COWBOY ROMANCE: Avery (Western Contemporary Alpha Male Bride Romance) (The Steele Brothers Book 3)

by Amanda Boone

  Kevin picked up his cell phone and held it to his ear. Mindy was listening as she continued to search the apartment. She heard him telling someone that the truck was parked out front and to come up to get a key.

  “Who’s that?” she asked.

  “Movers,” he responded.

  She loved how he took care of everything. How he took care of her. She ran into his arms, and then planted a kiss on his forehead. “You’re amazing, Kevin,” she said.

  The movers arrived within minutes, and once they got the key, it didn’t take them long to carry Mindy’s belongings inside. They placed all of the boxes in the rooms they were designated for by Mindy’s purple marker, and then left.

  “Let’s celebrate,” Kevin said, extending his hand to Mindy.

  Mindy gripped his hand, then followed him out the door and into the awaiting car outside. He was planning on a fancy dinner, but Mindy was still wearing a t-shirt and shorts from driving all day, and she had her hair pulled up in a ratty ponytail. She convinced him that a slice of New York pizza and a scoop of ice cream was what she really wanted, so he obliged.

  “I love how easy you are to please,” Kevin said.

  “I’m a small-town girl,” Mindy reminded him.

  “It’s just so refreshing,” he responded.

  Mindy was worn out, and the long day ahead of her was closing in. Kevin’s driver dropped her off at her apartment, and he walked her to her door like a true gentleman. He held both of her hands in his as he stared into her eyes. He was so handsome. Mindy loved how even in his casual clothes, he looked so regal and refined. His wavy brown hair fell off his face with perfection, and his lips were so soft and smooth they looked like they were made of silk.

  “I look forward to what is yet to come, Mindy,” he whispered.

  Mindy’s eyes closed as he leaned in for a kiss. She could taste the salt on his lips as they pressed against hers. His tongue gently parted her lips, entering her mouth with a slow, gentle motion. His kiss was soft, sweet, sexy. His hands pushed around the nape of her neck as he pulled her mouth closer to his. She felt her knees begin to weaken as she let go of control and just fell into the moment.

  “Goodnight, Mindy,” he whispered as his mouth left hers.

  “Goodnight,” Mindy whispered, and then watched as he descended down the staircase.

  She was so confused in that moment. How did she go from never experiencing love and passion to having two men who weakened her knees in the same day? Panic struck as she realized she had promised to call her mother, her father, Veronica, and Vince. She couldn’t bear to talk to him right now. She was afraid he would know she was with another man. She decided to send texts to him and Veronica, and then call her mother.

  Her text to Veronica was short and sweet, simply stating she had made it safely. The woman responded quickly with a smiley face, so Mindy figured she was busy working. When she sent the text to Vince, she hesitated, not sure what to say, or how to say it. She didn’t want to lead him on, especially after her simple goodbye had turned into something much more. She had gone there to let him down easy, but she knew she had done anything but that.

  Mindy: I am in New York! :)

  Vince: Glad you’re safe baby

  : Exhausted, talk later?

  Vince: Anytime….you know where to find me

  Mindy: Goodnight :) :)

  Vince: Goodnight baby doll

  She avoided using any endearing pet names in her text, and was careful not to say anything that would upset or excite him. She knew that her over usage of smiley faces was a dead giveaway that she was hiding something, but other than her mother, she was certain no one else had caught on to that fact.

  After she spoke to her mother for over an hour, she was ready to fall onto the soft, luxurious bed. She knew that all of her clothes were packed away in the boxes, so she decided to start transferring everything into the large closet before she passed out. Kevin’s movers had offered to put everything in place for her, but she felt odd having strangers going through her personal stuff, especially her undergarments, so she'd declined.

  She finally fell onto the large bed, quickly tucking herself under the down comforter. She thought about Kevin and how sweet he was. She loved the way he looked and smelled, how he tasted on her lips. His manners were far better than any man's she had experienced—not that she had much experience. She knew he was the exact man she had always dreamed about: smart, successful, good looking, rich, and cultured.

