A Cowboy in Paradise

by Shana Gray

  “Th-that was—”

  “Just the beginning.”

  Jimi felt like she could purr. She circled her arms around his neck and hooked her heels behind his butt.

  “I’m so glad to hear that.”

  He reached between them. Seconds later his cock was at her opening. Still sensitive after her climax, when he pushed into her, she locked him to her. His head dropped and his hair fluttered over her face. Languidly, he pressed into her. He was taking it slow. Too slow.

  “Fuck me. Don’t be the gentleman you said you were. Not right now,” she told him. “I want to feel you fill me. Hard and fast.”

  As if a different man were now above her, she felt his muscles tense. And he drove into her. Hard. She caught her breath when he filled her. She took him and matched him thrust for thrust, their cadence so powerful the cot jumped on the wooden floor. He reached his hand between them, and, finding her sensitive nub, he stroked in time with his plunges. She unleashed him even further. Gone was the softness he’d shown her, and in its place a roughness that she welcomed.

  They weren’t making love. They were using each other to each find their release. His breath was harsh, and she made a grunting sound as she clung to him. The rawness of their coupling was so different from the previous playful tenderness. Jimi wasn’t able to put much thought into this as he swiftly carried her to another orgasm. It turned her inside out and, in that moment, her world tipped off its axis. She loved it. Loved that he was doing this to her. With her.

  Jimi clutched at him, not wanting to let him go. How could she let him go? But he was just a fling. They weren’t a couple. Just a man and a woman taking and giving pleasure to each other. Strangers that had crashed into each other’s lives, making new tracks together. Tracks that overlapped. Tracks that she didn’t want to ever think might part at a fork in the road.

  She knew nothing would ever be the same again, but had no time to give it more thought when another orgasm crashed through her. She bit her lip to keep from crying out. He groaned into her neck, and she jumped when she felt his teeth nip her shoulder. This time he didn’t kiss her to help silence her delight. The urge to pull away, slightly frightened by this new ferocity he was exhibiting, overcame her. But he still had her in the throes of coming. Coming hard, not once, but as his pace picked up and she sensed he was close, she rolled into another wild orgasm under him.

  He tensed, pushed hard and deep into her. Growling like a bear as he came. Jimi clutched at his back, digging her nails in. She tipped her hips and tightened her legs around him, wanting him to have the same powerful climax he’d given her. He ground into her and she accepted him, until he went slack and, after a few moments, rolled off. He kept her in his embrace and Jimi didn’t move. His heart pounded next to her cheek in time with how hers was beating. Tentatively she draped her arm across his belly. Dallas tightened his arm around her shoulder in a possessive grip that made her smile.

  She couldn’t think. Her brain was mush after the wild sex she’d just experienced with this dark and mysterious Hawaiian cowboy. As she lay there in the afterglow, his fingers lazily swirling circles on her shoulder, Jimi sighed. Happy. Content. Calm. Regardless of his intensity and almost frightening nature, not to mention her determination this would be a one-night stand only, Jimi knew she was hooked.

  7

  JIMI PULLED THE covers over her head and let out a screech at the crash of thunder that exploded right above her, jolting her from sleep. Her childhood terror of storms had never truly been resolved. She squeezed her eyes shut and waited for the next boom, absolutely frozen with fear.

  It was louder than the first, and then a howling like a freight train roared down on her. Unable to emerge from the covers, she lay there terrified. Where am I? Too afraid to peek out from under the covers, Jimi forced her brain to clear the cobwebs. It dawned on her where she was as another earsplitting crash of thunder sounded like the Second Coming. Regaining her sense of place, she knew she was in the bed she’d just had sex and slept in with Dallas. She walked her fingers over the cold sheets. He was gone.

  A flash so bright that it pierced through the layers of blankets and her closed eyes was followed by a deafening explosion. Jimi cried and curled into a ball, terrified by the seemingly end of the world going on outside around her.

