Cowboys Like Us

by Vicki Lewis Thompson

  He picked it up but couldn’t seem to make himself put it on. All his nerve endings felt tender, as if the slightest contact would send shock waves through his system. On some level he realized that he was standing naked on a terrace within view of several high-rise hotels. Naked and still partially erect.

  His nakedness didn’t seem like the most critical issue. As long as he stayed out on the terrace and Keely stayed in the bedroom, he might be able to quiet the roaring in his ears long enough to reason this through. He spread the white terry robe open on the cushioned rattan chair and eased down on it. God, his skin felt sensitive, as if he could feel each individual loop of the plush terry caressing his butt and his balls.

  Gingerly he leaned back in the chair and gazed out at the sparkling, churning kaleidoscope that was Las Vegas. The combination of this city and Keely Branscom would corrupt any guy with a pulse.

  But he had to resist, anyway. He didn’t like to think of himself as the kind of man who would meet a childhood friend and promptly jump into bed with her even if she invited him. His brother, Jonas, was a different story. But Noah had taken his older-brother role seriously. His mother had told him to set a good example for Jonas and he’d tried to do that. He’d tried especially hard after his mother died, for her sake.

  But it hadn’t worked that way in the motherless Branscom household. In that case, the younger one, B.J., had turned out to be the responsible kid and Keely, the oldest, had been hell-bent-for-leather from the beginning.

  Maybe it had nothing to do with circumstances and everything to do with personality. Keely and Jonas were cut from the same cloth. Noah was extremely grateful that he was here instead of Jonas, because if she’d made Jonas the same offer she’d made him, Jonas would have grabbed it. Well, maybe not now that he seemed to be in love for the first time in his life.

  And maybe not ever, come to think of it. Jonas hadn’t talked about wanting to get Keely alone and have some fun. She was about the only woman he hadn’t gone after, though. Noah and his father had lived in constant fear that Jonas would get all the county’s eligible girls pregnant. It was a miracle that no one had come to the ranch insisting that she carried Jonas’s baby.

  The issue of birth control aside, Noah couldn’t claim much success with Jonas’s personal development. Maybe little brothers were programmed to be contrary. At any rate, B.J. seemed to be accomplishing what he’d failed to do—Jonas was finally becoming a grown-up.

  Noah wondered if that had anything to do with his own restlessness lately. He wasn’t required to model good behavior anymore. Or maybe it was simply Keely getting under his skin the way she’d always done and bringing out the devil in him. Maybe it was time to admit he’d always been a little afraid of her, because when she was around his control began to slip.

  And maybe it was time for him to let go, at least for a weekend, but he had the wrong woman for that. Keely didn’t need a man who was ready to let go, no matter what she said. She needed a man who would be steady and responsible, a man who would guide her to make some better decisions.

  That was what he’d been trying to remember—keeping his hands off Keely was for her sake, not his.

  A cool desert breeze drifted across the terrace. It blew gently over his body, drying the drops of water that still clung to the hairs of his chest and groin. He considered putting on the robe, but the night air felt too good. And there was a certain forbidden thrill sitting here under the stars without a stitch on.

  There was nothing really wrong with it. He was on his own private terrace where he should have the right to do this if he wanted. Anyone who wanted to spy on him would need a pair of binoculars to see anything.

  And yet a sense of freedom and sexual excitement washed over him as he sat there naked gazing out at the city bustling around him. He wondered if Keely had felt that excitement and freedom when she’d posed nude for Macho magazine. The more he thought about it, the more he believed that might have been the attraction, maybe even more than the money.

  Today when she’d unfastened her clothes so that he could touch her breasts as they kissed behind the boulder, she’d seemed to relish taking that risk. He’d never met a woman more willing to celebrate the wonders of her body without shame than Keely. And encouraged by her, he longed to take a few sexual risks, himself.

  But he liked to think he knew where to draw the line. From all indications, Keely didn’t. If he hadn’t come along, she’d be bumping and grinding in some bar like the one he’d visited tonight with his buddies.

