“Cowboy,” I greet him like this is an everyday occurrence. Like men put their hands inside my clothing all the time. Casual. Nonchalant. But I feel anything but. I can’t stop myself from pressing into him. He just smiles before shocking me and touches his lips to mine.
“Angel,” he greets softly before gesturing to the bartender and my heart rate ratchets up in ever increasing increments.
“Ladies,” he tosses his greeting out easily.
“Sheriff,” Jen and Penny both answer at the same time.
He leans back against the bar facing me, one elbow flat with his feet crossed at the ankles a hint of laughter in his eyes.
“You drinkin’ tonight, Cowboy?”
He leans in, his mouth briefly hovering over mine and then he touches his lips to mine again and my stomach jumps as his tongue slides over my lips. It’s an I just won an Olympic gold medal jump, tingly thing.
“Got one, Angel.” He reaches around my body with his right hand snagging the bottle of water that magically appeared in front of me on the bar.
“No alcohol?”
“Not on duty.”
“Gotta be alert to round up all them there troublemakers in this here one horse town?” I tease in my best cowboy western accent and take a sip of my Amaretto sour through my little cocktail straw.
“Something like that.” His chocolate-brown eyes crinkle at the corners in a manner I find fascinating, drawing a bigger smile from me. His eyes focus on my mouth again before traveling lower.
Looking down, I notice my nipples are poking out hard against the soft jersey material of my dress. Just great! I can’t help it though. As soon as his scent infiltrated my nostrils from behind me and I’d felt the heat of his body, arousal spiked in my blood and rushed like a runaway train to all my girly parts.
With one arm bent, he takes a large swallow from the new bottle of water. He all but removes what little clothes I’m wearing with his heated gaze. I can’t look away from him and his eyes don’t stray from me in the slightest. I watch him intently, noticing as the apple of his cheek lifts as one corner of his mouth quirks and the dimple deepens and flashes.
My tongue peeps out to wet my suddenly dry lips as that damn sexy Adam’s apple bobs with each pull of the bottle. He slowly lowers the bottle replacing the cap and sets it back on the bar.
“I believe we have some things to talk about, Angel.”
My cell buzzes and I cock a brow.
He holds up his hands. “Not me this time, Angel.”
I pick up my phone where it lay on the bar and as soon as I see who the text is from I feel all the color drain from my face.
I blanch when Cooper touches my cheek. “Who’s the message from?”
I can’t answer right away.
“Words.”
And that’s all he says and I know what he means. I need to acknowledge and answer not shrug everything off. I need to take control of the things going on in my life. That’s an extreme way of thinking, but right now it’s helping me to understand why he wants me to say things out loud. There can be no misunderstanding when you say the words out loud. But because I can’t seem to push the words out of my mouth, I hand over my phone.
His left hand slides from its resting place in my dress and I sit with my hands folded tightly in my lap as he reads the message. His face hardens. His lips thin into a grim line, his nostrils flare, and his knuckles go white where they grip the phone.
I touch his hand. “Hey?”
He looks up and his face softens when he focuses on me, but I still see the anger lingering in his eyes.
“Why did you wait until today to tell me he’s been sending this shit to you?”
I shrug, then quickly add, “I didn’t want it to be a big deal.”
“It became a big deal when he ripped your hospital gown from your body, Angel.”
My chin dips. “You know what I mean.”
“Has he done anything else? Called? Stopped by the store? Stopped by your cottage?”
“He called me last night. He called today.”
“Angel.”
“I didn’t want to disturb you last night, but I sent you a text tonight.”
He pulls out his phone and scrolls through his messages. His jaw rolls like he’s pissed and he pinches the bridge of his nose between his finger and thumb. “Fuck, Angel. I missed it,” he says in a clipped tone.
“It’s fine, Cowboy.”
“It’s not fuckin’ fine, Angel.” I can tell he’s way more than pissed. “Did you tell Merrick? Colt?”
I shake my head. “No.”
