Turn and Burn_A Blacktop Cowboys Novel

by Lorelei James

  Eli grinned back. “That’ll work. But I’m gonna leave it up to you to tell her. I ain’t about to get my head chopped off.”

  The girls were still chattering away with Andie and Tanna as they left the barn. The instant they saw him, they shrieked, “Doc Fletch!” and raced toward him.

  Tanna meandered over, waiting until there was a break in their fawning to say, “I see you’ve got some admirers.”

  “Me and these girls go way back to last summer, right, ladies?”

  “Uh-huh! It was so cool! We were there when Dr. Fletcher rescued a baby kitten that’d gotten lost from its mama.”

  “Yes, the good doc has a penchant for caring for lost things.”

  Was that how Tanna saw herself? Saw him? Fuck that.

  She smiled at the chubby freckled girl. “So then what happened?”

  “After he checked her out to make sure she wasn’t hurt, he let her go. The baby kitty ran back home where she belonged.”

  “Interesting how that happens,” Tanna murmured. “She’s lucky she had a home to run back to.”

  He wasn’t ready to touch that one. “These two here,” he pointed to the two smallest girls, “have sworn to me they’ll study hard so they can go to vet school and help save all the animals in the world.”

  “I’ve been practicing wrapping my dog’s legs in bandages,” the freckled girl announced. “And I’ve gotten really good.”

  “You wish,” the dark-eyed one he called “feisty” argued. “Lady just lays down now when she sees you get the tape out because she’s scared. That don’t count.”

  Tanna and Fletch exchanged a grin.

  Then the other girls vied for Fletch’s attention until Andie let loose a shrill whistle.

  “Pipe down or you’ll miss the surprise Eli lined up for you.” She gestured to Eli. “Go ahead.”

  “Dr. Fletcher is gonna demonstrate the proper way to brush down a horse. So I know you’ll use your best manners and listen to him. Then he’ll answer all your questions.”

  “Who’s gonna be his assistant? ’Cause all vets have assistants.”

  Shouts of “Pick me! Pick me!” rent the air.

  Fletch signaled for quiet. “Not all vets have an assistant. Most days I don’t. But you’re in luck today because Tanna will be my assistant. She’s an expert horse groomer. And the extra surprise is she’s gonna talk to you about bein’ a three-time world champion barrel racer and show you some tools of the trade.”

  Tanna froze beside him.

  Amidst the buzz of excitement, Eli said, “While we’re giving Doc and Tanna time to get ready, head on up to the house. Summer baked a whole batch of monster cookies for you little monsters.”

  The girls said a hasty good-bye and loped off, Eli and Andie behind them.

  Fletch stepped in front of her. “You wanna discuss how we’re gonna present this here? Or as we’re walking to the pasture to round up a horse?”

  “Fletch. I . . . can’t.”

  “I’m not asking you to climb on a horse and run barrels, Tanna. I’m asking you to help me show them what good horsemanship is all about. How much time and energy goes into an animal that’s entrusted to the owner’s care.”

  “Need I remind you of what happened to the last horse that was ‘entrusted to my care’?” she snapped.

  “It wasn’t your fault.” He cupped her face in his hands. “Please, sweetheart, you need to believe that because it’s true.”

  “Fletch—”

  “It wasn’t your fault,” he repeated stubbornly. “You were seriously injured. You need to let go of the guilt that you weren’t there for Jezebel in her last moments. God, Tanna, I know you. You would’ve crawled across glass to be with her if you could have. So, please. Stop punishing yourself.”

  Tanna shook off his touch and was at a loss for words for several long moments. “I can’t. Especially not today . . . in front of . . .”

  “Which is why I want you to talk about how you got to be a world champion. Show them the different types of bits and bridles and training harnesses. You’ve landed on the top of the heap of your sport three times. These girls, who have so little, who most likely don’t have many women like you in their lives to look up to—they need inspiration.”

  Fletch read the questions in her eyes as easily as if she were speaking out loud.