  He hated the thought of that. Keely had more to her than a gorgeous body and an uninhibited attitude. She was creative, funny, brave and endlessly optimistic. There had to be a career that would make the most of those qualities—a safe career that wouldn’t put her in the path of drunken, sexually aroused men every night of her life.

  He had approximately forty-eight hours to come up with suggestions for her. And part of that time he’d be tied up with the wedding, so he didn’t have the entire forty-eight hours. He’d forgotten to ask her whether she wanted to go to the wedding. Oh, hell, she probably wouldn’t be interested. So he’d take care of his wedding duties by himself, and use the remaining time to discuss job options with Keely.

  Daylight would help him stay on the subject. Coming upon this scene tonight had nearly eliminated his defenses, but in the morning he’d be in better shape to handle her constantly seductive behavior.

  Curving his spine, Noah scooted lower in the chair and laid his head against the back cushion. He needed to get some sleep. Tomorrow promised to be one very busy day.

  AS KEELY LAY AGAINST the soft cotton sheets and listened for Noah’s approach, she finally decided he planned to spend the night on the terrace. If she were scoring this battle of wills, she’d say they were about even. Maybe she hadn’t gotten him into a condom yet, but he’d worn the sexy bathing suit she’d picked out and he’d given in to the seduction of the water jets.

  Oh, how he’d given in. She’d watched him lean toward that pleasure and a rush of moisture had dampened her silk bikini underwear. When he’d come, she’d nearly climaxed, herself. She’d never watched a man masturbate before, except in X-rated movies. For that matter, she’d never allowed a man to watch her do the same thing. Noah might think that tonight’s demonstration was commonplace for her, but it was a real first.

  Of course, she’d never met a man who could sit in a hot tub with her and keep his hands to himself. When she’d begun her game with the jets she’d assumed that eventually Noah would get into the act. His continued resistance had left her no choice except to follow through. It seemed the more Noah held back, the more she dared. She’d discovered she liked this dynamic.

  But she wouldn’t want it to go on for the entire weekend. No, at some point she wanted him to become the aggressor. And he would. He’d already made some strides in that direction.

  Although still aroused, she was beginning to get sleepy, too. She’d had a long and fascinating day. Tomorrow promised to be even more fascinating. Cuddling into a premium goose-down pillow, she drifted to sleep.

  A RINGING TELEPHONE woke her the next morning. Fuzzy from sleep and sexy dreams, she blinked and tried to find a phone. The room had nothing so ordinary as a bedside table with a phone on it. Finally she remembered seeing one hanging over the tub. It looked like a seashell, but she’d noticed that it was plastic, and a place like this wouldn’t have a plastic seashell on the wall. She’d lifted it and discovered that, sure enough, it was a phone.

  Heading for the bathroom, she took the pink shell from the wall and pulled out the retractable antenna before punching the connect button. She cleared the sleep from her throat and put the shell to her ear, half expecting to hear the sound of surf. “Hello?”

  “Keely, this is Brandon! Listen, sorry to disturb you two, but Jenny needs to know for certain if you’re coming to the wedding. She wants to make sure she has enough leis.”

  “The wedding?” She combed her hair back from
her face and glanced in the mirror to find Noah standing in the bathroom doorway wearing the white robe and looking dangerously sexy and unshaven.

  Turning, she faced him. “I didn’t know I was invited,” she told Brandon.

  “Noah didn’t ask you? Oh, well, he probably has a lot of things on his mind.” There was a thread of laughter running through Brandon’s voice. “You are definitely invited. Noah says you grew up together.”

  “We did.” She noticed Noah’s attention on the thrust of her breasts under the white silk of her tank top. Looking him straight in the eye, she slipped her hand under the top. “He’s like a brother to me.” Slowly she caressed herself.

  Noah sucked in a breath.

  “That’s what he was trying to tell us. Anyway, can you make it tonight?”

