The Cowboy’s Socialite Read online

  When his gaze found hers, she sucked in a breath. He said something to the gentleman and strode her way.

  “Done some thinking?” he asked, his baby blues sparkly and hopeful.

  She licked her bottom lip. “Sometimes thinking’s all I do.” He traced her mouth, and a delicious shiver moved through her. Damn it. “Yes. Yes.” No more thinking.

  “Let’s get out of here,” he said, his voice dropped an octave.

  Jack clasped the steering wheel of his Land Rover. Tension clung to him like sweat. Besides a couple of glances her way, he’d decided staring at the road while he drove as fast as possible was the best strategy.

  His phone rang. He glanced at the device, blinking and buzzing on the console. Earl’s friendly face showed up. His foreman didn’t call late unless he had an emergency. Cussing under his breath, he flicked on the Bluetooth button. “Hello.”

  “Hi, boss. Sorry to bother, but Tonya is in labor and the calf is too big. It’s stuck. I’d ask for help from the hands, but I gave the night off and they haven’t returned yet.”

  Usually the cows didn’t need help, unless the calf was positioned backwards or needed a C-section. “Did you contact Mel?”

  A sigh from the other end of the line. “Yep. Her cell phone is turned off.”

  Jack massaged his temple. Crap. Usually this wouldn’t be a problem, but the pregnant cows were very valuable and he didn’t want to give Earl the burden of the birthing in case something would go wrong. Besides, he didn’t want Earl to bust his back trying to pull a heavy calf.

  Jack had seen Mel enjoying herself at the Mayor’s dinner. He’d hired her because she was a consummate vet, and also available at all hours. If he got a hold of her, she’d be there in a heartbeat. Jack cleared his throat. Pulling Mel out of the party wasn’t right—especially with Lola by his side. “Okay I’m coming over right away.”

  “Thanks, boss. See you soon.”

  Jack disconnected the call, and when he slanted Lola a glance, he caught a smile on her lips. “What?”

  “I guess... I don’t hear this every day. You know… a cow in labor. I’m pretty sure the last time I heard those words in a sentence were when an acquaintance of mine was bad mouthing her pregnant sister.”

  “Well, you wanted country life, didn’t you? So get ready because we’re helping pull a calf.”

  She squealed, and shifted in her seat. “Sounds exciting. Why can’t Earl do it? I mean, I’m assuming this is business as usual for him.”

  “This cow is worth a lot of money. I asked him to keep an eye on her. If this were daylight, we’d call Mel, but—

  “But you feel bad because she showed up at the party without a date. And you wanna fuck me.”

  He kept his eyes on the road, but his cock twitched in his pants. Anticipation spiked his pulse. “Yeah. About sums it up.”

  “She’ll be fine, Jack. Trust me.”

  He ran his fingers into his hair with one hand, and navigated the steering wheel with the other. Something told him Mel would be the only one leaving this mess unscathed.

  Jack strode into the barn. He didn’t need to toss a glance behind his shoulders to make sure Lola followed him, because her heels clicked on the cement pathway, the sharp sound reverberating through him. When they reached the hay-covered ground, he repeated the same thing he’d told her a few minutes prior, “Listen, you don’t have to do this. You can go back to the house and I’ll see you later.”

  He had no time to fool around. Not yet, anyway. And this was as far from her scene as a bull in a porcelain shop.

  “I want to.” She squeezed his shoulder. Maybe this would be a good story for her to tell her socialite friends in the future. Or maybe she wanted him and didn’t wanna have to wait until he returned to the house. Would they do it against the wall again? Nah. This time, he wanted more than that.

  The light inside the larger pen was a telltale sign. Some grunting also got his attention, and they headed toward the pen. Earl bent over the cow, and with a nod, removed his hat to greet them. “Hi.”

  Jack nodded. “How is she doing?”

  “We need to pull out the calf as soon as possible,” Earl said, pointing at the water sac hanging down from the cow’s privates.

  “Why didn’t anyone tell me or Mel, or try to look for another vet earlier?” he asked, and managed to do it casually. No cows entered labor just out of the blue, and especially where these hundred thousand dollar animals were concerned, whenever the hands spotted any signs they had to let the foreman know.

