Her Forever Cowboy (Harland County Series Book 4)

by Donna Michaels

  With the edge close, he released her lips to kiss a tight peak and received a moan of approval. When she arched, inviting, begging him for more, he drew her farther into his mouth and sucked hard.

  “Kevin.”

  He released her nipple and lifted up to lock his elbows. “What? Anything,” he said as he thrust deeper inside.

  “That,” she replied.

  The rapturous look on her face took him to the very edge. Another deep thrust, then another was all it took, and as he watched her burst, hard, she took him with her.

  When the world stopped spinning and Shayla came back down into her body, she was surprised to find herself alone. Did Kevin leave? She sat up, still on top of the covers, and refused to consider the reason why relief flooded her body at the sight of his clothes still piled on the floor.

  He didn’t leave.

  And since he returned with a glass of water, before thoughts on why his sticking around made her happy, she pushed the subject to the back of her mind and smiled at the gloriously naked cowboy.

  “I thought you left,” she told him, taking the glass he offered, warmed by the gesture and the smile crossing his face.

  He waited while she drank. “No, darlin’. Despite what you might think of me, I never kiss and run.”

  Smiling, she handed him the glass and nodded. Good to know. She hadn’t particularly liked how hollow her stomach had felt that split second before she’d spotted his clothes. Which made no sense, because they shouldn’t be doing this, had agreed back in Houston to not do this in Harland County.

  And yet, here they were.

  In bed.

  In Harland County.

  “Besides, we’re not done,” he said, placing the glass on the nightstand before peeling back the covers and settling against the pillows, holding the covers open in an invitation for her to join him.

  The moment of truth.

  Indecision rippled through Shayla, messing with her pulse. He looked incredible all hard and ripped. What to do? Join him under the covers and commit to hot, uncommitted sex, or refuse and send him on his merry way, chalking the sex they’d just had as a moment of weakness.

  Trouble was, she was weak, and hungry, and really wanted to ask him a few personal questions. Now was the perfect time. Guard down, softened by orgasmic interference. Perfect time.

  Curiosity winning out, she crawled up and snuggled against his warm body, sighing when he lowered the covers and two strong arms surrounded her and pulled her in close.

  “That’s my girl,” he said, kissing the top of her head.

  The thrill bursting through her body was probably not a smart thing. So what? She didn’t have to be smart tonight. No. Tonight, she was content. Happy. Tomorrow she could be practical and smart.

  Body still tingling with a post-orgasmic high, she pressed her ear against the side of his chest, palmed his ribs and sighed. “I figure the feeling should return to my legs any minute now.”

  “Good luck.” His chuckle rippled through her, warming her heart. “I’m still struggling, darlin’. It’s a miracle I made it to the kitchen and back.” He kissed her head again. “But don’t worry. I’ll be out of here before Amelia wakes up.”

  “Thanks for understanding,” she said, brushing her thumb back and forth across his ribs.

  “So, when were you going to tell me about your GED?”

  She stiffened. How the hell…?

  “I saw the envelope on the counter just now. Sorry, wasn’t snooping, darlin’. It was just there. I think it’s great.”

  “You do?” She lifted up to stare at him, embarrassment heating her face. “I feel like such a loser.”

  “Hey, no. Don’t ever say that.” He frowned. “Circumstances were out of your control. But now you’re taking action. That really is something. You’re something,” he said, finger grazing her cheekbone, sending a strange, gooey feeling through her body.

  “Thanks,” she said, laying her head back down, heart suddenly feeling two sizes too big for her chest. She continued to stroke his ribs. He was too dangerous. “Even though you’re really good for my ego, we really can’t do this again, Kevin.”

  The hand cupping her right shoulder squeezed. “I know. No worries, darlin’. My momma raised a smart boy.”

  Her lead in.

  “Yes, she did,” she said, careful to keep emotion from her tone. “You are a lot more kind and considerate than I gave you credit for when we first met. I’m sorry.”

  “No harm done,” he replied smoothly. “I thought you were an uptight bi—abe.”

