Not Looking for Love: A Cowboy Romance

by Martini, Mae

“Victoria is my mother’s age.” He grinned.

  “Oh, so you did her daughter?” What the hell was wrong with her?

  “Kara, what difference does it make?”

  She knew him pretty well and could tell he was becoming annoyed. She must be right. She slowly nodded. “Right. Um, so, thank you for the offer but—”

  “She doesn’t even have a daughter. She has two sons.”

  “Oh.”

  He smirked then took a swig of his beer and watched her looking down. He could just picture her nervously wringing her hands. “So, would you be interested?”

  She picked her head up. “I would be.”

  “Okay. I’ll call her in the morning and set something up for next week.” He darted his eyes around the room and lifted his hand with two fingers up when he spotted their waitress.

  “Thank you.”

  Richie leaned back again. “So, what’s new?”

  “Nothing.”

  “I cut out my work at the Warren. Been looking to just settle down now with the ranch.”

  “How’s that going?”

  “Good. Real good. Got two hundred head of cattle now.”

  Kara giggled. “I thought you ranch owners don’t tell anyone how many you have.”

  “Hah!” He nodded. “Correct. Nor how many acres we own… But you’re not anyone.” He reached for her hand and covered it with his and his thumb caressed her palm. She felt so soft.

  The chill that had been in her body, despite the Florida heat, for the past four months was quickly replaced by warmth, a warmth that started at her hand and worked its way out to every part of her body.

  He stared at her for a long time and she didn’t know where to set her eyes. She looked at her drink.

  “I miss you,” he said.

  Her eyes flew to his. “I miss you too.” Her heart beat fast.

  *

  “Richie?”

  No answer.

  “Richie, are you awake?”

  “Mmmm.” With his arm around her he squeezed her to him. They were in her bed and Richie was spent and basking in the afterglow of being inside Kara. His eyes were closed and he was content and could easily fall asleep.

  “There never was a boyfriend,” she said, not wanting to tell him, but guilt made her come clean.

  “You never had a boyfriend?”

  “No, I mean four months ago when I told you I did… I didn’t.”

  “What?” He opened his eyes and looked to her. “What are you saying? You lied?”

  She nodded. “I’m sorry.”

  He removed his arm from around her and sat up. “Why, Kara?”

  “I felt like we were getting close… too close. When your cousin outed me I realized I’m never going to shake my past. No matter where I go or what I do, I think someone will recognize me and I didn’t think it was fair to you to be associated with a porn actress.”

  “Ex. And you decided who I should or shouldn’t associate with? Geez, Kara. I can’t believe you lied to me.”

  “I’m so—”

  “For four months I’ve been going out of my mind trying not to picture you with someone else. Someone you might be in love with.” He rose up out of bed and paced.

  She pulled the covers up to her chin.

  “We were getting closer. I was gonna—” He stopped short thinking about the ring he had bought her. No he wasn’t going to bring it up. “Why?”

  “I told you. I’m always going to be known as a porn, uh, ex porn star.”

  “So. I didn’t give a damn what anyone thought. I thought I made myself clear in the past. Fuck what anyone thinks.”

  “You say that now.”

  “I said that then, I say that now, and I’ll say that tomorrow.” As he watched her expression, he could tell she wasn’t convinced. “You don’t believe me?”

  She began to shake her head.

  “Marry me.” So much for not going there.

  Her jaw dropped. “What?”

  “Marry me. It’ll prove to you I mean it.”

  She laughed. “Richie, I’m not gonna marry you.” Her laughter died, replaced by a ‘harrumph’. “And I resent that you even asked.”

  “Why?”

  “You want to marry me just to prove a point?”

  He didn’t answer her.

  “Get out.” She got up out of bed and grabbed her panties and a t-shirt, dressing with her back to him.

  “Kara?” He put his hand on her arm.

  She whipped around and shook off his hand. “No, Richie.” Tears sprung up in her eyes and she put her head down and walked out of her bedroom.

