The Discreet Cowboy (Cowboys of Nirvana Book 6) (8 page)

“I’m parked over here.” Dade pointed, but she couldn’t see exactly where he was referring to through the downpour. She’d just have to follow him, which wasn’t a bad thing. He filled out his Wranglers in a way that made her curious if his buns were as tight as they appeared. It was only a matter of research, of course.

Dade made a dash into the rain and Felicia looked down at her heels.
This might be an issue.
She started to slip them off when she heard a sound behind her, a cackling laugh.

“Hey, pretty lady. Where you taking off so fast without my digits?”

The slurred masculine voice made her stomach twist. She looked over her shoulder and saw her worst nightmare—Tom with the neon-white teeth. He was stumbling her way, rather quickly for someone who could barely walk a straight line. She groaned, doubting he would even remember his number. “I’ll have to pass, big guy.” She started back down the sidewalk, searching through the rain for Dade. Where did he go?

“Ahh, come on. I bet you and I could have a real good time together. If you ain’t into my partner, you and me could go back to my room. I’m sure I have something you’d like.” He gripped the crotch of his jeans.

“No, I have someone waiting for me.”

“Oh now, what does he have that I don’t have?” Tom sneered and unzipped his pants, reaching in and dragging out his limp penis. He gave it two jerks, but nothing happened.

Is he being serious?
She kept her eyes steady on his brows. “Look, Tom. I have no intention of climbing between the sheets with you, let alone ever calling. You should put that thing away, zip your pants, and go back inside.” She started to turn, but he caught her on the elbow and all she could think was how different his painful grip compared to Dade’s gentle, warm touch on the same spot of her body.

“I’d let go of the lady’s arm. It’s in your best interest.”

Felicia brought her chin around and relief spread through her. Dade stood a few feet away, soaked. Rain dripped off his hat, falling to his drenched boots. “I thought you were following me?” he asked her, his jaw tight.

“I got sidetracked.” She jutted her chin toward drunken, obnoxious wanna-be cowboy.

“Who are you?” Tom slurred.

“Nunya. Now unhand the lady so we can be on our way.”

“Well, Nunya…,” Tom said, sending saliva shooting out of his mouth. He wobbled closer. “the lady and I were having a conversation.”

“No we weren’t,” she said.

“I was about to give the sweetheart my number.” He leaned a hand against the pole of the awning as if to support himself.

“And again, no.” Felicia couldn’t believe the balls this man had—or rather that he didn’t have.

“The lady said no. Take it to heart and get on back inside the bar. Sounds like they’re playing your song,
Achy Breaky Heart
.”

Tom squinted. “Who do you think you are, boy? Trying to tell me what to do. Why don’t you take your crippled ass inside, buy yourself another drink and let me and Miss Purty get back to business.”

Dade’s jaw tightened and Felicia saw the change in his expression, but he still appeared fairly calm and in control.

“Ignore the man. Let’s go,” Felicia said.

“Hey, don’t turn your back on me,” Tom mumbled.

“Fuck off, asshole.” She shook her head.

“An asshole? You fucking, bitch! I have half a mind to…”

“You don’t even have half a mind left, so don’t throw around any threats.” She laughed. “And here’s some free advice. Stop giving sneak peaks of the goods. It’s only an embarrassment.”

“I’ll show you—”

The drunken man reached out, but Dade was quicker. He smacked ol’ Suave hard in the shin with his cane. Tom hinged forward, clinging to the pole like it was a lifeline. “You fucking bastard. I’ll get you for this.” He clutched his calf, balancing on one leg.

“Come on, let’s go.” Dade motioned for Felicia to go ahead of him, which she quickly moved into the rain, feeling the wetness seeping through her clothing and into her bra and panties.

She heard a thumping sound and turned just in time to see Tom rushing toward Dade who had his back turned. The cane slipped and went flying while Dade’s injured leg slid on the wet pavement. Tom’s fist landed in Dade’s jaw, sending him onto his back into a puddle. Felicia rushed to his side and a chuckling Tom was already slithering back, rubbing his fist in both pleasure and pain. He disappeared inside of the bar.

