Unbreak My Heart (Rough Riders Legacy Book 1)

by Lorelei James

  “Hang on.” I leaned down far enough to hook my right arm behind her knees. I lifted her up, cradling her to my chest. “This’ll save you a few steps.”

  Sierra buried her face in my neck. “You really are my hero, Boone West.”

  I set her on her feet beside the car to open the passenger door.

  “Just a sec.” She clutched my arm while she removed her shoes. Then she pulled back and let one shoe fly, quickly followed by the other. They landed on the blacktop with a muffled thump.

  Except she was drunk and had lousy aim so the shoes didn’t go far.

  She dusted her hands together. “There. Now I feel better.”

  I was trying really hard not to laugh. Not only was my girl a sweet drunk, she was a funny drunk.

  She stepped around me and hopped into the seat. “Oh. And make sure you run over them when we leave. At least twice.”

  I did laugh at that. I climbed in the driver’s side and had to move the seat back first thing. How could Sierra drive crammed up under the steering wheel?

  And then Sierra was crammed against the steering wheel and me because she’d crawled onto my lap. “Hi.”

  “Uh. Hi. What are you doing?”

  “Seducing you.” She hit the lever that lowered the back of the seat to the horizontal position.

  Fuck. She’d hiked her dress to her hips, exposing those smooth thighs I loved to be between. My hands immediately sought contact with her skin.

  Warm lips landed on mine. I could detect the flavor of whiskey. I got the full taste of it when Sierra shoved her tongue past my teeth.

  Stop this. Pull back.

  Easier said than done when the woman was pulling out all the stops. Her hands gripping my hair. That hungry mouth feeding me hot, wet, deep kisses. Her lithe body writhing on mine. Then she started that teasing pelvis roll that drove me crazy.

  She backed up to get a better angle and her ass bumped into the horn. She broke the kiss with a laugh. “Oops.”

  But that allowed me to regain my senses. “We can’t do this.”

  “Yes we can. I’ve wanted to do it in a car with you since I was sixteen. Just give in to the moment. I’m on top. I’ll do all the work.”

  “Another time, in a less public place.” I didn’t tack on when you’re not drunk.

  “Boone—”

  “Stop.” I clamped my hands on the backs of her legs. “I don’t want these creepy country club dudes seeing this hot ass bouncing up and down, okay?”

  That caught her attention. She sighed and kissed the hollow of my throat. “Okay. But promise me we’ll do it in a car. In a kinky role-playing game, where you’re wearing your uniform and you pull me over. I tell you if I have another traffic violation I’ll lose my license so I’ll do anything not to get that ticket…”

  I groaned. “Have you been watching porn?”

  She giggled. “They’re full of really great ideas.”

  I slapped her ass. “Get back in your seat and behave.”

  “Yes, sir, officer.”

  Smartass.

  Once we were both buckled up, I peeled out of the parking spot and ran over her shoes. Then I put it in reverse and backed over them.

  Sierra laughed hysterically.

  Then she asked me where I’d hidden the fried chicken because she was starved.

  Next time I glanced over at her—like two minutes later—she’d conked out.

  She didn’t stir when I lifted her out of the car or when I carried her into the house.

  I settled her on the couch instead of the bedroom so I could keep an eye on her. After I tucked an afghan around her and kissed her forehead, I noticed Lu standing between the great room and kitchen.

  “Didn’t mean to startle you.” She dipped her chin at Sierra. “Rough time at the bridal luncheon?”

  “A seven-whiskey luncheon, apparently.”

  “Yikes. Poor thing.” She returned to the kitchen.

  I followed her, wondering what she was doing here.

  She’s Sierra’s roommate. She lives here.

  “Raj fell into bed after he came back from dropping you off. I’m letting him sleep.” She scanned me, head to toe. “You’re wiped, dude.”

  “Midnight to noon shifts suck, which is why I mainline caffeine.” I gestured to the groceries strewn across the counters. “What’re you up to?”

  “Cooking. Living in this house with Sierra and this dream kitchen has spoiled me. So I’m making Raj dinner. Shish-kebobs, mushroom risotto, arugula salad and angel food cake.”

