Trouble With a Cowboy

by Sullivan, Sandy

  Well, I guess that answers the question about him being married or attached. "Wow. My God, Tucker, this is fabulous." She gasped as she stepped up to two small stairs and got her first look inside.

  A large half circle leather couch took up the right side and a small dining room table sat snuggled between another half circle seating area. One wall trimmed with large windows of the tip-out on the trailer, reflected the sunlight and brightened the room. The other wall had a fireplace with a huge flat-screen television over the top. A small kitchen sat to her left with a copper sink, solid maple on all the cabinets and a plank floor you would expect to see in someone's home. She could see the presence of a man within the room as she noticed boots in one corner, one of his shirts lying across the arm of the couch and cold coffee in the coffee maker over the sink. The urge to pick up the shirt and bring it to her nose to inhale his musky scent had her fingertips tingling, but she fought the inclination with everything she had.

  "With the size of the trailer, you can see why I need a big rig to pull it."

  "Uh, yeah. Obviously, not only the bull rides in style."

  "Would you like something to drink? I've got soda and beer in the fridge or I can make some coffee."

  "Soda is fine. Diet if you have some."

  He grabbed two cans. "Have a seat so we can work out the details."

  She made herself comfortable, popping the top on the can. Taking a sip, she eyed him over the rim. Long lashes framed his ice-blue eyes. Sculpted cheek bones and full lips made him about the most gorgeous thing she'd seen in a long time. True, she'd been with her share of men in her lifetime, but definitely none that could compare to Tucker. The first thing she'd noticed about him the night before was his blue eyes. That gaze still held her spellbound whenever he gave her a look or smile. It didn't take much of anything before she'd be ready to melt all over his fancy ostrich skin boots.

  "So, how is this going to work?" she asked, dragging her thoughts away from how hot he made her.

  "We’ll go by Kyle's shop. I'll pay for the tires for your rig. We'll get the animals loaded and be on our way by tomorrow."

  "He might have to order the tires. It's a good possibility he won't have four of the size I need, which was probably his plan in the first place. It would keep me in town until he can order them."

  "We can always try another town," he replied with a shrug, holding her gaze.

  "The next closest truck stop or area big enough to carry truck tires is at least fifty miles from here. Trust me, I run this route all the time. I can tell you where every truck stop, roadside diner and hot shower is for a thousand miles."

  "Okay," he said, leaning against the countertop, crossing his booted ankles. "So we stay a couple more days. We have time to make it to Vegas."

  "Not by much."

  "True, but we have a little leeway for now."

  His tempting lips sipped from the can and she had to stifle the urge to moan. He had me hotter than a firecracker last night. Now he's ramping up the heat with just a look or two.

  His next words were like a cold shower. "Why do you drive big rigs? I mean it's not the normal type of job for a woman."

  Anyone mentioning her job and how it wasn't the type of work for a woman usually pissed her off. Obviously her irritation showed as her fingernails tapped on the table in a rapid tempo. "No, it's not, but it's what I like so it's what I do."

  "Easy, Jacie." Both of his hands came up in surrender. "I wasn’t insulting you. I'm curious. Not many women drive eighteen-wheelers."

  "Very true, they don't, but I like the open road. No one tells me what to do, when to drive, or where I need to be, except me. But just because I do what most consider to be a man's job, doesn't mean I'm not a woman."

  His appreciative gaze slid over her face, down her neck, and across her chest. "Oh, I have no doubt there's a very attractive woman under those clothes. Unfortunately, I didn't get to find out all your hidden attributes last night."

  She pulled back her shoulders and looked right into his eyes. There would be no mistaking her sincerity on this. "One thing I need to make clear before I agree to this deal."

  "All right."

  "No mixing business with pleasure. This is strictly a business deal."

  His eyes narrowed slightly as his gaze skimmed down to her breasts. Need zinged from her nipples to her clit. The sensitive buds tightened, rubbing against her shirt. She fought the urge to slide her hand across them to calm the ache.

  "Deal," he said as his lips lifted into a we'll-see smile.

