9781631051289TemptedbytheCowboySullivan (11 page)

A low growl rumbled in his chest. “I don’t want to. I’m
pretty damned horny right now.”

“So am I, but you’ll have to have fun without me until
then.”

“Bullshit on that noise
. I’ll
wait for you. Don’t keep me waiting very long. I’m not a patient man when it
comes to pussy.”

“Damn, I wish I hadn’t made plans tonight.”

“Me either, babe, me either.”

“I guess I’ll talk to you later then,” she whispered into
the phone. “You know I’
d kiss you silly right now if
I was there. Slide my tongue along your neck, bite you on the shoulder. Fuck,
I’m horny.”

“Quit teasing me or I’ll crash your party no matter who is
there.”

“Sheila.”

“Sheila?”

“Yeah.
That’s who is coming
over for our girl’s n
ight. Oh and Mandy. I also
invited Paige even though she can’t drink. We haven’t had a chance to catch up
lately.”

“What are you going to watch?”

“Probably some chick flick with blubbering, hot men and
nakedness.”

“Oh?”

“Magic Mike or something.”

“Isn’t that like a stripper movie?” he asked, gripping the
steering wheel. Why all of the sudden did he not like her looking at other men,
sleeping with other men or anything else with another man. This was stupid. He
didn’t need to get involved with her o
n any regular
basis.

Too late.

“I better go. The girl’s will be here soon and I have to go
to the liquor store for alcohol yet.”

“Be good.”

“I will. No worries there, cowboy. I kind of like the idea
of a steady guy and a steady lay.”

“You do? I thought
you didn’t
want a relationship?”

“Who said anything about a relationship? Dating isn’t a
relationship.”

“I’m the only man in your bed though.”

“Yes, you are. I don’t spread myself thin like that. There
is no use sleeping with more than one. It gets kind of
messy doing that. You know, keeping names straight and all.”

“Peyton,” he growled.

She laughed. “Bye, Jason.”

The phone clicked in his ear. She had him tied up in knots
and she was laughing about it like a schoolgirl. He wasn’t sure he liked the
way this
thing was turning, but he wasn’t sure how to
stop it spiraling out of control.

* * * *

Peyton hung up the phone and smiled. Why the whole
situation seemed to lift her spirits beyond the stars, she wasn’t sure. She
kind of liked having Jason Young wrapped around her little finger. He wanted
her. That much was clear, but how much?
A lot appare
ntly.

Her phone rang again. This time Mandy’s name came up on the
caller ID.

“Are we still on?”

“Yep.
There will be four of
us.”

“Four?”

“I invited Paige to hang out too although she can’t drink.”

“Okay. Are you going to get booze?”

“Yep.
On my way there n
ow.”

“Who were you talking to before? Your phone went right to
voicemail when I called a few minutes ago.”

“Jason.”

“Jason Young?”

“Yeah.”

“Since when are you dating him? He’s like a total playboy.”

“Just recently.
We’ve only done a few
things together.
No
thin
’ serious.”

“A few things like what?”

“The shower.
His bed.
My bed.”

“You fucked him?”

“Hell yeah.
Fabulous sex with a hot guy.
Are you kidding me?”

“Wow.”

She chewed her bottom lip for a minute wondering whether
she should ask what was on her mind.
Wh
at the hell.
“You haven’t done him,
have you, Mandy?”

“Hell no.
Not that I wouldn’t
given
the chance, but I’ve
never had the occasion to.”

Peyton exhaled sharply and answered, “Good.”

“You were totally worried, weren’t you?”

“Uh, yeah.
He’s been with a lot
of women in this town. I’m just not sure who.”

“I don’t know if he’s done Shelia though. You’ll have to
ask her.”

“I’m not sure if I want to know. I mean, that was before
me, right?”

“Sure it was, honey. Sure it was.”

She didn’t like
where her
thoughts were headed. “I’m going to go so I can hit the liquor store. See you
in about two hours.”

“Sure. I’m bringing the popcorn. Sheila has the ice cream.
What is Paige bringing?”

“Chips and dip.”

“Awesome.
Lots
of junk food to eat while we wa
tch some chick
flicks.”

“Talk to you in a bit.”

“Sure. Bye.”

She hung up the phone and then pressed it to her forehead.
Her thoughts went haywire thinking about Jason with another woman even though
she knew he’d been with plenty. It didn’t mean she had to
like it. Nope, not one bit.

When she pulled back into her driveway about an hour later,
she noticed Paige sitting on the porch with a bottle of water. “Did I tell you
the wrong time?”