  She laughed. “Yeah, I was a bit uptight.” She tipped her head to stare at him. “But you seemed to have loosened me up a little.”

  “Well now, it’s been my pleasure. Believe me.” He tugged her closer and kissed her sweetly.

  When he drew back, she settled against him again, and continued her caressing. “I would’ve liked to have met your mom. And your dad.”

  His hold tightened for a split second. “They would’ve liked you and Amelia.”

  Without stopping her strokes, she squeezed her eyes shut and took a chance. “What happened to them?”

  When he didn’t immediately respond, she figured she’d pushed too much, but was surprised by his admission a few seconds later.

  “I let them down and they died.”

  Her eyes flew open and heart clutched tight. “What?” Turning in his arms, she lifted up and stared hard into his troubled gaze. “I’m sure that isn’t true.”

  God, just the thought of him thinking he was to blame for his parents’ deaths made her ache. Physically ache. And that, coupled with the pain she’d heard in his voice when he’d talked about his unborn child to Kade last night, she could barely breathe. The desire to take away his pain shook through her body.

  “But it is true, darlin’,” he insisted, twisting a piece of her hair around his finger. “My dad died when he fell off a horse I forgot to exercise, and my mom died from cancer before I was able to finish creating the software that now helps aid in early detection.”

  She cupped his hand and squeezed. “Kevin, honey, none of that is your fault.”

  He released her hair to put his finger to her lips. “Yes, it is, but I don’t want to talk about it. I’d much rather discuss your next orgasm.”

  To press his point, he flipped her onto her back and traced a light circle around her breast, brushing her puckering nipple back and forth with his thumb. The heat simmering in her belly stoked into a delicious flame only he knew how to fan. And he knew how so well. Dammit.

  Mind hazing over with lingering desire, she let the subject drop. Didn’t want to push too hard. Now that the door was open, she’d broach the subject again in the future. Right now, she wanted to broach him.

  Arching into his touch, she gazed up, a grin tugging her lips. “Yes, cowboy. It’s been fifteen minutes. You’re slipping.”

  “Exactly my plan,” he said, blue eyes suddenly smoldering. His hand skimmed down to settle between her legs, long finger brushing her folds.

  With the subject of his parents pushed aside, and dawn slowly approaching, she wanted to enjoy every minute, every second, with the man before their time was up. Preferably without talking. Kevin Dalton communicated best when his lips were put to other uses.

  That was how she wanted to remember their time together.

  Because this was not going to happen again.

  Chapter Fifteen

  The next morning, a little tired and a lot satisfied, Shayla answered a knock on the door Kevin had exited an hour earlier. Thank goodness he’d left without being seen, not only by Amelia, but by any of their friends. She wasn’t in the mood for twenty questions, although, she was feeling a bit mellow.

  Morning sex will do that to you.

  The thought flashed through her mind as she looked through the peephole before opening the door to a smiling deputy.

  “Hi, Shayla.” Jordan stepped inside, holding up a bag her nose detected contained some o
f Kerri’s mouthwatering blueberry muffins.

  Her weakness.

  “Hi.” She turned and followed her friend into the kitchen. Great sex topped off with a decadent Kerri McCall blueberry muffin. Didn’t get much better than that. Smiling, she poured out two mugs of fresh brewed coffee and joined her friend at the breakfast bar.

  “Thanks,” Jordan said. “Did you sleep well?”

  What did the deputy mean by that? She narrowed her eyes. Had her friend seen Kevin leave? Shayla’s stomach dropped to her feet. She hoped not.

  “Ah…yeah.” She glanced around for any sign of the guy. None. She breathed an inner sigh of relief. Secret was safe.

  “You just missed him.”

  “Missed who?” She frowned, attempting to play stupid. Not much of a stretch this past week.

  Her friend’s smile widened. “The good-looking, blue-eyed cowboy that was warming your bed.” Damn. Jordan had seen him leave? But how?

  “When you missed the morning SITREP with Kade, I volunteered to come over,” the deputy answered as if reading her mind.

