Her Unbridled Cowboy (Harland County Series)

by Donna Michaels

  “I’m not sure,” he said after several beats. “Jordan did appear sincere, but well, let’s face it. Your sister’s good.”

  Kerri smacked her head back against the wall a few times, closed her eyes and groaned. “I know. That’s the problem.”

  Smack. What if this was all a ruse to get her to stay in Texas? Smack.

  “Hey.”

  She reopened her eyes only to discover she had a bigger, sexier problem standing so close, she couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe, could only feel. The big, hot, sexually potent man crowded her space and she liked it. A lot. But he made her body consider things, want things, needy things she had no idea what to do about.

  Smack.

  Then the bugger stepped closer still, easing his hand between her head and the wall, being sweet again. Making her heart melt. His other large, strong hand settled ever so lightly on her hip.

  “Easy there, darlin’.” His voice was soft and low, their gazes only inches apart in height thanks to her high heels. “It’s not worth hurting yourself over.”

  Hurting myself? No. Hitting her head off the wall was meant to knock sense into her, not hurt. But the need and want and hunger suddenly raging inside, that sure as heck hurt. In a fierce way. If she had any sense, she’d run out of the room and not stop until she was miles from this man who could sometimes be so sweet, he had her chest aching with a longing that scared her witless.

  She swallowed and opened her mouth, intending to tell him God knows what, when they heard the crowd in the other room start to count backwards from ten.

  The New Year was upon them.

  With each number called out, his face drew closer, his breath warm on her skin, her heart pounding louder and louder. Three. Two. One. Connor’s hold on the back of her head tightened, and his other hand lifted to gently brush his thumb across her jaw.

  “Happy New Year, Kerri,” he breathed.

  When she opened her mouth to reply, he covered her lips with his.

  And that’s how she rang in the New Year, in the Dalton’s dark laundry room, sharing heat and touches and soft murmurs with Connor McCall.

  Oh wait, the murmurs came from her, but man, he felt so good. And kissed even better. A mad rush of sensations engulfed and she was lost. Just utterly lost.

  Warm, and tasting like beer and sin and long forgotten desire, his mouth moved over hers in a slow, lazy, open-mouthed kiss. She shuddered and slid her hands up over his broad shoulders to play with the short hair at the back of his neck. He groaned low in his throat, then pressed her against the wall, his body hard and deliciously warm. A zing of heat sliced straight to her core.

  Their kiss under the mistletoe had been incredible, but this, this went beyond. Their bodies were lined up, touching, pressing, stroking…

  Oh God, his tongue entered her mouth removing all thoughts of the party, their past, the future, everything from her mind.

  Only the here and now mattered. Connor, and how he made her feel.

  And boy did he make her feel. All sorts of things. Feminine, and desired, and needed. He rocked into her, nipping, tasting, drinking her lips like a man thirsty for days.

  It was all so incredible and sensuous, and suddenly, she wanted more. Needed more, and with that need came boldness.

  Giving her tongue permission to explore his mouth, she swept the roof, soft cheek, sliding against his, delighting in the low groan that rumbled from his chest yet again.

  His hold tightened and, sweet mercy, he rocked against her, his arousal thick and hard, making her wet.

  Kerri trembled with need. That was new. She’d never trembled with need before. Ever. The sensation was exciting and frightening and made her just a wee bit naughty.

  Heaven help her, she wanted him to hike up her skirt, pull her panties aside and take her against the wall.

  She should be appalled at her thoughts, and probably would be tomorrow, but right now…God, right now she wanted what she wanted.

  Connor McCall inside her.

  Apparently, he had other thoughts, because a second later, he pulled back abruptly and removed his hard, pulsing warmth from her grasp. She nearly cried out. Okay, she did, but he ignored her, his expression a mixture of hunger and heat and…fear?

  After shoving the hat back on his head, he lightly touched her lower lip. “Definitely, strawberry,” he said.

