Promises to Keep (11 page)

He hadn’t seen another one of the ranch hands
walking up beside him.

“Yes, why?”

“You seem miles away.”

“Just thinking about something
important.”

****

Hayley was in the office working on the flyers for
the Christmas afternoon tea event when she heard the bell over the front sound.
She walked out to see Cole coming in.

While she was disappointed it wasn’t a potential
guest, she was more than pleased to see him. He looked like the perfect cowboy
in his jacket, hat, and boots.

“So what have you been up to today?” he asked.

“I’m trying to arrange a Christmas themed afternoon
tea for the inn.”

“I’ve got a tip, serve those cookies. They were the
best thing I’ve ever tasted, and I ate them all.”

So she hadn’t been the only one.

“Great idea.
Now
all I need to do is advertise and find someone to play Santa.”

“I can do it.”

“You can?”

He nodded. “The fire department will probably let me
borrow the outfit they use for fundraisers.”

“Are you sure?”

“You’ve been a gracious host to me and my kids, so
it’s the least I could do.”

“Thank you.”

“Now I’m going upstairs to change out of these messy
work clothes, take a shower, and then…” He stopped for a few seconds before
asking, “You want to go out to get something to eat with me?”

He’d done this before with the skiing and she wanted
to get it straight what was happening here.

“Is this going to be a date?”

“Do you want it to be?”

She nodded.

“Guess that’s what it’s going to be then.”

Chapter
Thirteen

Once they were inside and eating, Cole knew he’d
done the wrong thing. He’d brought her to the Outlaw Grill and
Bar
.
Not that it didn’t have the best
burgers in town,
but it had been his and Amanda’s hangout. Their own
sanctuary when they’d wanted some
us
time away from the kids.

He’d also forgotten that Monday night featured live
music and dancing. Not the best of places to take a date so you could have a
nice leisurely chat.

“How’s your burger?” he asked.

“It’s cooked to perfection. And I love these fries.”

She picked one up and whirled it around in the BBQ
sauce. They and the sauce had been Amanda’s craving both times she’d been
pregnant.
Happy days and happy times.
He swallowed the
sudden lump forming in his throat.

Don’t
go there.

“So you grew up in Casper?” she asked him, her voice
getting louder to compete with the guitar player who was doing his solo piece
now.

He nodded.
“Fourth generation.”

After Amanda’s death, he’d thought about moving,
taking the kids and getting as far away from Wyoming as they could, but he knew
that would be wrong. This was home, and it was where he and Amanda had planned
to raise their children and grow old together.

Don’t
go there.

“You want to dance once we’re done eating? I mean
that is if you like dancing.”

“One of my favorite things to
do.”

It had been Amanda’s, too.

****

Hayley hadn’t had this much fun since… It had been
such a long time that she couldn’t even remember. Her former fiancé had hated
to dance. She’d only just realized that. Maybe they hadn’t been as compatible
as she’d once imagined.

Cole spun her around to the music. She wasn’t sure
of the steps, but she watched everyone else and simply copied them.

They hadn’t left the dance floor for three songs and
now the beat slowed down and couples were moving together, their arms wrapped
tightly around one another. At first she thought Cole would suggest they sit
this one out by diplomatically saying they needed to get their breath back, but
he didn’t.

He held out his hands to her, and Hayley took three
steps toward him. He slipped his arms around her waist while she put hers
around his neck. Their bodies met. His was warm and welcoming. He smelled good.
Spicy aftershave clung to both his skin and the collar of his denim shirt.
Hayley took a deep breath so she could take in more of it.
Almost
intoxicating.
They moved slowly around the floor.

He had an erection, and it pressed against her belly,
causing her panties to grow a tad damp, and her pussy pulled like it had the
night before. She rested her head on his shoulder, almost forgetting there were
other people milling around them. Cole hugged her closer, brushing his lips
against the one piece of exposed skin by the edge of her turtle neck sweater.

She wanted to suggest they leave now. She couldn’t
take much more of this foreplay that had been going on between them since he
arrived at the inn. It was clear they both wanted the same thing.

The music stopped and the band announced it was
going on a ten minute break.

“You want to continue dancing back at the inn?” he
asked.

****

For some reason the ride back seemed to take twice
as long as the journey to the bar. When they got to the front door of the inn,
it was snowing again. Hayley said goodnight to Mrs. Davies, who filled in for
her whenever she needed some time away from the inn. Cole hovered by the
reception desk.

Once Mrs. Davies was gone, neither of them said
anything, but Cole pulled Hayley in close and kissed her. He held her face
between his hands.

“I have to be perfectly honest with you. I haven’t been
with a woman since my wife died, so my lovemaking skills might be rusty.”

She smiled. So they
were
going to have sex.

“And I haven’t had sex since I kicked my fiancé out
that door,” she added, hoping that would put him more at ease.

He rubbed his nose against hers.

“Guess we’ll be like a couple of virgins,” he said.

He got hold of her hand and led her up the stairs,
but then stopped. “I just remembered I don’t have condoms,”

“I have some,” said Hayley.

He winked at her and then they continued up the stairs,
along the hallway, and into his room.

He flipped on the light by the bedside table. Both
of them removed their coats and shoes and then met in the middle of the floor.

