Cowboy Jackpot: Valentine's Day

by Randi Alexander

  She tried it again, this time with a little shout.

  That did it. He hefted in a breath, gave a little cough, and sat up.

  She walked toward the door, quietly, as if sneaking out.

  "Hey." He jumped up, buck-naked. Pulling the blanket around his waist, he stumbled after her. "Where are you going?"

  "I'm just…" She made her voice sound casual, went for an innocent facial expression. "I was going to say goodbye to Stormie."

  His brows drew together. "With your suitcase?"

  She shrugged. "We have to check out soon, don't we? I thought I'd leave my bag at the valet desk and pick it up later when I have to head to the airport."

  He stepped forward and took her wrist—the one holding the suitcase—in his hand.

  "Stay. I'll call for a late checkout."

  She let go of the bag and it stood itself upright. "Okay. Sure. I'll just go find Stormie."

  He didn't release her. "Wait until after I shower. We'll go together."

  She tugged her wrist out of his grip. "Dallas. You're acting like you don't trust me."

  His jaw tightened and his lips thinned. "Is there a reason I shouldn't trust you?"

  "No."

  After staring into her eyes for a few seconds, he looked away. "Will you just wait for me? I'll hurry."

  Her heart dropped like a rock off a cliff. He didn’t trust her. Not only did he not trust her, but he didn't have the emotional depth to confront her with his suspicions. She needed time to consider this. Needed to figure out what to do next.

  "Of course I'll wait." She set down her purse. "Take your time showering. I'll call and see where Stormie is." Halfway to Oklahoma by now, but Dallas didn't have to know that.

  He pushed her suitcase aside.

  She walked to the windows and dialed Stormie's number.

  A few minutes later, the shower started in the bathroom.

  "Hi Kira."

  Stormie sounded perky, as usual.

  "Hi. Where are you?"

  As Kira turned to have a seat, she spotted Dallas watching her from the bedroom. Damn. He really didn't trust her. The knowledge was like a bullet to the gut.

  "We're still crossing Arizona. We'll probably spend the night in Albuquerque." Strange sounds came through the phone. "Kira…" Her voice was soft. "About what Jayden said, it could have been just the beer talking."

  "I'm not worried, Stormie. I'll figure it out on my own." She leaned over and saw Dallas in the shower. "How did it go with you and Jayden?"

  Stormie let out a small squeal. "You won't believe it." She said something to someone in the car. "I'll call you later and we can talk."

  "Okay. Your parents are listening, right?"

  "Oh yes, always." She sounded disgusted. "Talk to you later!"

  "I can't wait." She hung up. What could have happened to make her cousin so excited? She laughed. What didn't make Stormie excited?

  Dallas stepped out of the shower, grabbed a towel and walked to the bedroom door.

  Checking to see if she was still there? Probably.

  "Where's Stormie?"

  "She's on her way home. So we have time to grab something to eat before we meet the manager."

  "Time?" He ruffled a towel over his hair, his body naked and gorgeous. "I thought we could be there any time today?"

  She swallowed. Caught in a lie. "I called and arranged our meeting with him at eleven." She shrugged. "I'm kind of an organizational freak."

  With a nod, he went back into the bedroom and dressed.

  Their meal was delicious. He had the Cowpoke's Breakfast, a platter full of fattening delights. She chose a chef's salad with salmon. They both picked at each other's plates. As if everything was just fine. As if he trusted her, and she didn't know he didn't.

  When they walked into the casino manager's office, the junior partner of her family's attorney's office stood.

  "Hi Barret. Thanks for coming." She shook his hand.

  "Who's this?" Dallas's face turned red under his tan.

  "Dallas Burns, this is my attorney, Barret Weis. Barret, this is the man with whom I won the jackpot."

  Barret held out his hand.

  Dallas glared at Kira. "Why is he here?"

  Chapter Eight

  "Uh…" Barret Weis, Kira's family attorney, glanced at the three others in the casino manager's office then dropped his hand. He looked directly at Dallas as he answered the cowboy's question. "Ms. Morrow called our office yesterday and asked me to handle the situation here at the casino for her."