  Women. He shook his head as he dressed and walked out to find her in the living room, standing with her arms wrapped around herself, a hand by her waist, the other on her shoulder, with her chin resting on it.

  He walked up beside her and whispered in her ear. “You’re wrong, Kara. I love you.” Then he walked out.

  The waterworks began.

  What was wrong with her? He said the words she longed to hear and said she was wrong in her assumption, yet she didn’t stop him from leaving. She called his cell.

  “Hey,” he answered knowing it was her.

  “Hey.” She took a breath. “I’m sorry, Richie. I love you too. I’m just overwhelmed.” She took another breath. “Do you want to come back?”

  “Yeah, but I’m gonna head home. You don’t need me messing with your head right now. I’ll call you tomorrow with a date and time for the interview with Victoria. Don’t worry, if I can’t get the corporate jet, I’ll fly you out commercial.”

  “You don’t have to. I’ll book the flight.”

  “I know I don’t have to. I want to.”

  “Okay. Thank you.”

  “Goodnight, sweetheart.”

  She was feeling a loss and didn’t want to say goodnight right away but she did.

  Chapter 42

  On his way to see Kara in her new apartment in Austin, Richie reflected on the yearly back-yard party he threw that past Saturday. He was disappointed Kara couldn’t be there. It had been the first one she missed since he started throwing them, but she was too busy with the move. It was just as well at the time because earlier that day Logan called him and asked if he would be into a threesome with Melanie, the girl he had started seeing. He didn’t really want to, wanting to work on his and Kara’s relationship, but he couldn’t refuse Logan, not with all the times he asked Logan that same question, and Logan always said yes. But after this he was going to tell Logan he wasn’t interested anymore. Thank God it didn’t come to that, Melanie was not into it and to top it off, Logan hadn’t even discussed it with her first, making him look like the villain here. Now she was mad at him and Logan. He liked Melanie. Kara had met her once at a party his hunt club threw a while back and had said she liked Melanie too. He noticed that everything he thought or did, he always wound a bit of Kara into it.

  He pulled into the garage and parked the new, white Land Rover in the spot he rented for Kara and took the stairs up to the second floor. He was glad she allowed him to secure the apartment for her. She had originally wanted to buy an apartment, but he talked her out of it, telling her to use the six months of rent that he had paid upfront to get familiar with the area in case she wanted to live somewhere else. Like maybe his new ranch house he was having built, but he didn’t tell her that yet.

  “No, I think your hair looks fine, Matt,” Kara said to her neighbor whose apartment was next to hers as she ran her fingers through his short black locks and pushed it back. They were in the hallway when Kara heard the door to the steps close and looked up to see Richie standing there. “Richie!” Her smile, radiant as she removed her hand from Matt’s head and took something from his hand saying ‘thank you’ before walking over to Richie, noting the tight lips on him.

  He looked to Kara, put his arm around her, and quickly kissed her, all the while keeping an eye on Matt who was blatantly staring at her ass with a grin on his face. Her short sundres
s and sky high heels showcased the sexiest pair of legs that went on for miles. Normally Richie’s dick would rise to attention but not now. Now, he was sizing up Matt, noting the muscles popping on his arms, and his tight t-shirt stretching when he folded his arms in front of him as he casually leaned up against the hall wall.

  Richie wanted to smack that smug grin off of his face.

  “Richie, this is Matt. Matt, Richie.” Kara made the intros.

  For a brief moment, Richie was hoping she introduced him as her boyfriend as he nodded once to Matt, stoic expression on his face.

  Matt pushed off the wall and took the two or three steps over to them with his hand out. Richie shook it as he looked into Matt’s brown eyes and felt a bit of a power struggle. He squeezed a bit harder.

  Kara felt the tension between the two. “Matt lives next door. He helped me out earlier. The delivery men called and changed the time they were going to deliver the accent chair and ottoman to the same time I had told Victoria’s assistant that I’d be down to sign some papers and fill out my W-2. Matt was kind enough to let them in and kept an eye on them.”