  I whistled. “Lucky man. But I know it’s not his birthday.”

  “I wanted to do something nice for him.”

  “He’ll appreciate it. Neither one of us is a great cook.”

  She started chopping something green.

  “So I’ll let you get to it.”

  “Stay, if I’m not keeping you from something. I promise I’ll clean up my mess when I’m done and Sierra won’t know I destroyed her kitchen.”

  Weird thing to say. “Cool. I’m grabbing a bottle of water. You want one?”

  “I’m good. I’ll have a glass of wine when I open the bottle to make the salad dressing.”

  I took a seat at the breakfast bar.

  Lu lowered her knife and studied me. “It’d probably be good for us to get to know each other better, since Raj is your BFF and Sierra is mine.”

  “Agreed. So should I call you Lu or Lucinda Grace?”

  “Lu.” She scraped the greens off the cutting board into a small bowl. “Sierra called you to rescue her from luncheon hell?”

  “Her dad called me first. Apparently they’d been texting during the event and she told him how much she’d been drinking.”

  “Gavin has your phone number?”

  “He insisted on having it when I was in Wyoming.”

  She smirked. “Of course he did. He usually calls me because he frets about Sierra being around her mom—with good reason.” She paused. “If you know Gavin, then do you know Ellen too?”

  I shook my head. “Sierra didn’t talk about her that much when we were in high school. Today was the first time we crossed paths.”

  “And your first impression?”

  “Nasty bitch who doesn’t deserve to have a daughter as awesome as Sierra.”

  “Amen.”

  “Have you spent much time around Ellen?” I asked her.

  “Enough to know you’re dead on the mark with your opinion of her. I’m sure Sierra told you about Ellen MILF-ing Sierra’s boyfriend. I was around for that fun situation. As well as Ellen groveling for a few weeks, followed by her extreme nastiness when Sierra wouldn’t have anything to do with her.” She shuddered. “The ugly things she said to her own daughter? Shocked the hell out of me.”

  “You get along with your parents?”

  “Of course. They are awesome. How about yours?”

  I doubted Raj had shared my story. “My mother makes Ellen look like a dream. My dad was around as little as possible. Which is why it sucks that I agreed to meet him in Flagstaff the day Ellen gets married.” I fiddled with the cap on my water. “Did Sierra ask you to go to the wedding with her since I can’t?”

  “Nope. Ellen is not my biggest fan. She disappeared for a while, maybe…nine months to a year. She didn’t come to Sierra’s college graduation. Then she popped back up with her new boyfriend, Barnacle Bill.”

  I raised an eyebrow. “Barnacle Bill?”

  Lu laughed. “Now Sierra has me calling him that. She is gonna totally fuck up and call him that to his face one of these days.”

  “Where’d the name come from?”

  “Sierra came up with it when she was drunk after Ellen bragged about Bill’s big…fishing boat business.”

  “Sierra was funny as hell today after I picked her up. Is she always that way when she’s been drinking?”

  “Just when she’s drunk. Not after like two drinks. There’s a difference. She doesn’t do it very often, but yeah. She’s funny when
she’s around the right people. So you’ve never seen her slam-a-lammered before?”

  I swigged my water. “Once, at a party in high school, and it was far from a funny situation.”

  “Huh.”

  “What?”

  “I forget that you’ve known her that long.”

  A timer dinged. Lu used oven mitts to pull a pan from the oven.

  A curl of sweet scented steam teased me as she set the pan on a wire rack. “That smells great. It’s not surprising you’ve been roommates for so long since you both like to bake.”

  Lu rolled her eyes. “I bake because I like it. Sierra bakes when she has something on her mind or if she’s upset.”

  I went still. But my brain sifted back through the times I’d sampled her baked goods.

  I’d noticed she had cookies on her desk the day I’d shown up at her office for my Phoenix tour. A result of seeing me the day before?

  She’d brought the elaborate brownie coma dessert to McJock Central. Because she found out I’d lied about how long I planned to be in Phoenix?

