Picking Roses

by BA Tortuga

  “There’s my smile.” She kissed his nose. “Now I’ll make coffee.”

  “Okay, honey.” He patted her butt. Man, how had he missed those teeny shorts?

  More importantly, how had he missed taking advantage of it? His hands clenched a little. Her hips swayed, side to side, perfect as could be. Les watched, his head moving in time. “Uh. You want me to start bacon?”

  “Sure.” She bent over to scratch Presley. Wow. Curvy. Amazing.

  He reached right out, shaping to her derriere. Hoo.

  “Mmm. That’s not bacon.” She chuckled, went up on tiptoe.

  “Nope. It’s more like rump roast.” She was gonna whack him so hard.

  “Oh, I am gonna kick your butt.” She stood up, turned and popped him in the arm, which got him full-on boobies.

  Little cotton tank top. Bouncing. He drooled.

  “Are you laughing at me?” She hit him again, and that made everything bounce.

  “No, ma’am. I am not. I am staring at your boobs.”

  “Les!” Rosie giggled, tugged down the top of her tank, her nipples just peeking.

  “Mmmhmm.” He grabbed those, too, pushing his hands up under her breasts to help those nipples pop up.

  Oh, look at those…

  He bent and kissed one, lips brushing the tip. Pretty, pretty girl.

  His pretty girl.

  Rosie’s nipple perked right up, just begging for attention. God, she was responsive. And she wasn’t shy. Her hands found the back of his neck, holding him there while he sucked.

  “Oh…”

  He could listen to that happy, horny little sound for the rest of his life.

  Hell, he would, except he was making some pretty good noises of his own.

  She leaned back against the counter, arching up into his mouth.

  He might just fall over. Damn. Damn. He was shaking, hands on her, trying to get her closer. He slid his hands down her thighs, spreading them, fingertips stroking her curls. The shorts just slid away to give him access, and Les bent to lick at her thigh, needing to taste. She smelled so good—citrusy and womanly and fine. He nibbled some, just humming, his tongue pushing against her. God, yeah.

  “L-Les.” Her voice sounded so husky, so harsh.

  “Mmm.” He found her center, closing his lips around her tiny nerve bundle. That earned him the best cry, Rosie calling to him, the sexiest thing he’d ever heard. Such an amazing thing, this part of a woman. So sensitive. She trembled for him, her folds swelling at the touch of his tongue. He could taste it, when she was ready for him. Feel it against his mouth. He stood straight.

  “Please. I need.” She panted, stared at him.

  “I know. I know, honey.” Thanking God one more time that she was a smart lady, he pushed against her, his cock spreading her. She took him in, wet and soft and hot and so fine. Les thought he might be ready to die a happy man. He moved his hips in a tiny circle, his breath catching.

  “Yes.” Fuck, she was pretty.

  “Rosie.” How was he gonna leave her if she didn’t come with him?

  She nodded, moaned for him, body tight around him.

  “My girl.” That was all there was to it. His. He’d figure out what he needed to do to keep her.

  “Yes.” Rosie bucked, nails digging into his upper arms. “Need. Please, Les.”

  “Okay, honey. I got you.” It wasn’t like he’d forgotten what he was doing. He’d just gotten wrapped up in his feelings and stopped moving. Now he remembered how. He was a cowboy, after all.

  Those pretty, pretty eyes went wide-wide, and Rosie cried out, grunting and grinding against him.

  “Come on, sweet girl. Come on.” His balls were aching, begging him to let the pressure loose.

  He got a single, quick nod, and she whimpered, wet and shaking as she came for him.

  “God, girl. You rock my world.” His voice was shaking as hard as all his muscles.

  Her body squeezed him, her lips parted and wet. “Mmm. Your turn, cowboy.”

  “My-my turn.” He grunted, shaking, moving fast for maybe three seconds before he lost it.

  Her lips brushed over his face, loving on him as he shook through his orgasm.

  Les finally just sighed, resting against her, panting hard. Lord, she could make him crazy.

  “Mmm. I got you, cowboy.”

  “You do. All over.”

  Her smile made him happy.

