City Country Page 5

  Cotton put his face against her upper thighs and breathed deeply. “Lord, you smell good.”

  “Oh, fuck. That’s hot, baby.” He was melting her into a puddle.

  “We should go to bed.”

  Oh. Right. They stood against the wall, which was holding her up just fine, but probably wasn’t doing much for his knees, which rested on the floor.

  “I changed the sheets this afternoon.” Fresh and soft and ready for them.

  “Come on.” He knew the way there, too, putting an arm around her waist when he rose and all but carrying her there. Little shit. He was so strong.

  She started working his shirt open on the way, tracing his collarbone.

  He had a scar there, not near as big as the ones on his belly, but perfectly round. It was kind of fascinating.

  “What happened?”

  “Huh? He peered down, eyes crossing. “Oh. Rebar. It’s a long story.”

  “You can tell me later.” She kissed it, then kissed him on the tip of the nose.

  “I can.” He kissed her back, hard on the mouth, before letting her slide down on the bed so he could undo his belt. Oh, that was something she could help out with. Absolutely.

  She eased the zipper down, careful not to catch anything important on the way. When she unzipped his jeans, he looked at her as if she was pure magic. When she pulled his cock out, he moaned, and those amazing eyes closed, stubby red lashes hitting his cheeks hard. She slid her cheek along his shaft, the skin there so delicate, so hot.

  “Christ.” He smoothed his hands over her hair, finding pins and clips and getting them out. Gently, which surprised her. Her moan was loud, and she let his body muffle it. God, the skin and curls at the base of his cock were so soft.

  “Emily. Honey. That’s…” His knees buckled, sending him tumbling down on the bed with her.

  “God, I want you.” She licked all the way up his cock, giving the very tip some attention with the stud in her tongue.

  “I. Surely. Any time.” When she glanced up, he was smiling, a little crooked, a little rueful. “I’m just not real coherent, am I?”

  “Baby, if you were, I wouldn’t be doing this right.” She scooted up, kissed his belly.

  That got her a sweet laugh. “No, ma’am.”

  “Am I old enough to be a ma’am?” She bit one nipple playfully.

  “Ten-year-olds are, in the right circumstances.” He gasped, arching up. “Not these.”

  “No. Not these.” She pushed him back down, loving the slide of skin on skin. When he got moving again, it was to grab her ass with both hands, rubbing her up and down against him. That got even more interesting things slipping all over.

  “You like when I ride.” She grinned, grabbed a rubber.

  “I do. You’re damned fine at it.” One hand slid up over her belly, his fingers tugging at her nipple ring.

  “Oh…” Her head fell back at the tug. “You want to see something pretty?”

  “I already do, but you can wow me anyway, honey.”

  “Flatterer.” It worked, though. Really. She dug through a little basket, came up with a tiny beaded chain that hooked to her rings. When it was the middle of the day, it was stupid, but in the dark, in bed, with a cowboy, it felt hot as hell.

  He watched her, eyes wide, while she clipped it on. Then he touched, running his thumb and forefinger along it. The tiny tug made her eyes cross a little bit.

  “Oh, Emmy. That’s fucking hot, girl.” His accent seemed three times thicker.

  “Uh-huh.” She worked the condom open with clumsy fingers, actually dropping it once when he pulled the chain. It was as if those rings were attached directly to her clit when he did that. Then his mouth started moving on her skin, too, all over her chest and neck, as much as he could reach. He was distracting her in the worst way.

  “I can’t think when you do that.” She wasn’t absolutely sure that was a complaint.

  “Mmmhmm.” His cock was hot as a fireplace poker, hard against her lower belly, sliding between her legs every so often.

  She managed to get the condom on him, so she could straddle his hips, sink down on his erection, and take him in. Cotton jerked and moaned and pushed up into her, hard and fast. The stretch burned so good that she cried out. “Fuck, baby. Do that again.”

  He pushed, and she bounced, that little chain giving her nipples a tug.

  “Anything.” He did it again, then again. She leaned forward, hands landing on his chest, her hair falling in her face. Oh, God. So damn good.

  “Pretty girl.” He seemed to love her hair, one hand coming up to tangle in it, rubbing a big hank back and forth.

