Authors: Regina Carlysle
She practically oozed sex appeal. Her hair was inky black and silky, running to just beyond her shoulder blades, her face was a perfect ivory oval frame for those heavily-lashed, slanted eyes and lush lips.
Damn.
What was a beauty like her doing in a one-horse, shit-hole town like Sweetridge?
Pretty Miss Ballew looked like she belonged on the cover of a men’s magazine with those breasts and hips and the hug-me-close long legs. But it was her walk that fairly screamed sex appeal. Slow and sultry, with a loose jointed stride, she moved like a woman confident in her power over the opposite sex. He’d never seen anyone like her, at least, not in person.
“Nice to meet you, Scarlet Ballew.”
Her gaze chased away as she took up her drink from the bar giving him a good look at her profile and he shifted to lean both forearms on the bar. “So why isn’t a beautiful woman like you out there dancing? I saw you sitting with your friends, tapping that boot like crazy.”
Turning her head, she gave him a secretive smile. “Maybe I was just waiting for you to ask.”
Sassy. Nash decided he liked that. A lot.
“Consider yourself asked.” He set his empty on the bar and drew her close to his side and they weaved their way to the over-sized dance floor where couples were two-stepping to Miranda Lambert. As the music blasted around them, Nash took her hand and reached down to settle his fingers over the slender dip of her waist. Then she looked him dead in the eye and slipped a thumb into his belt loop. Scarlet flashed a white smile that stopped his breath.
Helpless to do otherwise, he returned the gesture as they moved over the sawdust covered floor.
Could the woman ever dance, he thought as they toed and glided to the raucous beat. If the animated expression on her face was an indicator, she loved every minute of it.
A cute, sweet-looking blonde danced by and Scarlet called out. “Hey, Patti-Pie!”
“Got you one!” the friend replied with a wink.
“What’s that mean?”
Scarlet zeroed in on him again. “Nothing much. My friends think I need to hunt down a man to make me forget my troubles.”
“Is that what you’re doing tonight? Hunting for a man?”
She snorted and rolled her eyes. “Are you kiddin’ me? A man is the last thing I need. I just want to dance.”
Nash spun her around quickly and her eyes squinted with laughter. “I aim to please, ma’am.”
“Oh, you do, do you? Then keep it up, cowboy. Let’s have some fun.”
Her husky voice, filled with humor, sent desire whipping through him. He squeezed his hand along the firm flesh of her waist and wanted to kiss that smiling mouth so badly he ached.
Nash suspected her idea of fun was a mite different from his. Oh yeah. He wanted her naked and lush beneath him on the nearest bed. He wanted to hear that sweet, husky voice call his name when she came apart in his arms.
But Nash had a personal rule that he wasn’t about to break. Not even for Scarlet Ballew.
He didn’t do one night stands with the locals.
Nash knew sure as spit that if he did, he’d land himself in hot water again. Once burned was enough for this cowboy. He’d move on to another rodeo locale and she’d stay right here where she belonged.
They danced to three more songs until the music stopped. From the stage behind them, a band was setting up to start their first set. Scarlet was gasping and laughing, out of breath. When she leaned her forehead against his chest, Nash closed his eyes and just breathed her in. Lord, she was sweet and tempting.
“Come on,” he said. “Let’s get a beer.”
She took his hand and he led her to her table. They flopped down and smiled at each other as the waitress set down their drinks. “Thank was fun,” she said, tipping the bottle back.
Nash took off his hat and settled it in an empty chair. Raking quick fingers through his hair, he glanced at Scarlet and saw her go still. Her gaze flipped to his hair then down to his mouth. Nervously, she licked her lips before looking away.
He leaned back in his chair. “So are you a regular here?”
She shook her head. “Only on ladies’ night. Band and all. Most of the time, I’m a homebody.”
“You work?”
“I’m a loan officer at First National but I’m on vacation this week.”
“Lucky me.” He had no intention of seeing her again after tonight but an unexpected thrill shot through him at her words. For the first time in longer than he could remember, the thought of spending more than an hour or two with any particular woman was really appealing.
Apparently choosing to ignore his remark, she waved at her friends who stumbled over. Each held the hand of a cowboy and it was obvious from their expressions they’d been having a good time on the dance floor. The thudding of drums and the sounds of guitars tuning up mingled with the chatter. In the distance someone whooped loudly and raucous laughter followed.
