Kissin' Tell (Rough Riders #13)(3)

“Now, don’t go getting all indignant, darlin’. We both had a great time—that part I do remember. I told you up front that’s all it’d be.”


She sidled up to the bar, telling BeeBee, “A honey Jack and seven with lemon, please.” Then she cocked her head. “I’m Jamie.”


“Well, pretty Jamie, I may’ve been fuzzy on your name, but I do recall one thing about you.”


“What’s that?”


Tell traced the line of her neck from beneath her jawbone to the hollow of her throat. “How much you liked havin’ my mouth here.”


Jamie’s breath caught. “You are the devil. A handsome devil with dirty, sweet-talking ways and wicked, wicked hands.”


“Mmm-hmm. But knowing that ahead of time still didn’t keep you from sayin’ yes to me, did it?”


“Because I didn’t want to say no.” Her gaze gravitated to his crotch and zoomed back to his eyes. “Then or now.”


He raised a brow. “That right?”


She inserted her curvy body between his thighs and leaned into him. “Buy me a drink, cowboy, and we’ll talk.”


His night was looking up. “BeeBee doll, put Jamie’s drink on my tab.”


BeeBee snorted again.


“So, you here with anyone?” Tell asked.


Jamie took a healthy sip of her drink. “My friend Stephanie and some chick she knew in high school.”


High school. A time in his life he’d rather forget.


He set down his bottle and said, “Dance with me.”


There wasn’t a band, just piped-in country music, but several couples were on the dance floor.


Three fast songs later, Tell led Jamie back to their seats at bar. “I forgot that you’re such a great dancer,” she said breathlessly.


“Ain’t a lot of other things to do around here on the weekends.”


“But I haven’t seen you in Ziggy’s for a while.”


He didn’t mention he was in here every Tuesday night for dart league. “We just got done calving. Now I’m gearing up for rodeo season. Which means I’ll be gone most Friday and Saturday nights.”


She placed her hand on his chest. “Is that your way of warning me off?”


“Nope. Just stating the facts up front.” He shifted against the bar and put his mouth on her ear. “So knowing that… What are the odds that you’ll come home with me tonight?”


“It depends.”


“On what?”


“On whether you still live with your brother.”


His lips nibbled down her jawline to the column of her throat. “My brother was only staying with me temporarily. So it’d just be you and me. I’ll be the only one to hear you moan when I do this.” Tell parted his lips and sucked on the sweep of skin where her neck met her shoulder.


“God. You’re good at that.” She bared her entire throat.


“At what?”


“Seducing me with your mouth and the words flowing from it.”


He chuckled against her neck. “So is that a yes, pretty—”


“Jamie?”


Tell froze. He recognized that smoky voice. Soft, sweet, unbelievably sexy. Been a while since he’d heard it. He lifted his head, but kept his face shadowed beneath the brim of his hat.


“Can’t you see I’m a little busy?” Jamie said crossly.


“I wouldn’t bother you, but Stephanie told me to tell you that your sister has called your cell about ten times. She thinks you oughta call her back in case it’s an emergency.”


Jamie stepped away from him, warning, “Don’t go anywhere.”


“I’ll be right here, waitin’ on you.” As soon as Jamie flounced off, Tell raised his head, looking at the woman who’d starred in his teenage fantasies for three long years. “Hello, Georgia.”


Surprise crossed her face. She stumbled backward and would’ve fallen on her ass if he hadn’t lunged for her.


“Whoa, there.”


“Tell? Tell McKay? You’re the hot cowboy Jamie was talking about?”


Tell wasn’t sure if he should scowl because of Georgia’s shock or if he should grin because she’d called him hot. A smile won out. “Yep, that’s me.”


“Wow. You…look amazing.” Georgia’s gaze traveled over his shoulders, his arms, his chest and then landed back on his face. Her fingers tightened on his biceps as if she was testing the merchandise. “Like, really amazing.”


He couldn’t look away from her. Christ. Hot Lips Hotchkiss was still a knockout. Her ebony hair was shorter—shoulder length, rather than flowing halfway down her back in a tangle of black silk. Same lush mouth. Same startling blue eyes. She’d put on weight, which had softened the sharp angles of her face, and added some curves to her compact body.


“You’re staring at me,” she said in that low-pitched voice he’d dreamed about.