by Sable Hunter
“What a privilege.” Cato greeted her with a handshake.
“Thanks.” Tammy smiled. “I am grateful for the McCoys’ support.” She glanced shyly around. “Has anyone seen Jaxson?”
Jaxson. Hmmmm, so that was how it was. “They haven’t come in for lunch yet.”
“Speaking of…” Cady grinned, looking toward the corral. “They’re here.”
“Hello, Cady, Miss Grayson.” Heath doffed his black Stetson. “Could I borrow Miss Vincent for a spell?”
A spell? Cato almost laughed. He didn’t know how nearly correct he was. She wondered if he realized he was speaking to a member of Louisiana’s most famous witch family.
“Of course, I enjoyed spending time with Cato. She is a beautiful person.” Cady was gracious, as always.
“I couldn’t agree more.” Heath took her by the hand. “Come eat with me, I think we need to clear the air.”
Oh, that didn’t sound good. She wondered what this was all about. She let him lead her toward the tables that had been set up near the cooking area. “Let’s sit over there.” He gestured toward an area that wasn’t so crowded.
“Hey, Heath!” Jaxson joined them. “I have you and the little lady a bowl of mountain oysters.” He set them on the table.
Heath raised an eyebrow and smirked at his brother, knowing exactly what he was up to. “Thank you, Jax. We’re about to get our plates.”
“Jaxson, there’s a young lady asking for you.”
“Who?” He started looking around.
“Tammy Grayson, she’s impressive.” Cato had no more got the words out of her mouth that Jaxson took off to find her as fast as he could travel on his crutches.
“Matchmaker.”
“Hey, they have a lot in common, both so athletic and outgoing. I bet they’d make a good couple.”
“See, you women are all alike.” Heath teased.
Before they took their seats, Cato and Heath passed by the service tables and dished up enough to feed an army. “I bet you’re hungry. I understand you all have been working hard,” she commented to Heath. “Did you have breakfast around the campfire this morning?”
“No, I grabbed a couple of sausage biscuits from the kitchen before I left.” He met her eyes, what he’d witnessed the night before never far from his mind. “How did you sleep?”
“Good. The room and the bed were very comfortable and the shower is fantastic.” Actually, she had slept well. Even though she’d been disappointed by their last conversation, the physical release she’d experienced when she touched herself had made it possible for her to sleep like a baby. “So, what did he call these?” She popped one of the round fried pieces of meat into her mouth. It was battered and had the texture of a chicken gizzard.
“Mountain oysters,” Heath answered, followed by a cough.
Jaxson returned with Tammy in tow. “How do you like it, Cato?”
Why was he laughing? What was so funny? “A little chewy, but tasty,” was her answer.
Heath waved his brother and Tammy away. “You two have a good time. I can handle this.” He turned back to Cato. “So, you like the way that piece of meat felt in your mouth?”
Cato began to get a distinct feeling that something was going on. Mountain oysters. Mountain oysters. Now, where had she heard that before? Was it some freshwater oyster…or…
Her expression changed and her chewing slowed down. She swallowed.
Heath laughed.
“What did I just eat?” she asked soberly.
“Why, just a meat ball,” he answered with a straight face. A handsome face, no doubt, but one that distinctly appeared to be up to something.
“A meat ball is right.” Jaxson laughed, reappearing. Apparently, he hadn’t gone very far.
Okay, she had a sneaky suspicion. “You’ve been cutting calves, right?” Bravely, she took another bite. They both nodded like young boys who had a secret up their sleeves. Well, obviously cutting was more than just separating them from the herd like she’d initially thought. Cutting involved—well, cutting something off—which she presently had in her mouth. Okay, here it comes. “I like it.” She looked directly at Heath, this was all for him. “I’d love to get a pair of balls in my mouth. I’d roll them around on my tongue.” Then she licked her lips and if she wasn’t mistaken, the man groaned.
“You’re trying to kill me, aren’t you?” he asked, holding her gaze.
