Just Shoot Me (Cowboy Way, #1) (17 page)

“
Dean, you are a good man who’s
gotten a raw deal. It’s obvious that you love your son, regardless
of whether you were the one to get that conniving bitch pregnant.
I’m not Laney’s mother, but I love her like one. I couldn’t imagine
just sitting back and watching my sister hurt her without at least
trying to fight her.” But it hit Tina right then that is exactly
what she’d been doing for years. The determination to set her
sister straight when she got home cemented itself inside of her.
She was either going to love her daughter and be a mother to her,
or she was going to get out of her life, and give Tina
custody.

“
I’m worn out,” Dean finally
admitted, and that’s exactly how he sounded. Tired. Defeated. Done.
“I’m dried up in here,” he said and hit his chest with his fist.
“I’m an asshole to everyone in my life because of it. Maybe
everyone involved would better off if I just got in my truck and
hit the road. If Cindy gets Jeremy that’s probably what I’ll do.
Cord’s here with Daddy now, so they’ll be okay.”

“
Your family loves you, and they
would be devastated if you left. Your son would be devastated. He
doesn’t understand what’s going on, and if you just let her have
him, Lord knows how he’ll grow up. He’ll think you didn’t love him,
and gave him away.”

He turned his face away to stare at the lake,
and his voice broke as he said, “Probably better than being raised
by a man who isn’t his father, and doesn’t have it in him to show
him the love he deserves. I suck at being a father. My life
sucks.”

Dean sounded so defeated, Tina couldn’t stand
it. Her heart bled for him. This wasn’t just a pity party, he had
lost hope that things would ever get better for him. She put her
hand on his face and made him look at her. “You can change that,
Dean. That kid idolizes you. He wants to be just like you.” She
smiled and ran her thumb over the rough beard growth on his cheek.
“Know why he wanted Paulo to cut his hair today?” Dean didn’t
reply, but he shook his head. “Because he said he wanted to look as
handsome as his daddy did.”

Tina felt his jaw tighten under her palm, then
his lips opened and she heard the whisper of a breath that escaped
from his mouth. She wouldn’t have believed it if she hadn’t felt
the hot drop that hit the back of her hand. A tremor moved through
him.

He sucked in a shuddering breath, then before
she knew it Tina was sitting on his lap and his mouth was devouring
hers. There was desperation in his kiss, and Tina tasted it. It
felt almost like he was trying to suck out her soul to console his
own. She would gladly give it if he kept kissing her the way he was
kissing her. Her own body was desperate to take him inside. To
console him, to heal him, and to heal herself in the process. They
could help each other forget what waited for them tomorrow. Tonight
was the only thing that mattered.

Tina moaned, put her arm around his neck and
leaned into the kiss. Dean’s hand slid up her thigh, leaving a hot
trail until it slid under her skirt and his hot fingers branded her
as they dug into her ass to pull her closer. Dean held her to him
and eased her to the ground.

His hat tumbled off of his head, then he was
kissing her senseless. She grasped at the buttons on his shirt with
shaking fingers, and somehow she managed to undo them to the
waistband of his jeans. She yanked the shirttail, then smoothed her
itching palms up his heated skin to his neck. She felt his heart
pounding there, almost faster than her own.

With a groan that sounded more like a growl,
Dean pushed his own hand under her shirt and cupped her breast, his
thumb roughly stroked her nipple through the thin material of her
bra. Tina’s breath hitched and she arched into him, but his hard
body pinned her to the ground. Suddenly he tore himself away,
shrugged out of his shirt then she heard his belt buckle rattle,
and the whoosh as he pulled it from the loops to toss it
aside.

“
Get undressed,” he ground out, as
he sat back to toe off his boots. He didn’t look at her, but he
grated, “And throw that fucking jacket as far as you can. Don’t
ever put it on again. It smells like him.”

Lucky’s jacket. Tina forgot she’d been wearing
it. Evidently Dean knew whose jacket it was, and he didn’t like it.
“Dean, about Luck—“

“
Don’t fucking say another man’s
name when I’m about to fuck you,” he said angrily. “Just get rid of
the jacket.” She heard rustling, as he removed his jeans, then a
rip. She glanced over there and saw he was rolling on a condom.
Tina scrambled to her knees and pulled her shirt over her head. She
unfastened her bra and tossed it aside. She shivered as the cool
night air and his words hardened her nipples.