  What if I’m a disappointment because I won’t get on a horse and show them how it’s done?

  What if they ask why I’m not doing it anymore?

  “They are gonna ask questions. But if you can answer a bunch of curious preteens, who have no filter, imagine how much easier it’ll be to answer questions from industry reporters when you get back into the sport.”

  “That’s not the part I’m worried about.”

  Bingo. “I’ll be right there beside you as we’re brushing the horse down. We, sweetheart. Not just you.”

  His reassurance didn’t help: Tanna’s panic was palpable.

  Then he was right in her face. “Breathe. Come on, sugar twang. You’re a strong-minded woman. Put your mind to this. You’re strong willed too. You can do this,” he said softly. “I know you can. You just need to believe it.”

  That got her back up. “Is that why you’re here? To give me a pep talk before you force me to do something I’m not ready for?”

  “That’s the thing—you are ready for it. Besides, is it so bad, me bein’ on Team Tanna? I am here for you, I have been for weeks even when you wanna shut that damn barn door and keep me out at every turn.”

  “You’re full of bad clichés today,” Tanna retorted, “and it’s not helping.”

  “Nothin’ is helping. So yeah, I’m forcing the issue.” He stroked her cheek. “Because if you’re not ready to even touch a horse after all the hours you’ve spent out here at a goddamned horse ranch, I’m gonna kick Eli’s ass.” He smirked. “Then possibly yours.”

  “Try it.”

  “With pleasure. And here’s another thing I’m gonna force on you.” Fletch held her jaw and dropped his mouth over hers for a kiss that reminded her he was in charge.

  Tanna didn’t try to pull away. She wrapped herself around him, holding on, making those needy moans that made his dick hard.

  His little head tried to wrest control from his big head, but Fletch wouldn’t succumb to the seductive power of his body’s needs. Tanna used sex to distract him whenever he tried to discuss her issues and he’d be damned if he’d do the same thing. So he broke the kiss.

  Brain one, cock zero.

  He rested his forehead to hers. “Please. Trust me. If this is too much for you, we’ll stop. But you gotta at least try.”

  Her body tensed again. A very long minute of silence passed before she whispered, “Okay.”

  Thank God. Fletch stepped back and held out his hand. “Come on. Let’s go catch us a horse.”

  Tanna took his hand. “A slow horse. And I’d better get a big cookie after this demonstration of yours, Doc.”

  “Sugar twang, I’ll personally feed you all the cookies you can eat.”

  Chapter Twenty-two

  Tanna was agitated.

  The woman could not sit still after they’d returned from Eli’s. She prowled silently around the living area of his trailer, her brow furrowed. She’d give him one- or two-word answers if he asked her a question, but beyond that she remained quietly edgy.

  Finally she said, “I’m goin’ to the pool.”

  He slipped off his reading glasses and set them aside. He’d reread the same page for the last ten minutes anyway. “Thought the pool was off-limits to employees.”

  “Only when there’s guests. The lodge is empty, which is why I’m not working tonight. I’ll see you later.”

  The screen door banged shut behind her.

  Normally he wouldn’t care that she hadn’
t invited him to come along. But it did bother him, given the day had taken a toll on both of them.

  During the grooming session with Eli’s docile trail horse, Fletch had stayed close to Tanna, offering silent reassurance by touching her as she touched the horse. The girls didn’t see her jerky movements or shaking hands, or recognize the higher-pitched tone of her voice. Eventually she calmed and Fletch had been proud of her.

  While Tanna showed the tools of her barrel racing trade, breaking down the parts of the saddle, describing the different bits or snaffles, and the headstall—parts that made up the bridle—he remained in the shadows outside the barn, his body tense as if he’d absorbed Tanna’s fear.

  So yeah, he’d like to blow off some steam too.

  And he’d really like to see Tanna in a bikini.

  The thought of rubbing oil all over her curvy body had him off the couch, searching for his board shorts.

  Fletch gave her thirty minutes of alone time before he draped a towel around his neck and wandered to the pool.

