Lace & Lassos Read online

  Not a good idea, Cameron. He mentally chided himself. Run fast and run now.

  “Sure.” She smiled. “I’d love that.” She pointed in the direction of the fence line. “I saw a group of some kind of cool looking feathery looking plants over there that I’d like to photograph on the other side of the fence.”

  He gave a nod then watched her as she walked away from him. She had a cute little ass and gentle curves that were made for a man’s hands to caress. And those long legs that weren’t covered by her shorts. They were enough to make a man’s mouth water.

  Damn.

  Jessie reached the barbed wire fence. He watched as she carefully grabbed a top strand between barbs and then did the same with her feet so that she was standing on the bottom strand and balancing as she took pictures.

  Concerned that she might fall, he moved closer to her. Before he reached her, she lowered the camera and let it hang on the strap around her neck. She started to climb back down when he heard a ripping sound and then a curse.

  He reached her and put his hand on her shoulder. “You okay?” he asked just as he looked down and saw that she’d shredded her T-shirt on the barbed wire.

  His mouth went dry as he got a good look at her bare breast and the pert nipple. He swallowed and met her gaze.

  Her cheeks had gone red hot and she held her T-shirt over her breast the best she could. “So much for this thing,” she said, trying to make light of an embarrassing situation.

  “We’ll get you back to the house and you can wear one of my clean shirts.” His touch set her on fire as he took her arm and she stepped down from the fence with his aid. “For now you can wear this one.”

  He released her then unbuttoned his shirt and slipped it off. Her jaw almost dropped as she got a good look at his tanned physique and the powerful play of muscles in his chest and arms.

  If he wasn’t about to be married she would have jumped him in two seconds flat.

  “Thanks,” she said as she took the shirt from him and smiled.

  He helped her slip into the shirt as she fought to keep the scrap of cloth over her breast. His shirt had his scent, warm and masculine, and she found herself inhaling and savoring it.

  Once the shirt was on, they walked back to his truck and he helped her into the cab. She kept her hand firmly over the tear as he shut the door behind her.

  He climbed into the driver’s seat and started the truck before glancing over at her. “Need a little help with that?” he said in a teasing voice.

  “I think I’ve got it.” Her cheeks had cooled but threatened to heat up again. “What happens on Cameron property stays on Cameron property, right?”

  He laughed. “No problem.”

  Excerpt… Lipstick and Leather

  Cheyenne McCray

  Available Now!

  Mike came back barefoot and wearing only his jeans.

  Anna swallowed as she got a good look at his powerful body. He was cut, his muscles defined all the way from his chest and biceps, down to his six-pack and his waist that tapered into his jeans. He pulled on a white T-shirt and she found herself disappointed. Talk about eye candy. She never knew cowboys could be so sexy.

  “Cold?” he asked.

  Not after seeing him walk around without his shirt. No, she was all warm and tingly.

  “It’s not bad,” she said.

  “Even a fake fire is nice to sit in front of.” He went to the electric fireplace and got it going.

  He was right, it was nice and she went to stand in front of it.

  “Up for another drink?” he asked as he walked to a wet bar in the corner.

  “Sure.” Why not? Earlier she did decide that she could use a drink or three.

  He raised a bottle with amber liquid. “Whisky or vodka?”

  “I’d better stick with vodka.” She sat on the couch and started tugging off her boots and socks. “On the rocks would be great.” When she was finished, she set her footwear aside.

  When he brought her the drink she took a sip and let the warm liquid slide down her throat. She seated herself on the floor in front of the fireplace, her back against the sofa. Mike sat on the floor beside her with the bottles of whisky and vodka between them.

  His nearness was unsettling and comforting at the same time. He was a sexy cowboy who had more charm than he probably knew what to do with. He was casual sexy and he wore it with ease as if he didn’t realize how attractive he was.

  He smelled good, of leather and fresh air, like how good it smelled outside with the new-fallen snow. His chestnut hair was a little mussed and he had a day’s stubble on his jaws. His green eyes were amazing. She might just have to change her rule about not doing cowboys.

  The thought of doing this cowboy sent heat straight between her thighs and to her cheeks. She was utterly insane for thinking this way.

  He rested his forearm on one bent knee, his other leg straight as he looked at her. “Where are you from?”

  She lowered her glass. “Tucson.”

  “You’re in my part of Arizona, not too far from where I live.” He smiled. “I have a place outside Sierra Vista.”

  “Not far at all.” She returned his smile. He wasn’t really long distance like she’d expected, not that she needed a relationship right now. “From my house that’s ninety minutes at most.”

  He knocked back a drink of his whisky. “What brings you to Denver?”

  “It’s supposed to be a girl’s weekend out.” She shook her head and sighed. “Becky loves rodeo and we’re going to some big event. Bull riding, I think. She begged me to come and you know the rest.”

  The corner of his mouth quirked. “I take it rodeo is about as appealing to you as that party was tonight.”

  “That’s about right.” She brushed hair from her face. “You being a cowboy, you probably get into that rodeo stuff.”

