StudinTexas (6 page)

The group settled at the table. Ruby brought over several
bottles of chianti, on the house. Then she and another server delivered the
special to everyone—Uncle Mike’s famed sweet ’n spicy sausage and peppers. For
Sky, however, her uncle had prepared a sampler plate. She inhaled the rich
aroma as the others stared at her with envy.

Pasta bolognese, lasagna, manicotti and eggplant parmesan.
Her favorites. With a coy smile, she said to Sam, “I’ll share if you will.”
Sausage and peppers were also her undoing.

“This has just become the best
un
official date I’ve
ever been on.”

She elbowed him in the ribs. “That’s not really saying
anything about
me.
You’re just interested in my food.”

“And your culinary connections.”

“Well, if you don’t piss me off, I’ll make sure Uncle Mike
creates your own sampler the next time you come in.”

“Wasn’t intending to, darlin’.” He winked.

“Hmm. You might be a little more than I can handle.” What
with all of his hotness and hypnotic green eyes and heroic qualities…

So much for thinking she’d lost interest in men after what
Mac had done to her in Nashville. She wanted Sam. More than anything she’d
known.

But Sky had serious issues to reconcile—and a slimy ex to
get rid of—before she ventured into something new and exciting with Mr. Tall,
Dark and Hunky.

Following dinner, they returned to the Painted Horse. Sam
took the winding drive on the western edge of the property to the cottage Reese
and Caleb shared and dropped them off.

Then he backtracked up to the main road, drove a little
farther east and passed the monitored gate at the entrance of the ranch. They
traveled up to the inn and he pulled into the gravel parking lot and cut the
engine on the truck.

“I’ll walk you to your car,” he offered.

“All five feet? Aren’t you just the sweetest?”

He chuckled. Then he slipped from the vehicle and came
around to her side. He helped her out and they wandered over to her SUV. She
opened the driver’s door and tossed her purse and keys onto the seat.

She said to the studly cowboy, “That wasn’t so bad.
Sometimes, Reese sets her mind to something, and it scares the hell out of me.”

He grinned and it crinkled the lines around his eyes. “She’s
a handful. But I do adore her.”

“What’s not to adore? Beautiful, determined, smart. I’ve
always thought she was special, even though she somehow got it into her head
that she dulled in comparison to me.”

“Well, now, you are pretty remarkable, darlin’.”

His emerald eyes mesmerized her and she took a step closer
to where he stood next to her vehicle. Staring up at him, she said, “I’m kind
of in a tough spot right now, cowboy.”

“So am I.”

She nodded. “You’ve got a lot on your plate.”

“And you’re going through something even Reese doesn’t know
about.”

Sky sighed. “Intuition, powers of deduction, or did she
mention this to you?”

“All of the above.”

Propping her shoulder against the side of her pearl-white
Escalade, she said, “The past couple years haven’t been so great. I got mixed
up with someone I shouldn’t have. Didn’t know it at the time, but boy did he
jack my program.”

“Where is he now?”

“Nashville, I’m guessing.”

Sam let out a heavy breath. “Is he an ex, or still in the
picture?”

“Definitely an ex. But a serial caller. Wants something from
me I’m not willing to give.” And she feared it wasn’t just her money. “I think
I scared him off enough to keep him from actually coming to Texas again, but he
keeps inventing new things to say to my voicemail in an attempt to persuade me
to see him. To give him the money he needs to pay…whoever.”

“How’d you scare him?”

She swallowed hard. Staring into the green irises that
glimmered in the moonlight, she said, “He busted down my trailer door in
Luckenbach, and I pulled a gun on him. Released the safety. Told him I wouldn’t
think twice about shooting him if he dared to make a move, other than back out
the door.”

With a nod, Sam said, “Can’t blame you for that. But
something tells me there’s more to needing to protect yourself than money and a
busted door.”

Sky glanced away, avoiding that hot mess of a statement.
“He’ll keep trying to convince me to help him out, but I’m not listening.” Her
gaze returned to his. “I’m stronger than that. I can handle this situation.”

Sam stared down at her for several tense moments, then said,
“Don’t think you’re all alone. You’re Reese’s best friend. That means Caleb and
I are here for you.”

She smiled, her heart melting again. The cowboy did all
kinds of sexy things to her. “That’s sweet. And appreciated. I don’t like to
lay my troubles at anyone’s feet, though. Or get anyone involved in something
that never should have happened in the first place. But I do think it’s kind of
you—and Caleb and Reese—to be concerned.”

“You can take care of yourself, I don’t doubt that. And I’m
not saying otherwise. Just know you’ve got some backup.”

Her breath caught. Damn, he really was a hero.

