“Do you have the key?”
He shook his head, confusion lighting his eyes. “Key?”
“For the chain here at the desk.”
“Smart ass. Come on. We can even hit the Sweet Shoppe.”
Nick settled the check at the feed store, remembering to pocket the receipt, and headed out the door. Squinting against the bright afternoon sun, he pulled out his sunglasses, put them on, and went in search of Linda.
He’d felt like such an ass when he realized she’d been working for days on end and had yet to leave the ranch since she’d arrived. A place she hated. He shook his head as he walked past a couple of the Ferguson boys. If Dennis hadn’t volunteered to take her this afternoon, citing that she needed to get out ... Nick had nipped that in the bud, but he knew something had to be done. Especially about Dennis, who seemed to have some kind of a crush on Linda.
He chuckled when he caught sight of her through the window of the Sweet Shoppe. Knowing her love of sweets, particularly fudge, he should have known that was where he would find her. The bell jingled as he opened the door, and he pulled off his sunglasses, hanging them in his pocket by the ear piece. Linda looked back over her shoulder at him. And just for a second, just a split second, his heart skipped a beat. She’d worn a fitted T-shirt, the bright yellow color bringing out the multitude of auburn highlights in her hair. The shorts she wore hugged her generous ass and showcased her shapely legs. When his gaze reached her face again, he licked his lips, taking in the sparkle in her eyes and the smile curving her lips. He hadn’t seen her this happy and relaxed since she’d arrived. The sight of her grin sent a shot of heat straight to his dick.
“Madame just made some fudge about an hour ago. And I’m not sharing.” She turned back to talk to the small old woman who owned the shop. He actually didn’t know her name, which was strange in a town this size. She’d just shown up one day, rented the empty store, and started selling sweets. It’d been about two months since she’d appeared, but this was his first time visiting the shop.
He moved to stand beside Linda. “I’ll tell you what -- I’ll buy your next bag.”
She shot him a look out of the corner of her eye. “You’re just doing that because you want me to share.”
Smiling, he slid his arms over her shoulders and pulled her closer. Too late he realized his mistake and gritted his teeth. Her body was flushed with heat, and even with the overpowering scent of sugar in the shop, he could smell her lavender.
“Ah, you are Nicodemus wiz ze ranch.” He turned his attention to the old woman and had to look down. Her head probably wouldn’t reach his chest. A wealth of gray hair was twisted into a braid down her back. She was dressed in what he would call gypsy clothes, a loose peasant shirt and a full skirt. When she moved, the sound of tinkling bells could be heard. Her face was lined, but her blue eyes sparkled with humor. Her smile widened as he studied her.
“Many people tell me about you.” She spoke with an accent he couldn’t place, which was really odd because he was usually good with them. But it had the sound of Eastern Europe to it. “Your ranch is very profitable.”
Linda snorted, and he squeezed her shoulder but then let her go. “I do well. Linda says you have some fresh fudge.”
Her gaze moved from Linda to him and then back to Linda. Nick shifted his weight from foot to foot, very uncomfortable with the knowing look in her eyes. “Yes, I do. Very good, very fresh. Just for you.” She whirled around, her bells tinkling, and disappeared behind a curtain.
“Did you get what you wanted at the feed shop?”
He looked down at Linda, thinking of a completely different want, like wanting to put her up on that counter and devour her, but pushed it aside. Wanting Linda was stupid; acting on it would be insane.
“Yeah, and I have the receipt.” She smiled, and he thought he owned the world. A zing shot through him. Damn, he sure wished he could make her smile like that more often. He found himself leaning closer. As the smell of sweets filled his senses, he licked his lips, thinking about another treat he’d like to taste.
“I have ze fudge.” The storekeeper’s voice interrupted them. She handed him the bag and named the price. He winced, but paid for it nonetheless. As they left the shop, the woman stopped him with a comment. “Nicodemus.” She waited for him to turn before she continued. “Make sure you are careful with zat.” She smiled and waved, then disappeared behind the curtain.
