Kissed, Spurred, & Valentined (Cowboys of Nirvana Book 4)

by Rhonda Lee Carver

His eyes took a leisurely stroll down her body, from her brow to her chest, pausing several seconds, down her hips and legs to the very tips of her boots. Seconds turned into centuries as her blood scorched with desire—desire she had no clue she even had until now. Her mouth turned dry and she swallowed, sweeping her tongue over her trembling lips, and focused on the butterflies fluttering in the pit of her stomach. Without any control remaining, her gaze naturally took a dive to his narrow waist and to his fly—oh shit!

  The man broke her camera and acted like a jerk. Why didn’t that information ease the tension between her legs?

  “I’m a hand here at Nirvana.” The husky tone of his voice tickled her nerve endings.

  She wet her lips, hoping her vocal chords worked. “You work here?”

  He nodded, removing his hat from his head and revealing waves of coal black silken hair. “Welcome to Nirvana. Your wish is a cowboy’s command.” His eyes turned to green diamonds, twinkling in mischief.

  Oh holy karma of all that was good. This was what her mother had warned her about.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  “I’VE MET YOU twice and I still haven’t introduced myself. I’m Maverick McCade.” He held out his hand.

  She placed her palm against his. Her skin was soft like butter, unlike his callused, hard hands. Their skin touched and a fire like none other ignited in his veins. How the hell did this happen? Sure, when he’d left her on the bridge, he’d been kicking himself since he didn’t get her number and doubted he’d ever see her again, but he had no clue she’d end up here. It wasn’t often a man was triggered with a valley of sensations just looking at a woman.

  “Jax Morgan.” She pulled her hand away, then glanced at her palm. Had she felt it too?

  “Jax? Interesting name.” Everything about her was interesting. From the way one strand of hair always found its way separated from the others, curling close to her mouth. The way her sultry eyes dazzled like diamonds. Her pale pink cheeks, the fullness of her lips and how the bottom always slightly trembled when she was looking at him. Down to her lovely body that made him curious how she would feel under him. All of this, crazy as it was, in such a short amount of time. He’d never been one to be rash, so what was happening? He couldn’t be sure…yet it was important that he figure it out.

  “Jax is short for Jaxene. A name that got shortened when I was five.”

  “Well, welcome to Nirvana, Jaxene.” Her name fell off his lips naturally as if it belonged right there. “I hear you’re staying here alone.”

  She gave a slight shrug of her shoulder. “I guess you heard that the wedding’s off.”

  “Poor guy,” he said. What man would give this woman up? He was either stupid or there was something seriously wrong with her that he couldn’t quite see past the attraction nestled in his mind and gut.

  “Trust me, it’s exactly what he wanted.” A frown creased the corners of her mouth.

  Was she unhappy? She didn’t seem like the spurned type. “Are you sure you didn’t show up here to harass me until I handed over five thousand?”

  Her brow creased. “Oddly, I’d forgotten all about the incident until you reminded me.”

  “That so?” He swallowed. “I shouldn’t have mentioned it. Although, I’m feeling pretty guilty.”

  She laughed, a wonderful, sweet sound. “Now that I’m here at your ranch, and my wish is your command?”

  He shrugged. “Not my ranch, but I felt guilty the second I drove away from you.” He couldn’t tell her the gory details that he’d thought of her every second since he’d held her in his arms on the bridge. “How about we get you out of here and to your place?”

  “Yes, let’s do.”

  He glanced over her shoulder at Jennifer who quickly lowered her gaze to pretend she hadn’t been hanging onto every word exchanged between Jax and Maverick. He couldn’t blame the receptionist. He was pretty taken off guard himself at the discussion.

  “Where are your bags?” he asked.

  “In the SUV.”

  “I’ll grab them for you.”

  “Are you always this agreeable?” she asked

  He chuckled. “You’ll find out while you’re here this week.”

  She laughed and he could never get enough of the wonderful sound that reminded him of a gentle breeze off the ocean. “No wonder Nirvana is popular.”

  “I guess so.” He headed toward the door. When he realized she wasn’t following, he stopped. “Come along and I’ll take you to the guests’ housing.”

