She blew out a breath on a heavy sigh. This was going to be a long night at this rate.
When they found an empty table, she waited for Brad to pull out her chair, but he took the other one, flipped it around and straddled it. She shook her head as she grabbed the chair for herself.
“What’ll ya have?” the waitress asked, giving Brad an eyeful as she bent over allowing her tank top to gap open around her breasts.
“I’ll have a beer. Bud Light in the bottle, please.”
“I’ll take a shot of Jack.”
“Comin’ right up.” The waitress sauntered back toward the bar where Peyton was working one end while Dan worked the other.
Peyton waved at Callie before she glanced at her date, frowned and tipped her head to the right. Callie wondered how much Mandy had told Peyton of their plans to corral a couple of Young boys. She hoped Mandy hadn’t told her much. After all, she was married to one of them and might be a little more apt to be on their side, right? Except Peyton might want to see her brothers-in-law with wives of their own. What better than to have two of her friends hook up with them?
Callie glanced to the right. Ah, there he was sitting back in one of the dark corners, brooding with a beer. Well, too bad. She had plans for tonight and they included going home with one hot cowboy, preferably Jeremiah Young.
* * * *
Jeremiah sat with his hat pulled down hoping Callie wouldn’t see him as he nursed his beer, bringing it to his lips for a small sip. He needed to see who she was going out with so seriously they had three dates in the last couple of weeks. Not knowing why, he had a morbid curiosity to see the man she had the hots for, or so he thought.
“Fucking Brad Smithson, really?” The guy had barely enough brains to fill a thimble. “The man couldn’t even pass basic math.”
Jeremiah squinted as he watched the couple take a seat at a table near the middle of the room. He scoffed when Brad didn’t pull out Callie’s chair for her. Figures. He’s got no manners at all. My mom would box my ears for not pulling out a lady’s chair. After they ordered drinks, Callie tried to start a conversation with Brad while he watched every other female coming through the door. Dickhead.
Thoughts of walking over there, jerking her to her feet, tossing her over his shoulder and spiriting her away to his room crossed his mind. But he couldn’t do any such thing. Could he?
More people walked into the bar with waves and hearty hellos to the bartenders as they passed. Most found a table as the waitresses worked the room. Some danced. Some played pool and some worked the dart boards like they wanted to stab someone in the eye.
The entire time Jeremiah’s gaze rarely left Callie. She’d dressed to kill in a tight s kirt and silky-looking loose tank top with a gauzy looking sweater over the top. She’d put her hair up in a little updo that made him want to take it down to run his fingers through the silky strands. Her blonde hair normally hung to the middle of her back the few times he’d seen it loose. He liked to watch the curls flowing behind her.
Her lips parted softly in a smile as she appeared to be shyly taking in whatever Brad had to say. Brad grabbed the back of her chair, scooting it closer so he could wrap an arm around Callie’s shoulders.
Jeremiah wanted to hit someone or break something when she leaned into Brad’s embrace. With fists clenched, he punched his thigh to relieve some of the pressure.
Joshua and Joey slid into the booth next to him.
“What’s up, Jeremiah?” Joshua said.
“Nothin’.”
“You look pissed enough to bite someone’s head off.”
“I am.”
“Why?” Joey asked, taking a sip of the beer he’d set on the table until he followed Jeremiah’s gaze. “Ah. Callie hooked up with someone else?”
“I don’t care.”
“Sure you do, that’s why you are about to chew the end of your beer bottle off every time you take a sip,” Joshua added. “Easy, cowboy. She’s workin’ you.”
“She’s here with that bozo.”
“And playin’ you like a fiddle, brother.”
“How?”
“You can see how she’s not really into what she’s doing. We can. We’ve been watching this whole thing unfold from the pool table area while we played.”
“What are you talkin’ about?”
“We’ve been here almost every time she’s been here. She’s never once shown up with Brad, but she’s acting like she’s all into him. She’s not comfortable. When he leans in, she’s not meeting him halfway, she’s pulling back.”
Jeremiah watched a little closer, taking in the whole scene in front of him. Brad paid more attention to the women walking by, checking out their asses rather than paying attention to the woman he was with. Callie touched his arm, although her hand shook a little when she did, like she was totally out of her league. “She knows I’m here.”
“Hell, yeah, she knows you’re here, sulking in the corner like some loser.”
“I’m not a loser.”
“Then take control of the woman you want instead of sitting over here.”
“She’s out with another guy.”
“One she doesn’t want to be with, clearly,” Joey piped in, putting in his two cents worth of advice to his older brother.
“Like you two are experts in the love department.”
“Love, hell! You want to get in that girl’s pants, don’t ya?” Joshua asked, punching him in the shoulder.
“Yeah.”
“Then go over there, pick her up, throw her over your shoulder and take her home. It’s what she wants, I’m telling you.”
“How do you know?”
“Mandy.”
“Mandy?”
“Yep. She’s had a few beers. She’s been talkin’ about you two a lot since she’s been hanging out with us by the pool tables.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m sure, bro. Take control of the woman you want. Otherwise, you’re gonna lose your chance.”
