When Petals Fall: A Cowboy, Second Chance Romantic Suspense (Chance Creek Book 1)

by A. L. Mercier

  "How fast were you going?"

  She turned back and lifted a brow. "The usual."

  "That means too fast. No wonder the board didn't stick. It didn’t have time."

  He stood and strode toward her, his six-foot-two-inch frame catching up fairly quickly to her five-foot-nothing. For just a little thing, she'd always been a pistol, and apparently that hadn't changed. Lizzie was the most tenacious woman he'd ever met. Why he found that sexy he didn't know, but he did. Now her trust issues…that was another story.

  They walked over. Lizzie turned this way, then that, studying the board and the road. Jake had no clue what she was doing, but he knew better than to interrupt.

  Lizzie pointed to the left. "I was driving and looking out at the Bar T shanty out there, admiring how much better it looked with fresh paint when all of a sudden I hit this damn board," which she now kicked with her sandaled foot, "and then pop went my tire."

  Jake looked it over, noticing nothing unusual.

  "Must've been just a stray piece of wood that fell out of the back of someone's truck like you thought." He picked it up and tossed it to the ditch. He'd have someone get rid of it later.

  Lizzie shook her head. "Must have been. I'm such a dope. I know better than to not pay attention on these dirt roads."

  "You've been back for what? Less than an hour?"

  She folded her arms across her chest. "About that, yeah."

  "Give yourself a break. It takes a while to get used to the country again, just as I'm sure it took you awhile to get used to the city."

  "I don't think I ever got used to the city," Lizzie said.

  They watched as a four-by-four truck full of teenagers came barreling down the road. They gave them a wide berth and hooted and hollered obscenities.

  Lizzie gaped. "Dear God. Was that Brian Kennedy?"

  "The one driving, yeah. That crowd can be pretty rowdy."

  Hands on hips, she sputtered, "No kidding. That kid grabbed his crotch and snaked his tongue at me."

  Jake bit back a laugh at Lizzie's incredulity. "I saw the second but missed the first."

  "You weren't missing much."

  Jake laughed even as Lizzie curled her lip.

  "Were we ever that bad, Jake?"

  He shook his head. "Can't say as we were. We had our moments but nothing like the kids now."

  "Thank God. And here comes another one."

  Jake looked, and sure enough there was a red truck heading toward them, this one he didn't recognize. They watched as it headed straight for them.

  "What the hell?" Jake asked as he pulled Lizzie off the side of the road.

  The truck kept on going. It narrowly missed their vehicles, then sped up even more.

  "Who the heck was that?" Lizzie gasped.

  "I don't know. I didn't recognize the truck and the windows were tinted."

  "Well, it must have been a new truck because it didn't have plates on it either."

  Jake lifted a brow.

  "What? I'm a detail-noticing gal. Besides, I was going to call the sheriff. They made me get my sandals all full of mud, not to mention my feet."

  "We can't have that now, can we?"

  "Heck no! Inconsiderate butthead."

  Jake chuckled. "Been a long time since I've heard anyone called butthead."

  "Well, he or she is a total butthead."

  "I'd have to agree. And here comes Ed so you might want to gather your things from your SUV before he tows it back to town."

  "Oh, yeah. Thanks."

  As Lizzie went to get her stuff, Jake helped Ed hook up the SUV. When she came back, Ed tipped his battered baseball cap.

  "Welcome back, Lizzie."

  Lizzie smiled, "Thanks Ed. It's good to be back."

  "Strange, both tires being flat, ain't it?"

  Jake saw her frown. "Yes. Very strange, especially since this is a brand-new SUV and I checked the spare before I left the city."

  "Slow leak would be my guess."

  "That's what Jake said."

  "He's a pretty bright fella so it doesn't surprise me."

  Man. Ed was singing his praises and trying to make him look good in front of Lizzie. He had to stop this. He'd been doing pretty well on his own up 'til now.

  "Thanks for coming all the way out here so fast, Ed."

  "I wasn't doin' nothin' but tinkering on Mrs. Simmons' car. She don't take it out on the highway near enough and it's all carboned up. I'll get them tires replaced for you right quick, Lizzie."

