Dangerous Curves Ahead 2 (Cowboy / BBW Erotic Romance)

by Arabella Quinn

  “Sure, I’ll take pity on you and come along. But you’re going to owe me one.” It was better not to show her how eager I was to get out. Besides, having her owe me a favor was sure to come in handy sometime.

  Jenna sounded relieved. “Oh thank God! You’re the best. I’ll pick you up around ten. Oh, and dress comfortably, jeans or something, we’re going to be doing a lot of walking. But make sure you look nice, too. Er, there could be lots of cute guys at the zoo.”

  I rolled my eyes. “I’ll be sure to wear my best jeans. I’m sure all the monkeys will appreciate it at least.”

  “Thanks. You’re not going to regret this!” The background noise was getting louder. “And really, just try to look nice – all jokes aside. Maybe I’ll be able to persuade you to go out after we get rid of the rug rats.”

  I laughed at her persistence. “Okay, I’ll make sure I’m presentable. Have fun tonight and I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”

  “See you tomorrow. Bye.” She hung up.

  It was still fairly early, but now that I had plans for the next day, I decided to turn in for the night. Hopefully, with my hands full keeping an eye on two energetic toddlers, I wouldn’t spare a single thought to the treacherous hunk, Jake.

  In the morning, I ate a leisurely breakfast and then got ready for the day ahead. Jenna's strange comments about looking nice must have gotten to me, because I paid extra attention to my appearance. I blow-dried and styled my hair instead of just throwing it into a ponytail.

  I must have already subconsciously picked out my outfit, because I moved to the closet and picked out a purple wrap-around top that showed off my natural assets without being too flashy. Then I dug through my pile of jeans until I got to a favorite. Those particular jeans were ungodly expensive, but when I put them on and they hugged my curves in all the right places, I almost felt sexy.

  Noting that Jenna would arrive soon, I quickly got dressed. I found my most comfortable pair of black boots, with just a small heel, to finish the outfit. A few pieces of casual jewelry and a splash of perfume and I was ready for the day.

  I tossed a few items of makeup into my purse for later, in case we went out to dinner afterwards and glanced into the full-length mirror. No, I'd never be a fashion model, but with the right clothes, I looked damned good. Any man would be lucky to be with me. Take that Jake! I laughed at my little pep talk. I highly doubted there would be stunning men like Jake to impress at the zoo.

  Jenna arrived promptly at ten with her niece and nephew already settled into the backseat, chattering non-stop.

  She assessed my appearance as I got into the car. "Wow, Krista. You look good. I hope you're not wearing granny panties under all that."

  "I don't even own any granny panties, thank you very much. Why are you so interested in my panties, Jenna? Your fixation on my appearance is getting a little creepy," I teased light-heartedly.

  Jenna glanced into the backseat, but the kids were paying no attention to us. "Sorry. It's just that you seemed so down this week, especially after that whole Jake debacle. I'm glad to see that it hasn't shaken your confidence, that's all."

  I shifted uncomfortably in my seat at the sound of his name. "I'm certainly not going to let Jake bother me. In fact, I haven't even thought about him once this week. I've completely erased him from my mind."

  Jenna smirked in disbelief. "Uh huh. And I'm sure you haven't thought once about that sexy body of his or those fantastic orgasms he gave you?"

  I protested, "It may have crept into my thoughts one or two times, but I'm trying not to remember all that. And you're not helping."

  Jenna shook her head. "Sorry. I'm just trying to figure out why you would let a man like that walk away without at least giving him a chance to explain."

  "Explain what exactly? How he used me? How he tricked me? The whole thing is humiliating enough. Can't we just drop it?" I felt tears gathering behind my eyelids.

  Jenna could never understand. She put herself out there so easily. Men came and went, usually at her direction. It was rare for a man to show interest in me. And with a man like Jake, I usually ran from the inevitable pain of rejection before it even became a possibility. This one time that I didn't, I got burned.

  Jenna sighed. "Alright. Don't get upset. I won't bring him up again. I thought we'd go to the park for a little bit. The kids’ favorite park is out in the country somewhere. I have the directions plugged into the GPS, so we should be there in 45 minutes."

