Lipstick and Leather: Three Sexy Cowboys, Three Sexy Tales (4 page)

Anna sat with her elbow on her desk, her chin propped in her hand, as she went through her school email. She paused when she came to one with the subject line:
Flight and hotel
Confirmation for Casper, Wyoming
. The confirmation was for Friday afternoon, tomorrow.

Casper?
She straightened in her seat. That was where Mike had wanted her to go to watch him in the championship rodeo finals.

She pressed the button to print out the email and then studied the pages. She could have read it on her computer screen, but for some reason she felt the need to hold it. As she looked it over, she saw that it was a round trip ticket, returning on Sunday, along with a hotel confirmation for Friday and Saturday nights.

How had he located her? She had left at four in the morning to make sure that he wouldn’t wake up before she left. It was the coward’s way out, but she couldn’t face seeing him. She didn’t think she was strong enough to say no to him again. All she had left was a note saying goodbye and had signed her first name. She hadn’t left an address, a phone number, or even an email address.

Yet here was a flight confirmation.

He knew she was a teacher in Tucson. All he had to do was get on the school district’s website and view the list of teachers and their email addresses. She had never thought of that possibility.

She stared at the itinerary. Should she go?

No, she was crazy for even thinking about it.

With her mind on the confirmation, she stuffed the pages into her purse, exited out of her work email, and headed home.

Her heart beat faster as she sat in the arena in Casper, waiting for Mike’s name to be called. When it was, her heart leapt. She was both excited to see him and terrified that something might happen to him. She had to remind herself that he was a pro and a world champion at that.

She hadn’t known she was going to actually take the flight until this morning when she packed her bag before class. Even then she knew she could change her mind and not go to the airport when school was over. Yet here she was.

When she arrived at the hotel that had been reserved for her, she had been given an envelope with her name on it. Inside the envelope was a ticket to the rodeo.

She looked at the rider that had just fallen off his bull and was jogging toward the gate and watched as the bull was guided out of the arena.

Mike’s name was called and her heart pounded as a bull burst from the chute, a rider on its back. Even as the terror of a bull tried to throw its rider off, she recognized the rider’s body, his presence.

During the eight seconds, she could see the power he used to stay on the beast and that he had a sort of fluid movement that matched the bull’s, more so than the other cowboys she had watched. She didn’t know much about bull riding but she thought she could tell why he was world champion.

She held her breath as he jumped off of the bull after the eight-second horn. He hit the ground on his side and rolled to his feet.

As he left the arena he looked directly at her, smiled, and winked.

After the rodeo was over, she wasn’t sure where to go, but Mike found her.

The moment he reached her he brought her into his embrace and kissed her long and hard.

When he raised his head she felt a little dazed and lightheaded.

He smiled. “I had a feeling you would come.”

“It was a crazy thing to do.” She returned his smile. “I wasn’t sure I was going to. Well, maybe I did know.” She added softly, “I missed you.”

“Yeah, me too.” He squeezed her tight. “About me being on the pro circuit—”

“I get it.” Anna touched the side of his face. “I could not stop thinking about you. I realized how much I care for you in our time apart. I would rather have you as who you are than not have you at all.”

He squeezed her tight. “Thank you, honey.” He drew back a little. “I was just about to tell you that I’m retiring. This is my last rodeo. I’m going to start working my ranch in Sierra Vista, so you’re going to see a lot more of me.”

She wrapped her arms around his neck, and held on to him. “I’ll take you anyway I can get you, but that is best of all.”

They drew apart just long enough for him to say, “You’d better get used to seeing me around.”

“I’m ready.” The happiness she felt was indescribable. “Now let’s go and we’ll have a rodeo all our own.”

# # #

Rough Rider

Copyright 2011 Cheyenne McCray

Brianna Wilson stepped on the brake as she maneuvered the black sports car along the dirt road to the Diamond B Ranch. She winced as the car bottomed out on another rut, the glow of headlights bouncing off the muddy road and mesquite trees. Despite the anxious sweep of the windshield wipers as they pushed rain out of the way, the view was obscured again and again.

“Damn.” She gripped the steering wheel tighter, her knuckles aching as the car shimmied and swerved from potholes and bumps on the slick road, regretting the decision to rent this car that at the time had seemed perfectly fine.

Lights brightened the closer she got to the ranch buildings and she breathed a sigh of relief as she approached the main gates. The car’s wheels vibrated as it passed through them and drove over the cattle guard. She passed beneath the sign with ranch’s brand, a diamond shape outlining the letter B.

She let out a breath of relief as she finally reached the ranch house and parked, and a small floodlight came on, probably from a motion sensor.

If she had gotten stuck somewhere in the desert she didn’t know what she would have done. Her cell service had been spotty at best on most of the drive. In the darkness she could even have taken a wrong fork in the road, as it was difficult to read any signs. Fortunately she made it.

It hadn’t even occurred to her that it might rain. She looked out the window at the mud puddles beside the car, raindrops pounding into them hard enough to make splashes in the dark water.