Nash stood when he was introduced to Scarlet’s friends, Patti-Pie and Lyssa, and both women joined them. The men shook hands with him and they talked briefly before they headed off to shoot some pool in the back room.
“So? Ya here for the rodeo? I’m going tomorrow.” The little blonde was flushed, grinning up at him with an open expression.
Nash smiled and reached into his front pocket. “Can’t get in without a ticket,” he said, handing over three. “Here you go.”
“Oh my God! Aren’t you just the sweetest? You must be in the rodeo and not just here for the show.”
“That’s right.”
Lyssa smirked. “A real cowboy. This man is no wannabe.”
Nash let the confusing comment pass. Scarlet glanced at her ticket before tucking it into her purse. “You never said what you do exactly? Are you one of the amateur cowboys or are you semi-pro?”
“Been riding the rodeo circuit for the past five years or so.”
Patti-Pie grinned. “Oh, Nash, do you do the steer decorating thingie? I love that one.”
Scarlet frowned and pursed those kissable lips. “That sounds weird. What is it?”
Nash shook his head and settled back in his seat enjoying the women and their chatter. “It’s kind of different compared to most events. The cowboy rides out after a steer and ties a ribbon on it. That’s about all there is to it. After everyone’s had a turn, the bull’s decorated. Not quite my thing.”
“Weird.” Lyssa agreed, tugging her giant purse to her lap to put away her rodeo ticket. “So, I guess you do everything else.”
“Pretty much. I ride broncs with and without a saddle. Then there’s steer roping and bull riding.” He shrugged and brought his long neck to his mouth. “You name it.”
“So what do you like best, Nash? I mean, do you have a specialty?” Scarlet gave him a direct look. There was an honesty about her that touched something deep inside him. He admired that trait in anyone but particularly in a woman. Nash hadn’t known many honest women in his life.
Leaning back, he focused on her smiling lips. “Bulls. I like a hard ride and they’re challenging. I like a challenge.”
Sexual innuendo hung ripe in the air as Scarlet held his gaze. Suddenly, Lyssa stood up and cleared her throat.
“Hey, Scarlet, I need to run to the ladies room. Come with me.”
“Well, okay.” Scarlet stood and gave Patti-Pie a look. “You coming?”
“Nope, I’m going to stay right here to protect Nash from all these droolin’ women who’ve been eyeing him. I’m saving him for you.”
Scarlet smiled at him and he thought his heart would stop. “You do that, honey. He’s the best dancer here tonight. I wouldn’t want him to get away.”
He watched her walk off and briefly considered leaving before he got himself in a heap of trouble but Patti’s voice stopped him.
“Hey, Bobby Lee, whatcha doin?”
A short fella with a big old beer belly bent and gave her a smacking kiss on the mouth before settling into an abandoned chair. “Hey, darlin’. Checking out the ladies, as usual. Having a beer or ten.”
Patti laughed and introduced them.
Nash leaned back in his chair. “You a local?”
“Yeah, me and Patti graduated together. I work over at Jackson Brothers Feed and Seed.” He gave Patti a serious look. “Scarlet here?”
“Uh-huh. She and Lyssa are in the little cowgirl’s room.”
Bobby Lee frowned. “Somebody better tell her Cole is here.”
Alertly, Patti stiffened in her chair. “Oh, no.”
Nash watched her face scrunch up as she cast a look toward where her friends had gone. Cole? Who was that? A pissed off boyfriend who’d be looking for a fight? Thinking he’d better pay closer attention to the conversation, he sipped his beer, listening to the old friends chat.
“Yep. Saw him come through the door about thirty minutes ago. He’s with that redhead from Mossy Creek.”
Patti greeted that news with a gasp.
“What the hell is going on?”
Two pairs of eyes turned to him as if just remembering his presence. Patti leaned over and patted his hand.
“Scarlet was engaged to him last year and about a week before the wedding she showed up at his place and caught him with that tramp from Mossy Creek. That’s a little town about ten miles from here.”
Bobby Lee shook his head sadly. “We was all sorry about what happened to her. Whole town knew about it o’course. Everybody talked about it for months and she tried to act like everything was okay but her friends knew it wasn’t.”
“I’d like to just skin that man!” Patti huffed.
Nash wanted to skin him, too. There was nothing noble in cheating and lying. He was a man who believed in being up front with people. “She’s lucky she found out the guy was a creep before the wedding.”
