Come Closer, Cowboy

by Debbi Rawlins

She bolted upright and stared down at Gunner.

  He shifted at her sudden movement, but his eyes stayed closed and his breathing remained deep and even. He looked so peaceful lying there on his back, completely at ease with the world. She’d never seen that relaxed expression on his face before. Maybe he always looked like that when he slept, though she doubted it. His life was fueled by adrenaline.

  That he’d left on his jeans made her smile. But he was shirtless, and she could just make out the smidgen of dark hair across his chest, tapering down to his flat stomach.

  He must’ve missed the warmth of her body because he moved closer. His skin was cool where it touched her thigh. She thought about getting up to close the window, but she hated to wake him. After working four weeks abroad and then racing to Montana, he must be exhausted, too.

  With a shiver, she freed the covers, and then pulled them up as she snuggled down. She rubbed her cheek against his shoulder and a faint smile tugged at his mouth. He didn’t wake up, though, not then, and not when he slid an arm underneath her and pulled her closer.

  Lying on her side, with his arm curled around her waist, she gently laid her head on his shoulder and placed a palm on his chest, against the warm skin and hard muscle, the sprinkling of soft dark hair, the small mole below his left nipple.

  It stunned her to realize she’d memorized so much about him. And that was after being with him only that one night. They’d had sex twice in two hours, and once with most of their clothes on. But it didn’t matter. Even blindfolded, she’d be able to identify him by touch, his musky scent, and his...

  She snuggled down a little farther, needing to taste him. She licked the upper part of his pec. The salty tang of his warm skin had been imprinted in her mind, as well.

  She stared at his flat belly, at the narrow strip of paler skin where the denim rode lower on his hips. While she appreciated the thoughtfulness behind him keeping on his jeans, right now, she wished he hadn’t. But then neither of them would be getting any sleep.

  Mallory wished she knew what time it was, though it was still dark so she couldn’t have been asleep for all that long. Which meant Gunner had had even less sleep. For what had seemed like forever she’d lain awake, waiting, listening to him move around the house, and then she must’ve crashed hard.

  Slowly she lifted her chin until she could see part of his profile. She really liked the strong jut of his jaw, and he had nicely shaped lips. Wanting to touch him, she moved her hand over his...

  “Did I wake you?” he whispered.

  Mallory froze. “No, I think it was the other way around,” she murmured.

  He caught her hand and kissed the back of her fingers as they curled into a fist. “Are you cold?” he asked, his arm tightening around her. “I can close the window.”

  “I’m fine.”

  “Try to go back to sleep,” he said, the words muffled from his lips being pressed to her hair.

  Yeah, like that was gonna happen. He had to be able to feel the fast pounding of her heart. Which meant he was ignoring it. Probably because he wanted to go back to sleep.

  And that meant—

  “You’re thinking too hard, sweetheart.”

  She looked up just as he opened one eye and smiled. She freed her hand and traced a fingertip around his small, dark nipple. His chest hair was incredibly soft. “How tired are you?”

  He opened the second eye. “Fully charged.”

  Mallory grinned. “You’re wearing jeans.”

  “Yes,” he drawled. “What are you getting at?”

  “You don’t have to do that.”

  “Yeah, I kinda do.”

  She followed the arrow of hair to his waistband and skimmed her fingers across his warm skin. Either that was one hell of a hard-on or a trick of the moonlight. “Aren’t they sort of—inconvenient?”

  “You’re going to have to be more specific.”

  “Do I have to explain the facts of life to you, Ellison?”

  His deep, rumbling laughter vibrated through her body, triggering all kinds of tingling within it. “Sure, let’s hear it.”

  Damned if she’d let him call her bluff. “A cannot be inserted into B with your jeans on.”

  “That’s not quite accurate.” He sounded wide-awake. “Want a demonstration?”

  She dipped her fingers just inside his waistband. “I can take it from here—” She let out a surprised squeak when he moved her hand away and drew her T-shirt up and over her head.

