Cocky Cowboy: A Second Chance Romance (Cocker Brothers of Atlanta Book 3) (14 page)

A
s Jaxson sets
my two suitcases down inside the door, I walk around his farmhouse with new eyes.

It’s my home now, too.

He stayed two nights with me in New York to help me pack up and take care of things, and then get some sleep before we flew here.

Since I had little at Sylvia’s house, it really just entailed our going to the post office to change my address, the dry cleaner to pick up some clothes I wasn’t willing to leave behind, and to my storage unit. We sent my personal items and keepsakes here via U.P.S. — they’ll be coming soon. And then I signed a form giving the company permission to auction off the rest of my unit. The furniture was all bought with Ryan. I didn’t want or need it anymore.

My best friend got a chance to spend some time with Jaxson over wine and pizza the three of us shared last night, sitting around her coffee table.

She asked a lot of questions about his ranch and he answered her with his usual brevity, happiness lighting his eyes. I filled in what he left out, like how he touches each of his cows in the mornings as they head out to graze and how some of them have very distinct, social personalities.

Though my leaving the city saddened her, she confessed to me, “I guessed that might happen when he called.”

I’d been holed up in her apartment and she could see I wasn’t happy in New York anymore.

When Jaxson excused himself to use the bathroom she and I watched him walk away. He glanced over his shoulder. “Are you both checking out my ass?”

We grinned and Sylvia wagged her finger at him. “I like you.” As soon as the door shut, she whispered to me, “I’m so happy for you, honey.”

I hugged her and whispered back, “Thank you for letting me stay here.”

Now I’m in Georgia. I can’t believe this is where I live. And that I’m with him, the boy I could never say no to.

Jaxson is standing by the door, watching me with his thumbs in his belt loops.

I smile over my shoulder, “Home.”

He shakes his head like he can’t believe it, either, and crosses to join me in front of the fireplace, pulling me close.

“Where do you want the desk?”

“Ooooo, I get a desk?”

He laughs. “I’m guessing you can’t be a writer without one.”

“Over there.” I point to where the dining table is. “You always eat out on the porch anyway.”

“Done.” His hands travel down my body and I moan into his lips as he rasps, “This dress has to go.”

I whisper against his smile, “Hate it anyway,” raising my arms over my head.

He slips it off and looks down at my body. Leaning in he kisses the soft mounds my bra has pushed up and reaches around to snap it off. Freeing me he takes my soft breasts in his hands and kisses them, biting my right nipple gently.

“Got to make some better use of that table while it’s still got the view,” he murmurs, picking me and carrying me to sit me on it, shoving one of the chairs out of the way with his boot.

“Dammit,” he murmurs, “Don’t want to wait.”

“I don’t want to either.”

He searches me, concerned. “Shouldn’t we?”

I shake my head a little. “I just want you closer.”

“I wish we’d taken you to a doctor,” he groans.

“I’m fine.” Slipping my hands under his shirt, I tell him, “And I need you.”

We kiss for a very long time and I know he’s doing that to relax me. But my body is made to be with this man. I have been aching and ready for him ever since we said those three magic words.

I trace his hard muscles with eager fingertips as our tongues dance and entwine.

He pulls the shirt off and groans as I kiss his nipples and down his ribs and abs.

My hand finds him erect and craning to be free of these jeans.

In the most tantalizing and slow way, I unzip them while I hold his eyes. He’s gazing at me with love and hunger, gorgeous and all mine.

He unbuckles the belt and throws it aside, cocking an eyebrow at me like he’s a stripper.

I quietly laugh and motion with a glance for him to take off my panties.

“Don’t mind if I do,” he growls and lifts me up to tug them down my legs, bringing them to his nose for a second while holding my eyes. “Yummy,” he smirks.

“Oh my God!”

He laughs and puts them on his head.

“Stop it, Jaxson!” I am cracking up and happier than I’ve ever been.

He tosses them onto the floor and slides his jeans off, his cock unhindered now.

“No boxers?” I smile, taking his veiny length in my hand as a heated need pools out between my thighs, my pussy aching and ready.

“Forgot to pack for New York.” he rasps, eyes hooded with pleasure as I stroke him.

New York… It’ll only be a memory now. I won’t have to go back for anything if I don’t want to. Everything can be done online. I don’t even have to tell my publisher I moved, but I will. Just not yet.

Today is for us.

Jaxson pulls my body closer to the edge of his table and claims my mouth in a hot kiss that sends shivers into me. He bends his knees to enter me and hovers the blunt tip of his shaft just outside my wet opening. Touching me there with two calloused fingertips, he searches my eyes and says, “I want to make you cum as my wife.”

My breath hitches. “Really?”

“Yeah,” he rasps, pushing his length slowly into my pussy one inch at time. “Will you marry me, Rachel Sawyer?”