  Earl wiped his sweaty forehead with the back of his hand. “It’s the new hand, boss. He left me a note saying he saw something weird. When I checked my messages I came straight away.”

  “All right. Let’s see her.” Jack pointed at the large sink, and grabbed the antiseptic soap and turned on the water tap. He washed his hands and arms, then dried them and she followed suit.

  The cow was already lying on her back, restrained. He saw the calf’s feet. “We don’t have much time.”

  He bent in front of the cow, knowing he was fitter to push the calf than Earl. In fact, just restraining the animal must have been a hell of a job for the man. Not like Earl would ever admit to it. In a blink, Lola leaned down next to him.

  “I just washed my hands,” she said. “Let me help you.”

  Help him? His brows furrowed. He didn’t need any help, but when his gaze met hers, the words got trapped in his throat. She shrugged, chewing on her lower lip, anxious. Did she really want to do this? Especially in a couture dress?

  Even if she opened a B&B, chances of her ever doing this again were slim—her father didn’t own much livestock, and Jack would move his animals to his other ranch. But… wasn’t country living what she wanted—at least until it swallowed her up and spit her out? A salacious part of him wondered. “She’s heavy.”

  Lola positioned herself closer to the animal. “Let me try.”

  No one births an expensive cow just to try. And if he were in his sane mind, he would have denied her. Earl restrained the cow, and said something that fell into the background.

  Jack checked the calf puller and showed them to her. “Here. The feet are out, and I’ll loop those around. You need to pull and if you have any trouble I’ll step right in.”

  “Okay. Cool.”

  She let out a groan, and pulled back, her hands clasping on the metal chains. She gritted her teeth, and his eyes flew to her whitening knuckles as she clenched the chains and pulled for twenty minutes until the calf came out. When the calf was out, Lola celebrated, and Jack immediately cleaned the little animal’s nose with his fingers, wiping the amniotic fluid out. “We need to make sure she’s breathing.”

  “I’ll take it from here on, boss.” Earl said, bending down to tickle its nose with a piece of straw.

  “Did I do something wrong?” Lola asked, her eyes widened. “Will the calf be okay? Crap. I screwed it up, didn’t I?”

  A chuckle floated up his throat. “She’s breathing fine and the momma is tired. They’ll both be good.” He watched her wash her hands and dry them. A raw emotion stirred his chest. “You were amazing,” he said, his voice oddly shaky.

  Lola chewed on her lower lip. “No big deal. There’s something magical about bringing life into the world.” Her eyes gleamed with a sense of wonder, and his gut clenched. “I kind of like it.”

  He leaned into her, and she shot him a glance as sweet as a caress. “I kind of want you… naked. In my room.”

  Chapter 10

  Lola sprayed some perfume in the valley of her breasts, and glanced at the gold nightgown she’d slipped on after a quick shower. When they had returned to the house, Earl had called Jack again, and she’d left him in the living room while she dashed to her bedroom, to wash herself off.

  What if he changed his mind? No. She’d been just fine with Jack’s friendship and dealing with denial whenever attraction was concerned. Then he’d proposed the friends with benefits arrangement.

>   When she helped him birth the cow, a part of her had bubbled with joy. Not only because she brought life into the world, but because he brought out a side in her that appreciated growing roots.

  She swayed out of her room, and walked up to Jack’s. Screw overthinking. She needed this.

  Clothes thrown over the chair, a cloud of steam escaped from the open en suite bathroom. I can still go. Change her mind, and leave before he returned. But I don’t want to. The desire throbbing in her veins, the thump of her heart, drumming in her ears, warned her nothing would change her mind. Besides… she needed him in a way beyond sexual.

  She dwelled on joining him in the shower or waiting in the bedroom, when his footsteps made her lift her eyes to him. Whoa. Scattered droplets of water arrowed down his delicious, large chest, disappearing on the edge of the fluffy towel wrapped around his waist.

  “Hey.” A sense of wonder colored his voice and his eyes soaked her in. “I’m glad you didn’t change your mind.”

  “With the awkward dancing, rattlesnake analogy how could I stay away?” She closed the distance between them as the fire in her belly grew, and dropped her hand to the hem of his towel. The tip of her finger trembled, but she teased him, running it along the edge of the towel, her eyes on his.