  His words made her belly tight, made all of her tight, and Cotton seemed to like that, his eyes rolling back in his head. Moving faster, Cotton really started humping, pushing up and up, spreading her legs, making her work for it. His hand dropped between her legs, his fingers finding her clit.

  “Oh.” Lightning shot up along her spine, and Em jerked and almost lost him, body so tight her muscles were singing.

  “Honey! Oh.” His eyes flew open, and he grunted, pulling her back down so hard her butt slapped his thighs audibly.

  “Yes.” Oh, fuck. An entire world of yes.

  They were cooking with oil, and she was going to just lose it any minute. Good thing he was right there. She could feel him swell inside her. He touched her, just like she needed it, and she lost it, shaking and trembling over him.

  “That’s it. That’s my girl.” His voice went at least thirty octaves deeper, just growly, and he shot, pushing up, his legs shaking.

  She settled against him, breathing hard, her heart going about ninety miles an hour.

  Stroking her back with those rough fingers, he hummed, his chest vibrating. “You good?”

  “Uh-huh. You?” She was in real, serious trouble.

  “I’m so good, you don’t even know.” He blinked slow. “Ice cream?”

  “There’s rocky road and butter pecan. Oh, and the good chocolate chip.” That was for her time of the month, but she’d share.

  With Cotton.

  Chapter Five

  “Hey, y’all!” The bell above the door at the Tattered Flesh jingled as she walked in. Mouse grinned over at her, Tink waved and Little Bella squealed happily.

  “Emmy!”

  She held her hands open for Bella, hugged the tiny piercer tight. “Hey. The A/C at the office is horked, so half day Friday!”

  They all cheered for her, and she stowed her backpack and purse in the back, after going to get a quick kiss from Mouse, the gigantic man towering over her, lanky, black hair just wild. “You in for more ink, Auntie?”

  “Maybe. My Bettie with the red bottom needs finishing. You have space for me? I’m early.” She pocketed her iPhone and slipped off her jacket.

  “Cool. The chair’s yours. Ricki says you have a new guy? Local?”

  Em shook her head. “No. I mean, he’s wicked cool and stuff, but he’s not local. Not new, either. He’s in, like, Reno or something right now.”

  “In Reno doing what?” Mouse tilted one eyebrow in that almost backward way he had. “Gambling?”

  “Riding bulls.” At his arched eyebrow she hooted. “I know! No shit, honey. I swear to you. He’s like a cowboy and shit, all the way.”

  “You stuck with the cowboy? The whoa-good-in-bed cowboy?”

  “Uh-huh. Honest.”

  “You mean he’s not just some broke dick redneck who says he rides?” Jeff Kyle was the only one of the group who might know who Cotton was. He was sort of an inkblot from Marlboro Man country.

  “I saw his ass on that redneck channel. They did an ESPN type feature. It was adorable.” And not really the Cotton she knew, but you know, TV.

  “Huh. So he’s semi-famous, too?”

  “Yeah.” She swatted Mouse’s arm. “Don’t. We’re just having a good time together, huh?”

  So what if she’d sent him away with a laptop the last time they’d spent the weekend
together? She needed to be in contact.

  “Uh-huh. You’re sparkly.” Bella made spirit fingers at her, purple Mohawk bouncing.

  “Oh, man, though. It’s like…a really bad chick flick, you know? He hit a guy for insulting me and he always pays and he likes my coffee.”

  Mouse made gagging noises, then swatted her ass. “Get naked, you old bitch.”

  “Fuck you, Squeaky.” She stripped off her T-shirt and unhooked her bra, grabbing the towel Bella tossed over to cover up the girls on her way to the chair.

  “Ew! No. He’ll sleep with anything!” Bella teased.

  “God, don’t I know that.” She’d almost been Mrs. Mouse for one terrifying moment of utter stupidity. Thank God for Ricki and her bad timing. Standing at the JP waiting to get hitched was the perfect time to announce that you’d slept with your best friend—and your best friend’s guy. And a couple from the shop…

  They all chattered on, speculating about Cotton, Mouse watching her keenly the whole time as he snapped on the latex. Damn him. She settled in, waiting for the buzz to catch on.