  The casino manager sat. "It's all settled, Ms. Morrow." He set a stack of papers on the desk. "You just need to sign here." He pointed with a pen.

  Dallas growled. "You're taking the entire jackpot."

  Barret gave a small laugh. "She's giving the entire jackpot. To you."

  Dallas jerked as if hit by a lightning bolt. "What was that again?"

  The casino manger stood, probably since no one else had taken a seat. "We have regulations about releasing funds only to the rightful winner, but we have, in the past, come to legal agreements, providing all necessary tax burden questions are addressed, to provide alternative—"

  "Hang on." Dallas put up his hand toward the manger, but looked directly at Kira. "You're saying you want to give me all the money."

  "That's what I'm saying." She picked up the pen and signed on the line. "There. It's all yours."

  The manager sat, and so did her attorney.

  "Now, Mr. Burns." The manager set another stack of papers closer to Dallas. "If you would, please."

  Dallas's gaze didn't veer from hers. "Why? Why don't you want the money?" His face told her he still didn't trust her. He was expecting a trick.

  Barret cleared his throat. "Kira is from one of the twenty richest families in New York."

  She watched Dallas's face turn from red to white.

  "So, one day, you'll inherit? You'll be rich?"

  She opened her mouth, searching for the right words.

  "Kira has already inherited millions of—" Barret blurted.

  "Please." She turned to her attorney. "Barret, thank you." She glanced at the manager's nametag. "Mr. Truman?"

  "Please, call me Ray."

  "Ray. Is there somewhere that Mr. Burns and I can talk?"

  The manager stood. "You're welcome to my office for as long as you like." He stepped toward the door. "Mr. Weis, would you care for a cup of coffee?"

  Barret looked at Kira. She nodded. He handed her a large brown envelope. "Here's that other matter you'd asked me to look into." He frowned at Dallas then glanced back at her. "We had success."

  Relief flowed through her. At least one thing had gone right.

  The moment the door closed, Dallas crossed his arms, a look of complete irritation on his face. "Another background check on me, I assume."

  "No." Asshole. She bit back the anger. She'd probably be just as angry if she were in his shoes. Boots. "Oh hell." She flopped down in a chair. "Let me explain."

  Instead of sitting next to her, he leaned back against the desk. Always on guard. Always cautious.

  "Dallas, why don't you trust me?" She didn't mean to jump right in, but now that she was hip deep… "I mean, I know why. Your history. Your very recent history, especially." She glanced up into his suspicious eyes. "But why me in particular. What did I do to make you distrust me?"

  "At the roulette table, you were going on about having the money direct deposited. You warned me that I had to play by your rules or I wouldn't get a penny." He braced his hands on the desk on each side of his thighs and leaned over her. "Then after our meeting here yesterday, you ran back in for God knows what." He sat back. "Some lie about your gold pen." He flung a hand toward her purse. "Which is probably real gold, too."

  The accusation in his voice nearly made her heart crumble.

  "I told you I would give you half. You couldn't believe me?"

  "I did." His voice rolled low and fierce. "Until you went back into the manager's
office."

  She sat back and crossed her arms, letting her temper rise a bit. "You want the truth?"

  "Please." The word cracked like a whip.

  "At first, I wanted to push you. To see if you'd snap, become…violent."

  "Fuck." He said it through clenched teeth.

  "Then I realized that the court found you not guilty because you were innocent." She let the feeling of that pivotal moment wash through her like a calming stream. "Then…" This was going to be the difficult part. Opening her heart to him. "I didn't tell you about giving you the entire jackpot because I wanted to keep you close." A wave of emotion threatened tears. "I wanted to see if you were as amazing as I remembered you from December."

  "Huh." He didn't look or sound quite as angry.

  She wouldn't reveal everything, though. She'd keep the secret that she did find him as amazing—more amazing—than she'd thought him back then. "I wanted to see where this connection between us led. I wanted you in bed, Dallas. And I wanted to see the surprise on your face when I told you I was giving you the whole jackpot." She looked at his wary expression and her eyes misted. That whole plan sure went to hell.