  “As long as you stay.” Stay. The huskiness in his voice didn’t conceal the reverence in the word, the challenge, the mocking. The one thing she sucked at. The one thing she wanted to learn.

  He clenched his fingers on her wrist and brought it to his mouth. He planted a gentle kiss on her quickening pulse without tearing away his gaze. The illumination from the bathroom with the door opened was the only light, but even in the darkness she’d noticed the shameless desire flicking in his eyes.

  His intense stare made her weak and strong, sane and crazy.

  “Ladies first.” He stepped a couple of steps away, and pointed at her gown.

  She pulled it over her head, and tossed it on a nearby chair. She stood in front of him, completely naked. A bob made its way down his throat as he raked his eyes over her body, his lips parting in fascination. The reaction provoked a surge of lust, making her wet, hot with need. Her nerves jangled and she concealed her fidgety hands behind her.

  Slowly, he walked to her, closing the gap between them. A frisson swept over her, the coolness from his recent shower evident on his damp skin, the fresh soap scent swirling around her, his minty breath tantalizing her, making her want to taste. With the reverence of someone who made love for the first time, without any ties to the past, no insight to their doomed future, he leaned down and covered her lips with a kiss, with excruciating gentleness.

  She got on the tip of her toes, desperate to give him more, desperate to sink into the whirlwind of desire, clinging to her only chance to overcome the emotions building in her heart. Cupping her face, he delved his tongue into her mouth, the sensuality of his movements dizzying her. Her knees buckled and she held onto him as he pulled her to him. The softness of her breasts collided against the roughness of his chest, his taut nipples, and the washboard stomach. He swallowed the moan forming in her lungs, and deepened the pressure of his tongue on hers. Teasing. Promising. Enticing.

  His hard cock twitched against her. She bucked against him, the towel between them a barrier she wanted to tear away.

  Breaking the kiss, he picked her up and carried her to his bed. Her heart thumped faster with every step he took. Jack carrying her to the bed, nuzzling his mouth on her neck, his tongue straying to the curve of her ear… made her wild, crazy with need. “Fuck me, Jack.” Her strangled tone gave away her crippling desire to have sex hard and deep and forget the unwanted thoughts crossing her mind.

  “I’ll be doing a lot more than just fucking.” By the look in his eyes, she knew he meant it.

  I’ll be doing a lot more than just fucking. The amount of blood rushing down his dick messed with his damn mind.

  She tempted him, nipping his chin, her warm tongue sliding over his skin and searing the ends of his day old stubble. His cock jutted out, the pre-cum coating the tip.

  His entire body tensed. She ran her fingers through his hair, then her hand slid down his abs and yanked off his towel. Impatient, he threw her in bed. She chuckled. A nervous, happy sound. He’d missed that sound. The playfulness. The uninhibited giving. Hell. He’d… missed her.

  She landed on her back, rolled over and flicked on the nightstand lamp. It cast a nice glow into the area, so he could contemplate the mischievous gleam in her gorgeous brown eyes.

  She licked the corner of her lips. “Do I get a show?”

  “I don’t know if I’ll have time for that,” he said, his voice hoarse.

  She twirled a strand of hair on her finger and lifted an eyebrow, challenging him. “You said this would be more than just fucking.”

  He scratched his chin. Shit. Did she pick up on his misused words? “Maybe I lied.”

  “Doesn’t sound like the Jack Canyon I know. Lying isn’t in your DNA.”

  He didn’t suppress the genuine smile spreading across his face. A harmonious energy passed between them.

  “Here’s your show.” To ease some of the tension building inside him, the bubbles of awareness multiplying with every step he took in her direction, he stroked himself. He grew even bigger, his balls so painfully heavy and tingly he knew he wouldn’t last long.

  “I envy your hand,” she said, her voice throaty. She parted her lips, in a beam of approval, and a wave of male pride washed over him.

  Jesus. A pang of dizziness hit his head, as his blood rushed to the one part of him that could never lie to her. “I think my hand will envy your mouth pretty soon.”

  “Come here, Jack. Let me taste you. It’s been far too long.”

