He sent his brother a fiery look. "You know f.u.c.kin" who."
"Jesus, Ca.r.s.e, you can"t be. It"s the whole forbidden fruit s.h.i.t that"s convinced you it"s love and not l.u.s.t." He pointed with his beer bottle. "Take her to bed. That"ll get her outta your system."
"Already did that and it"s just made it worse. Or better. f.u.c.k if I know."
"What"s that mean?"
"Bein" with her...it"s different. I feel different. It"s like nothin" that happened to me or anything I did before I met her even matters anymore."
"Holy s.h.i.t."
"Yeah."
They drank in silence.
After a bit, Cal said, "So what"re you gonna do?"
"Drink until I pa.s.s out."
"Great plan. If you pa.s.s out, I ain"t carryin" you inside."
"Then what good are you?"
Cal laughed. "No one else would put up with your s.h.i.t, so you"re stuck with me until I pa.s.s you off as someone else"s problem."
"What the h.e.l.l is that supposed to mean?"
"You really wanna know?"
"I asked, didn"t I?" When Cal started picking at the label on his beer bottle instead of answering, Carson snapped, "Well?"
"That right there is what I mean. You are a hard man like Dad in so many ways. Always focused on getting the work done, makin" sure it"s done right and movin" onto the next thing. But you"ve got a reckless streak a d.a.m.n mile wide. It"s your way of thumbing your nose at your responsibilities. During the week you"re Carson McKay, heir apparent to the McKay ranch, driven to succeed. But on weekends, you"re that wild McKay, always lookin" for a good fight or a fast f.u.c.k, and f.u.c.k anyone who stands in your way of havin" a good time."
Yeah. Not a whole lot he could say to that because it was dead on.
"How many times you been asked when you"ll settle down and stop the fightin" and the drinkin"?"
"Asked by Dad? Or asked by the people I hang around with on the weekends?"
"Both."
"My drinkin" buddies are worried I"ll settle down so they don"t say nothin". Every once in a while Dad will mention it ain"t my job to answer every challenge with my fists, drink up all the alcohol in Crook County and sample every p.u.s.s.y in Wyoming."
Cal choked on his beer. "Jesus. Dad said that to you?"
"On more than one occasion."
"That shocks the h.e.l.l out of me."
"Why? Dad ripped it up plenty in his day. He didn"t marry Ma until he was thirty-one."
"You ain"t gonna last until you"re thirty-one, the way you"re talkin"." Cal got a gleam in his eye. "What happens after you admit your undying love for Carolyn West and beg her to make an honest man outta you?"
Carson grinned. "First thing I do is kick your a.s.s out. Then when my beloved and I can force ourselves to leave our bed, we"ll hit the dancehall and the bars. Just "cause we"re married don"t mean we gotta act like them old couples who stay at home and stare at the d.a.m.n walls for fun."
Cal c.o.c.ked his head. "So you do plan on getting hitched to her?"
"If she"ll have me." As soon as Carson admitted that out loud, he believed it. He"d make it happen.
"Gimme another G.o.dd.a.m.ned beer."
He handed it over. "Can you make yourself scarce tomorrow night? Carolyn"s comin" over."
"Guess that means you ain"t interested in hittin" Gentleman Jack"s?"
"Nope."
"Maybe I"ll pop Charlie"s strip club cherry since I got a feelin" your strip club days are done."
"Good plan."
And that was that. End of discussion. Another thing he appreciated about Cal. He never wanted to talk things to f.u.c.king death, but he was always there whenever Carson needed to talk.
The following night Carolyn showed up on time, looking as tempting as strawberry ice cream in a pale pink dress, her hair swirled on top of her head.
He swept her into his arms, kissing her hungrily as he carried her into the trailer. So much for acting cool.
She sighed and placed a lingering kiss on his throat.
That simple, sweet gesture nearly did him in. But he"d sworn to himself he wasn"t dragging her to his bed as soon as she waltzed in the door. He nuzzled her neck. "You smell good."
"Like pork chops and fried apples? That"s what I cooked for them for supper and what I"m making us."
"No, like flowers and you. The scent of your skin drives me crazy." He dragged his lips across her ear. "Almost as crazy as how hot and sweet you taste between your thighs."
"Carson McKay. Stop dirty talking me right now. I promised I"d cook for you first."
He trapped her face in his hands. "Sugar, I"m not like-" your family, "-I don"t expect you to cook for me if you don"t want to."
"Which is exactly why I want to do it." She pecked him on the mouth. "I brought food with me, so if you"ll show me where you keep your cooking utensils?"
"I"ll warn ya, it"s a pretty humble selection."
"I"ll make do."
"Tell me whatcha need."
Carolyn rattled off-a cast iron pan, a sharp knife, a cutting board, b.u.t.ter, salt, pepper and flour. Luckily he had everything.
"Want a beer or something while you"re workin"?"
"I"ll take a c.o.ke if you"ve got one."
Carson poured her soda on ice, grabbed a beer for himself and turned the radio on to the local country station.