Impulsively, she leaned in close and brushed her lips
against his. A whisper of a kiss. She said, “I’m not the type to drag anyone
into my drama. But I do thank you for being in my corner. You don’t even know
me all that we—”

He kissed her, stealing the words from her mouth. Warning
signals went off in the back of her head, but Sky couldn’t be bothered with them.
The gorgeous cowboy who rescued injured horses pulled her to him and slipped
his arms around her waist. Her breasts pressed below the hard ledge of his
pectoral muscles. Her lips parted and his tongue delved deep, intensifying the
impassioned kiss.

She wound her arms around his neck and held on for dear
life. His blazing kiss sent fire roaring through her veins. Oh there was some
serious chemistry happening between them! But more than that, Sky felt the
scorching effects of his kiss all the way to her toes. And wanted more of the
hunky hero.

One of his hands eased over her backside to cup a cheek. He
gave a gentle squeeze and then kneaded the flesh, making her burn. All the
while, their searing liplock went on and on.

Her fingers threaded through his silky hair, twisting and
tangling. A hot flash of desire caused a moan to lodge in her throat. They just
kept clinging to each other, kissing as though they couldn’t get enough of one
another.

Those wicked tickles along her clit that he so easily
incited caused a throbbing in her pussy that made her restless. She wanted to
drag Sam’s hand at the small of her back around to the front of her. To
encourage him to slip that hand under her skirt and rub her slowly. She wanted
him to push his fingers deep inside her and stroke her until she came.

With her chest heaving and her pulse racing, she forced
herself to break the kiss and pull in some much-needed oxygen. And to try to
get her bearings.

She wasn’t in any sort of position to get all hot ’n heavy
like this. And, as she’d contended earlier, she didn’t want to get him tangled
up in her current drama.

With her hands splayed over his muscular chest, she said,
“You know how to leave a girl breathless.”

He seemed to be in the same state. He stared deep into her
eyes and said, “To hell with having my hands full. I’m all kinds of crazy for
you.”

Her pulse soared, but her stomach churned.

Reluctantly, she told him, “Guess there’s something you
ought to know about me, then. Because that was not just a kiss. That was—”

“The start of something.”

“Yeah,” Sky said in a quiet voice, her chest still rising
and falling quickly. “Makes me a little nervous.”

Sam cocked his head to one side. “How so?”

“Because I need to tell you what happened to me in Nashville.
If you’re planning on kissing me like that again, you ought to know.”

He had a bad feeling about this. Reese had alluded to
something shady taking place, and he’d seen enough flickers of torment in Sky’s
eyes to agree with Reese that there was more to her story than attempted
extortion.

Sky was going to tell him something disturbing. Something
that wouldn’t sit right with him.

Regardless, he said, “I wouldn’t normally consider a kiss
the point of no return, but with you…” He let out a long breath. “Well, let’s
just say I knew it was going to be damn hot and so yeah, I do plan on kissing
you again. A lot.”

She smiled sweetly, not quite enough to give him the dimples
he longed to see, but enough to cut some of the tension. “I like that you don’t
beat around the bush.”

“Don’t see much point to it. And besides, I’m sure you got a
good idea of how much I want you.”

Christ, he’d been hard in a heartbeat. No woman had ever
gotten him so worked up so fast. And his adrenaline still pumped as her palms
remained flattened against his chest and she gazed up at him with those big
blue eyes of hers.

He added, “But to be clear, I’m more than willing to take
this slow and easy.”

“Of course you are. I knew you were a good guy the minute I
saw you with Anabelle. You were gentle with her. Doing whatever it took to keep
her calm. You’re that way with me too.”

“Well, I did mention I’m crazy about you, right?”

She laughed softly. “I’m sure it goes without saying that
the feeling’s mutual. I didn’t even mind Reese gloating all through dinner over
her matchmaking skills.”

His fingers grazed her cheek. His head dipped and he kissed
her tenderly. Then he whispered against her lips, “Now what is it that you need
to tell me?”

Her breath hitched. She stepped away.

Sam sighed. “I like it better when you’re in my arms.”

“I like that too.” But she didn’t return to him. Instead,
she broke their eye contact and stared out toward the stable. “The thing is,
the ex got a little rough when I realized he was trying to swindle sixty grand
from me.”

Hell.

He wasn’t going to like this conversation at all.

His muscles bunched, but he managed to ask in a steady
voice, “Did he hit you?”

“Yes.” She shuddered, the memory clearly running through her
mind. “So hard I fell to the floor. Had a black-and-blue mark on my cheek for
close to two weeks.”

Sam’s gut clenched. Those cheeks he found so damn alluring?
Son
of a bitch
.

He swallowed down a lump of anger and asked, “That all?” As
if it weren’t enough. Jesus.

She took a deep breath, then said, “No.”

He waited for her to fill in the blanks. He had to stuff his
hands into his pockets to keep them from balling into fists at the thought of
someone smacking her around.