He gets close, his hand grips my nape, and he forces me to look him in the eye. His voice so low, no one else can hear. “Don’t ever do that again.” Gold glints in his eyes and I know he’s fighting mad. Not at me, but mad at Nate for doing his best to scare me. “No matter the time or day, you pick up your fuckin’ phone and call me. You got it?”
“Got it.”
His mouth brushes my ear, his breath hot against my skin making my toes curl. All the air empties my body. “I’ve got to get back to work, Angel, but we have things to discuss.” He straightens, turning towards Penny and Jen. “Ladies.”
I watch him greedily as he walks out of the bar.
“That power is hot,” Jen gushes.
Penny grabs my knee and spins me on the barstool to face her. “Fuckin’ wrapped around your little finger.” And for emphasis, she wiggles her little finger in front of my face.
I panic a little at that reference. Well, maybe a lot. I’m not for sure if I’m ready to have anyone wrapped around my little finger. Freaks me the fuck out. “I’ve got to go.” I blurt out. My impatience to leave the bar is almost tangible. I slide off my stool onto my five-inch silver glitter peep-toe heels.
“Hey, where are you going?” Penny cries out. “I thought you were done for the night?”
“I just realized I forgot to close out a couple of things.” I flash what I hope passes for an apologetic look. “I’ve got some work to finish up before I can go home.” I point in the direction of my office. “Don’t have time to just sit around.”
“Party pooper,” Jen calls.
I race out of the bar as fast as I can in my shoes, pushing through the crowd and not really paying attention to where I’m going until I run smack dab into a big, warm wall. I glance up. Cooper’s eyes are crinkled at the corners and there's a smile in his voice. “In a hurry, Angel?” His strong hands grip my arms to steady me.
I push at his chest. “Yeah.” I turn and start walking away. “What of it,” I call over my shoulder. My wrist is tagged before I make it very far and he twists me around, throwing me up against his rock-hard wall of a chest and flat, sexy abs making my nipples tingle at the touch of his body through my clinging jersey knit dress. My head falls back on a huff as I glare up at him with my eyebrows pulled together. I’m a little angry and a lot aroused.
“There goes that mouth again, Angel.” His look is decidedly predatory and ravenously hungry.
“So?” I tap my toes loudly on the marble floor.
“Did I ever tell you what my favorite color is, Angel?” His voice slides over me like velvet, thick, yet soft and sensuous.
“Nope,” I retort, sarcasm clearly oozing from that one word. “And I don’t recall askin’ either.”
He leans close to my ear and nips on my lobe. Then he swipes his tongue over the flesh to ease the sting. “Red,” he practically growls.
Crossing my arms over my chest, my foot continues tapping out a rapid staccato of irritation. “And your point is…” I let my sentence trail off.
His hot gaze rakes over me as one arm tautens around my waist and he works his fingers back into the side of my dress while his other hand slides slowly up my arm until his palm lays flat against my jaw. His thumb skims over my bottom lip, his lips hover less than an inch from mine, and I stop breathing all together.
“That’s the color your ass is going to be the next time you give m
e this attitude.”
A delicious thrill rolls through my body even though I’m irritated. Even though there are a multitude of thoughts racing around in my head. I try to pull back but his arms are bands of steel around me and I can’t move.
“Damn, I wish I didn’t have to work tonight.” The intensity of his gaze sends a shudder down my spine. “My dick’s so hard right now. Are you wearing any panties?”
“You know damn well I’m wearing panties. You were touching them a few minutes ago Get your mind out of the gutter.” Heat roars through me and not in a bad way. “Besides, I won’t be home until late anyway.” I continue glaring.
His mouth turns up in a lopsided grin that sends little flippy-floppy things tumbling through my belly again. Heat flares in his chocolaty eyes making saliva pool in my mouth.
“Damn.” He covers my mouth with his, hot, deep, and demanding. And definitely not caring if anyone else is watching. He parts my lips with his mouth, his tongue sweeps in making my nipples bunch hard, crafting an ache something fierce and a disturbing warmth spreads from my belly and drifts lower.