  Move, she screamed at herself. This was no normal storm that had come calling. It was different. What if it’s a hurricane and not just a violent storm? Fear slipped its icy fingers down her spine and she let out a sob into the blankets. With everything that had gone wrong so far on this vacation, a hurricane would be the icing on the proverbial cake.

  “Jimi!” The male voice on the other side of the blanket frightened her even further. It was the tone in the voice that had the hairs on the back of her neck stand up.

  The covers were whipped off her.

  “Get up and get dressed. Now. There’s no time to lose.”

  “What’s happening?” she asked as she bolted from the bed and quickly drew on the clothes that lay scattered over the floor. It was dark out and hard to see but the snapping sound of the fabric as the wind clawed at the tent was terrifying. “Is this a bad storm?”

  “It could be. We’re going to try and get back down to the main house.”

  “How’s everybody going to fit in the truck? What about the horses?”

  “We’ll have to make do with what we have. And don’t worry about the horses—a few of the wranglers will stay back. Now, hurry up.”

  Stepping out into the maelstrom was horrifying for her. Running under the trees that were bending to the demanding winds, and with lightning flashing overhead, she nearly froze.

  “Come on. What’s wrong with you?” Dallas reached for her hand and the warm strength sent a calming rush through her body.

  “Not a fan of storms much.” She tried to keep her voice from betraying her actual terror.

  The rain was almost going horizontal and stung like needles.

  A crowd of people had gathered beside the three vehicles—two open pickup trucks and one cube van. Dallas let go of her hand as he began giving instructions. She wondered what his role actually was here. The way he took charge and the way people listened to him suggested he was the lead ranch hand. She watched him through the slashing rain, and a sense of pride filled her as he responded so capably to this crisis and kept everybody calm.

  Dallas shouted above the storm. “We should all fit. It will be tight, but there’s no choice. We have to try and get down before the river blows its banks. So split up and climb in wherever there’s room.”

  “What about all our stuff?” a voice asked before being drowned out by thunder that made Jimi shrink lower.

  “No choice but to come back later. Time is of the essence. Get in the vehicles now.”

  He glanced reassuringly in her direction, and she smiled just as a tremendous crash of thunder ripped the sky open above them. She cringed under the sound and her knees buckled under her. It was useless, no matter how hard she tried. Overcoming her fear of storms wasn’t going to happen anytime soon. She gripped the side of the pickup truck and pulled herself back to her feet.

  A strong arm curled around her waist. She knew it was Dallas and relief flooded through her. Although she didn’t want to be a burden to him under the present circumstances, she was glad he had come to her.

  “You’re coming with me.”

  He scooped her up and tossed her inside the truck cab, pushing her to the center and climbing up behind her. “Unlock the door. We can get more people in.”

  She did as she was told. “Get in,” she told the couple waiting by the truck. They piled in, and it was tight with her, Dallas and two others sharing the seat.

  “Is it safe to drive?” the woman beside her asked.

  “If we get down before the river overflows the banks
,” Dallas answered, and put the truck in Drive.

  Jimi sucked in a breath and turned to Dallas, her fingers curled into his thigh beside her leg. “What does it mean if that happens?”

  She watched his jaw muscle twitch and knew she wouldn’t like his answer.

  “Then we’re stuck up here until the water goes back down.” He stepped on the gas and the truck lurched ahead, skidding on the now muddy road. He glanced in the rearview mirror, then grabbed a walkie-talkie from the dash and spoke into it. “Get this convoy moving, folks. No time like the present. Follow me.” He gave it to Jimi. “Hold this.” She clutched it tightly.

  “Holy shit.” The woman beside her was beginning to panic. It started to rub off on Jimi’s already rattled nerves. “This is horrible. I can’t stay out here in the storm.”

  “Shh, just relax and everything will be fine,” the woman’s husband assured her.

  Jimi leaned to Dallas and whispered, “Is this bad? Is it a hurricane?”