“Are you okay?” She helped Dade sit up.

He rubbed his jaw and sighed. “No, I hate soaked boxers. There’s nothing worse than a wet ass twice in one night.”

CHAPTER FOUR

DADE RUBBED HIS sore jaw as he leaned against the cold cement wall of the hotel. At least he had enough awning to keep from getting wet from the pouring down rain, not that it mattered because he was already soaked to the bone. The only thing dry were his toes, thanks to a good pair of boots. Puddles had already formed in the parking lot and, along the flowerbeds, a small creek had developed along the building.

He was in a shitload of trouble. He and Felicia had driven toward Nirvana, but once they got to the bridge, as he’d suspected, it was out and no one was crossing tonight.

Chase was going to kick his ass for keeping Felicia out all night, but taking the truck without letting someone know was just as bad. Just what Dade needed.

He pulled his cell out of his pocket and checked for service. None.
Figures
. He moved the phone a few inches to the right and left, hoping to see a bar or two pop on the screen, but he was shit-out-of-luck. They were stranded with no way of letting Chase know.

Real great.

He’d probably lose his job before this was all over. His stomach twisted.

His ego wasn’t doing so great either. He could have kicked Tom’s drunk ass, but the truth was, the bastard had caught him by surprise, causing Dade to lose his balance. It had only been a matter of time before he had gone down, the fist in the jaw was only a bonus for the drunk. “You suck.” Dade slapped the thigh of his left leg that was hurting like hell. Thankfully, Tom hit like a pussy. Nothing was broken or that a few hours couldn’t heal. Come tomorrow, Dade might have a small bruise, but tonight his ego needed stroking.

There was a bigger issue that he had to contend with. His dick was as hard as a cue stick. Had been since the second Felicia walked into his arms on the dance floor. The brushing of her soft body against his had made every cell come alive to the point he’d been scared to death he’d come right there in his jeans. He would have never lived down the humiliation.

He couldn’t lose his head. Felicia was off limits. Plain and simple.

He looked across the sidewalk, catching a glimpse of her through the large window where she stood in the lobby. She was getting two rooms, saying it was the least she could do after she’d been so much trouble. She wasn’t kidding. Since she’d walked onto Nirvana, he’d been a square block trying to fit into a round hole.

She bent forward, signing something, and her long hair fell over her shoulder. With a delicate hand, she swept the thick mass off her neck, showing off a sliver of the silken skin that he wanted to kiss. As if she knew what he was thinking, she looked at him, her lovely eyes eating him up and her smile flicking his heart like the strings of a guitar. He’d never wanted to get into a woman’s pants more in his life. It was like he had the devil on one shoulder and an angel on the other, both at a tug of war on how he should behave.

She turned her attention back to the young man behind the service desk. She was slightly bent over, her bottom sticking out just enough to make a man sweat bullets. The hem of the dress had risen on her leg, showing off more skin. He groaned and squeezed the bridge of his nose. He allowed his mind to wander down a dead end road with images of her, on her knees, bending in front of him with her long silken hair falling over her bare breasts. His cock pressed his zipper until he thought he’d lose the button.

Soon, he’d be in his room, alone, under the spray of a long cold shower and he’d be fine—probably not, but it was the best he could be under the circumstances. Once they were back at Nirvana, he’d have no problem keeping his hands off Chase’s sister.

When she came back out, she was dangling one key. “We have a minor problem, cowboy.”

“I wouldn’t expect things to go any differently tonight.”

“They only had one available room. The rodeo has all of the places booked. This particular room had been under repair until hours ago and why, if you think about it, luck is in our corner.”

He scratched his jaw. There went his date with a cold shower. “No problem. Not one bit.” He didn’t mean one word.

“We’re adults. We can handle this,” she said cheerfully.