Sky finally said, “While I was on the floor, he pinned me
down. Shoved my skirt up.”

Fury flashed through him. “Are you telling me he forced
himself on you?”

She nodded.

Sam stalked away. Raked a hand through his hair. Then went
back to where she stood.

“Who is this guy?” he demanded in a low tone. “’Cause if he
comes near you again, I’m going to kick the shit out of him.”

“Sam,” she said, turning to face him. “This isn’t your
fight.”

“So let’s take it to the sheriff.”

“With what? I have no evidence—just my word against his.
There was no one in the recording studio when it happened. Hell, he told me I
could scream for help as loud as I wanted—the walls were soundproof.”

His jaw tightened briefly. But he tried to keep a level head
and a calm voice. “Someone had to have seen you all roughed up, Sky.”

She shook her head. “I drove to Texas that night. Left my
clothes behind and everything else, except for my box of recipes I’ve always
kept in the glove compartment, because I like to have them with me wherever I
go.”

“What about when you bought the trailer?”

“I had my lawyer get me a hotel room in Fredericksburg and I
lived off the mini-bar while I searched for a place to buy. I found the listing
for the trailer on the Internet and my lawyer handled the transaction as well.
It was a cash deal so it didn’t take too long, but by the time the escrow
papers were ready to sign, the bruise on my cheek was gone.”

“Why so careful?” he asked. “Making sure no one saw you. Not
going to the police in Nashville…?”

Her head dropped. “Look, as much as I claim to be a nobody,
my face and my name are familiar. I don’t want anyone to know about this, Sam.
It’s…humiliating.” She crossed her arms over her chest, a defensive move.

Sam hooked a finger under her chin and gently lifted it. “If
you tell me you’re ashamed about what happened, you know what I’m going to say
about that, right?”

Mist covered her eyes. “That it wasn’t my fault.”

“Yeah.”

Her lips pressed together for several seconds, then she
said, “Much as I’d like to believe that, Sam, I do have a history of getting
involved with the wrong men. There have only been a few, but still… I chose
this one as a boyfriend and a manager. So, really, who’s to blame?”

“Not you,” he told her in a strong voice, his gaze
unwavering. “He tried to steal money from you. He ra—”

Her hand instantly shot out and her fingers pressed to his
lips. “Don’t say that word.”

He pried the fingers from his mouth and said, “Call it what
you want. The fact still remains that you were assaulted.”

His fingers curled around hers and he rested their entwined
hands against his chest.

She took a few deep breaths, then told him, “Reese can’t
know about this.” Her beautiful blue eyes pleaded with him. “You need to know,
because I’m still a little skittish and I don’t want you to think it has
anything to do with you. And I don’t want to start something with you without
being totally honest. You wouldn’t do that to me.”

“No, I wouldn’t. But Reese is your best friend, darlin’, and
she’d be damn hurt if she heard it elsewhere.”

“She’s not going to hear it elsewhere.” She gave him a hard
look. “This is just between you and me. And I already know you’d never say a
word to anyone, not even Caleb, if I asked you not to. I might not know you as
well as the others at this ranch, but one of the things I have picked up on is
that you’re loyal and you’re genuine. You wouldn’t do anything to discredit
me.”

“Jesus, Sky.” He shook his head as dismay slithered through
him. “You really believe Reese would think less of you if she knew about this?”

Tears sprang to her eyes. “She’s like a sister to me, Sam.
And she just thinks so highly of me… I couldn’t stand to see any sort of pity
in her eyes. Or worse. Disgust.”

He pulled her to him and was damn glad she let him hold her.
Her arms wound around his neck and her body melded to his.

“You heap a hell of a lot onto yourself, darlin’.”

“It’s my bind,” she said, her warm breath on his neck. “I
got myself into it.”

“And how do you plan on getting yourself out? Especially if
you won’t let anyone help you?”

She squeezed him tight, then stepped away. “I’m guessing the
best thing to do at this point is to give him the money. I mean, I have the
cash. It’s not as though it’d create any sort of hardship for me. I didn’t hand
it over initially because of the principle of the matter, but… If money gets
him out of my life, then it’s worth it.”

Sam considered this a viable option, but a dark thought
occurred to him. Actually, two dark thoughts occurred to him.

He said, “What if this guy takes the money and starts
thinking of you as his own bank teller, because he wore you down the first
time?”

Dark thought number one.

She crossed her arms over her chest again and rocked back on
her boot heels. “Chances are good I’ll never get rid of him, aren’t they?”

“Well, darlin’, if he believes you’re an open checkbook…”

“Goddammit.”

Sam groaned. Now for dark thought number two. “The other
concern is that it’s not just your money he wants. He broke into your trailer
when you were there. What’d he expect to find? That you keep your money stashed
under your mattress and you’d just happen to have the sixty grand waiting for
him when he popped by uninvited?”

