Boots and Buckles (5 page)

“I’m not gonna give you one.” He pulled her into his arms and brushed the hair back from her forehead. “I just want to take you out for a damned cup of coffee. And if it means getting slapped again, I can’t help it, I want to kiss you.”

He ducked his head, his lips crashing down over hers.

Mona’s hands pressed against his chest for a moment, then curled into his shirt, dragging him closer.

When he drew a line with his tongue across her lips, she opened her mouth and let him in.

Sam pulled her closer, his cock straining against the tightness of his jeans.

Mona’s hands slipped up around his neck, lacing through the hair hanging down below his collar. Her breasts pressed against his chest and one of her trim calves curled around the back of his leg.

He deepened the kiss, his tongue thrusting deep into her mouth that tasted of mint, so warm and wet.

When she reached between them and worked her fingers over the buttons on his shirt, he set her away from him and rested his forehead against hers. “You don’t know how badly I want this.”

Her fingers stilled. “But…”

“But, given the last time I kissed you and the way you feel about rodeo cowboys, doing this tonight would only reinforce your perception.”

“Damn my perception. Take me now or forget about it.” She grabbed the hem of her shirt and would have ripped it up over her head, if his hands hadn’t stopped her.

“Not here. Not like this.”

She grabbed his hand and dragged him toward his truck. “Then take me somewhere we can be alone.”

“My trailer.”

“No!” She stopped in her tracks. “No. Not your trailer. Your partner might be there. We’ll go to my apartment.”

She climbed into his truck, gave him the directions, and he set off toward Temptation, too excited to ask and ruin the mood, but wondering what the hell had changed her mind.

Chapter Four

“Here we are,” Tacey announced.

Grant was surprised when she pulled into the parking lot near the rodeo arena where all the participants’ trailers were lined up in neat rows, hay tied to their roofs. “I didn’t realize you were in the rodeo as well.” Hell, there were a lot of things he didn’t know about Tacey. Why the hell was he going home with her?

She shrugged. “I do the barrel racing. Have been since I was a kid. But mostly around these parts. I’m from Hole in the Wall. The town on the other side of the Ugly Stick.”

They passed by the trailer he and Sam shared, half of which was used to transport their horses, the other half was a fully equipped camp trailer with a stove, refrigerator, bathroom and air conditioner.

Would Sam return to the trailer with Mona, or would he go to her place for the night? Assuming Mona was into Sam. After three years, she certainly wasn’t thinking about Grant. From what he’d witnessed of her reaction to Dalton, she probably was over them both and happily single. If she chose to be with Sam, Grant had no say in the matter. He’d given up any rights when he’d called to dump her three years ago.

“I compete in barrels, but I’d like to do team roping.” Tacey pulled in beside a smaller version of his own trailer. “And someday, I’d like to compete in bronc ridin’.”

Grant’s leg still throbbed a bit from the last rodeo when he’d landed on it wrong, in a less than graceful dismount. “It’s really hard on your body.”

“Yeah. But I like the adrenaline rush.” She shifted into park. “Look, you don’t have to stay here, if you don’t want to.”

His gaze shifted down the line of trailers to his own. “No, I’m good with this. As long as we understand each other.”

Her lips twisted into a rueful smile. “I know. Hands off the gorgeous cowboy, he’s in love with someone else. I get that a lot. You’d think I would have the pick of the litter, riding the circuit with all the men, but they seem to shy away from me.” She tipped her head. “Am I that homely or intimidating?”

Grant chuckled. “Not at all. I find you very attractive. If I wasn’t in love with someone else, I’d be tempted.”

“Nice, but I’m not buying it.” She climbed down from the driver’s seat and headed for the trailer. “It’s up to you. Stay here or not.”

Grant couldn’t bring himself to risk Sam and Mona making love in the same trailer as he was sleeping. He hurried to catch up with Tacey and took the keys from her fingers. “I’d like to stay.”

