Page 62 of Wild and Wanted

‘Oh, you have, huh?’ His eyes sparkled with a lazy kind of interest. ‘What kind of books?’

More heat rose to her face. ‘Yolly was an avid reader of smutty books. They are quite… educational.’

One black eyebrow winged up and his lips quirked for a beat. ‘Then maybe you’ll understand that as soon as you wrap your fingers or, God help me, your tongue, around my bare cock, I’m going to want to put it inside you real bad. And I don’t want that to be rushed or have your first time be in a hayloft, or out in the open. I want to lay you on my bed and take my time and I want it to be private – just you and me. No risk of bears happening upon us or your mother calling or my mother sending out the cavalry to look for us if we lose track of time and, trust me, we will.’

Both Stevie’s heart and other bits much lower contracted at his words. How they could be both dirty and romantic wasn’t something she’d expected from a cowboy.

Maybe he should be writing smutty books. Or love songs.

‘Okay, fine.’ She rolled her eyes in exaggerated patience. ‘But just so you know that when I do finally get to play inside your jeans, I’m not going to want to stop so that thing you’re packing better be hardy.’

Her words weren’t exactly dirty and definitely not romantic, nor were they something she’d ever imagine would slip from her mouth, but they hit their mark, Clay’s pupils dilating, his fingers tightening on her hip. ‘It has the stamina of ten men.’

‘Good.’

That might just satisfy her.

18

CLAY

The next night Clay was listening to a Red Clay Strays song drifting from the jukebox as he sat on a stool, his back to the wall in the games room of The Corral, watching as Dev taught Stevie and Mags some trick shots. He’d known the women were going to be here tonight because when he’d texted Stevie at lunch to see if she wanted to do some stargazing tonight after the cookout she’d told him she already had plans in Redemption with his sister.

Which only meant one place on a Saturday might.

She had offered to meet him later, after she was back from town, and he was completely on board with that but when Dev had said he was meeting Ivan at The Corral, Clay hadn’t been able to wait. Her when I do finally get to play inside your jeans, I’m not going to want to stop had been on his mind all day and there was no way he was going to pass up the opportunity to see Stevie a little sooner than they’d arranged.

Her hair was tied in two tight plaits that fell down her back and she was wearing fancy jeans with rhinestone hearts embroidered on the ass pockets and a T-shirt proclaiming Dolly Parton for president. There were no buttons, no bows. No fringes. No fake cowgirl bling. In fact, she looked very girl-next-door.

But hell if he didn’t want to demand everyone leave so he could lay her on that billiard table and love every inch of her body.

Two days of major league making out with no relief – other than by his own hand – on his side of the equation had him drawn tighter than a bronc rider’s saddle hitch. And the way she kept looking at him from under her eyelashes, like she could read his intent and she liked it, was hot as fuck.

Ivan plonked down on the stool beside him and took a swig from his beer, and they sat in silence for long moments as Stevie attempted a jump shot Dev had set up. She executed it perfectly with a triumphant little jig before accepting high fives from both Dev and Mags, laughter glowing like fireflies from the pores of her skin.

‘You going to do something about that or are you still pretending there’s not a thing happening?’

Clay’s jaw tightened. Damn Ivan to hell. He might be a man of few words but he made the ones he used count. ‘There’s nothing happening.’ Not in the way Ivan was implying anyway.

‘You think because I don’t say much, I don’t see much?’

Glancing sideways at the guy who could usually be relied upon for silence, Clay castigated himself for being too obvious tonight. ‘We’re just… hanging out is all.’

Ivan nodded as he looked at Clay. ‘Uh huh.’

The uh huh was clearly code for bullshit but Ivan was not one to push. He just waited in silence with his big brooding presence making the other person nervous enough to fill it. Clay knew his game and Ivan didn’t intimidate him, but he was irritated.

‘She’s a music star from the city and she’s only here for two more weeks.’ Why did he even have to explain that? He may be up for being Stevie’s one and he might be developing a slight addiction, but that didn’t make their situation beyond her stay tenable.

‘You trying to convince me or yourself?’

‘We’re not a thing.’ They were a dalliance. A severely distracting one.

‘Right,’ Ivan agreed, heavy on the sarcasm, ‘you’re just hanging out.’

Clay rolled his eyes. ‘She’s easy to talk to.’

‘She’s easy on the eyes, too.’