough outer layer, she found a sweet, mature, smart man who made her laugh as much as he made her lust.

And that was a huge problem. She wasn’t looking for a man in her life. Not now. Maybe not ever. She’d tried that man-for-life thing with Chris, and look how that turned out. In the last year she’d pretty much convinced herself that she didn’t really need or want a man but then this tall, hunky cowboy had pushed his way in and she couldn’t help but wonder if getting involved with him was a good idea or bad one.

This stop in Whispering Springs was temporary. She was gone in less than three months. And she had the uncomfortable feeling that Tanner possessed exactly what it would take to worm under her skin and into her heart. It wouldn’t be the first time a man had broken her heart, obviously, but this felt different from Chris. If someone had pointed a gun to her head, she couldn’t have said why it was different, she only knew that it was.

And yet, she really,
really
wanted to sleep with him, only there’d be no actual sleeping involved in her plans. She loved how large and solid his hands were. Loved how he stroked her, as though she were the softest velvet. And his kisses. She lacked the appropriate vocabulary to describe them except they made her toes curl in her shoes, and smoke come out her ears. She dearly hoped he never noticed that smoke.

The loud knock at her front door propelled her from her bedroom to the living room.

“Come on in. Door’s open.”

The door opened. Her middle clenched. There, framed in her door with the dying sun at his back, stood a man so drop dead sexy, she had trouble finding her voice. Dressed in dark slacks, a light shirt, and a brown leather jacket, was a Tanner she’d never seen. Usually he wore dirt—and sometimes soot—on his face and clothes. This man looked like he’d walked off the pages of a fashion shoot.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, looking down at his outfit. “Is my fly open?”

She stifled the snort that so wanted out. “I can’t really say about your fly. I’m not close enough to see it.”

He stepped in and closed the door behind him, turning off the glare that’d been at his back. “You look beautiful, Georgina.”

Heat flushed her neck. “Thanks. You clean up right nice yourself.”

He grinned and the impact almost knocked her back a couple of steps. Oh yeah. She wanted to sleep with him, broken heart be damned.

“My keepers let me out of the asylum now and then.”

She laughed. “How’s Jolene and baby?”

“Doing great. I’m having trouble keeping Deb away. I grounded her for coming home late last night. She announced she didn’t care as it would give her more time with Sir Henry.”

“Sir Henry?”

“She thinks that would be the perfect name for the foal. And I don’t want to talk any more. I really want to mess up your lipstick.”

In two long strides he had her in his arms and kissing her like they’d been apart for months instead of hours. She loved it, kissing him back with an enthusiastic response.

Leaving a line of light nibbles and kisses, he worked his way up to her ear. “Wouldn’t you rather order pizza?”

His breathy question stirred her desire.

“Actually, that sounds great.” Plus by eating in, they wouldn’t waste as much time.

When he smiled at her, she hoped she hadn’t said that last part out loud.

“Tempting but I promised you a nice dinner.”

“Dallas is such a far drive. Let’s just go to the Lone Star.”

He cocked an eyebrow. “I thought you didn’t want to be item number one on the gossip mill.”

“I don’t.”

“Then it’s Dallas or maybe Tyler.”

His arms were around her waist which allowed her to lean back far enough to bring her hands between them.

“But Dallas and Tyler are such long drives.” She popped a button on his shirt through its hole.

“Plus, from what I remember…” She pushed another button open. “We were so rudely interrupted last night.”

The blood throbbed so hard in her neck, her throat felt as though she couldn’t swallow. Tanner wasn’t saying anything, but his gaze was on the work of her fingers, his eyes growing heavy with lust.

“And I heard that new pizza place in town is pretty good and that it delivers.” Another button slipped through its opening.

“I promised you a nice dinner.” The strain and gruffness in his voice made her middle squeeze.

“I know, but pizza and beer can be a nice dinner…with the right person.”

He slipped his arms down under her rear and then tossed her over his shoulder in a firefighter’s carry.

“Who am I to argue with such sound logic?” He started down the hall toward her bedroom.

Hung over his shoulder, Georgie ran her hands down his solid back until she could grasp his equally solid ass. It was a mighty fine ass, and as a veterinarian, she knew asses.

While she was admiring his delicious butt, Tanner was running a large hand across hers.

“Tight but curvy,” he said. “Just like I like them…juicy enough to bite.”

She laughed and toed off her shoes and left them in the hall.

“Speaking of yummy butts,” she said, giving his a squeeze.

He flopped her onto her bed and fell on top of her. “Sometimes part two can be as good if not better than part one.”

Snaking her arms around his neck, she pulled him down for a kiss. She spread her lips in invitation, which he quickly took advantage of by sweeping his tongue inside. He tasted like wintergreen and toothpaste, and that made her heart sigh.

As he let a line of kisses and nibbles down her cheeks, neck and finally along her collar bone, he was also lighting bright flaming torches of desire inside her.

“You have too many clothes on,” she said.

“I think that’s supposed to be my line.”

She laughed and pushed him up. Given his size versus her size, if he didn’t want to move, he wouldn’t. She might have better luck pushing her truck to town. But he stood when she pushed. She scooted up on the bed and leaned against the headboard.

“What?” he asked, his brow furrowed.

“I want to watch.”

Grinning, he slowly lowered his jacket back over his shoulders and down his arms. He caught the sleeve with one hand, whirled it over his head, and let it fly into a chair in the corner.

She clapped. “More. More.”