  "Thanks, Ed. I appreciate that."

  "You need a ride back to the Bar T?"

  Jake watched her and waited.

  "No, but thanks. I'll catch a ride with Jake. He's headed that way anyway." She turned to look at him. "You don't mind, do you, Jake?"

  Mind? Hell, no. He liked having her alone.

  "Nope. Can't say as I do."

  Ed nodded. "Good, good. I'll give you a call when she's ready."

  "Perfect," Lizzie beamed.

  He waited until Ed drove away, then grabbed the bags that Lizzie'd set at her feet.

  "Ready?"

  She nodded then followed him to the passenger side of his truck. He could feel her gaze boring into his back, and he wondered what she was thinking. Was she, like him, remembering the way their bodies fit perfectly together? The way they moved in sync with one another, the way it felt when she lifted her hips to meet his as he thrust deeply inside her. God. The mere thought of getting that close to her again had him hard and aching and, with the way things had ended seven years ago, more than likely dreaming. She'd been friendly when she'd greeted him, but he was likely reading too much into it.

  He opened the rear passenger door and stored her bags, then opened the front door and she looked at him expectantly.

  "I'm going to need a little help," she said with a wave of her arm.

  He eyed the height of the truck compared to her height then chuckled.

  "I'd forgotten how tiny you were."

  "Been dating Amazons, have you?"

  He fitted his hands around her waist, and she lifted hers to his shoulders.

  "No," he said as he lifted her onto the passenger seat. Now that she was eye-to-eye with him, he could see her more clearly. Those sea green eyes, the pert, freckled nose, her kissable lips. He couldn't tear his gaze away from her lips, and when they parted, and her tongue flicked out nervously he nearly groaned. Instead, he let his hands fall to his sides, then met her gaze.

  Desire had darkened her eyes to the color of emeralds, her cheeks were flushed, her breathing heavy.

  "This isn't a good idea, Darlin'." Jumping back in with both feet after ending on not-so-good terms seven years ago was not a smart way to go about things.

  She nodded. "Probably not."

  One beat, two, and then they were in each other’s arms. Tongues dueling, hearts pounding, he pulled her to the edge of the seat and ground himself against her. God, how he wanted her. Always her. Only her. He could go on kissing her forever. He ran his hands up and down her back, enjoying her softness, her warmth. And her scent. Holy hell, her scent. She smelled of flowers, fresh air, and Lizzie. He wanted to eat her up, heck, he was eating her up.

  Lizzie pulled back, panting, licking her lips as if to savor his taste and this time he did groan aloud.

  "Where can we go?" she asked.

  Surprised, he tried to get his brain to work which is kind of a hard thing to do when all the blood had headed South. He'd thought for sure she was going to pull back and ask him to stop.

  "The cabin?"

  She nodded, gave him a shove back, turned in her seat, then closed the door.

  He went around and got behind the wheel. His hands shook with need as he put the key in the ignition. He didn't want this to be a mistake and he really, really didn't want her to regret this.

  He turned to her. She sat straight, still panting, looking out the windshield. "Are you sure?"

  She nodded, turning her lust-filled gaze to his. "Hurry." />
  3

  Lizzie

  Falling back into bed with Jake Kramer was one of the stupidest things she'd ever done. It was also one of the most fun. Lizzie trailed a finger between Jake's firm pectorals, down his abdomen, riding the hills and valleys of well-defined muscle. Her finger caught on the soft cotton sheet, bunching it in an ever-building wave, exposing inch after inch of hard, tan flesh in its wake, stopping only when she came upon the edge of the golden tan. She licked her lips and admired the view. Man, oh man, Jake Kramer had one fine body. The six-foot-two-inch well-toned bountiful feast of a cowboy lay before her, complacent and open for anything she desired. Her gaze moved up to his kissable lips, then higher noting his dark brown hair sexily mussed from her fingers running through it, and those deep brown eyes ablaze with desire. For her.

  Seven years away hadn't changed much. She'd been home two days, and already she was falling back into old habits, bad ones at that. At least she was consistent, she thought with a sigh.

