Roping in Forever

Forever 1

Roping in Forever Corbin Cansey will love the daylights out of Bella McDermott. That is, just as soon as he gets around to it. Corbin has been running from Bella since she was a teenager, and he’s been looking the other way since she became old enough to win his heart. The trouble is Bella is tired of waiting. She follows Corbin to a San Antonio rodeo and watches as he indulges in a few sex-related activities. Green with envy, Bella realizes it’s time to teach Corbin a few valuable lessons about loving a woman. Bella gives Corbin a good taste of what he’s been dishing up—a stout dose of jealousy. And even though her plan is destined to fail, her notions are guaranteed to make a man twitch in his Wranglers, assuming he can keep them pulled up where they belong. Genre: Contemporary, Western/Cowboys Length: 20,588 words

ROPING IN FOREVER Forever 1

Destiny Blaine

EROTIC ROMANCE

Siren Publishing, Inc. www.SirenPublishing.com

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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK IMPRINT: Erotic Romance

ROPING IN FOREVER Copyright © 2011 by Destiny Blaine E-book ISBN: 1-61034-488-X First E-book Publication: June 2011 Cover design by Jinger Heaston All cover art and logo copyright © 2011 by Siren Publishing, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission. All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

PUBLISHER Siren Publishing, Inc. www.SirenPublishing.com

Letter to Readers Dear Readers, If you have purchased this copy of Roping in Forever by Destiny Blaine from BookStrand.com or its official distributors, thank you. Also, thank you for not sharing your copy of this book.

Regarding E-book Piracy This book is copyrighted intellectual property. No other individual or group has resale rights, auction rights, membership rights, sharing rights, or any kind of rights to sell or to give away a copy of this book. The author and the publisher work very hard to bring our paying readers high-quality reading entertainment. This is Destiny Blaine’s livelihood. It’s fair and simple. Please respect Ms. Blaine’s right to earn a living from her work. Amanda Hilton, Publisher www.SirenPublishing.com www.BookStrand.com

DEDICATION For Val Pearson

ROPING IN FOREVER Forever 1 DESTINY BLAINE Copyright © 2011

Chapter One “Son-of-a-blasted-bitch!” Corbin exclaimed, falling against the bed. “What the ever-lovin’ hell was that?” “You like, sí?” Maria asked, draping herself across Corbin’s damp body. “Maria make cowboy feel nice, yes?” Corbin turned on his side and stared at the alarm clock. According to the flashing red digits, it was seven o’clock in the morning. Good hell, he’d been playing with Maria all night. Trying to catch his breath, he gently pushed aside her pawing hands and reached for his jeans. He needed to make a clean escape before she killed him. “Sí, señorita,” he grumbled, hoping those words would be the last spoken to the whore he’d never meant to keep for longer than an hour. His plans had been shot to hell, but then again, he couldn’t blame his insatiable greed entirely on the younger woman. He’d been a desperate bastard after he discovered she was working the streets for the first time. Maria was making a hooker’s debut. He was customer number one. Corbin sure liked going first.

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“I want to meet your familia,” she called out as he grabbed his dusty boots. “I’m sure you do,” Corbin said, studying her from the doorway. If his momma could see him now, she’d give him a swift kick in the ass. He must’ve been a sick man thinking about his poor mother right then. His gaze held on Maria’s pierced nipples. What he’d give to lap at those precious gems for a few more minutes. Maria stared at his crotch. She extended her forefinger back and forth. “Come here, señor. I want blindfold and handcuffs again. Maria is still a very bad girl.” Corbin could listen to her roll her tongue over a few more syllables while he curled his own around those tightly drawn buds she proudly flaunted. Only, damn it! He knew better. Maria was primed and ready. The gal wanted to go home with him. His mouth dried at that. Shit! He needed to get the hell out of there while the gettin’ was good. He shrugged on his shirt as fast as possible, never bothering to button up the front. There was no way he was going back over to that bed. Maria performed well and wore his cock plumb out. In fact, he’d be lucky if he ever had the opportunity to use the damn thing again. Corbin jumped once, worked his jeans over his hips, fastened his belt, and made up his mind. He was running from a bandit, a woman trying to steal away with a little more than his money and time. Why after the way she’d acted, apparently the whore wanted to keep his dick as a memento, maybe a prize. He was in such a hurry to get away from the saucy siren that he skipped a hot shower. He would race back to the campground and with any luck, bathe alone. He hoped Travis was still on the lot so he could clean up and grab a bitter cup of instant coffee. “Where you going, señor? You scare me when you leave me like this.”