She touched her hair that she had pinned back in a clip, and glanced down at her dress and pricey heels. She looked at her leather purse and briefcase on the passenger seat and wished an umbrella would magically appear.

The yellow glow in the windows was warm and appealing and she desperately wanted out of the car and in the house.

Her new home. She still had a hard time believing she had left Boston for the desert.

Brianna glanced at her purse and briefcase and considered leaving them in the car but decided against it. Too much of value was in both, including her laptop in the briefcase. At least the laptop and what was inside her purse would be protected. She looped her purse on one shoulder and grabbed her briefcase.

“Here goes.” She opened the car door.

Immediately, cutting rain stung her face and arms. She wondered at how the rain could be warm compared to how cold it was when it rained back East.

She swung her legs out of the car and water rushed into her shoes as she stepped into a deep puddle and stood. Her heels sank into slick mud and her feet started to slip out from under her. She let out a yell, flung out her arm, and caught herself, barely avoiding falling by grabbing onto the door with her free hand. Her heart thumped as she straightened.

“So much for these shoes.” She steadied herself and closed the car door.

With a deep breath, she started walking toward the house, blinking away rain as she used the porch light as a beacon and tried to step around as many puddles as possible.

She didn’t see the slick patch of mud until her feet flew out from beneath her. With a cry she fell backward. Water splashed as she landed in a puddle and her clothing down to her panties were immediately soaked. Her purse and briefcase landed several feet away in the mud.

Multiple choice words came to mind but she just gritted her teeth and tried to get to her feet.

They slipped out from under her again and she fell right back into the puddle. A scream rose inside her but she managed to keep it in. It had been a long flight with two transfers and a layover, and then there had been the long drive. She was tired, hungry, and now in need of a shower and then a warm bed. Instead, she was soaked, sitting in a puddle, and covered with mud.

The clip that had held her hair back was gone and her hair hung around her cheeks in lank strands. She went to push it out of her face with one hand and smeared mud across her cheek.

She clenched her hands and gritted her teeth.

“I so do not need this,” she muttered as she slipped off each of her heels and threw them one at a time, as hard as she could, in the direction of the porch steps. She began to try to get to her feet again when she looked up and saw a man watching her from the porch.

Heat burned her cheeks. The man’s face was shadowed by a cowboy hat so she couldn’t see his features. He had an imposing build, broad shoulders and chest covered by a western shirt that was tucked into a pair of faded jeans secured with a wide leather belt and a silver buckle and he wore a pair of worn cowboy boots.

He headed down the steps and reached the ground, his steps firm and deliberate as he walked toward her. She swallowed as she waited for him to reach her. When he did she looked up. She hadn’t realized how tall he was and she had to look way up to meet his gaze and see his amused expression.

Water dripped from the rim of his worn cowboy hat. “You must be Brianna.” The tenor of his words sent tingles through her soaked skin to her belly. “I was beginning to wonder if you were going to make it here tonight,” he said in a bit of a drawl. “I’m Joe Carter.” She fought off irritation at the fact he found her situation amusing. “Hi.” She leaned back on her palms that braced her. At this point it didn’t matter what she looked like. She was covered in mud, her wet clothing clung to her skin, and her hair was pasted to her cheeks. How much more humiliated could she get?

The cowboy swept his gaze from her face, down her body, and paused. Her gaze followed his, only to see her dress bunched up around her waist, exposing her panties. More heat flooded her face as she hurried to tug her dress down.

He looked like he was holding back a grin as he extended his hand. She reached for him and tried to regain some dignity, but knew it was hopeless. His grip was firm as heat of a different kind moved between them.

With little to no effort, he brought her to her feet. She slipped again. Before she could fall, he grabbed her around the waist and caught her to him.

Brianna found herself chest to chest with Joe, their bodies almost flush as his large belt buckle dug into her belly. The warmth of his body heat traveled through her and she breathed in his scent, leather and rain. He held her to him a moment longer than was necessary as their gazes met.

Her thoughts were as unsteady as her feet were when he released her just enough that he had a grip on her. He scooped up her purse and briefcase—that she had totally forgotten about—and he helped her out of the mud slick and guided her toward the house. Somehow he managed to pick up her shoes with one hand, despite the briefcase and purse, and guided her up the stairs. When she stood at the screen door, he released her and she managed to breathe again.

Hinges squeaked as he held open the screen door and opened the door to the house letting warm light spill onto the porch. He gestured for her to enter and she looked down at herself and back at him.

“I can’t go in like this.” She held her hands up. “I’ll make a mess.” This time Joe did grin. “Honey, you’re on a ranch. You’re not the first mud pie to come in through that door and you won’t be the last.”

She let him draw her into the house without any more protests then paused in the foyer as he closed the screen followed by the wooden door behind them. Water dripped off her, forming a puddle on the Saltillo tile beneath her feet.

For the first time she got a really good look at Joe and met his brilliant blue eyes. He was tall with a cowboy’s build, a lean but muscular form that showed he worked hard and probably played just as hard. He had a tough look that might be intimidating to some or even most. His eyes were beautiful but she could tell they could go from amused to pissed in two seconds flat.