“Move.” Jeremiah shoved Joey out of the way so he could get up. He was done pussyfootin’ around with Callie. He definitely wanted to screw with her, literally. The crowd between him and Callie’s table parted as he made his way to her. Without a word, he took her arm, brought her to her feet, shoved his shoulder into her stomach and hefted her over his shoulder.
“What the hell are you doing?”
He didn’t answer, just smacked her ass after he trapped her legs against his chest. Take control. Oh, yeah. He planned to have her hogtied to his bed inside of about fifteen minutes.
“Ouch. You asshole!”
She started hitting his back with the palm of her hand, although she wasn’t hitting hard enough to do any damage.
“Jeremiah, put me down.”
The crowd clapped as he made his way outside to his truck. “Are you gonna behave?”
“Behave? I’m not the one acting like a caveman. Put me down.”
“Not until you promise not to take off. Otherwise, I’ll hogtie you with my belt and don’t think I can’t do it. Remember, I’m a cowboy to the core.” She huffed a few times while he waited next to the door of his truck. “Callie?”
“Fine. I won’t run.”
“Promise?”
“I promise.”
He set her inside the cab of his truck on the seat once he had the door open.
“Where are we going?”
“My place.”
“Why?”
“We need to talk and I don’t want an audience.”
“I was on a date, Jeremiah. How dare you manhandle me. This behavior isn’t becoming of the gentleman I thought you were.”
“I’m not gentleman around you anymore. You want it rough, baby, you got it.” He slammed the door before he went around to the driver’s side of the truck. When he glanced through the windshield, he thought he saw a little smile curving her tempting lips.
She wanted the roughneck. Well, she got him.
She was quiet on the way to his
place. He glanced over at her side of the truck on several occasions to see her sitting with her arms crossed over her ample chest as she tapped her foot on the floorboard of the vehicle. What is she thinking?
“Are you going to talk to me?”
“What do you want me to say? I wanted you to manhandle me out of the bar, showing off my ass to the entire town? No, I didn’t.”
“Why were you there with Brad?”
“I told you, we had a date.”
“You made it sound like you’d being seeing him for several weeks.”
“Yeah.”
“I know for a fact you haven’t. Was tonight the first night you’d been out with him?” He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. “And don’t lie to me, Callinda. I know the truth.”
“Then why ask me?”
“Because I want to hear from your lips why you felt the need to lie to me in the first place.”
“You made me feel like shit, Jeremiah. I wasn’t worth your time to even call me to tell me you made other plans.”
“Are you still holding a grudge about our date?”
She sighed as she shook her head. “Not really.” She turned in the seat to face him. “Do you want to be with me?”
“What do you mean be with you?”
“Do you want to hang out with me? Do you want to be more than friends? Do you want to have sex with me?”
He choked on his own saliva. “Why do you ask that?”
“Because those are the things I want from you, but I’m getting mixed signals.”
“Things between us have been messed up from the get-go, Callie. We were friends or acquaintances or whatever you want to call it. I don’t know what we are now.”
“Well if you don’t know, then I don’t know either.” She sighed as she twisted back around in the seat. “Why did you throw me over your shoulder and haul me out of the bar?”
“I didn’t like seeing you with Brad.”
“You were jealous.”
“No.” He pushed his hat off his head as he raked his fingers through his hair. “Yes. Hell, I don’t know. I’m confused where you are concerned.”
“Do you want to kiss me?”
He hesitated for a moment before he replied, “Yes.”
“Do you want to date me?”
“I’m not sure dating is the right word.”
“What would you say is the right word?”
His knuckles turned white on the steering wheel as he fought for control. The hesitation lasted longer this time until he finally sighed. “I want to fuck you until you scream my name as you come around my cock.”
“Well then.”
“Have I shocked you?”
“No.”
“Really?”
She tilted her head to the side, giving him a condescending look out of the corner of her eye, he wasn’t sure he appreciated coming from her. Funny, it made her all the more desirable because she didn’t take his crap. She stood up to him and gave as good as she got.
“Jeremiah, you are the smartest guy I know, but you can be really dumb sometimes.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You can do things with numbers I can’t even fathom on any level. You are so smart, you scare me sometimes, but really? When it comes to women, you can be really stupid.”
“It’s normal for a guy not to understand women. Ask my eight brothers.”
She laughed, a hilarious, gut-rolling laugh that made him smile even though their conversation was kind of serious. “You crack me up.”
“Thanks.”
“Okay. Let’s get something straight. We’ve known each other for a long time. If you aren’t into serious, I get that. Those kinds of relationships come with time. Time I have on my hands so it’s fine, but I’m not necessarily looking for a serious relationship either. If it happens, it happens.”
They reached the front of his cabin and he turned off his truck. He wasn’t sure where he wanted to go with this conversation. He wouldn’t mind seeing how they were in bed together. He had the normal libido of a guy in his twenties. He liked sex, liked it a lot, and if he could find a girl he could have great sex with who didn’t get all serious and shit, he’d have it made until he was ready for any kind of relationship. “I’m not ready for serious either. I have too many things to do with my life. I want a girl I can have fun with, maybe get in some great sex. You know, see where we go from there.”
