Summer of the Cougar (Cougar Challenge)

by Nicole Austin

  He parked close to the detached garage and moved around the truck to help her down from the elevated cab. The confused look on her face when he opened the garage and lifted the two-seater kayak from a set of hooks was priceless.

  He found it hard to believe he was delaying what they both wanted. But he couldn’t deny the strong need to delve deeper and get to know the intriguing woman first. He’d learned enough about her to know that if given an inch she’d launch a strenuous protest to his plans. JD didn’t give her the chance. He had the kayak in the water and Rissa settled in the forward seat before she could voice her frustration. Using the edge of his paddle, he pushed off from shore.

  They’d remained quiet other than his instructions for navigating, but once comfortable with the slow and easy glide of the kayak, Rissa visibly relaxed, allowing her inquisitive mind and adventurous nature to take over.

  “The river seems endless. How long is it?”

  “More than fifty miles. Runs all the way from Pasco County to Tampa Bay.”

  “It’s rather…swampy.”

  He chuckled over her scrunched-up expression of distaste. “The river starts in the Green Swamp.”

  “Oh.” Flat and unenthusiastic.

  As they floated along, he pointed out bald cypresses and longleaf pines as well as various wildlife. Considering her wary reactions, he decided not to point out the water snake weaving its way around her paddle. He had no interest in going swimming if she panicked and rocked the boat.

  “That’s a strange-looking log.”

  They floated closer and JD bit his tongue to remain quiet. Several turtles and a mature, eight-foot-long gator sunned themselves on the log Rissa had her gaze locked on. When she realized why the log appeared odd her entire body tensed and she let out a sharp whimper.

  “There’s no need to get upset. He’s just enjoying the nice sunny day, same as everyone else.”

  “Y-you didn’t tell me there are alligators in here.”

  “How long have you lived in Florida?” He didn’t wait for her answer. “There are gators in almost every body of fresh water, honey.”

  Rissa’s wild gaze shot around, taking in the other people calmly maneuvering their small boats along the waterway. With the sound of her heart pounding in her ears, she made a conscious effort to regulate her erratic breathing. No one else looked alarmed by the presence of a huge, prehistoric reptile and its mouth full of bone-crushing teeth. And JD projected a relaxed confidence that should be reassuring.

  Yeah but how long have you known him?

  A little over twenty-four hours. She barely knew the hunky man. He could be a deranged murderer who lured women out to this deceptively peaceful river to chop them up and feed the pieces to the gators, effectively disposing of any evidence. Hadn’t people thought infamous serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer to be handsome, intelligent and charming? At least until police discovered his gruesome propensity for rape, torture, dismemberment, necrophilia and cannibalism.

  A sharp peal of humorless laughter burst from her lips. Damn, she hated when her overactive imagination broke free.

  “Rissa? Are you okay? If you’re not up to this or are too afraid, we can turn around and head back.”

  Oh hell no! The challenge was on now. No way would she tell him to turn back. If JD and all these other idiots were able to conquer the big, bad swamp-river with all its creepy wildlife then so would she.

  “Nope.” Squaring her shoulders, she paddled with new determination and drive. “I’m fine.”

  The more she thought about it, the more she questioned his sanity and motives. She’d made it clear she wanted to fuck and instead he’d brought her kayaking. What red-blooded man passed up an easy lay?

  “So how long have you been a teacher?”

  And what was with all the personal questions? JD insisted on complicating things, which boggled her mind. Countless female friends had complained their men didn’t want to talk or get involved in their lives. She’d thought most young men would give their left nut to find a non-clingy woman who wanted to have no-strings, casual sex with them. Apparently, JD wasn’t one of them.

  “Forever.” She glanced over her shoulder and considered him. “Are you gay?”

  When he recovered from a choking fit, she felt him glare a hole in the back of her head. “Why the hell would you ask that?”

  “I all but gave you an engraved invitation to take me to bed. Instead you bring me out here.” She shrugged. “You’re hot as hell, muscular, young and sexy. In a word—perfect. All the perfect ones are either married or gay.”