  The morning after our first night together she’d whipped up a loaf of banana bread. In response to everything I’d told her about how fucked up I was?

  The night we were at the bar and I’d dealt with Oakley, she’d made cupcakes after we returned home. Due to her crappy day and work and dealing with her mother?

  Christ. Why hadn’t I seen the pattern?

  I wondered what she’d whip up after her mother’s luncheon from hell.

  “She talked about you sometimes,” Lu said, interrupting my thoughts.

  My gut tightened. “She did?”

  “The first time she mentioned you was after the Ellen MILF-ing incident. She said she was glad Ellen had picked a douche she didn’t really care about and not you because she would’ve committed murder.” Lu smirked. “But to be fair, she didn’t clarify whether she meant she’d kill her mother…or kill you.”

  I forced a laugh. “I deserve to be sliced and diced if I ever hurt Sierra like that. I’d hand her the fucking knife.”

  “So what happened in your past that had her swearing she’d never get involved with you again? Then two weeks later you’re living with her? And now Mr. Overprotective Daniels calls you to rescue her instead of me?”

  “No offense, Lu, but if Sierra hasn’t told you? I won’t either.”

  “Jerk. So infidelity wasn’t an issue between you two. A fuck-and-run encounter wasn’t it either.”

  “I’ll point out while you’re pointing that knife at me that infidelity will never be an issue between Sierra and me.” I paused. “I spent years hoping for another chance with her. The last thing I’d ever do is fuck her over.”

  “That’s a relief. Because Raj would miss you if I was forced to kill you.” She thwacked a clove of garlic on the cutting board and I jumped.

  Jesus.

  “Keep in mind…that as a landscaper I know where to bury the bodies and how deep.”

  “Good talk.” I patted the counter and said, “I’ll just…go run in traffic where it’s safer.”

  Her maniacal laughter followed me out of the kitchen.

  Seeing Sierra curled up on the couch…I just wanted to pull the covers over us and hide away in our cocoon for a while. I scooped her up and carried her to the bedroom.

  I stripped to my underwear, closed the blinds, locked the door and slipped between the cool sheets. Sierra still wore her dress. I’d left it on, not wanting to wake her up even when I craved feeling her bare skin against mine. Wednesday night when I’d been in a piss poor mood, prowling around the house, I’d hated the hollow feeling of falling asleep alone on the couch.

  I brushed my lips across the back of her head and breathed in the sweet perfume of her skin, a scent that calmed and aroused me.

  She shifted, rolling over and finding “her” spot on my chest. I automatically adjusted until we were positioned how we fell asleep every night.

  Closing my eyes, I kissed the top of her head.

  She said, “Mmm. My hero. I love you. Being in love with you is better than just being all fucking in.”

  I didn’t move.

  Drunk talk, my subconscious scoffed, she won’t remember when she wakes up.

  But I would. Holy shit would I ever. I doubted I’d think about anything else all day.

  White spots danced behind my eyelids. I forced myself to breathe.

  I love you. Being in love with you is better than just being all fucking in.

  Those words repeated on a loop in my head at least a dozen times.

  What did I say to her when she woke up?

  I couldn’t ignore that she’d put herself out there. We hadn’t hit the three-little-word stage—not that I knew what the fuck that meant. I’d heard them talk about it on TV and in the movies like it was some magical higher “level” in a relationship.

  I loved Sierra. I’d probably always loved her, even back when I didn’t know what love felt like.

  And you know that now? After two weeks with her?

  Yes.

  I’d been ready to blurt out my feelings for her in the kitchen the morning after we’d spent the night together the first time. But I figured she’d be skeptical and confused if I said, I don’t know how to love, but I’m in love with you.

  Or else she’d believe the best sex of my life had spurred the confession.

  Why are you wrestling with this? If you’re sure you love her, act sure. Man the fuck up and tell her.

  My heart raced like a motherfucker when I said, “I love you too.”

  I held my breath as I waited for her to react.

  She didn’t.

  That’s because she’s passed out and she won’t remember this, dumbass.

  That negative thought…could piss off.