“That’s what I keep tellin’ her.” Patti said. “Thing is, in a small town like this, people don’t forget. Half the folks here tonight are from Sweetridge and they’ll all see Cole with that Tiffany Boggs and start talking all over again.”
Nash thought of the confident, sassy woman with whom he’d spent the best part of his evening, being embarrassed in front of the town folk and wanted nothing more than to get her the hell out of here. But this wasn’t his business. He couldn’t let himself get involved with these people. He especially couldn’t get involved in the personal life of Scarlet Ballew.
She was way out of his league. He was a guy who had nothing to offer a woman but a hot time between the sheets and she deserved way better.
If he had any sense, he’d haul his ass out of here before he was drawn in.
Lost in thought, he barely noticed when Bobby Lee stood and walked off to join his friends at another table. The band had just struck up a rowdy song and couples once again took their places on the dance floor. The female lead singer started belting out the Martina McBride song For the Girls in honor of Ladies Night when Scarlet walked up, bold and brass, and held out a hand to him. Her heavily-lashed eyes glittered a challenge he couldn’t resist.
Lord, she was pretty.
His belly clenched in reaction and he went hard enough to pound stone. The woman made him ache. Hell and damnation!
Yeah, he should haul ass outta here right now but no, he stood, grabbed her hand and led her to the dance floor.
Nope, he’d didn’t have a lick of sense.
Chapter Two
She didn’t have a lick of sense. She saw his face go hard as he took her hand and led her to the dance floor. When he drew her close, she briefly closed her eyes wondering why she was so drawn to him.
Other men had seemed sexy to her. Lord knows, Cole had been but he’d never stirred her to such primitive longings. Heck, she didn’t really even know this guy. It was insane.
Nash spun her across the packed dance floor with quiet purpose and she felt a bubble of laughter ring up through her throat. Dancing with this man was like riding the rollercoaster at the fair. He had some moves and it made her wonder about other moves he might have. Bedroom moves.
How long had it been anyway? Oh yeah, she knew the answer to that one. She hadn’t had sex since right before she learned the man she’d thought she loved had been caught with his jeans around his ankles and his male parts buried deep inside another woman. Renewed anger bloomed inside her.
Her friends were right and so was Mom. It was time to start living again but she didn’t like the idea of breaking her hard and fast rule about one night stands.
“Hey. Where’d you go?” Nash whispered in her ear as the song came to an end. “One minute you were laughing and the next, you go all quiet. You feeling okay?”
“Yeah. I’m just thinking too hard.”
“That can be dangerous. You’re supposed to kick up the heels of those pretty red boots and have some fun.” He flashed a lopsided, very seductive grin. “Anyone ever told you you’re a hell of a dancer?”
“I do a lot of things pretty well.” Scarlet wanted to bite her tongue. Where had that comment come from?
He laughed low and sexy. “Yeah, I’ll just bet you do, darlin’.”
The band started up a slow, hold-me-close waltz and Nash pulled her in, when there was a slight clamor from the stage. “Whoa there, folks. Sorry for the interruption,” one of the band members said into the microphone. “Looks like we’ve got us a big announcement coming up. Hold on for just a minute and we’ll let y’all get back to your dancin’.”
Everyone paused, most smiling, and a low murmur broke through the crowd as a tall, lean, very familiar man walked up to the microphone and took it in one hand. She went cold to her bones and a chill of alarm ripped through her.
“Cole.” Scarlet whispered the name and it seemed the world dissolved into shadows, leaving her in the middle of a black void, alone. She felt Nash’s arm tighten around her waist and she leaned into that sturdy weight as if it were the only thing holding her upright. A feeling of dread settled low in her belly. Her heart pounded like a jackhammer.
“Most of ya’ll know me.”
Several hoots rose up from the crowd. Cole’s buddies, she figured. Even rats had friends.
“Anyway, I…um…I’ve got something to say.” Handsome, blonde Cole Thomas, her one-time fiancé, held his hand out toward the side of the stage. “Hey Tiff, come on up here, honey.”
Stunned, Scarlet watched the red haired woman who figured prominently in most of her nightmares walk up, smiling, onto the stage and to Scarlet’s amazement, Cole went down on one knee.
“Hell,” she whispered. Nash’s hold on her grew tighter and she vaguely felt someone take her hand. Lyssa squeezed it tight. Patti-Pie stood next to Lyssa, scowling at the stage.