  The curtains billowed as a gentle evening breeze drifted through the open window. The haphazardly placed candles flickered, illuminating impressions of shadows over her hand as she continued the downward trek of her finger. Rays from the setting sun cast a red hue through the Lizzie's bedroom, adding one more layer to the seductive ambiance.

  "You're playing with fire, Darlin'."

  Wasn't that the truth. Two days ago when Jake stopped to help her on the side of the road, she knew right then and there, she was in trouble. After two days in his bed, she realized she'd been right.

  She smiled at the slight rasp in that deep drawl as she exposed the trail of dark hair that led to the promised land. "I like things a little hot."

  "There's nothing I like more than a woman living on the edge." The wicked edge to his grin tugged at her desire. Jake looked so dangerously tempting lying there on her bed on his back, his arms bent at the elbows, muscles bunching, head pillowed on his hands. His oh-so-tight abs rippled and quivered, just begging to be licked.

  "Are you sure you can take it, tough guy?"

  "Do your worst, Darlin'." His biceps tensed, clenching like a fist for a brief second, before relaxing once again, as if he was trying to keep hold of the control that was slowly but surely slipping out of his grasp and into hers. "Whatever you want."

  What she wanted was him, beyond all control. She had loved him once—deeply, openly, and with all of her being. And he'd broken her heart. But that was then, and this was now. This time it was sex. Only sex, but lots and lots of it. And no broken hearts at the end on either side.

  Pulling the sheet lower, she exposed his long, thick erection. He was hard and greedy as if they hadn't just had sex an hour before. She was going to take serious advantage of this situation. Maybe experiment a little, see how close to the edge she could push him without letting him go over.

  With the sheet now past his knees, she positioned herself between his spread thighs, leaned forward, and replaced the fingers pulling down the sheet with her mouth. Then she reversed direction. She grinned as the muscles in his thighs flexed under the caress of her tongue, snickered as she nipped at the inside of his thigh, and out of the corner of her eye saw his cock leap in appreciation.

  Lizzie kissed her way back up his lean thigh, breathing in his scent. He smelled like pure, clean masculinity. She let her tongue lead the path to his hipbone, discovering he tasted as good as he smelled. When he reached for her, she shook her head and grasped his hands, brushing his knuckles with her lips, then told him, "No. Just let me." She lowered his hands to his sides.

  While holding his heated gaze, she playfully licked across the flat of his abdomen, feigning innocence as she purposefully bypassed the one area she knew he was hoping she'd devour.

  Keeping her eyes locked with his, she reached the opposite hip and gave a quick kiss. His lips parted as she started her way back across, his lids half-mast, nostrils flaring. She smiled when she reached his hard shaft, letting her hot breath waft over him in a moist caress. His muscles flexed and his jaw tightened in hopeful expectation.

  "You're killing me," Jake breathed, his voice heavy with arousal, his hands tightly gripping the sheet beneath him.

  "Hmm." She dipped her tongue into his navel then circled around. He growled deep in his throat. "Patience, Cowboy," she replied huskily, shifting to brace her hands outside his hips for better leverage. Her hair brushed across his stomach, eliciting a quiver that made her smile. She did it again, this time angling her head, so her hair trailed over his cock.

  He let out a long, rough groan, before admitting, "I'm just about out."

  "Well, let's see what we can do to take the rest of it from you."

  Dipping her head down, she rubbed his cock with the side of her cheek. "Such a contrast. Hard and soft at the same time."

  "Don't forget eager. Very, very eager."

  Turning her head, Lizzie caressed his rigid length with her breath, before bringing her hands into the game. The length of his cock lay across his abdomen, the dark vein underneath pulsing in tandem with his heartbeat. She ran her thumb over the broad head smoothing the silky fluid that glistened within the candlelight. She tried to wrap her fingers around the girth. They didn't quite make it to encompass the entirety. She stroked the rigid length, giving a gentle squeeze, holding it as he moaned, before using her other hand to cup his balls. His deep grunt of approval and shift of his hips were all the encouragement she needed.

  She leaned in and blew a long, slow breath across his cock before running her tongue slowly up the length of him drawing forth an eager twitch that had her confidence growing by leaps and bounds. She took her time, slowly licking one millimeter at a time, then another, and another. When a woman had someone like Jake at her mercy, she didn't rush.

