Hungry Cowboy

by Charlize Starr

  “But?”

  He let his arms fall to his sides and turned back to the soup, lifting the lid to watch the soup boil. “But he’s kind of a jerk because he can’t just end things with one woman before he moves on. And he’s kind of a dick for marrying women he knows he’s not going to really promise forever to.”

  Olivia leaned back on the counter, putting her hands flat behind her to support her body. “On that, we’re in complete agreement.”

  “Let’s eat.” He twisted away to grab earthenware bowls and plastic spoons from the pantry. Olivia hopped down and started ladling the soup from the pot into the bowls.

  She couldn’t let his words make their way into her heart. He wasn’t making her any promises—and she hadn’t asked for any. The fact that he didn’t believe in lying or cheating didn’t mean he was “the one.”

  Even if he were, she was about a million miles from searching for “the one” she was meant to be with, anyway.

  ***

  In the car, Flynn took his time driving down the mountainside. They'd loaded Olivia’s wedding dress across the backseat and she was wearing a mishmash of clothes. She had on his hoodie, a denim pair of shorts, and her white wedding heels.

  He'd carried her out to the Jeep, as the snow was still plenty deep in drifts and wet and muddy in other places. He couldn't help but think that people in their small town would have noticed that they'd both disappeared. His secretary, Annie, loved gossip and she definitely would have taken note. However, she was discreet enough that she might have played off his absence as a business trip.

  “You're being so quiet. Is everything okay?”

  “I'm just thinking about work.” A small lie—no use buying trouble. “I'm wondering if I got that contract for the hotel from Jared’s father. Probably if he knew how I'd spent the last week that would be a hard no.”

  “That's a scary thought. No one can prove we were together, though.” She clasped his hand between the seats.

  “Hopefully, contract or not, Annie has been able to manage things in my absence.”

  “I hope it hasn't caused you any problems. I'd feel awful if I did that, Flynn.”

  He brought her hand up to place a kiss on the back of her hand. “I'm sorry. I'm being a jerk—worrying about my business to you when you're going home to such a personal mess. You'll have to explain things to your mom and dad.”

  She gave a heavy sigh. “Yeah. Hopefully, Jared and Tara have been running around town, making a spectacle of themselves, so no one really needs to ask why I left.”

  “Sean will have guessed that I'm the one who helped you escape. He's no fool.”

  “But he won't suspect what we've been up to. The whole waiting-for-marriage-purity thing will help with that.”

  “Are you comfortable lying to them? You sure about not letting anyone know so we can keep things going?” He was an ass for asking her this when she was gearing up to deal with the biggest mess of her life. Still, it would hurt his business and her reputation if people found out. That's just how life in a small town worked.

  “I've got this. My personal life is my business. I've let everyone have a say in it for too long.”

  “And seeing Jared?” He tapped his brakes around a particularly slick curve. This was not a relationship, but that didn't mean he couldn't worry she'd go back to the little shit who'd cheated on her. He definitely wasn't tired of Liv and he didn’t want her to get hurt. The cheating ex-fiancé wouldn’t stop cheating just because she forgave him and took him back.

  “If I'm lucky I won't have to. If I do, I really have nothing to say to him. He cheated on me for two years—it's all over. For good. I'll make sure he knows that.”

  Relief flooded him, leaving him warm in the enclosed car. He'd had plenty of affairs. This was in the beginning where everything felt good. But it had never felt this good.

  At the base of the mountain, an awful idea occurred to him. The possessiveness, the concern for her well-being… was this what it felt like to fall for someone? To develop…feelings? More than, “You’re a fun person and I’d like to continue fucking you?”

  He shook his head. There was way too much going on in his brain lately. He’d never been an introspective person. He liked things to remain the way they appeared on the surface. Except, on the surface, this just looked like a mess waiting to happen. All the same, he wasn’t ready to let her go yet.

  In town, she put on a pair of his sunglasses as they drove through the streets. She’d pulled her brown hair back into a ponytail. The tricky part was going to be dropping her off, with her huge wedding dress, without anyone seeing her get out of his car. She lived in a small apartment building on the edge of town.