  Jesus.

  How the hell was he going to make the winter without her if that was what he had to do? He might just freeze without her warm touch. He’d just have to work hard to get her moving fast.

  Chapter Twenty

  “So, you’re going to take the house?”

  Les had two more days, and they needed to iron out plans.

  “I think I will, yeah. I have no idea what shape it’s in.” Les had gotten the latest stitches out and had done three days of construction work to earn gas money to go home on.

  Of course, he’d also bought her a huge pile of barbecue to last after he was gone and a bottle of darned good wine. Mint chip ice cream and Kleenex too. Turkey.

  “Well, I’ll talk to the ladies at the library, see if anyone needs catering and all. I’ll send what money I can.”

  Les frowned a bit, blue eyes serious and sure. “I don’t want you wearing yourself out, honey.”

  “I’ll need to keep busy.” They were curled up on her couch, feeding tidbits to Presley and planning their future. Rosie felt so torn between joy and worry that he would leave and something would change and she’d never see him again. “Pralines aren’t all that taxing.”

  “You do have a talent for it,” Les agreed, stroking her back with one big hand. “I could eat a dozen right now.”

  “Mmm. I’ll make you caramels. Am I silly to be so scared?”

  Les gave that the thought it deserved, she thought, face screwed up, lips pursed. “No. No, I think this is a huge step. I’ve never lived with someone, but you have. You know more of what it takes.”

  “I’m not scared of that part.” She whapped his arm. “We did all right in this wee apartment and I know you felt like a caged animal sometimes.”

  Les laughed. “Well, I am going to get us a big old bed. Yours can go in the guest room.”

  “I just hope the house has a washer and dryer.” And a good stove. So many things to worry about.

  “I bet it does. I mean, it used to.”

  She knew Les’ daddy had been the foreman once upon a time. “Did you used to live there?”

  “When I was a kid. Once Daddy died we moved into town for a bit. Then I got old enough to cowboy and I moved into the bunkhouse. Not enough hands to have a problem with space anymore.”

  “I can’t wait to see it.” A house. She’d make curtains and arrange furniture…

  “Oh, honey, how are we gonna wait until spring?” Les kissed her gently, a soft touch of lips that made her feel treasured.

  “Because we’re practical adults.” She felt so much older than she was sometimes. Her relatively short life had been blessed with a lot of adventure. “We know it’s better to be prepared.”

  “Mmm. Just remember that I love you. No matter what.”

  She chuckled. “That sounds ominous.”

  “I just know how bad cell reception is up there in the winter pastures. Harris will have your number, though, so if you need to get a hold of me, call and he’ll know to answer.”

  “I can do that.” Planning their future. Rosie felt a little awed. “I love you, too.”

  “That’s what makes all the waiting worthwhile.” Les hugged her close. “Can we change it to another movie, honey? This one is gonna put me to sleep.”

  Rosie glanced at the TV, surprised that Jurassic Park was done and something with lots of riding in cars was on. “Lord yes. Maybe we should go watch in bed and put the food away.”

  “Oh, now, that sounds even better.”

  Rosie laughed, patting his chest. She had a feeling they wouldn’t wa
tch much in the way of movies. A man of action could only take so much planning and talking.

  She needed to give him something physical to do.

  * * * *

  “Lester!” His buddy Doug met him at the gas station, trotting over to slap a hand on the hood of his truck. “Wondered if I’d get to say goodbye. We missed you at the last few weekends. Circuit finals are December. You’re sitting in eighth place. You ought to hang out until then, make a few more rides.”

  “Nah.” Les found it easier and easier to say no to the rodeo jobs, which meant he’d made the right decision. “Boss in Colorado called. I got the foreman job. I leave tomorrow. I can’t even make Waco in October.”

  “No shit?” Dougie clapped him on the back. “Well good deal. Foreman at twenty-seven. Go you.”

  “Thanks, buddy.”

  “What about your lady?”

  Les sighed, hating the way they were doing this. “She’ll come up in the spring. That way I can fix up the house and she’s not wintering right away.”

  “Then come on back down for Belton. It’s only a few weeks off.”