She stared up into his eyes and sighed. “Yeah, well, I’m not all that sure I can keep my hands off you. But I’ll do my best.” She pushed past him and climbed the steps into the trailer.

Grant followed, one last glance back toward his trailer. So far Sam hadn’t shown up with or without Mona. His heart squeezed in his chest and he closed the door. Why torture himself?

Tacey pulled a bottle of whiskey from an overhead cabinet and fished in another cabinet for a cup, settling for two coffee mugs. “Want some?”

“Might as well.”

She tipped the whiskey bottle and poured it into the mug, filling it halfway and handed it to him. Then she poured another for herself and lifted it in salute. “To lonely hearts.”

The ceramic mugs clinked and Grant downed the whiskey in one swallow, the amber liquid burning a path down his throat.

Tacey didn’t even flinch as she downed her own and smacked the mug on the counter. “You can have the bed or I can make up the kitchen table into a bed.”

“I won’t put you out of your bed, and I can do the conversion. We have one like this. Sam usually sleeps on it.” The mention of Sam made his gut clench again.

“Knock yourself out.” Tacey turned away and whipped her top off. “I’m going to get a shower. I’d ask you to join me, but it’s barely big enough for one, much less two people.” She turned to him, wearing her jeans and a black lace, demi-bra, her full breasts pushed up in beautiful mounds.

Grant gulped, his jeans tightening, his cock throbbing against his fly, despite his promise to himself to be true to Mona. “No worries. I’ll just get to work on this kitchen table.”

“I’ll be right out.” She turned away, unbuttoning her jeans. “There’s a chocolate cream pie in the fridge if you want some.”

“Pass.” He told himself he should turn away and give Tacey some privacy, but he couldn’t.

The barrel racer slipped her jeans down her legs, revealing the narrow strap of her thong panties disappearing between her butt cheeks.

Grant’s fingers curled into fists, every cell in his body screaming to take what was offered.

Then Tacey unclipped the back of her bra and let it slide down over her arms to her fingers. She let it dangle from one of her hands, then turned, giving him a side view of her luscious breasts. “I’ll only be a moment.”

Before he could untangle his tongue to respond, she ducked into the bathroom and closed the door.

Big mistake.
Echoed in Grant’s head. If he had any sense of decency, he’d leave while Tacey was in the shower. But the sight of her long, lean body and full, voluptuous breasts had him aching to see more. Was it wrong to look, if he didn’t touch?

Grant lowered the table, spread the cushions over it and scrounged in an overhead cabinet for a spare set of sheets. By the time he had the bed put together, the water shut off in the bathroom. He braced himself for when she stepped out, not knowing if she’d come out naked or what.

As he reached for his boots, he debated making a run for it, but decided against it. If he was truly in love with Mona, the temptation of Tacey would have no effect on him.

Yeah, right.

She stepped out of the shower wrapped in a short towel that barely covered all the important parts, her hair combed away from her face and dripping down her back. “Nothing like a three-minute shower to get the body humming. You’re welcome to it.”

“Thanks, but I had a shower earlier.” He sat on the makeshift bed and pulled his boots off.

Tacey worked her way around him, dropping the towel as she reached into a drawer for a T-shirt. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to give you a full moon.”

Grant groaned. “If anyone ever tells you they think you’re homely, tell them to get glasses.” He set his boots to the side and glanced up at her, forcing himself to look at her, without lusting after her. “You’re beautiful.”

“Then what’s it going to take to get you to make love to me?” She planted herself in front of him. “Oh, I know I said I had no expectations, but damn, you’re hot and I’m…well, I’m on fire.” She plumped her breasts. “Don’t I tempt you in the least?” Tacey straddled his knees and sat in his lap, her triangle of hair damp from the shower. “How about this—sex with no strings and no commitment?”

He rested his hands on her hips and dragged in a steadying breath. “I can’t.”

“Can’t?” She tapped his crotch, a smile sliding across her face. “The body seems willing.”