If only she could see into my thoughts
. “You’re right. I’ll sleep out in the truck.” Much safer.

“Uhh, no you won’t. I got you into this mess and I wouldn’t hear of you sleeping out in the cold truck all night.”

“It’s spring. How cold could it actually get?” The cold might actually be what he needed to fix the problem with his misbehaving cock.

“No one is sleeping in the truck. You act as if you’ve never shared a bed with a woman before. If I bite, it’ll only be a nibble and all of my shots are up to date.” She winked and laughed. “Now I’m wet and would love to get undressed as soon as possible. Let’s go find this room—251.”

He couldn’t have argued if he wanted to because he was somewhere stuck between ‘wet’ and ‘undressed’. Those words, put together, conjured up an image of her naked, in a hotel room, or in a cave for all he cared, with no one around to know what happened between them.

Hell, I’d know
.

He couldn’t do that to his buddy. This was his sister, for God’s sake. There was some unwritten code. Men don’t sleep with their friends’ sister no matter what the circumstance.

He’d treat her like he would a buddy.
Yeah, that’s the answer.

“Doesn’t look too bad,” he said once they stepped into the room. He leaned his cane against the wall, hopped onto the bed and stretched out, his leg already feeling better.

“Yeah, if you don’t mind stinky carpets, thin curtains, lumpy beds, and comforters that haven’t been washed in years.”

He looked at her, narrowing his gaze. “That’s not true.”

“Yes it is. I watched a show where this man goes into hotels located all over the country and investigates how clean they are. In ninety-five percent of the rooms that he investigated, he found bodily fluids on the blankets.”

There wasn’t a sliver of humor to her expression. He jumped up, tore the flowered blanket from the bed and tossed it onto the nearby chair. “I’ll have to have faith that the owners believe in clean sheets.” He laid back down and kicked off his boots. He bounced up and down. “The mattress isn’t too bad. A few lumps here and there won’t hurt anyone.”

“There went any idea I had of you sleeping in the bathtub.” She laughed. He lifted a brow in question. “I’m only teasing. I promise to keep my hands to myself tonight.”

He stared. Did he really want her to keep her hands off?

“Relax, Dade. You look like you could spit nails. By the way, you need ice for the cheek.”

Her smile made him want to kiss her. He’d give a month’s wages just to have a chance to sample the cherry flavored lip tint again. “Nah, I’ll live. I’ve been stung harder by a bee.”

“Suit yourself, but you’re going to have a black eye.”

“I’m not worried about the black eye. Chase will do more than that once we get back to Nirvana.”

She laid a palm on her tilted hip. “We’re not doing anything wrong.”

“Let me list the issues.” He sat up and lifted one finger. “First, I’m supposed to be watching over you and making sure you don’t get into trouble. I failed. You managed to steal my clothes and leave me locked in a room. And just so you know, I’m still not over that. Two,” he held up another digit, “I left the ranch without telling anyone.”

She lifted a shoulder and let it drop. “So, we’re not prisoners.”

“I have the ranch truck and after Chase realizes we’re both missing, he’ll jump to conclusions like most older, protective brothers would. He’ll believe I took advantage of you.”

“Dade,
you
take advantage of
me
?” She laughed.

“I don’t think I like where you’re headed.”

“I’ll explain everything to Chase. If anything, he’ll be upset with me, but he’ll see that you were innocent in all of this.”

“Fair warning, no brother ever thinks another man is innocent when it comes to a motel room and his sister sharing it.”

Her eyes met his and she smiled again—a full one that reached in and stole all of his preserve. How could she do that? “Sure. That just shows the ignorance of pompous men.”

“You make sure if you tell him that he’s pompous you let him know that I fully disagree.”

“Look at you. I can see straight into you.”

Oh, Lord.
He sure hoped she couldn’t. “No you can’t.”

“You agree. He’s pompous.”

“No, I don’t.” He pulled off his hat and tossed it onto the table. “Don’t push your luck. It could be you sleeping in the tub.”