  “Just remember who started this,” he murmured and rubbed his thumb over her tightened nipple.

  Bowing his head, he rolled his tongue over the hard, sensitive tip, then trailed it across to her other breast. After giving it equal attention, he licked a path up her throat and took her mouth with a fierce hunger that made her tremble.

  He slowed things down, rubbing his palm up her arm and then sliding his long fingers behind her nape, his tongue stroking hers, teasing, tasting, until she whimpered into his mouth.

  With his free hand, he covered her left breast. His touch was light and she pressed her aching nipple into his palm. His mouth lifted into a smile.

  Yes, she was impatient. She found his zipper and the bulge behind it. She shifted because she was going to need both hands for this job.

  He broke the kiss. “Wait.” He rolled out of bed and quickly shed his jeans and boxers at the same time.

  She inched back to give him room, but as he slid back into bed, he hooked an arm around her waist and brought her up against him. His erection felt blistering hot. His whole body was giving off heat and making her dizzy with anticipation.

  He buried his fingers deep into her hair, holding her just where he wanted her while he tugged at her lower lip, nibbling gently, teasing her mouth open, then slipping his tongue inside.

  His heart hammered hard but at a steady pace, almost as if he was in complete control of each beat.

  It pissed her off. She could no more regulate the wild pounding in her chest than she could stop the moisture from gathering between her thighs.

  He leisurely swept a hand down the curve of her back. Just before he got to her panties, he made an equally unhurried return trip. The sly move pumped her full of anticipation, and then totally messed up her breathing.

  Mallory dragged her mouth away from his and whispered, “Condom.”

  His hand stilled and his heart might have skipped a beat. “Right.” He stole a kiss, and then muttered, “Shit,” as he rolled out of bed again.

  “I have a box. I’m just not sure where it is.”

  Gunner turned and gave her the oddest look.

  “What?” She wasn’t a virgin. He knew that. Why wouldn’t she have a supply of condoms? She’d bought the box the day after they’d had sex. She wondered what he would’ve thought of that.

  Without a word he picked up his jeans and withdrew a packet from his wallet. She took in the muscled contour of his firm ass. It was perfect. Damn him, he was perfect. That’s why sex was such a stupid idea.

  He turned back to the bed, and Mallory quickly lifted her gaze. He winked and got out a second packet.

  Biting back a smile, she pulled the sheet up to her chin. What she should’ve done was get rid of her panties, though she was curious as to how he’d do it now that they weren’t behaving like two drunk chimps in heat.

  No matter how hard she tried she couldn’t keep her eyes off his erection. Rock hard, smooth and pulsing, it truly was a thing of beauty.

  His cock jerked, and she jumped in response. She forced her gaze up.

  One corner of his mouth moved in a slight smile. He stood next to the bed looking down at her, as if he expected her to do something. Maybe he wanted a—

  He caught the corner of the sheet and with minimal wrist action most of it ended up on the fl
oor.

  She squeezed her thighs together. It was an instinctive response, but that didn’t make her feel like any less of an idiot. “I was a little chilly,” she said, relaxing against the pillow, watching his gaze move to her breasts.

  “I’ll close the window.”

  “That’s okay. I’m sure you’ll find a way to warm me up.”

  “I reckon I can,” he said, and there was that hint of Texas in his voice. He rarely let it slip, and she’d learned a long time ago not to mention it when he did.

  Stretching out next to her, he offered her the packet.

  She gave him a small nod. “Go ahead.”

  He dropped it on the mattress. “I’m in no hurry,” he said, cupping her nape with his large hand and claiming her mouth.

  His lips were warm and firm, moving lightly over hers. The kiss was nothing like the fevered rush from minutes ago. He took a couple of nips with his teeth, but he wasn’t even using his tongue. He just kept adjusting the angle of his head, testing the different ways their mouths fit together.