He was going to fuck her. They weren’t making
love. His words were so harsh, bitter, Tina had to wonder if his
cheating ex-wife had done that to him before. Said another man’s
name when they were making love, or about to. There was too much
anger behind his words. But then there was so much anger and
frustration inside of this man it kind of scared her a
little.

The black mood he was in tonight was extra
edgy and dangerous.

Tina didn’t have long to think about that
though, or even time to take off her skirt, boots and underwear,
because he shoved her back to the ground and covered her body with
his. The scorching skin of his chest touched her breasts, and Tina
rubbed herself against him, as his tongue invaded her mouth. Took
control of her senses. Danced an erotic waltz with hers. And man,
did this man know how to dance. His hand crawled down her thigh to
lift her leg to his hip, and he nudged her legs wider with his
body. She felt his hardness meet the barrier of her underwear and
absorbed his frustrated growl into her mouth.

She loved that sound. It was a wild, feral
sound that told her he wanted to be inside of her as much as she
wanted him there. Dean pulled back to kneel between her legs,
staring down at her. Her eyes dropped to his massive erection then
she dragged them back to his. His heaving chest and clenched fists
told her he wasn’t happy. Leaning down, Dean shoved her skirt up to
her waist then grabbed her panties in his fist. With one yank, he
ripped them right off of her. She gasped and a chill raced up her
body. Tina never had a man want to be inside her desperately enough
to rip off her panties. This man was that desperate. And he wanted
her. Now.

Every ounce of moisture in her body pooled
between her legs, and her inner muscles clenched as he laid back on
top of her and lifted her thigh again. This time when the head of
his hard cock met her wetness, his nostrils flared, his jaw
tightened, then his eyes drifted closed as he sucked in a sharp
breath. “God, let me go slow,” he mumbled under his breath, and she
could barely make out the words of his prayer.

The tension in his body relaxed a little, very
little as his mouth found hers again. His kiss was slow and
deliberate this time. Tina’s need inched up inside her. He lowered
her thigh then pushed his hand between them. His fingers brushed
through her folds to gather moisture. His breathing increased as he
slathered her clit then made purposeful circles there. The fire of
his touch set the kerosene of his kisses ablaze inside of her, and
Tina whimpered as her hips found a rhythm with his hand and
mouth.

The first wave of her orgasm was fast and
unexpected. It hit her hard and her heart took a giant leap in her
chest. Their mouths parted, she turned her head to the side to
clamp her teeth down on the scream that wanted to escape. Her body
vibrated, and Dean leaned close to her ear. His hot breath teased
her hair as he whispered, “We’re alone, buttercup. Let it go. Tell
me if I’m doing this right. I’m a little rusty.”

He increased the pressure of his touch, and
dipped a finger inside of her. Her inner muscles clamped down, and
her body went into erotic overload. Tina sucked in a gulping
breath, her body tensed and the most incredible feeling overtook
her. Overwhelmed by it, Tina couldn’t help but open her mouth to
let it out in a scream that echoed through the woods. Her body
shook uncontrollably, she floated toward the moon, her soul danced
naked in the moonlight then drifted slowly back to
earth.

When she sighed and opened her eyes, Dean was
staring at her. “So fucking beautiful,” he said and a tremor shook
him, as he took her swollen, tender mouth in a punishing kiss. Her
body was limp, but Dean sure wasn’t when he positioned his cock at
her highly sensitive opening. He lifted her hips then his eyes met
hers as he made one forceful push with his hips.

Tina screamed against the stinging pain of his
entry that mixed with the incredible pleasure of the stretch. Like
she was grabbing for her next breath, her fists closed at her sides
and she grabbed up fistfuls of pine needles and grass.

His fingers dug into her ass as he stilled.
“You okay, sweetheart?” he asked in that dark sexy growl that set
every nerve ending in her body on fire. Tina wrapped her legs
around his back, and pushed her hips toward him. She needed more
now that her body was accustomed to him. She needed all of him.
Wanted all of him.

