Accidental Cowgirl

by Maggie McGinnis

  Cole lifted his beer, but seemed to forget to put it to his mouth. “I’m not really a big fan of girl-on-girl, but I’m thinking I could be convinced.”

  “They’re just dancing, Cole.” Decker tried to lower his own pulse, but the sight of Kyla dancing in that glittery top and tight jeans was working against him.

  Right. He was just staying because it was part of the job description. It had nothing to do with the fact that he was dying to get his hands on her slim hips and mirror Jess’s actions. Of course, he’d only be able to do that for about three seconds before he’d be pulling Kyla out of the bar so he could have her all to himself.

  “I know, but think of the possibilities.”

  “I’d rather not.” Decker’s jeans were already tight. Thinking of other possibilities was definitely not going to help the situation. Especially since Kyla didn’t seem the type to let herself get yanked outside for a hot kiss, and maybe more. She seemed way too controlled, way too careful, way too wary. Or had until tonight. The way she was moving her body right now told a completely different story.

  But no. Kyla was a picket-fence-and-puppy sort of girl. She’d be looking for a forever sort of guy. He picked up his beer for another long swallow as he shook his head. He wasn’t a forever sort of guy. Never had been, never would be.

  She’d be looking for Mister Dependable, and goddammit, he’d well-proven that that wasn’t him. Proved it ten years ago, in spades. Had the gravestone to show for it.

  Cole smiled as he leaned back against the bar. “This is definitely the toughest babysitting we’ve had to do in a while.”

  Decker nodded. “Agreed. We should probably get a bonus for tonight.” Suddenly Decker’s eyes moved to the edge of the dance floor and narrowed. Cole tried to follow them, but couldn’t see what Decker was looking at. “What’re you glaring at, Deck?”

  “Cowboys, two o’clock.”

  “Uh-oh. They enjoying the show, too?” Cole glanced their way, then back at Jess and Kyla. “Looks like we’re going to have to go be gallant.”

  Decker raised his eyebrows. “I’m sure it will be a huge challenge for you.”

  Cole slid off his barstool. “So what’s our plan?”

  “We dance.”

  “Come again?”

  “You heard me. We’d better grab the girls before the cowboys do. They look just drunk enough to be obnoxious.”

  What was wrong with him? He’d just convinced himself that he’d better not touch Kyla because he knew he wouldn’t be able to stop touching her, and now he was telling Cole they needed to go dance? Did he really think holding her silky, glittery body close was going to cool him down?

  “Well, a man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do.” Cole set down his beer and adjusted his hat. “Let’s go save the women.”

  * * *

  “Kyla, honey, don’t look now, but I’m afraid we’re attracting attention.”

  “From?”

  “Sketchy cowboys.”

  “Uh-oh. Stranger danger?” Kyla grinned, hands still in the air. “Think we should stop this crazy dancing? Damn. I was just getting into it!”

  “Nah.” Hayley put her fists up. “I can protect you both.” Her eyes shifted to her right. “Ooh! But maybe I won’t have to. I think some knights in shining … denim are headed this way.”

  Kyla looked behind her as she felt a strong hand on her arm. “Dance, m’lady?” Decker looked down, eyebrows raised playfully.

  “Um, sure?” Kyla glanced at Hayley and Jess, who winked as they backed away toward Cole.

  “Well that was a resounding yes,” Decker chuckled as he took her left hand in his right and put his other hand on her waist.

  “Sorry,” Kyla giggled. “It’s been a while since I’ve been asked to dance. I forgot proper protocol.”

  “Well, let me remind you, then. Proper protocol, when asked to dance by a man as staggeringly handsome and charming as I, is to swoon delicately and say yes.”

  Kyla looked up at his twinkling eyes. “I’ll keep that in mind for next time, thank you.”

  “Let’s try again. Would you like to dance?”

  Kyla pretended to pause for a thinking moment, then fluttered her hand in a fake swoon. “Why, yes, I would simply love to dance with you!”

  Decker smiled. “That’s better.” He pulled her a smidge closer and started shuffling his feet in a slow circle to match the tempo of the current song. She was certain she could feel every millimeter of the hand at her waist, and the hand holding hers was warm and strong, but so gentle.