  "Fine, but we should be heading over to Kyle's garage. If he has to order the tires, then we need him to do it today."

  Fifteen minutes later, the bell dinged over their heads as Tucker opened the door to Kyle’s garage for her. They stood next to the counter, waiting for the annoying man to show.

  "Oh. It's you two again. What the hell do you want?" Kyle snarled, coming through the door leading to the shop area.

  A quick glance at Tucker and Jacie saw the tick in his jaw, giving away the frustration they both felt at dealing with this dickhead.

  "Four tires for her rig. Do you have them?"

  "Mmm. Let me check," Kyle said before he spun on his heels and took two steps toward the door. "Nope. Sorry."

  "You didn't even look you moron," she growled.

  Kyle smirked as he continued to wipe his hands on the dirty rag. "I know my merchandise. I don't have them. I'd have to order them."

  "Do it," Tucker snarled. "I want them here by tomorrow."

  "You payin'?"

  "Yes."

  "Fifteen hundred. Up front."

  "No way! Those tires aren't more than three hundred each. That's a damn rip-off," Jacie spat.

  "Fifteen hundred. Take it or leave it." Kyle leaned against the counter, looking very superior, knowing he had them between a rock and a hard place.

  The urge to wipe the smug look off his face almost outweighed the need for the tires, but Tucker's calming grasp and whispered, "Easy,” near her ear, brought her anger down a notch or two.

  Tucker reached into his pocket to pull out his wallet, then sorted through several bills. "I've got five hundred in cash. Will you take a credit card?"

  "Nope. Cash only."

  "You son of a bitch." Tucker took a step toward Kyle. Now it was Jacie's turn to calm him.

  Kyle grinned. "Sorry. I don't have any way to run a credit card. There's a bank about a mile down the road, but…" He glanced at his watch. "You'd better hurry. It's almost four. They close soon."

  "Let's get to the bank, Jacie. We can deal with him later," Tucker said, taking her hand and pulling her out of the shop.

  "I swear that son of a bitch is gonna get his. Lord, he makes me so mad."

  Tucker shook his head, pulled out his cell and dialed the cab company.

  Ten minutes later, they stood in front of the bank and she pulled on the door only to find it already locked.

  "I do not believe this." Jacie yanked on the door as if she thought it might miraculously open on the second try.

  Tucker grabbed her shoulders and turned her around. "We'll come back first thing in the morning. Kyle won't be able to order the tires now anyway. It's too late. What do you say to a little pool, a couple of beers and we'll relax for a few hours. You know, get our minds off this whole thing."

  "I guess. But I would so love to have wiped that smug look off Kyle’s face."

  A wide grin lifted the corners of Tucker’s mouth. "Let's get some dinner. Then we'll hit the bar. Maybe you'll get a chance to do a little damage to the man's pride there, since it's the only decent place in town. And do me a favor?"

  "What's that?" she asked, suspiciously.

  "Remind me never to get on your bad side."

  His words deflated her anger and she felt a smile spread across her face.

  "Much better. I like your smile."

  A heavy sigh left her lips. "Okay, fine. I need to go to my room though to change clothes and freshen up."


  "Maybe wear the little tank top you had on last night or something similar and those skin tight jeans?"

  The smile turned into a frown. I can't let him get to me. Last night was supposed to be one night. I wasn't supposed to run into him again. Everything's changed. The rules don't apply anymore.

  "Hey. What's the frown for?"

  "Don't get any ideas, Tucker. Remember, we are strictly business partners. Nothing more."

  "Business partners. But I can't help it if I still find you one of the prettiest women around, even in your ball cap," he said, lightly tapping the brim. "Do you want to meet me at the diner or the bar?"

  "How about the bar? I'll see you there in about an hour."

  The cab stopped next to them. Once it had pulled away with Tucker inside, she kicked at a rock near the toe of her boot. Her motel was only a block or two away so she’d told him she’d just walk. She needed to think. Being around him waylaid her thoughts on a continual basis. Why do I get the feeling this is a really bad idea? Taking him to Vegas and being stuck with him in the cab of my truck for two fricking days could turn into the worst mistake of my life. Her long brown hair fell to her waist when she took the dirty ball cap off only to smack it against her jeans.