The bell over the door rang, and he realized Linda had opened it. He followed her through the doorway out into the hot late-afternoon sun. The blast of heat after being in the cool shop went straight to his head. It was the only thing that could explain the lightheadedness he was feeling. Sweat gathered at the base of his neck and rolled down his spine.
“That woman is a little ... different ... for Sullivan, Texas,” Linda said.
“Uh-huh.” The spinning in his head got worse, and he blinked a few times. He stopped walking, dropped the bag of fudge, and fumbled for his sunglasses. Linda kept walking until she apparently noticed he’d stopped. She turned, cocked her head, and studied him, worry wrinkling her brow.
“Nick, are you all right?”
Heat spiraled through him at the sound of her voice. She touched his arm. Electric fire prickled from the place she touched him, sent a wave of lust surging through his blood. He looked down at Linda, and all he could think was that he wanted -- he wanted his mouth on hers, her breasts pressed against his chest, his cock deep in her cunt.
“Nick?” She stepped closer, and her scent flowed over him. He grabbed her by the forearms and would have attacked her right there on the street if it hadn’t been for the bell ringing from the shop behind them. The moment someone opened the door, the sound broke the spell he’d been under. He released her arms and staggered back, wiping his forehead with the back of one hand. The fact that it was shaking bothered him more than the strange look on Linda’s face.
He cleared his throat. “Just a ... little lightheaded. I don’t think I’ve had enough water today.”
She opened her mouth, but closed it without saying anything. He felt a little self-conscious about the way she kept looking at him. Irritated with his weird reaction, and slightly embarrassed, he reached down and grabbed the bag.
“Don’t worry, nothing wrong here. Let’s head back to the ranch.”
She followed him to the truck and didn’t say anything. But he knew she was thinking, and worrying. Linda was a worrier. He tamped down on his agitation about her viewing him like he had some kind of problem. Which he didn’t. There was nothing wrong with him that a night away from the ranch wouldn’t solve.
When they were finally on their way, neither of them attempted conversation. Country music filled the void of their usual banter, and he couldn’t help thinking it odd. In all the time they were growing up, even through the awkward teenage years, they’d never had a problem talking. Arguing. Now, because of one weird episode, she looked at him as if he were a freak.
But it was nothing. Nothing at all that a good meal, some rest, and maybe a tumble in bed with a woman wouldn’t solve. Problem was, he couldn’t even think of a woman he wanted. Other than Linda.
Shit.
Chapter Five
Linda took another huge gulp of water, then rolled the cool glass against her forehead. Since they’d left the Sweet Shoppe, her head had been spinning. No, it was more than that. Since the episode with Nick, her body had been overly sensitized. Her nipples hardened at the slightest touch. All it took was for the lacy fabric of her bra to rub against them, and they beaded almost painfully.
Drawing in a deep breath, she set her glass on the coaster on her desk and tried to concentrate on work. But every time she looked down at the figures, her mind drifted to the memory of touching his arm. The jolt had shot straight to her pussy, and just that little touch had her panties wet.
This was so not good. She thought she’d gotten over the dream, but since their trip into town, memories kept surfacing, intimate memories. Not
dreamlike in the least. She could remember the feel of his hair as it brushed against her shoulders, the way his mouth felt against her skin, the way his tongue slipped between her folds.
Another gush of liquid filled her cunt, and she shifted on her chair. A small ball of pressure vibrated low in her stomach, sinking down between her legs. With every move, the fabric of her panties brushed against her, further aggravating her condition. She glanced at the door. Almost everyone was in town; she could relieve her arousal without being disturbed.
She unzipped her pants and slid her hand inside. But before she could do anything, there was a sharp knock at the door, and she just had time to pull her hand out of her shorts and wheel up to the desk. Her body was hot with arousal, but more so with embarrassment. When the hell had she started acting like a cat in heat? Beneath the desk, she zipped and buttoned her pants.
Dennis, holding a dinner tray, opened the door and stepped inside. “Boss said you might be a little hungry tonight. Been at it for a while.”
