Cowboy Heat Read online

  “Which plug is it, spitfire?”

  “The big one,” she whispered. He’d been personally filling her tight ass with the butt plugs daily, working to stretch her muscles.

  “Dammit. You weren’t ready for that yet,” he said, his words ending with a moan as she sank two more inches onto his cock.

  “I’m so ready for that,” she said, kissing him as she pushed down, taking him into her completely.

  He gripped her hips, planning to help her as she rode his cock, but his woman was a cowgirl, born and bred, and her years of riding bareback shone through. She moved on him like a seasoned rider and all too soon, he felt his climax threatening to erupt. She’d driven him to the boiling point with her mouth and now her sexy body had the kettle ready to blow.

  “Aw dammit, Liv. I’m not going to last!”

  “Thank God,” she breathed against his cheek and he felt the first tremors of her climax begin. He let her drag him along, his hands digging into her hips, holding her tight against his cock as he came deep inside her, relishing the idea of filling her with his come. Soon, he was going to beg her to stop taking birth control so he could fill her up with his baby as well.

  She laid her head upon his shoulder as he wrapped her snugly in his arms. He suspected they both dozed for a few minutes. He felt her move against him and he realized he was still inside her. That thought awakened another part of him and he felt her grin against his neck.

  “Predictable,” she teased.

  He pushed her back but when he didn’t return her smile, hers quickly faded to one of concern.

  “Rem?”

  “You’ve been a very bad girl, Liv.” He ran his hands along her ass and touched the end of the butt plug to drive home exactly what he was referring to.

  She squirmed on his lap as he encircled her waist with his hands, lifting her off the chair.

  “Take off that shirt and lean over the desk.”

  She quickly whipped the thin tank top off and bent over the smooth surface as he ran his hands along her bare flesh. “I didn’t give you permission to use that butt plug. In fact, I seem to recall saying that you weren’t to use the plugs at all unless I put them in. Isn’t that right?”

  “Yes,” she replied.

  He toed off his shoes and finished pulling off the pants she’d only shoved down as far as his knees. She started to turn and watch but he halted her movement with strong words.

  “Face the front,” he yelled in his Marine voice and she jerked back around.

  He shrugged his T-shirt off as well before continuing to stroke her ass. He could see her bracing herself for his spanking and he didn’t disappoint her. He moved fast, building up strength with each blow until she was panting and he could see her body’s juices glimmering on her inner thighs.

  “Whose body is this?” he asked, pausing and caressing her heated flesh.

  “Yours,” she whispered.

  “I can’t hear you,” he said, leaning over to speak into her ear.

  “Yours, cowboy,” she said louder, her voice filled with her usual humor and spunk. God, she was perfect.

  His hands traveled along the globes of her ass until he reached her opening. His fingers touched the base of the butt plug and she instinctively started thrusting back toward him.

  He slapped her ass again, once, hard. “Hold still.”

  She stopped moving and he returned to the plug, gripping the base and slowly pulling it out. She groaned as he dragged the toy free.

  “Did it hurt when you put it in?” he asked, certain it had. He’d been purposely taking her down this road slowly. Perhaps he’d been going too slowly.

  “A little,” she confessed.

  “Well,” he said, reaching into the desk drawer and pulling out a bottle of lubrication. She’d laughed at him when she discovered he’d stashed lubrication and toys in a variety of places around the house and ranch. Two months in her presence had taught him it paid to be prepared. His patience never seemed to last too long. “I have a feeling this is going to hurt a little bit more.”

  He pushed the tip of the lubrication into the tight ring of muscle and squeezed, making sure there was enough to keep his cock moving freely. He was certain he’d never be able to hold back once he got inside her ass.

  Once again she tried to thrust back and, again, he halted her with a strong smack. “You’ve got to stop trying to direct this, Liv.”

  “I’m trying,” she gasped. “But you need to hurry up.”

  He chuckled at her impatience. They were birds of a feather.