  The short walk did nothing to sort out her thoughts. Everything still seemed jumbled and out of sorts. The attraction between the two of them sizzled with every look and every touch. Air seemed thicker making it harder to breathe. Her body reacted to his in such a way it had her thinking of hot sweaty sex and hard naked bodies.

  Standing inside her room several minutes later, she flipped through her meager wardrobe for something to wear. "No. No. No. Damn it!” She hadn’t really brought much to be out on the town in besides the outfit she had on last night. She’d have to wear the same jeans and a black tank. It was the best she could do. The rest of her clothes consisted of more jeans along with a few long sleeved western style shirts. A nice, skin-tight, short black dress would get his attention, but she hadn't brought one of those. Besides keeping their relationship strictly business is the best option. Getting involved with him would make things harder in the long run.

  After a quick shower, she dressed, brushed on a little makeup, curled her hair and splashed on a dab of her favorite perfume.

  Why was she bothering with all this? Her body wasn't listening every time her brain tried to reason with it. Every moment they got close, she wanted nothing more than to feel the hard plains of his chest against her breasts, to feel each inch of his bulging biceps under her hands and to have him fill her completely with his rock-hard erection. Sex with Tucker would be out of this world. Thinking about his hard muscled thighs, flat abdomen, hard chest naked and him pleasuring her made her shift her stance to relieve the pressure building between her legs.

  Macy meowed from the bed bringing Jacie back from her erotic thoughts. The cat blinked several times and rolled over on her back, giving Jacie her pet me look.

  "Spoiled cat," Jacie grumbled, and then smiled. "Guard the room for me. I'll see you after while."

  The door slammed shut behind her as she tucked the key into her front pocket. Just like the night before, her trek to the bar got her several honks, some whistles and a few passing propositions.

  Judging from all the cars in the parking lot and the steady flow of customers, the place had to be packed. It would be difficult to find Tucker in the crowd.

  "Jacie."

  At the sound of her name, she turned to find Tucker standing off to the side of the long porch.

  "Hi."

  "Hi yourself. Ready to eat?"

  Eat? Mmm…eat me maybe. "Yeah, food would be good."

  His blue eyes sparkled with something akin to mischief, and she had to wonder if maybe he’d guessed her thoughts. But damn it, I really was looking forward to getting him between the sheets. Now, it's not going to happen.

  The warmth of his palm at her lower back as they walked toward the diner, zipped a line of heat down her legs and upward again to settle between her thighs. Her clit throbbed almost painfully with need as she fought the moan trapped in her throat. Her libido had been on high idle since the night before. He wasn’t doing anything to squelch it. Each brush of his hand, the hot lust burning in his sky colored eyes and the soft whisper of words on her skin, had her igniting into raging lust.

  "Everything all right?" He chuckled softly next to her ear. Unconsciously, she closed her eyes, then snapped them open when his warm breath flittered over her neck. She glared in warning as he reached over to pull open the door

  He knows exactly what he's doing to me.

  They slid into a booth across from each other right before the waitress handed them each a menu. "You two are becoming regulars. What can I get you to drink?"

  "Ice water, please," Jacie said. Tucker gave her a knowing chuckle—the jerk.

  "I'll take coffee."

  "Are you ready to order or do you need a minute?"

  "I'm not sure what I want," Jacie replied while she attempted to focus on the selections in front of her.

  "I'll be back in a bit then."

  I need to get my head out from between my legs or the road is going to be hell if this keeps up. Either that or I'm going to have to rethink my no mixing business with pleasure philosophy.

  "What are you going to have?" Tucker asked, his eyes twinkling with mirth.

  "Chicken fried steak, I think."

  "Sounds good. I haven't had any good old fashioned fattening food for a while."

  "What do you eat at home?"

  "My cook is a motherly type woman and tends to force me to eat things I should rather than stuff like chicken fried steak and mashed potatoes."

