Maverick (Star Valley Book 3) (5 page)

“Leah,” she gasped, stung by the alcohol on her tongue.

“I’m Austin. Are you from here, Leah? Or just visiting?”

“I’m from Cody,” she replied, blinking rapidly against the tilting room. “I’m in town for a wedding.”

He grinned. “Not your own, I hope.”

“What? No. No, not me.”

He looked at her, gaze turning a bit more serious. “You’re old enough, right? To get married?” He nodded toward the table where Candace and the others were sitting. “They served you, at least.”

“I’m twenty-one.”

“Good to know,” he replied in a way that made Leah want to ask why, exactly. Part of her was afraid he’d tell her. Suddenly he reached up, toward her shoulder. “Your hair’s getting a little wild,” he declared.

Leah grabbed his hand, terrified he was about to touch her hair. She pushed him away as quickly as she could before he accidentally humiliated her in front of a bar full of strangers.

Instead of letting go, though, his fingers entwined with hers. His hand felt warm and solid and it dwarfed her own. She’d had enough liquid courage to last a whole year. She swallowed hard and looked down at the obviously hand-carved boots he was wearing. “I like your boots.”

“What?” he murmured, wine-dark lips moving slowly around his grin. “
Boots.
Yeah,
boots
.”

Heat creeped up Leah’s face as she realized his eyes had dipped from her eyes to her chest. The bra was drawing way too much attention to her, attention she wasn’t used to having. Unable to stop her own wandering eyes, they slid over his mouth, down his long throat, over his broad chest and down to his crotch which was bulging behind what looked like a brand-new pair of Wranglers.

He caught her looking and she glanced away, embarrassed and fighting the swirl in her head from the whiskey. He didn’t let go of her hand, instead he drew her in closer. He smelled like aftershave, soap, and possibly something dangerous. “What do you want, Leah?” he asked quietly, fingers stroking the back of her hand.

Leah turned back and was caught again by his gaze, unable to look away from those deep, dark pools. Her fingers flexed in his. “I want you to keep touching me,” she whispered.

‡

A
ustin grinned and
kept his hold on her hand. “Where?”

Her cheeks flushed again and her eyes were sparking blue in the dim light of the bar. “Everywhere,” she said breathlessly.

His smile only widened. “Good to know, but I meant here in the bar? Or upstairs in my room?” He was holding her hand as much to keep touching her (because he liked it, too) and to keep her from collapsing, which she might do at any moment. Or run. She might turn and flee and Austin already knew that he’d chase her. He’d do anything to keep looking into those eyes.

“Um,” she replied, sucking her lower lip into her mouth.

He really wanted to do that for her. Instead, he gave her a reassuring smile. “I intended to spend the evening with a pretty girl and now I’ve found one. What a relief. It’s entirely up to you what we do with our night.”

She hesitated, then reached again for his glass and drank down what was left.

“Slow down, girl,” he cautioned. “We’ve got all night.”

“I can’t slow down. I’ve got a long list,” she said curiously.

“I hope I’m on it.”

Thankfully, she nodded. “You’re at the top.” She set down the glass and took a deep breath. “Let’s go.”

His grin widened. “Yes, ma’am.”

The bartender gave him a wink and he left the man a big tip. He picked up his glass trophy in one hand and held Leah’s with the other. “What is that?” she asked, peering at it.

“That…is my award.”

“It’s pretty,” she declared as they left the bar. “Award for what?”

“For a gamble that paid off.”

“Do you gamble a lot?”

Austin pushed the call button and drew her in closer. “Yep. But I almost always hit the jackpot.”

“Are you gambling on me?”

He laughed as the bell indicating the car had arrived sounded. “Darlin’, if all I did now was walk you back to your room and go to sleep in mine, then I’ve already won. I’ve got a pretty girl on my arm and a shiny new award for my shelf and I’d say that’s coming out a little better than even.”