  When he felt comfortable that he’d applied enough lube, he leaned over her and kissed her cheek lightly. “Ready?”

  “God yes,” she whispered.

  He lined his cock up with her ass and slowly began to push inside. Several times he felt her tense up and he stopped, kissing the back of her neck, whispering words of encouragement in her ear until she relaxed and he moved forward once more. His arms trembled as he held himself above her, willing himself to move in gradual increments. He loved this position and he had no doubt once he’d taken her ass, he’d want it again and again. It was important to him that she liked it too.

  Finally, his hips hit her ass and he sucked in a deep breath of air. She felt as heavenly as he’d known she would.

  “Okay?” he whispered in her ear.

  “Mmm,” she hummed and he could see she was lost in that sensual place she sometimes drifted to.

  “Still with me, spitfire?” he teased.

  “Sort of,” she joked. “I’m fairly certain I’ve got one foot in heaven though. If you’d move—just a bit—I think I could make the leap all the way in.”

  “I think maybe I could manage to get both of us there.” He reached into the drawer once more and pulled out a tiny vibrator.

  “What’s that?” she asked when she felt his hand probing for the opening to her pussy. If he’d been thinking with his brain rather than his dick, he’d have put the vibrator in first.

  “A surprise,” he said as he found her cunt, wet and ready. He pushed the tiny device inside then grabbed up the remote. He pushed the button on low then gritted his teeth as the vibrations massaged his cock through the thin membrane separating him from the toy.

  “Shit,” he muttered, fighting the impulse to fuck her the way he wanted to.

  Go slow. Dear God, let me be able to go slow.

  “Move,” she gasped as he fought against his body’s natural instincts.

  “Don’t want to hurt you,” he said through gritted teeth.

  “Dammit, Rem. You’re killing me! Fuck me!”

  Her words released the demon in his soul and he pulled out only to thrust back in roughly. She screamed and he started to stop again until he realized her climax was already starting. He began a steady rhythm, refusing to let this end so quickly. He came into her as a steady stream of words flowed from his lips.

  “Love you, baby,” he said on one hard thrust. “Christ, I love you.”

  She moaned and he felt her begin to come again, her orgasms triggering continuously as he thrust over and over.

  He pounded into her one last time as he turned the vibrator up to high. Her body trembled with the power of her final orgasm and he gave himself up to it.

  “Fuck!” he muttered as his come jetted out in powerful spurts. “Goddammit, Liv. You’re killing me, baby. Killing me. Shit, I love you.”

  For hours, days, hell maybe weeks, he lay above her, struggling to support his weight on weak arms, trying not to crush her into the hard surface of the desk.

  She lay motionless beneath him and for a moment, he worried that he’d been too rough.

  “Liv?” he whispered, feathering light kisses on her sweat-soaked back. They’d given each other quite a workout. She didn’t reply. He pushed up and away from her, cursing the stiffness in his legs, his ass, everywhere. “Olivia?” he said, running his hand along her side, down to her waist.

  “Ssh,” she said. “Olivia Carter is offic
ially dead. Killed by a gang of ruthless orgasms. The vicious fuckers attacked her from behind.”

  He laughed until his sides hurt. He fell back into the desk chair to catch his breath and took a moment to enjoy the view of Liv sprawled out across his desk with her well-fucked and spanked ass at eye level.

  She didn’t move but he sensed her eyes were open.

  “You’re gloating, aren’t you?” she asked.

  “Yep,” he replied cheerfully.

  “You think my sore ass is funny?”

  He laughed, recalling the fact she’d said the exact same thing the first night they’d slept together. The night she’d given him her virginity. “I think your sore ass is gorgeous. Can you get up off that desk?” he asked.

  “Maybe…in a few weeks. Do you mind bringing me some food every now and again?”

  “I think I know something that will help you move. I’ve got another surprise for you,” he said, reaching back toward the drawer.