  “I’ve got an idea,” he said. He’d been pondering this issue since they left. “What if I drop you at your dad’s place? We can explain what happened. His house is more secluded and you won’t have to worry about gossipy neighbors. Maybe you even have some clothes at his house?”

  “Well, I don’t have clothes there because I haven’t visited my father overnight in years. I barely did it when he had visitation. His wife at the time annoyed me. But, yeah, you can drop me off there if you’re really worried about it.”

  It could buy them both a lot of trouble if tongues started wagging in their direction. Yeah, he would take her to Sean, tell him about Jared cheating, about Tara actually hitting Liv, and being snowed in. He’d leave out the part where he’d basically started an affair with Sean’s only daughter.

  Chapter Four

  Olivia rode in silence to her father’s house. Her feelings were a little hurt that Flynn was going through so much trouble not to be associated with her in any way. It didn’t bode well for them continuing the affair they began in the mountains. Maybe he just really wasn’t into her.

  Flynn pulled into her dad’s long driveway leading to the big house he’d built that backed up against the woods. When he stopped, Olivia swung her door open and hopped out onto the concrete.

  “Hey,” Flynn called across the seats. “Let me help you in. I’ll carry your dress.”

  “Well, you sure as hell can’t carry me. I’d appreciate the help with the dress. These four-inch-heels are tricky.” She marched up the front steps, spoiling for yet another fight with her hypocritical father. She was supposed to always be perfect, to never embarrass him while he could run in and out of marriage like the vows were optional.

  Finally, she had cell service again and, while she waited on Flynn to bring her dress up the front steps, she dialed a cab company. “I’d like a cab at 1705 Oak Grove, please. As soon as possible.”

  Flynn joined her and arched an eyebrow. “Not planning to stay long?”

  “Not really.” She rang the doorbell, then pounded on the door when he didn’t immediately answer. Her car would be here soon. This small window of time was all the explanation he’d get from her. Some small part of her worried he’d take Jared’s side. He’d been in Jared’s place often enough—the cheater. What if he did?

  The door opened and her dad stood there for a moment. His eyes went from her, in her short shorts the third week of February, to Flynn behind her. His eyes flashed, he pushed the screen door open. “Get in here, both of you.”

  Flynn held the dress while Olivia stepped inside, then followed her. He carefully spread the dress out on the couch.

  “What the hell is going on? You both disappeared from the wedding—which was suspicious enough—but now you show up here and Olivia has barely any clothes on.”

  “I didn’t think to pack a bag for when my best friend told me she was screwing my imminently-future husband. Flynn was there—when you weren’t—and I needed someone to get me out of there.”

  Flynn stepped up beside Olivia. “I took her to the cabin so she could have some time to herself but then we got snowed in. You know how much worse the weather up there can be.”

  Olivia ignored her father’s drawn brows and furious face to open the hall closet. “Oh, good. One of your w
ives left a trench coat. Can I borrow it until I get home?”

  “What happened up at that cabin?” Her father carefully pronounced each word through gritted teeth. As if he had a right to even pretend he’d had anything to do with her choice to remain a virgin until she married. Or maybe he had—maybe Olivia just really never wanted to be like him.

  She put the trench coat on and cinched the belt at the waist. That took care of her outerwear, now she only had to deal with the obscenely white heels. “Nothing happened, except Flynn was kind to me. He cooked for me, he gave me the bed and took the couch, and he found me some clothes that some ex had left at his place, which is why I’m dressed for a beach party.”

  A horn honked outside. Her cab was here. “I’m going now, Dad. You can do whatever you want with the dress. You bought it. Burn it, dry clean it and sell it. I’ll leave that up to you.”

  She turned to Flynn and held out a hand. He didn’t take it like they were shaking, but rather grasped her fingers. “Thank you for your kindness and hospitality, Flynn. I won’t ever forget it.”