She cleared her throat and smiled. “Thanks, Dennis. I didn’t realize just how hungry I was.”
He returned her smile enthusiastically and set the tray on her desk. He’d heaped the plate with enough steak, potatoes, and corn to feed several people. Next to the plate, he’d added her fudge from this afternoon. She’d nearly forgotten about it. A wave of warmth tingled down her spine as if fingers had touched her skin. She shivered.
“Boss said you would want some tonight.” Apparently he noticed her attention. “I can get you something else if you’d like.”
She shook her head, but she still hadn’t raised her attention from the fudge. When a few more moments of silence passed, she realized that Dennis was still standing in front of her desk.
His face was flushed, his hands in his pockets, and he looked uncomfortable. Well, he didn’t know the meaning of uncomfortable. The only thing worse than almost being caught by Dennis, would be being caught by Dennis. “Was there something else you needed, Dennis?”
“Umm ...” He coughed. “I was wondering if you would be interested in going to a movie with me.”
Oh, Lord. “Thank you for asking, but I just don’t see getting any time off in the near future.”
He chewed on his bottom lip. “I wasn’t talking about tonight. I thought maybe this weekend ...” He let her assume his question, but she shook her head.
“I really need to get ahead on this, Dennis.” And dating someone young enough to be her ... younger brother wasn’t something she thought she wanted to do. “Nick wants me to get it done.”
“Oh, the boss would let you go for the night.”
“He said that?” Her voice had turned sharp. How dare the jackass get her into a situation where she would hurt Dennis’s feelings?
“No. No, I just assumed ... I mean, he pretty much would let you do what you want.”
She couldn’t come up with a response to that. Well, the one that she did come up with included the words bull and shit.
“That’s all right. I know you wouldn’t normally ... ahh ... never mind.”
He turned, apparently too mortified to continue.
“Dennis.” She pushed the chair back and hurried around the desk. Catching him before he opened the door, she tried to ease the blow. He wouldn’t look at her, and she felt like an idiot. “I would normally love to go out with you, except for two very important reasons.”
That caught his attention, but she recognized suspicion in his eyes. “First, we both work together, and having done that before, I wouldn’t recommend it. Second, I own this ranch and you’re an employee.”
He opened his mouth to argue, but she plowed ahead. “And third, I’m too old for you.”
He snorted. “I should be the judge of that.”
Chuckling, she kissed him on the cheek. His face flushed again. “Sweetie, you’re good for my ego, but I just split with someone, so I really don’t want to get involved again so soon.”
Frowning, he nodded. “I can wait.”
“Don’t. Besides, that family who checked in this morning brought their college-age niece to watch the kids, and I saw her eyeing you.”
His eyebrows rose to his hairline. “Really? The one with the short blond hair and the big --”
“Yeah, that one.” Already replaced. “She’s probably in the dining room right now.”
He turned to leave, then surprised her by grabbing her upper arms and planting a kiss on her mouth. “Thanks, Linda.”
The moment he was gone, she sighed in relief. Embarrassment and broken heart avoided, she decided to call it a night. She picked up the tray to carry to her room and almost crashed into Nick when she stepped out of her office.
“Whoa, slow down.”
The plate and bowl on the tray clattered, but nothing spilled. She looked back up at Nick and frowned. “What do you want?”
“Ahhh, you missed me.” He smiled down at her -- that crooked smile that never failed to make her knees weak and her nipples hard. “I just wanted to chase you out of the office.”
“No need. I’m taking this to my room and then hitting the sack after a long bath.”
His grin transformed, going from teasing to seductive. “Care to conserve some water?
Flirtatious, tempting, his voice sent a rush of goosebumps up her arms. She blinked, her body responding immediately -- heat surged, her breasts swelled, and her pussy dampened. Jesus. She had to get out of there before she did something stupid. Like jump him and hump his brains out.
“Very funny, Nicodemus.” She stepped around him and headed for the stairs.
“Sweet dreams, Linda.” His voice floated up to her as she climbed the stairs, and she ignored her shiver in response. Nothing like a bag of fudge and a hot bath to escape her dangerous thoughts of Nick. She was sure that after a good night’s sleep, she’d be right as rain.