  Her thoughts drifted off the Vince and his vulgar mouth. He was rough and edgy. He had little to no manners, and his education level ended at 9th grade, although Mindy still felt he was a very smart man, just in a different way than Kevin. His good looks were rugged and masculine, and his aggressiveness made her feel more like a woman than any gentleman could. She started thinking about earlier that day. His tongue was on her mind as her feelings from the heat of moment returned. As her thoughts drifted to what he would have done to finish her off, if he so chose to, her fingers disappeared between her legs.

  Chapter Three

  New York was everything Mindy had hoped it to be, and Kevin everything and more than she had hoped. He had taken her to art galleries all over the city, to fancy dinners, walks in the park, and even out in the harbor on his family’s yacht one Saturday afternoon. The last couple weeks in the city had been amazing, and she knew she had Kevin to thank for that.

  She loved her job and the people she worked with. Kevin’s secretary was never very friendly, but she didn’t have to deal with her very often since she dealt directly with Kevin. Veronica had sent her texts throughout the weeks, asking her how everything was going. Mindy loved sending selfies to her with iconic New York landmarks in the background.

  Vince had called twice, once when drunk and once the next day to apologize. His drunken rant consisted of calling Mindy a snob, and then telling her he was done with her. She had cried that night, but felt a relief at the thought of her ties to him being severed. When he called the next day to apologize, she accepted his apology, listening to him as he cried about how much he missed her. She told him she missed him too, but she really hadn't thought about him much in the past weeks.

  Kevin and she were getting closer. Their nights out were becoming more of a pattern than random, and their goodbye kisses were growing longer and more passionate. She knew she wouldn’t be able to hold him off much longer, the sexual tension growing stronger between them, and she knew they were both feeling the frustration.

  Mindy browsed through her closet for a suitable dress for the evening. Kevin was taking her to the opera. She had always dreamed of dressing in a formal gown and being escorted to the opera by a handsome man in a tuxedo, and tonight he was making that dream come true. Her only problem was that she didn’t actually own a fancy gown.

  She threw herself onto her bed face down after exhausting her poor closet as she pushed and pulled, hoping that a gown would simply emerge. The doorbell rang, echoing through the large open space of her apartment. Dealing with someone right now was not on the top of her “to do” list. She flung open the door expecting to see one of the employees from the art gallery below, but instead Kevin’s tall blonde secretary stood in her doorway, holding a large white box and a shopping bag.

  The rude woman didn’t speak as she pushed past Mindy into the apartment. She walked through the living room, headed directly into Mindy’s bedroom. As Mindy followed behind her, she expected her to announce why she was there, but she didn’t. She just sat the box and the bag on the bed.

  “Try this. I'll wait outside the door,” she said, then turned and left Mindy in the bedroom as she closed the door behind her.

  Mindy opened the box and pushed aside the tissue. A beautiful pale pink gown was neatly folded inside. The bag contained a shoe box with the perfectly matching shoes. She held back her squeal as she stripped down to try on the gown. The thin straps crisscrossed around her back, and the silky material bunched at the waist before flowing do
wn past her ankles. The neckline was adorned with beautiful diamond colored rhinestones, and the delicate lace dripped from underneath the gown. It was beautiful. She slipped on the designer heels, feeling like Cinderella as they slid on for a perfect fit. She exited the room and revealed herself to Tracy, the hateful blonde in her living room.

  “You’re amazing!” Mindy exclaimed.

  Tracy’s lips curled into what closely resembled a smile. “Ok, no need to return it then? Everything fits?” she asked.

  “Yes, it all fits perfectly. It's beautiful. Thank you,” Mindy answered.

  “Thank Mr. Young,” she said, and then walked herself out of the door.

  Mindy stood in front of her full length mirror admiring the dress. She knew this was the dress that would end up on the floor next to her bed tonight. She couldn’t wait.

  Carefully undressing and placing the gown back into its box, she stepped into the shower. She took extra attention when shaving and grooming, just in case tonight was…the night.

