Resisting Pressure (Rhinestone Cowgirls Book 5) (3 page)

“Wee One? I like that endearment. My mom used to call us girls her ‘wee ones’.”

“You and your sisters still live at home?”

“Yes. Please don’t tell me you’re going to say something rude about the chicks needing to fly the nest.”

“No I wouldn’t dare.” He winked. “I have a feeling there’s quite a history between Jobe and Ruby. He was hell bent on winning a date with her.”

Violet nibbled at the corner of her mouth. She couldn’t tell Keefer that Ruby and Jobe were an item a few years back and she became pregnant with his baby, keeping it a secret. Violet had a feeling everyone would know the truth soon. Ruby was still madly in love with Jobe, obviously. “What about you, Keefer? Why did you bid for me at the charity auction?”

“Why did you agree to be auctioned off for a date with a stranger?”

“Answering a question with a question never works. As you know, I work at the hospital and all proceeds from the auction goes to the children’s ward. A co-worker did it last year and she said they raised over fifty thousand, so I thought I should do my part. Now your turn.” He wasn’t getting off easy.

He shrugged. “I was approached by someone from the fundraising committee, asking if I’d like to buy tickets to the charity function and I did. I wasn’t necessarily planning to bid, just watch, but I guess I wasn’t a watcher after all.” He wagged his brows. “Look where it landed us.”

“Yeah, in the middle of nowhere with a piece of glass stuck in my foot.” Realizing how negative her words sounded, she gave him a small smile. “What drove you to bid on
me
? There were lots of beautiful women volunteering. Lawyers. Doctors. Even a model who I heard was on a magazine cover last year.”

“You really don’t remember me do you?”

“Prior to the charity?”

“From the emergency department almost six months ago. I was brought in after a dirt bath from a bull. I hit my head and had fractured my elbow. Hell, if it’d been up to me, I’d gone to my trailer and taken a couple aspirin. Damn insurance with all their hoops, saying it’s too risky not to be checked out for a head injury.”

“Better safe than sorry. Can’t let your stubbornness be the death of you.” She searched her brain, through all of the patients she’d seen, but couldn’t place him…until… “Ah, you were brought in listed with head trauma and possible internal injuries. Neck in a brace, a bandage covering your forehead.”

“You do remember me, or at least the flat on my back in pain version.”

“But it wasn’t Keefer on the medical charts. It was Christopher Lane and I remember there was a lot of talk going around that we had a rodeo stud in our department.” She could have sworn his cheeks turned a pale pink but vanished before she could be sure. So maybe he did have a bashful bone in his body.

“Keefer is a nickname that had stuck with me since elementary school. My buddies could never pronounce Christopher right.”

“I like Christopher. You’re lucky to be alive. You took a pretty bad fall.”

He shrugged. “I’ve heard that a time or two.” He clicked off the light to his phone. “All done.” His didn’t make a move to let go of her foot.

“Done?” She actually felt a bit disappointed.

“Bleeding has stopped, glass is gone, and you’re all set. Looks like you’re not the only one with a healing touch.” His eyes dazzled, matching the brilliancy of the sky.

Clearing her throat, she pulled her foot out of his grip, instantly cold. “I guess you’re right.” He stood and helped her to her feet. She tested the weight on her wounded foot. “Thank you. It no longer hurts.”

“Well, you need a bandage, but for now, it’ll do.”

Smoothing her dress down her thighs, she looked up and down the quiet road and across the wheat field. The sun was setting along the edge of the tree line. Soon, it would be dark and she’d rather not be out here in the middle of nowhere that long. “Why is there no traffic on this road? I understand we’re out in the country, but not even one car has passed this entire time.”

“This is all private property. I know the person who owns all of it.” He waved a hand around the perimeter. “It’s a dead end road.”

“You have a friend that lives on this road? A house with a phone?”

“No, eventually he’ll build a house. He plans to start a ranch. When I came out here to check out the land I was taken back by the gorgeous views from the property. I can only imagine what it looks like at night.”

“And that’s why you wanted to bring me here?” As angry as she was at their dismal situation, she couldn’t deny she found his effort sweet and thoughtful.

