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Trouble With a Cowboy

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18 wheels had her heart until one hard-up cowboy found her kickin' up her heels and propositions her to take his bull to Vegas.

Jacie Hawkins drives big wheelers for a livin'. Something not a lot of women do. Littleton Oklahoma is just a dry stopover for a few hours of rest and relaxation at the nearest bar. Jacie needs to find a hot cowboy to release some of her pent up frustrations on for the night, but wannabe's aren't her style.

Tucker Marshall needs a big-rig driver to haul his prize bull to National Finals Rodeo and he needs one fast. Who would have thought he'd find one shootin' pool at the local bar dressed to kill and takin' numbers?

Can some slashed tires and an ornery bull bring two hard-headed people together for some fun in the sun and a little more?

Lean hips and a bull rider belt buckle blocked her view of the multitude of cowboy boots standing nearby. Her gaze crawled up a flat, chiseled abdomen, across sculpted muscles, over a firm jaw to meet sexy brown eyes.

"What's the frown for, pretty lady?"

She tipped the bottle to her lips to take a long drink, keeping her eyes on the gorgeous man in front of her.

Once she'd swallowed, she said, "Contemplation."

"Huh?"

Great. Probably barely made his way through high school.

"I was trying to figure out how many of them," she nodded to the crowd twirling on the dance floor, "are real."

"Real?"

"Real cowboys or just wannabes."

Brown eyes crinkled at the corners when he smiled as he hooked his fingers behind his belt buckle and tilted the shiny metal up. "Mine's real, sweet thing."

"Is it? Where did you win it?"

"National Finals Rodeo last year. Bull ridin'."

"Is that right?" She took another sip of her beer.

"Yeah." The cowboy pulled his shoulders back proudly.

"You know, that's funny. I rode last year. I sure don't remember you. What did you say your name was?"

The man frowned as a trickle of sweat appeared over his lip. "Kyle Fredrick."

"Kyle…" She tipped the bottle to her lips again. "Mmm…nope. I sure don't remember you. You know what else?"

His eyes narrowed as he shifted from foot to foot. "What."

"I have an official belt buckle in barrel racing." She tapped the buckle at her waist with her fingernail, and then pointed toward his. "That's about the worst fake I've ever seen. The real one, honey, is gold with World Champion Bull Rider on the bottom and your name engraved just above that." She stood in front of him so they stood toe-to-toe. "That trinket might work on one of those rhinestone babes out there, but it won't work on me. I know the real thing when I see it."

When the music changed, bathing the bar in silence for a moment, she heard a soft chuckle to her left. Tipping her head, she locked gazes with the guy two stools down. He lifted an eyebrow and tipped his hat as a crooked, half-smile graced his mouth, showing off pearly-white teeth with a dimple in his left cheek. Before she got a good look at the color of his eyes, the cowboy in front of her pulled her attention back to him.

"You're a bitch."

"I've been called that before. You'll have to come up with something more original…Kyle."

With a pissed-off growl, Kyle spun on his heel, disappearing into the crowd farther down the bar. Jacie took her seat again, propping her boot heels on the rung of the chair and tipped the bottle to her lips. Beer slid down her throat in a cool wash of satisfaction.

Moments later, two-stools down cowboy moved one stool closer when the man next to her headed for the door.

Elbows balanced on the bar behind her as the bottle dangled from her fingers, she glanced sideways and her gaze met the prettiest baby blues she'd ever seen. One sweep from the top of his black Stetson and dark hair, over his broad chest and down his yummy torso, told her a lot. A working man. Dusty cowboy boots peeked out from the hem of his jeans.

"Hi," he offered.

"Hi, yourself."

"Name's Tucker." He held out his hand. 

She stared at his palm. Calluses. Working hands. Short nails. Clean.

Grasping his hand in hers, she wasn't prepared for the zing of electricity pricking her skin where they touched.

"Jacie."

"Nice to meet you, Jacie."

"You, too Tucker."

"Sorry about that guy."

"Why? Is he a friend of yours?"

A short snort left his mouth. "Not in this lifetime. I'm only hopin' you don't judge the whole lot by him."

"Nah." She smiled and lifted the bottle to her lips again, draining the remaining beer. "He's nothing new. I'm used to his type."

"What type is that?"

"The lay 'em and leave 'em kind. Once he gets between a woman's thighs, he's gone."

The chuckle returned. "Probably right on the money."

"Occasionally, that's not a bad thing, but tonight…not necessarily what I'm looking for."

He leaned closer as the music started again. The spicy, almost citrusy scent of his cologne and virile male mixed with…cattle, reached her nose. Interesting.

"Can I buy you another beer?" he asked, his breath rushing over the shell of her ear.

One shoulder lifted in a shrug. "Sure."

Signaling for the bartender, he stood to pull some money from his front pocket, bringing his chest into close proximity with her shoulder. The heat radiating off his skin sent shivers skittering across her arm, and she fought the urge to rub the flesh to calm the goose bumps.

His tanned hand held a bottle out in front of her.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome." He sipped from his beer, but when he lowered the bottle his eyes found hers again. "What are you doing in Littleton, Oklahoma?"