  A sickening knot formed in her stomach. Rissa would not sleep with a cheater. “Please tell me you’re not married.”

  “Nope. Not married, divorced or gay. Don’t have any kids. Haven’t been in a committed relationship in some time.”

  She sighed in relief.

  “What about you?”

  Great, they’d come full circle to the serious personal relationship questions she’d tried to avoid. Fine. She’d give him the same rapid emotionless response. “Widowed, two kids, both off to college. No lesbian tendencies—not that there’s anything wrong with that. Not committed to anyone.” She turned again to meet his intense stare. “Not interested in serious entanglements so you can relax, I won’t be trying to drag you to the altar.”

  She turned back around in time to notice a snake dangling from a tree branch way too close for comfort. With a pronounced shudder, she paddled faster.

  “What are you looking for, Rissa?”

  Not much. Success in the cougar challenge and a good time.

  This one question she actually appreciated. Recognizing the opportunity, she didn’t sugarcoat or evade answering. By making her intentions clear they’d avoid any uncomfortable misunderstandings or messy emotional stuff.

  “I just want to have fun.”

  Calling on every ounce of his self-control, JD still almost laughed right in her face. She had herself convinced but he didn’t buy the detached attitude for a second. He’d been hit on by enough good-time girls that he could spot one a mile away.

  The more time he spent with her, the more apparent the truth became. They were out on the river for several hours. He listened carefully, picked up her silent cues and read between the lines. Rissa Cross wasn’t hard to figure out, and regardless of what she wanted him to believe, she was far from a casual fuck.

  All the clues were there. She refused to share personal information, hoping it would keep emotional distance between them. But she’d messed up when she left discussing his life an open and acceptable topic though. Rissa greedily devoured all the details he shared. Getting to know him she started to genuinely like him, which made her interested in knowing more.

  Her emotions were already involved whether she admitted it to herself or not. Each one was easy to see in her expressive features and soulful eyes. Not that he’d been able to watch her expression in the kayak but he hoped she’d listened as he talked about himself. He would play along, for now, let her believe she was safe from the deeper connection between them.

  As he locked up the garage after their ride, she rubbed against him and gave an enticing feline purr.

  “What do you say, stud? Want to come back to my place?”

  The intimacy of sex would bring them even closer and strengthen the emotional bonds. Getting naked with this confident, vibrant and sexy woman had been on his mind since he’d first seen her. And yet, JD didn’t want to rush it. Everything he knew about Rissa had alarm bells ringing long and loud.

  Up until the past few months a casual fuck was exactly what he’d wanted. Not anymore. He was ready for a woman to share his life with. Rissa very well could be that woman. Making sure they had more than one night would be up to him.

  He wasn’t about to back down from the challenge of capturing Rissa Cross’ heart. She didn’t know it yet, but she was as good as his.

  * * * * * *

  A vivid rush of violent curses spoken in Spanish was pun
ctuated by the loud bang of the front door slamming shut. Her entire body shook with rage and dissatisfaction. Rissa went straight to her computer and started a group instant message with all the cougars currently online.

  Rissa: Leave it to me to find a hot yet defective younger guy.

  Cam: Oh crap. Is he impotent?

  Lori: Defective how?

  Monica: What’s wrong with your hunky fireman?

  Lynn: CAM! Don’t even think that. How horrible. He’s not, is he?

  Rissa: Not impotent. I felt a very big, hard bulge when he kissed me. And I left no room for doubt. Told JD exactly what I wanted, mainly his fine ass in my bed. He didn’t go for it and I’m still not a cougar.

  Rachel: Maybe he wants more than an easy lay.

  Cam: Yup, definitely impotent. Or gay.

  Edie: Plenty of fish in the sea. Get your hook into a different one.

  Rissa: He took me kayaking on a swampy river full of snakes and gators.

  Lynn: What happened after that?

  Monica: Please tell me he at least set up another date.

  Rachel: There has to be more to this story. Spill!

