Alex

by Cheyenne McCray

  * * *

  Nicole snuggled up to Alex in his bed, and studied his tanned features. They’d just taken a warm shower together, and had toweled one another off before slipping into bed.

  While he slowly stroked the line of her jaw, he studied her like he couldn’t get enough of her.

  She touched his stubbled cheek with her fingers. “You were right, you know.”

  His thumb caressed her jawline to her ear. “Yeah?”

  Nicole took a deep breath. “I love you, Alex.”

  He moved his thumb to her lower lip. “Took you long enough to figure that out.”

  She smiled. That hadn’t been hard at all. “You are one cocky SOB.”

  “Can’t argue with you there.” He feathered his thumb along her cheek. “Don’t you think we need to buy you more reliable transportation?”

  “We?” She cocked an eyebrow at him. “And what’s wrong with my ‘vette?”

  Alex slipped his hand into her hair. “I can’t see you driving that unreliable piece of—” At Nicole’s dirty look, he grinned and said, “That vintage beauty, all the way to Bisbee and back when you’re working your B&B.”

  Nicole stilled. “Just what are you trying to say, cowboy?”

  He stroked the back of her head, a slow massage that made her shiver. “When we’re married, I don’t want to have to worry about you breaking down on your way to your B&B, or on your way home.”

  Nicole’s eyes widened and she pushed herself up so that she was above Alex.

  “Marriage?” She punched at his chest with one finger. “You really are cocky.”

  “As if you ever thought otherwise.” He pulled her into his arms so that she sprawled across his chest. “I love you Nicole, and that’s all there is to it.”

  “But marriage. Wow.” He looked so damn sexy she wanted to jump him. Wanted to say yes to anything. But she wasn’t sure she was ready for that step. “Why don’t you let me get used to the idea first, and then we’ll talk about it.”

  “Fair enough.” He placed his hands at her waist and moved her so that she was straddling him. “How about Vegas?”

  Nicole had to laugh. She leaned forward so that her nipples brushed his chest. “If I say yes to marrying you, Las Vegas will be perfect.”

  Alex rolled them over in a fast movement, putting her beneath him. His cock nudged her pussy and she moaned.

  “When,” he said as he moved the head of his erection to her core.

  “If.” She raised her hips trying to take him deeper, but he held back.

  His eyes darkened and then moved his lips down just above hers. “When you marry me, we’ll do it in Vegas.”

  “Okay,” she whispered and then slipped into oblivion as he entered her.

  He drove his cock in and out of her pussy, taking her to that place they had been together so many times before. But this time her heart and eyes were wide open. This was the man she loved, the man she would spend the rest of her days with. And nothing had ever felt more perfect than that very thought, than that very moment.

  She rode the wave that overtook her, flowing with it higher and higher until she broke above the surface.

  Alex came with her, his shout echoing her own.

  When they both slid down from that perfect place, into the bed they shared, Alex held her tight to his chest and said, “How soon, hon?”

  Nicole smiled. “Vegas, here we come.”

  Excerpt…Hidden Prey

  “Lawmen” series

  By Cheyenne McCray

  Almost absently, he rubbed his thumb along Tori’s delicate jawline while they both remained quiet. He liked the way she fit in his arms. It felt…right.

  It was the right time to tell her about what happened with Brian. Landon knew he should do it now.

  And then every good intention vanished as she tipped her face up to look at him. Her eyelashes glittered from the remainder of her tears and her brown eyes seemed even darker than normal. As their gazes met and held, he didn’t think he’d ever be able to look away from her again. She drew him to her in so many ways and he was helpless to stop himself from wanting to get closer to her.

  The other agents were downstairs and he was upstairs, alone. With Tori.

  This wasn’t smart.

  Hell, it was a long, long way from smart.

  He held his breath, then let out a slow exhale as he lowered his mouth to hers.