  And in the next heartbeat, he was gone.

  Like her breathe…and her legs. Did they still exist? Kerri reached for the washer, clinging to the side as she worked on regulating her pulse.

  What the heck just happened?

  He saved you from yourself.

  Too bad. Just when she’d decided she didn’t want to be saved.

  By the middle of January, Kerri and Jordan still hadn’t found a suitable property for their restaurant. Over the past two weeks, they’d gone out repeatedly to a few of the local restaurants at the Gulf, as well as several well-established ones in the Houston area. Having tasted the varied cuisine and experienced the ambiance of those places, the two of them had come up with a game plan.

  Their menu would consist of beef, seafood and chicken, and they needed a place big enough for an open barbecue pit. It was also important for the building to have an area that could accommodate a stage for the locals to come out and show off their talent. A part of Comets’ legacy they wanted to continue in Texas.

  So far, none of the properties they’d looked at had that expanse.

  “Well, sis, today’s the day. I can feel it,” Jordan said as Cole drove them to meet their realtor at a location Cole had spotted on his way to work the day before. “You’ve cooked and pleased New Yorkers, the finicky French and are highly regarded for the magical things you can do with tofu in So Cal. Are you ready to bring pleasure to the palates of Texas?”

  “Yes, I am, actually,” she replied, and meant it.

  The excitement of the challenge had already started to take root. She’d even begun to experiment in her mother’s kitchen, thrilling her parents night after night with her concoctions.

  Even Mr. and Mrs. McCall had stopped by, and Jordan and Cole.

  But not Connor.

  Kerri hadn’t seen the perplexing cowboy since the party. Since the kiss.

  Absently running a finger across her bottom lip, Kerri recalled his taste. The way he felt all hard and masculine, and how that made her feel all soft and feminine. She never had that reaction with Lance. Ever. And they’d been married for fifteen months.

  Actually, she’d never felt the fierce need to be taken that had hit her when she and Connor had kissed.

  Kissed.

  Goodness, it was just a kiss, but boy she’d felt more in that little spec of time than she had her whole marriage. Correction, make that the whole relationship with her ex-husband.

  They’d both been eighteen when she met Lance while working together at a restaurant. The two of them had a lot in common and became fast friends, eventually best friends. After a year, they’d both applied and were accepted at The Culinary Institute in New York, making her time away from her family not such a hardship. In fact, it had been wonderful. Lance had understood her obsession and love for cooking because he had it, too.

  They’d shared an apartment while in New York, and eventually, the small confines had led their relationship to the next level. After graduation, he’d asked her to marry him, and it seemed like the natural thing to do. Within a month, they were husband and wife working in Paris where they furthered their experience as cooks in many of the smaller cafés and restaurants all throughout the beautiful city.

  Lance had been the only lover she’d ever had, and although they didn’t make love every night, they did it often enough that she was unaware there was a problem.

  Looking back on it now, there were signs leading up to the incident, but at the time, she’d been clueless.

  “Well, it’s time for a change,” Cole said, bringing her mind back to the present.

  She gladly switched off tho
ughts of the past.

  “This place looked big enough on the outside for what you girls have in mind. Apparently, it just went on the market yesterday. I’m glad Ms. Harper was able to get such a quick appointment with the listing agent.”

  “Me, too,” Jordan said as Cole pulled into the parking lot of a large two-story, cinder-blocked building, and next to their realtor and a large truck.

  Kerri’s pulse increased. They were in Bay Beach, a quaint Gulf community she’d often frequented as a child. They were a few miles east of the bigger tourist locations, and she loved the area for its small shops and boardwalk with an equally small pier and beautiful beach. And although it had been hit by a recent hurricane, as usual, Texans bounce back. So far, the property appeared promising. The building had weathered well, and the size was right. More than right, and the parking lot could easily accommodate a big crowd.

  Oh please let the inside be doable, she prayed as Cole turned off the ignition and groaned.