  “Are you on official chaperone duty tonight? Is this part of the package—a dance with a handsome cowboy?” And how does this part fit in with the other part where you just disappeared outside for a quickie with your girlfriend?

  “I prefer staggeringly handsome, please. And yes, Cole and I are officially here to watch over the guests. But we’re not required to dance with them. I’m doing that by choice. Saving you from idiot cowboys with one too many drinks under their belts.”

  “That’s very gallant of you.” Great. It was a duty-dance. The little zings that were flying around her body refused to simmer down, even knowing that Decker was only holding her because he wanted to make sure she didn’t get accosted by a drunk cowboy.

  As they swayed, she peered around the bar, trying to spot Barbie, but she was nowhere in sight. Kyla was dying to ask what the story was between them, but really, it was none of her business. This was a dance. Nothing more. She needed to enjoy the moment for what it was—two-point-five minutes in the arms of a tall, dark stranger.

  In way too short a time, the song changed and Kyla started to extract herself, figuring she’d gotten her quota of Decker’s attention for the evening. However, his arms tightened gently around her. “Nope. Cowboy Moe over there is still waiting for a turn. I’m not giving him one.” He pulled back and looked at her face. “Unless you want to, I mean. I don’t mean to keep you to myself.”

  Kyla looked back at him for a long moment, then smiled and moved her hands up to rest clasped behind his neck. “I can’t think of anyone I’d rather be kept by.” Oh, goodness. Had she just said that?

  He smiled and put both of his hands around her waist, pulling her closer than was probably appropriate for a chaperone-guest relationship. “I’m here to serve.”

  “The brochure does say you’ll meet our every need.” Oh, Lordy. She seriously needed to be muzzled.

  “That it does, doesn’t it?” He chuckled. “Well, right now I think you need a nice, slow dance. Am I right?”

  Kyla nodded, tucking her cheek against his chest. Oh, what the hell. He was here, she was here, they were dancing. No more, no less. No expectations, no heartbreaks, right? “I really, really do.” As they swayed, she could hear his heartbeat, so solid and reassuring. She had a fleeting thought that if she could just listen to this all night, she wouldn’t have to be afraid anymore.

  * * *

  Decker leaned down just enough to take another long whiff of Kyla’s hair. She smelled like vanilla and cinnamon. And she felt good. So damn good. Just as he found himself hoping the deejay would play another slow song, Kyla made a soft sound and burrowed a little closer to his chest.

  Shit. This was not in the cards. He was not going to play with this woman. She wasn’t the fling type, and all he had in him was a fling mentality. Or had until the ridiculousness with Marcy. He could hardly remember what it even felt like to hold someone close. To feel the heat radiating off silky skin. To dive deep, deep, deep into the abyss.

  Tendrils of her hair brushed his hand, and before he could stop himself, he stroked his hand up her back, landing at the nape of her neck. He was dying to feel the softness, aching to run the silky strands through his calloused fingers.

  Again she made that soft sound, and he knew the smart thing to do right now would be to let go. As hard as he tried, though, he couldn’t. All he wanted to do was pull her closer, keep her safe from idiot cowboys and the rest of the universe. He w
anted to wrap his arms around her and feel her snuggle in with that giggle he could tell she hated.

  Shit. He was not supposed to feel this way. There was no room in his life for a woman like this. She’d have expectations. Standards. And a past that had knocked her silly somehow, given the panic attack he’d seen the other day. He longed for those things to steer him away, longed to fear those expectations. But dammit, more than anything else, he wanted to make her better.

  And that was the scariest part of all.

  He brought his hand up farther and stroked her hair softly, settling his chin gently on top of her head. In response, he felt her hands loosening, one of them trailing around his neck and down his collarbone.

  She looked up slowly, eyes locked on his, then on his lips. Her lips were soft, raspberry-red, moist. So completely damn kissable-looking. But he was in a bar, for God’s sake. It wasn’t like him to engage in random PDA with practical strangers. He couldn’t kiss her. Not here. Not now. Not ever.