  The moment their lips met, she gave a sigh, surrendering herself to his kiss. That sense of surrender fueled him, somehow making him desire her even more than he already did.

  He moved his lips over hers, hungry for the taste of her, the feel of her. Her scent filled him, as if a part of her was now inside him. Her lips were so soft, her taste exquisite on his tongue. God, he knew he could never get enough of her.

  She leaned into him as their body heat melded, fusing them together in a way that defied explanation. Her sighs turned into a soft moan as he moved his hands over her shoulders, down her arms, and to her waist. She was wearing one of her new T-shirts and he pushed the hem up just enough that he could feel her soft skin along the waistband. He gripped her slender waist in his hands, his fingers brushing the base of her spine where she’d been tattooed.

  Her hunger and his grew in matching intensity. She moved her palms up his chest to his shoulders and gripped them like she was afraid she would slide away if she didn’t hold on tightly.

  He slipped his palms from her waist to her ass, feeling the perfection of it as he squeezed her closer to him. His cock was impossibly hard, pressing against her, straining to get free from behind the tough denim of his jeans.

  Their clothes—too much cloth was between them. He wanted to feel her warm silky skin against his, nothing keeping them apart. He wanted only to slide between her thighs and drive his cock deep inside her heat.

  The rumble that rose up in his chest was like a lion staking a claim on his territory, and she made an answering purr, giving herself completely to him. Not just surrendering, but offering herself for his pleasure. She asked for nothing, just gave him everything she had.

  She sighed again as he slid his lips along her jawline to her ear. She gasped when he nipped at her earlobe and shivered in a delicate way that told him he’d just found one of her erogenous zones. He sucked the soft flesh into his mouth and nipped at it again. He felt another shiver run through her body.

  He moved his lips down the column of her neck to the hollow at the base of her throat. The soft purring sounds she made caused his cock to grow even harder and he rubbed himself against her in a slow deliberate movement, like what he’d do when he was inside her.

  A gasp escaped her as he cupped her breasts and flicked his thumbs over her taut nipples that pressed against the fabric of her T-shirt. She slid her fingers into his hair and encouraged him to lower his head so his mouth was even with her breasts. His body was close to shaking from the power of his need for her as he circled her nipple with his tongue, wetting the T-shirt and causing her to suck in her breath. She gave a small cry and gripped his hair tighter as he moved his mouth to her other nipple.

  He had to taste the salt on her skin, feel its softness in his mouth. He pushed her T-shirt over her perfectly sized breasts and licked each of her nipples through her satin bra. She caught her breath as he pulled her bra beneath her breasts so they were bared for him.

  She pushed his head down again, guiding him so that his mouth was directly over her nipple. He skimmed his lips over the hard nub and she moaned as he sucked it and flicked it with his tongue. Her nipples were hard peaks as he nipped at each one. God, but he loved the way she tasted. He loved that she wasn’t afraid to show him what she wanted. He loved everything about her.

  Excerpt…Branded For You

  ~Riding Tall Series~

  By Cheyenne McCray

  Branded For You ebook available FREE at all major ebook retailers

  The afternoon was cooling off as it turned to dusk and then darkness descended on them.
They each grabbed a light sweat jacket from the camper and slipped them on.

  Ryan took a couple of steaks out of the cooler to cook over the fire. Megan sliced the potatoes and wrapped them in foil with butter and seasonings and put them in the coals first. Ryan buttered, salted, and peppered the corn on the cob and wrapped them in foil, too. When it was time, they placed the corn along the edge of the fire. Ryan had cored out the onion and put butter in the center and wrapped it in foil and put it in the coals, as well. The steaks went on last, when everything else was just about finished cooking.

  When it was ready, they sat on the camping chairs in front of the fire and ate dinner.

  “This is unbelievable,” Megan said with a smile.

  Firelight flickered on her pretty features, casting shadows in the darkness as they ate. He thought about what he’d said to her earlier.

  “I might be falling for you, Meg.”