  “What’s wrong, honey?” Jordan narrowed her eyes.

  “That’s Duke Carver’s truck. This must be one of his listings,” he answered with a shake to his head.

  “And?” her sister prompted.

  “And he’s always had a problem with the McCall brothers…especially Connor.”

  Kerri was a little surprised. Connor generally got along with everyone. A little too well. She turned to get a better look at the guy in question, but their realtor’s car was in the way.

  “Really? Why?” Jordan asked.

  “One of my brother’s fiancée’s used to be Duke’s girlfriend, and although they were through before Connor and Tiffany started dating, Duke got it in his head that Connor stole her from him.”

  Her sister placed a hand on his arm. “Do you want to leave?”

  “Yeah, Cole.” Kerri leaned forward from the back seat. “I’m sure there are places still out there. We don’t need to make this uncomfortable for you.”

  But…darn, she really liked the look of this place, and the seaside area.

  “No, that won’t be necessary. Duke has some of the best property, and we’d only have to deal with him eventually anyway.” Cole turned and smiled at her. “And he was wrong, not Connor. Although, my brother should have let him have the woman.” He cocked his head, then added, “Besides, a McCall never runs from a Carver,” before he got out.

  Kerri glanced at her sister and laughed when Jordan rolled her eyes. She silently agreed. Men. She’d never understand their need to chest-pound. Seemed like a waste of energy.

  She slid out of the passenger side of the car and greeted their realtor Marcy with a nod and a smile before turning her attention to Connor’s nemesis.

  Duke Carver was six-foot-one and all man. He wore a black Stetson, western shirt, jeans and snakeskin cowboy boots under a long black coat she could envision a gunslinger wearing a hundred years ago.

  “Well, Cole McCall. It sure has been awhile.” The man in black was on the other side of the car, extending his hand to Cole.

  “Duke.” Her soon-to-be brother-in-law shook the man’s hand, eyeing him warily.

  “I hear you’re engaged. This must be the lucky lady now.” Duke turned his attention to Jordan rounding the car to slip her arm around Cole.

  Her sister sent him a killer smile to go with her handshake. “Yes, it is. I’m Jordan. Jordan Masters.”

  Kerri tried not to laugh as Duke’s eyes nearly popped out of his head.

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Jordan. Is this the same Jordan that used to follow you around, Cole? The one you used to talk about when you started college?” Still shaking Jordan’s hand, Duke glanced at Cole, waiting for a reply.

  “Yes.”

  The enigmatic man released Jordan and nodded. “I see why you’ve stopped running. Good for you,” Duke said, his tone earnest before turning his gaze on her as she neared. “And you must be Kerri. Marcy said the two of you were looking for commercial property for a restaurant, and that you were a great chef, but she never told me you were beautiful.”

  His blue eyes flashed their approval as he eyed her up and down before bringing her hand to his lips.

  Chapter Seven

  A little unnerved and intimidated by his directness, Kerri blushed and quickly pulled her hand away. “Thanks.”

  He stared a little longer before shaking his head and got down to the business of showing them around.

  “It definitely has enough parking space,” Kerri remarked.

  “Yes, and room for more if you need it.” Marcy pointed to the weeded area to their left. “That land is also part of the listing.”

  “It is,” Duke confirmed. “As well as another acre out back.”

  Turning their attention to the building, Kerri felt the stirrings of hope and excitement coursing through her yet again. A steak and seafood restaurant with ribs and barbeque would fit in great in this town. She remembered hanging out with her friends here often, going to the beach, renting bikes, eating ice cream, and even playing miniature golf, which were all still offered across the street.

  She turned to look. From where she stood, Kerri had a beautiful view of the Gulf and a wave of nostalgia hit her full force.

  She’d been happy here. Very happy back then. Maybe it was a good sign. Maybe this was a good place to open their restaurant.

  Their Texas restaurant.

  She was still going back to L.A., but having committed to helping her sister, this area wouldn’t be such a hardship on Kerri.

