Hot For You Page 20
“Great.” He watched her with an intense look that made her feel a little unnerved. “What can I do to help?”
“Stand there and keep looking sexy,” she said without thinking.
He grinned. “Sexy, huh?”
She shrugged and tried to hide a smile. “You have your moments.” She grabbed the large stockpot she used to boil water in for pasta and filled it with water.
While the water heated, she washed up then cut thick slices of the French bread she had just bought and made several pieces of garlic bread with fresh garlic and olive oil. When the water was boiling, she put the angel hair pasta in then grabbed a package of pre-made salad from the fridge and put it into a bowl.
They talked as she put together the simple dinner and he set the table with dishes she got out of the cabinet and silverware from a drawer. He also set out the wine glasses and opened a bottle of Merlot from her wine rack. She kept wine on hand even though she only drank if she had company.
She was glad he was so easy to talk with and there weren’t any lulls in conversation.
When dinner was ready and on the table, they both slid into their chairs. They sat at the small table in the kitchen rather than the large one in the dining room.
She served a huge pile of spaghetti in his pasta bowl before serving herself a much smaller amount. She was hungry, but she couldn’t help feeling like she was overdoing it today. She forced herself to shove aside thoughts of the chilidog, and bites of curly fries, and chocolate cake she’d had earlier. Spaghetti and a high-calorie day wasn’t going to hurt her. It was something she had to remind herself all the time. Counselors had told her that her fear of eating too much was something she’d probably have to work through for the rest of her life, and she’d found that to be true.
“I had a great time today.” She smiled at him after she’d eaten some of the pasta and a piece of garlic toast. “I don’t know if I’ve had that much fun in a long time, especially on a date.”
He returned her smile. “There’s more where that came from.”
She took a sip of her Merlot then set her glass down. “Angling for another date?”
“Is it working?” he asked as he twirled the pasta on his fork.
“Maybe.” She felt a warmth inside her that she hadn’t felt in a long time. A sense of contentment that probably should have scared her, but right now it didn’t.
She thought about Tate’s old girlfriend and wondered how much time he’d spent with her at lunch and what he and Daphne had talked about. But that wasn’t any of her business and if she said anything it would make it sound like she was jealous. She wasn’t, of course. She had nothing to be jealous of and no reason to be.
As they ate, she would take him in from beneath her lashes. He was so large and virile, an alpha male that drew her for so many reasons. She enjoyed being around him and the fact was she was incredibly attracted to him, both mentally and physically.
If he was everything he seemed to be, he was a good guy, too, like Charlee had said.
After they put the small amount of leftovers away and loaded the dishes in the dishwasher, they walked out of the kitchen into the living room.
He looked at her when they came to a halt. “I had a great day, Jo. Thank you for saying yes.”
She slipped her hands into her back pockets to keep herself from touching him. She wanted nothing more than to feel his chest beneath her palms, his hair sliding through her fingers, his body tight against hers. And the way he was looking at her was enough to make her forget everything…forget every last hesitation she might have.
He reached up and skimmed her cheek with his fingertips, his green eyes studying her for a long moment. He cupped her face in his palms and slowly began lowering his head toward hers.
She caught her breath, a tangle of emotions whirling through her. Fear, excitement, even a little bit of shyness.
And then his lips were pressed against hers and he was kissing her, gently exploring her mouth with his.
It was perhaps the sweetest kiss she’d ever experienced. She found herself surprised that such a dominant man could be so gentle.
She slipped her hands out of her pockets and touched him like she’d been dying to. She ran her palms over his hard biceps to his broad shoulders. Slowly she eased her hands down the firm muscles of his chest before moving back to his shoulders.
Wanting more and more of him, she clenched her fingers in his T-shirt and pressed her mouth more firmly to his. She became the aggressor, desiring him so much that her entire body ached for him.
He answered her with a groan and matched the strength of her kiss until he was dominating her. She loved a man in control when it came to passion and sex and she had a feeling that Tate could be everything she wanted and more.
She moaned as he grasped her hip with one of his large hands and pulled her tight up against him as he slipped his hand into her hair and cupped the back of her head.
His erection was large and rigid against her and a thrill went through her from her belly to the place between her thighs that now ached to have him fill her. Her nipples were hard and tight as his chest pressed against her breasts.
She slid her arms to his neck, her hunger fierce, unbridled. He grasped her ass in both hands and then she wrapped her thighs around his hips and he was carrying her.
The next thing she knew, her back was up against the wall, his jean-clad cock pressed against her hot center. She wished her own jeans were gone as well as his and that he was sliding into her now.
Her mind spun from the kiss and she could barely breathe. He moved one of his hands beneath her top and his palm cupped her breast through the satin of her bra. She gasped as he fondled and pinched her nipple.
He broke the kiss and she tilted her head back as he moved his lips down the column of her throat to the V of her blouse. He shoved up the material and pulled down her bra, exposing her breasts to his gaze.
