Wine and Her New Year Cowboy

by Donna Michaels

  She did. For some reason, she clicked with this man. Trusted this man. Felt at home with him.

  “Unfortunately, it’s getting late. We need to get dressed.” His gaze was full of regret as he grabbed a handful of napkins by the remnants of lunch before he pulled out to take care of the condom, tossing it all in the bag. “I have to get Missy in five minutes.”

  Missy?

  Shoot. She’d forgotten about his sister. “That time went fast.” She went to scoot off the bale, but he caught her by the waist and helped her down.

  “Too fast,” he said, brushing her lips with his. “Next time, we’re going to have the whole night.”

  Mmm…she loved that he was already thinking about a next time. “Deal.” She kissed him again, her crazy body heating, rejoicing in the feel of his naked flesh brushing hers as he yanked her close and cupped her ass.

  Several seconds later, he broke the kiss and stepped back “Damn, you’re much too intoxicating for my control.”

  The erection jutting out between them confirmed his claim. Her insides quivered with a burst of heat.

  “Ditto.” Turning her back on him, she bent to retrieve her clothes, and smiled at his intake of breath.

  “You’re killing me,” he muttered.

  Once she got her heart beats to settle down, she quickly donned her clothes, slipped back into her boots, then tugged the blanket off the bales. Yeah, this was a great place for a picnic.

  “What’s the grin for?” Lucas smiled as he pulled on his boots.

  “You,” she said, then shook out the blanket before folding it into a square.

  He stepped close and lifted his hand to pull a piece of hay from her hair. “I think you should probably leave that here.”

  She nodded. “Are there any more? When we had a good rhythm going, my head was brushing that back bale.”

  Concern canceled the amusement in his eyes, and he lifted a hand to palm the back of her head. “Are you okay?”

  “Yes. I’m great.”

  Better than great. She’d never been so great. And that scared Evie.

  Because this was the perfect time for something to go wrong.

  ***

  Lucas walked into his house with Missy later that day, feeling lighter than he had in years. Being with Evie did that to him. Made him feel good. Great.

  Magnificent.

  He smiled, recalling the appreciative gleam in the beauty’s eyes when she’d called him that during their incredible lunch.

  “You’ve been smiling a lot today,” Missy said, closing the door, regaining his attention.

  As usual, she hadn’t been too talkative on their drive home, so it was a surprise to hear her initiate this conversation.

  He removed his hat and coat and hung them on hooks by the door. “It’s been a good day. How about yours?”

  She shrugged. Her way of saying yes. Then she turned to head for the stairs.

  “Missy, wait.”

  She stopped and turned to face him.

  “I realize this is short notice, but tomorrow is the annual Christmas party at the armory, and I’d like you to go with me.”

  Her head cocked slightly. “Why?”

  She was going to make him work for this. “Because it’s for family, and you’re my sister.”

  “That’s rich. Since when?” she scoffed.

  His head reeled back. “What do you mean?”

  “Nothing. Forget it.” She turned toward the stairs again.

  “Hold on.” He reached out to grasp her arm. “You need to enlighten me. What’s going on?”

  “Why do you care about me being your sister all of a sudden?”

  Jesus, she wasn’t making any sense.

  “Missy, I only just found out about you a few weeks ago, and as soon as I did, I packed up and moved here.”

  “Bullshit.” She yanked free and stomped into the front room.

  He didn’t know what shocked him more, the fact she’d cursed for the first time in front of him, or that she’d just implied he’d known about her before last month.

  Forcing himself to remain calm, he followed her, and leaned against the doorway, watching the aggravated teen pace the room like a caged animal. “Talk to me, Missy. What’s going on? What’s bugging you?”

  She halted her pacing, then rounded on him, blue eyes flashing, dark hair swishing with her erratic movements. “You want to know what’s bugging me? I’ll tell you what’s bugging me. You. Lying right to my face. Telling me you didn’t know about me, when I know I sent letters and birthday cards, and Christmas cards to you.”