  I leaned back against the seat, trying to compose myself. "This must be some amazing park - 45 minutes away?"

  Jenna looked side-ways at me. "Well, it's sort of on the way to the zoo."

  Looking back at the kids, I saw they were still happily occupied. "As long as they don't start getting bored, we should be good. I hope there's a duck pond at this park. I love feeding the ducks."

  Jenna snorted, but remained strangely silent. Unfortunately, I had trouble shaking the image of Jake from my head. I sat lost in thought quietly watching the scenery fly by as we headed to the park.

  Almost a forty minutes later, we left the highway and began traveling secondary roads. After miles of empty countryside, I snapped out of my reverie and began growing concerned. "Jenna, are we lost?"

  Jenna glanced at the GPS. "Nope. We should be there in five minutes."

  I was growing suspicious. "Why are we going to a park in the middle of nowhere? I bet there are dozens of parks closer to us-"

  "This particular park has a lot of nice features. Trust me." She spoke a little too hastily.

  Now I was on full alert. "When you say 'trust me'- I know I'm in trouble. What's going on?"

  Jenna's fingers tapped nervously on the steering wheel. "This is all for your own good, Krista. Someday you'll thank me for this."

  Oh no! My eyes narrowed as I demanded answers. "You better tell me right this instant, Jenna. What is going on?"

  She glanced at the GPS unit when it announced the upcoming turn to take. "You'll find out soon enough. Now just relax. And remember, the kids are in the car, so no yelling or cursing when we get there."

  No yelling or cursing? Using her niece and nephew to buffer my response was pretty devious. This was going to be bad.

  I sat glaring at her. "I can't even begin to imagine what you have planned. But, if you think for one moment…"

  My voice trailed off as I saw the fancy gated archway straddling a private drive springing up in the middle of the endless surrounding prairie on the left side of the road. Massive stone pillars spanned the sides of the unpaved road and supported an elaborately carved wooden sign that read, The Crenshaw Ranch.

  Panic started to infuse my body as Jenna began slowing down the car. I vaguely noticed her worried looks in my direction, but my eyes would not budge from the black pickup truck parked just beyond the opened gate.

  The door to the pickup truck opened when Jenna pulled off the road and onto the dusty drive. She parked in front of the massive gateway. My heart skipped a beat as I watched the man descend from the truck. It was Jake. And he looked as breathtakingly sexy as ever.

  "Breathe, Krista," Jenna ordered. "Damn, that man is gorgeous."

  I sat frozen while I watched Jake approach. His well-worn jeans fit him like a second pair of skin and his button-down shirt was rolled up at the sleeves showing off his strong forearms. This time he wore a black cowboy hat, but it didn't look like a shiny new replacement of the one I threw away. It looked like a natural part of his everyday attire.

  His hat, his boots and his large silver belt buckle all marked him as a cowboy, just as he had told me. But it was his strong, muscled physique and his confident swagger that had my heart racing. This man was dangerous to any living, breathing woman.

  Dylan began complaining from the backseat, "Aunt Jenna, this park doesn't look like fun."

  Jenna turned to her nephew, "We're just dropping off Krista and then we're going to the park."

  I dragged my eyes away from the sight of Jake approachin
g. "Oh no you're not! Jenna, this time you’ve-"

  Jenna flashed me a warning look. "Hold it. Out of the car before you start complaining."

  Not wanting to scare the children, I hopped out of the car before Jake got too close. "Jenna, this is ridiculous, even for you. How could you do this to me? You better get me out of here right now!"

  She shook her head. "No way. Not until you talk to Jake."

  Even though I didn't turn towards him, I could sense exactly when Jake reached my side. My heart was pounding furiously as I heard his voice so close to me.

  "Hi Krista. I'm glad you decided to come out today."

  I spun around to face him, gasping at the site of the boyish smile on his face. Anger at being manipulated mixed in with my nervous panic. "I didn't decide on anything!"

