by Billi Jean
By Cody’s expression he thought she’d lost her mind. “Right, right, well, I’m going to get it cleaned and bandaged anyway,” he muttered, stood and went to his horse saying something under his breath about crazy women. He came back with a bag, water and another scowl.
“You seem rested,” she commented.
He glanced at her for that as if assessing her for some hidden meaning. Finally he sank down again next to her and lifted her leg so he could do his thing.
“Yeah, I slept like a log then woke up cold and alone. In your bed.”
“Well, it’s not really my bed. It’s a friend’s.”
“You know what I mean, Sonya. I expected after last night for you to be in bed, next to me when I woke up.”
“Why? Did you wake up horny?” she whispered and leaned in to kiss him on his sideburn.
He grumbled something she didn’t get because he was intent on cleaning off her leg with his water. “Hold still,” he muttered then seemed to give in. “I did, but I also wanted to wake you up.”
“With sex?”
“It’s not all about sex,” he grated and met her eyes.
Oh, yeah, it isn’t all about sex. She could see that in his blue eyes. He was pissed off because she was treating it like sex and he was…
“What is it then?” she asked, not really ready for an answer, but not used to playing games. He brought out the honesty in her that she rarely gave anyone other than the men she worked with, or occasionally hung out with.
Cody snorted and turned back to her leg. “Let me clean this bloody mess up then we can talk about heavy shit like that, okay? A man can’t do both at the same time.” There was a snap to his tone.
“Oh, I realize men can’t talk and work at the same time,” she said smoothly.
“Listen, sassy pants. I can but I want this cleaned and bandaged and you not hurting. This has to sting,” he added with a concerned expression.
She stayed quiet and watched him dab the slice then pull out butterfly bandages to ease the cut together. He worked silently, intent on her with a gentleness that did something odd to her heart. His hands were big, no doubt used to rough work, but he was very careful with her—as if she might break. It was so odd, especially after holding her so tightly when he fucked her, or when he’d gripped her head so sexily when he’d thrust into her mouth—literally fucking her mouth—that she was even more intrigued by him.
Who is this man? Has he always been this way? So…honest with everyone?
He was, too. When he made love, he did whatever felt good—not to use her or get his rocks off. Oh, he got off, but more to make them both wild and the sex hot. But after, and in between, he also did what felt good—pillow fights, picking her up whenever he felt like it to kiss her or rub her back because he enjoyed it and he knew she did, too.
Now he was doing something else that, while it didn’t feel good, he knew wasn’t hurting her. He was seriously alarmed too, as if she…mattered.
She swallowed hard at the thought and almost pulled her leg free. He glanced up as if sensing her tension and patted the wraparound bandage he’d put on her leg.
“There, that should do. We’ll have to check it again. Are you sure you can walk?”
Her face grew hot at his concern. “Of course,” she muttered and tried to get her emotions under control.
“I’ll have to put you behind me on the horse. I don’t think you should walk on your leg with that deep of a cut.”
“Oh, no,” she said and shook her head for good measure. “I can walk. I just walked all this way,” she said gesturing down the dirt path.
He didn’t budge.
“I barely feel it, Cody, and really, it will be all better soon. Not even a booboo.”
He settled his fist on his thigh. “You really are a smartass.”
“Thank you. I do pride myself on it,” she said and gave him a saucy wink. ‘Sassy pants’, ‘firecracker’, now ‘smartass’. She liked ‘woman’ most of all but that was probably because he had been urging her to fuck him at the time. “It’s one of my best qualities, don’t you think?”
He finally grunted and gave her a smile—or half of one. “You’re impossible, you know? But humor me. How is it you aren’t in pain and how do you think this”—he gestured to her leg—“is going to heal if you keep walking on it?”
“Well, cowboy, I’m not sure you have clearance for that kind of answer,” she murmured and took his Stetson off and set it next to her so she could run her fingers through his hair. He’d showered, she noticed, and smelled good. He had so many colors in his hair, it was much more than blond, more like golden and sunshine all spun into silky softness. “If I told you that, I’d have to kill you.”
He winced and smiled, but took her hand and settled it in his. “Secrets. You’re full of them.”
“Yeah,” she sighed and pulled him closer so that she could kiss him just once on his firm, warm lips.
He tried to remain pissed off, but she could feel him softening.
“Don’t be mad at me, Cody. I need a lot of alone time, for this,” she said indicating the climb, “but I have more time for this,” she added, caressing her hand over his shoulders to play with the back of his hair.
She kissed him softly, sampling his minty taste again until he must have decided to give up. He pulled her closer so he could take over the kiss. She let him. He had amazing skill with his tongue, she knew, and more, she liked how arrogant he was just taking over. She had an idea that if she let him, Cody would take over everything. She’d barely have to do more than lift her finger and he’d make certain she got what she wanted.
He curled his hand behind her head and used his other to bring her hand down to his erection. “This was up and ready this morning.”
“It still is, isn’t it?”
He backed away and shook his head. “Yeah, but no way are we making love here—not with your leg like that.”
“Cody—”
“Sonya, I’m not chancing hurting you.”
She grinned and tweaked his nose. “You are so cute.”