  “I won’t be driving?”

  He gave his head a shake. “Nope. I’ll be driving you. It’ll give me an opportunity to tell you all about Nirvana.”

  “And hopefully a little about yourself. From the looks of things we might be the only people within miles. I need to know if you’re trustworthy.”

  The mere thought of being alone with her, in the middle of nowhere, made his cock jerk alive in excitement. Back down, bro. Rules were rules and hands weren’t allowed to play with the guests. Up until this point in his career here, this hadn’t been a problem. Suddenly, he understood why so many employees gave the proverbial middle finger to the hands-off rule.

  He gave himself a mental shake of awareness. He had a job to do. Feelings, especially along the lines of sexual desire, never made working easy. Anyway, he didn’t want the complication, didn’t want to get to know anyone better. He’d placed a guard at the door to his heart and he wasn’t about to forget the pain he’d experienced in his past. He had no use for love or emotional connection. Now sex was another thing altogether. A man, no matter how disengaged, needed to hold a warm, soft body on occasion. And at this rate, he was long overdue, obviously by the way his cock had been hard since he’d seen her at the pump getting her gas.

  She brushed past him to the door and his gaze followed the nice sway of her sexy ass. Yeah, there was that walk that could bring a man to his knees. Jennifer eloquently cleared her throat which regretfully made him tear his gaze away from Jax.

  “Forget something?” Jennifer dangled the key from her fingers like a carrot to a mule. He was pretty much an ass at this point lusting over a woman. It’d get him about as far as running in a marathon. He’d be out of breath, exhausted and hopeless by the time he reached his goal.

  Grabbing the key and ignoring Jennifer’s playful smile, he walked with Jax out into the cold. The sun was setting and everything was covered in a layer of ice. He had a strong urge to pick up a snow ball and dump it into his jeans, hopefully taking away the scorching desire that wouldn’t vanish no matter how logic warned him.

  Once her bags were in the back of his truck, he climbed in and watched as she clicked her seat belt into place. Her hair hung along her face and she brought a slender hand up, pushing the tendrils behind her ear. Damn! This was going to be a very difficult test of his control. He started the engine and swore he’d need a cold shower before the day was through.

  They started on the narrow, snow covered lane and she stared out of the side window. “It’s beautiful here. How many guests are here now?”

  “Five, and with you that makes six.”

  She brought her gaze around to him, but he continued to focus on the road. “Is that normal occupancy?”

  He shook his head. “Not even close. The weather being like it is, I’m afraid there’ll be no one coming or going on the main road until it lets up. Weather report says not to expect any changes until late tomorrow. You made it just in time.”

  “I guess so.” She wrapped her arms around her shoulders.

  “Are you cold?” he asked.

  “A little.”

  He turned the fan on high and pointed the vent toward her. “It’ll warm up soon. You’ll have to forgive me because the walkways around your lodge aren’t shoveled. I wasn’t expecting you to stay over in the guests’ row since you were registered for the wed—” He caught himself.

  “Oh, you can say it. I had reserved the wedding suite and here I am, minus a groom.” She smo
othed her hands down her jean-clad thighs. “Are you curious what happened?”

  Yes! He shrugged. He didn’t want her to feel uncomfortable. “None of my business.”

  “We might as well just clear the air. Travis and I decided, or rather he decided, we weren’t right for each other.”

  “You disagree?” He hoped she didn’t. Why that mattered he wasn’t sure.

  She entwined her fingers through her hair. “As a matter of fact, not in the slightest. My assistant and friend, Tina, pointed out that I’m not responding as a jilted fiancé would.”

  “Is there a certain way you’re supposed to be acting?” He’d like to hear this.

  “Heartbroken. Melancholy. And truthfully, the second I took off the engagement ring, I felt a sense of freedom. I ate a half gallon of ice cream and loved it. I didn’t shower. Loved that too! I sat on the couch crying over the movies that Travis would never watch.”

  “I’d say that’s certainly a sign.” He smiled.

  “Do you believe in signs?” She shifted so that her body was facing him.

  “Like superstitions? I don’t believe in breaking a mirror and having seven years of bad luck or a black cat crossing my path means misfortune.”