  I’d said it once; I’d say it again now that I knew I could say it.

  I fell asleep with a smile on my face.

  A warm, wet mouth surrounded my cock.

  Nails scored the tops of my thighs, followed by the swish of silky hair across the sensitized flesh.

  Soft sucking and swirling licks.

  Fuck that felt good. Talk about a realistic dream.

  Fingers rolled my balls as that suctioning mouth glided up and down my shaft, now fully erect and hard as steel.

  I groaned. “God yes.”

  “Boone.”

  I blinked and lifted my head off the pillow. “Sierra?”

  She pushed herself upright and glared at me. “You were expecting someone else, fuckface?”

  “No! I thought I was dreaming about a blowjob.” I scrambled up so we were almost face-to-face. How long had I been out? I noticed she’d ditched the luncheon dress, leaving her naked. And I could feel the sheet rubbing on my bare ass. “You stripped off my boxer briefs.”

  “Duh.” She rolled her entire body forward, teasing my lips with hers. “I needed full access to your dick.” After licking my lower lip she sank her teeth into it. “You awake now?”

  “Uh, yeah.”

  “You do know that I’m the one sucking your big, hard love rod and not some random chick in a dream.”

  “Uh, yeah.”

  “Good.” Sierra angled her head and nibbled along my jaw. “I love this part of you. So strong and sharply defined. Gives you such a killer profile.” She flicked her tongue across the stubble on my chin. “I love how this feels on my tongue. So rough.”

  My pulse sped up as she dragged an openmouthed kiss down my throat, straight to the patch of hair in the middle of my chest.

  “You know how obsessed I am with how your scent lingers here.” She moved her head back and forth, rubbing my chest hair on her cheeks and her lips, then pressing her nose into the center and inhaling.

  I didn’t arch into her when she imprisoned my nipple between her teeth. I loved how she knew how far to push me in nipple play. Mine were so goddamned sensitive—she’d figured that out the first night. She’d joined me in the shower before I’d gone to work
yesterday, biting, licking and sucking my left nipple as she’d jacked me off. I’d seen fucking stars after that one.

  “I love your body, Boone. All the ridges and dips and hollows that are perfect for my lips and tongue.” She chuckled as she slid her mouth along the edge of my ribcage.

  The vibration tickled—as she knew it would. Damn intuitive woman had memorized all of my ticklish spots. Some I wasn’t aware I had since I hadn’t let previous lovers explore me like this.

  She nibbled on my hipbone until I squirmed. Then she dipped her tongue into the grooves of my abdomen, taking her own sweet time to follow every line until my stomach quivered.

  Before she pressed a wide, flat-tongued lick down my flexor muscle, her hair slid across my torso in a tantalizing arc, from my collarbones to the tip of my cock. “Sierra.”

  “No.”

  “No…what? You don’t even know what I was gonna say.”

  “I know what you were gonna do. Lure me back up there with that sexy, dirty smile and those heated eyes with the promise of melt-my-brain kisses. Then you’d flip me onto my back and fuck me.” She licked a circle around the rim of my cock, causing it to jump off my stomach, closer to her mouth. “Sorry. Maybe after.”

  “After what?”

  “After I blow your mind with a killer blowjob.”

  I curled my hand under her jaw, forcing her to hold still and look at me. “I wasn’t gonna do anything. I wanted to tell you something.”

  “What?”

  My heart sped up. “That I love you.”

  Her jaw would’ve dropped if I hadn’t held onto it.

  “After I tucked us in, you told me you loved me. You said that being in love with me was better than being all fucking in.” I swept my thumb over the sensitive skin beneath her jawline. The way her eyes darkened gave me the answer I needed. “That wasn’t drunk talk. You meant it, didn’t you?”

  “Yes.”

  “Why tell me then?”

  “If you would’ve bailed after you heard me say it then I would’ve blamed it on drunk talk. But I heard you say it back to me. I didn’t dream that, right?”

  “You didn’t dream it. And I didn’t say it back to you as if we were just exchanging compliments. I said it back to you because I fucking mean it, Sierra. I love you.”