  He glanced down at her briefly and gave her a reassuring smile. “It’s a strong storm that came in fast.”

  “But will we be okay?”

  “Yes, we’ll be fine. Just uncomfortable until it passes.”

  “Then why do you seem so panicked? I hope we can pass the river and get back down. I don’t like being up here like this.” She heard her voice hitch and tried to hide it by clutching his arm and leaning into his comforting strength.

  “I’m not panicked. I’m trying to get everyone down to the main house in one piece.” He glanced at her. “You’re afraid of storms.”

  She nodded, unable to voice such a stupid fear.

  He kept his hands on the steering wheel, but she wished he was able to put his arm around her; instead, she had to calm herself by simply leaning into him. The truck bounced and skidded on the rain-soaked back road, succeeding in ramping up her alarm. Every manner of bad endings for the group trying to flee ran through her mind. What a wedding trip! She felt sad for Diana and Matt. A hurricane was a complete wedding crasher.

  “Please, please just let us get out of here in one piece,” Jimi whispered, and was pretty sure no one would hear her from the roar of the engine and storm around them. Her heart was in her throat and she buried her face into Dallas’s arm. She did not want to know what was going on outside of the truck.

  “Shit!” he shouted, and the truck skidded to a stop with such force both she and the two passengers beside her wound up on the floor in a heap. Dallas helped her and the other two scrambled back into the seat. “Sorry about that, folks.”

  He glanced into the rearview mirror as Jimi turned around. “Thank God, they didn’t hit us.”

  “Exactly, or we’d be riding the river in this truck.”

  “What?” The lady next to Jimi cried out.

  Dallas took the walkie-talkie from Jimi’s clutched fingers. “Tucker, we need to back these trucks up. Now, now, now! The bridge is out. Back to the camp double time. Make sure everyone goes to the barn. And close those shutters.”

  The radio crackled. “Gotcha, bro.”

  Dallas turned in the seat, resting his arm across the back of it, and steered like a pro in the opposite direction. They bumped backward the way they had just come until he yanked on the steering wheel, finally able to turn around and get back to the camp. Jimi was breathless and in complete awe of him. He was so self-assured. In control. A new emotion took root inside her.

  Dallas was out of the truck before anyone else. He reached in for her, stood her next to the truck and jogged into the crowd. Everyone piled out and huddled together waiting for instruction.

  “Folks,” Dallas shouted, and pointed at Tucker. “Follow him to the barn. Fast. It’s the safest place right now until the rain lets up.” Tucker turned and disappeared into the rain with a crowd following him.

  Wiping the water from her eyes, Jimi hesitated and looked for Dallas. He was helping stragglers from the truck bed.

  “Jimi,” he shouted, pointing at Tucker, “follow him. I’ll be there shortly.”

  She stood for a moment, the rain and wind slashing her face. She was soaked, miserable, terrified and cold. Yet she’d never felt more exhilarated. Maybe it was because of Dallas. The way he’d taken charge and kept everyone safe. Making her feel safe. A man you could depend on. She looked at him through the rain with new eyes. He was a complicated man. Depth, passion, compassion—she had to know more about him.

  It was hard to leave him and do as he instructed, but she did and ran to follow Tucker.

  * * *

  AS IF THINGS could be any worse. Dallas cursed the weather. He’d known something was bearing down, but he couldn’t believe how fast the storm had grown into a monster and made landfall. Not only did he have guests marooned up here with an impassable road, they had to all hole up in the barn. Nice and cozy like and very uncomfortable. No beds, wet, and hot food to a minimum.

  He sighed and ran through the sheeting rain to his tent. The canvas was close to shredded, thanks to the wind. The cot where he’d spent the night with Jimi was upturned against the side of the tent—he didn’t bother righting it. So much for their cozy love nest. Any further hanky-panky with her would definitely be out now. And likely that was a very good thing. It would help him stick to the rules he had done a great job of breaking. Even if the thought of having sex with her made him want to break every rule in the playbook.