“Speaking of, I call dibbs on the shower first. I can’t wait to get this thing off.” She pulled at the material of her dress and it made a
sloshing
sound.

He shrugged. “Sure. I’ll just watch something.” He reached for the remote and clicked the power button.

“The shower’s big enough for two,” she called from the bathroom a minute later.

He blinked and his body turned rock solid. Was she teasing him? Damn, he could never tell with her. That’s partly what he found fascinating. He turned the volume up a notch. Better to pretend he didn’t hear a word she said.

“Well, hot damn. It has one of those warming lamps,” she yelled.

He still didn’t respond, then he heard the door close.

The water came on in the shower. His heart kicked up in speed and he felt like he had a tornado in his pants. He closed his eyes and dropped his head back into the pillow, willing his body to relax, but all he could think about was Felicia in the shower with the water pouring over her bare breasts, slender hips, and long legs. Her rubbing the soap over her skin, slicking every nook and cranny, her nipples hard tipped and desiring a...

Stop right there!

Damn, he was a man…what man wouldn’t be overcome with these uncontrollable thoughts of a seductive woman? Felicia was pretty—no, she was beautiful. From long hair that hung perfectly against her cheeks to every soft curve and enticing bend, she was all woman.

A woman like her wouldn’t want a man like him, though. She probably had a dozen, rich, successful men banging down her door. And here he was, half a cowboy who didn’t have anything to do besides babysit the boss’ sister. Dade sniffed and groaned, suddenly overcome with the need to pull his boots back on and stomp to the bar and put ol’ Tom in his place. But Dade had more sense than that. Even if he could beat Tom’s ass into the ground, what bragging right would Dade get? No, a man never had to prove himself when it came to a drunken peckerhead.

He turned up the volume of the TV higher to drown out the sound of the shower, and climbed out of the bed. He spotted cups, packets of coffee, crème and sugar. By the time the last cup brewed into the foam cup, the door came open to the bathroom and his jaw dropped to the floor. It took him a good ten seconds to pull himself out of his cocoon of a teenage boy like crush.

“What are you doing?” he asked, fully aware that there was a tug to his tone.

She smiled. “Is that a trick question?”

“You’re not dressed.” Damn, why couldn’t he keep the emotion from his voice?

“I have a towel wrapped around me.”

“That’s a towel? It’s no bigger than a rag.”

“Are you complaining?” Brows came up over curious eyes.

“No…yes…. well, no.” He should just shut up before he made a bigger fool of himself. He stomped passed her. “I made you a cup of coffee. I thought it’d help warm you up. I’m taking a shower,” he muttered.

“I saved you plenty of hot water,” she called after him.

“Don’t worry. I’ll be standing under cold water until I turn into an ice cube,” he muttered as he closed the door.

And that’s exactly what he did. He stood under the cold spray until his dick had crawled into a place he didn’t know was possible. But just as soon as he was out of the tub and drying off, his issue came back, harder and stronger than ever. He scrubbed his hair, groaning into the material of the cotton. Fuck! This was going to be one long night.

He shook his head and looked at himself in the fogged mirror.
Get yourself together, fast
.

Ten minutes later, still reeling, he stepped into the outer room, searching for Felicia. She’d exchanged the itty bitty towel for a sheet. It covered more of her body, but he wondered if he should tell her that he could see straight through the white material. Every line. Every curve. Every puckered, swollen body part. Maybe if he started walking now, he could swim across the water and make it to Nirvana because if he wasn’t careful, he was about to take a detour that would land him in deeper water.

“Feel better?” she asked.

Hell no.
“Sure.”

“I see you have your clothes back on. Were they dry?”

Yeah, I’d steam pressed them with the heat of my body when I saw you step out of the bathroom
. “Yup.”

She strolled across the space until they were toe to toe and she was looking up at him. She touched his cheek and he flinched, causing her to jerk her hand back. “I’m sorry. Does that hurt?”