He takes a step back and slides his hand from my dress. His eyes now focused between my thighs and where the hem of my dress had ridden even higher on the tops of my legs. I almost laugh when he has to jerk his gaze back up to mine. His brown eyes burn with recognizable flames that give him a sensual, warrior like appearance and I gasp out a cry when he spins me around on my spikey heels.
“Later, Angel.” I hear the grin in his voice and then he swats my backside making me do a little hop, stopping on my toes before my heels touch the floor again. The swat generates additional liquid heat at the juncture of my thighs. “Now get back to work.” He nudges me forward with the flat of his hand at the base of my spine.
I stop abruptly, but don’t turn. My voice coming out sounding as if he’d strangled me instead of kissed me. “Later, Cowboy.”
“Don’t wear yourself out too much, Angel. I’ve got plans for you.”
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. He’s getting a little too big for his britches.
Arrogant sonofabitch.
Sexy as hell, arrogant, cocky as a motherfucker sonofabitch.
He chuckles low and dark.
Scratch that. He’s a sexy as hell, arrogant, cocky as a motherfucker sonofabitch jerk.
“How’d that make you feel, Angel?”
I stiffen at his words. Was I that transparent? I pivot on my heels to meet his gaze as it makes a sweeping gesture down my body. A smile teasing the edges of his lips.
I stomp back to him, my heels clicking loudly, getting as close as I can. Placing my hands on his shoulders, I lift up on my tip-toes which almost brings me to his eye level.
“Damn you’re feisty tonight.” He releases a throaty chuckle.
“Damn straight, Cowboy.”
He gives me a look and I swear to God in Heaven, my labia swells plump and full with just that one hot look. They nearly explode when his callused hands drift down my sides wrap around my waist and lift me completely off the floor.
“You’re begging for my hand.”
The pit of my stomach drops and my lashes flutter. “You wish.”
“Why is that?” Cooper inquires dryly, his grin transforming his face to earth-shattering gorgeousness.
I shrug. “I’ve got my reasons.” My arms cross belligerently over my chest while he continues holding me off the ground. My breathing turns shallow as he slowly lowers me to the floor with my body sliding down his body. His hands at my hips pull me between his spread legs. Close. His thick erection pressing into my belly magnificently.
He holds my gaze with his heavy-lidded one as he rotates his hips in slow, sensual circles, dragging his cock against my pussy and I gasp as my clit tingles and burns at the soft circular motions.
“You think too much.” He gives me a slow, drugging kiss and arousal blasts through me. Slanting his head, his arms lock around my waist and he takes the kiss deeper making me feel out of control.
My lungs burn from all the extra effort and I feel lightheaded, until he finally releases my lips and I’m able to draw a deep breath. It takes a full five seconds for my brain to even process that his lips are no longer latched on to mine. My fingers dig into his biceps. I whisper, “I have to get back to work.” I move my hands to his shoulders feeling his muscles bunch under my palms.
“Me too.” Another of his wicked grins spreads across his face. “I’m afraid I’ve been distracted by an angel.” He nibbles a path down my throat. “I feel sorry for this town tonight. I don’t think I can concentrate even if my life depended on it.”
“Hopefully it won’t come to that.” A flicker of amusement crosses my features before I lay my head back giving him better access to my neck. I sigh in rapture when he takes full advantage of my position and forget that I’m supposed to be irritated with him because of the club. Weak, weak, woman. “Call and tell ‘em you suddenly don’t feel so well.”
He lifts his lips from my neck, his mouth quirked in a wry smile. “They know where I am.” He strokes over my hip and I wiggle. “They know how I feel about you.” His fingers brush over my thigh causing me to jerk. “They know what you look like.” He lifts my skirt a little higher than lets it drop. “They would never, ever, in a million years believe that I came down with anything more debilitating than a raging hard-on.” He swirls his tongue softly on my ear and my pulse flutters.
“Now didn’t you say you had some work to finish?” His fingertip drags playfully down the slope of my nose with his head cocked to one side.