  He didn’t regret his words. He’d dated a lot of women in the past but there’d just been something missing. Something intangible that he hadn’t been able to name.

  He’d never been a love ’em and leave ’em kind of guy, but some thought so. He just wasn’t going to hang in there with someone if he knew she wasn’t the right one.

  He’d never felt the same way with anyone that he did with Megan.

  Last night he’d taken her hard and rough, and the memory caused his groin to ache. Damn she’d been amazing. But she needed to know that he wanted more from her than a night of good, hard sex.

  When they finished dinner and had cleaned up, he brought a blanket from the camper and handed it to her before he put out the fire. After he extinguished the fire, he lit a candle within a glass and metal hurricane lantern.

  He took her by the hand. “I’ve got something I want to show you.” Her hand was warm in his.

  She smiled up at him, her smile causing something deep inside him to stir. He led her into the forest, candlelight from the hurricane lantern lighting the way. The candlelight was much gentler than a regular camping lantern and the shadows from it bounced from tree to tree.

  “I saw a place somewhere over here,” he murmured as they walked through the forest then came to a stop. “Here we go.”

  A small clearing lay on the other side of a fallen tree, a bed of leaves at the center of the clearing. They stepped over the tree and then he found a sturdy place to set the hurricane before taking the blanket from Megan and spreading it out on the leaves.

  He slipped out of his jacket and set it on the fallen tree. “I’ll keep you warm,” he said as he held out his hand.

  She looked up at him, slid off her sweat jacket, handed it to him and he set it on top of his own.

  He sat on the blanket and beckoned to her. She eased onto her knees beside him and he cupped her face in his hands and lowered his head and kissed her.

  Her kiss was sweet and his desire for her kicked into full gear. He wanted to take her hard again, right now. But more importantly, he wanted to show her that it wasn’t only about rough sex with him. It was all about her.

  When he drew away from the kiss, her lips were parted, hunger in her pretty green eyes.

  “You’re an incredible woman.” He brushed his thumb over her lips, which trembled beneath his touch. “I’ve loved every minute of this weekend.”

  “So have I,” she said, her voice just above a whisper. “I wish it didn’t have to end.”

  “It doesn’t.” He nuzzled her hair that was silky now that it had dried. “When we return, we just pick right back up where we left off.”

  She smiled and he kissed her again. She felt so soft and warm in his arms. He slid his hand under her T-shirt, pleased she didn’t have her bra on as he cupped her bare breast and rubbed his thumb over her nipple. He watched her expression as her lips parted and her eyes grew dark with need.

  He drew the T-shirt over her head and set it on the fallen tree. Candlelight flickered, gently touching her bare shoulders and chest.

  “You know how much I love your body and how beautiful I think you are,” he murmured before stroking her nipples with the back of his hand.

  He cupped her breasts, feeling their weight in his hands before he lowered his head and sucked a nipple.

  She gasped and leaned back so that her hands were braced behind her on the blanket, her back arched so that he had better access to her breasts. He pressed them together and moved his mouth from one to the other, sucking one nipple before moving his mouth to the other one. Her nipples were large and hard and he loved sucking on them.

  “I want you on your back, looking at me.” He adjusted her so that she was lying on the blanket. Her eyes glittered in the light, desire on her features.

  He was surprised at how she made him want to go slow with her, to be gentle and show her how much he cared. She stirred things inside him he’d never felt with another woman.

  Excerpt…Silk and Spurs

  ~Rough and Ready Series~

  By Cheyenne McCray

  Silk and Spurs ebook available FREE at all major ebook retailers

  The backyard was a haven with its tall sycamores, oaks, shrubs, and flowers. Jessie leaned against a pillar on the back porch and looked up at the stars, enjoying the evening scents and the night sounds.

  In her Mustang she’d followed his truck from Tucson that morning. She had gone back to work photographing the ranch and he’d headed off to work. The entire day she wondered what would happen when he got back.