She pushed open the door on her side of the truck, stepping out into the gravel before she shut it behind her.
After he stepped out and closed his own door, he went around to the front of the truck to stand in front of her. “This is my place.”
“Nice.”
“Come on. I’ll show you in the inside.” He motioned to the other side of the duplex type cabin. “Jackson shares the other side with me, but he’s not home right now.”
“I saw him at The Dusty Boot.”
“He goes there a lot to hang out. He likes the atmosphere, I think. You know. Lots of unpaired women.”
“Isn’t he a real player?”
“He can be. He’s kind of quiet, but very rugged like a cowboy should be. Not like me.” After he unlocked the door, he pushed it open to reveal the inside of his space. It was more of a one room place. A desk sat in the corner to the left. His king sized bed took up one whole wall to the right with a deep blue comforter spread over the expanse. He had a small kitchenette type thing back against the wall in center where he could heat up things with the microwave or cook a small meal if he wanted to entertain a woman here. His large television took up the wall just inside the door with his PlayStation game system and two leather recliners. Overall, he loved his space even if it was kind of small. One day he would build a huge house for lots of kids and a wife, but not yet. He had his special piece of property picked out on the ranch at the top of the back hill where his house would overlook the valley below. He’d go up there sometimes to sit while he dreamed of his future.
“You’re a cowboy.”
“Yeah, but I’m not an in your face kind. I ride and rope. You know, the normal cowboy stuff, but I like the behind the scenes kind of thing more.”
She glanced around his space with a look of awe. “Wow. This is cool.”
“Thanks. It’s not much since it’s one room, but I like it.”
“You’ve done great with it.” She walked to the kitchenette and ran her hand over the small countertop. “You have your own space. That is awesome.”
“The house you have with your dad is great. I like it.”
“Yeah, but it’s Dad’s, not mine. I’m an interloper, so to speak.”
“You’ve lived there since you were born. How can you say you’re an interloper?”
She shrugged as she checked out the model cars on his shelf. “It’s not mine. I want my own house someday. A big house. Lots of kids, you know?”
The image of Callie sitting on a long porch with a couple of rocking chairs struck him hard. She looked peaceful there with a baby on her lap and a couple more running around playing cowboy in the yard. He could see her, clear as day. The image kind of shocked him since he’d hadn’t really thought of her beyond their friendship, but she had him thinking more and more about things outside their immediate situation. “You see yourself as a mom?”
She turned the car over, looking at every minute detail of the model before setting it back on the shelf carefully. “Oh, definitely. I want at least four. Of course, it depends on their father. You came from a big family, but I didn’t. I want that for my kids.”
“Boys or girls?”
“I don’t really care.” She walked closer and put her hand on his chest. “I’d love to talk to your mom sometime. I bet it was interesting raising nine boys.”
“Including a set of triplets.”
“Yeah.” Her lips parted as she looked up.
His brain went haywire at the thought of his lips on hers. He wanted it more than anything. “I want to k
iss you.”
Chapter Seven
“I want that too,” she whispered, leaning toward him. “Take what you want, Jeremiah.”
Unable to hold himself back any longer, he crushed his mouth to hers in a lip-bruising kiss meant to steal her will to resist. Not that he expected her to after the way she talked, but he didn’t want to give her the chance either.
He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her in so her breasts brushed his chest. The kiss deepened as she moaned softly and opened her lips to his seeking tongue. The first touch of their battling tongues sent a rush of desire straight to his groin. He couldn’t help it. He craved her with everything inside him. He wanted to lay her across his bed and eat her pussy until she screamed for him. The thought of burying his cock in her sweet heat drove his desire higher still. His cock ached. His balls felt like they were on fire.
As their lips parted, she whispered, “Wow.”
“Yeah.” Drawing his finger along the scooped neckline of her tank top in a sensual caress, he walked her backward until the back of her knees hit the edge of his bed. “I want you, Callie. I want to fuck you every way but up and then do it again.”
“Yes.”
“Are you on birth control?” he asked, slowly sliding the strap of her top down her arm.
“Yeah. Have been for a long time.”
“Good. I have condoms to protect us both.”
“Good thinking, cowboy.”
He ran his tongue along the underside of her chin, across her jawline to the shell of her ear. “I’m always prepared to have a gorgeous woman in my bed.”
“Had a few women here?”
“Not here.”
She leaned back so she could look into his eyes. “What do you mean, not here?”
With a nimble toss, his hat landed on the dresser against the wall. “I don’t bring women here. You’re the first to see the inside of this room.”
“Why me?”
“Because you’re special.”
“I am?”
“Yes. You aren’t just a pussy for me to fuck. You’re a friend too. That’s special to me.”
“Aw, you’re such a gentleman, Jeremiah.”
Her sarcastic tone was lost on him. He figured she should feel lucky to be with him. After all, he’d given her a compliment, right? He grinned and then leaned in to kiss her again. He liked the feel of her lips under his. The soft curve fit his perfectly. When he pushed to take the kiss deeper, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, crushing her breasts against his chest. Dear God. He wanted her, needed her with every pump of his heart, craved her like he needed his next breath.
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