  He looked genuinely puzzled. "If you didn't decide to come out with me, what are you doing here?"

  His body, so close to my own, was having a devastating effect on me. A jolt of awareness washed over me as I remembered exactly what that very body did to me; how it had left me writhing in bliss and shuddering in uncontrollable response.

  I swallowed hard, angry at my body's betrayal. "That's exactly what I'm about to find out."

  When I turned back to Jenna to demand some answers, I was surprised once again. She was already back inside the car. With a wave of her hand, she drove off leaving me stranded next to the handsome cowboy, yet again.

  After a few moments of shocked silence, I closed my gaping mouth. "I can't believe she just did that to me."

  Jake shifted uncomfortably by my side. “You really didn’t agree to come out on a date with me? She said that she had convinced you to give me another chance.”

  I turned back to Jake. "No, I thought we were taking her niece and nephew to the zoo. Instead, she dumps me off in the middle of nowhere with you. What a disaster! I'm going to kill her when I get my hands on her. For all she knows, she just deserted me with an axe murderer."

  Jake protested, "Whoa. I've been called many things before, but never an axe murderer.”

  I found it hard to resist his teasing smile. “Well, I don’t think you’re an axe murderer. But she doesn't even know you and yet she hatches this plan with you behind my back? It’s unbelievable.”

  Jake held up his hand. “First of all, I didn’t hatch any plans. I thought you had agreed to come. And, Jenna does know me. We've met for lunch this past week, twice in fact, and let me tell you, your friend could work for the CIA. She knows how to get information out of people. I've never been grilled so hard in my life. And I believe I passed her very vigorous screening.”

  Jenna had lunch with Jake. Twice! Behind my back? I tried to tamp down the jealousy that immediately twisted in my gut. Even if she was misguidedly doing this on my behalf, I still felt somewhat betrayed. I chastised myself. I wasn’t jealous; I was angry. I couldn’t let my sexual attraction to this man override my common sense.

  I think Jake could sense my wavering. “Your friend was satisfied that my intentions weren’t bad. How about you give me a chance to prove to you that I'm not a liar or a rotten person?”

  I really wanted to give him a second chance. If all he had wanted from me was the typical one-night stand, I would never have heard from him again. Considering the effort he went through to see me, I could almost convince myself to overlook everything. But the one thing that really bothered me was the fake name.

  Only a cowardly or immature man would use a false name when meeting a woman, so that he could melt away from the scene with relative ease when he had gotten what he was after. Could I overlook that, too?

  I crossed my arms. “Well, you could start off by telling me your name. Your real name.”

  Jake smiled. It was almost as if he knew that he had already won. It wasn’t an arrogant smile, but a carefree and devilish smile. And it was probably that smile that was my undoing more than the words that followed it.

  “It’s Jake. Jenna told me about the hat. I borrowed the hat from some guy at the bar when I heard you and your friends talking about looking for a cowboy for the night. It’s rather embarrassing to be caught doing something so juvenile. But, I promise you that I don’t know any Neil or Cassie.”

  The explanation was so simple. I shrugged, “I guess it’s no more embarrassing than having my ridiculous conversation about orgasms overheard.”

  Jake looked relaxed, but he was watching me carefully. “I promised you a date riding at the ranch, and I meant every word of it. I was relieved when Jenna said you had agreed to come. I thought we could clear up any misunderstandings and get to know each other better. But, if you’re not interested, I could take you home instead.”

  His offhand remark about the date to go riding had thrilled me at the time. Remembering it later, thinking it had been all part of his lies, had crushed me. My emotions were bouncing around so much, I no longer knew what to think, but I couldn’t deny that a warmth was spreading through my limbs. Was this really happening to me?

  I looked down at my outfit. “I would love to, but I’m not really prepared to go riding. And I haven’t been on a horse in years. I don’t know…”

  Jake stepped towards me and wrapped his arm around my shoulder. “You’ll be fine. We’ll take it easy.”

  I felt a quiver of anticipation as Jake began leading me toward his truck. “I guess I’m at your mercy then.” I resisted the urge to fan myself as we walked together.