  Matt held a key up between his fingers as he smirked.

  All Richie did was look from him to her. “You ready to go?”

  “Oh, uh, yes. I just want to change clothes.” She grabbed Richie’s hand and walked toward her apartment, not sure why Richie was being rude.

  “You coming down to the pool, tonight?” Matt directed his question at Kara, then shifted his eyes to Richie, and he still had that shit-ass grin on his face.

  “No, I can’t tonight, maybe next Thursday, but thank you for the invite. It sounds like fun.”

  “Okay, see you later.” Matt looked to Kara, a much warmer smile on his face. Then he turned and walked into his apartment.

  Richie didn’t even wait to see him enter it, he pulled Kara into her apartment and shut the door. He dropped her hand. “Making plans with this guy already?”

  “No, he had said that the tenants usually get together every Thursday evening by the pool for a couple of cocktails and a swim. He said it would be a good idea to go and get to know everyone.”

  Richie just nodded, his lips pursed.

  Kara gasped and started to smile. She casually turned around and walked more into the apartment. “You know, green isn’t a good color on you.” She giggled as she turned back.

  At that point Richie wanted to yank her by the hand and make her stop giggling, but he let out a breath instead. She was right, he was jealous.

  She walked over to him, in that sexy manner and with that lustful look in her eyes whenever she wanted to initiate sex. And, yep, his cock rose to attention.

  She brought her hands up to his cheeks and brought her lips to his, plunging her tongue inside his mouth, and he wasted no time in hugging her and pressing her to him.

  “Wanna christen my new bed?” she asked by his mouth. She was grinning as she dropped her hand to the bulge between his legs, licking her lips as she pulled him by that bulge to her bedroom.

  His little head would follow her anywhere, but the head, the one that held the brain, told him no when they were by her bed as he stared at something on it, “Not, now.”

  She followed his eyes and her face turned red at seeing the panties she had on the day before on one of the corners of her bed. “Oh.” She scooped them up. “Sorry, I don’t remember leaving these here.” She quickly walked into the bathroom and he followed her but stayed by the bathroom door, looking around as she threw them in the hamper.

  Nothing looked out of the ordinary for her bathroom. It was neat and clean just like she always kept it in her other homes, but still, something was off.

  She shrugged. “Sorry.” She walked over to him and brought her hand down to between his legs, the bulge no longer visible, and she grabbed him. “Now where were we?” She began undoing his belt.

  He backed up as he whipped his phone out. “Not here. Get your stuff and let’s go.”

  She tilted her head.

  “You’re sleeping at my place tonight.”

  “But, I just got—”

  “Don’t argue. Get what you need.” He turned around and started walking to the door.

  “Okay. Just let me change out of this dre—”

  “No!” He cut her off as he spun around.

  She jumped at his voice and they stared at each other a beat before she caved. “Okay.” Boy she hated it when he was bossy…unless, of course, it was during sex.

  He nodded. “Okay.” And he walked out of the bedroom.

  A few moments later she walked into the living room with an overnight bag and watched as he lowered the phone from his ear and stuck it in his pocket.

  “All set?” He was relieved she listened to him and didn’t change clothes.

  “Yeah.” She nodded.

  In the Garage, Richie walked her over to the white Land Rover.

  “You got a new car?” she asked.

  He grinned. “Truck.”

  She laughed. “Yeah, truck. When’d you get it?” She didn’t notice him holding the key ring out. Instead, she brought her face up to the glass of the driver’s side door and peered in as she heard the locks go up. She opened the door to get a better look.

  “Happy graduation, Kara.”

  “What?” She looked back to him and noticed the key he held out to her. She did a double take.

  “Here. It’s yours.”

  “You bought me a car?” She shifted her eyes from the key to him.

  “Truck.” He grinned.

  She didn’t look amused. She looked beyond him, not really seeing anything, and then settled her eyes back on him. “No.” She shook her head. “No,” she repeated. “I can’t accept this.”