“No, I figured I’d come early.”

“What’s wrong? You look like you’ve bee
n crying.”

“Nothing.
I got into a fight
with Jacob. That’s all.”

“Hang on. Let me open the door. We’ll get something to
drink and you can tell me about it.” Peyton opened the front door, bringing the
bags of alcohol with her. She’d offer Paige a drink, but
she knew that wasn’t going to work with her being pregnant and all.

“So what happened?” she asked as she set the bottles on the
counter in the kitchen.

She liked her small house on the edge of town. She couldn’t
have animals or anything there without fen
cing off
part of the yard, but she had a little porch with a couple of rocking chairs on
it, a nice living room with leather furniture, a modern kitchen with granite
countertops and stainless steel appliances, two bedrooms and two bathrooms. The
yard wasn’
t very big, but she had a garden with some
flowers so she was happy.

Paige was quiet for several minutes, but she didn’t want to
push. Peyton arranged the bottles on the counter to give
herself
something to do. Being the woman friend
felt foreign to her so
she wasn’t sure how to handle
this situation, but when she heard a muffled sob coming from her friend, she
turned around to take her in her arms. “It’ll be okay.”

“I’m not so sure.”

“What did you fight over?”

Tears rolled down Paige’s face, making Peyton
choke up herself, before she blurted out, “He wants two
boys!”

Peyton did a double take. “You fought over the sex of the
babies?”

“Yes. He insists that it’s two boys. I think
it’s
two girls even though
I want one of each. We got in a huge fight and he walk
ed
out. He left, Peyton. What if he doesn’t come back?”

“Honey, listen to yourself. This is silly. He loves you.
Besides, what difference does it make whether the babies are boys or girls?
You’ll love them no matter what sex they are and so will he.”

“I’m
being silly, huh.” Paige
sniffed as she wiped the tears on her face.

“Yes you are, but
it’s
hormones, honey. You’re full of them right now and
everything that man says is either going to piss you off or make you love him
all the more.”

“You’re right. This
is silly. I’m
going to call him.” Paige grabbed her purse and then wiped her face as she
pulled out her phone.

Peyton went into the pantry in the corner to get the cups
and other things they would need as she listened to the one-sided conversation
from P
aige to Jacob. “Hi, honey. I’m so sorry I got
so upset with you. It’s my fault. Peyton says it’s the hormones, but I wanted
you to know I don’t care whether the babies are boys or girls. I love you. I
want a family with you.”

Apparently Jacob made her cry
again
as Paige began to sniff back tears.

“I love you too. No, I’m okay. I won’t be driving tonight.
I’m staying at Peyton’s. Okay. I’ll see you in the morning.”

She heard Paige hang up as she arranged the chips in a bowl
and mixed the onion dip into the
sour cream. “All
better?”

“Yeah.
Sorry.”

“No problem. That’s what friends are for.”

“So what is going on between you and Jason?”

“Nothing.
Why?”

“I heard you two had raunchy sex at his place last week.”

“Where did you hear that?”

“Jacob.”

She jammed her ha
nds on her hips.
Men!
“Man, those boys don’t
know how to keep anything a secret, do they?”

“They’re brothers. They talk amongst themselves especially
when it has to do with a woman.”

“What else did Jacob say?”

“That you two looked cute together.” Paige
popped a chip into her mouth. “Are you dating?” she asked,
in between bites.

“I wouldn’t call it that yet.”

“So just non-committal
sex?”
Paige asked, taking another chip and dragging it through
the French onion dip.

“Yep,” she said as she shooed Paige away
so she could set the bowls on the table.

“How is he?”

“Um, fine. Why?”

“I mean is he good in bed?”

“I would say so although I don’t have a lot to compare to.”
She blushed to the roots of her hair at the admission. Why she felt she
couldn’t just say it wit
hout blushing, she wasn’t
sure. It wasn’t something to be ashamed of, right? “Good God! I don’t ask you
how Jacob is in bed. What’s with the questions?”

“I just wondered since he has such a reputation with the
women in Bandera.”

“Yeah, I know.” She slapped
the
spoon on the table. “I don’t need to hear about it.”

Paige raised her hands.
“Easy girl.
I was just
askin
’.”

“Well don’t ask. I don’t care who he’s slept with. He’s
with me at the moment and that’s all that matters.”

Paige wrapped her arms around Peyt
on’s
shoulders and pulled her in for a hug. “Yes it is.”

The doorbell rang and Peyton went to answer it, expecting
Sheila and Mandy any minute. The other two ladies were standing together at the
door when she opened it up. “Come in.”