  Sliding on the slick floor to the cabinet, he grabbed the portable first-aid kit, extra batteries and shoved them next to the walkie-talkie in his jeans pocket. Glancing around, he tried to decide what else they’d need for however long it took to ride out the storm.

  The wind howled, shredding the canvas even more. It snapped like a bullwhip. The hell with anything else. They’d have to make do. He needed to get to shelter. Thankfully, the horseshoe ridge gave some protection from the wind; it was why he’d chosen this location for these camping expeditions. Struggling through the storm, he was glad to see the shutters had been lowered on the barn. Dallas squeezed through the narrow opening at the end and drew in a deep breath.

  “Jessica!” He shouted for one of the wranglers. “I need you here.” She ran over and he handed her the first-aid kit. “Take this and check that every one of the guests is fine. You’ve had first-aid training, right? Studying to be a nurse?”

  She nodded.

  “There should be paper in the feed room. Make a list of all the people, if they have any injuries and keep an eye on them during the storm. Off you go.” Dallas looked around. The horses were jittery, but the hay kept them content. Too bad the wedding guests couldn’t be placated as easily. They were lined up in the center aisle. Battery lanterns hung from the center rafter, giving the barn a cozy ambience despite the circumstances.

  He searched for Jimi to make sure she was safely in the barn. He let out a breath when he saw her sitting with her knees drawn up, arms wrapped around them, her face buried and hidden by her hair.

  Tucker was beside Dallas. “What a mess.”

  “You can say that again,” Dallas agreed.

  “You were right to reinforce the barn like this. Even though you got pushback about it. I can see now it was the right thing to do. Even if the odds of a storm like this are long.” Tucker looked up at the roof, nodding.

  Dallas nodded in agreement. “All tight?”

  “Yep, we’re good. But it’s this lot that has to ride it out without everyone going nuts.” Tucker cocked his head in the direction of the miserable-looking guests.

  “What’s Sam planning?” Dallas asked his brother.

  “I couldn’t tell you, bro. After the first introduction, I haven’t had the chance to talk to her.”

  Dallas scanned the crowd. “There she is, with that group at the end of the aisle. Now might be a good time to offer up some help. Get in her good book
s right off the hop.”

  Tucker gave him a punch on the shoulder before making his way down to Sam. Dallas furrowed his brows and looked for Larson. His sister hadn’t ridden up with them, and he wasn’t totally sure she was even up here. Another sign he’d been far too distracted by Jimi to not even know where his own sister was. But he needed to find out, fast.

  He shouted after his brother, “Tucker! Where’s Larson?”

  “At the house—she didn’t come up.”

  Relief flooded through Dallas. Okay, now that he had everyone accounted for, it was time to ride this puppy out.

  He inspected every shutter, making sure they were firmly attached and that the horses were just as securely tied. He was glad he’d had the barn built with this sort of situation in mind. It wouldn’t be glamping and they’d definitely be roughing it, but they’d make do. The cube van was backed up at the far end for access to supplies.

  So much for all the paraphernalia he’d hauled up here for the wedding. But, all that aside, he had to find Diana and Matt. It was their wedding trip and their decision on how to proceed. Then he remembered the minister was to be driven up tomorrow in time for the wedding. Dallas checked his watch—three o’clock in the morning.

  That wasn’t happening anytime soon. He swore under his breath and tried his damnedest not to let his frustration show. This wedding event had been their foray into destination weddings. He’d been against it at first, thinking it was far too much risk for the ranch and its reputation, but Larson had been relentless. Pestering him until he’d agreed. She was right, though. Trying to grab wedding business from the big beach hotels was a good idea—but it had to go without a hitch.

  He listened to the wind howl around the roof. “Shit.” Dallas clenched his jaw and decided to make the best of the situation. If he could get everyone through this unscathed, then they might still stand a chance at positive reviews.