"Hanging out with you."

"Yeah, right. A babe like you doesn't hang out in small town honky-tonks."

She flinched at his comment as she dropped her gaze to the front of his shirt. "Just passin' through."

"I see. Mysterious. Works for me." He set his beer on the bar behind her. "Care to dance?"

Do I really want those hands on me? Hell yeah!

"Sure." She set her bottle next to his before they headed for the dance floor.

The song changed to a slow ballad causing her to cringe. Slow dancing with this gorgeous, rugged cowboy could send her right between the sheets with him in a heartbeat. Good or bad, she wasn't sure he would be the type to easily walk away from. When she turned, she sucked in a ragged breath before she slipped her hands up around his neck. He settled his palms on her hips. Her heartbeat hitched up a notch and her fingertips itched to run along the solid ridges of his pecs—ridges that came from hard work, not a gym.

Adult Excerpt

Before she could blink, his lips connected with hers. God, he tastes and smells so good.The same feelings of desire and need to get closer that she'd felt the first time he’d kissed her, washed over her. Never in her life had a man overwhelmed her senses like Tucker.

 As his tongue swept along her bottom lip, her desire hitched up a notch. She parted her lips and his tongue slid inside as a groan rumbled in his throat. Their tongues met, tangled and swept along each other, tasting, testing, exploring.

She wrapped her hand in the hair at the nape of his neck, knocking his hat to the floor, forgotten in the heat of their passion.

His hands tipped her head to the side to fit their mouths together better. The hardness of his erection pressed into her abdomen. Her clit throbbed to the rhythm of her racing heart. Blood rushed in her ears and saliva pooled in her mouth. His lips left hers to trace a path across her cheek to her ear. Hot breath singed her skin. The stroke of his tongue to the sensitive spot below her earlobe had her shivering. Soft moans and intimate whimpers of want and need left her lips. His palm slipped down her side to cup her breast. Her nipples tightened into achy nubs, begging for his touch.

"Tucker," she whispered.

He lifted his head to stare at her, his gaze intense. The blue of his eyes seemed almost swallowed by the black of his pupils. "Tell me you want this."

"God, yes. I haven't been able to think of anything else since we met."

"I'm glad I'm not alone."

Her craving for him spiked hard as he swept his thumb along her bottom lip. "I love the feel of your skin under my hands."

"Touch me."

"Oh, I plan to. Everywhere."

The snaps on his shirt gave way with little more than a sharp tug. Belt buckle and jeans disappeared once he’d shucked his boots, but his black boxers did nothing to hide his impressive length from her gaze.

"Oh my." She grazed his cock with the tip of her fingernail. A throaty moan came from deep in his chest.

"Not fair."

"Mmm? Why?"

"You still have too many clothes on."

"Well, we’ll have to rectify the situation shortly then, huh."

"You bet, darlin'. I wanna see if the real thing is anything like my imagination."

Trepidation raced down her spine with the memory of her ex’s words. "You don't know how to be a woman, Jacie. You'll never be anything more than a tomboy trucker who gets her jollies behind the wheel of a big rig. They say men compensate with big toys. You don't know how to turn a man on." Tucker obviously thought she was woman enough to satisfy him. Didn't he?

"Hello, Jacie. Come on back, honey. Don't leave me hangin' here," Tucker said, skimming his thumb across her nipple even though her shirt kept them from skin-to-skin contact.

"Sorry."

"Where'd you go? Your eyes got all glassy. I know it wasn't from my touch."

"Something someone said to me once just got in the way for a minute. That's all."

"It must have been unpleasant judging by your frown," he murmured. The pressure of his hand on her breast never lessened while his thumb continued to massage her nipple.

"Let's not talk about it. All right? I need this. I need you," she said against his mouth.

"My pleasure, darlin'. I want everythin' from you."

Both hands grasped the bottom of her shirt to pull it over her head.

"Nice." He sighed, making her almost believe he liked what he saw.

Two fingers flicked the clasp of her bra sitting between her breasts and it fell at their feet.

Shivers raced down her arms at the heat in his eyes. Her nipples tightened. Her clit throbbed. Both knees wobbled, almost giving out except for his grip on her waist.

"God, you're beautiful," he whispered as his fingers danced along her ribs.

Her breath rushed from between her lips in a heavy sigh. Maybe he does like what he sees.

He pulled her tight against him. Skin-to-skin, breast to chest, and everything in between touched, molded, and she felt the rush of desire she couldn't control. His lips brushed against her shoulder before they worked their way up to her neck. She tipped her head to the side as a soft whimper escaped her lips when he nipped at the sensitive skin.

"So soft."

Good Lord, the man knows how to make my body sing. "Please."

"Please what, darlin'. Tell me what you want.”

"Lick me. I want your tongue."

"Where?"

"Everywhere you can reach. Eat me up."

A soft chuckle left his mouth. His eyes smoldered with his own need. Her knees hit the bed and then they tumbled backward across the mattress in a tangle of arms and legs, much to the disgruntlement of her cat.