  Rissa: He called this morning and I invited him over for breakfast. Everything was going good. JD has an amazing sense of humor. I invited him to bed and he took me kayaking then dropped me off at home. Didn’t even come inside. He starts a 24-hour shift in the morning. Said he’d call me when he gets off.

  Rachel: What did you say?

  Lynn: Yeah, tell us the rest.

  Rissa: I told him we could both get off if he came inside. He laughed, said there’s no rush then offered to take me car shopping. Ugh!

  Cam: Hopefully he’s a good negotiator.

  Monica: I hate car shopping.

  Edie: Maybe one of the salesmen will be a hot young stud.

  Rissa: What the hell am I supposed to do now?

  Her friends were full of advice. Some of it actually sounded good too. So JD had turned out to be a dud. There were plenty of available younger guys out there. She just had to find one…or more.

  “To hell with sitting at home alone.”

  Rissa took a shower, put on her sexiest come-fuck-me dress and went on the hunt. A few hours later, in a hip nightclub, she pushed melting ice around with a straw in the margarita she’d been nursing.

  “Darlin’, it pains me to see such a pretty lady all down in the dumps.” The blond bartender leaned his elbows on the counter separating them. “Want to talk about it? I’m a great listener.”

  “Isn’t that rather cliché?” Rissa gave him a thorough once-over, taking note of his wavy hair, deep tan, muscular build and vivid green eyes. Definitely younger, she figured mid-twenties. A total hunk.

  One big problem—no spark. Not even a mild tingle.

  Same as every other hot young guy in the place, he left her feeling cold. Her damn libido had picked the one it wanted and as far as her body was concerned, there was no substitute.

  Her only solace came in the fervent hope that wherever JD may be tonight, he also suffered.

  “Whoever he is, I hope the bastard knows how lucky he is.”

  The bartender’s comment brought a reluctant smile to her lips. “He could have been lucky but left me high and dry.”

  “Ouch! His loss, beautiful. With the number of guys in here checking you out and offering to buy you drinks, I don’t think you’ll have any problem finding a replacement.”

  She sighed heavily.

  “Ah. You don’t want a replacement. Damn, that’s tough. You could always use someone else to make him jealous, spur him into action.” His broad grin flashed a row of perfect white teeth. “My shift ends in an hour. I’d be happy to help you out.”

  His heated gaze lowered and blatantly traveled over her upper body before once again meeting her eyes.

  “Thanks, umm…” Rissa realized she didn’t even know the blond Adonis’ name. And why the hell couldn’t she want him? Oh wait, that’s right. He was available and interested and she wanted the unattainable fireman. She bit her lip to stifle a groan.

  “Spence—but you—you’re welcome to call me yours.”

  God how she wanted to take Spence up on his offer. Spend the night with his hard young body pumping into hers. If only his arms were beefier, his eyes coal black instead of bright green, and that mop of blond hair had been shaved off.

  “Thanks, Spence. That’s a very tempting offer but I’ve got a date with BOB.”

  “Aww, darlin’. Why settle for a cheap imitation when you could have the real thing?”

  She merely smiled, handed him an extravagant tip then headed home to an empty bed and cold sheets, not even bothering with her vibrator. Spence had been right. A cheap imitation wouldn’t suffice when her body knew what it wanted.

  Chapter Four

  A few hard taps with a hammer had a hook secured in the wall. With tender care and a great deal of reverence, JD hung the heavy frame. He stared in awe, seeing his own satisfied grin reflected back in the glass. The frame held a mere bit of paper and ink, nothing special, yet it represented the culmination of all his hard work and determination.

  In smaller frames next to the diploma hung official documents issued by the state of Florida—his firefighter credentials and brand-new teaching certificate.

  He would always crave the adrenaline rush of fighting fires, the heady thrill of saving a life. Still, he wasn’t getting any younger and was ready to start a regular career. In less than two months he would be a teacher—elementary school. If that didn’t scare the shit out of him nothing else could.