“It seemed like a good idea at the time.” He rubbed his jaw. “I guess we have no other choice.”

“No other choice but what?”

He took two steps toward her, pausing in front of her and leaning in. Her mind swirled, her palms became clammy. He was going to kiss her! She closed her eyes in anticipation, waiting, but it didn’t come. Instead, he wrapped an arm around her waist. She flipped her eyes back open just as he lifted her up, supporting her in his muscular arms. “What are you doing?” she sputtered.

“I’m carrying you.” He adjusted her higher on his chest and she could only relax against him. The hem of her skirt slid higher on her thigh and his fingers erupted tingles over her skin. She pressed her hands on his shoulders, attempting to keep her back straight, otherwise she’d sink against him and be a goner. Not only did he look good, but his scent should be bottled.

“Why?” she practically choked on the word.

“Because you can’t walk on that sore foot. We don’t want it to start bleeding again, do we?” He was already moving, but she was safely tucked against his body—a very good place to be—and a very dangerous one.

“I’m too heavy to carry.”

“You’re no heavier than a bale of hay.”

“A bit more, but I can’t ask you to do this.” A tickling sensation stuck in her throat. Her nipples pebbled and ached.

“You didn’t ask. Relax. Make it easier for me.” He winked.

How in the world could she be this close to him, with him looking this sexy, smelling so good, and she’d have to remain detached? What were her earlier thoughts on not dating a cowboy? It didn’t matter. She had no rules against have sex with a cowboy.

Then it flashed through her brain that he wouldn’t be asking for a third date and her spine automatically stiffened. Could he have just said that to irk her? Why wouldn’t he ask her out for another date? She should probably concentrate on getting through the current one because it wasn’t over yet.

Up ahead she could hear the low hum of a car passing. “How close are we to the main road?”

“Just a bit more.” He didn’t even show any signs of exhaustion from carrying her. Yes, this man would have the endurance in bed that she desired.

Once they reached the end of the narrow lane, he gently placed her on her feet and she took a short step away from him. “Instead of heading on the road toward the city, I say we head south. I do believe it’s closer to civilization. There’s a small town about a mile up,” he said.

“Are you sure?” She raised a brow.

“Pretty damn sure.”

He didn’t sound convincing. “Check your phone again. Maybe if we have some luck you’ll have service.” He grabbed it, stretched his arm into the air and the corners of his mouth dipped. “Nothing?”

“Nope. Not one bar.”

“Fine. Then we’ll move on to plan B.” She slipped back into her heels, glad her foot didn’t give her too much of a problem.

“Plan B? I didn’t even know we had one of those. Care to share the details considering I’m involved?”

“We’ll hitchhike.” She went to the edge of the gravel and peered down the road for cars.

“Hitchhike?”

“Yes. We know cars pass here because we’ve heard them.” Seeing his frown, she sighed. “Haven’t you ever done it before?” She watched several expressions flicker across his face.

“Yes, I’ve hitchhiked before, but not with a lady by my side wearing...”

She blinked. “Finish your sentence.”

“I’m only saying what you’re wearing is modest enough, for being out to dinner, but out here it sort of gives the wrong impression.”

She saw that he’d struggled with the explanation and her rational side could see his point. But she didn’t care. Screw logical thinking when her physical well-being was at stake. “There is no other choice. I know I’m not walking another few miles in these shoes or barefoot. At least my outfit should help us get a ride.”

“Do you know how many creepers there are out in this world?”

She rolled her eyes. “Are you scared? I promise I’ll protect you.” She bit back a smile. “Big, bad bull-rider Keefer Lane is afraid of grabbing a ride from a stranger…and blood. That’s two for the books.”

“Okay, that’ll be enough of that, princess. And I’m not scared, just wary. I don’t think we’re very far. We could hoof it. I told you I can carry you. It’ll be no problem.”

“And that’s less conspicuous than what I’m wearing? A man your size carrying a woman on the side of the road.” She turned, crossing her arms high on her chest. “If it’s only a few miles, then we won’t be in a stranger’s vehicle long.”

“You sound like you’ve done this a time or two.”