  The locale was quiet yet well-traveled even in the off season. Foster’s Creamery was open year round, and she made a mental note to stop in for some ice cream real soon.

  “It looks big enough on the outside,” Jordan said, stopping next to her.

  Kerri turned back to survey the big concrete square. “I agree. I just hope it’s workable on the inside.”

  “Well then, ladies, what do you say we check it out?” Duke asked with a knowing smile.

  “Yes,” they echoed each other and laughed.

  Duke unlocked and held the door open for them. As they stepped inside, Kerri knew the instant he turned on the lights they’d found their future restaurant.

  Big enough for both a barbeque pit and a stage, and a fleet of buses or maybe two private jets, the building did indeed have promise. The walls were wired but mostly unfinished. A pile of two-by-fours and sheetrock each sat in the middle of the room. Perfect. The place was practically a blank canvas.

  “How’s the building codes?” Cole asked Duke.

  “Everything that has been done so far is up to code. This place was originally built last year. The owner I represent was going to open up a feed store, but the economy tanked and then the hurricane hit, he ran out of money and decided not to go any further.” Duke waved a hand around. “The electricity, heat and plumbing are started down here, but the upstairs is finished.”

  “And what’s upstairs?” Jordan asked.

  “A huge storage area, or whatever you’d want to use it for, as well as a two-bedroom apartment.”

  Kerri’s heart leapt. Holy smokes. She turned to Duke and grabbed his arm, forgetting her shyness. “Are you saying there’s an apartment, and it’s finished?”

  He smiled. “Yes, ma’am, I am. The owner just moved out last week. Would you like to see it?”

  “Yes, please.” Kerri removed her hand and followed the grinning realtor out the back door.

  She loved her parents and what they’d done to the old homestead, but…an apartment? The thought of having her own place, regaining her independence brought such a rush of joy, she knew it showed on her face.

  Marcy smiled at her as they ascended a set of outside stairs. “As I understand it, the new appliances are included, too.”

  “They are,” Duke confirmed, unlocking the door and standing aside so they could all enter a hallway that ran the length of the whole side of building. “The first door is to the storage area and the other is for the apartment.”

 
; “Cole and I will check out the storage area while you show Kerri the apartment,” Jordan said.

  Duke nodded. “Sure thing. Let me just get the door for you, then.”

  While he unlocked the first door for her sister and Cole, Kerri walked down to the other, excitement upping her pulse. Behind this door could be her new place. Never had she imaged when she woke up this morning that checking out a location for their restaurant could possibly lead to a new home.

  “I think you’re going to like this,” he said, with a grin.

  Smiling, she nodded as he unlocked the door, then sucked in a breath when she walked in. He was right. The apartment was huge. It ran the whole length of the building. Much bigger than her New York apartment. Heck, she could fit two and a half of them in this space.

  “The storage area is the same square footage, but it’s all open,” Duke informed.

  Nodding, Kerri walked through the modern kitchen into the opened living room and looked out the window over-looking the front of the property. She had a gulf view.

  “And how much square feet is it exactly?”

  “Eighteen hundred. Each,” Duke replied.

  Kerri didn’t know if that was good. Didn’t really care as she continued to walk through the apartment. She was too busy falling in love, already seeing the place as her own, adding colorful touches to the functional smaller bedroom, picturing purple bedding in the master bedroom that had, alleluia, its own bathroom. And boy, what a bathroom, complete with a huge walk in shower. It had a corner. A corner. She had to walk around a tiled corner to find the showerhead, which was in the ceiling. The ceiling.

  “Oh, that is too cool,” Jordan said, walking in behind her.

  Kerri turned to her and grinned. “I know, right?”

  Smiling, her sister dropped an arm around her shoulder and guided her back to the bedroom. “So, what do you think?”

  “I love it,” Kerri gushed. “The kitchen is a little on the small side, but I’d be right above the restaurant and could always go down there to create…”