The doors slid open to reveal an empty, mirrored car. “Looks like my luck is holding out.” He ushered her in quickly and pressed the Close Door button until it whispered shut, leaving them all to themselves. He rapped the button for the top floor, where his room was located, and then pushed her against the mirror and brought his lips down over hers. She tasted like the whiskey she’d swiped from him and she smelled like flowers.

“The elevator might stop!” she rasped as he trailed kisses down her neck. “Someone might see us.”

“I’m still feeling lucky,” he growled, nipping her shoulder. “I’m willing to risk it.”

“I’m never lucky.”

“You’re about to be,” he told her. “
If you want it.
”

She gripped both his arms and pulled him closer. “Oh, God, I do,” she whispered in his ear.

“Excellent.”

He skimmed his hands along her waist, down over her hips, and began inching the lower half of her dress up her thighs.

She gasped. “
Here?
”

“No, not here,” he chuckled. He’d much rather get her alone, where there were so many more options. “Just a preview. I just want to look.” He drew up the fabric while pulling her bottom lip into his mouth, sucking it gently. He gave her plenty of time to change her mind as his fingertips dragged over her soft skin. Finally he pulled away, just enough, to glance down at a pair of black lace panties. “Well. It seems I’ve lied.”

She looked up at him with her wide, blue eyes. “What? Lied?”

“I said I just wanted to look. But now I want to touch.” He moved in closer and pressed his palm to her skin.

She gasped.

“Keep your dress up,” he ordered gently as he raked his fingers down the rough fabric of the waistband toward the smooth lower half. Her belly quivered as he explored the silky feel beneath his fingertips. She radiated warmth and excitement.

He almost lost his balance, sauced as he was, when the elevator slowed and stop with a small jolt. He rocketed away from her just as the ding sounded overhead. A quick check at the car’s illuminated numbers told him they weren’t at the top floor yet. He cursed silently as the doors slid open.

The man stepped on and Austin shuffled to the side of the small compartment, throwing an arm around Leah and bringing her with him until they stood hip to hip. He began ticking up the back of her dress again with his hand. Leah looked horrified but said nothing, nor moved away, out of reach.

As the two of them stood at the back, the older man glanced over his shoulder and gave them a sheepish look. “The ice bins are only on every other floor.”

Leah held her breath, apparently, but Austin nodded. “Thanks for the heads up,” he replied with a smile. “I’ve never been here before.” His hand slipped underneath her dress and cupped her bottom at that moment. “I’m glad I don’t have to waste time trying to find what I want.”

They all rode up in silence, with Leah’s cheeks (possibly both sets) burning. Austin rubbed her lower set slowly, tracing a finger along the elastic that disappeared between her thighs. She didn’t move away. In fact, she didn’t move at all. His trapped little rabbit. This was the most fun he’d ever had hunting.

They reached the top floor and exited the car, turning left where the man in search of ice headed right. Austin gave him a polite nod and then moved swiftly to his room, with Leah in tow.

“Oh, my God!” she whispered fiercely. “We almost got caught! You are so, so bad!”

Austin snorted as he swiped the plastic card. “You’re about to find out how bad.” As the door closed behind them, he tugged on her arm, just above the elbow. She turned, half-stumbled, and fell into his arms. He wrapped them around her as his lips finally—
finally
—touched hers again. He dipped his tongue into her mouth and she obliged, parting her lips for him. Almost to the bed now, he reached for the zipper on the back of her dress but she stopped him quickly. “Oh, don’t do that.”

Austin leaned back, looking down at her quizzically. Was she changing her mind? God he hoped not. “Don’t take off your clothes?”

“Um…” She bit her lip and looked up at him. “Let’s not do it that way.”

Austin cocked his head to the side and grinned at her, amused. “I’m always up for learning new tricks. How do you propose we have sex with our clothes on, darlin’?”

“Not all our clothes,” she said quickly. “Leave your boots on.”