Damn, she could feel the heat between them. Cato wasn’t imagining it, she couldn’t. “No, that is not my intention at all. I have something else entirely in mind to do to you.” She didn’t know if her flirting skills were up to par, but she was giving it the old college try.
Alas, they weren’t alone. Soon they were surrounded by Heath’s family and friends and all the two of them could share were a few meaningful glances every once in a while. But something was brewing, she was certain of that.
After dessert was served, a sinful gourmet version of a Smore, this one with a fresh-baked cinnamon cookie, Godiva chocolate and homemade marshmallows, everyone followed Pepper and Ryder over to the shaded south lawn for some much anticipated games. People gravitated to what interested them most and Cato spotted what she wanted to try. Roping. Tennessee was directing two women on the best technique and Cato was itching to try her hand at it.
“May I?” she asked, picking up a surprisingly stiff lariat.
“Absolutely,” Tennessee answered and took a moment to show her how to hold it and the way her wrist should move to achieve maximum control.
After a few tries, Cato was pleasantly surprised. She had managed to toss the rope over the fence post. Cato looked around. Roping the fence post didn’t interest her so much. No, she’d rather try for something alive and moving.
“Hmmm, so many cowboys, so little rope,” she muttered with the tiniest hint of glee. “This could be interesting.” She smiled as she spotted the not-so-little dogie she most wanted to lasso and hog-tie. “Come just a little closer. Closer.”
On a wing and prayer, she tossed the rope. Beside her, Tennessee stood with his jaw dropped, watching the little amateur roper do her best. Up, up, up his eyes followed the rope and down, down, down it came and right over the hat and shoulders of his brother Heath.
“Got him!” she exclaimed and she gave the rope a jerk, tightening it around her unsuspecting prey.
“Ummph!” Heath grunted as he was suddenly stopped in his tracks. For a second, he didn’t know what was happening. “What the hell?”
“I’ve always wanted to know how to rope a McCoy.” A woman quipped as she stopped to enjoy Heath’s discomfiture. She looked familiar, but Cato couldn’t quite place her.
“You rope a McCoy very carefully,” Cato muttered as she set back on the rope. Yea, she had him caught. Now how was she going to reel him in?
Heath didn’t know whether to laugh or cuss. Twice now, this little hundred pound ball of fire had made a public spectacle out of him—first with the punch anointing and second with this rope trick. “The question is not how you rope a McCoy, Miss Vincent.” He tried to ignore the famous actress who was watching everything with great delight. “The question is how you keep one tied.”
Much to Cato’s surprise, the tables were quickly turned as Heath began to pull the rope in toward him, hand over fist. With each movement of his powerful arm and shoulder muscles, Cato found herself being drawn nearer and nearer to him—not that she was fighting it too much, understand.
He looked around and gave everyone a wordless message. Skedaddle! And they did. Even Tennessee took the hint and led an amused Renee off to get a cool drink.
“I guess you think you’re really smart. Don’t you?” he asked Cato once he had her up close and personal, arms wrapped around her tighter than the rope was wrapped around him.
“Reasonably intelligent,” she agreed, wondering how she was going to get out of this predicament.
“Do you know what I think?” Heath asked, his lips only a fraction of an inch
away from her own.
“You’re wondering what it would be like if I tied you to my bed post?”
“Ha!” Heath couldn’t help but laugh. God, he had a good time with her. “No, as intriguing as that thought might be, that’s not what was on my mind. But since you mention it…”
“So, care to enlighten me?” She wanted to kiss him so much she was vibrating.
“Yea, I think I’ll accept your proposition. I want to take you to bed—tonight. Okay with you?”
Zing! Cato felt his words in her mind, her heart, her nipples, and her clit. Her whole being was on board with his proposal. “I am amenable to your suggestion.”
“Okay, then, that’s settled.” To seal the deal, he slanted his mouth over hers and let the flame flare. He’d just intended to give her a kiss, a soft kiss, a promise of what was to come. But having her near, within reach, stole his resolve. Lust flared inside of him and his arms tightened. Heath claimed her mouth, in front of God and Texas, thrusting his tongue into the soft honeyed recesses and drinking deeply. And thank God she responded, softening and opening to him like a delicate flower.