  Shoot. Her gaze shot to the clock. She completely forgot to check in as scheduled.

  Damn, sexy cowboy really had her mind all out of wack. And body quivering half the night. She stifled a yawn and faced her friend. “So, how did you know…”

  “That Kevin was in your bed? I didn’t, until now.” Her friend smiled. “He was downstairs guzzling some coffee, keeping Kerri in stitches while he ate two helpings of steak and eggs.”

  The man certainly had an appetite. She ought to know. Heat flooded her belly and overflowed right to her face.

  “Well, it won’t happen again. It was just a…thing.” Yeah, a thing left over from Houston. Now that they got it out of their system—all night—life would go back to normal.

  “Why?” Jordan frowned, setting her cup on the counter. “Kevin isn’t an irresponsible guy. You seem to be getting him confused with someone else.”

  Maybe. She blew out a breath. “I know.” That was no longer a concern. But the fact he might use her daughter as a substitute to his loss simply twisted her gut. What if he realized a few weeks from now that Amelia wasn’t a substitute and just left? Her daughter would be devastated. Hell, she’d be…

  She forced the thought to stop. They were just friends. Keep it simple. No more benefits.

  A soft, yet firm hand settled on hers and squeezed. “Talk to me. What are your concerns about him?”

  Concerns? Where did she start? His lack of commitment? Unfounded guilt? Loss? Shayla got the impression from the cowboy’s conversation with Kade the other night that no one, not even Cole, was aware of the unborn child, so she kept her mouth shut. Not her business to share.

  But she did worry.

  “He’s a good man. Trust me. And he really cares about you and Amelia.” Jordan squeezed her hand again before releasing to grab her mug. “You should’ve seen him the night you were sick, Shayla. Suave businessman, dressed in Armani with an aqua diaper bag draped over one shoulder, while he carried a cute little mermaid into the kitchen. I tell you, if he’d gone into the dining room, every female in our restaurant would’ve swooned.”

  Shayla laughed because she didn’t know what else to do. She understood the swooning. Hell, she was guilty of it herself. But, this wasn’t about her. Or Kevin. It was about Amelia. And trying to keep her baby from being hurt.

  “I know he’s a good man. And I appreciate all he’s done for me. Us,” she corrected. “But that’s the problem. Amelia is very attached to him.” She pushed off the stool and began to pace. “Have you heard what she calls him? Daddy.”

  “I heard. It’s cute.”

  “No, no, it’s not.” She stopped and frowned. “He’s not her daddy and won’t ever be, so I need to help my daughter ease away from her attachment to the guy.” She shoved her hands in her back pockets and blew out a breath. “And I can’t stop her. No matter what I say, she doesn’t listen. Keeps calling him Daddy.”

  “What do you mean he won’t ever be?”

  “He doesn’t do relationships, Jordan.”

  “People change.”

  She laughed, a bitter sound echoing through the kitchen. “Kevin’s not people. He’s a drop-dead gorgeous cowboy billionaire with his pick of woman. Why would he give that all up to saddle himself with a single mom and her daughter who can’t stay in one town too long because of her deadbeat dad?”

  “Oh, hun, you’re asking the wrong question.”

  She blinked at the deputy, then gave her head a little shake. Nope. Her friend’s statement still didn’t make sense. “You’ll have to tell me, because I’m clueless. What question?”

  “Why wouldn’t he give that all up?” Jordan replied. “You are worth loving, Shayla. Kevin would be damn lucky to have you.”

  Two weeks.

  Two long weeks since Kevin had lost control and succumbed to his need for Shayla that unforgettable Thursday night. Three times. A smile found its way to his lips and tugged hard. What a night. Incredible. Bone shifting. Back breaking. One hell of an invigorating night.

  But the sexy single mother had started to cross the line. Asked questions. They may have shared bodies in every way imaginable, but that didn’t mean he wanted to get personal with the woman.

  Actually, he did. And wasn’t that just the problem.