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Corbin cleared his throat, ready for that expedient exit. The young woman needed to get a grip on her attachment issues if she planned on making a career out of sex. Grabbing his cowboy hat, Corbin shot her a wink and then pulled a few crisp one hundred dollar bills from his pocket. Slapping them on the bedside table, he said, “I’ll be seeing you, Maria.” Her thick bottom lip stuck out in a formidable pout. “When, señor?” He closed the door before she whined some more, or worse, started to cry. He hated tears. Besides, Maria needed thicker skin. She chose this profession for herself, and she should’ve considered herself lucky he was such a generous guy. The going rate had been a hundred bucks, and he’d left her enough to pay a month’s rent somewhere other than a roadside inn. Entering his truck, he slid behind the wheel and glared at the hotel room he’d just left. Maria was in the window, putting on quite a show, touching herself and making sure he realized she was still good to go. On second thought, he mused. Maria was right where she ought to be. And his first intuition was correct—he needed to get the hell out of there before the woman killed him. Cranking the truck, he threw his arm over the seat and backed out of the parking space. Glancing in his rearview mirror, he saw the last of the dark-haired Mexican beauty. Taking a deep breath, he took a left on the state highway and laid a heavy foot to the pedal. Thank the good Lord. He’d made it out of there. Travis had been right about Maria from the start. He’d warned him the senoritas were all after one thing—a cowboy-husband with plenty of money. Corbin raked his hand across his face. If Corbin wanted a wife, he damn well knew where he’d find her. But he didn’t want a ball and chain—at least not yet.

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**** “You had company while you were dabbling on the wrong side of town,” Travis told him when he stepped out of the shower. “Oh yeah? Who?” “Pretty little Southern belle stopped by this mornin’ looking for you.” “Bella was here?” Corbin asked, scrubbing his head with a light blue towel. “She’s a long way from home.” “Sure was,” Travis replied, leaning against the kitchen counter. “What’d you tell her?” “I didn’t have to say much, man. She shared plenty.” “Quit beating around the bush,” Corbin said, reaching above the small sink for a mug. “What was she doing here?” “She heard you were in town for the rodeo and dropped by.” “Guess she just happened to be in the area?” “Reckon so,” Travis replied. “You should’ve told her our place was a little closer. Shamrock ain’t that big, and San Antonio is too big for Bella.” “Apparently not. She still found you,” Travis said, frowning. “And I don’t think she liked what she saw if you wanna know the straight of it.” “You should’ve told her she was a day late,” Corbin said, in pursuit of his first cup of brew. “If you were a real pal, you would’ve told her I don’t like surprise visitors, particularly when I’m out of town.” “Yep, I reckon I could’ve done just that. Then again, don’t think it would’ve mattered either way. See, Bella didn’t miss the rodeo, buddy. You haven’t listened to a word I’ve been sayin’. Bella arrived here day before yesterday. And from what I gathered, she experienced all San Antonio had to offer and then some.” Corbin clutched his chipped clay mug. “What are you saying?”

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“She followed you, Corbin, and looks like if you wanted to shake her off and lose her forever, you’ve finally accomplished what you set out to do. I doubt you’ll hear from Bella again.” Corbin’s heart nearly stopped when Travis vocalized such an assumption. “What’d she see exactly?” “She had a front row seat, buddy, and from what she said, I don’t think the woman missed much. In fact, from what I can make out, Bella earned quite an education.”

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Chapter Two After following Corbin Cansey to San Antonio, Bella McDermott had learned her lesson. She was finally three years past legal— twenty-one—and she went looking for Corbin to tell him the good news, hoping he’d take her virginity as a gift and see to it she became his woman. Instead, he broke her heart, shattered her expectations, and left her yearning for something so explicit she was certain to die if she never experienced what she watched with her very eyes. She must’ve been out of her mind to think he’d waited for her. No doubt, he still considered her a child, and while she’d been looking forward to her twenty-first birthday, he’d been buying whores and renting dingy motel rooms. She closed her eyes and saw the illustrations in living color. They rushed through her head like back-to-back clippings from an adultrated film. Corbin had been so desperate to get laid, he’d had the girl delivered to him right there at Cattle Barn One where anybody at the rodeo could’ve seen them together. After his last ride, he was in a big hurry to spend time with the rented gal, too. He jumped off his horse, slapped the reins in Travis’s hands, and looped his arm around the whore’s waist, looking about stupid trying to act all comfortable with someone he didn’t know. They’d hurried off to his truck where he’d gotten the first of many blow jobs. And after they arrived at the motor lodge, Oh God, the things he did to that woman were downright sinful, which should’ve made Bella realize she did not need Corbin Cansey in her life, much less her bed.