Now that she’d taken off her boots she realized how
tall he was. She stood on tiptoe to kiss him.

“You have the softest lips,” he whispered.

“The lady who sells me the lip gloss will be so
happy to hear that,” she said, running her fingers over his mouth. “Yours are
pretty nice, too.”

He smiled. He had the most wonderful smile and each
time she saw it, it made her happy inside. Cole inched his hand up under her
sweater. It tickled.

“You use that gloss on your belly too, because it’s
really soft and smooth?” he asked

“All my beauty secrets are being revealed tonight.”

He got hold of her hand and led her over to the bed.
He sat down and slowly unbuttoned the clasp on her jeans. Next he pulled down
the zipper, causing air to kiss her belly. He looked up at her as he pulled the
two sides of the pants apart.

Taking her by surprise, he leaned in and placed his
lips on her belly. She drew in her breath and ran her fingers through his hair.

“You smell as pretty as you look,” he said.

Cole eased her jeans over her hips.
 
Hayley wiggled somewhat to help him. He leaned
over and ran his hands under her sweater, bunching it up so he could raise it
over her head.

Now in only her bra and panties, she couldn’t help
but shiver.

“Hey, you cold?” he asked, running his hands up and
down her arms.

“Just a little.”

“I guess we’ll have to use our body heat to keep
warm.”

He quickly took off his shirt and jeans before she’d
had a chance to voice her request that she wanted to do it.

Maybe
next time.
Hopefully there will be a next time
.

Cole pressed his body into hers. Yeah, she could
feel the heat. She could also feel his erection too. Hard, strong, and his cock
pulsed against her belly now.

“
That feel
better?”

“A whole lot,” she said.

They kissed again. This time a longer, tongues
sliding over one another’s lips sort of one, until finally she yielded to him. Cole
slid his tongue into her mouth. The room was spinning around, and around and
she wondered if she was dreaming all this. She was about to make love to the
cowboy she’d had her eyes on since she’d spotted him at the tree lot. How
romantic was that?

They pulled away, Cole tracing the lace of her bra
with his fingers. They passed over her nipples. She closed her eyes, feeling
them turn hard and suddenly super-sensitive. He reached behind her back,
unclasping the bra, and allowing it to fall to the floor. Cole stroked her
nipples with the backs of his fingers. Gently, and barely touching them, but
that’s what made it all the more exciting. Now holding both her breasts in his
hands, he kissed her again and then pulled away looking straight at her.

“Yeah, it’s all like riding a bike,” she said, running
her fingers down his belly and into the downy hair around his navel. A trail of
dark hair went down beyond his boxers. She wanted to explore and learn just how
far it went.

Easing her hand down under its band, she looked for
any sign that maybe she was doing something wrong, that maybe Cole was the type
of guy who liked to lead and be in control during sex.
So far
no protests.

She found his cock. Big, hard, and she could even
feel its veins too. She was sure the movement under her fingertips was the
blood pumping through them.
 
She had to
see for herself. She pushed his boxers over his butt. Looking down, she saw his
cock was hard and red, and…

Shit, she wanted him soon, wanted him inside her,
warming her, thrilling her.

Her panties felt suddenly damp, uncomfortable. Whether
he liked it or not, she needed to free her body of them.

She eased them over her hips, wiggling once again to
speed the chore. They fell on top of her feet, so she kicked them away. He did
the same with his boxers.

They stood naked, his cock mere inches from her belly
and her mound, and she almost wanted to lick her lips.

He pulled her in close, his dick brushing her pubic
hair. She didn’t know why she wanted to, but it seemed the right thing to do at
his point. She jumped up into his arms, wrapping her legs around his muscular
hips. His cock passed over her pussy lips and she felt it pulsate against her.

“I think we should get me sheathed, don’t you?”

She knew what he meant. They were both at the point
of no return, but she hated the thought that she had to move away from his body
so she could get the condoms.

She jumped back on the floor and turned. His finger
traced the tattoo on her right butt cheek.

“One of my mistakes,” she said, turning around and
handing him the foil package from her purse.

“Cowboy hat.
I
like it.”

“My welcome to Wyoming gift.”

“I think I can offer you something better than a
tattoo.”

He tore open the package but
was
all fingers and thumbs sheathing himself. “Shit, I haven’t done this in years.”

She took it from him, lifted his cock and with one
fluid movement, covered his dick.

“I promise I’ll be better next time,” he said,
running his finger down the side of her face.

So
there is going to be a next time.

They seemed to know what each other wanted as they
eased onto the bed, kissing, hugging and exploring one another’s bodies. His
fingers delved deep among her folds. Teasing her, he playfully bit her lip
while circling her clit.

“You must have been an expert bike rider,” she said.

He played with her some more, bringing her closer
and closer. Then his finger slipped inside her, and she experienced what she
could only describe as a mini-climax. Something
like
an appetizer before a gourmet meal. Yeah, she knew Cole would serve her
that
sort of experience.

They kissed, and then he nudged her legs open, ran
his hands up the inside of her thighs and, wow, he was inside her. He was big and
hard, yet gentle as he began with tiny thrusts that brought every nerve ending
in her body to life again. She rubbed her hands over his shoulders, feeling the
muscles hard against her palms as he held his body over hers.