* * * * *
Nick licked the last of the fudge from his fingertips as he settled against his pillow. His back still ached from the mechanical bull riding they’d done this afternoon. He was getting too old for that shit. Besides, after his reaction to Linda this afternoon, his head had yet to clear. Every now and then, he would get a scent of lavender mixed with sugar, and he’d lose track of what he was saying or doing.
Maybe this weekend, he would take off to Midland, find himself a woman for the night. The moment he thought it, he lost all interest in the idea. He didn’t know what disgusted him more -- losing interest in hooking up, or the reason for it ... Linda.
Disgusted with himself, he killed the light and rolled over to go to sleep. Although irritated, he soon found himself drifting off, his body relaxing and his eyes heavy with sleep.
Beads of water slipped down over Linda’s shoulders, rolling over her breasts and dripping from her nipples. Clothed, she was a walking wet dream. Naked, wet, and aroused, she was so hot, he was amazed he didn’t come just from the sight of her. Nick leaned forward, licking a drop and then taking her nipple into his mouth. The taste of her -- fresh, sweet, wet -- sank into his bones. She moaned, her hands threading through his hair.
“Nick.” His name on her lips, in that husky, aroused tone, sent a jolt of lust to his dick. He felt a drop of pre-cum wet the head.
As he moved to her other breast, he cupped the first, rubbing his thumb over her nipple, enjoying the way it pebbled beneath his touch. Her uninhibited response always amazed him.
He kissed a trail up her chest, her neck, and then devoured her mouth. Her lips parted immediately, and he dove inside, his tongue tangling with hers. Spicy, sweet, and beyond tempting. Something stirred in his chest that had nothing to with arousal, or sexual need, but he pushed it aside. Right now, this was all that mattered -- the feel of her skin, the taste of her mouth.
He left her mouth to nibble on her jaw, then her earlobe. Her sigh, and the way her hands slid down his back to cup his ass, told him he was getting past all those barriers she’d constructed. Her fingers slipped over his skin, and his c
ock jerked against her belly.
She sighed again. “That feels really good, Nick.”
He loved the way she’d said his name. It sounded like warm sex on a hot summer day. His heart hammered against his chest.
“If you think that feels good, just wait and see what I can do to you next.”
Before he could slip down her body and taste that pretty little pussy, she stopped him. He looked down at her, ready to argue with her, until he saw her face. Her lips curved into a delicious, seductive smile that he felt all the way to his balls.
“Ahh, Nicodemus, you wouldn’t want to keep me from making you happy -- now would you?”
The sensual playfulness in her voice shot every ounce of blood in his brain to his dick. He nodded and then swallowed -- hard. She backed him up against the tiled wall of the shower. Her hands slipped from his shoulders, down to his chest. Nick curled his toes as her fingers brushed over his nipples. But she didn’t pay much attention as she apparently focused on another part of his anatomy, now standing at attention. She brushed her hands over his abdomen, and then, finally, she reached the tip of his cock.
Delicately, she grazed the top of it with the tip of her finger. It jerked in response, and a drop of cum seeped from the hole. Her gaze shot to his.
“Oh.” The catch in her voice relayed her excitement. He knew if he pushed her, he could take her now. He could slide into her hot, wet pussy and pump himself dry. Before he could reach for her, she brushed her thumb over the tip of his cock again. She smiled when he drew in a deep breath.
“So ... I found something you like.” Her voice was laced with amusement. Without breaking eye contact, she encircled his shaft with her hand, pumped it once, and slipped her thumb over the head. His knees almost gave way.
“Linda.” He practically growled her name, but she just smiled, pumped her hand twice, and then swiped her thumb over the top again. Damn.
“Are you complaining, cowboy?”
She’d called him cowboy when they were growing up, but in a strictly derogatory way. This time, her voice purred the word, the syllables rolling off her tongue. He almost came right then.
The Sweet Shoppe: Cowboy Up Page 4