He frowned harder at her.
“Okay, that’s fine, but you know how I feel about teasing me like this, cowboy.”
He grinned crookedly. “Too bad, sassy pants, you should have stayed in my bed, then I’d be teasing you a whole new way.”
She pouted at that but he wasn’t going to let her weasel her way into his pants. It was a first, and instead of making her pissed off that she wouldn’t win and get sex, it kinda pleased her.
“Okay, you big meanie, what do you suggest we do? Because I warn you, I am not letting you carry me on your horse. I’m walking.”
He gave her a flat stare for that, then seemed to consider her with an eye that made her shiver a little. She wondered suddenly what he saw. He said she was beautiful, but she didn’t think she was beautiful. She had too small a nose and her freckles grew in the summer and one eye was lower than the other.
“We’re going fishing.”
She blinked at him. He didn’t say more, or seem to be teasing her. “Fishing? What? Why?”
“It will be fun,” he announced as if, duh, how could it not be?
She tucked a stray curl behind her ear carefully and considered her options. “You say that like you mean it but the words don’t match up for me. Fun. Fishing. Nope, not buying it.”
He gave her a sexy grin. “It will be.”
“So, fish, water and a pole—and not the kind I like”—she added stroked along the bulge under his jeans—“does not equate to fun.”
He laughed and took her hand to thread their fingers together. “Yeah, well, you’ll like it. It’s fun.”
“Cody—”
“This is more than sex, Sonya. And what the hell is your last name?”
She’d given him her first name. Something she never did. No way was she giving him her last name. “Why? Do you want to write me a ticket, officer?”
He snorted and surprised her by
standing, then bending over and picking her up. She knew better than to say a word about his leg, so she wrapped her arms around his neck and rolled her eyes when he met her gaze.
“Show-off,” she murmured and bit his earlobe.
His arms tightened to steel around her. “God, don’t do that! A man can only take so much and hell, I only have one leg here. Cut me some slack.”
“No, actually you can take a lot, and you also have all your legs and the only one I really care about right now is more than ready for me, so put me down.”
“Not a chance. I’m not making love to you out here. Your leg is all torn up.”
He lifted her up and onto his horse, then firmed her hands on the reins.
“Cody,” she began.
He tightened his grip and met her eyes with a serious expression. “Just give me this, okay? I’ll make love to you soon enough, but let’s go to my place. I gotta get my fishing equipment and by then,” he said with a quick check of the area, “it’ll be getting too dark. So tomorrow, we go fishing. Maybe a hike, too, if you’re this energetic.”
“Cody, that sounds like a lot of plans—”
“Is that bad?” he demanded.
She smiled at his serious expression and thought about that. “No, it’s not, I guess, but why? I mean, don’t you have cows to find?”
He took his hat off and wiped the sweat from his forehead. “No, they can wait, or you can come with me one day, if you’d like, to go searching.”
She could, but then that would bring her deeper into this, wouldn’t it?
“Look, we better head out. It gets dark early up here and my place is down a ways from yours,” he offered, but she could tell he was waiting on her to agree.
Even if Cody did sound sure of himself, she sensed that he wasn’t as over his issues as the front he put on suggested. Her heart did an odd little jump at the thought. He was such a strong man to worry over whether a woman wanted to spend time with him. What woman wouldn’t? He was… He was something. She couldn’t pin it down, but she liked it, whatever it was.
“Sounds good, as long as you can keep up,” she teased but rubbed her hand over his arm tenderly.
The relief was clear on his handsome face, but she watched him firm his shoulders and appear as if he’d just landed safely on the opposite side of some kind of hurdle. What that was, might be her, but it might also be him—and the insecurities he’d built up over his wounds.
“Great,” he sighed. “You are a woman that needs some fun, firecracker. Let me be the man to give you that at least and you won’t regret it.”
She might. She just might regret letting this warm, sensitive man in more than she regretted anything else in her life. He was addictive—much more than the stupid drug.
When she didn’t respond, he snorted. “Just some fun, woman. That’s all I’m asking for. I promise you’ll like it.”
He’d given her so much more than that already. Didn’t he know that? But she couldn’t say such a thing so she lifted her eyebrows and kept it light. “Is that so?”
He grinned, and nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”
Before she could stop him, for really she should because a happy little bubble of something was rising in her chest, he turned to get her pack, his pack and pet Blue and Jasper as he walked back over.
“Here, take this and hold on. I’ll get up behind you.”
He matched his words to action and settled his big body on the back of his horse, with his arms around her, and pulled her back into his chest. Okay, that was sweet. A hot, capable cowboy to the bone wanted to spend time with her outside of sex. She got how hot that was, more, how completely unaware of just how sigh-worthy he was.
“We’ll just go get the stuff from my place,” he said, fiddling with the reins but he also kissed her lightly on the neck. His horse stomped again, maybe unaccustomed to the extra passenger, but too well trained to do more.
“Clothes, huh?” she guessed, thinking that Cody was planning on moving in.
“Well, yeah,” he said mocking her from earlier, “but fishing supplies, woman. I have a tackle box. We need the poles—”
She wiggled back right up against his hips. “Why? This one is—”
“Sonya, I’m a second away from unzipping and tossing you over that rock,” he growled.