“Oh, now that sounds…interesting.” He didn’t know what game she was playing but he knew he’d win, whatever it was. He moved in suddenly, placing his hands on her hips, and pushed her back against the hotel room wall and lifting her to her toes. “So, like this, huh?” he asked, pressing his jean-clad erection right into the cleft between her thighs.

She gasped.

“A slow, comfortable screw up against a wall, huh?” he murmured in her ear as he gripped her thighs. “If I weren’t already so fucking drunk, I’d call downstairs and order us a round of them.” He set her down on the floor and sank to his knees in front of her where he pulled down her panties and let them drop. He placed his hands just above her knees and squeezed. “Lift your dress for me again.”

“Oh, god,” she protested but reached down anyway.

“Lift it high,” he ordered and waited patiently. “If I can’t look at those tits, I’m going to look at your pussy.”

She giggled and tugged at the hem. The fabric slid over her thighs like a curtain. He was certainly ready for a show. “Nice,” he growled approvingly as she revealed a thatch of soft curls, neatly trimmed. “A real blonde.”

“I think you’re the devil.”

“Well, I am very horny.”

It was a terrible joke but they both laughed, anyway. The whiskey gave the room (and the girl) a nice, warm haze that felt almost like home. Austin moved his hands up her thighs. “Spread your legs now,” he told her.

“This…this is not…”

He could tell his little rabbit was getting awfully nervous now, on display like this. “I won’t touch you, I promise.”

Startled, she looked down at him. “You…you won’t touch me?”

“Nope. I give you my word as a vaquero, as a man of honor. I won’t touch that sweet, pretty little pussy of yours. Just let me take a peek.”

“You lied before,” she reminded him.

“I did,” he slurred, “but I did not give you my word as a vaquero…and I am now. I’m only going to look this time, rabbit. I will not touch.”

She hesitated, then lifted one of her high heels accordingly. “A real, live cowboy,” she sighed as he ran his hands along her lower belly. “
A vaquero
. I’ve lived here all my life and never knew one…like this.”

She tensed as he moved his fingers over her, as if waiting for him to break his promise. He skimmed her sweat-slicked skin all around, her hips, her thighs, inching closer but drawing back every time. Not one fingertip brushed over those downy soft curls. He chuckled at her nervousness and traced a line down the crease of her thigh. She gasped and jumped. “I’m still not touching you,” he pointed out.

She pushed out toward him, grunting in frustration.

He laughed. “Problem, little rabbit?”

“Damn it, Austin! Will you stop?”

He leaned back on his heels, pulling his hands away and resting them on his own thighs. “Stop?”

“No, damn it!” she snapped. “Don’t stop!
Start!
”

“Start what?”

She growled—actually
growled
—at him.

He tried not to laugh.

“You know!” she hissed.

“Nah, I’m just a country boy, little rabbit. I’m afraid you’re going to have to tell me what that means.”

She growled at him again, this time clenching her hands into fists, and he suppressed another grin, one that was likely to get him a smack in the face at any moment. “Touch me!” she demanded. “Like before, in the elevator. Oh, God. Just do it.
Just touch me.
”

“Yes, ma’am,” he drawled and moved closer again. He ran his fingers along her slit. Her lips were hot and swollen. When he parted her, he could feel the scorching heat of her core on his palm, along with her increasing wetness. She rode his hand, without needing instruction or encouragement. Whatever anxiety she’d felt earlier seemed to have melted away.

Leah ground herself on his hand, pushing her clit into him, and groaning in frustration and pleasure. He pretended a bit longer that he didn’t know what she wanted, what she needed, just to see how far she’d go to get it for herself. Her thighs squeezed him hard and she finally reached down to place her own hand over his. She pressed harder, rode faster, squeezed tighter and gasped.

Austin had just enough sense left to realize she was about to give herself an orgasm and he hadn’t even gotten inside her yet. “Don’t ride off without me,” he growled suddenly and lurched to his feet. She hissed and slammed back against the wall.

“I’ve got a condom in my bag,” he told her, starting to turn away.

She clawed at him, pulling him back. “You don’t need one. It’s okay.”