  When the doorbell rang, she answered to find Kevin standing outside in a beautiful designer tuxedo. He held a dozen pale pink roses in his hand, and she could tell by the look on his face he was pleased with his secretary’s selection of gowns.

  “You look breathtaking,” he said as he extended the flowers to her.

  She could feel his hand tremble as she accepted the flowers, and as she placed them in a vase of water, she giggled to herself at his nervousness. It excited her that she had this effect on him.

  The driver was waiting for them outside as usual, and he held the door open for her as she climbed inside. Kevin had champagne on ice and two glasses, which he immediately opened and shared. It was obvious he needed a drink. He couldn’t take his eyes off of her.

  The opera was everything she had dreamed of; their balcony seats overlooked the exquisite auditorium, a sea of beautifully dressed people below. During intermission they shared insight into the meaning of the performance, and she felt sophisticated, beautiful, and smart.

  After the opera ended, she felt the tension build. The car ride home was silent. Kevin had his eyes locked onto hers, her hand tightly intertwined with his. She was nervous. She was ready.

  Kevin followed her to her door as he had every other night. Once there, he paused instead of kissing her goodnight.

  “Would you like to come in?” she whispered.

  “Yes,” he answered.

  The key trembled in her hand as she worked it into the tiny hole in the door. Inside, Kevin took a couple steps into to the apartment he had been in so many times before, but paused as if it were a new invitation.

  Mindy walked to the kitchen and opened a bottle of wine, then grabbed two glasses from the rack where they hung. She smiled at Kevin, as he seemed nervous in the apartment for the first time since they had met. The thought of becoming the aggressor was growing an excitement inside of her that was new and slightly uncomfortable.

  As she handed Kevin a glass of wine, she moved to the couch and sat. He followed her lead and sat beside her. She felt his eyes burning through her, the intense silence only increasing the tension. She sat her glass on the table, then gently took his, placing it next to hers. She stood up and extended her hand. His eyes danced as they stared at her. He took her hand and followed her as she led him into the bedroom.

  “Are you sure?” he whispered as they stood extremely close to the bed.

  “Yes,” she whispered back, and then turned around, looking at him over her shoulder. “Help me with the zipper?”

  Kevin’s hand trembled as he struggled with the zipper. He finally found his groove and glided the metal down towards her back, revealing her smooth bare skin.

  Mindy turned to face Kevin as she let the material fall from her shoulders, then away from her bare breasts. She pushed the gown around her hips, and when it hit the floor, she gracefully stepped out of the dress pooled around her feet.

  “You’re beautiful,” he whispered.

  He pulled his jacket off, placing it on the bedroom chair. Mindy unbuttoned his dress shirt as she stood before him in nothing but her lace thong and pale pink high heels. She pushed the shirt away from his body, revealing a smooth tan chest. He kicked off his shoes, and then reached down to remove his socks one by one. He tugged at his belt until it loosened, and then undid his pants.

  Mindy sat down on the bed, then pushed herself to the middle. She laid back and let him take in her body as he finished undressing. His hand held her ankle, and then slid up to her thigh. He gently pulled her leg up, softly kissing her along the same pattern his hand had wandered. She loved his silky lips.

  His hand lingered over the lace of her panties, then moved to her exposed breasts. He circled her nipple with his thumb, leaning down to take her round breast in his mouth. He sucked on her nipple, gently gliding his tongue around the sensitive skin as it hardened in his mouth. He nibbled at her neck, then her earlobe, and then parted her lips with his tongue for a passionate kiss. Mindy felt the tingling between her legs, and suddenly felt as though the lace material was suffocating her. She needed him to strip her of her panties. She needed him to enter her now.

  Kevin took his time exploring Mindy with his mouth and hands. He slowly tugged at the lacy panties until they pulled free from her skin. She heard him let out a gasp as she let her legs fall open to expose her soft pink flesh. His thumb slid back and forth, tracing her opening and then pushing against her clit. She arched her back, moaning each time he came close to slipping inside.