  “Some.” He shrugged, the movement casual. “Have you ever watched professional bull riding?”

  “I’ve seen it on the news a couple of times.” She grimaced as she thought of the scenes she’d had a glimpse of. “I can imagine a cowboy would end up missing a whole bunch of teeth and breaking lots of bones. I don’t get the appeal.”

  His laugh was low, enticing. “Maybe you’ll change your mind after going tomorrow.”

  “I doubt it.” She rubbed her thigh with her palm. “Are you going, being a cowboy and all?”

  With a grin he said, “I’ll be there.”

  “Where are your seats?” she asked. “We’re sitting in something called the Gold Buckle seats. Becky says we’re near the chute, whatever that is.”

  “Nice seats.” He shifted where he sat. “I’m sitting in that same area.”

  She felt a little stirring of something. Excitement maybe? “Maybe I’ll see you there,” she said.

  He nodded. “No doubt you will.”

  The effects of the vodka were coming on and she felt mellow and relaxed. “So what do you do?”

  She swore she saw amusement in his gaze when he said, “I’m self-employed.”

  “What kind of business do you have?” she asked.

  “Cattle.” He took another drink of whisky. “Why don’t you tell me what you do for a living?”

  She set her glass down on the plush carpeting and wrapped her arms around her knees. “I teach.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “Little ones or big ones?”

  Anna laughed. “Big ones. High school English.”

  “Brave woman.”

  She gave a quick grin. “I love it. Comes with its challenges but it’s worth it.”

  “Have any children of your own?” he asked.

  “Not yet.” She picked up her glass and swirled the vodka and ice. “But that’s one of my dreams. Children.”

  “I wouldn’t mind having a few of my own.” He held his drink and rested on his thigh. “Married? Boyfriend?”

  “No to both.” She tilted her head. “And you?”

  “No strings.” He raised the bottle
of vodka. “Ready for more?”

  “Sure.” She held up her glass and he tipped the bottle and filled it. “Oooh, that’s more than enough.”

  He set the bottle down and raised his glass of whisky. They clinked glasses and she took a sip of hers while he downed his in one swallow.

  As they talked, she wondered how she could have rebuffed him so many times. He was genuine, personable, an all-around nice guy.

  Not to mention he was hot. Why didn’t she say yes before now? She had turned him down three times yet here she was now, wanting him more than she could have imagined.

  She found herself sitting closer to him, close enough that she could feel his body heat and their shoulders touched. She didn’t know if he had moved or if she had but suspected it was her.

  At the same time they reached for their glasses and somehow his hand ended up over hers. They linked their fingers and he brought their hands up and kissed her knuckles.

  The touch of his lips sent tingles throughout her. She looked at their joined hands then met his eyes.

  They moved toward each other at the same time and she didn’t want to turn back.

  The touch of Mike’s mouth on hers was enough to melt her, to make her feel as if they had joined in some primal way.

  He nipped her lower lip then their mouths and tongues joined as their kiss deepened. He cupped the back of her head and drew her tighter to him. A soft moan rose up within her and she slid her fingers into his hair.

  It had been so long since she had been with a man. Now she was here with Mike and she wanted everything he could give her and more.

  They moved closer and closer yet and she heard the glasses clink and spill between them then smelled whisky as she felt liquid seep into the leg of her jeans.

  He shifted and caught her under her arms and drew her onto his lap so that she was straddling him. His cock was hard between her thighs, pressing through her jeans and she ground herself down on him as they kissed.

  She loved his taste, his scent, the feel of his hands as he gripped her hips. She knew she was tipsy but also knew that she wasn’t too far gone to make a coherent decision.

  And that decision was that she wanted him. Had wanted him all along.

  Wanted him more than anything.

  He moved his hands, sliding them under her sweater until he cupped her breasts. He rubbed his thumbs over her nipples, through her bra and she squirmed with need. The intensity of his kiss grew in strength and she sensed his raw power and knew that he was holding himself back.

  She started to move up and down as if she was riding him with nothing between them rather than tough denim.

  He pulled away from her, moving her back as he did so. His eyes were dark, hooded, and the desire there was enough to send her overboard.

  “We need to stop.” His jaw was tight as he said the words. Nothing about what she saw in him told her that he really wanted to stop. “You’ve had a lot to drink. I won’t take advantage of you.”

  “I’m fine.” She cupped his face in her hands, felt his stubble against her palms. “I haven’t reached my limit yet. Another two glasses and then I’d be too far gone.”

  He stroked hair from her face. “I don’t want you regretting anything in the morning.”

  “I’ve wanted you all night long.” She stroked her fingers along his jaw. “Regretting is the last thing that I’m going to do.”

  Excerpt… Dark Seduction

  Cheyenne McCray

  Available Now!

  What a fabulous weekend. Logan had spent all day Sunday with her and they’d had sex more times than she could count. She felt pleasantly sore and well used.

  She found herself humming as she headed to the agency she often freelanced for, to check out a possible assignment. The agency had sent her a text this morning to come in ASAP, so she’d left home not long after she received the message.