  Jack erased the gap between them, standing in front of her. She scooted on the bed and pulled his hungry cock in her mouth before he even had a chance to lay next to her.

  He thrust his fingers into her hair as she slid her tongue along his shaft—up and down. She squeezed his balls, and he felt his essence dribble from the tip of his cock.

  “Hmmm.” She hummed. “You’re delicious. Can I have some more?”

  Pulling her hair from her face, he groaned. She was the death of him, and damn the woman, she knew it. She perched both hands on his buttocks, and he started to piston himself into her naughty mouth, inside and out, just like he craved to do to her pussy.

  She took him, all of him, sucking him longer as if she wished she could keep it there forever. He slipped out then plunged into her, his cock tingly and the blood pounding heavy inside him.

  “I’m coming baby,” he warned her.

  She squeezed his balls tighter, and then took him deep into her mouth. The go-ahead. Throwing his head back, he spilled himself into her, his body spasming from the top down. If his feet weren’t firm on the floor, pushing against the carpet, he would have fallen on his back.

  Grunts floated up his throat and he didn’t even try to suppress them. Having her swallow him had been the sexiest thing yet—even as she continued to lick him, her tongue lazily lapping every remaining drip from his semi-hard cock.

  “Bend over.” It was not a suggestion.

  She flipped on her stomach and lifted her ass in the air. He took a long breath, and his heart heaved. Growling, he nudged his cock in her entrance, sliding the tip up and down to tease her. He smiled. She was abundantly wet, and, leaning over her, he flicked her pulsing bud. She let out a moan, and he felt rather than saw her shiver.

  “Yes,” she murmured. “Yes.”

  “I’ve missed… this,” he said, even though a crazy voice inside him urged him to say the truth at least once. You. I’ve missed you. How could he, though? They were experiencing the same crazy good attraction they did before they married—but this time, all cards were on the table. No expectations. No heartache.

  She squirmed, her sex grinding into his hand. “Me too.”

  If she only knew how hot she was… her hips undula
ted, as her sexy moans filled the air. The scent of feminine arousal swirled into his nostrils, and he inhaled with gusto.

  His cock quickly showed signs of excitement, and he celebrated by stroking her buttocks. Amazing.

  Unable to resist, he swatted her ass a couple of times, desperate to brand her with his palm. Tonight, she belonged to him. There could be no doubts.

  “I want to come with you, Jack,” she whispered. “Fill me.”

  Fill me. He groaned. An insane urge to take her assailed him, and there was no way he would fight it. His cock throbbed, engorged and aching.

  He parted her pussy lips and positioned himself inside. His heart drummed in his veins. He hadn’t lied to her. This wasn’t just fucking. Heck, who cared what it was? He plunged into her, and a sense of completion flowed through him. This. This was where he belonged. Where he’d always wanted to belong.

  He drove his cock into her again and again, filling her and losing himself to the intensity of their connection. This wasn’t fucking, his mind warned him as they finally crested over the edge of reason together. This was so much more than sex. And that was what he’d been trying to avoid all along even as she called his name and emotion tugged deep in his heart.

  Chapter 11

  “Do you want some lemonade?” Lola asked Cody, the handyman who had been helping her. In her defense, she’d done as much as she could as long as it didn’t include electric work or a run with a chainsaw. She’d painted the bedrooms a soft off-white color to brighten the spaces and give her eyes a break from the horrible light brown shade her father had picked when he first bought the place.

  I’m leaving the living and dining room just as you would have wanted, Daddy. Compromising.

  He stopped drilling the metal bar in the bathroom and wiped his forehead. “Who made it? You or Miss Consuelo?”

  Lola’s jaw started to drop, but she quickly shut her lips. Was her lemonade super sour? She used the same lemons as Consuelo did and she’d been trying to be more domestic. Hell, she would have to develop some kitchen savvy once her guests arrived, wouldn’t she? She didn’t expect Consuelo to take care of tourists. Sure, she’d have to hire a real cook later, but in the beginning she’d be torturing people with her lack of skills in the culinary department. I’ll offer continental breakfast when I first open for business. No need to go all fancy full-service until she could ensure the guests’ well-being. Not to mention she didn’t want to drive away future clients with bad Yelp reviews. “She did.”