  “I need you,” Mindy gasped. “Please don’t tease me, baby…”

  Kevin’s body slid on top of hers, creating a beautiful pressure. She felt his mouth on her neck, then her breasts as his obvious pleasure stood waiting at her entrance. She opened her legs wider, and then pushed up against his erection until he burst through her tight entrance. The sensation of him entering her was climatic. She was already teetering on the verge of orgasm as his slow strokes teased her with anticipation.

  His moans were driving her wild, causing her to thrust her hips harder against him. She wanted to bring him to a climatic end. She wanted control over his orgasm as Vince had taken control over hers. His hands were sliding across her smooth skin before they gripped tightly at her hips. He rose up and began thrusting hard inside of her, pulling her towards him with each motion. It was obvious that Kevin was not willing to give up the control of his pleasure as he guided her hips at the speed he wanted.

  Mindy let out a loud moan as Kevin’s hard cock pushed through her body. She felt herself clench and release, and then pulsate with a rhythmic motion. “Please Kevin, don’t stop,” Mindy heard herself blurt out in the midst of her explosion.

  His thrusts became hurried and less rhythmic as he released his pleasure into her throbbing body. He fell onto her chest and nuzzled her earlobe as he tried to catch his breath. Mindy felt her legs quivering beneath him, the aftershock of her orgasm making her body twitch.

  “You’re everything I've been looking for, Mindy,” Kevin whispered in her ear.

  “Agreed.” Mindy smiled, even though Kevin was pushed into her neck and couldn’t see her.

  Chapter Four

  Mindy was on cloud nine after her night with Kevin. He was such a sensitive and gentle lover, something she had never experienced before. He lay with her all night, his arms wrapped tightly around her waist, his soft breath soothing the back of her neck. When he left that morning, she felt an ache in her stomach that told her without a doubt that she was falling for him. She hoped he was falling for her too.

  She sat on her large sofa, wearing Kevin’s tuxedo shirt and nothing else. She loved how cute he looked with a jacket over his bare chest as he left that morning. She loved even more that he agreed to leave like that because he said she was too sexy in his shirt.

  The beep from her phone made Mindy jump and come back down to earth from her fluffy cloud.

  Vince: Are you wearing panties?

  Mindy’s heart sank and then
pounded hard against her chest, as if it were trying to escape. She stared at the phone, trying to figure out how to respond. She hadn't been thinking about Vince much at all, with the exception of a few lonely nights—and maybe once in the shower.

  Mindy: No

  She waited for her response to be read, and then felt guilt rush through her as she realized she couldn't play both men. She needed to let one go. She needed to let Vince go.

  Vince: Good girl

  A jolt of electricity shot through her body. She couldn’t figure out why pleasing him got her so excited.

  Vince: I think a long ride is in order. I know of a great place to eat there…

  Mindy felt the panic in her veins. She couldn’t have Vince just show up there, not now. Not after last night. She knew she was going to have to tell him she didn’t want to see him. But… she did want to see him. At least a part of her did.

  Mindy: Not the best time. Been very busy :(

  Vince: Too busy for me baby doll?

  Mindy: Just a lot going on here at work

  Vince: Do you not want to see me baby doll?

  Mindy: I do, but it’s just not the best time :(

  Vince: I get the feeling you are hiding something from me baby doll

  Mindy felt the anxiety climb through her body. She was hiding something. She was hiding Kevin.

  Vince: Hello?

  Mindy: I’m here :)

  Vince: Maybe I should check things out for myself :)

  Mindy: What do you mean?

  Mindy: Hello??

  Her phone remained silent. No more texts. She was freaking out inside trying to decide what to do. She wasn’t sure if Vince would actually take that long ride to “check things out”, or if he was just bluffing. She wasn’t sure she was willing to take that chance.

  She called Vince’s number and felt relieved as his voice answered on the other end. She told him that she was busy, that she wouldn’t have any time for him, and begged him not to take that long ride for nothing. Vince laughed as he told her he had no plans of riding that far. He promised he was only teasing, and Mindy felt the anxiety leave her body.