  With that, she walked out the front door and left the two friends standing there, gawking at her. She really was done explaining herself to people in her life.

  ***

  Flynn had been home for a week. The job hadn’t come through in his absence, which was pissing him off, and it had been a very lonely week. And that really pissed him off. He shouldn’t have let himself become so attached to Olivia.

  She was a young, beautiful girl. Despite what they’d said at the cabin, it wasn’t unsurprising that she hadn’t wanted to continue their affair. At least, he assumed she didn’t. He wanted to call her, which meant he couldn’t. He couldn’t just call her up and beg to see her. That gave her all the control in the relationship, and he never gave up control. That was a rookie mistake.

  There was a knock on his door and he scowled at it. Who the hell would be here this late? It was almost ten p.m. He yanked the door opened and it was Olivia.

  “Liv,” he said, his voice gone all soft. His pulse beat in his ears and his head felt floaty. “It’s really good to see you.”

  “Can I come in?” She leaned against the door jamb. For the first time since he’d met up with her at the wedding, she had on normal winter clothes. No poufy wedding dress, no summer outfits. Just a sweater that came down to her hips and a pair of leggings with scissors and bows printed on them. Because she was a stylist, he supposed. She was adorable.

  Her long, wavy brown hair was loose around her shoulders and she wore a little makeup. She looked like she’d probably just gotten off work. “Of course you can. Come on in.”

  He stepped out of the way and wondered what she thought of his home. It was a good size for a bachelor—two bedrooms with an open floor plan—and looked like one big man-cave. The design was masculine, with lots of leather and dark wood.

  “I missed smelling you on my skin.” She shrugged out of her coat and looked around. She noticed the hooks beside the door and hung it up. “Did you and my dad work things out?”

  “Sure. He eventually thanked me for getting you out of there.”

  “I doubt he cared very much whether I got out of there. I’m sure he’s still pissed about the money he spent on the event.”

  Flynn didn’t respond, mainly because her father had complained about losing a chunk of his savings because Olivia hadn’t figured out what her man was up to before it was too late to cancel everything. “How has work been? People asking you lots of questions?”

  “Of course. You know how this town is.” She sighed. “I just told them the truth about Jared and Tara. When they asked me where I went, I told them I drove hours away, got a hotel room and got snowed in. Your reputation is safe.”

  “Honey, I was more worried about your reputation. You don’t need to associate yourself publicly with me. I’ve been with half the women in this town.”

  She studied him, then went and hopped up on a bar stool at the counter dividing the kitchen and living room. “Let’s be honest. You didn’t want to piss Jared’s dad off because you need his business. And that’s fine. No point in muddying the waters with what we did when he was the cheater.”

  Flynn crossed the room to lean on the bar dividing the room where she sat. “So, why are you here?”

  “I thought I was pretty clear. I missed you.”

  “What do you want?”

  “Nothing. No promises, no commitment—like we talked about. Just… time with you.”

  When he’d asked, he wanted her to talk dirty to him, to tell him she’d missed the way he touched her or made her come. Instead, he found himself filled with disappointment he didn’t understand. He didn’t want promises or commitment either, so why did it bother him she was being so clear?

  Because, at some point, he’d come to care about her. At least a little. She mattered to him, but this just proved what he’d known all along: no one would ever care for him.

  “You’re being awfully quiet.” She said, her cheeks pink. “I take it you don’t feel the same.”

  She hopped off the stool and walked back over to the door, grabbing her jacket.

  He crossed the room and put a hand on the back of her neck. “Slow down, Liv. A man is allowed two or three minutes to think about an attractive proposition, isn’t he?”

  A smile played across her face. “I suppose so.”

  “Let’s go explore the bedroom, and I’ll show you how much I missed you.” He took her hand and started walking backward.

  He was letting himself be taken down a dangerous road, developing feelings she obviously didn’t share. He should end things now, but found he just couldn’t do it.

  ***

  Olivia was on the couch on a Sunday afternoon, making out with Flynn, when there was a knock on her front door. “Shoot.” She couldn’t pretend not to be home—her car was outside.