  He traced a finger along the ridge of her collarbone before his hand moved down to cup the swell of her breast. He gently kneaded, his thumb circling her nipple, coaxing it into a tight bud. Lightly plucking at it with his roughened fingertips, he moved his mouth to her other breast. Something about the dual sensations sparked a primal reaction in her, so great, she swore she was going to come from that alone. But he hadn’t lingered so she didn’t know if it was even possible. She still hoped to find out.

  Lifting his head, Gunner slid his hand around to her butt and pulled her more firmly against him. The heat of his erection seared her, sent liquid fire pounding through her veins.

  “Warm enough?”

  “Almost.” She parted her lips and his tongue slid inside and ran along the edge of her teeth, delving deeper and staking its claim.

  The tempo was still slow and controlled, but his thumb had returned to her nipple and was moving a little faster now, sending prickles of heat all the way to her core. She wanted him. Wanted him inside her. Wanted him to hold her as tight as he could and fill her until she couldn’t take it anymore.

  She reached between them and wrapped her hand firmly around his cock. The taut skin felt silky and smooth and so hot against her palm. She stroked down, then inched back up until she felt the moist crown.

  His hand covered hers, stopping her, and then he cut off her protest by pushing her onto her back.

  “How is this fair?” she asked, frustrated.

  His teeth flashed white. “Nothing in life is fair, Mallory,” he said, cupping her jaw. “We both know that.”

  Their eyes met and he kissed her, slowly, thoroughly, watching her the whole time. Until she’d completely forgotten what she’d been upset about.

  He moved on to kiss her breast and slid a slow hand down her body, across her ribs, along the curve of her hip and over her belly, lingering at the juncture of her thighs.

  His palm grazed the silky panties, two fingers dipping under the elastic. In a split second, Gunner stripped them down her legs and they were gone.

  9

  GUNNER STARED DOWN at her pale skin, at the small heart tattoo on her hip. He hadn’t noticed it the first time. Racing through stages of semi-naked to buck naked in a mostly dark bar meant they’d probably both missed a lot about each other’s bodies.

  But he sure as hell knew one thing had changed.

  He traced the narrow ribbon of trimmed hair with his thumb. Waxes had different names, and he was pretty sure they called this one a landing strip. “When did you do this?”

  “What?” Mallory got up on her elbows and looked down. “Oh.” She brought her chin up. “Why do you want to know?”

  “Just curious.”

  “I don’t remember.”

  “Had to be in the past five weeks.” He traced his forefinger in the shape of a small triangle, just like the one that had recently covered the area above her clenched thighs.

  She dropped back to the pillow. “See, you have a better idea than I do.”

  Watching her cheeks turn pink fascinated him. He didn’t think Mallory ever blushed. Could be a shadow. He stroked her petal-soft face with the back of his fingers. Her skin was warm, but then, so was his.

  “And the tattoo,” he said, touching the small red image. “When?”

  “Years ago. On a dare.”

  Gunner smiled. That was Mallory. “You choose the heart?” he asked, dragging his fingers down her left thigh.

  She gave him a jerky nod, her eyes trained on his roving hand. “I thought it would hurt the least.”

  “You have any others?”

  “No.” She shivered when he brushed his fingers across the strip of soft hair. “You?”

  He just smiled. What he really wanted to know was when she’d bought the box of condoms. He’d spoken to her right after he’d landed in Argentina. She’d sounded okay, a bit shy, but that hadn’t surprised him.

  Mallory wasn’t as sexually experienced as he would’ve guessed. No, she hadn’t been a virgin, but he had a feeling she hadn’t slept with more than two or three guys. Made sense the more he thought about it. The Renegade had been her home since she was a kid. After Coop’s death, she’d kept the bar open at all hours just within the law.

  That left little opportunity to meet anyone. Not even at the bar. Her customers tended to be older and too wild. And she wasn’t the type who went for balls-to-the-wall sex in a public bathroom, or in a private corner of the bar. Yet he’d done that to her. Took her right there in the back room of the Renegade.

  And he’d always regret it. Not that they’d had sex. Only that that had been their first time together.