Scarlet couldn’t watch. She just couldn’t. If there was one thing she hated most, it was being humiliated. After their past had been aired publicly over the past year, how could he do something like this?
Simple. He’d never cared for her at all.
“Tiff, honey. I’ve loved you for over a year now. No woman has ever meant more to me than you, and I wanna ask you straight out, in front of all these people. Will you marry me?”
The newly engaged Tiffany from Mossy Creek jumped into Cole’s arms with a squeal. People applauded, some shouted, but Scarlet just wanted to curl up into a ball and die. She felt every pitying glance that slid her way and she knew by tomorrow the whole town would be feeling sorry for her all over again.
Poor little Scarlet Ballew, they’d say with a head shake. Sexiest looking woman in Sweetridge but can’t hold onto a man. Hardly gets asked out at all. Wonder what’s wrong with her?
At this moment, she hated Cole. She’d never meant anything to him. To make everything worse, he’d just announced that fact to practically the whole damn town.
Scarlet heard a strangled sound and realized it came from her own mouth. Lyssa and Patti-Pie stood in front of her saying something but she couldn’t hear over the buzzing in her ears.
Nash’s hold grew bolder, stronger. His eyes were hot and fierce as he gestured with his head and she watched Lyssa and Patti stalk away looking as mad as she felt.
The band started to play again but she barely noticed. Nash turned her toward him. She felt his stillness, his intensity, clear to the toes of her cowboy boots.
“Look at me.”
Her gaze went up at the command in his voice.
“Do you still love him?”
Oh God, she could feel her bottom lip tremble and tears burned hot behind her eyes but she faced Nash squarely. “N-no. I thought I did, but no.”
“That’s good. Then you won’t mind if I do this.”
Just like that, he gripped her face with two rough hands and kissed her. The feel of his mouth, firm and warm, rolled through her senses like an avalanche. Ah, man could he ever kiss! She gasped softly but he drank it in, swallowing it whole, as he sank his fingers through her hair, changing the angle of his devastating embrace.
Hard and hungry he took her mouth as if he were starved for the feel of something warm. He tasted her deeply, thrusting his tongue deep inside and eating her up like she was a hot fudge sundae.
The roar of voices, the slow, steady thrum of the music, seemed to come at her from a distance as she was lost in the taste of this stranger. Endlessly, the kiss went on and every nerve in her body went on red hot alert.
Drawing away, he leaned his forehead against her own briefly, before tipping up her chin and staring her straight in the eye. Those whiskey eyes burned with emotion, hot and intoxicating. “I’ve wanted to do this all night.”
“Yeah,” she whispered, sealing her fate. “Me, too.”
“Shit.” He dove for her lips again but this time he pulled her flush against his body. Scarlet moaned out loud.
Nash broke the wild kiss and looked around, scowling. Other couples on the dance floor glanced toward them but she just didn’t give a damn anymore. Let ‘em look. Let ‘em all see she wasn’t some pathetic castoff that no man wanted. This one did. God. What a man he was, too.
Better than Cole. Better than any man who’d ever had the balls to ask her out. Yeah, she was the intimidator all right. But this man who held her tight against his body wasn’t a bit scared of her, was he?
“Come on,” he said and Scarlet watched the flex of his jaw as he gripped her elbow and steered her off the dance floor.
The crowds parted for him. Maybe it was because there was a strange, quivering kind of rage that seemed to emanate from his big, rangy body. A man on a mission.
Scarlet could do nothing but follow in his wake and he stopped briefly to say something to her friends and then plow on through the room, past the bar and the crowds.
Curious glances shot their way, but she didn’t care. Right now she’d follow him to the moon as long as he got her the hell out of here.
The foyer was empty except for Barney who’d worked the front of The Hot Damn for the past thirty years. “Hey, little gal, you leavin’?” he called.
“Uh-huh,” she mumbled as Nash steered her through the glass double doors and out into the parking lot. The flashing neon sign overhead splashed its red color over Nash’s sexy face and she caught her breath at the sight.
“Over here.”
Scarlet heard the crunch of their boots as they waded through a sea of trucks. The place was truly packed tonight. No one was around to speak of. It was dark. Off in the distance, she heard the sounds of male laughter as a small group of cowboys made their way toward the entrance.
Nash stopped short when they reached a huge, black beauty of a truck. Polished to perfection it caught the glow of the full moon and bounced it back.
Scarlet sucked in a sharp breath when Nash spun her around and flattened her against the side of the truck.