  It wasn’t a large pool, maybe twelve by twenty feet. The deepest end was only five and a half feet. A high fence enclosed the area, the wooden slats angled to allow air circulation within the space. The metal gate creaked when he entered and the smooth concrete was warm beneath his feet.

  Tanna floated on an inflatable neon green lounge chair in the middle of the pool. Her breasts spilled out of her red string bikini top. The matching boy short bottoms showcased the curve of her hips and her flat abdomen.

  He could lick her up one side and down the other. Sucking on her sun-warmed skin and tasting her sweat mixed with the chlorinated water.

  “What are you doin’ here?”

  “Came to join you for a little water play.”

  “No offense, puddin’ pop, but I’m not in the mood for any of your games.”

  Jesus. That haughty twang of hers got him hard as a fucking rock. As did the nearly derisive sneer on her lush mouth. Fletch knew Tanna loved it when he went all “caveman on her ass” and he wouldn’t want to disappoint her when she’d baited him first.

  “Now I’m hurt. Guess I’ll have to play with myself.”

  “You go right ahead and do that.”

  “Cool. But, sugar twang, you might wanna close your eyes.”

  She dismissively flapped her hand at him. “I’ve seen this particular show before.”

  Fletch grinned. “Don’t say I didn’t warn ya.” He grabbed her bottle of suntan oil and squeezed a puddle in his palm. Keeping his eyes on hers, he slowly rubbed that oil down his left arm. Taking his time to work it into his biceps, triceps and forearms. Then he switched sides, giving the right arm equal attention.

  Was Tanna even aware that she’d licked her lips?

  He drizzled oil on his chest, his slick hands leisurely massaging it into his pectorals, the tips of his fingers digging into every ridged muscle. When he reached his nipples, Fletch let his head fall back as his thumbs traced around the puckered discs.

  The sound of the float squeaking drifted to him. Was she getting a little squirmy from the show she claimed she didn’t want to watch?

  Fletch squirted oil directly onto his sternum and ran his hands over his shoulders as one thick stream of liquid slid down, down, down his torso. Before the rivulet reached his belly button, he smeared it across his abs.

  Dripping oil on his fingertips, he rubbed his fingers together before he placed them on his lower abdomen and began to inch them beneath the waistband of his board shorts, his eyes locked on to hers. Tanna couldn’t miss his cock tenting his trunks.

  “Stop,” she said hoarsely. “Sweet Lord. Are you really fixin’ to jack off right here?”

  Fletch feigned a confused look. “You thought I was . . . ?” He laughed. “God, no. I was just adjusting my trunks.” He rolled down the elastic band and tugged on the lining. “Why? Is that something you’d like to see?”

  “I already told you no,” she snipped. “Now that you’re all greased up like you’re in a body builder’s competition, you gonna lay in the sun and see if you can’t get that skin a little redder?”

  Such a smart mouth. He manufactured a shocked gasp. “You mean that was oil to make my skin darker? Not sunscreen?”

  “Nope.”

  “Well, shit. I’d better wash this oily gunk off right away.” He walked to the edge of the pool.

  Her eyes widened. “Fletch. No.”

  He tucked his arms around his knees as he jumped in. A big guy like him could do maximum water damage with a well-placed cannonball.

  When he surfaced, he saw that he’d completely drenched Tanna. He’d even knocked her off the float.

  Sweet.

  “What are you? A twelve-year-old boy?” she demanded, wiping the water from her eyes.

  “Yep. I see a girl I like at the pool and I splash her to get her attention. Especially if she’s fixin’ to ignore me.”

  “Not nice, makin’ fun of my accent.” Tanna flipped her hair over her shoulder. When she noticed him stalking her, she warned, “I wasn’t kidding, Fletch. I’m in a mood and you really don’t wanna be around me right now.”