  “More like coincidences versus fate.”

  He swallowed against the constriction in his throat. “Things happen that we don’t have control over. The whole ‘good and bad theory’. Can’t have one without the other.” He tightened his hold on the steering wheel until his knuckles ached. Time to change the subject. “You know, men can be stupid. Your ex, well, I’d say he wasn’t the brightest.”

  She sighed. “I’d agree with you, but he’s one of the most intelligent people I know. But thank you for trying to make things better.” She sighed. “When he told me he was breaking up, he laughed. Come to think of it, every time I cried he would chuckle, as if that made everything okay somehow.”

  “He’ll want you back. They always do.” He turned the truck toward the lodges. He was glad to see that Jennifer had put Jax in one of the nicest treehouses. A woman who’d just been dumped deserved pampering.

  “Do you say that from experience?” she asked.

  “That men always want a woman back?” He scrubbed his jaw. “If a man has invested any time with a woman, then he’s connected.”

  “That wasn’t quite answering my question.”

  He turned his chin and met her pale gaze. “Yes, Miss Morgan. I speak from experience.” He wouldn’t go into detail. “Where are you from?”

  “Chicago.”

  He whistled through his teeth. “Long way from home, darlin’.”

  “Wouldn’t be the first time.” She played with the hem of her shirt and he watched her slender fingers move delicately. Her nails were short and left unpolished.

  “You travel a lot for your work?”

  “Let’s just say I have a lot of frequent flyer miles. What about you Maverick McCade?”

  “What about me?”

  “What’s the story? How did you end up here at the capital of paradise?”

  “It’s a very short story that would bore you to tears. I think we should keep the spotlight on you. After all, this experience is all about you.” He slowed as they reached the hill. The wheels slid but, as expected, the Dodge continued slow and steady.

  “All about me, huh? Is that part of the charm here?”

  “You call that charm? You haven’t seen anything yet.” He chuckled. “You’re a photographer. Hobby?”

  “Maybe you’ve seen some of my work on the front covers of National Traveler and Chisel?”

  He sucked in a deep breath. “Forgive me. You’re not just a photographer. You’re the photographer. Hell, now that you’ve told me, I feel worse about busting your camera.” He started mentally calculating how much money he had hidden in his cabin.

  “How about we forget that happened.”

  “Really?” He’d never forget seeing her hanging over the edge of the rail, her tight bottom high in the air, the way her soft curves felt against his body.

  “The way I see it, you were only trying to save me. If I hold that against you, you’ll never save another woman again. To me that’s a great injustice to many women, especially your girlfriend—which I’m assuming considering you’re not wearing a ring.”

  So, she noticed. “Don’t have a girlfriend. Don’t plan on having one,” he muttered.

  “Oh, you’re one of those guys.” She sniffed.

  “What ‘guy’ is that?”

  “Career bachelor. I guess I can see your point. Living here in paradise. Women come and go. Nice set up you have here.”

  “The way you say it, sounds pretty good. This morning I fed and brushed horses, mucked out manure, stacked twenty bales of hay, cleared five walkways, and had a run-in with a temperamental out-of-towner.” He winked. “The luxurious life I lead.”

  “The good and bad theory. That’s all I can say.” She laughed.

  “Looks like we’ve made it.” He pulled the truck in front of the lodging. “I’ll have someone get to the walkway as soon as possible.”

  She shrugged. “No problem. It’s pretty with the untouched snow. But Jennifer wasn’t kidding when she said treehouse. This place is amazing.”

  ****

  A wonderful haven in the treetops. That was what came to Jax’s mind as she looked out of the truck window. She appreciated the beauty and design of the treehouse built in a Swiss chalet style sitting above a ravine. The place took on a hexagon, honey-comb looking shape with a deck that wrapped around the front and side, overlooking the wooded view. “This is breathtaking.”

  Maverick chuckled. “You haven’t seen anything yet. This house comes with running water and electricity. And from the deck you can see the mountains and over the fields where the horses run freely.”

  Excitement built within her. “I’m anxious to see inside.”