What would it be like to kiss those firm lips, to taste him? To feel his hard body against hers, only this time skin to skin, nothing between them.

She bit her lower lip, hoping she wasn’t transparent enough for him to tell what she’d been thinking. She forced herself to turn away and surveyed the room she hadn’t seen since she was four years old when her mother had packed up and headed east with Brianna.

“I don’t remember much.” The leather furniture just looked worn and the coffee and end tables gleamed from years of furniture polish and were free of dust. “This really isn’t familiar to me.”

“Come on into the guest bathroom and I’ll grab some extra towels for you.” He nodded toward a hallway on the other side of a large family room.

For a guest bathroom it was roomy. When she caught a look at herself in the mirror she groaned. She looked even worse than she had expected.

Joe reappeared with stack of towels. “Get on out of those wet clothes and you can take a warm shower while I get your things from your car.”

“Thank you, Joe.” She tried to smile but likely didn’t do a very good job of it before she shut the bathroom door behind him.

After she stripped out of her dirty clothes, she tossed them into a pile then started the shower. Before climbing in, she held her hand under the running water until it was warm. Being under the spray felt so good that she wasn’t sure she even wanted to get out when she was finished. She hadn’t realized just how muddy she was until she saw the amount of dirt that washed down the drain.

When she was finished she got out then rubbed herself dry before wrapping a towel around her body. She towel dried her hair the best she could.

A knock at the bathroom door startled her and caused her to jump. She opened it to see Joe with her overnight bags under each arm and her suitcases in hand.

His gaze swept over her in a slow, lazy perusal. Heat flushed through her as she felt warmth engulf her from head to toe even more than it had earlier. And she raised her chin. He worked for her and had no business looking at her like he was. She should probably set him straight, but something about the cowboy’s look stirred her.

“I’ll set these in the guestroom.” He gave a nod toward the hallway. “Come on and I’ll show you where it is.”

She scooped up her dirty clothing and held it in one hand as she followed him down the hall. She was glad he was taking her to a guestroom and not her father’s room. It would take a little time before she made the room her own.

The walls were bare and the tile was cool beneath her bare feet as they headed to the end of the hallway. She had to admire his great ass.

When he reached the door of a bedroom he managed to open the door despite carrying all of her luggage at once. He stood aside to allow her to go through first.
A gentleman cowboy,
she thought as she stepped into the guestroom.

It was quaint with a quilt across the mattress of a bed with an antique headboard. Matching antique furniture filled the room, including a vanity and bureau.

Joe set her luggage beside her and she faced him. When her gaze met his, she had that same feeling as when she had gotten her first good look at him. The thoughts that went through her mind caused a thrill low in her belly.

Crazy thoughts whirled through her of dropping the towel and inviting the cowboy in and straight into the bed just feet away from them. By the look in his eyes, a hungry primitive look, she wondered if he was thinking the same thing.

Her stomach took that moment to growl.

“Why don’t you get dressed and we’ll find you some dinner.” He put his hand on the doorframe. “How does a BLT sound?

She held her hand to her belly. “Food of any kind sounds great.” He gave a nod. ”You got it.”

“Give me a few minutes and I’ll be there.”

She dressed in a long shirt and a pair of capris, pushed her damp hair behind her ears, and then headed to the kitchen. The delicious smell of bacon made her stomach rumble again.

Joe stood at the stove with his back to her but looked over his shoulder as she walked in.

He’d taken off his hat and she saw that his hair was black, a startling combination with the blue of his eyes.

He gestured to a plate of fried bacon next to a cutting board with tomato slices and lettuce leaves on it. A bottle of mayo and a loaf of whole wheat bread were next to a couple of plates.

She cleared her throat. “Thank you for rescuing me outside and helping me get settled.” She breathed in the warm smells. “And for this wonderful feast.”

“Not a problem.” He turned a piece of bacon. “Beer, wine, iced tea, or water?” he asked.

“Whatever you want is in the fridge.”

“A beer sounds wonderful.” She opened the fridge, reached in and grabbed a Bud. “You?”

“I’ll take one too.”

She grabbed a second one then put both on a table in the kitchen nook before returning to him.

He used a pair of tongs to take more bacon out of the pan to add to the rest, then turned off the heat and put the pan on a cool burner.

When she reached him, he said, “Help yourself.”

“Thanks.” She loaded up her BLT then took her sandwich to the table and waited for him to join her before she started eating her sandwich. “Wonderful,” she said after she swallowed. She took a drink of beer then added, “I needed this.” Joe’s lips curved into a smile. “You don’t strike me as the beer type.” His smile did funny things to her insides. She returned his smile. “Usually I prefer wine, but tonight a beer sounded better with a BLT.”

“What made you decide to interrupt your city life and come out here to the middle of nowhere?” he asked in between bites. “Boston is a far cry from Douglas.” His voice was low and sent vibrations through her belly. The big cowboy was so sexy she had a hard time concentrating on his words.