  “Oh my God, any more of your surprises and I really will die.”

  He grinned and ran his hand along the back of her thigh. “You’ll like this surprise and it doesn’t involve sex at all.”

  “No sex?” she asked. “Hardly seems worth getting up for.”

  He shook his head and turned on his firm Marine voice. “Get up, Liv, and come here.”

  As always, she reacted to the tone. He noticed she was also feeling the effects of their hard lovemaking as she winced a couple of times before standing completely upright.

  “I’ll run a bath for you in a minute. I need to ask you something first.”

  She turned to face him. “How about bath first, question later?”

  “No, this is important and I don’t want to wait any longer.”

  As she stood before him, he slid off the chair and onto one knee. He heard Liv’s quick intake of breath as he grasped her left hand in his. He flipped his right hand over the reveal the diamond engagement ring on his palm. “I love you and I want you to marry me, spitfire. I want to spend the rest of my life right here with you on this ranch. I want us to raise a brood of babies together and I want to die in your arms about a hundred years from now.”

  She smiled at his words and he thought for a moment he saw the sheen of tears in her eyes. “I would love to marry you. I’ve never wanted to be with anyone but you. I love you, cowboy,” she said, her voice hoarse with emotion.

  He stood up and placed the ring on her finger. Leaning down, he kissed her gently. “You don’t think two months is too soon to propose?”

  She slapped him on the side of the head with a laugh. “Two months? Try ten years and two months, dumbass. You’re just lucky you didn’t keep me hanging on much longer. Another fifty years or so and I would have been out of here.”

  He laughed. “Damn, I was pushing it close to the wire. Glad I wised up in time. I love you, Liv.”

  “I love you too, Rem. I think I forgot to say this a couple of weeks ago, but welcome home.”

  He kissed her, holding her close, soaking in her scent and savoring the feeling of her soft body against his.

  Some homecoming, he thought with a grin.

  Rekindled

  Cowboy Heat, Book Two

  Dedication

  This story is dedicated to that ebook addict, T. A wonderful reviewer and an even better friend. Thanks for the title suggestions. They were perfect!

  Chapter 1

  “Well, well, well. Look what the cat dragged in.” Claire Hutchins stood behind the screen door and prayed the man standing on her front porch couldn’t hear the sudden pounding of her heart.

  “You gonna let me in, Claire-bear?” Jeb Carter’s grin was still as lethal as it had been in high school.

  “I’m thirty-two years old, Jeb. Don’t you think it’s time you dropped that childish nickname?”

  He shook his head. “Nope. I like it.”

  “Well, I don’t. What are doing here?”

  “Rumor has it you’re looking for a ranch foreman. I thought I’d come throw my hat in the ring.”

  Claire laughed out loud. “You?”

  She could tell he wasn’t happy with her laughter, but she couldn’t help it. Jeb Carter was a rodeo man through and through. Everybody knew that. He’d wither up and die doing something as boring as ranch work. “Go back to the rodeo, cowboy. I’m too busy for your jokes.”

  “Unlatch the screen door and invite me in. Interview me.”

  She fought back the anger—and arousal—that accompanied his demanding tone. It had always been this way. She was an independent, self-reliant woman in every aspect of her life. Then Jeb showed up and she was melting like chocolate in his hands, her body rejecting her brain in its attempt to obey his every command.

  “No.” She was proud of the strength she’d managed to convey with that one syllable. “I’m not wasting my time. I need a foreman, Jeb. That means I’m looking for someone to stick around for the long haul. Not until the next rodeo season starts up.”

  “I’m not going back.”

  With those words, Claire wondered if her life hadn’t just flashed before her eyes. “You’re not?”

  He shook his head. “I’m getting too old to ride bulls. I think it’s high time I come home, settle down.”

  She swallowed heavily, the words settle down hovering between them. “I’m sure Liv and Rem would love to have you work for them on their ranch.”