  "You have a cook?"

  A small laugh sprang from his lips. "Yes, only because if I didn't, I'd never eat. I can't cook a lick."

  Once the waitress returned to bring their drinks, the ice cold water slid down Jacie's throat with each sip, but did nothing to cool the heat raging through her.

  "So it's going to be either I cook for both of us or we eat out the whole trip," she said, keeping the conversation on something mundane and non-sexually related.

  "You cook?"

  "Actually, yes. I love to, but I certainly don't get much of a chance being on the road. My rig doesn't come with a kitchen."

  "You have full use of the trailer while we're on the road, if you'd like."

  "Full use as in what?"

  "Whatever you want, Jacie."

  I'm so not going there. I have to keep this simple. "The kitchen in your trailer is a pretty good size."

  "You know, I've never seen the inside of an eighteen-wheeler."

  "We'll fix that problem, I guess."

  He smiled his charm-the-pants-off any woman smile and she shifted on the bench seat, her clit throbbing hard with every rapid beat of her heart.

  Jacie whispered a prayer of thanks as the food arrived. Eating gave her an excuse to avoid his gaze and the amusement dancing in those incredibly hot, lust filled eyes.

  After dinner, she managed to snag the bill before he did and plunked down her credit card. "My turn."

  "We've got a long couple of days in front of us, Jacie, for us to be worryin' about my turn, your turn."

  A heavy exhale blew the wispy curls off her forehead and the amused chuckle that followed told her he knew exactly the thoughts rushing through her mind.

  "Shall we?" he asked as they stood, his palm coming to rest on her lower back.

  Compatible silence enveloped them as they made the short walk to the bar. A Garth Brooks' song met her ear every time the door opened. The parking lot sported more makes and models of pickup trucks than a new car dealership.

  "Wow. This place is busier than it was before we went to eat."

  "I'm not surprised. This seems to be the place to unwind around here," Tucker replied as he reached for the door.

  "True."

  "Let's see if we can find a table."

  Lights swirled and flashed
, cutting a psychedelic pattern on the ceiling—almost blinding her once they stepped inside. An elbow here or boot on her toe there, and she wanted to deck someone as they worked their way across the bar.

  "Easy, girl," Tucker whispered next to her ear. His warm palm grasped hers as he led her toward the dance floor.

  "What are you doing?" With a sharp tug of her arm, she stopped his forward momentum.

  A confused frown crossed his face. "Since there aren't any tables at the moment, I thought we'd dance."

  "Asking me might have been nice, Tucker. Maybe I don't want to dance with you."

  His eyebrow shot up and a disbelieving little grin spread across his lips. The pad of his left thumb brushed between her eyebrows to smooth out what she figured had to be a frown. The almost intimate gesture wasn't lost on her. "Better," he murmured in her ear. "Your smile is much prettier."

  The spicy scent of his cologne wrapped itself around her senses, spreading heat through her abdomen. His neck was close enough that one small movement and she could taste the salt of his skin. Something she had thought about several times over the last twenty-four hours.

  When he stepped back, she couldn't help but sigh at the loss of the nearness of his heat.

  He turned toward her as they finally reached the middle of the dance floor. His eyes glittered with the reflection of the bar lights, and the sexy smile had returned. He slipped his arm around her waist to pull her so close her breasts pressed against his chest. Desire raced down her spine and her nipples pulled tight, aching with the need to be caressed with his tongue—with his fingers. She wanted Tucker. No bones about it. The man could set her on fire with nothing more than a touch or a look. And his kiss? Holy hell!

  Maybe I need to rethink this business partner thing.

  The sway of their bodies to the beat of the song kept her need for him on high idle. Being this close to Tucker gave her no room to think beyond how lips felt against hers, how his body would feel taking her to new heights of desire and how much she wanted him.

  "What are you thinking about?"

  She tipped her head back to stare into his eyes, letting the pools of blue mesmerize her for a moment. Telling him where her thoughts had migrated to would give away the need to get between the sheets with him and she wasn't sure she wanted him to know yet. "Nothing, why?"