  He’d taken a shower and then they’d had a dinner of roast chicken, new potatoes, asparagus, and salad. Just as they were finishing, he’d received a phone call and he’d had to leave to take care of a problem on the ranch.

  The French doors leading from the kitchen opened behind her and she sensed Zane’s presence even before he put his hands on her shoulders and started massaging them. She leaned back against him, resting against his chest. It felt completely natural and comfortable.

  “How are you doing?” he asked, his voice low.

  “Good.” She tilted her head and looked up at him. “That feels wonderful.”

  He kissed her behind her ear then took her by her shoulders and turned her around to face him. He brought his head down and his mouth hovered over hers for a long moment.

  “You’re beautiful, Jessie. Inside and out.” He slipped his fingers into her hair at her nape, causing her to shiver. His breath was warm against her lips as he spoke. “I can’t believe how crazy you make me. No woman has ever made me feel this way.”

  She moved her mouth to his and kissed him. He drew her close, enveloping her in his firm embrace, his arms comfortable and familiar despite the fact that she had known him such a short time. He kissed her with intensity, like he had when they’d picnicked yesterday.

  Her heart rate picked up, warmth flooding through her the deeper they kissed. His hands moved beneath her T-shirt and caressed her bare breasts. His fingers moved to her nipples causing her to moan against his lips.

  His breathing was heavy, matching her own as he drew away. “Come on.” He took her by her hand and led her along the patio to a French door at the opposite end. When he opened the door she saw that it let into a huge master bedroom. He locked the door behind him and still holding her hand, walked across the room and locked the other door, then turned on a single dim light.

  He placed his cowboy hat on a bureau, then caught her by her shoulders and kissed her again. She didn’t just want a kiss, she wanted more of him and she reached for his belt buckle. He moved her hands aside as he grasped the bottom of her T-shirt and she raised her arms as he tugged it over her head. The air in the room felt cool on her bare skin.

  She had small breasts that were so sensitive that she could barely breathe when he grasped them, lowered his head, and licked and sucked her nipples. It was the most incredible feeling.

  The way he looked at her when he raised his head made something dip in her belly and warmth to flood through her body. It was too soon to have fallen in love
with him… Wasn’t it? Was there really such a thing as love at first sight, first touch, first kiss?

  Just being around him made her feel special. Feel wanted. Maybe even loved. If she believed in reincarnation she’d have thought that she had loved him in another lifetime and their hearts and souls knew each other.

  His hands found the button on her shorts and they dropped to the floor when he pulled down the zipper. She kicked off her sandals and her shorts at the same time.

  Now wearing only royal blue panties with black lace, she reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck. She pulled him down for a kiss as she pressed her body to his.

  She loved the rasp of his shirt over her nipples and the roughness of his jeans against her mostly bared skin. His kiss rocked her as he brought her tight to him and kissed her with pent-up passion that he’d been holding back until this moment.

  He moved his palms over the silky panties and caught her by her ass and raised her, and she wrapped her legs around his hips. As he squeezed her ass in his palms, his cock pressed against her center and she squirmed with need to have him inside of her.

  “Please.” Her voice sounded raspy. “I want you. I need you.”

  “Hold your horses.” He smiled down at her but his expression was almost pained, like he was having trouble restraining himself. “I intend to take this slow with you.”

  “Screw slow.” She knew her voice sounded urgent. “I can’t wait.”

  “You can.” He tipped her head back using his finger beneath her chin. “And you will.”

  Also by Cheyenne McCray

  ~Romantic Suspense with Cowboy Lawmen~

  “Lawmen” Series

  Hidden Prey

  No Mercy

  Slow Burn

  Point Blank

  “Armed and Dangerous” Series

  Zack

  Luke

  Clay

  Kade

  Alex

  ~Contemporary Cowboys~

  “Riding Tall” Series

  Branded For You

  Roping Your Heart

  Fencing You In