  Shifting so he was more on his side, he tested the seam of her thighs with light finger strokes, hoping she’d open for him. “Why did you push my hand away?” she asked, sending quick looks at his cock pressed against the outside of her thigh. “Was I doing something you didn’t like?”

  Gunner laughed, then felt like shit when she turned her face away in embarrassment. “No. I liked it. Too much.” He slipped his finger between the soft flesh of her inner thighs, to the edge of her damp folds, and her attention centered on his hand. “I want to go slow and easy this time. So you don’t think I’m some wild, out-of-control caveman.”

  Mallory looked at him and burst out laughing. “You think slowing down will change my mind?”

  “Hey, watch it,” he said and used the distraction to gain entrance.

  Gasping when his finger met her wet heat, she grabbed his cock. And squeezed him a little too tight. He’d ride it out, though, if he could, without becoming a soprano for life.

  He worked in a second finger and her grip tightened. Okay, this wasn’t going to work.

  “You think that’s a joystick?” he said mildly, nodding at her hand.

  “What? Oh,” she murmured on a husky moan, relaxing her hold and parting her thighs.

  “That’s right,” he whispered, urging her to spread her legs wider while he changed positions. “Open for me, sweetheart.”

  Mallory accommodated him, but only by inches at a time. She clutched his pillow even before he pressed a kiss to the slim opening of her folds. She was wet and slick, more than ready for him, and inhaling her seductive scent threatened the last vestige of his control.

  But he was determined to be patient, even if it killed him, knowing it damn well might.

  He explored gently just with his finger, rubbing, teasing and gliding around the slippery texture between her lips. Her squirming was going to do them both in before he was ready. Lightly he pinched her nipple and she stilled for a moment.

  Without withdrawing his finger, he shifted and touched his tongue to her other nipple, and sucked it into his mouth.

  * * *<
br />
  WHAT THE HELL? This was going slow?

  Mallory pulled the corner of the fitted sheet off the mattress. If Gunner didn’t stop, she was going to come. Yes, that’s what she wanted.

  Just not so soon.

  His finger hadn’t penetrated her yet, nor had he narrowed his efforts on her clit. But he wouldn’t let up, kept sliding his finger around, the occasional brush against her clit bringing her that much closer to orgasm.

  Oh, God. What was he doing to her—

  He covered her nipple with his mouth. After a few gentle licks, he sucked hard, drew back to look at it, then blew warm breath on the moist flesh before sucking it into his mouth again. “Gunner, wait,” she whispered, her voice so wrecked she didn’t think he could understand her. “Please, Gunner.” Completely mixing up the signal she was trying to send, she arched into his mouth and bucked against his finger.

  Something suddenly felt different.

  Tensing, she stilled.

  A tendril of pleasure wound gently through her body.

  A second later the orgasm ripped through her. Making her hot. Feverishly hot. One after another the spasms rolled through her, robbing her of breath. She tried to gulp in air. Every move intensified the storm raging inside her.

  He pushed his finger deeper inside, and she grabbed ahold of his hair. His mouth stayed on her breast, his lips tugging lightly at her nipple, laving it with his tongue, and then raining soft wet kisses on her burning skin.

  Her body finally started to settle. At least her chest and head didn’t feel as if they were about to explode.

  Gunner untangled her clutching fingers from his hair and swung his legs off the bed.

  Mallory shot upright. “Where are you going?”

  “Don’t worry,” he said, leaning over her and kissing her lips. “I’m not finished with you yet.” He lifted the top sheet and found the condom near her knee.

  “Oh.” She fell back against the pillow. No, she supposed he wasn’t done. His erection hadn’t gone down, not even a little. If anything he’d gotten harder.

  Her hips lifted in response. The thrill of knowing what was in store for her made her skin tingle. Her breasts were sensitive, her right nipple almost unbearably tender. And yet she still yearned for the moist heat of his mouth sucking, nipping. Touching the tip of her other breast, she rubbed her thumb back and forth, feeling the flesh tighten.