  Lazily she wrapped her lips and tongue around its smoothness, taking the broad head into the heat of her mouth. His body went rigid and a hiss of breath escaped between his teeth. She swirled her tongue around the thick ridge beneath the head of his cock, before dipping her tongue into the tiny slit at the tip, and the tall, dark cowboy beneath her let out a long groan.

  She took a minute to ask teasingly, "Do you like that, Jake?"

  His "What's not to like?" was as breathless a comment as she had ever heard from him.

  "Hmm, and how about this?" she purred before wrapping her lips around his thick, rigid length and taking him deep inside her mouth. She shifted to a more comfortable position. Her arousal grew by the second, all from pleasuring him.

  "Christ." The sound was just a hiss between his teeth, and his body arched ever so slightly off the bed.

  She tried talking but all that came out was a muffle.

  Jake chuckled. "It's not polite to talk with your mouth full. Besides, I have no clue what you just said."

  Lizzie released his shaft from between her lips with a seductive pop, then snickered. "What I was trying to say is, I don't think now is an appropriate time to be calling on the Savior."

  "I don't think I can take much more."

  "You can take more."

  Jake let out a cross between a groan and a laugh. "You sound a whole lot surer than I feel."

  His cock was big, thick, and long and, try as she might, there was no way in hell Lizzie could fit all of that bad boy in her mouth. So she improvised by wrapping one hand around the base and giving a slow stroke.

  "Baby, I need to touch you." He reached for her arm, but she dodged his hands.

  "But I'm having such a good time." To reiterate the point, she sucked, slurped, and licked as much of his cock as possible. With her hand strategically placed, she was able to hug him with her hand and caress his length. He grunted when she swirled her tongue the head, and then groaned aloud as she, once again, took him as deeply into her mouth as she could.

  He tugged on her arm and she raised her head. "Is there something you're wanting?"

  "Why don't you flip yourself around?"

  "In case you hadn't noticed, I'm busy down here
."

  "Oh, I noticed all right, but I want a taste."

  "A taste of what?" she teased.

  "Your sweetness. Come on up here, Darlin'." He reached for her again, and this time she let him grasp her upper arm. "When I come, I want you to come with me."

  "Oh alright," she said with a wave of a hand, "if you insist." She let go of his cock, then got to her knees. As she started to turn her foot got caught on the sheet, forcing her to shake her leg to wiggle it off like an idiot. She continued trying to position herself while on her hands and knees, nearly kneeing him in the nose in the process.

  "Whoa there, Darlin'." He grasped her knee and helped her get it on the other side of his head.

  She tilted her head down and looked at him down the length of her body to see how he was taking her lack of agility and muttered an embarrassed "sorry" when she saw the humor twinkling in his eyes.

  "Not a problem."

  She angled her body, painstakingly slowly and cautiously so as not to take out an eye or other vital body part as she knelt above his face. Nerves were turning her into a total klutz, nerves she didn't understand. This was Jake. They'd been here before—and now again for two days. So, why?

  "There now. No harm done."

  Her unease slowly faded as his calloused hands slid up her hips, over the globes of her ass in a light caress, those deft fingertips dipping into the crease between. The rough digits slid slowly down the seam, then dipped between her legs. He separated her feminine folds and she quivered as he exposed her wetness to his gaze.

  "So pretty. So hot and slick. Will you taste as good as I remember?" His tongue was a whisper of sensation, petal soft and maddening. He growled as she moaned. "Better. Much better than I remember."

  It felt pretty damn good, too. Lizzie reached for his cock first with her hand, then her mouth, working to drive him as crazy as he was driving her. She slipped her lips around the plump head, then took him deep, before retreating. She was fairly certain she was succeeding when he gripped her hair with one hand and began thrusting his hips.

  This was the part that had her holding back. The part she feared. The part when a man began to thrust to his pleasure without a second thought to the woman giving it. But, to her surprise and delight, Jake didn't take more than she was willing to give. There was no thrusting to the point of gagging or pain, just a slow, steady shift of his hips, which gave him what he needed and compelled her to give him more.