“Wahoo!”
Heath pulled back at the outburst. Looking up, he saw it was Jimmy with his fist pumping in the air, his shirt thrown over his shoulder, grinning like the Cheshire cat.
He did his best to ignore his annoying friend, choosing to focus on her. “God, you’re dangerous.”
“Is that good?” she asked tentatively.
“Very good.”
“Hey, we’re going tubing.” Jimmy interrupted them. “Wanna come?”
Heath looked at her and she nodded in the affirmative. It was too early to go to bed and she wasn’t about to turn down a chance to see him half naked. “Let me get my suit.”
“Okay.” He kissed her on the forehead. “I’ll meet you out front.”
Suddenly the day seemed brighter to Heath. He looked up at the sky and found it to be slightly overcast.
Oh well, probably his imagination.
CHAPTER SIX
“Yay!” Cato spun in a circle, hugging herself and laughing. Heath had accepted her proposal, proposition, plan—whatever. They were going to be together! And she was giddy, ecstatic, elated…and scared to death. Good gracious, she had no idea what she was doing. What if she bombed? Cato covered her face, trying to get her breathing under control. If she hadn’t come on to him like a porn star, she wouldn’t be so nervous. He probably expected a night of experienced debauchery and all he was going to get was…Cato.
Continuing to worry, she stared at herself in the mirror, wishing she’d brought some sort of bathing suit other than a bikini. This little number had been a gift from Tammany. Cato had never worn it and she hadn’t really expected to put it on this weekend. She’d just thrown it in on a whim. Putting it on, Cato groaned. What had Tammany been thinking? Her body was more suited to those strategically cut, slimming black numbers that accentuated the positive and toned down the negative.
Instead, here she was in a two piece string bikini the same color as ripe raspberries. At least she had a bit of a tan. But there was too much of her exposed, Cato tried to stretch the small triangles over her bounteous bosoms. “Good grief!” Dammit. There wasn’t time for grapefruit diets or body wraps. Jerking her cover-up off the hanger, she skimmed it on. At least it was nice, not too short and made of white cotton lace.
Heath sat out front in Old Red, waiting. The woman caused him to lose all of his mental faculties. Around her he thought with his dick and that head had a one track mind. He wondered what she’d think of his mode of transportation. Even though he never intended it to be, a woman’s reaction to Red was always a test.
Everyone else had already left. Most of the women, having been to one of their shindigs before, wore their swimming suit under their clothes or had it with them in one of those large purses that women tended to carry which could hold anything from a bottle of champagne to a small dog. But Cato wasn’t like the rest of the women. She was honest and down to earth—aggressive as hell but sweet. In other words, she was…
Irresistible.
He heard the screen door slam and he looked up. God Almighty. The woman was all legs and breasts—two of his most favorite parts. Going around to open the door for her, he watched her every move. She had that hair of hers caught up in a high ponytail which he’d give half of Texas to wind around his fist, guiding her, holding her, controlling her while he drove his cock in and out of her tight little pussy. And it would be tight, he could almost guaran-damn-tee it.
And tonight, he’d find out.
“Love your truck!” And she meant it, he could tell by her easy smile.
“Why?”
“It has character and it’s not made out of plastic. I bet you’ve made a lot of good memories in this truck.”
Heath opened the passenger door and helped her in, his respect for her growing by the minute. Some folk respected who were nice to their children or their pets—Heath appreciated people being nice to his truck. “You’re right about that.”
Cato settled into the seat and looked around. “I’ve never been tubing before. Do we rent the equipment at the river?”
“We could,” Heath answered, “but I’ve got two inner-tubes in the back.”
“I’m excited.”
“I plan on keeping you that way.” He was driving with one eye on the road and the other on the daring expanse of leg and thigh exposed for his viewing pleasure. Now that he’d made up his mind to partake of her sweetness, he didn’t hardly have the discipline to keep his hands off of her. In fact, he had to have a touch—just a touch.