“Oh, I want to have sex with you. But it wouldn’t be right.” He lifted her off him and stood. “This is a mistake. I’d better leave.”

Tacey pouted. “She must be pretty special.”

“She is. And I didn’t do right by her the first time we met. I can’t compound the error of my ways by giving in to my baser instincts and having my way with you.” He cupped her face. “No matter how very tempting you are.” He stepped to the side, grabbed his boots and hat and hurried toward the door before his resistance crumbled.

“I hope she appreciates you.” Tacey stood with her hands on the gentle swell of her hips. “I’m good.” She tapped the side of her leg. “Strong thighs.”

“I can’t.”

“Because you’re still in love with Mona.” Tacey sighed. “After cutting her off with a phone call, do you really think you have a chance to win her back?”

“I have to try.”

“I’m here and now. Mona may never happen. Not after a douche-bag let down.” Tacey ran her hands up her sides, plumping her breasts. “Sure you won’t change your mind? I’m only in it for the sex.”

Grant smiled at her. “You’re pretty wonderful, Tacey. There will be a cowboy come along that will discover just how great you are.”

She gave him a crooked smile. “Just not you.”

“Not me.”

“Mona doesn’t know how good she has it. I hope she gives you that second chance.” Tacey stretched, showing off her beautiful body one last time, before she shrugged, defeated. “Can’t blame a girl for trying. At least save me a dance next time I see you at the Ugly Stick.”

“You bet.” Grant let himself out of the trailer and closed the door behind him. The warm night air did nothing to cool the raging heat inside him. If only Tacey had been Mona, he’d have danced in the sheets with her all night long. He shook his head. No. He couldn’t betray her again. Yes, he was free, single and horny, but that didn’t make it right. Not if he wanted to win back Mona.

Still…an image of a naked Tacey straddling his legs came to mind—an image that would be mighty hard to forget.

Mona sat beside Sam, her hands twisting in her lap. The night hadn’t quite gone the way she’d thought it would. From blowing off Dalton, to dancing with Sam and falling all over herself at the sight of Grant, she felt like she was spinning out of control.

Five times on the road to her apartment, she almost told Sam to stop the truck and let her out to walk the rest of the way. She needed time to clear her head, get a grip and figure out what the hell to do.

Sam seemed to be a nice guy and he could kiss like nobody’s business. Thus the reason for her being in the front seat of his pickup on her way to her apartment to get laid after a three-year sabbatical with only her vibrator to keep her hot at night.

When they pulled into the back alley behind her beauty shop, she jumped down before Sam could round the pickup and open the door for her.

He met her at the base of the steps up to her apartment.

“Look, Sam…”

“Don’t worry, if you’ve changed your mind, I’ll understand.” He took her hand and carried it to his lips. “But promise me you’ll have a cup of coffee with me.”

His brown eyes stared down into hers, the light from the landing above making them shine.

Her knees melted and she leaned into him, telling herself she only wanted a kiss. After all, Sam was Grant’s partner. Sleeping with him would only complicate everything even more.

When her lips touched his, she knew her mistake and couldn’t take it back. She wanted more than a kiss and settling for less wasn’t an option.

Mona opened her mouth to his tongue, accepting his thrusts, wondering what it would feel like to be beneath him, his long hard dick thrusting into her wet, aching channel. Grant had been well-endowed, his cock thick and hard. Would Sam equal up? Would he help her to forget Grant?

Her pussy creamed at the thought and she wrapped her arm around his neck, drawing him closer. Her nipples rubbed against the lace of her bra, making her want to strip it and the shirt from her back to rub those pointed nipples against his smooth hard chest.

She flipped the buttons on his shirt open all the way down to where it disappeared into his jeans and didn’t stop there, grasping the top button of his waistband.

His hand covered hers. “Are you sure?”

She chewed on her lip, an image of Grant flashing through her mind.
Hell, he’d had his chance three years ago.
A surge of old anger helped her reply, “Yes.”