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Standing in front of the mirror, she glared at the reflection staring back at her. She pushed natural curls over her shoulders and rubbed her flushed cheeks, pinching them in the center. “I’ve cried all I’m gonna, Corbin Cansey,” she whispered, forcing herself to walk away from the memories of Corbin towering over his whore. Those were images she’d never forget, but the ones that would haunt her forever were much more explicit. She’d watched as Corbin used handcuffs and toys on the woman he’d hired and, good Lord, how he’d teased her. Bella shook her head. She couldn’t do this to herself anymore. “I’m done this time, Corbin.” “Well, I sure hope so,” her mother said, taking a sip of her beer as she entered her bedroom. “You’re too good for that cowboy, Bella. You don’t need a man like Corbin. Trust me.” “Momma, you don’t understand,” Bella said, grabbing a recently pressed apron and sliding her head through the loop at the top. “I’ve loved him since I was fourteen. He promised me—back then, he swore he’d wait for me to grow up.” She didn’t bother telling her mother that when she turned eighteen, she’d searched him out and found him, only to have him turn her away and tell her to come back when she turned twenty-one. He’d explained how he needed a woman who could keep up with him. His girl, he’d pointed out, would be allowed in the clubs and old enough to order a drink if he decided to take her out on the town. And to think her gullible ass bought that line of bull. Now she was twenty-one. Hell’s bells and cattle tails—she was no longer a teenager, and she still hadn’t been in Corbin’s arms for longer than a second. Truth told, Corbin just wasn’t interested. After what she watched, Bella shouldn’t have been. There were plenty of men out there. Bella just needed to find a decent cowboy and pull him out of the barn and into a nearby haystack.

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That was the trouble in these parts. Most of the men preferred chasing cows and horses to skirts. Then again, most of the fellows Bella knew assumed a woman’s dress just fell off without much persuasion. Judy McDermott took another slurp from her bottle. “You think I don’t know something about young love?” “Young love!” Bella bellowed. “Shucks, Momma! By the time Corbin gets around to kissing me, I’ll be an old maid drawing damned social security!” “Remember who you’re talking to, little lady. I fell in love with your father around the age you first noticed that Cansey boy. It ain’t all storybook romances for women like us, honey.” Bella grabbed her car keys and kissed her mother’s cheek. “I’ll bring you something to eat after my shift. Maybe then you can sober up and provide a shoulder to lean on instead of staggering around here mourning a man who was never good to you in the first place.” Bella’s mom looked down at the floor. When she raised her gaze to meet Bella’s, her eyes were moist. “Oh, Momma, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it.” “Yes, you did, and you’re right. Your daddy never paid me no mind when he was livin’, and I’ve mourned him like he was the only man worth lovin’.” She cleared her throat. “You know what? A cheeseburger loaded with onions and a pickle sounds pretty good.” Bella forced a smile. “I’ll take care of it. See you after four.” “You pick your chin up off that floor, young lady, ya hear?” Bella stopped midway down the hall and faced her mother. “I hear ya.” “These cowboys, Bella, they’re only good for two things. Lovin’ a cowboy ain’t what it’s cracked up to be when the sun goes down and the dust he’s kicked up finally settles. When they love ya, they love ya hard, but when they leave? They slip away before you can even beg ’em to stay. Like I said, they’re good for two things—lovin’ and leavin’.”