Her nipples tightened ever more and she gave a loud moan as he ran his tongue over each of the hard nubs. She slid her hands into his hair, pressing him tighter to her breasts as he sucked and licked one nipple and then the other.
He moved his hips, rubbing his cock against her, mimicking what he would do when he took her. His cock was so rigid and hard that it felt like it could bruise her if he pressed any harder.
***
Excerpt… Fencing You In
Cheyenne McCray
“I don’t date playboys.” Tess Grady wiped down the bar, shaking her head and trying not to smile as she looked at Gage McBride sitting on the stool in front of her. “Once again, the answer is no.”
“Playboy?” The cowboy raised a brow as he set down his cold mug of beer. “Now I’m a playboy?”
“A cowboy with a girl in every town.” Tess began polishing a glass. “I’ve heard the rumors.”
“You believe everything you hear?” An amused smile curved the corner of his mouth. “Don’t tell me you judge a man based on rumors.”
She shrugged one shoulder. “If the Stetson fits…”
He leaned forward, folding his muscular arms on the bar. Hell, every part of the man appeared muscular. She was loath to admit it, but the thought of undressing such a hot package made her mouth water. “Why don’t you get to know me?” he asked. “Judge for yourself.”
As she polished another glass, she tried to ignore the pull the cowboy had on her. Ever since Nectars had opened, Gage had been coming into the bar and would flirt with her when she wasn’t working in the Hummingbird, the restaurant side of her family’s establishment. Most of the time, she was in the restaurant so she didn’t see Gage often enough for him to corner her like he had now.
When he was near, he set her senses on fire, and she always tried to find a way to get away from the man as fast as possible. Unfortunately, today wasn’t a day she could escape because they were short-staffed in the bar.
She blew a blonde curl out of her eyes. “No thanks,” she said despite the fact that she
was so very tempted.
Clear green eyes without a hint of hazel in them studied her. His eyes held the kind of sensuality that caused a woman’s belly to squirm. He had dark hair and just enough stubble on his jaws to add to his rough, sexy appearance.
The tempting thing with Gage was that rough and sexy was natural. He was not some guy trying to look like a hardworking cowboy. She’d been told how successful his water well drilling business was and that he might play hard but he worked even harder. Of course, she’d never let him know she’d been intrigued enough to learn more about him. She found it curious and rather attractive that he never mentioned his business success to lure her in.
“Come on, Tess.” Gage’s sexy drawl was enough to make her toes curl. “One date.”
She opened her mouth to respond when she saw a tall, gorgeous redhead making a beeline through the establishment, headed straight for Gage. A flare of heat was in the woman’s gaze and she looked like she could spit flames.
She came up behind Gage, so angry looking that Tess could imagine the woman’s eyes glowing red. “Well hello, Gage.” The redhead spat the words with venom.
A pained expression crossed his face and Tess thought she might have seen him wince.
Slowly he turned toward the redhead and smiled. “Hi, Nandra.”
“You—” Nandra raised her hand and slapped Gage hard across his left cheek “—bastard.” The sound of her hand contacting flesh was loud.
The few patrons in the bar went quiet.
The woman cut her gaze to Tess. “So you’re his little squeeze now? Just don’t get too comfortable.” Nandra spun around and marched out of the bar, her heels clicking on the wood floor.
Gage watched Nandra walk out as he rubbed his jaw while talking resumed. Fortunately, those in the bar all had full drinks and Tess could enjoy Gage’s discomfort.
He looked back at Tess as she was trying to hold back laughter. He picked up his cold beer mug and put it against the side of his face. “She packs some power.”
“You have a way with the ladies.” Tess looked at him with amusement.
“Second time this month.” He gave a rueful smile as he lowered his mug to the bar. “I guess you might as well just slap me now and get it over with.”
Tess did laugh then. “Assuming I’d be foolish enough go out with you to begin with.” She gestured toward the entrance. “And that was not the best endorsement.” She braced her hands on the bar. “I suppose you didn’t deserve that.”
“No, I deserved it.” His admission surprised Tess. “Long story.”
She leaned down and rested her elbow on the bar, her chin in her hand. “The bar is nearly empty. I have time.”
He grinned. “Go out with me and I’ll tell you whatever you want to know.”
She rolled her eyes. “Good try.”
“How about tomorrow night?” His green eyes held hers and she knew exactly what a romance heroine meant when she felt like she was melting. She felt like her bones had gone soft and she was breathing a little faster.
Damn.
She pushed away from the bar and felt like she had to physically break the connection with him to do so. “I’m busy.”
“Is that right?” he said.
“My daughter has a kindergarten open house.” Tess smiled at the thought of Jenny then felt an immediate stab of guilt that she had to work so late when she should be home with her.
Gage started to say something but to Tess’s relief, a crowd of young adults pushed their way into Nectars.
“Excuse me.” She gave Gage a quick smile then moved down the bar to where one of the young men had come up to order. “I’ll need to see your ID,” she said to the guy. He pulled out his driver’s license and handed it to her. The license had the name Hal Johnson on it. When she returned it, she gave a nod in the direction of the two young women and another young man who sat as a nearby table. “Theirs, too, if they’re ordering drinks, Hal.”