  “What?” He stiffened, his stomach rippling as if punched.

  “Quit acting like you don’t know, Lucas,” she huffed. “I was ten when dad told me about you, and excited to have an older brother. And foolish enough to think you’d care about having a little sister. For a whole year, I sent letters and waited, but you never even sent me a thank you. Nothing. After a year and a half, I stopped sending them. I’d gotten the picture. You didn’t want me.”

  Christ. He raked a hand through his hair and blew out a breath. “I never received any letters, Missy. Jesus, you think I wouldn’t respond after receiving something like that? I was alone. I had no one. It would’ve been…” He paused, clenching his fists and jaw tight to rein it in.

  She frowned at him, and he frowned back.

  “You really sent me letters?”

  She blinked, then slowly nodded. “Yes. And cards.”

  “You know my birthday?”

  “July fifth.”

  Shit. She was right. Which meant his dad had actually remembered his birthday. Lucas didn’t know what was more of a shock, that, or the fact his father had told Missy about him.

  “Dad said you were too stubborn to come out on the fourth. That you didn’t want to share your day with the nation.”

  He chuckled. “My mom used to tell me the same thing.”

  “I did send them, Lucas. Honest.”

  “I believe you,” he said, stepping forward to set his hands on her slumped shoulders. “But I swear, I never received them.”

  She held his gaze for a long moment before acceptance relaxed the tautness from her face. “So, what do you think happened to them then?”

  He inhaled and forced his mind to choose his words carefully. “I’m not sure. I think I might have been deployed at that time. Maybe they got lost in the mail.”

  She nodded, her gaze sad and too upset for him to voice his actual thoughts.

  Dear old dad had never sent them.

  “I owe you an apology,” she said, and stepped forward to hug him.

  An actual, honest-to-God, hold tight hug.

  He slid his arms around her slight frame and hugged back. “It’s all right.”

  “No. It’s not.” She shook her head and sniffed against his chest. “I thought you didn’t want me back then, so I was trying hard not to want you around now. But I do. I’m glad you’re here.”

  He tightened his hold and kissed her forehead. “I am, too.”

  And he was so damn furious at his father he could spit bullets.

  Sixteen years. Sixteen sweet years he’d missed of his sister’s life. Years he could never get back, all because their dad was too damn selfish to mail her letters.

  God, the false hope she must’ve gone through every time she wrote one. It burned a hold in his gut to think about the disappointed she must’ve faced when he never responded.

  “So.” She drew back and wiped away the tears that had fallen down her face. “What time is this party tomorrow?”

  A grin twitched his lips. “Eleven, but we have to leave by ten thirty so we can pick Evie up on the way.”

  Missy’s smile grew. “You asked her to go?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good. I like her. She doesn’t treat me like an adolescent.”

  The sexy woman didn’t treat him like one either. “I like her, too.”

  Evie treated him like a man. And after today, h
e felt like the luckiest damn man alive. She made him feel good, and alive, and so damn satisfied, his bones were still mush. All his cares disappeared when he was with her.

  God, he wished he was with her now. If she wasn’t at work, he’d ask her over. He needed to get lost in the giving woman’s sweet curves. To forget his troubles, and the fact his dad was an ass who’d used him as a pawn to hurt his sister.

  “So…is…uh…Evie’s brother going to be at the armory party?” she asked, pretending to brush a piece of lint off her sweater.

  “Yes.”

  She nodded, as if it was no big deal, but the blush creeping up into her face gave her away.

  Big time.

  “I should probably go upstairs and figure out what to wear.” She surprised him with another hug, then drew back. “Good night.”

  And before he could respond, she was gone.

  He chuckled, but considering he was enthralled with a Martelli, too, he understood the pull.

  Big time.

  ***

  The Company A 332nd Headquarters Division Annual Christmas Party was in full swing and Evie marked this year’s down as extra special. She’d been attending them, along with her parents and Nona, ever since her brother had enlisted in the National Guard at seventeen.