“Mine,” he said in a low, rough voice.
She didn’t think he was talking about the truck.
“You forget it all, Scarlet. Forget about that bastard in there. He’s a damn fool.”
It was okay and she should tell him so. She knew exactly what kind of ass she’d once considered marrying. But when she opened her mouth to speak, his lips silenced her. Suddenly all thoughts of the humiliating scene in the club vanished as he took the kiss deep.
His hands settled at the small of her back then one dipped low to grip her butt. A stark sound came from Nash as his fingers squeezed gently. His leg went between her parted thighs. He pressed.
A whimpering sound met the heat of his lips and she opened fully to him, lost in the sensation of his tongue stroking within her mouth. The strong, muscular horseman’s thigh pressed high and hard against her core. Slowly he rubbed, leaving her gasping in his arms. Arousal curled through her belly, winding like a spring as she clutched him tighter.
Her body just didn’t feel like her own anymore. Nope. It was his. His to take. His to pleasure. Nash buried his lips against the side of her neck making her shiver with awareness.
“One night stands aren’t for me,” he whispered against her flesh. He was breathing hard and heavy.
“No. Me either.”
“Damn,” he muttered, nipping her throat.
Scarlet felt the mounded muscles of his chest abrade her nipples and it was so good she wanted to just curl up in his arms and weep. Reacting to the feel, she rubbed against him like a cat. Something that sounded like a purr rolled up her throat and moved past her lips.
“God,” she gasped.
“Yeah.” Nash filled his hands with her breasts, thumbed the sensitive nipples until she ached.
Scarlet dropped her head back against the truck and closed her eyes as his touch assaulted her from every direction. His thigh pressed low and his hands teased high, plying her to suit his whim.
Suddenly it was all too much.
Opening her eyes, she looked up at him. He was staring at her breasts as if he’d never seen anything lovelier. A muscle worked in his jaw as his thigh pressed her center again. Helplessly, she arched.
“I knew you’d move this way,” he rasped low.
“Oh yeah?”
“Honey, anyone who can move like you do on the dance floor has gotta have some other moves, too. You’re burning me alive. I want you so bad, I ache.”
“As long as you’re not just feeling sorry for me, Nash. I couldn’t stand your pity right now.”
Scowling he stepped away from her and Scarlet felt the loss immediately. He made a rough sound and took her hand. Placing it over the hard, thick bulge pulsing behind the fly of his jeans, he stared into her eyes. “This isn’t about pity, darlin’. This is about me wanting you. Plain and simple.”
Her hand stroked down the front of his jeans. He sucked in a harsh breath, closed his eyes and placed his hand over hers. Never before had she acted like such a slut. What the hell was wrong with her?
There was something about this man that made her forget all the carefully taught moral lessons she’d learned at her mama’s knee. No man had ever stirred her like this tall, rugged cowboy.
Finally, she did what she’d wanted to do from the first moment she saw him. Scarlet stepped close and stared him straight in those whiskey hotter-than-sin eyes and sent her fingers up the sides of his face and through his hair. The battered black cowboy hat fell from his head to land on the gravel near the tire of his truck.
She didn’t care. Moaning her pleasure, she clutched at the thick, dark stuff and drew him close. Taking his mouth again was suddenly the easiest thing she’d ever done. The heady taste of him made her wish she had magical powers and could just blink them off somewhere to be alone. Preferably to her bed.
“This is a dangerous game,” he said against her lips.
“Maybe I like danger.”
“Oh yeah.”
He’d just drawn her closer when she heard the sound of an engine. Nash stiffened and looked up. He scowled.
“Hell.”
Scarlet felt his withdrawal with equal measures of relief and disappointment. “Who is it?”
“Shorty. A friend.”
All six feet ten inches of Shorty, unwound from the cab of a white pickup. “Hey, Nash I was just comin’ to look for you. Princess is feelin’ a mite poor.”
“Did you call the vet?”
She saw his brows lower over worry-filled eyes. He walked up to the other man and they spoke quietly. Not wanting to intrude, she glanced across the parking lot and saw Patti-Pie and Lyssa picking their way over the gravel. Lyssa was carrying the purse she’d abandoned during her mad race to make out with a complete stranger. Scarlet felt her face burn.
Patti seemed near tears with worry about her. Lyssa’s face was compassionate, too. “Hey, hon, you bout ready to head home?” she asked, holding out her purse.