  The thought of opening up and sharing that side with her held, of all things, appeal. How stupid was that? Damn stupid. Luckily, he’d caught himself just in time and redirected her…energy.

  As he walked across the driveway to meet Kade, Cole and Connor to pitch in with revamping the existing humane stable to house other animals, Kevin thought about the new stable.

  Construction was set to start on Monday. Created from scratch, the beauty would consist of state of the art equipment, heating and cooling, fifteen stalls, lounge, gorgeous tack room, bath/utility room, examination room, and a huge indoor riding arena with cedar mulch footing. Perfect for healing horses. The designer had really outdone herself. Brandi rocked the design, incorporating all the requirements his cousin had brought to the table. With her construction and Kade’s kind heart, Shadow Rock was going to help many animals from Houston on down to Harland County. Kevin was happy to be a part of it right from the start.

  Passing several vehicles, he noted Brandi’s regular crew had arrived. According to his soon-to-be-cousin-in-law, Saturday was just an extension of the week in the construction and design business.

  Did that include Shayla?

  He stopped dead and glanced around. No red SUV in sight. Kevin let out a breath and continued toward the group of cowboys gathered by the empty humane stable, grateful the single mother wasn’t there. She was more a planner, organizer, producer, not hands on physical.

  Although, damn, the woman sure did excel in that department. He groaned. Not wise to revisit those memories. Avoiding her on all days that didn’t rhyme with Tuesday and Thursday was his best defense against a libido gone rogue. Dancing with the temptress during their practices, holding her close, brushing that exquisite body of hers was enough to put him in a sexually frustrated coma.

  Dribbling and drooling—not a good look for him.

  So, Kevin made a point to steer clear of her on non-dancing days whenever possible. Now that he’d had time to cool down since that night in her apartment, things were a bit clearer. His vow not to have sex with her again was a little easier to keep when he reminded himself they were getting too personal. Continued sex with Shayla would lead to more opening up. It was inevitable.

  Abstinence. Yeah, that was the key. Abstaining and taking matters into his own hands was his only defense. Hell, he wasn’t even sure if the pipes still worked with other women. Hadn’t tried since Galveston.

  Hadn’t wanted to.

  Shit. He halted again, the crunch of gravel diminishing with his steps. Where the hell had that thought come from? More importantly, was it true?

  Before he could form an honest answer, his ce
ll phone rang. Happy for the interruption, Kevin pulled the phone out of his pocket and stared at the caller ID.

  Amber.

  Decision time. If he answered, he’d be making a date. But could he deliver what the flight attendant had come to expect?

  Did he want to?

  Shit. There goes that damn inner voice again. Because he was frustrated and more than a little ticked off for being weak, he took the call and made the date.

  Houston at five pm.

  It was time to get back on that damn horse. And if anyone could help him in the saddle it was Amber. The uninhibited woman always brought something interesting with her from her travels.

  The familiar thrill associated with that fact never arrived.

  Dammit.

  Now his thrill meter was busted? Cripes, was that tied to Shayla, too? What the hell didn’t that woman have her fingers on? Damn. No. Not going there. Not thinking about her talented, wicked hands, or her hot, erotic stroking.

  He thought about it.

  Even visualized.

  And now he was hard. As hard as the corner fence post he passed, zipper of his jeans cutting into his favorite body part, slowing his stride. Great, now she affected his swagger.

  Was nothing safe from that woman?

  “What happened? Forget to put sugar in your coffee this morning?” Connor McCall asked, leaning against the outside of the stable, watching his approach with the others.

  “I did, but apparently not enough,” he lied, and didn’t care. The truth would give his buddies way too much joy. And he wasn’t exactly in a joyous mood.

  Cole’s gaze narrowed. “You sure that’s all it is?”

  “Yeah, why? What did you think it was?” he asked, bringing the travel mug to his lips.

  “Shayla.”

  Kevin choked while Connor chuckled and Kade and Cole studied him closely. The single mother’s list of ownership was growing. He just added swallowing to the list. The woman affected the way he walked, talked, screwed, swallowed, breathed, thought…Shit.