  "Kira."

  His cold tone told her everything. She stood and stared at a spot over his shoulder. "I'm sorry I didn't mention I was filthy rich. It just didn't come up, and it's not something I wear on a LED lighted T-shirt for the world to see."

  She held the brown envelope in two hands. She wanted to surprise him with its contents, too, but her surprises today had turned to disasters.

  "I'm just having a hard time taking all this in." He turned his back to her and stared at the video monitor of the casino. "Let's take some time to sort this out. Slow things down." He was protecting his heart.

  She didn't blame him, but she'd been too stupid to do the same for her own heart. "That's okay, Dallas." She made her voice as chipper as Stormie's. "It's run its course, you and me. We're polar opposites, and nothing we do will ever change that."

  He watched her from over his shoulder.

  Kira walked to the door. "I'll be in the suite until I have to leave for the airport." She tried a smile but it didn't work. "I'll have a bellman pick up your bag, and you can get it from the valet desk."

  When he didn't speak, she lifted a hand in farewell and walked out, leaving the door open. She gestured for Ray and Barret to head back into the office. "Thank you both." She noted their uncertain faces, but didn't have the energy to reassure them. "I'll be here for three more hours if you need to call me for anything." She kept walking.

  Dallas didn't say another word. Didn't call to her to stop, didn't charge after her and pick her up in his arms to proclaim his apology.

  "So long, cowboy," she whispered.

  ****

  Dallas felt like he was underwater. Had Kira just walked away from him? Had he fucking just let her go? He wanted to move, wanted to haul ass after her, but years of playing it safe—on everything but a bucking bronc's back—kept his boots glued to the floor.

  The manager and attorney came back in, closed the door, and quietly sat in their seats, as if a loud noise or quick movement would trigger an explosion in Dallas.

  He forced his muscles to relax and sat, signed where he was supposed to, accepted a check for nearly two hundred thousand dollars as if it were a grocery receipt, and stood to leave.

  Barret held out a card. "Call me if you'd like some help with tax shelters on that money. I understand you're investing in a business. We can work out the best plan for your bottom line."

  "Kira told you about the business?" He didn't know how to react to that news.

  "Yes, she did." The attorney picked up his briefcase. "I hope you don't mind, but I did some research on similar businesses, and I have some ideas for you and your partners." He leaned closer. "All at well discounted rates, since you're a new client, and our company prides itself in assisting startups like yours."

  "I…" He couldn't believe the luck he was having. "Sure. We'll be in touch." He held out his hand.

  Barret shook it. His grip was firm. "And secretly…" He lifted his brows. "I've always wanted to ride a bull."

  The casino manager laughed. "Haven't we all." He stood and shook both men's hands. "But some of us have gotten past the age of actually doing it." He opened the door and escorted them down the hallway to the casino. "Best of luck to you, Mr. Burns. And Mr. Weis, don't break any bones at that rodeo school."

  Dallas and the attorney said goodbye and Dallas went straight to the Roundup Bar and ordered a beer in a longneck bottle.

  One of only five people in the bar, he could have sat anywhere, but he took a stool facing the booth where he and Kira and the gang had celebrated their jackpot win. Was it just yesterday? He burped but the hollow feeling under his heart didn't go away. Or was it inside his heart?

  "Kira." Funny, he'd always figured that when he remembered her, it would be the times they'd had sex. Her full lips around his cock, her sweet pussy around his tongue, her breasts as he sucked them to perfect peaks.

  Nope. It was her teasing smiles, the look she had when she wasn't about to let him get away with his bullshit, her soft, consoling glances when he'd talked about his past.

  He slammed his bottle on the bar.

  The cute, exotic-looking bartender brought him another.

  "Sorry." He drank the last ounces and set down the empty. "Rough morning."

  "This one's on me, then." She winked and walked away.

  This was his chance to move on. He had a big check in his pocket, he could talk Jayden into staying another night and driving home to Reno tomorrow, and the way the bartender was bending over to check the stock in the cabinet, he could have a warm, willing, no-strings sex partner tonight.