  “You’re pretty persuasive, but I can’t.”

  Doug laughed. “I just hate to see someone waste eighth place.”

  “I promised Rosie I’d stop rodeoin’, Dougie.” Might as well say it now that he didn’t have to worry about the boys poking at him.

  “Shit! Why?”

  “She was married to Timmy Cutrer.”

  Dougie’s jaw went slack. “Your girl is Rose Cutrer? Holy hell, man, he bled out in the arena.”

  “I know. You can pretend to be me if you want.”

  “Nope. I’m in sixth.” Dougie laughed and punched his arm. “Good luck, bro.”

  “You should come up next summer and see me, ride the Mile High for a bit.”

  “I might just. I got your number.”

  Les nodded and waved before going in to pay for his gas, his oil checked, tires inflated. Everything was ready for him to go home but his heart.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  She wasn’t going to cry.

  Rose put the last load of Les’ clothes in the dryer, then went to package up the caramels for him and check the enchiladas in the oven for supper.

  She didn’t want to waste their last night doing errands.

  And she wasn’t going to cry, damn it.

  She wasn’t.

  No. She was going to be strong and smile for him and let him know this wasn’t goodbye, just so long. He had to cowboy up and go keep his promise to his boss, and she just wasn’t sure she could go right now and live in Colorado. Not with winter coming.

  She was going to go come spring. She was.

  Still, she had support here, close by. A job. Beau within a couple of hours. And asking a girl to come up wasn’t like asking her to marry you. She was shacking up, and she wanted to have a decent purse of money saved. Oh, she didn’t think Les was gonna leave her high and dry if she went to live with him. He’d make sure she got back home if they…if he… Well. She didn’t want to think on that.

  This was the smart thing to do, right? Give them some time. Give them some space. Save some money. Plan to get back together in the spring when they knew it was the right thing.

  It was grown up.

  Smart.

  Sort of breaking her heart.

  “Hey, honey.” Les sounded like one too many cigarettes, though she couldn’t smell any on him.

  “Hey, cowboy.” No crying. None. She had been married to a rodeo cowboy. She knew how to do this long separation thing.

  She turned and pushed into his arms and held on tight.

  “Mmm. You smell good.”

  “I probably smell like enchiladas.”

  “More like burnt sugar and flowers.” He grinned. “Caramels and dryer sheets.”

  “I wanted to get your laundry done, make sure you had caramels to eat on your drive.” She traced his smile with her thumb.

  “You’re good to me, honey.” Kissing her fingers, Les pulled her closer.

  “I love you. It’s how it works.”

  “I know. I love you, too, Rosie-girl. If I could just stay on, I would. I’ll be back come spring to get you.”

  “I know. I do. This is a good thing. I’ll get things settled and stuff.”

  “There you go.” He didn’t seem real convinced.

  “I’m going to miss you, so much.”

  “Oh, honey.” Finally Les just kissed her, the whole emotional thing obviously getting to him. Such a cowboy.

  She might have cried a little bit, but she wasn’t stupid about it. Or if she was, Les was decent enough to let her do it. He even danced her around a little, humming an old rodeo song. Silly man. Her silly man.

  Rose grinned as Presley started nipping at their heels, barking and bouncing.

  “Muttley.” Les laughed, shaking his head. “Jealous thing.”

  “He loves you, cowboy. You’re his favorite person.”

  “He’s a doll baby.” Les had been so good with Presley. Her baby dog was gonna be inconsolable.

  “He is, although I bet your pup misses you, too.”

  “He’s a good boy.” There were some great stories about the big doofus, as Les called him.

  “I can’t wait to meet him.”

  “Me too. Hell, I can’t wait for him to meet Presley.” That seemed to tickle him so much.

  She nodded. “I’ll start hunting for jobs in Steamboat. See what there is.”

  “Yeah?” Oh, look at his eyes shine. “That sounds like good, honey.”

  “Yeah? I thought so.” She met his eyes. “I want to be with you.”

  “I want that, too. If you can’t make it up, I’ll come back down. But I still think the boss will have a job for you. And I have the house.” Les kissed her again, punctuating his words. Right, like her skiing, snow-loving cowboy would like it here.