  “Why not?”

  “Why not…? Richie, you paid for my education. That’s present enough…way enough.”

  Richie huffed out a breath. “Come on, Kara, don’t fight me on this.” He gave her his most charming smile, the one that could melt the panties right off of her.

  “Please. You’ve given me so much already.” She resorted to begging.

  “You need wheels, and I want you in something safe. When it rains heavy here, some roads can get wiped out.” He pulled her in and kissed her… hard, and long, and deep.

  She was breathless afterward. He went to hand her the key again and she was hesitant. True, she needed a car having left her old BMW behind figuring she’d be living in the city and wouldn’t be needing one right away. When she started making money she’d buy something. Lolita needed a car and so she gave it to her. “But a graduation present?” She was weakening.

  He shrugged. “A house warming, then?”

  She laughed.

  “Come on.”

  She nodded and blew out a breath. “Richie, what am I going to do with you?” She took the keys.

  “This parking spot is yours too.”

  “Oh, Richie.” She shook her head then planted a kiss on his lips, not unlike the one they shared a moment ago.

  Chapter 43

  That night they went out to dinner then to the Salty Dog for some drinks with Logan and the new girl he was seeing. On the way back to his house, Richie was driving her new truck when his cell phone rang. He looked at the ID before answering.

  “What’d you got?” he answered. “Okay… Okay… Okay,” he said, followed by a “Thanks.” He ended the call and shoved his phone in the center console. His mood lightened and he looked over to Kara who was watching him with a silly grin on her face.

  He chuckled to himself. Her eyes were lit due to drinking a little too much. He looked back to the road as he placed a hand on her thigh and caressed his way up her sundress. When he heard her soft sigh he saw her throw her head back from his peripheral vision, and felt her legs open. He went in for the kill, slipping into her panties by shoving them aside and circled her clit ever so lightly.

  As she let out an audible sigh, he dipped a finger inside her, marveling at how wet and ready sh
e was. He pulled off the road and threw the truck in park, and as he assaulted her pussy, he reached in and kissed her, and when she reached over and undid his belt, he quickly helped her bring down his jeans and boxers.

  “Sit on me,” he said as he grabbed her arm with one hand and hit the switch that brought the seat back, with his other.

  She didn’t hesitate. She climbed over the console and straddled his lap, and he held his dick up and watched as her pussy came down on it, sighing as it disappeared inside her.

  They both let out an audible moan and Richie placed his hands at her hips and steadied her, enjoying the warmth she provided him as they kissed. She began to move up and down and he helped, though she was doing fine on her own. He eventually brought his hands up to her breasts and pawed them through the material as she worked him good. Then his hands moved to her ass and gave it a couple of slaps before spreading her cheeks. He toyed with her anus and she bucked on him. He quickly moved a hand to her pussy and wet a finger, then brought that finger back to her anus and gently shoved it in. She gasped and screamed when he slowly moved it in and out, and her movements became erratic as she threw her head back.

  The tightening of her muscles sent him over the edge and he swiftly removed his finger to grab on to her hips and pumped up before stilling inside her.

  Breathing heavy, neither one of them moved to disengage, instead, they made out for a long time. Richie couldn’t get enough of her. He wasn’t surprised, it had been building for the past year.

  “Marry me,” he said by her lips when they broke the kiss.

  Her eyes were closed but flew open when he spoke those words. “How much did you drink tonight?” She gave him a throaty laugh.

  “Not as much as you. What do you say? You want to get married?”

  “Oh, Richie.” She tried to get off his lap but he held her still. She gave up trying and sighed. “I love you, Richie…”

  “But…?”

  She smiled sadly. “But, no. I can’t”

  “Why?”

  She looked around, water building in her eyes.

  He sighed, he hated to see her cry, so he didn’t push it, but vowed to himself to find out why she always refused his proposals. He eased her off of him and the two of them dressed in silence.