  Many things hadn’t changed, like the Fallen Soldier table set up in front to honor those lost, the most recent loss being Keiffer’s friend, Greg. His absence was felt, along with Keiffer’s. The rest of the Wynes were there, putting up a good front, but she knew today was difficult.

  After the guardsmen had formation at eleven, the troops and their families sat down, except for the cooks who filled the serving trays and set them in the hot food warming station while awards and promotions were handed out. Then, the single officers and senior enlisted served dinner so the rest could enjoy the time with their families.

  An hour and a half later, some people still sat, while others mingled about, waiting for Santa to arrive with gifts for the excited children.

  “You okay?” Lucas leaned close as they sat at one of the five rows of eight tables running across the armory floor.

  The man had literally stolen her breath when he’d showed up at her door that morning, wearing his military dress greens, which showed off his broad shoulders and tapered waist to perfection.

  She’d hardly been able to take her eyes off him. His sister seemed to look at him differently today, too.

  “Wonderful.” She grinned. “How about you?”

  “Good. This was my first time at Christmas drill that I didn’t serve dinner.”

  She reached for his hand and squeezed. “Because you have family.”

  He nodded, a deep satisfaction mixed with joy, giving his eyes a new light.

  “Things seem a little different between you and Missy.” She motioned with a nod to his sister who stood talking with Phoebe and Scott’s theater loving grandmother.

  He nodded. “Yeah. We had a talk last night.”

  She waited for him to elaborate, but he remained quiet. Still, she got the sense something was bothering him.

  He grasped her hand and brought it to his lips. “We still on for later? Missy is going back to Tyler’s with them after the party for a few hours.”

  Her body warmed under his thoughtful gaze. “Good, then you’ll be able to come to my place for…dessert.”

  Heat flashed through his gaze. “I love your dessert.”

  “Yeah, Evie makes the best cannoli,” Nona said, sitting down across from them. “Because she had a good teacher. Me.”

  “Yep.” Faith and Jenna echoed in agreement as they plopped down, too.

  Followed by Nico, Scott, and Jeremy, their plates loaded with Jill’s chocolate cake, and…oh, look at that, my cannoli. Every year, she donated several dozen. This year, she was glad, because it’d kept her busy during her down time that week.

  Which kept her mind off of a certain cowboy.

  Mostly.

  “Yes, my sister makes the best tasting cannoli,” Nico stated, then turned his gaze on them. “Wouldn’t you agree, Lucas?”

  Evie inhaled. Bene! He did not want to go there. Because, two could play at that game.

  “Yes. Melts in your mouth,” the cowboy replied without missing a beat, holding her brother’s gaze.

  But his hand was beneath the tablecloth, slipping under her red dress, drawing circles very slowly up her thigh.

  All the retorts she’d planned to sling at her brother melted away as her brain began to fog.

  “Quit teasing your sister’s boyfriend.” Nona slapped Nico’s shoulder. “And put that energy into finding your own girlfriend to sample her cannoli before your belly falls over your belt and you start to lose your hair. No woman will want to sample your sausage then.”

  Jeremy and Scott shook as they silently snickered, while Faith and Jenna laughed outright.

  “There’s nothing wrong with my sausage, Nona, or my hair or my belly,” her brother exclaimed, unfazed by their grandmother’s words.

  “Good, then now’s a great time to sample Faith’s cannoli while they’re still perky, and you don’t need a blue pill to put spring in your sausage to satisfy her meat craving.”

  If Evie wasn’t so shocked, or hysterical, she would’ve jumped to her friend’s defense. But the most she could do was sit there with a hand over her mouth, trying to keep the laughter inside. Even Lucas released her leg and sat back and laughed.

  Faith closed her gaping mouth and glared at Nico. “Thanks, but no thanks, Nona. Your grandson couldn’t handle my cannoli. His tastes tend to run toward artificial, and there’s nothing artificial about me.”