  He looked away from her ass. He was an ass. He could have Kira in his bed tonight. He stood. He could have Kira in his arms right now. He could get things back the way they were this morning. She hadn't told him to stay away, threatened a restraining order, or a knee to the groin if she ever saw him again.

  All he had to do was apologize. Make things right, deal with what happened in the casino office, and he could have her back. Have her today, have her again next weekend in New York. Get his fill of her and say goodbye after the wedding.

  As he pulled out his wallet, something inside him turned cold at the plan. Would it be enough? "It'd have to be enough."

  "What was that, cowboy?" The bartender crossed her arms under her bountiful breasts.

  "Thanks, ma'am." He set down a nice sized bill and touched the brim of his hat. "Much obliged."

  She winked. "Come back any time. I'm off at six."

  He nodded and turned. Hopefully by six, he and Kira would be tucked in bed in their suite enjoying supper in bed, with some chocolate and whipped cream waiting to be spread on heated body parts as dessert.

  A few minutes later, he knocked and slid the keycard in the door of the Wrangler Suite.

  Kira walked out of the bedroom, her eyes red, her cheeks wet. "Did you forget something?" She turned toward the bedroom. "I thought I packed every—"

  "Kira. Sweetheart. I'm not here for anything but you."

  She turned toward him so fast, she nearly toppled before catching herself on the doorjamb. "What?"

  "I was wrong. I was an idiot. I am a fool, and I want you." He took off his hat and held it in both hands in front of him. He had to get this right the first time, had to convey his sincerity and his humility every way he could.

  She narrowed her eyes. "What does this mean?" She seemed cold, as if a wall had dropped around her.

  "I was wrong to not trust you, but please, see this from my perspective. I've been burned in the past. Badly. In the casino office, I found out about all the things you'd held back from me. You're rich, you're giving me the whole jackpot, you got your attorney working on it." Shit, he sounded like a whiny three year old.

  Kira laced her fingers together in front of her. "I'm sorry. But I don't—"

  "No, do
n't tell me to go." He set down his hat and walked toward her. "I'm not as sharp as you. It takes me a while to process things. To get things settled through my thick skull and into my brain." He took her hands, kissing each one softly. "I just now realized what I had with you. What I turned my back on."

  She blinked rapidly. "What are you asking?"

  "Let's start again. We have today." He touched her chin. "Maybe you can stay another night?"

  "And then?"

  He heard the uncertainty in her voice. "And then we have next weekend in New York." He offered a small smile. "It'll be fun. I'll try to resist keeping you in bed the whole 48 hours and you can show me the town." That sounded easy. No drama, no commitments.

  She breathed heavily, as if fighting back tears. "And then?"

  "Do we have to decide right now? Can't we take it one day, one weekend, at a time?"

  Kira closed her eyes and twin tears rolled down her cheeks. "I see." She looked up at him. "Damn you, Dallas Burns, I have no way to resist you."

  His heart did a quickstep. "Sweetheart. Let me make it up to you." He moved closer and brushed his lips against hers. "Let me take the hurt away for both of us."

  "Yes. Make love to me." The sorrow in her eyes nearly broke him.

  He wiped away the tracks of her tears with his thumbs. "It'll be okay. You'll see." Did he really believe that? Had he convinced her, or himself, that half a promise was enough?

  Chapter Nine

  Casual. No strings. That's what her cowboy wanted. Kira reached up and unbuttoned his shirt. Fine. That's what he would get. One last time, she'd let herself be Dallas's woman. Let the escape of his powerful lovemaking take away the hurt for a little while.

  Within seconds, they were both naked and Kira held the condom packet Dallas had pulled from his pocket. She walked backward toward the couch, forcing a seductive look to replace the dejected one that mirrored her inner thoughts.

  She pointed to the couch. "Lay down, cowboy. I wanna ride."

  "Aw sweetheart." Dallas took a running leap and landed on his back on the couch with a bounce and a grin. His big, hard cock slammed against his belly and rebounded, pointing to the suite's ceiling.