  Her other hand left his neck and trickled upward to stroke his hair. Her cheeks looked like she’d overdone her makeup, so beautifully rosy. Was she feeling it, too? It sure seemed like it, but it’d been so long since he’d even tried to figure a woman out, he was afraid his signal-reading skills had gone completely to hell.

  But her eyes were locked on his, and though she probably didn’t even realize it, he could see the pulse in her throat doing a double-time dance. Dammit, he did have to kiss her. He could think of nothing but kissing her. He brought the hand in her hair around to her jaw, running his thumb over her bottom lip. In response, he felt her entire body quiver.

  God, yes. He definitely had to kiss her.

  * * *

  Kyla barely dared to breathe as Decker brought his hand from her hair around to caress her jaw. A shiver ran through her body at his touch, but she prayed he hadn’t noticed. For God’s sake, he was barely touching her, and she was ready to melt. How pathetic would that be? It was just a dance. Hottest dance ever, but still. Just a dance.

  Then he moved his thumb ever so gently along her lower lip, and she was pretty sure her knees were going to give out and send her to the floor in an embarrassing blob of lusty flesh. What was he doing?

  She looked at his eyes, and couldn’t look away. His pupils were dilated, and he was looking at her with an intensity she’d never quite seen before. They’d stopped shuffling their feet and were standing still in the middle of the dance floor. He slid his thumb to her chin and lifted it almost imperceptibly. His eyes moved to her lips, which parted before she had to think. Pulling her body closer, he leaned down until he was a hair’s breadth from her lips and she thought she might actually die of lust.

  “Decker! What are you doing?!” Kyla sprang out of her delirium one second before she registered the manicured hand coming at her face.

  Chapter 16

  Kyla closed her eyes and braced for the smack, but it didn’t come. She opened one eye to see Decker, hand gripping Barbie’s wrist. Of course. Who else would it be?

  Suddenly Cole was beside Decker, and Jess was gently pulling Kyla backward. The dance floor cleared around them, people gawking at the spectacle. Decker hadn’t let go of Barbie’s wrist, and she spouted fresh tears, aiming for the sympathy of the crowd. “Decker, honey. What’s going on?!”

  Kyla growled low in her throat. Decker, honey? What the hell was that about? She almost smacked her own forehead when she realized what had happened. No freakin’ way. Not again. Decker’d thought Barbie Doll here was gone for the night, so he’d decided to make a play for the guest-of-the-week.

  But uh-oh. Barbie wasn’t, in fact, gone. And now she was pissed. Really, really pissed.

  Jess stroked her arm as she pulled Kyla off the dance floor. Decker’s eyes were blazing as he led Barbie toward the other side of the room. “Shh. He’ll handle this. Don’t worry.”

  “I want to scratch her eyes out.” Kyla fisted her hands at her sides. “Or his.” She wasn’t sure who to go after first at this point. So close. She’d been so close to ecstasy. And it was just a kiss. A kiss with a man who was clearly involved with someone else. Of course. Why had she dared to believe it would be any other way?

  “So do I, sweetie. So do I.” Jess pulled her gently back toward their table, but Kyla couldn’t rip her eyes from Decker and Barbie. Decker had dropped her wrist and was shaking his head. She couldn’t see Barbie’s face, but she imagined the tears were still flowing. For a moment, Kyla actually felt sorry for her. Here Barbie’d been thinking Decker was wrapped around her little finger, and instead, he was on the verge of kissing a stranger in a bar.

  Kyla tried to breathe through the catch in her throat. Sympathizing with the girlfriend wasn’t really working. She’d been this close to the hottest kiss of her life, and now she’d have to live with a tainted memory, as the kiss had been about to come from yet another two-timing ass. It figured.

  She watched Decker as he left the dance floor, but he was hardly recognizable as the man who had just had her at full tingle with just the promise of a kiss. Now he just looked angry and annoyed. Served him right, for goodness’ sake. Had he really thought he could get away with kissing someone else in his own girlfriend’s town? What an idiot.

  Jess gave her a little nudge. “We’ll be right over here if you need us,” she whispered.