On a quiet moan, I whisper, “Aren’t you supposed to be on one knee?”

“Who says,” he smiles before moaning as he reaches the deepest point in me. He kisses my gently panting lips as he holds there then looks into my eyes and says, “Marry me.”

I have to smile because of course Jaxson Cocker wouldn’t propose the way it’s ‘supposed’ to be done. He moves in the opposite direction of the masses and always has.

I give a little nod, lace my fingers into his thick sandy-brown hair, the same color as mine, and whisper, “Yes. I would love to be your wife, Jaxson.”

He whispers, “You’re mine,” then kisses me. It’s slow at first and grows rougher, sending goosebumps in every part of me. And our bodies begin to move.

Being with him is everything I ever wanted. The emotion mixed with passion, mixed with love. He fucks me here on the table and when he tries to hold back his climax, hovering with his cock driven in to the hilt he’s gritting his teeth so he doesn’t cum.

I press my breasts into his naked chest, look up at him and whisper, “Fuck me harder.”

He groans that sexy man-moan and starts working, lifting me off it and hooking my legs around his ass so he can fuck me standing up. I grip onto his shoulders. His strong fingers dig into my ass, and we fuck like this in front of the windows with the waning light of evening darkening over the gorgeous view.

Jaxson and I cum together, my pussy’s clenching and unclenching, and my loud moans making him roar. He throws his head back and I bite his collarbone, riding his gorgeous cock and knowing it’s all mine.

And I am his.

W
e’ve been
in bed for two days. The only time we’ve gotten up is to refuel with some home-cooked meals, milk the cows and collect eggs. Oh, and I had to go out when the guys came to pick up their collection. Rachel asked if we could get some of the cheese they made, back. The guys agreed with smiling faces, mostly because they were happy for us.

“Found yourself a girlfriend, huh Jax?”

“Fiancé.”

“No shit?!”

Rachel just grinned. I think she’s still letting this all soak in.

Me? I’m loving every minute. Those two weeks without her were the loneliest of my life.

I’m ready for this.

She’s lying next to me, her naked body half-covered by the blanket as she watches me read from her laptop.

“Well?”

“It’s really good, Rach.”

“Yeah?”

I nod, still absorbed in the story of Peru. The way she’s described it in her book, the journey from the airport was crazy but other than that, it feels peaceful. “This is what they do at retreats?” I mutter, lost in the images her story has laid out for me.

“It was so lovely, Jaxson. I tried to do it justice but it’s hard to.”

“No.” I glance to her. “I can see it in my mind. You’ve done a really great job evoking the feelings of the environment. And I’m jealous you saw that snake.”

“It was terrifying!”

“I know. I want to see it.”

“You’re crazy,” she laughs. “Oh my God, I remember you used to like snakes!”

Smiling at her from the corner of my eyes I nod. “They’re very cool. I see ‘em up here sometimes.” Her face goes serious, and I laugh. “You’re still afraid of them.”

Closing the computer I set it down on the nightstand and stare at the darkened fireplace.

“You’re thinking you want to go to Peru, huh,” she smiles, poking my side a few times. “I’m that good, aren’t I?”

Chuckling I grab her hand and squeeze it backwards until she has to bend her whole body, and yelp.

“I’ve always been stronger than you so just quit fighting it.”

“Okay! Okay!” She’s laughing and tugging away, but I pull her toward me instead, rolling on top of her.

“Okay what?”

She makes an expression like she doesn’t know how to answer. “Okay jerk face?”

A grin flashes on me, but I shut it down fast and say very seriously, “Okay what?”

“Okay poop head?”

Laughing, I kiss her. “Okay, Master.”

“Yeah, right!” she cries out. “I’m not calling you Master!”

Tickling her I show no mercy. She’s laughing and screaming and finally calls out, “Master! Okay
Master
! Stop it!!”

A text beep sounds downstairs and then the phone rings right on its tail. We both stop and listen to it. “It’s yours,” I say, rolling off her.

Her publisher was going to call. She plans to ask for two more weeks to finish the final edit on her Peru book.

She leaps off the bed and runs downstairs naked. After a moment I hear her shout, “Jaxson!”

I fly down to her, protective and worried. “What?! What’s up?”

She holds up the phone and shows me a text message:

Rachel, it’s Cora. Remember me? From Trinity? I ran into your mom at the Women’s Club. Wanted to reach out and say hi.

Crossing my arms and cocking my eyebrows I mutter, “Tell her you’re looking at my cock right now.”

Rachel cracks up. “Yeah, I’ll do that. Let me just start typing.” She fake-types and hits a fake send, her gestures big and animated. Staring at the phone, her grins falters. “What do I do?”

“What do you want to do?”