  He swung her around, mouth still on hers, before letting her go so quick she staggered. “Let me get the mutt a bone.”

  “Yeah, I need to check the enchiladas…” She turned the oven off, but left them in there to finish.

  “Everything good for a bit?” Les shifted from foot to foot, all tense all of a sudden.

  “Yeah. Yeah, it just needs a little rest. Are enchiladas okay? You said you liked them best…”

  “I love them, honey. I just…” Those wide shoulders lifted. “I want you, Rosie.”

  “I’m all yours, cowboy.” She moved right into his arms.

  “That’s good to know. I was startin’ to hurt.” They laughed together and he tugged her into the bedroom, shutting Presley out.

  “No hurting.” Her fingers pressed again the fly of his jeans. “No hurting my cowboy now.”

  “No.” That big body arched, Les going up on tiptoe. “No, just good stuff.”

  She undid his belt buckle, fingers protecting his parts as she slid the zipper down. He was hot against the back of her hand, thick and so fine.

  “Oh, honey.” As if his hand was attached to his zipper, going up as it went down, he reached up to push against her breast, thumb on her nipple. That touch always made her heavy-lidded, her body swaying toward Les’ hand. He laughed, the sound low and horny and grand, flicking her nipple again. Even through her tank top, it felt almost too good. Her thighs rubbed together, the tingling starting deep inside her, an itch she needed him to scratch. Or maybe one that Les needed to scratch for her. He was good at that.

  His thigh pressed between her legs and she pushed down against it, moaning a little, deep in her throat.

  “Feel so good, Rosie.” His hands slid back down to her waist to tug at her tank top.

  “I do.” Her arms went up and she let him get her a little more naked. The fabric fluttered to the floor, and Les bent, drawn to her skin. His mouth was hot as fire.

  “H-hungry man.” She went up on tiptoe, helping.

  “Always.” His knee slid up, lifting her on his thigh, and he licked at her nipples.

&nb
sp; Her hands landed on his shoulders, her hips rocking, rubbing, back and forth.

  “I got you.” He murmured it against her skin, his voice muffled a little.

  “You so do.” The room was starting to spin.

  “Come on, honey.” They did a little dance, all the way back to the bed. He laid her out, stripping her little shorts off. She felt as if her whole body was flushed, as if she was on fire, as Les stripped off, too, and he was so hard for her, his belly like a board.

  Rose licked her lips, moaned a little. Hers.

  “So pretty, Rosie.” Les crawled up on the bed, moving to cover her.

  “You’re warm.” She loved the way his leg pressed between hers.

  “Hot as hell.” His cock rubbed on her lower belly, damp at the tip.

  She was wet, and her hips couldn’t stay still. They had to move, had to slide her sex against Les’ muscled thigh. A low groan sounded, Les rocking like he was riding. His balls pressed against her, even, he was moving so hard.

  “I… Love…”

  His lips wrapped around her nipple, the suction sure, sudden. So good.

  His hands slid over her skin, his fingers tugging at her breasts, slipping down to her mound. He was just everywhere. He drove her crazy and she couldn’t stop moving, couldn’t stop pushing into his hands.

  When he spread her legs wide and pushed his cock against her, she was ready. So ready. He slid inside her body like there was nothing else he ever wanted to do. She arched her back and her nipples dragged along his chest as his heavy cock stretched her, started a dull ache in the pit of her belly.

  “Damn.” Les paused a moment, his forehead against hers. He was breathing hard.

  His eyes were so pretty. She kept watching, kept remembering every single inch of him. Then he moved, and she had to close her eyes for just a second. It was too good to keep still, to be able to stay in that moment.

  “Cowboy.” She was flying. Flying, and the pressure in the pit of her belly just grew.

  “Yeah, honey. Look at me.” He tilted her chin up with the hand not holding her butt, and suddenly she could look at him again. She loved him—from top to bottom and everywhere else in between. Les loved her right back. She could see it in his eyes, in the hard lines next to his mouth as he fought for control.