  “Do you have a warmer jacket? You’ll need something. It gets nippy out here in the Wyoming valley and you don’t want to be stuck in your cabin the entire time.”

  “I’m a little embarrassed to admit this, but I didn’t think too far ahead when it came to packing for this trip. Tina rearranged my things so we’ll see if she thought of a coat.” She realized how impulsive she’d been packing up and coming here. That wasn’t unlike her, though. Sometimes that impulsiveness got her into trouble.

  “You go on in and I’ll grab your bags.” He dangled the key from his finger.

  She didn’t take the offering, not yet. She instead examined his large hands. His fingers were wide and long, his nails were square and clean. A familiar ache slid down her spine. This could get out of hand very quickly. She hadn’t jumped out of the frying pan to find herself in a fire. Although, her libido didn’t quite get the cautionary memo.

  “Don’t worry, it won’t burn you.” The husky quality of his voice ignited tingles between her legs.

  “Burn me?” Her brain wasn’t working like it should.

  “The key.” One thick brow lifted along with one corner of his gorgeous mouth. She’d never seen a man with a more perfectly shaped bottom lip. She could see herself nibbling the flesh. Oh for heaven’s sake! What was happening to her? A half hour at Nirvana and she was forgetting why she’d come.

  Taking the key, she started to slide out when he caught her by the elbow. “Wait.” He slipped out of his insulated jacket and held it out for her to take. She stared for a good three seconds. “It won’t bite you either.”

  “I can’t take your coat.” His generosity caught her off guard.

  He smiled, showing off a row of even, white teeth against his olive complexion. “I dress smart. I have on two layers. Trust me, you need this more than I do.”

  Against better judgment for her poor, weak libido, she slipped on the jacket and immediately two things happened. The warmth of the coat reminded her of an electric blanket and felt deliciously nice. Secondly, a leather, spice scent tickled her nostrils and started a fire deep in
her body. She liked the fragrance, and it didn’t come from a bottle. Dizziness washed over her and she forced her mind to function. Outside. Lodge. Fast.

  With trembling fingers, she pulled the handle and the door came open. The sudden blast of chilly air made her cheeks tingle, but didn’t ease the prickles at the apex of her thighs. She had become a living, breathing sexual hormone.

  Tightening the coat around her waist, she was grateful she’d been keen enough to wear boots. As she moved through the ankle deep snow, the ends of her jeans became wet and she had a difficult time moving very fast. She felt sorry leaving Maverick to tend to the bags alone, but the tips of her fingers were numb and they ached. A place like this could be dangerous if a person wasn’t careful.

  Following the winding staircase, she admired the view into the snow covered tree tops. The house was lifted about fifty feet from the ground, but where it was located on the ravine, the view continued on and on as far as the eye could see. A lot of thought had been taken into the engineering of the place.

  By the time she made it to the landing, her lungs were aching from the cold and her fingers wouldn’t work. She fumbled with the key, dropping it once and retrieving it from the snow, which didn’t help with her already throbbing hands. She attempted several times to slide the key into the slot, but her hands refused to operate.

  “Having trouble?”

  She jumped at the sound of Maverick’s voice. She shifted and her shoulder bumped his chest, he was standing that close. Logic told her to ask for space, but her body liked this way too much. Her nipples tightened and her core filled with heat. Leaning her head back, she looked up, all the way up into those bottle green eyes that put her into a hypnotic state. She moistened her dry lips and his gaze dropped to that part of her, watching with inquisitive eyes. “I’m all thumbs it seems,” she finally whispered.

  “Let me help.” His throaty voice kicked up her nerve endings. He took the key from her and, although she could feel nothing in her fingers, warmth spread through her veins. She was no longer aware of the five degree temperature or the icy winds sweeping across her, but focused on the heat radiating off his body. Desire seeped through the coat, her clothes, penetrated her pores and into her weakened muscles like an invisible massage. He bent his head so close that she could see the strands of silver hair at his temples and the brown freckle above his left brow. She pressed her back against the cold door as he moved in. He was so close his nose almost touched hers. Automatically, her lips parted, ready for what he had to offer. Would he kiss her? Oh how she hoped he would.