He jerked his shirt from his slacks. Most of the buttons were already undone, so he pulled it over his head and flung it, landing the shirt on his jacket.

“I’m feeling so objectified,” he said. The twinkle in his eyes and the twitch of a smile at the corners of his lips assured her that he was in on her little game and didn’t mind a bit.

“Oh goody. Go on.”

He rolled his eyes as he tried to toe off his boots to no avail.

“Come here,” she said, and patted the side of the mattress. “Impossible to toe off boots.”

He sat down and she clamored off the bed.

“Give me your foot.”

He lifted one boot and she pulled it off along with his sock. They repeated the action for the other boot. When she stood, he pulled her firmly against his thick slab of a chest. Her hands were trapped between them, so she fingered her nails through the hair on his chest. The texture was coarse and rough and felt wonderful to the touch.

“You’re sure you want to do this?” he asked.

“I’m sure.”

He slipped his fingers under her blouse and pulled it over her head. She lifted her arms so he could remove it.

“So pretty.” His gaze left her face and slid down to her white lace bra. He covered both breasts with his hands. Heat burned through the lace onto her flesh. Her breath picked up along with her heart rate. For a couple of minutes he massaged and fondled and then lowered his mouth to pull a lace-covered breast into his mouth and sucked. The direct connection between her breast and her sex tugged.

Her head dropped back and she groaned.

He unfastened the bra and she let it skitter down her arms until it dropped onto the floor.

“So much better,” he murmured, his lips moving softly over her skin. He drew her back into his mouth, his tongue licking the underside.

Her knees wobbled from the sensory overload. He was doing all the work while she just stood there. That would never do. She needed to touch and stroke and taste every square inch of his flesh.

She dislodged his mouth, her breast shiny with his saliva. With quick work, Georgie unzipped her skirt and let it fall to the floor. Unlike last night’s granny panty disaster, tonight she wore a lace thong that she’d bought today. It wasn’t the most comfortable item of clothing she’d ever put on, but if it could produce the dark, heavy lidded desire in his gaze, she might have to buy stock in the brand.

“Holy shit, babe. If I’d have known what you wore under that skirt, or rather what little you had under there, I’d have thrown you over my shoulder the minute I walked in the door.”

Stepping between his wide-spread thighs, she licked her lips and tasted Tanner…her new favorite flavor. “Yeah? I might have liked that.” Her voice was thick and deep and sounded nothing like her. Whomever this woman was who’d taken over her body, Georgie ceded control.

Tanner put his hands on the globes of her ass while she slid hers up his unyielding, thick thighs. A large bulge had shoved his zipper into an arch. She allowed her hand to leave his leg and brush across his fly. He sucked in his breath.

“Nice pants,” she said in a crumbly voice. “But they really have to go.”

She made fast work of his belt buckle, button and then lowered his zipper.

“Careful,” he said with a hiss. “Delicate merchandise.”

“Doesn’t feel delicate.” Pushing her hand into the opening, she grasped his firm dick, running her hand from base to tip through his cotton briefs. “Feels pretty solid to me.”

When she looked down at her tanned hand on his white briefs, she licked her lips. Under his breath, Tanner uttered a foul cussword, but then lifted his hips and she pulled his slacks and briefs off in one long tug. She followed the motion to the floor as he raised one foot and then the other so she could rid him of what was impeding her progress.

On her knees, she looked up and saw he was watching her, waiting to see what her next move would be. As she’d done previously, she slid her hands up his thighs until she could wrap her fingers around his cock. Her fingers, long for a woman of her petite stature, couldn’t begin to surround his girth. There was a good three inch gap between her fingertips. Her mouth watered with the need to taste him.

She lowered her head and sucked the tip between her lips. Salty and sweet, she slid him further into her mouth. Tanner’s fingers combed through her hair, catching stands in his fists, twisting them with each groan.

As she slowly released him, she ran her tongue along the vein on the underside until the tip of her tongue licked the cockhead rim. She sucked and nibbled along the rim before taking him deep into her mouth again.

In the past, she’d given her ex a blow job but it’d been more responsibility than pleasure. Tonight, she was doing this as much for him as for her. The taste of Tanner on her tongue, the scent of him in her nose and the feel of his hot flesh under her fingers made her swollen and wet with a desire she hadn’t had in years.

“Enough,” he growled and eased himself from her oral ministrations. “I don’t want this dinner party over before it’s begun.” He jerked her to her feet and stripped her soaked thong down her legs. He must have noticed how sodden the skimpy material was because he smiled and said, “Enjoyed that, did you?”

He didn’t wait for an answer, instead rolling on the bed and taking her with him. With long licks, quick kisses and sharp nibbles, he worked his way down between her thighs. When he drew in a deep breath, cool air flittered across her tender flesh.

“Do you know how good you smell?” With broad laps of his tongue, he separated her folds and drew her arousal into his mouth. “Taste like the finest wine,” he said, retackling the task at hand.

He worked his hands up the inside of her thighs until he could hold her fully spread for his gaze. Her first reaction was to cover herself but she didn’t, letting him have all the time he wanted to look and taste. But the reality of his gaze, combined with the caresses from his magic tongue had her moving her hips in frustration.

“Please,” she begged. “Please.”

He didn’t ask what she needed and that was probably a good thing as words had left her brain, along with all rational thoughts.

He pushed a long, thick finger inside while the tip of his tongue played havoc with her rigid nub. Georgie arched, trying to find that cliff to soar from.