“Your second’s up,” she said after a second.
“You’re such a smartass,” he grumbled but there was a laugh in his tone when he kicked his horse into movement. He didn’t sound as if that bothered him, though. He sounded like he liked that about her.
Around and around and around we go.
How long can you keep it up before you admit you want him to stay, Sonya?
Chapter Twelve
Eric examined the expression on Christopher Savage’s face and settled back in his chair. The dark-haired millionaire was so on board with the drug that he was tense with anticipation. His suit probably cost more than most men’s monthly salary. The office, where he did who knew what, had to be more expensive than a four-bedroom penthouse in Manhattan.
Savage had arranged the meeting today so quickly that Eric had kept him waiting just to play with the guy—and make more on the deal.
“I guess you’re interested,” Eric muttered, not bothering to keep the gloating out of his tone.
“You know I am,” Savage said quickly, leaning forward eagerly on his desk. The man was powerful, probably the guy behind Duke’s attempts to perfect his date matching drug. But this man was much, much more powerful than Duke. It boggled his mind how such men got to where they were without the skill set to think properly.
The drug was going to put him into that same stratosphere, but he’d be smart about it. Already he’d found the weakness in the meds, so he had his little weasel working on that fuck-up right now. No way would he be tied down to one woman for the rest of his life and so far his dick hadn’t hardened for any babe but Mindy. He’d shared the issue with Jason and the stupid prick had suggested he stay clear of her for a few days to see if that helped. So far he was on day three without sex—the longest in the history of his sexual life without getting laid.
“How soon can you have it to me?” Savage asked.
“I have some now, but not enough for you to distribute. Just a sampling—”
“Perfect.” Savage sat back with a sigh. “When Duke was killed I thought all this had disappeared like smoke, man. It’s good to hear you were smart enough to grab it and go. Looks as if you suffered for it, too,” he added, examining Eric with too keen an eye.
Maybe he’d underestimated the man, Eric considered. Powerfully built, a gym body, no doubt, with a large frame and dressed in a tailored suit, the handsome playboy had everything he wanted at his fingertips. Race cars, women, wine—you name it, he had it. Eric wanted it.
“I feel the price was worth the eventual gain.” He’d grown fond of the scars, not only because they hid who he was from anyone after him, but because he got the envy from men. He looked tough. He was, so that was perfect, but now he was menacingly tough. It worked for him.
“You’re right on that. How soon will the product be available and how many buyers have you set up, Mr. Walters?”
“Eric,” he said and widened his thighs to lean back more comfortably in his chair. “It’s Eric, and I’m limiting it to those that can afford it first, then we’ll see if we want it live elsewhere.”
Savage’s dark eyes narrowed. “So you will follow Duke’s plan?”
Eric laughed. “Not exactly,” he muttered. “This drug is powerful. It doesn’t just make you harder than hell, it gives you and your partner some of the most intense orgasms ever dreamed up. More, it gives a man some controls he wouldn’t have otherwise.”
“What do you mean?” Savage asked after considering Eric’s response.
Eric liked that. Men like Savage should take him seriously. “Are you involved with a woman, Savage?”
“At the moment, no, why?”
“Well, if
you were and she didn’t want to have sex, with one word you can make her ready. Think about that. It’s not a roofie. That shit is just plain rape no matter how you disguise it. This is something that gets you and whoever you want in the mood. Wild, crazy sex, or just fuck until you fall asleep sex. Doesn’t matter. But a man… Think about it. A man always wants more. Now he can have it.”
“Yes,” Savage agreed with a slow nod. “That, I think, is more to the point, Eric. That’s what will sell this drug, not some Match dot com for the rich and powerful,” he said, laughing. “That was never my plan, never going to be. This is about making money, Eric, and making money is what I like to do. That and fucking gorgeous women, of course,” he added with a longer laugh. “I’ll admit, I’m hooked on the high. Sex without it is just not the same.”
“Exactly, man, exactly,” Eric agreed. “I have a chemist. He’s working on the supply now, and we’re also working on mixing it up a bit, too. Why stop with this when we might make something that beats this?”
“Beats this?” No doubt the man couldn’t wait for him to leave so he could take his daily dose and hit the first woman he saw.
Eric considered the secretary outside Savage’s office and his limp dick didn’t even twitch. As always, he thought about Mindy and tensed as blood surged to the neglected area. “Yes, some modifications—maybe mix it up a bit.” And find a cure for the damn matching DNA shit Duke had created.
Savage leaned farther back in his chair and slowly smiled, examining the little blue pill Eric had given him, along with a few months’ supply if Savage was careful. “Modifications would be most welcome. I’ll transfer funds now, Eric. I’m in, no matter the price. No matter the price,” he repeated as if to himself, then met Eric’s eyes. This was a man who knew exactly what he wanted.
“Done, Savage. You know the code. Make it work and I’ll leave you to your”—he laughed and nodded to the pill—“your fun.”
“Oh, it’s going to be something, Eric. Fun, I’m not sure quite outlines the things I’m going to be doing.”