  Nona nodded and patted her friend’s hand. “You tell him, hun. Save your perky cannoli for someone who appreciates it.”

  Before anyone could reply, Santa walked in and the decibel level in the room rose to a pitch below deafening. The rest of the party changed gears, catering to the young and the young at heart.

  When it was over, Evie stayed behind with Lucas to help several others clean up, her gaze straying to the dark-haired, blue-eyed Texan. Her heart thrilled at the fact he’d never corrected Nona when she’d called him her boyfriend.

  But it was also concerned by the troubled look that skittered through his gaze when he thought no one was watching.

  Maybe, in time, would he open up to her?

  Chapter Nine

  December was flying by. Christmas Day was a few days away, and Lucas knew he was stupid to let his dad continue to get to him. Life was good. He had a job he enjoyed. His relationship with his sister was good. And for the first time in his life, he found a woman who understood him, didn’t try to change him, didn’t want to change him. Evie liked who he was, and he liked who he was when he was with her.

  Yes, life was good.

  And yet…he had this burning ball eating a hole in his gut whenever his mind strayed to the past. It’d been over two weeks since his sister told him about the letters. The first few days, he’d searched the house, looking for them, but came up empty.

  His dad probably tossed them out the same day Missy had written them.

  Damn.

  His insides twisted. He needed to let it go. To just forget about it.

  “Hey? Is everything okay?” Evie asked, settling down on the couch next to him in her living room.

  It was one of those rare evening where Missy had work, and they did not. He refused to ruin it by dwelling in the past.

  “Not quite.” He pulled her onto his lap. “This is better,” he murmured, kissing her smiling lips.

  She opened up for him, kissing him back, running a hand down his chest and abs before her wicked fingers skimmed over his crotch. Heat skittered down his spine, and just like that, he was hard.

  Damn. She was hot. And good. The woman knew exactly how to touch him and where to touch him to take him from zero to ninety in less than half a second.

  “Keep that up and I’m going to get us naked,” he said when they broke
for air.

  “Mmm…then you’re going to have to keep it up.” She chuckled, stroking him harder.

  Muttering a curse, he shot to his feet with his arms full of her soft curves. “You asked for it.”

  “Yes I did,” she muttered against his neck as he carried her into her foyer. “You better give it to me good.” Then she bit him.

  Ah, hell.

  She was killing him.

  There was no way he was going to get them up the steps. He needed to touch her and taste her. Now.

  He set her on her feet, then quickly locked the front door. When he turned back around, the woman’s jeans were already on the floor.

  “You’re falling behind, cowboy,” she proclaimed, yanking the sweater over her head, apparently on the same page.

  With more than enough incentive standing in front of him, he tugged his boots off, then made quick work of his clothes.

  Her gaze was dark and sinfully sweet as she reached behind to unhook her bra. He loved watching her glorious breasts bounce with their newfound freedom.

  He stepped close, cupped what he could in his hands and kissed the parts that spilled over. She moaned and arched back. Desire burned through his veins with vigorous force. He nudged her backward until she was sitting on the stairs, while he knelt between her legs.

  “Cold,” she squeaked, her wicked hands anything but as they skimmed down his sides and over his quivering abs. “Mmm…but you’re not.”

  That’s because he was on fire. He kissed a path up her throat while his fingers slipped under her thong and tugged the sexy lace all the way off. Then he grasped her knees and spread her wider before he drew back. “Damn, Evie, that’s hot.” His heart caught at the sight before him.

  She leaned back on her elbows, thrusting out her ample breasts with silver dollar nipples that were puckered and aroused. And her eyes, God, her eye were hungry, and trusting, and willing. His gaze skimmed south over the sweet swell of her hips and trembling thighs, and his mouth watered at the decadent treat waiting for him at the center.

  Dipping down, he pressed his mouth to her thigh, and kissed his way up, letting his hand trail ahead to stroke her. She gasped.

  Ah, hell, she was so damn wet.