“I have. Hasn’t everyone?”

He smirked. “No, not everyone. If I was your father and knew you’d hitchhiked, I’d be swatting your fanny.”

“I’m sure if my father was still alive and I told him, he would indeed threaten to.”

His eyes widened. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”

“Of course you didn’t. Now stand there and look real pretty. I hear a car coming. I’ve got this.” She stuck her thumb out.

CHAPTER TWO

Violet Stone was making him crazier than shit.

He grabbed his hat from his head, scrubbed his sweaty hair, and then mashed his hat back on his head. She stood on the white line on the road, readying herself with a thumb high in the air for the car that was approaching.

Smoothing his hand over his jaw, he sighed and shook his head. Why the hell had he brought her all the way out here in the first place? Bigger question…why the hell had he lied and said a friend bought the property back on the narrow lane? He’d recently used all of his savings, along with a sizeable loan from the bank, and bought the hundred acres of prime land to start a ranch and possibly a family…someday.

Since he’d signed the deed, he’d been anxious to share the news with someone.

He hadn’t had a home since he left his foster parents’ farm at sixteen. Truth was, he’d never had a home. Ronnie and Josephine Treestar couldn’t have children so they’d opened their home up to foster kids, but never quite opened their hearts. They worked Keefer day and night, and, because his grades were so poor, they pulled him out of public school and Josephine took on the task herself. What seemed like an act of compassion and care was really a ploy to earn more money from the state. Eventually, there was a house full of kids—or rather a house full of free labor.

He blew out a long breath and pushed the thought aside.

When Violet had accepted his invitation for dinner, he knew immediately he wanted to show off his property—not in a pompous way, but just pleasure in the fact that he had something now. A place to hang his hat. Damn he still couldn’t believe he’d bought land. His chest pumped in pride.

So then why hadn’t he just been up front with her?

Maybe because it didn’t matter. She’d given him nothing but shit since they’d run out of gas a few miles back. He hadn’t planned it, but just like she’d said, he was responsible for his truck and getting her back home safely. He failed, miserably.

He’d been so hyped up over her and his emotions that he hadn’t been thinking, at least not with the right parts of his body. He hadn’t been this crazy over a female since…well, never. From the moment he’d met her at the charity auction he’d wanted to get to know her better. Hell, even further back, way back when he was laying on the hospital bed in the emergency room. She’d been hustling and bustling around his bed, and because he couldn’t move his neck in the brace they’d stuck on him, he’d only gotten a glance here or there, but what a great pleasure he had watching her nibble her bottom lip as she worked. She’d stopped at one point, a syringe in her hand, then looked down at him in a kind expression that could have soothed a lion into a kitten, and said, “It’ll all be okay. You’re in the best hands with Dr. Beaumont. I know that back board and neck brace is the pits, so let us work vigilantly to get them off you.” It was only brief contact, yet her compassion had touched him. Seconds later she gave him a shot of pain killer that knocked him out.

Then he saw her, again, at the auction when she’d walked out on stage, scrubs gone in exchange for a tight fitting white dress and cowboy boots. He knew immediately from her long dark hair and milk chocolate brown eyes she was the nurse that had offered him an encouraging word when he’d been pissed off for being placed on the gurney in the first place. So, he’d about swallowed his tongue when the bidding started and like an idiot, he’d followed in Jobe Walters’ footsteps and daringly started the bidding… spending a good chunk of money just to get to know Violet better. He had no clue they’d hit it off so well…

Until now.

She was prettier than he’d remembered from the ER.

Her eyes were exceptionally sparkly, getting lighter as she talked, but deeper in color as she became angry, and he’d seen that look enough. Her hair was darker than the darkest night sky and she had a faint splattering of freckles across her pert nose.

They had barely stepped into the fancy restaurant when he asked her to dance, not caring that he was hungry enough to eat a horse. He’d held her close, moving to the sway of the slow song. Conversation had flowed easily, neither had made a move to walk away when a song would end. He’d been like a teenager again, admiring her beauty and how her long black hair hung over her shoulders in a silken wave, brushing against his hands when they moved.  The soft, plump curve of her bottom lip had been made for a cowboy’s kiss—his kiss. And being the red blooded man that he was, the fact that she had a perfect body of luscious dips and curves didn’t go unnoticed.