  As often happened, his thoughts turned to his favorite teacher. Perhaps the beautiful Latin spitfire would offer some words of wisdom on handling a classroom full of rowdy kids. Not that he’d have too much trouble. JD’s love of children was the driving force behind his new career choice. Next month he would serve his last stint as a weekend warrior in the Guard and hang up his fire gear, although not for good. He still planned to spend part of his summer breaks working for the fire department.

  Anxious to share his news, JD pulled out his cell and hit the speed-dial button. Rissa answered on the second ring. Her sensual voice had the immediate effect of making his cock twitch in interest.

  “Hey, baby. Damn I’ve missed you. It’s been a crazy couple of days.”

  “JD?” Her incredulous tone turned his anticipation to irritation.

  “Yeah, it’s me. Listen, I talked to my buddy at the dealership. He has a couple of cars for us to check out this afternoon if you’re ready to shop.” She hadn’t forgotten his promise to help with the car shopping, had she?

  “I…uh— You still want to take me car shopping?”

  “Of course I do. And this time I’m going to make sure you don’t end up with a fire hazard.” The idea of her being in danger shredded his nerves.

  “Oh, okay. Do you want me to meet you there?”

  “No, I’ll swing by and pick you up. The dealership is over there in Tampa. Two o’clock work for you?”

  “Sure. And JD?”

  “Yeah, baby.”

  “Thank you.”

  A few hours later when he knocked on her door, Rissa showed her thanks with a thorough, hot, wet, full-body contact kiss that took him from flaccid to rock-hard in under two seconds. All conscious thought flew right out of his head.

  There was nothing gentle about her kiss. Her teeth nipped at his lower lip then her tongue thrust into his mouth, teasing and tasting. Exploring. Staking a bold claim. Days of pent-up need exploded and rained down over him. JD greedily took it all, demanded more. Their lips finally parted out of necessity and they both sucked air into oxygen-deprived lungs.

  “You missed me.” The idea stoked his male ego.

  Rissa panted in his ear, her hot breath washing over his neck. “You will not leave me wanting again. I don’t care what else happens today, buy a car or not, when it’s all said and done, you will fuck me.”

  Her sexual demands had JD ready to forget
their appointment and drag Rissa straight to bed. Instead he asked, “Is that my homework, teach? Because I’ve always been an overachiever and I have the next three days off.”

  He let the implication of how he’d spend those days hang in the air as she locked the door. Once settled in the cab of his truck, JD contemplated satisfying her demands right then and there but thought better. An arrest for public indecency would end his new occupation before it got started.

  The woman had kissed him so good he’d completely forgotten to share his exciting news. “I don’t plan on being a lifer in the fire department. I’ve been going to school. Graduated last month.”

  “That’s good.”

  Her unenthusiastic comment while digging for something in her purse put a damper on his mood. He glanced between the road and Rissa as she slicked gloss across her luscious mouth then fluffed her hair.

  “I got my—”

  “So did you tell your friend I want a convertible? I don’t care what kind as long as it makes me look good.”

  Dammit! She changed the subject or tuned him out almost every time he tried to talk about his personal life or ask questions about hers. What the hell would it take for her to let him into her life?

  “Yeah, I did. He has three cars to show us.”

  Rissa blew out a relieved breath when JD went along with the change in topic. She liked him but had no interest in getting more involved than they already were.

  She glanced over and the sight of his crestfallen expression created a sharp pain in her chest. From the moment she’d opened the door it had been obvious something big had happened and he was dying to share. The kiss had proven to be only a temporary distraction. Now she wished that she’d let him tell her whatever it was because he looked like she’d just kicked his puppy and she felt lower than dirt.

  He remained silent for the rest of the drive then treated her as a casual friend. Their appointment turned out to be with the dealership manager, JD’s uncle Emilio. Rissa tried to ignore the conversation while the two men caught up but certain information filtered through. She learned that JD had a big family. Two brothers, a sister, tons of aunts, uncles and cousins. Most of them lived in Florida although one brother was overseas with the Air Force.