  “Shh. Be quiet and they’ll go away,” Flynn whispered in her ear, letting his hands roam under her shirt.

  “I can’t. Just let me see who it is. Maybe I can send them on their way.” She crept to the door and looked through the peephole. Outside stood Jared, his hair wet from a fresh shower. He ran a hand through it and peered at the door. He knocked once more and Olivia jumped back.

  “You’ve got to go in the bedroom. Hurry!” She shooed Flynn that way, but he sat up and didn’t move.

  “I don’t think this is a good idea.”

  “No, it is. I’m not comfortable speaking to him alone, but there’s a reason he came here. He wants me alone. No good. Just wait in there, make sure he leaves when I ask him to.”

  “And if he doesn’t? When do I come out and make my presence known?”

  “When he physically attacks me,” she bit out. He probably wouldn’t need to come out, but it made her feel better to know he could.

  Flynn shook his head and sighed, clearly put out by the whole situation. “Fine.”

  He headed for the bedroom and Olivia couldn’t help being relieved he was here. She no longer trusted anything Jared wanted to say or do.

  When she opened the door, she didn’t bother schooling her features into a smile. “What do you want?”

  “Just to talk, baby.” He pushed his way past her and looked around. Had he expected someone to be here with her?

  She shut the door and leaned against it, pushing herself as far from Jared as she could. He disgusted her now. It was impossible to believe he’d almost been her husband two weeks ago.

  “Olivia, I’m so sorry. Tara said she told you everything.”

  “I don’t know if she told me everything, but she told me enough to know I want nothing more to do with you.”

  He put his hands on either side of her head and leaned close. The smell of his aftershave made her skin crawl. “You’re the only woman I’ve ever loved. I only cheated because you wanted to wait.”

  Unbelievable—he was blaming her for not keeping his dick in his pants. She ducked under his arm and crossed to her small
kitchen, grabbed a bottle of water, and twisted the lid off. She was so pissed right now. “So, it’s my fault.”

  “The thing is, baby, I thought of you the whole time, every time. Every time I got off, I pretended I was inside you.”

  It was entirely possible she might be sick. “That’s the vilest thing I’ve ever heard. I want you to go.”

  “Let me show you what you’re missing.” He crossed to her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

  Olivia pushed at his chest, hard as granite against her hands. “Fuck off.”

  “I’d rather fuck you, beautiful. Come on… you know we’re going to work things out eventually.”

  “I said…” She shoved harder this time, enough to make him stumble back a step. “Fuck off. Get out of here, you disgust me. We’re not ever getting back together. Forget it. Go!”

  For a moment, his breath coming hard, he just stared at her. “You’re making a big mistake.” Then he turned and walked out the door, leaving it open behind him. She rushed over, shut it, and locked the deadbolt. “You can come out now,” she muttered.

  Why the hell hadn’t he come out sooner? She’d honestly been afraid of Jared. He just kept touching her, spewing his horrible words.

  Flynn strolled back into the living room and put his arms around Olivia. He kissed her hair and mumbled sweet, comforting words.

  She held on until she stopped trembling.

  “I wanted to kick his ass, but you handled it. I’m proud of you.”

  “Why didn’t you come out? I needed you.” She knew why or suspected she did. He was protecting his own self-interests, his damn hotel. It just reinforced what she’d known all along—she couldn’t ever let herself count on a man.

  “Because he’s a hell of a lot more likely to leave you alone if he knows you’re done with him than if he thinks he’s got competition. I was trying to help you.”

  Maybe. Maybe he was right, but she couldn’t help the sliver of betrayal in her heart now.

  Chapter Five

  The next night, Olivia breezed into Flynn’s apartment and he grabbed her up in a heart-stopping kiss. He couldn’t wait to get her to the bedroom and considered not waiting at all. He could take her, right here, on the couch. When he pulled back to tell her how much he’d missed her, she smiled up at him. Something struck him, like a puzzle piece sliding into place.