Wild Cowboy Nights

by Katee Robert

  Jules laughed. “Grant’s bad, but I don’t know that he’s that bad.”

  “One, yes, he is. Two, I wasn’t talking about him.”

  Jules turned off the main lights in the café, leaving the one over the counter on. Even though she knew the cats didn’t care, she didn’t like leaving them in complete darkness. She checked the lock on the front door one last time and then followed Aubry through the kitchen and up the back stairs to their apartment. “Quinn isn’t a bad guy. I think he’s funny.”

  “Funny for a performing bear.”

  There was no arguing with her friend when she got like this. When it came to new people, Aubry was judge, jury, and executioner—nine times out of ten, she hated them on sight. Apparently she’d already passed judgment on Adam and Daniel’s friend. To be fair, he seemed to really like getting a rise out of her. “If you say so.”

  “This is why we get along so well. You don’t expect me to like people.”

  She unlocked the door at the top of the stairs and held it open. “You like me.”

  “You aren’t people. You’re my people. Totally different thing.” Aubry dropped her laptop on the tiny dining room table and plopped down on the overstuffed couch taking up the majority of the equally tiny living room. “Let’s do this.”

  “I don’t suppose you want something like food before we start?”

  “Food is for the weak.”

  Jules laughed. She should have known that would be the answer. “All the same, I’m going to order pizza. There’s nothing in the fridge.”

  “I wish this place had more options for delivery. Little Johnny Jacob has started giving me judgmental looks when he brings me food.”

  “That’s because you prefer to just order pizza instead of going down the street to one of our restaurants and interacting with real-life people.”

  Aubry turned on the Xbox and propped her feet on the table. “I believe we just covered this—people are not my favorite.”

  “Noted.” Jules picked up her phone and froze when there was a knock on her door. “Okay, I know Johnny Jacob is good, but no one is that good.” She walked over and opened the door and then stared. “What are you doing here?”

  Adam stood on the top stair, looking all sorts of delicious with his worn jeans and black T-shirt. He held up hands laden with beer and a pizza box sending out the most amazing smells. “I brought pizza and beer.”

  “Let him in,” Aubry yelled from behind her. “I’m liable to waste away from starvation if I don’t eat soon. They’ll find me on the couch, and there will be whispers of, ‘If only Jules had let her fake boyfriend inside in time. Such a tragedy.’”

  “I thought you said food was for the weak.” She stepped back, holding the door open for Adam. “You’re an awful drama queen—and inconsistent to boot.”

  “Noted,” Aubry sang a second before the sound of video game gunshots filled the room.

  Jules led Adam over to the small kitchen and grabbed three of the bright plastic plates that made her mother cringe every time she saw them. She opened the pizza box and put two slices on each plate while Adam popped the tops off three beers. They deposited the food and beer in front of Aubry, but she shook her head. “You two need to talk. Git.”

  “Did you just say ‘git’?” There went Adam’s eyebrow.

  “Don’t you, like, ride bulls or something? You’re a cowboy. I’m speaking your language.” She tore her gaze away from the screen for half a second. “Seriously, though—what kind of death wish do you have that you’d climb onto the back of a pissed-off bull? Did your daddy not tell you he loves you enough?”

  Jules saw the tightening in Adam’s jaw and the way his shoulders braced ever so slightly. She shifted her grip on the plates and touched his arm. “Let’s go into my room.” When he turned toward her door, she shot a glare at Aubry and hissed, “Stop being rude.” Jules didn’t give her friend time to respond before she nudged Adam fully into her room and shut the door.

  Looking around, she realized this was the dumbest plan ever. They had to step over her dirty clothes pile to get to the bed, which was covered in her clean clothes pile. Probably should have found time to fold laundry in the last week. She couldn’t let him sit there while she scrambled to put away her clothes and unmentionables. It didn’t matter if he’d had his mouth on the same parts of her that those unmentionables covered. It was just weird.

  She skirted the edge of the bed and moved to the window. “Sorry about the mess.”

  “It’s fine.” But he was looking at everything like he was committing it to memory. With her luck, that was exactly what he was doing. She set the plates down long enough to muscle open the window. That got Adam’s attention. “What are you doing?”

  “Come on.” She slipped out the window and reached back in to grab the plates. A few seconds later, Adam joined her on the roof. “I like to come out here and think sometimes.”

  He peered over the edge to where they could see the majority of the main street. “And spy on the poor people of Devil’s Falls. No wonder there’s so much gossip.”

  She started to argue but then laughed. “Maybe a little spying. People stumble out from the bar”—that didn’t actually have a name beyond “the bar”—“and they forget that sound travels.” Jules took a sip of her beer. “Plus, no one ever sees me up here.”

  “Fair enough.” He went after his pizza with the single-minded focus of someone who didn’t know when their next meal would be—or who wanted to avoid conversation.

  The problem was that avoiding conversations wasn’t something Jules was particularly good at. She would rather burst through the awkwardness like the Kool-Aid Man came through the wall—all at once, just to get it over with. It wasn’t subtle, but subtlety wasn’t really in her skill set. “So, I don’t know what to think of what happened earlier.”