  Her phone rang about the time she settled, and Mouse stopped. “You want to take that?”

  She nodded. “I got my earpiece.”

  She always answered when the ringtone was I Wanna Be a Cowboy.

  Em popped the earphone in, tapped her phone. “Hey, baby.”

  Bella mouthed. “Baby? Wow.”

  She flipped Bella off and settled back down.

  “Hey, honey. How’re you?”

  “I’m good. How was your drive?”

  “Oh, it was all right. The van broke down, but we was able to trade a pair of Kynan’s old boots for a new fan belt.” Oh, that was right. Cotton had loaned his truck to some cousin or another and had gone to Reno in a shared van.

  “Oh, yuck. This is it, though, right? You’re done for a couple of months?” She had a gift card from Southwest from the boys, if Cotton wanted to come to Austin…

  “I am. I got a bunch of time off after.” He sounded pretty cheerful about it, which she’d read was odd for a rodeo kind of guy.

  “You want to come hang here for a bit? Play?” She winced as Mouse dug in, deep. “Ouch! Easy!”

  “I would love to. Emmy, honey? Are you okay?”

  “Yeah. Yeah, Mouse is working on some of my ink and being a bitch.”

  “You’re getting a tattoo?” She wasn’t sure if he sounded offended or intrigued.

  “He’s filling out the red-bottomed Bettie. The one on my back?”

  “Oh. I like that one.” Cotton paused. “Are there lots of other people there?”

  “Hmm? Bella and Tink are. I got off early, so I stopped in before it got busy.”

  “Oh, well, good. Then have fun.”

  She chuckled. “I promise to be more dressed before all the kids start flooding in.”

  “Uh-huh.” He paused again, and this time he cleared his throat. “What, uh, what are you wearing?”

  “Right this second?” She lowered her voice. “A pair of jeans.”

  “That’s it?” He was a little squeaky. “Aw, shit, honey. I should be there.”

  “You should. I’d love that.” She leaned her head on her arms, breath coming a little faster as Mouse worked.

  “So. You really want me to come visit?”

  “I do. I have a Southwest gift card and everything.” They could explore the Hill Country, eat, play, have incredible sex and goof off.

  “Yeah? Well, you don’t have to use it on me, honey. Keep it for if you need it. I can get Kynan to drop me off on the way back.”

  “It’s okay, Cotton. It’ll save us time.”

  “Oh, I like that idea. Well, then, we’ll do that.” He chuckled, low and deep and hot. “I could tear you up, honey.”

  Little goosebumps covered her, shoulders to waist, and her toes curled. “Promise?”

  “I promise. I’m all happy at just the thought.” Wow. She just hoped he wasn’t happy in his friend’s van.

  “You be careful working, baby, huh?” She smiled when he snorted.

  “I’ll be trying to get that short go. Careful don’t work there.” She could hear some kind of commotion in the background, then a whoop that sounded like pure redneck mating call. Someone not Cotton was very drunk.

  “You have a very complicated life.” She was starting to breathe faster, the endorphin rush holding onto her.

  “I do? Don’t let him get you all hot then do something stupid, honey. You save stupid for me.” Now he was laughing.

  “I wouldn’t. I’m not that kind of girl.” She just wasn’t.

  “I know that, honey. I’m just a cowboy. We got jealous bones.”

  That had her shivering again.

  “You and your bones,” she teased.

  “No phone sex while I’m inking you, Auntie.”

  “Yeah, only Mouse is allowed to have that much going on down there,” Bella said, cackling.

  “Fuck you, Mouse. You just make her ass read well-spanked, huh?”

  “Yes, Auntie Em.”

  “Spanking?”

  Shit, she’d forgotten Cotton was still there.

  “Huh? You know, the Bettie Page? In the picture, she’s been spanked.” Was that too much info?

  “Oh!” Cotton just cackled. “Right. Lord.”

  “I promise, no one gets to spank me without you watching.” See what he thought of that tease.

  There was silence for a long moment. Then he cleared his throat. “Only one tanning your hide ought to be your momma and daddy. Or me.”

  “Well, given that my mother hasn’t spoken to me since my first visible tattoo and Pop died when I was in college, I can agree to that.” Okay. Wow.