Hal looked a little annoyed, but said “All right.”
After checking everyone’s ID and making sure they were at least twenty-one, Tess took their orders and served up beers for them.
When she finished with that group, two separate couples walked through the door. The evening crowd had begun to filter in. She glanced back to where Gage had been sitting and saw that he was gone, and that once again he’d left a generous tip sticking out from beneath his beer mug.
Even though he’d left, she still felt as if she could sense him watching her. Warmth spread over her skin as if he was touching her now. Just thinking about the man was going to drive her crazy. She shook her head. Damn.
There was something about Gage McBride that intrigued her in ways she couldn’t begin to understand. She liked solid, dependable men like the man she’d married. Steve had died from a car accident some time ago and she hadn’t dated anyone since he’d passed away. Pain still squeezed her heart when she thought about him but the pain had faded enough that maybe she should start dating again.
But not a sexy cowboy ladies man. That was not smart. Not smart at all.
***
Excerpt… Roping Your Heart
Cheyenne McCray
“I guess that will have to do for today.” Cat brushed her hair out of her eyes as she started to organize the papers on Blake’s desk. “We can work on this more another day.” She glanced from the papers to him. He was sitting in the chair beside her now, in front of the desk. “My schedule is still pretty open,” she said. “When is a good time for us to get together again?”
He was studying her, his gaze so intense that she felt the heat of it on her skin. “Friday night at seven,” he said.
“Friday night?” It took a moment to register that he was asking her out. “Oh.” She hesitated and he kept looking at her with that same dark look. “I—sure.”
She felt warning bells going off in her head, but too late. It wasn’t good to spend so much time with the man. She was going to fall head over heels for him again.
If she hadn’t already.
She looked away from the intensity of his gaze and got to her feet. From her peripheral vision she saw him stand, then felt the heat of his body when he moved closer to her.
“I think we made pretty good progress.” Her heart pounded faster and she busied herself with making each stack on the desktop perfectly neat. “We might be able to get everything done in one more meeting.” She rushed her words, feeling like she was babbling.
“KitCat.” His voice was soft and she went still at the low, throbbing quality of it.
Slowly, she lifted her eyes to meet his. He was looking at her intently. Her lips parted, but she couldn’t think of a thing to say.
He took her by the shoulders, bringing her face to face with him. “Damn, Cat. I don’t know how much longer I can be around you without having you.”
Her eyes widened and her lips parted. He wanted her?
He gripped her upper arms tighter, the pressure of his fingers almost hurting her. “Damn,” he said again before he jerked her up against him and brought his mouth hard down on hers.
She gasped as he took control of her mouth, kissing her hard. It was more primal than the night before, almost wild. She didn’t remember him kissing like this before. It was as if the man he had been before had matured, becoming more dominant and decisive. She knew he’d decided he was going to have her. If she said no, he’d let her go, but she didn’t want to say no. She wanted him.
A groan rose up in him and she followed his lead, letting him take the kiss to a level of passion she’d never experienced before. He released her shoulders and slid his hands over her blouse to her waist then cupped her ass and pulled her up tight to him. The feel of his erection against her belly sent fire through her straight between her thighs.
She breathed in his clean, masculine scent and reveled in his taste and the feel of his hands on her. She moved her hands up his chest, feeling the soft cotton of his T-shirt beneath her palms, and then she wrap
ped her arms around his neck and pressed her breasts against him.
When he broke the kiss, he moved his lips along her jawline to her throat. His stubble felt rough against her skin but something about the sandpapery feel of it made her even more excited.
“I’m not going to be able to help myself with you.” He groaned as he pulled her short skirt above her ass and felt the silky panties underneath. The heat of his palms burned through the thin material to her skin and it almost felt like she was wearing nothing at all. “Hell, you’d better tell me now if you want to stop.”
“Don’t stop.” She moaned, as he trailed his lips and tongue from the hollow of her throat to the V in her blouse.
He whirled her so that she was backed up against the desk and she had to brace her hands on the stacks of papers to either side of her in order to balance herself. She arched her back as he moved his hands to the buttons on her blouse. His big fingers fumbled with the buttons and he gave a low growl and grasped the material.
Buttons flew and she gasped as he tore the blouse open. She heard the ping of buttons but was barely conscious of them as he pushed her blouse over her shoulders and down her arms before she shook it the rest of the way off.
***
About Cheyenne
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Cheyenne McCray’s books have received multiple awards and nominations, including
*RT Book Reviews magazine’s Reviewer’s Choice awards for Best Erotic Romance of the year and Best Paranormal Action Adventure of the year
*Three “RT Book Reviews” nominations, including Best Erotic Romance, Best Romantic Suspense, and Best Paranormal Action Adventure.
*Golden Quill award for Best Erotic Romance
*The Road to Romance’s Reviewer’s Choice Award
*Gold Star Award from Just Erotic Romance Reviews
*CAPA award from The Romance Studio