  He put himself between her and the steps. “I’m in a mood myself. So how about we just skip the niceties and take out our frustrations on each other?” He’d herded her until her back was against the wall. Then he braced his hands on the ledge beside her shoulders and leaned in. “I wanna fuck you every way I can think up. Hard. Fast. Dirty. Rough. Nasty. I wanna use my mouth, my teeth, my hands and my cock in ways that’ll make you blush, make you scream and make you cream. I wanna strip this down between us to pure, animal fucking. It’ll take the edge off and then some.”

  Tanna shuddered. Then she turned her head and bit down on the ball of his shoulder with enough force that he hissed. She licked the line of his collarbone, up to the arch of his neck and whispered, “Big talk. Prove it.”

  Instant shot of adrenaline. His breathing changed. His focus sharpened.

  Her nails dug in to the side of his neck as she yanked his mouth to hers for a ferocious kiss.

  Fletch let her have control now—because after this? Control was all his.

  When she finally relinquished his mouth, he spun her around so she was in front of him. One hand twisted in her hair and he flattened his other hand against her belly. His lips started at the tender sweep of her shoulder and drifted up, stopping behind her ear. “Do you wear your hair up at work?”

  “Ah. No.”

  “Good.” He opened his mouth below her hairline and sucked. Hard. And he kept sucking, marking her with a love bruise even when her knees buckled. He felt the vibration of Tanna’s moan beneath his lips and he couldn’t help but sink his teeth in a little more.

  Tanna moaned louder.

  He added two more marks that when he finished looked like a fat letter F. She might not be able to see it, but it was there. And he knew it was there.

  Then his lips traveled to her other shoulder and he raised her arm up to nip and kiss the tender skin on the underside.

  Another shiver worked down her body and he watched her nipples tighten.

  Fletch let go of her hair. “Leave your arm up.” He bent it at an angle, keeping her bicep by her ear and putting her palm on the back of her head. “Stay like that.” He curled his hands around her rib cage and followed the contour of her body, slowly, pausing on her hips. “Spread your legs.”

  She complied without protest.

  He traced the edge of her suit bottoms. Even beneath the water he felt her abdomen quiver in response. He slipped his left hand beneath the elastic band, following her slit to her opening. He pushed one finger in her pussy, growling, “You’re so fucking wet. And I know it ain’t from the pool water.”

  “It’s all you,” she breathed against his neck.

  His dick twitched against her ass and
she ground back into it. Fletch nudged her head to the side and fastened his mouth to the skin right below her jawbone as he plunged one finger in and out, then two.

  Tanna undulated, bumping her pelvis into his hand.

  “Hold still,” he warned. Once she’d settled, he slipped his right hand into her swimsuit bottoms too. He stretched the fleshy part above her pussy lips with his index and third finger, while his middle finger began to manipulate her clit.

  “Oh God.”

  His oil-slick fingers rubbed her inner pussy wall opposite her pubic bone. Knowing it drove her crazy, he alternated tapping on her clit with drawing small figure eights.

  Fletch drifted into that place where her pleasure was his only concern. He tasted her skin and breathed in her scent, his fingers propelling her toward orgasm. The heat of the sun, the temperate water, her soft body pressed against his, the aromas of coconut oil and chlorine—this had to be paradise.

  Just as he put his mouth on her ear to command her to come, she detonated. Her free hand hit the water, gasping moans drifting from her mouth. Tanna’s body trembled and he rode it out with her; her pussy sucking at his fingers, her clit pulsing.

  She slumped against him after the final contraction. Her arm fell into the water with a splash.

  Fletch straightened her swimsuit bottoms. Before Tanna came out of her haze, he spun her around to face him and hoisted her up, wrapping her thighs above his hips. Then he dipped his head, running his razor-stubbled cheeks across the upper swells of her breasts. “Arch back.”

  “Fletch—”

  “Do it.”

  Tanna leaned back completely in the water and let herself float, arms out in a T shape while her legs were anchored around his waist. Her eyes were dark, sated, yet held a glimmer of lust. The sunlight reflected off her hair, highlighting the red in her mahogany tresses.