He dropped his gaze over her now and sucked in a breath. Her getup could only be classified as a man-killer-dress. It didn’t give away the milk, so to speak, but what it did display made a man as hungry as a newborn pig. Sure way to get a rise out of a man was to show a little and let him wonder. He had to drag his tongue back into his mouth and tell his cock to behave more than once this evening. Maybe he just hadn’t been this close to a woman outside of the rodeo in far too long. He’d had his fair share of rodeo bunnies over the years. Back when he started the circuit in his early twenties, there weren’t many he didn’t notice, or touch. They were all ready and willing and he’d been a young buck thrown into a world of candy. He’d gotten more particular with age and eventually he’d narrowed down his pleasure to a couple of women. For the past year, his pleasure had dwindled because he just didn’t have the inclination any longer.

Violet was different, besides the fact that she wasn’t a rodeo bunny. How, he wasn’t quite sure.

Probably wouldn’t get a chance to figure out why either.

Things weren’t going so well. When a date wound up with a thumb sticking out, it had to be a sign that things wouldn’t end like he’d hoped.

Not that he should care. She wasn’t the most pleasant, no matter how good she looked or how soft her skin.

Anyway, the date he’d planned was foiled and he was ready to get home far away from Violet and her dazzling eyes. A cold shower would do him good, maybe even a beer and a steak. A big, juicy steak with lots of mushrooms and onions. His mouth salivated.

After he downed a gallon of water,he’d sweated a small pond being out here in the sun.

Headlights were seen getting closer. Violet held steady. The blue sedan slowed as if they might stop, but at the last second the engine revved and the car kept right on going. She dropped her hand, wrinkling her nose in irritation. “Did you see that?”

“Yes, I’m standing right here,” he answered in agitation.

“Only two people were in that car. They had plenty of room for us. Why wouldn’t they stop? It must be you. You’re setting off a bad vibe.” She shrugged and one spaghetti strap fell down her arm. He forced his eyes to stay put on her face, although his fingers ached to push the strap back into place.

“What do you mean?”  His temper took a lot of pestering before it finally boiled, but being out in the heat, having an issue south of his belt buckle, and his stomach rumbling from hunger, his patience wasn’t as thick as it normally would be.

Her perfectly shaped mouth twisted. “You can be intimidating.”

He scrubbed his jaw. “Why do I get the feeling you don’t mean intimidating in a good way?”

“Oh, intimidating can be mistaken as a good quality?” She cocked a thin brow.

“You’ve lost your mind. I’m not the least bit intimidating,” he growled.

“Then stop frowning.”

“I’m not.”

She rolled her eyes, reaching into her purse she pulled out a compact and opened it. “Look at your face.” She thrust the mirror in front of him.

He looked in. “I guess I am frowning. But my face isn’t frozen like this.”
Son of a bitch
. What kind of earth plants a woman like her in his realm? He tried to keep his temper in check. “Maybe this is a sign that we shouldn’t be getting into a stranger’s vehicle?”

She shut the compact with a loud
clank
then dropped it back into her purse. “No, this only means we need to try harder.”

“This should be very interesting. I think I need a seat for this.” Shaking his head, he looked around the side of the road, found the thickest patch of grass and took a seat, stretching his legs.

In typical Violet fashion, she turned her back to him, paying him no mind and continued to watch for vehicles. He did his best not to look at her bottom, but like a sponge to water, he wasn’t able to resist. He’d always had a sensitive spot for a nicely rounded ass, but Violet’s bottom went beyond just ‘nice’. The skirt slipped over her derriere like a worn glove. He’d gotten the chance to skim his hand over the tight curve and could definitely attest its tight factor.

He rubbed his forehead and blew out a long breath. He couldn’t allow this woman to get his thoughts and emotions all in a tangled mess. This was a new part of his life, a beginning. What Violet didn’t know, he’d quit the circuit. It was time he moved on, found new opportunities. That’s where his land came in. He didn’t need some hot-headed woman coming along and getting him sidetracked from his plans.