  Kyla’s chest jumped as Decker strode toward her. She crossed her arms as he got closer, unsure of what to say or do. He came to a stop about two feet from her and put his hands up as he shook his head. “I have no idea what you must be thinking right now. Are you … all right?”

  Kyla crossed her arms. “Completely fine, yes.” Except for all the parts that were ready to find an abandoned coat closet with you two minutes ago, that is.

  “I’m so sorry about that.”

  Kyla nodded slowly. “Me, too. Clearly you’re involved with someone else.”

  He startled, surprised at her words. “No, I’m really not. Really, really not. Marcy and I dated a while back. It was short, not very sweet, and ended about a month after it should have.”

  Kyla rocked back on her heels, studying him while the bar crowd went back to drinking and dancing. Show over. How could it be possible for him to turn out to be just like Wes? Did all men screw around? Was Decker lying, and was this Marcy person actually someone who did have a right to be pissed that her guy was about to kiss another girl?

  If she thought about it, he was in a perfect position to play around all summer long. A new group of hungry cougars came in every other Sunday, right? Really, how hard would it be to pick one each session and have some fun, then kiss her good-bye on Saturday and get ready for the next session?

  Her stomach felt sick as she realized her radar was apparently, officially broken. Thank goodness she’d realized it before it was too late this time. Small consolation, since her lips were still tingling in anticipation of Decker’s kiss, dammit.

  But as hot as he was, as hot as they might be, did Kyla want to be anywhere near this situation? No way, no how. Definitely not. She’d been the other woman once. That time she hadn’t known it. This time she would, and that was never going to happen.

  She took a deep breath and looked him straight in the eyes. “Look, I’m sorry this Marcy person is obviously still in love with you. And I’m doubly sorry I got in the middle of it tonight by dancing with you. You can assure her it was just a dance. Nothing else happened.”

  Decker took a step closer and lifted his hand toward her face, then put it down quickly as she stepped backward. He sighed, looking suddenly sad. “First, I won’t be telling her anything, as I don’t foresee having another conversation with her during my lifetime.” He paused, blowing out a breath, then finished quietly, leaning close to her ear. “And second, it was more than just a dance, Snow White. We both know that.”

  * * *

  “What’s the first item on the list this time?” Kyla steered Jess’s convertible into an angled slot on Main Street on Saturday m
orning. She’d gotten the driver’s seat due to the fact that she’d scored Worst Cowboy Bar Night Ever the night before.

  From the passenger seat, Jess read, “Best Coffee east of the Crazies.”

  Hayley yawned in the backseat. “Gotta love a scavenger hunt that starts with coffee.”

  Jess giggled as she read the sheet of paper. “It says here that we’re not allowed back at the ranch until after four o’clock. Apparently we can’t experience the full flavor of Carefree unless we stay in town for the entire day.”

  Hayley leaned over the front seats. “Did Ma include a map?”

  Kyla snorted. “Because a map helped us so much the last time?”

  Jess pulled another sheet of paper from behind the scavenger hunt list. “Why, yes, we have a map.” She looked more closely at the sheet of paper. “Though I’m not sure we’ll actually need one. It’ll be hard to get lost here, even for us.”

  Kyla pushed herself up out of the tiny car, wincing when her leg protested. Apparently her Zumba moves of last night were going to cost her today. Leaning on the car, she shook her leg, trying to loosen the kinks. What she really wanted to be doing right now was lounging on a porch swing with lemonade and a cheesy novel, but staying at the ranch would have meant being way too close to Decker. Better that she was here, in town, while he broke hearts elsewhere.

  She looked up at the cheerful green awning above the sidewalk, then at the big-paned window with a medicine cup on it. Petunias in pink, purple, and white spilled out of two huge whiskey barrels on either side of the white-painted doorway. Kyla took a long breath and let it out with a sigh. “Why can’t we have more petunias in Boston?”

  Jess consulted the map, then looked up and down the street. The downtown area they were in looked like it stretched for a couple of blocks north and south, with little east-west streets intersecting at antique stop signs, and a sweet little park right in the center. Main Street was just barely wide enough for two lanes of traffic and angled parking spaces on both sides.