He watched her work and they talked about their days while she fixed supper. It didn"t feel forced as it had other times women had offered to make him a home-cooked meal. It seemed natural and he imagined how heavenly it"d be coming home to her-and this-every night.
"Carson?" she prompted.
"Sorry. Lost in thought. What did you say?"
"I asked if you"re okay with me putting onions in this?"
He sipped his beer. "Depends on if the onions will keep you from kissin" me tonight."
She grinned. "Nope."
"Then put "em in."
"Where"s your brother? I thought maybe I"d meet him."
"He had plans."
"Do you guys have any problems working together all day and then living together?"
"Once in a while, but not really. I"d rather hang out with him than anyone else."
"So is it the same way with your other brothers?"
Carson shook his head. "My youngest brother Charlie is just outta high school and is finding his way." He realized that Carolyn and Charlie were the same age, which was just plain weird because she was ten times more mature than his baby brother. "My middle brother Casper is an a.s.s. I hafta work with him for now, so I don"t spend time with him outside of the ranch if I can help it. Although he is a mean son of a b.i.t.c.h so he"s good to have backin" me in a fight if Cal ain"t around."
Her eyes widened. "Is fighting a habit of yours?"
He could lie, but that"d come back on him the first time she saw him with a black eye or a busted lip. "I"d say it"s more of a hobby."
She laughed, thinking he was joking and he let it go.
"I really miss my sister, Kimi. I saw her all the time during the school year."
"What"s she doin" now?"
"She"s with our Aunt Hulda. In years past I"d work with our aunt for six weeks of the summer and I"d be home six weeks. Kimi would be there and I"d be here, so we didn"t spend our summers together." She turned off the stove. "Supper is done. You want to get the plates?"
"Be my pleasure."
First bite of the pork chop, Carson dropped his fork and grabbed her hand. "Forget about you bein" the s.e.xiest, sweetest woman I"ve ever met, or the fact I"d like to keep you tied to my bed twenty-four hours a day, or that I never get tired of talkin" to you...this meal just proves that I was dead on with proposing marriage to you last week."
Carolyn blushed. "Silver-tongued devil, that"s what you are."
He could tell he"d made her uncomfortable, so he dropped it, even when he wanted to convince her every word he"d said was the gospel truth.
After they finished the delicious meal, Carolyn popped up to do the dishes. Carson circled his arm around her waist and set her on his knee. When she opened her mouth to protest, he kissed her. Thoroughly. "Thank you for supper. Leave the dishes. I want you to ride along when I do the last cattle check."
"Really? Okay. Will I have to, umm...do cow stuff?"
He laughed. "No. But I"ll show you how to open gates."
Carolyn asked a million questions as they b.u.mped through the pastures, insightful questions so he knew she wasn"t just being polite.
"In the next couple weeks, we"ll turn out the bulls."
"Meaning what?"
Carson peered at her from beneath the brim of his hat. "You really need me to explain what happens when we put the bulls and the cows together?"
"Oh. Uh, no." Then a very female, very devious smirk tilted the corners of her lips. "But maybe you"d better show me what happens when a male and a female are alone together, to make sure I have a solid understanding of the process."
"Sugar, are you sure?"
"Very. You"ve been in my bed. Now I want to be in yours."
His d.i.c.k went hard.
Instead of sitting on her side of the truck all prim and proper, Carolyn was all over him. Sucking on his neck. Nibbling his ear. Rubbing his chest. And those fingers kept sliding lower and lower.
"Caro. Slow down."
"I don"t want to," she cooed in his ear. "I want to feel you. Every. Hot. Inch. Of. You."
Holy s.h.i.t. Her hand was on his c.o.c.k. Rubbing on his c.o.c.k. d.a.m.n...that felt good. He wondered how long before he convinced her to put her mouth there. He imagined those velvety soft lips dragging up and down the length and her wicked little tongue circling the tip.
"Carson," she whispered against his throat.
"What?"
"Are you going to open the gate?"
He blinked. He"d driven back to the trailer on autopilot, but some part of him had been conscious enough during his oral fantasy to not plow through it. He picked her hand up from his chest and kissed her fingertips before he bailed out.
Open the gate. Drive through the gate. Close the gate.
Now they were home free.
The instant they stopped in front of the trailer, Carolyn was on his lap. He didn"t know how he managed to get them out of the truck and inside, while he was carrying her with her legs clamped around his waist, while their mouths were fused together. He just knew as he carried her down the hallway to his bedroom that her s.e.xy little whimpers and moans made his d.i.c.k harder yet.
His hat hit the floor when he dropped her on the bed. "Strip or I swear I"ll rip off every st.i.tch of clothes you"re still wearing by the time I"m nekkid."
Carolyn stood and lifted the dress over her head. She unhooked her bra and tossed it at him, then shimmied her panties down her legs. She tilted her head and wore a cheeky grin. "Doesn"t look like I"m the slow one getting nekkid, cowboy."