  “Open the damn door, Claire. I’m not gonna have this conversation through the screen.”

  She unlatched the door and took a step back as he entered. His hair was shorter than it had been in high school, though still just as black, and his dark brown gaze pierced her as he entered her home. His size had always overwhelmed her. She’d considered that feeling many times in the past. She’d never felt intimidated by him, just, well…overwhelmed really was the only word for it. He was large, tall and brawny—a far cry from her late husband’s stature. Bob had actually been a couple of inches shorter than her, and while he’d been strong, he’d looked quite slim and slight compared to Jeb’s well-honed, defined, muscular build.

  The thought of Bobby pierced her heart. He’d been dead just over a year, and not a day passed that she didn’t miss him. He’d been the most patient, gentle soul on earth and a wonderful husband. Bob had also been the polar opposite of the man standing in front of her.

  “That’s better.” Jeb was standing too close but she refused to move away, refused to give him the upper hand in any way.

  “For who?”

  “Are you angry with me, Claire-bear?”

  She considered her short, terse tone. She wasn’t sure why she was treating him with such disdain. He’d never done anything to harm or hurt her. Nothing except leave her insides trembling with needs and desires she didn’t understand any better now than she had at eighteen.

  She took a deep breath and shook her head. “No, Jeb,” she said, softening her voice and her demeanor. “I’m not mad at you.”

  “Good. Then hire me.”

  She laughed at his absurd comment. It was so like him. Jeb lived life like a bull in rut—charging in and taking control as if he had every right.

  “No. I told you, I need someone who’ll stick around, someone who understands how to run a ranch.”

  “Claire, for chrissake, I grew up on a ranch. I may have rejected the lessons and the lifestyle for a while, but I’m not thick. I know how to run a ranch. And I meant what I said earlier—I’m staying. It’s time.”

  She fought back the instinct to shiver at Jeb’s comments. She could read between the lines. “I’m not ready.”

  “It’s been a year. I know you’re grieving your husband, but dammit, I can’t risk you moving on without me. I made the mistake of giving up on us once. I won’t do it again.”

  She closed her eyes, turned away. She couldn’t face him or the memories, the years spent wondering what if. “That was a long time ago. I’ve grown up, changed.”

  “I’m banking on th
at.”

  She faced him, eyes narrowed. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “When we dated in high school, you were too young, too innocent to handle what I wanted. I know that. You’re a woman now. My woman.”

  “No, I’m not.”

  “You’ve been mine since the day you gave me your virginity. I let you slip away once. I’ve been a patient man. Stayed away these last ten years while you lived your life with Hutchins. I didn’t make waves, didn’t interfere.”

  “I’m supposed to believe you traveled with the rodeo not because you loved every minute of it, but because you were avoiding me? Bullshit.”

  “I love the rodeo. And you’re right, I wasn’t suffering riding the circuit, but by God, I suffered every time I came home. Every time I saw you with Hutchins, every time I thought of him sharing your bed at night.”

  “Stop.” She put her hand up, anxious to wave away his words. “You and I broke up. We were never right together. You’ve got to—”

  Jeb took a step closer and this time she did move back. “We were right. It’s the timing that was wrong. That’s not a problem now.”

  “I can’t give you what you want.”

  He grinned, running the back of his hand along her cheek. “You’re the only woman who can give me what I want. It’s always been you, Claire.”

  He bent forward, his intention to kiss her as clear as the Texas sky. “Please don’t,” she whispered when his lips were a hairsbreadth away from her.

  He paused for a moment but didn’t retreat. “I’ve missed you.”

  She closed her eyes and gave in. She’d missed him too. Terribly. She closed the miniscule inch left between them and offered her lips. The moment they touched his, she was transported to the first time he’d kissed her—the night of the homecoming football game. She’d been sixteen and she remembered how excited she’d been when Jeb asked her to be his date for the dance the following night. He’d kissed her beside the bonfire at the end of the game.