I push at his chest so roughly I find myself precariously off balance when he doesn’t budge. “You’re impossible.”
He chuckles wickedly and I take that opportunity to skip quickly away from him.
“Later,” I call, barely getting out of his reach this time when he grabs for my wrist again. Glancing over my shoulder, I blow him a kiss. He grins in a way that insures I know I’m definitely in trouble before catching my kiss and putting it in his right front shirt pocket and patting it with his big hand giving an exaggerated wink.
I only have one life to live, right?
As I walk away my phone buzzes I don’t look at it until I’m sitting down at my desk.
TONIGHT!
Chapter Twenty
Look the person to whom you speak in the eye
I answer my phone when I see his name pop up on the caller id and desire swamps me at the idea of hearing his voice again. The fact that I’ll be listening to it while leaning against the circular host desk in the three story Queen Anne style Victorian home with gingerbread trim only adds to the warm fuzziness I’m already feeling.
“How about that burger?”
“No ‘Hi’?”
“Sorry,” I hear the chagrin in his voice at my amused reprimand. “Hi, Angel.”
“Must be busy tonight.”
“Got a deputy out tonight, so just having to work double time to get shit done.” He pauses. “So what do you say?”
I hold the phone between my shoulder and ear and glance down at my watch. “It’s one o’clock in the morning.”
“So? You still need to eat don’t you?”
“There’s only one place in town that’s open all night.”
“We only need one.”
“Funny.”
“Then I’ll meet you there.”
My eyes drop back down to my watch. “Give me thirty minutes?”
“I’ll give you as much time as you need, Angel.”
***
“No really, my parents still live in Nashville and my dad’s a retired police officer,” he says before taking a sip of his hot coffee. I like how his hand wraps firmly around the mug and he squints his eyes while looking through the steam rising out of the mug.
“Ah…so that’s what got you into this business.” I look up over my burger right before I take another large bite. My eyes fall closed and I know my expression is one of pure rapture as the greasy mess enters my
mouth. I missed eating burgers while I was with Nate. I can see the look of horror that would be on Nate’s face the entire time I chew and when I swallow I can’t help but have a feeling of power pass through me. I’m still the boss of my life. No matter some of my needs. Take that, you fuckin’ bastard!
My eyes open after that and I can see that he’s smiling even though he’s chewing. It’s always in his face. Just like it’s always in his voice. I really do like him. A lot.
He’s not wearing his usual uniform tonight. More like it’s casual Friday or something. Thick boots, which are sexy enough, without adding the khaki cargo pants that make my mouth water. It’s ‘cause I’m crazy. I think cargo pants make a man’s ass look divine and his is no exception. The black polo shirt with the sheriff’s department logo displayed prominently on the left side of his chest fits him like a glove. His belt includes all of the usual paraphernalia that an officer of the law needs to carry including his gun and a shiny badge. Needless to say, he looks super good.
“I guess.” He swallows his last bite of burger. “That and one too many episodes of Law and Order.” His biceps bulge and flex when he picks up something as insignificant as a napkin and wipes his mouth. Oddly sexy.
“So let me get this straight, Cowboy. You made a major life decision based on a TV show, yet you find it humorous that I quoted lines from TV shows when you rescued me?” I dip a fry into the large dollop of ketchup on my plate sprinkled with some extra salt on top before stuffing it into my mouth and chewing as he fights a grin.
“Not the same.” He reaches towards my plate, snags a fry, swiping it in the ketchup, and shoves it into his mouth all before I can even open mine to protest. So I just lift my brow instead.
“What?” He flashes his dimples which really isn’t playing fair. “You eat too slowly.”
I sit back against the vinyl booth, crossing my arms over my chest lifting one perfectly tweezed, auburn brow. “You got some place else to be, Cowboy?”
“In manner of speaking,” he replies in a gravelly voice sitting back against his side of the booth, and for whatever reason, one that I might never find out, the creak of the vinyl does something to me that shouldn’t be done in a public place.
When You Only Need To Ask (The House of Siin) Page 23