  ****

  Jake took a furtive peek in Krista’s direction. She seemed much more relaxed. When Jenna sped off leaving Krista stranded and surprising them both, Jake had wondered if his chance was ruined. Luckily for him, his instincts about her had been correct.

  She was a straight-forward and honest woman, but she didn’t lack a sense of humor. And seeing her again reminded him why he wanted that second chance so badly. Even dressed for a casual day out, she looked utterly sexy. Just one look at her had his mind racing with wicked thoughts. He had to keep himself in check before he frightened her off for good.

  “I picked out a gentle mare for you, since you haven’t been in the saddle for quite a while. I thought we’d ride out towards the west side of the property- the scenery is gorgeous and there’s a spot out by the lake that’s perfect for a picnic.”

  Krista smiled. “That sounds nice.”

  They drove within sight of Jake’s family home. Instead of turning into the long drive toward his home, he continued toward the stables.

  Krista studied the giant farmhouse as they drove by. “Is that the Crenshaw’s home?”

  Jake glanced at her. “Yes. You sound almost disappointed.”

  She turned to watch it as they passed by. “I’m just surprised. It’s huge, but I thought it’d be fancier considering they’re one of the wealthiest families in the state.”

  Something about her reaction had him on guard. “The main part of the house was built over a hundred years ago, but it was added onto many times over the years. The inside is completely modernized though.”

  “Do you live here on the ranch, too?” Krista turned to him.

  Now was his chance to tell her he was a Crenshaw. He was uneasy about her reaction to the news. Never before had he ever felt that his wealth would be an actual detriment in the eyes of a woman he was pursuing. Even so, he needed to come clean before it got awkward.

  “I do live here. In fact-”

  Krista excitedly cut him off as the stables came into sight. “Whoa. The stables are huge! Jake, are you sure I can handle this? I haven’t ridden in so long, but I’m just so excited at the chance to get to do so again. I hope it all comes back to me.”

  Jake smiled at the enthusiasm bubbling up from her. “Don’t worry, it will.”

  The lot was full of trucks and horse trailers. He parked his truck next to a beat up red pickup and got out. Krista was already out by the time he got to the other side of his truck to open her door.

  “I guess you’re ready. Let’s go find the horses.” Jake gra
bbed her hand and led the way into the stable yard.

  The stables were humming with activity. It was unusually busy, even for a Saturday. “The ranch is hosting a horse show tomorrow, so lots of preparations are underway.”

  Krista seemed to be hanging back slightly as they walked amongst the bustling chaos. “Jake, maybe we should do this another day. I don’t want to get in the way…”

  He suppressed a laugh. “We won’t be in anyone’s way. The horses are saddled and lunch is already prepared.”

  She still sounded reluctant. “Okay, I guess. Are you sure no one is going to mind?”

  This time he couldn’t hold back his laugh. “I promise, I won’t get you in any trouble.”

  He saw her doubting glance. She still didn’t trust him fully, but that was probably a good thing. She was definitely astute.

  Jake led her over to their waiting horses. The groom, Ryan, must have been watching for them. He sauntered over and met them at the horses.

  Ryan nodded in greeting. “Jake. Mrs. Cole sent down your lunch. It’s loaded up and ready. Is there anything else you need?”

  Jake could feel Krista trying to extract her hand from his own, but he held on tightly. “Krista, this is the head groom, Ryan.”

  Ryan tipped his hat. “Nice to meet you, ma’am.”

  Krista smiled. “Hi, Ryan.”

  “I don’t think we need anything else. Krista, is there anything you need before we leave?” Jake turned to see Krista blushing slightly.

  She shook her head. “No. I’m good.”

  Ryan nodded. “You two have a good time then. Henry will take care of your horses when you get back.” He tipped his hat to Krista and then left.

  Krista tried to wiggle her hand free from his again. “Jake, let go. People are noticing us. They might get the wrong idea.”

  Jake took pity of her embarrassment and let go of her hand. He knew most of the people present, and the ones he didn’t, certainly knew who he was. She was right, they were attracting some attention.