  “So, I’m done by Wednesday. When can I come?”

  “Do you want a flight Wednesday night or Thursday?” Was that too eager?

  “Better make it Thursday. The guys will want to celebrate, and my sponsors will want me there.” He lowered his voice. “Make it early Thursday.”

  “I’ll email you tonight with ticket info.” Then she’d go out this weekend and buy sheets, beers, another USB hub.

  “That works for me.” Another whoop sounded, and Cotton sighed. “I’ve got to go, honey. Can’t wait to see you.”

  “I’ll talk to you tomorrow after you ride.” He always called. Always. It was dear.

  “Okay, Emmy. You behave.”

  “I will. Bye, baby.” She clicked off the phone and sighed.

  “You call him baby? Really?” Mouse almost sounded jealous.

  Em rolled her eyes. “Shut up, Mouse.”

  “Is he that good in bed?”

  “I said shut up.”

  One hand pinched her side. “Does he swing both ways?”

  “Mouse!”

  Everyone laughed at them, Bella patting Mouse on the ass when she went by.

  “Come on, Auntie, let’s finish this and we’ll talk about the next one.”

  She chuckled. “Sounds like a plan, Mouse. For real.”

  Chapter Six

  Kynan tumbled into the van, hooting when he landed on his back. His boots kicked in the air, and Cotton stared, one eyebrow going up. “What in hell are you doing?”

  “Huh? You want a beer?” Kynan was all red-faced and shit, all bruised up.

  “What happened to you?” Really, he was just there to pack the shit he hadn’t gotten into the hotel.

  “Oh, just fucking around with Packer. He took a swing. What’re you up to?”

  “Packing.” Snickering at his own play on words, he shrugged. “I leave out tomorrow.”

  “Where you going?”

  “Austin.” He left it at that, at least with Kynan. He was having a beer with Gar in an hour, which was good. He had a few questions about that spanking thing.

  “Freak Capitol of Texas? Why?” Kynan belched and, dude, gross.

  “You have ass breath.”

  “Pussy breath, maybe. Man, the chicks here are rocking.”

  He
tried not to gag. Christ, the things that boys said. “You kiss your momma with that mouth?”

  “Yeah, yeah. You’re a damn saint. So, come on. What’s in Austin? You got a honey?”

  “Huh?” His cheeks heated up, but he didn’t want to tell Ky about Emmy. He’d only ever mentioned her the once, at the photo shoot, and Kynan had forgotten. “I’m going to see a friend.”

  Ky, thank God, didn’t push. “I’m going home for a while, then to see Baron with Nick and Clay for some training. You could come, if you want.”

  “I’ll think on it.” He smiled finally. “Thanks for asking.”

  “Yep. Man, Packer packs a fucking wallop.” Ky tested his jaw.

  “You want some ice? We got some left in the cooler.”

  Kynan shook his head. “Nah. I’m cool. You got a good check this time, huh?”

  Ky was on a little slump.

  It worked that way. Only one of them could do well at any given event. “I did. I’ll save enough back to buy you a beer.”

  “Cool.” Kynan rolled over, frowned a little. “Who’re you catching a ride with?”

  “I’m flyin’.” He pulled out his wallet and handed over a fifty. “Here’s the last of my gas money. That ought to get you a ways, yeah?”

  He wouldn’t leave nobody hanging.

  “Sure, yeah. You sure, man? What time’re you flying out? We’ll give you a ride.”

  “I’m good. Gar has to fly out an hour before me, going to Nashville. I’ll hang out with him at the bar.”

  “Cool.” Kynan stretched. “Man, never call Packer a pussy. He gets bitchy.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind.” He gave Ky a man hug before shouldering his bag and slipping out of the van. “See you in January, man.”

  “Uh-huh. Have a good one.” Him and Ky, they weren’t friend-friends.

  “Later.” He’d head off to find Garret and tell his buddy all about going to see Emmy.

  Somehow, he just didn’t think Kynan would understand.

  * * * *

  “Em, quit bouncing.” Ricki looked irritated as hell. Of course, it was before noon and she was up and dressed and they were at the airport, waiting for Cotton.