On a shrug, her face is unsure. “I’ll call Jennifer back first.” As she waits for her publisher to answer, Rachel comes to rest her hand around my hip, squeezing gently. “Hello Jenn! It’s me. Listen, can I have a couple more weeks on the book. I’m almost done, and I just had a friend give me the thumbs up that it’s good.” She smiles at me and I wink back. “Yeah? Thank you. Sorry for the delay. I kinda moved to Georgia.”

I can hear a woman say, “WHAT?!”

Kissing Rachel’s head I walk to the kitchen so she can take care of this. On the side of my counter is a small box where I keep odds and ends like rubber bands, zip ties, business cards and a couple pens. There are some pennies in there, too. As I start to wash the dishes we used last, I glance to it and see Mr. Jarvis’s card lying on top.

I stare at it and cock my head.

The dishes get put on hold again as I turn and lean against the counter, watching Rachel, naked and sitting on my couch. She’s concentrating on what her publisher is telling her about how they’ll move forward with their partnership now, her fingers fiddling with the threads at the end of the throw blanket.

Hanging up she glances over. “Have you been watching me this whole time?”

“I’ve got an idea.”

“What is it?”

Pushing off the counter I pluck out Jarvis’s card and stroll over to her. “Remember the man who wanted to buy my land?”

“Of course,” she says, eyes curious.

“I don’t want a women’s center.”

“Okay.” She tilts her head, wondering if I’m saying they’re not needed. I can see her feminism hackles rising with each step I take toward her.

“What about a retreat? For men
and
women. Guys need a place to go, too.”

Rachel blinks and sits on her knees, tossing the blanket threads away. “Go on.”

“What about we section off a piece of this property for a retreat that you could run.”

Her soft lips part. “Are you serious?”

Starting to feel excited I plant my bare feet firmly on the hardwood and splay my hands out to paint the picture for her. “Okay, now hear me out. And stop looking at my cock.”

She makes a face, trying not to smile. “Kinda hard to miss the elephant trunk, baby.”

I break out laughing, but quickly force myself to be serious so I can explain the best idea I’ve ever had, save for asking her to be my wife.

“That far end of acreage where the fences are kinda wonky and it’s not quite squared off? I can cut a path there for a driveway, quarter that off with enough land for a retreat of say, no more than ten people. Build a farmhouse like this one with bedrooms on the second floor — they can’t be too big —”

“—They don’t need to be!” she excitedly interrupts. “The rooms are always small. It’s about the yoga and healthy eating. And massages.”

“Great! Now, stop bouncing because your tits look amazing and I’m trying to focus here.”

Rachel laughs and stops, covering herself with the throw blanket.

“Now now. Let’s not get crazy.” I point at it, and she ditches the blanket. Off her beautiful naked curves I nod, “That’s better. Anyway, the bottom floor will have an open space like this one with folding chairs and tables against the walls that people can bring out after classes for dining and any of those journaling exercises you wrote about. We’ll provide whatever you think they need, based on your own opinions and experience. You said you liked the juicing but not the raw foods. DONE. Whatever you want it to be, we can do it. Make it anything you want.”

Rachel is staring at me like I’m her hero.

It feels really good.

But then she frowns, “But who would come?”

I have the answer but fuck it. I love to mess with her. It’s too easy and I enjoy it too much.

Like the wind left my sail I drop my arms. “Oh shit. I didn’t think of that. No one. Nobody wants to come all the way out here.”

“Well, maybe if we advertised?” she offers, but I can tell she’s trying to make me feel better more than save the idea, because she doesn’t see how to make this happen.

“Nah. It wouldn’t work.”

“I’m sorry, Jaxson. It’s a good idea.”

I walk over to look out one of the windows, laying my palm high on the frame. My legs are staggered and I know from behind I look pretty damn good in this posture. “How’s my ass looking?” I look over my shoulder and wink.

Rachel blinks at me, confused at the change of tone and subject. “Your ass looks ridiculous. You’re like the statue of David, but… Oh! You’re messing with me!!”

Laughing I walk back and tell her, “Rachel, Hollywood is taking over Atlanta. People are flying in from all over to work on movies and television shows. There are so many people who would drive an hour to get away from it all after filming ends. During hiatus. Hell, just for a weekend. And those people love juicing and retreats and all that yoga shit.”

“How do you know all this?” she asks, smiling like I’m some sort of dumb cowboy.

“Baby, I read.”

Laughing, Rachel stands up and walks to me, her breasts jiggling with each step. Not to mention that trimmed little bush of hers. Fuck.

“Oh, you read do you?”

“I sure the fuck do. Ask Mrs. Connelly,” I murmur, pulling my woman to me and running my hands down her sides until they’ve got a firm grip on her hot ass. “Mmm…can’t get enough of this.”

She kisses me long and slow, rising up on her tiptoes. “Let’s do the retreat.”

“Tell me you think I’m amazing,” I smile down at her.

“I think you’re a jerk,” she whispers, kissing me.

“That’ll do.”