  He chewed his bite and swallowed, not looking at her. “You mean when you came against my mouth and then sucked me off.”

  Her body flushed hot. Guess he’s not great at being subtle, either. “Yeah, that.” He didn’t immediately jump in with something reassuring, so she just kept talking. “It was good. It was really, really good. I just, ah—”

  “I’m not staying.”

  The words came out so harshly she had to take a moment to fight back her instinctive response. Finally, she said, “I never asked you to.”

  “Right.” He set the plate down and stretched out his legs. “So, now that we’ve gotten that out of the way—”

  Is he serious? “Adam, we have to talk about this. I mean, obviously we’re not dating for real, and I don’t exactly go hook up with almost strangers on the fly under normal circumstances. I just…” God, she didn’t even know what she was trying to say.

  “Sugar, breathe.” He took her hand, the contact steadying her. “It’s okay. We don’t have to go there. I lost control. I’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

  That was not what she wanted. Jules bit her lip, searching his face. In the fading light of the day, his eyes were too dark as he stared at her mouth. He wanted her. He wouldn’t have lost control in the first place if he didn’t. So why was he trying to give her an out?

  For such a supposed bad boy, he’s sure got a lot of honor.

  The realization struck a chord in her chest. She finished off her beer and set it carefully aside. “I don’t want you to have control.” Before he could do anything but frown at her, she crawled over and straddled him. “Look, I know this isn’t real. I obviously have no experience in this sort of thing or I wouldn’t need to scandalize the town in the first place.” She took his hands and set them on her hips. “Why don’t we just enjoy ourselves while you’re helping me out?”

  His lips twitched, but his grip tightened on her hips a little. “Sugar, we don’t have to do this. We can keep the gossip mill churning without taking things beyond where
we went earlier.”

  Yeah, there really is an honorable man in there. “I know, but I want to.” She could feel him growing hard between her thighs, and she settled against him with a little sigh. Jules leaned forward until her breasts were pressed against his chest. She felt a little silly trying to proposition him, but he wasn’t tossing her on her butt, so she must not be doing too badly. She held her breath and kissed the spot on his neck right below his jaw. “Adam, I would very much like to have sex with you.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Adam could hardly believe this shit was happening. If he was a better man, he’d set her aside and explain why this would only end in tears for her. Jules wasn’t the type of woman to be able to get to a certain level of physical intimacy without her heart becoming involved. He liked her. He didn’t want to hurt her.

  But he wasn’t a better man.

  She’s a grown-ass woman. She knows her own mind.

  It was an excuse and a weak one at that. He didn’t care. For all his words, he didn’t want to stop this any more than she did. But he still held back. He wrapped his fist in her hair, using the leverage to guide her back so she had to meet his gaze. “You’re sure about this?”

  “I wouldn’t say it if I wasn’t.”

  He didn’t quite believe her, but he allowed himself to be persuaded. “Come here, sugar.” He wrapped an arm around her waist and scooted them away from the edge of the roof until his back hit the side of the house. From here, no one on the street below could see them.

  Scandal be damned, I’m not about giving them a peep show.

  He coasted his hands up her sides, lifting her shirt as he did. He checked her expression when he hit the same level as her breasts, but there was nothing but eagerness there. So he pulled her shirt over her head and dropped it next to them.

  She gave a little cry when he took off her bra, at once eager and needy, and that nearly undid him on the spot. He knew this wasn’t supposed to be real. Except it sure as hell felt real when he helped her wiggle out of her jeans and resume her position straddling him.

  It felt all too real. He ran his hand down the center of her body, between her breasts, over her stomach, to cup her pussy. Adam groaned when he found her hot and wet. “You drive me to distraction.”

  “Sorry.”

  “Don’t be.” This being a distraction was supposed to be the point. He pumped first one finger and then two into her. “I enjoy the hell out of it. Wear a dress next time we go out, sugar, and I’ll do this to you while I drive us around.”

  Her eyes had drifted half shut, her hands gripping his shoulders. “I think that qualifies as distracted driving.”

  “Nah, I’ll take care of you.” He shifted his movements, exploring until he found the exact motion that made her body jerk taut. “Like that.”

  “Oh God.” Her hips rolled, trying to take him deeper, but he’d found the sweet spot and he wasn’t about to let go of her until he was ready. “I’ve been thinking about licking that sweet little pussy of yours against that tree.”

  “Adam!”

  He grinned, amazed that she could sound so shocked while obviously enjoying their current circumstances. “Lesson two in dirty talking—learn to say ‘pussy’ and ‘cock.’”

  “C-c—” She made a face. “Cock. See! I can say it.”

  Hearing the word on her lips was like she’d reached down and squeezed that part of him. He kept finger fucking her, fighting to get the words out through clenched teeth. “Unzip me, sugar. I want to feel you stroking me when you say it again.”

  Her eyes went wide, but she obeyed, carefully unzipping his jeans and sliding them down far enough to free him. Her first stroke was almost tentative, but he kept her too distracted with what he was doing between her legs to be self-conscious. “Say it again.”

  “Cock.” This time there was no hesitation or stuttering.