Night and day. That was the difference between Heath before he’d made up his mind about their relationship and now. “Come closer.” He held out his hand and she placed hers within his grasp. “Yea, that’s right. Scoot right over here by me. That’s one reason I love these old trucks, bench seats are much more conducive to cuddling.”
Cato didn’t require a second invitation. She moved right over, her body touching his from shoulder to knee, just as close as she could get. Heath brought her hand to his lips and kissed it, a lingering sensuous kiss, one which made chill bumps of arousal dance on her body. “This is nice.”
“This is paradise.” He let go of her hand and brought his to her knee, his fingers caressing the silky skin. “You feel so good. I couldn’t wait to get my hands on you.”
Cato wrapped her hands around his big bicep and held on as he let his touch glide up her thigh. “How far is it to the river?”
“Not far enough.”
He had to keep his eyes on the road, so Cato had to try and move so she could see his lips. Sometimes she wasn’t sure about what he’d said. “Can you sign?”
“Just a few words, bare basics.” Heath was ashamed to say. “But I’d like to learn.” He let his hand settle, cupped around her thigh only a couple inches south of paradise. “Show me something.”
Feeling brave and adventurous, Cato made the vee sign with both hands, then slapped her palms together.
“What does that mean?”
Okay, maybe not so brave. She blushed. “Sex.”
“Really?” Heath chuckled. “Show me again.”
She did, then she grabbed the wheel because Heath was trying the sign for himself. “Hey, you’re driving!”
“With my knee.”
She looked down and he was indeed steering with his leg as he made the sex sign several times in a row. “Put your hands back on the wheel.”
He gave her a naughty, playful look. “Okay, but later I get to put my hands on you.”
“Count on it, cowboy,” Cato promised, even though her hands were shaking. Their eyes held for a second or two while Heath pulled his truck off the road and down a narrow dirt lane. Looking around, she saw they had stopped on the banks of a beautiful small river, shaded on either side by pecans and bald cypress. “Oh, how pretty. Where is everybody else?”
Moment of truth. What if she were disappoi
nted? After all, she could have been near all the famous friends he and Jimmy had collected over the years. “Uh, I decided to take you to a different place. I wanted to be alone with you.”
“Good idea!” She started to turn and scramble out of the truck, anxious to get into the water. “I’ve always loved to swim. I had a baby alligator for a while. I kept him in the bathtub.”
“I can believe that.” She didn’t catch what he said. Grabbing her arm, he stopped her. “Hold on, busy britches.”
She caught that part. “Why?”
“You’re not letting me be a gentleman.” He got out, shut his door and went over to the passenger side. When he opened the door, she was right there and he almost lost his breath. Cato had no idea how appealing she was. She was excited, he could tell by the rise and fall of her chest. God what a chest, she had to be a C cup at least. “Do you know how sexy you are?”
“No,” she whispered. “Am I?”
“Oh, yeah.” Thank God this wasn’t a courtship or some romantic date. This was a fling, a hot affair expressly for the purpose of no holds barred sex. He didn’t have to wait, there was no three date minimum before getting her into bed. “Come here.” He placed one hand on the nape of her neck and pulled her toward him. “Kiss me, sugar.”
“Yes, sir.” She framed his face with her hands and heck, just for the hell of it, she wrapped her legs around his waist and yanked him tight against her. For right now, she had the right and she was going to take full advantage. Touching her lips to his, she kissed him, softly, gently, licking the seam of his lips until he took her tongue in his mouth and began to suck on it. She felt each tug between her legs. Cato couldn’t hear what it sounded like, but she groaned, a sound of abject desire. He tasted like everything good in the world she’d been missing, sensuality and passion. Heath tasted like heaven.
No more waiting. No more games. Heath cupped her heart-shaped rear and picked Cato up, carrying her to the water’s edge. Letting her slide down his body, he set her on her feet. “Wait here. Let me get the tubes.”