  “I’d love to.” She watched the desire build in Noah’s dark eyes as she continued to stroke her skin. She was getting pretty excited, herself. “What time?”

  “Seven. Oh, and there’s a short rehearsal at eleven and a rehearsal lunch. You’re welcome to come to that, too. We had to compress things because we’re cramming it all into one weekend. I’m glad you’ll be there!”

  “So am I. Do you want to talk to Noah?”

  “Is he available?”

  “I’m not sure. I’ll check.” She took the phone from her ear. “Are you available?” she murmured.

  He made a sound low in his throat.

  “I’ll take that as a yes.” With a smile, she handed him the seashell phone. “Think I’ll hit the shower.” She peeled off her tank top as she walked toward the glass enclosure. When she glanced back to see if Noah was still there, he’d left the room.

  He didn’t reappear while she showered, washed and dried her hair, and put on her next killer outfit, stretch capris and a halter top that left her midriff bare.

  When she was dressed she followed the scent of coffee to the living room and discovered him there with a cup in his hand and a room-service tray on one of the driftwood-and-stone end tables.

  He glanced at her outfit and sighed. “Not gonna let up on me, are you?”

  She laughed at the pitiful resignation in his voice. “Noah, I am going to have you before this weekend is over. You know it and I know it, so you might as well give in and get it over with.”

  He put down his cup and stood. “And I’m telling you that you’re wrong. I intend to prove to you that there’s at least one guy out there—namely me—who is interested in you without needing to have your body as part of the arrangement.”

  She had to admit the concept was touching. Doomed to fail, but touching, anyway. “And what will that accomplish?”

  He took a deep breath. “Now, don’t take this wrong, but I’m hoping it will convince you to do something with your life that doesn’t involve sex or the suggestion of sex.”

  “I see.” So he was determined to sacrifice himself so that she’d get her head screwed on straight. And touching or not, his attitude was also pretty damn superior. He thought he knew what was good for her. She simply had to foil his plan, if only to make him a little more humble. Noah had a lot of good points, but humility wasn’t one of them.

  “I ordered up a few things.” He gestured toward the tray. “Help yourself while I shave and shower. We need to leave for the rehearsal in twenty minutes.”

  She gazed at him. Maybe tomorrow morning she’d find out what his beard felt like against her skin while he kissed her all over. No use trying to organize such a maneuver now and make him late for the rehearsal.

  “How are you going to shave?” she asked, remembering that he hadn’t replaced any of his toiletries.

  He picked up a small zippered pouch from beside the breakfast tray and started toward the footbridge. “I asked them to send up the basics so I could shave and brush my teeth.”

  “You’d have been welcome to borrow my toothbrush.” She held her ground and made him walk around her to get to the footbridge. “Once a guy’s had his tongue in my mouth, sharing a toothbrush doesn’t seem like a big deal.”

  “That won’t be happening again,” he muttered as he stomped over the bridge.

  “Pity. You’re very good with your tongue when it comes to kissing. I was hoping to find out if you’re as talented when you use it elsewhere.”

  His groan as he went into the bedroom made her smile.

  IF NOAH HAD EXPECTED any awkwardness between Keely and his friends, he’d been mistaken. During the rehearsal and the lunch that followed, Keely seemed to be getting along well with everyone. She made a special effort to charm both Brandon’s and Jenny’s parents and he remembered something he’d forgotten about Keely—she could talk to literally anyone.

  The meal was served at a long table at the hotel’s trendy Coral Reef restaurant, where the waitresses dressed in tight scuba gear and the menu included mostly fish. In the hubbub of getting seated, Noah was separated from Keely, who ended up at the opposite end of the table. His position allowed him to observe her technique for drawing people out. No question about it—she had quite a talent for that.

  Once the food arrived, Clint’s wife, Sharon, squeezed lemon juice on her tuna and accidentally shot some down Keely’s front. Keely laughed and patted her chest, spreading the drops around. “Squirt some more over here. I’ve always wanted to smell like a freshly waxed table.”