  “Mmm. And whose cock are you stroking right now?”

  “Y-yours.”

  He pulled her closer, the move dislodging both their hands, and guided his cock between her legs, the position too tight for him to enter her. He lined them up so he rubbed against her clit and grabbed a hold of her hips, rocking her against him.

  Watching the pleasure on her face was almost reward enough. Almost. “Tell me what you want, sugar. Explicitly.”

  She bit her lip. “I want you—your cock—inside me.”

  He had to hold still for a second to fight back the need to give her exactly that right that second. “And how do you want it?”

  “I…don’t know.”

  It struck him that it might be the fucking truth. How in God’s name had a hot little thing like Jules Rodriguez made it to twenty-six without knowing what she liked? He kept moving her against him, driving them both crazy. “You have one of those buzzy toys?”

  It was hard to tell in the shadows, but she looked like she might be blushing furiously. “I have several.”

  At least she wasn’t shy about meeting her needs while solo. He kissed her neck. “And how do you like using them?”

  “I…” Her breath hitched. “God, that feels good.”

  “I’m not going to stop. Answer the question.”

  She shivered. “I tease myself. Until I can barely stand it. Then I…”

  He gently bit her earlobe. “Keep going.”

  “Then I stroke myself as hard as I can.”

  Adam groaned. He could perfectly picture her like that, naked in her bed alone, stroking herself with some toy until she came apart. “I’m going to make it good for you, sugar.”

  “Then hurry.”

  He dug into his pocket for the condom he’d thought he was an idiot for bringing tonight. It was a study in frustration to let her go long enough to rip open the wrapper and roll it on, but he managed.

  She started to sink onto him, but he stopped her. “Last chance.”

  “And for the last time, I want this. I want you.”

  He knew she only meant it in this moment, but it still struck a chord deep inside him. When had he last felt wanted by a woman—him as a man, not as a conduit of pleasure? Had he ever? He let go of her, and she sank onto his cock, inch by inch, until they were sealed as closely as two people could be. “Fuck, sugar, you feel so good. Better than I could have dreamed.”

  “Yes.” She lifted up and slammed back onto him, but their position made it difficult to get a good momentum going.

  He rolled them, laying her down on her clothes, and thrust into her. “You want it hard?”

  “Yes.” The word was barely more than a moan on her lips. “Like that.”

  He fucked her with everything he had in him, slamming into her until he had to muffle her cries with his hand. She consumed him, her summer scent wrapping around him, her muffled cries in his ear, the taste of her on his tongue. He couldn’t get enough, couldn’t stop, couldn’t slow down. He needed her orgasm more than he needed his next breath.

  “Adam, oh my God, Adam, don’t stop.” Her nails dug into his ass, urging him on. As if he was in any danger of stopping.

  “I won’t, sugar.” He kissed her again, holding her as tightly as he could, until her entire body went tight and she came, her pussy milking him and dragging him over the edge. Desire consumed him, leaving nothing but ashes in its wake.

  …

  Jules was pretty sure she heard baby angels singing and that the heavens opened up to shine on her.

  Or maybe that had just been a truly outstanding orgasm.

  She lifted her head and looked at Adam, who seemed just as floored as she felt. Maybe that was wishful thinking on her part, but he kissed her before she could overthink things too much. “How are you doing?”

  “Well and truly satisfied.”

  His grin made things low in her stomach clench, which made his jaw go tight, which made her hot all over again.
Adam stroked a hand up her side, idly cupping her breast and circling her nipple. “You have anywhere to be in the next hour?”

  Hour? She shifted. The fact they were having this conversation while he was still inside her wasn’t in her realm of social niceties. “Uh, no?”

  “Perfect.” He kissed her again, his tongue sliding along hers. “Because I’m nowhere near done with you.”

  Sweet baby Jesus. She just stared as he got to his knees and pulled his pants back up. “You’re not?”

  “Sugar, I know it might be shocking, but I’d like to have sex with you while we’re both naked and have full range of motion.” His grin made her toes curl. “Not that I’m even remotely complaining about how things just went down.”

  She should have known that letting go of her previous expectations was important when it came to this man, but obviously she hadn’t managed it, because he kept surprising her. “Okay.” She licked her lips and peered down at the street below them. “Do you think someone heard us?”

  “Sugar, focus.” He pulled her to her feet, and she didn’t miss the fact that he stood between her and the edge of the roof, blocking the sight of anyone who bothered to look up. She almost pointed out that someone catching a glimpse of her up here with him in an obvious state of undress would surely get tongues wagging, but the look on his face stopped her.

  Stop overthinking. Just enjoy this. You got an orgasm for the record books.

  And he wants an hour to do it again.

  She stifled a giggle and ducked back into her room, pausing long enough to make sure she could still hear the gunshot sounds and music from Aubry’s game. Satisfied that her friend wasn’t going to come barging in to save her or something, she turned to face Adam. “You want me focused? I’m focused.”

  “Perfect.” He scooped her up and dropped her on the bed, scattering her laundry and surprising a laugh out of her.

  She propped herself up on her elbows and watched him strip. His eyebrows rose. “When you look at me like that, I feel like a piece of meat.”