She gaped.

Sam felt chilled to the bone. “He didn’t come for the money
that night, darlin’.”

She swallowed hard. Her eyes squeezed shut for a moment,
then she stared up at him and said, “If I didn’t have my gun, I wouldn’t have
had any way to defend myself, unless I could’ve gotten to a frying pan or a
knife. I keep the gun in an end table drawer in the living room, not far from
the front door. I never would have made it all the way into the kitchen if he
really wanted to—”

Another tremor ran through her.

Sam closed the gap between them. He caressed her cheek,
brushing away tears. “You’re in over your head, darlin’. Let me help you.”

“I don’t want to be trouble for you. I have to handle this
myself, Sam.”

He let out a low grunt. “I know when to take no for an
answer. This is not one of those times.”

She smiled softly, despite the tension lingering between
them. “You can’t save everybody, cowboy.”

“We’ll see about that.” His head dipped and he kissed her. A
sexy tangling of lips that turned hot and passionate when she opened her mouth
and his tongue delved inside. His fingers threaded through the silky strands at
her temple as his thumb glided over her cheekbone. His other hand rested on her
waist.

He deepened the kiss, eliciting a moan of pleasure from her.
His cock swelled and the adrenaline pumped through him again.

Her hand clutched the material of his shirt at his back. The
other splayed over his pecs. She returned his kiss with equaled fervor.

Christ, she made him hot and hard. Her tight, curvy body,
intoxicating scent and addictive kisses had him believing there was a hell of a
lot more to the way he felt about her than the “crush” Reese had suggested.

When they finally came up for air, they were both breathing
heavy. Yet he kept tangling his lips with hers, stealing soft kisses.

“You do me in, darlin’,” he whispered against her mouth.

“No one’s ever kissed me the way you do. So much fire and
reckless abandon.”

“Like I can’t get enough of you?”

She grinned. “It’s really very sexy.”

He chuckled. But then he looked her deep in the eyes and
said, “I do know when to stop.”

“Sam.” She sighed. Her fingers whisked over his clenched
jaw. “I already know you’re different. And after getting such a healthy dose of
reality in Nashville, I wouldn’t get involved with you—or anyone else—if I
thought I’d have to fight you off at some point. You’re not that type.”

“You thought the same of the ex, though, right?”

“I was naïve with him, admittedly. Lesson learned. I can
read the signs much clearer. Besides, the true testament of a man’s moral fiber
is what his family, friends and dog think of him. Or in your case, those horses
you take such good care of. And Reese is nuts about you. She’s a good judge of
character. I trust her.”

“She did make the right choice with Caleb.”

“I like him a lot.”

“Not too much, I hope.”

She laughed. “Nothing to worry about there, cowboy. You have
no competition.”

Just a healthy amount of obstacles
, he thought.

Concerned over her situation with the ex, he said, “Maybe
you ought to stay at the inn. Reese brought it up last week, and Caleb and I
both thought it sounded like a good idea—even before I knew the extent of your
troubles.”

“I appreciate the offer. But I can’t let this take over my
life. And I really do love my trailer.”

“You don’t worry about him coming back?”

“Think he’s got it through his head I’m going to shoot first
and ask questions later.”

She unraveled herself from Sam and walked over to the opened
door on the driver’s side of her SUV.

He asked, “You a good aim, darlin’?”

She turned back to him. “My daddy taught me.”

Sam swallowed hard, then said, “Shoot him in the leg, not
the heart. You’ll regret it later if you don’t.”

Sky stepped toward him and rested a hand on his biceps. “Did
you kill someone when you were deployed?”

“Two someones,” he confessed. “My unit was ambushed in
Afghanistan. Two of my guys died first. I had no choice but to shoot.”

“Wow.” She let out a long breath. “I’m so sorry.”

“I remember their faces. And even though they were the enemy,
they were also human beings. Taking another life, no matter how valid the
reason, isn’t easy to stomach or live with.”

She seemed to give this the consideration it was due and
then asked, “You had nightmares about it?”

“Of course.”

“And you probably struggled over what you could have done
differently. To be effective without…”

“Killing someone.”

She sighed. “Really, I am sorry, Sam. I can’t even begin to
imagine… I mean you hear about these ambushes and attacks, read about them in
the paper or on the Internet, but unless you’re personally involved, how can
you possibly know what those who serve our country go through when in combat?
When they’re in life-threatening situations? At the same time, how can you
think that saving lives on your side means you did something wrong?”

His jaw clenched for a moment. Then he said, “Words help you
rationalize, but you’re right… You don’t know what it’s like until it happens
to you. Until you find yourself in a real-life scenario where you have no
choice but to kill or be killed.”