  If it was possible to fall in love over a weekend, then she had. Love at first sight was one of those inexplicable things that had always happened to other people. Hey, at least she had more going on here than just love at first sight.

  And if she hadn’t been mistaken, he’d been feeling it, too.

  The only thing that gave her pause was the memory of how his entire body had seemed to flicker when he’d taken her hard and fast up against the wall. Crazy. She’d just been so hot and horny that of course she’d imagined it. Probably too much caffeine in her coffee that night. She shivered with desire just thinking about him taking her.

  Tori sighed as she walked into the lower level of Psion’s headquarters. The HQ was a four-story building with the business and research levels on the upper three floors. The main floor served as a reception area in front and human resources and accounting in the back. Psion had nothing to do with the organization that she worked for. The company served as a cover for what went on down below.

  She waited for an empty elevator then inserted her key card the moment the doors closed behind her.

  Rather than going up, the keycard instructed the car to go in the opposite direction. It traveled down, down, down to a lower level that no one knew about. No one but those who worked for the Paranormal Intelligence Agency. The PIA, not to be confused with the CIA, was a secretive government agency that few were aware existed.

  The PIA was responsible for paranormal undercover ops and in some cases black ops on both national and international levels. They worked covertly for the U.S. government and did what other agencies weren’t willing to or couldn’t do—and that covered a whole hell of a lot.

  Although most of the operations were legal, if there was a need to break a few rules that the CIA could not—say, take out a rogue leader, or a need to break into a high security area to obtain important information—the PIA was that group. The operatives on the ground could only speculate who gave the orders and who knew about the details of such operations.

  Few were even aware that a paranormal world existed at all, much less an agency that dealt with it in some fashion. Even though the agency worked with those aspects, not everyone in the agency had paranormal talents.

  Tori frowned. Lately the assignments had gone beyond her comfort zone. But everything the PIA did was for the safety of the people of the United States… So she did what she had to do.

  She used the key card again and the eye recognition device when she reached the bottom level and the elevator doors swished open. She walked into a stark security corridor with a door on the far end that would remain closed until the computers verified that it was her. A moment later, after she was examined by the computers, the door at the end of the corridor opened and she walked through the yawning opening.

  A wall of monitors and a host of agents working in a dimly lit room greeted her along with a cacophony of sounds. People talking, electronics chirping.

  “Tori.” Ellis Martin strode in her direction then caught her by the elbow and started leading her to one of the glass doors in the back of what they referred to as the War Room. “Janice needs to talk with you.”

  “What’s going on?” She looked up at him.

  “Janice will explain.” Ellis was intimidating in stature but she wasn’t easily intimidated. He was about as tall as a front line player on the LA Lakers, and as big as an NFL linebacker. His pale bald head gleamed as they passed under dim lights, his ice-blue eyes fixed ahead, his hulking form clad in jeans and a pale blue polo shirt. He was as cool a customer as any undercover agent she knew.

  When they reached the glass door to the large office, she saw her sometimes boss, Janice Harper, a slim and beautiful woman with the personality of a Bengal tiger. Janice sat behind her desk and across from her in the roomy area were a man and a woman Tori didn’t recognize. Her partner when she took on a PIA assignment, Brian Eckhart, was standing behind the seated man and woman.

  Her stomach flipped as Ellis pushed the door open, released her arm when she was inside, then he stood beside Brian.

  Tori remained near the door, an icy
hand crawling up her back to her nape as the gazes of all five people in Janice’s office rested on her. For a moment no one said a word.

  Not wanting to show any emotion, any sign that she was concerned, Tori turned her gaze on Janice but didn’t say anything. The woman’s shining black hair was pulled back into a knot as usual, her dark piercing eyes fixed on Tori as if she could see through her every emotion, every thought.

  “You spent this weekend with a man named Logan Savage,” Janice stated, her expression flat. “Is that correct?”

  Surprise then a flash of anger flared within Tori. The agency was keeping tabs on her activities?

  “Yes, that is correct.” She kept her emotions hidden. “May I ask what my personal life has to do with this agency?”

  “It’s no longer simply your personal life,” Janice stood and braced her hands on her desk as she stared down Tori.

  What the hell? Tori didn’t flinch and managed to keep from clenching her hands into fists.

  “Meet Agents Reynolds and Carter.” Janice gestured to the woman and to the man. Both agents remained expressionless. “They’ve had Logan Savage under surveillance for some time.”

  More surprise flooded over Tori. She glanced at the two agents then returned her gaze to Janice. “What for?” Tori asked, keeping her voice even.

  “You are going deep undercover to monitor Savage’s activities that fall in line with a special project,” Janice said.

  Tori inhaled and slowly let out her breath. “I barely know the man. He’s in some form of high tech development.” This was not the time to hedge around the truth. “He knows I’m law enforcement, although he has no idea what branch or what kind. That’s reason enough for me to not be the right agent for the job.”

  “We’re aware of what you have and have not told him.” Carter spoke up and Tori cut her gaze to the man. “We monitored your activities the moment you began associating with Savage.”

  Tori could barely contain her surprise as she looked at the agent.