He should have thrown her number away.

Why hadn’t he just called one of his old sex partners and got relief from horniness? Truth was, he hadn’t slept with anyone in months and probably why he reacted to Violet like a metal detector finding buried treasure.

Pitiful, foolish man!

Once upon a time he’d had plenty of women and an active social life, but here lately things had turned upside down for him. He had no desire to fool around with a woman who only had big tits and nice ass going for her. His eyes immediately rushed to Violet. No, he had a bad hankering for one that gave just enough of a glimpse that it left him wondering about every other inch on her voluptuous body, especially her mind. He wanted to talk to her. She was smart and he respected the fact that she nursed people back to health.

Point blank though. The woman was trouble. And he had a feeling she enjoyed irking him.

Hell, he needed to remain stoic about this. This was all his fault. He could have just taken her back to his place and gave her more pleasure than she’d ever had before, he guaranteed. Instead he’d wanted to take her star gazing. What the fuck? His buddies would laugh at him if they knew. No, he’d make sure they never did.

Especially the Walters clan. He had plans to move on their ranch until his place was built and up and running. Jobe had already offered Keefer a job as a ranch hand to keep him in work. He could also learn tricks of the trade from his friend. Those cowboys were excellent ranchers and from what he’d heard, their business, an R&R, was booming.

Violet shifted and tugged at her top, as if she was getting tired of standing. All he could do was stare at her amazing breasts in the hugging material. They weren’t huge, not small either, but shaped perfectly for a palm. He could see her swollen nipples pressing the material. His dick twitched and he turned his head. Damn betraying body parts. Had he no self-control or function? When he’d taken the last dirt bath, had he lost brain cells? Didn’t he just tell himself that he didn’t have time for a woman?

“Done yet?” He recognized the intolerance in his tone. They should be walking.

“No,” she huffed.

He inhaled a deep breath, getting a scent of grass and vanilla, her scent that lingered in his nostrils. Shit! Her striking fragrance had soaked into his every pore.

Another car sounded down the road and she anxiously primed herself. The sight of her, smiling and putting herself out there, made him want to rip every hair out of his head by the roots.  The alternative was to carry her into the field in the tall grass, rip off her clothes, and rid his body of a need that made him borderline insane. He had a feeling she wouldn’t argue. Maybe this was all a crazy nightmare and he’d wake up, back at the restaurant on the dance floor with the prettiest woman he’d laid eyes on.

And fuck if he didn’t know any better! The beat-up red truck slowed down and came to a stop in front of Violet. Damn, maybe he was intimidating.

He stood and swiped the grass off the back of his jeans and strolled to stand next to Violet, peering into the truck. Not what he expected. Behind the wheel was a blonde goddess. Her long hair hung in wide ringlets down her shoulders. Her shirt hugged her double Ds, with the word Mickey’s scrawled across the front, and her shorts were pulled up far enough to show off a set of tanned, toned legs.

“Where you headin’, honey?” the blonde asked in a sultry Texas twang.

“We ran out of gas a few miles back and we’re looking for a ride to the closest gas station or store. Or would you by chance have a phone that we could use?” Violet asked.

The blonde smiled. “I have a phone, but we don’t have service out in this area. Closest place would be Mickey’s Bar. That’s where I’m heading. I work there as a waitress. Most other places will be closed for the evening.”

“And how far is Mickey’s?” Keefer asked.

“Not too far.” The blonde rolled her eyes slowly over him, her smile stretching from ear to ear. “I’m Edie. I can give you a lift.”

Violet cleared her throat. “I’m Violet and this is Keefer. If you don’t mind, we’d certainly appreciate the ride.”

“Jump on in,” Edie offered.

Keefer waited for Violet to slide in first and then he followed, realizing just how big of a man he was when his body pressed next to hers. If it wasn’t already a too-tight space, his cock twitched and stretched his zipper. He shifted, wishing he could manually adjust himself. He wanted to get the hell out of the truck. Slamming the door, he situated himself as close to the side as he could as Edie pulled the truck back onto the road.