  Sharon grinned. “You know, so have I,” she said, and baptized herself, too.

  Suddenly lemon wedges were at a premium as everybody started spraying juice around. Keely gave as good as she got, never for a minute seeming to consider that she barely knew these people she was tagging with streams of juice. It turned into a raucous lunch, and before it was over, Keely was as much a part of the group as if she’d been around for years.

  And for all the seductive moves she’d made when they were alone, in public she acted like Noah’s kid sister. In fact, she behaved as if sex was the farthest thing from her mind. A few suggestive jokes made their way around the long luncheon table, but none of them started with Keely. She laughed along with everyone else, but she didn’t take the opportunity to send him one of those smoldering looks he’d been getting whenever they were alone.

  In some ways he was a little disappointed about that. He had to admit that having Keely come on to him all the time had been damn good for his ego. He found himself becoming impatient for the lunch to end so he could have her to himself again. They’d discuss her job possibilities, of course. He’d realized that whatever she did should include interacting with people. Her small-town background and outgoing personality made her naturally good with people.

  He was going through some options in his mind and anticipating a return to the suite with Keely when Jenny shot down his plans.

  Standing, she turned to Keely. “Barb, Sharon, Tina and I have appointments for a manicure and pedicure at the hotel salon,” Jenny said. “You have to come with us and tell us every embarrassing story you can remember about Noah. And if you want a manicure and pedicure, I’m sure the salon can squeeze in one more person. We’ve monopolized them for the afternoon, anyway.”

  “Sounds great,” Keely said with a smile as she left the table and headed out with the women. Almost as an afterthought she turned and waggled her fingers at Noah. “See you later, big guy.”

  “What a terrific person she is,” Brandon said after the women had left. “But I don’t get this platonic thing you two have going.”

  “Yeah,” Clint said. “You have to work yourself past that one, buddy. I realize you two grew up together, but the point is, you did grow up. And so did she.”

  Greg sighed wistfully. “Did she ever.” Then he glanced down the table at the two dads sitting there. “I mean that in the most respectful way. I’m crazy about my wife.”

  Jenny’s father chuckled. “We’re all crazy about our wives. But when a woman like Keely comes along, you’d have to be dead not to notice her.”

  “Amen to that,” Brandon’s dad said. “I keep thinking she loo
ks familiar, somehow. Has she been in commercials or something like that?”

  “Not that I know of,” Noah said. But that was another idea to add to his list of career choices. He wondered if Keely had ever tried to break into television.

  “I know what you mean about her looking familiar,” Clint chimed in. “I’ve had the feeling I’ve seen her before, too.”

  Noah didn’t want any of the men to keep following that line of thought. “Maybe it’s because she looks like Julia Roberts,” he said.

  “Well, she does, but that’s not why,” Brandon’s father said. “I could swear I’ve seen her before. Even the name sounds like one I’ve heard. Give me some time. Before the weekend is over I’ll make the connection.”

  Noah sincerely hoped not. Now was not the time for anyone to remember seeing Keely with a staple in her navel.

  “Hey, who’s ready to hit the beach?” Brandon asked, and the party started to break up.

  As the men all prepared to leave the restaurant, Clint nudged Noah in the ribs and spoke in an undertone. “I hope before the weekend is over you’ll be able to make a connection, too, buddy. And I’m not talking about a mental connection, either.”

  10

  KEELY COULDN’TREMEMBER the last time she’d hung out with married women, and apparently she’d been guilty of some stereotyping. Jenny, Barb, Sharon and Tina didn’t remotely resemble Betty Crocker. Instead of trading recipes, these women wanted to trade sexual fantasies as they sat around taking turns having their toenails and fingernails buffed and polished.

  “We spent the afternoon exchanging fantasies before Tina and Greg’s wedding last year,” Jenny explained to Keely. The bride sat with both feet in sudsy, whirling water in preparation for her pedicure. “And we all promised to do it again at my wedding. It’s a lot more fun than having a surprise stripper, and we all get to play.”