“
More,” she begged
breathlessly.

Dean’s roar vibrated in her skull, his grip
became almost painful on her hips, as he thrust again to embed
himself inside her body. She wasn’t sure he was in all the way, but
what she had of him was a lot. Maybe he was too large for her. She
could barely breathe, she was stretched so much as it was. But it
hurt so damned good. Better than ever before. “Oh, God,” she
groaned, closing her eyes as her body twitched around
him.

She heard his labored breathing, felt the
incredible control he was showing from the tension in his body.
“Tell me if I’m hurting you. I’m trying to go slow, but you’re so
tight. So fucking tight,” he said in a strangled voice, then a
low-pitched groan reached her ears.

“
I’m fine,” she said, even though
she wasn’t really. He needed this. She needed it too. Wanted it.
“Fuck me, Dean,” Tina said, relaxing her body.

Dean raised up a little, tilted her pelvis
upward more, and the pressure eased. “That better?” he asked and
she nodded. His breath rushed out, but he didn’t move again. He
cupped her mound with his palm, and his thumb circled her clit.
Moisture flowed through her body again, and she relaxed more and he
pulled back a little and moved forward again making short strokes.
His incredible cock brushed a spot inside of her. The same spot
over and over. A long low groan built in her chest and worked its
way past her vocal chords.

“
Oh, yes…wow,” she panted, as he
increased his pace little by little, went a little deeper. All Tina
could do was rotate her hips with him and hang on for the
incredible ride Dean Dixon was taking her on. The ride of a
lifetime. The best ride ever, better than any rollercoaster. She
reached high to grab for the incredible orgasm building inside of
her with each thrust he made. When it slammed into her, Tina
crumbled into a million tiny pieces that splintered off in every
direction. Like it came from the end of a tunnel, she heard Dean
roar his own release as his fingers dug deep into her hips with his
final thrust.

When she found her breath, and the pieces of
her mind, Tina opened her eyes. Dean was still inside of her, still
hard. He was staring up at the moon, and she could almost see his
heart beating in the center of his muscular chest.

“
You okay?” she asked in a raw
whisper, putting her hand on his forearm.

He nodded, but he still didn’t look at her.
His grip on her thighs was so tight, her feet were going numb now.
She unclasped her feet from his waist and laughed. “There’s not a
damned thing rusty about you, mister. Did you um…”

Dean looked at her then. “What do you think?”
he asked and huffed out a breath, as he slowly withdrew and lowered
her down to the ground. He pushed back from her and stood, then
walked off into the woods.

So much for cuddling, she thought, as she
reached for her shirt and pulled it over her head. Typical man. In
that department, he wasn’t in any different league than any other
man she’d been with. In other ways, he was in a whole different
ballpark. Tina got to her knees and flinched, then crawled over to
grab her skirt. Considering the kind of man he was, she shouldn’t
expect warm and fuzzy from him. Dean Dixon just wasn’t that kind of
man. He was about as cuddly as a porcupine.

“
Why the hell are you getting
dressed?” he asked gruffly, stopping to stand by her, looking like
a sculpted Greek god dressed only in the moonlight.

“
Well, we’re, ah, done, right?”
Tina asked with a short laugh.

A slow, sexy smile broke over the lower half
of his face. Her inner muscles tensed. “Not nearly, buttercup. I
have a lot of ground to make up. But we’re moving this party to
somewhere a little more comfortable. I have a deer stand over
there, and I always keep blankets up there.”

“
A deer stand?” she yelped. The
only ones she had ever seen in magazines were up in trees. Tina did
not climb trees. She didn’t like heights at all. But another round
of what she’d just gotten from this man would definitely be
incentive.

“
Mama’s got the kids all night, and
I plan on getting my fill of you by the time the sun comes up. I
don’t know when this will happen again.” He extended his hand to
her, and she stared at it for a second, holding her skirt to her
chest. His face fell, and dropped his hand to his side. Tina
dropped the skirt to grab his hand with both of hers.