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**** Those words hummed in Bella’s ears when Corbin walked in the diner later that afternoon. He looked like an open invitation to a rough and rowdy time, and Bella wished just once she’d have the opportunity to see if her momma’s words of wisdom were true of all cowboys. Wearing Levis that clung to those muscular legs and showed off plenty in the front, Corbin wore a bright red button-down shirt and was topped off with a black Stetson. As always, Bella’s mouth watered the second she saw him. It was a natural instinct, kind of like her insatiable craving for chocolate. “Take table four for me, will ya?” she asked Nancy, rushing through the galley kitchen. She didn’t hear the other woman’s reply but assumed if she hurried and clocked out for her lunch, she’d make a clean break. Fiddling with her purse, she fished her keys out of the side pocket and hit the back emergency exit without a second to spare. As luck would have it, she ran smack dab into Travis, Corbin’s sidekick. “Where are you headed in a hurry, little gal?” he asked, knocking the dust off his cowboy hat. “Hey, Travis,” she drawled. “I’m taking my lunch. Gotta run over to the bank and cash my check.” “Right now?” “Yeah,” she replied, thinking no better time than the present. “I only get thirty minutes.” “Not long enough,” he said, grinning. “What do you mean?” “Corbin came by to talk to you. If you’re running from him, thirty minutes ain’t gonna buy you any time worth havin’ because we ain’t on the clock today.”

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“I don’t have anything to say to Corbin,” she snapped, marching toward her car. “He knows you just had a birthday.” She stopped as soon as she reached her ’87 Olds. Tossing her purse inside the lowered window, she wheeled around to face him. “My birthday was three months ago, and what does that have to do with anything? I’ve been over the age of eighteen for several years. Most folks considered me an adult after I graduated from high school. Corbin, however, has yet to make the first step in my direction.” Travis grinned. “Boy says he has a lot on his mind.” “And that matters to me, why?” Bella asked, placing her hand against the small of her back. “Ah shit, Bella. Don’t act like that. Corbin has always had his eye on you but he’s just a man. What’d you expect him to do—wait on you to grow up?” A maroon pickup truck pulled in the parking lot about the time Bella started to answer. There, behind the wheel, was Benson Leary, another eligible Texas bachelor, a guy many of the ladies in town couldn’t wait to unzip and ride. “Hey, Bella, where you headed?” Benson called out, flashing big dimples and pearly whites. Smiling sweetly at Travis, Bella saw her chance to even old scores. “I gotta go, Travis.” She grabbed her belongings and slammed the car door. Pursuing Benson, she yelled, “Wait up, cowboy. I need a lift to the bank.” Travis went pale, and Benson lit up the otherwise dull afternoon when he rushed around the cab of his truck and opened the passenger door. Large, calloused hands fell to her waist, and Benson hoisted her up, making sure she was properly assisted. Providing an even better show, Benson helped her fasten the lap-style seat belt as well. Bella rolled down her window as Travis walked toward her. By that time, Benson was behind the wheel again. “That ain’t your smartest move, girl,” Travis said, frowning.

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“And buying whores and opening the motel drapes so the whole world can watch what should’ve been kept private, ain’t the best idea either. You tell Corbin I said hello, ya hear?”

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Chapter Three “She got in that truck with who?” Corbin asked, leaning over the table and glaring at Travis. “You heard me. Benson rolled in about the time she was fixin’ to leave. Bella hopped right in there like she’d been sitting next to him a lot here lately.” Corbin scratched his chin. “Well, ain’t she just full of surprises?” “Yep. But I imagine she’s gonna get what she’s got comin’ to her if she’s messin’ with Benson Leary. You know what the women ’round here say about him, don’t ’cha?” “You fellows decided on what you want for lunch?” Nancy asked, flipping her pen against the order pad and standing over them before Corbin had a chance to probe Travis for more information. “We’re waiting,” Corbin told her. Nancy batted her eyelashes. “Got somebody else joining ya?” “No,” Corbin snapped. “We’ll be ready by the time Bella gets back.” “Suit yourself,” Nancy said, sashaying away. Travis chomped on a piece of ice, and from the corner of his mouth, he said, “Benson looked pretty interested in Bella. And back to what I was a’sayin’ about him. If rumors are true and Bella gets in bed with him, she ain’t gonna have anything else to do with the likes of you.” Travis extended his arm and clasped his free hand around his elbow. “Women say he has a bigger one than that rocker Tommy Lee.” “Benson ain’t got anything Bella wants. That I can promise you.”

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“How in the hell would you know? You’re the one who’s been running from that girl since she first made eyes at you.” “She was fourteen, for God’s sake.” “Bella looked like she was eighteen back then. I still remember her in those hide tight short-shorts, riding bareback and gripping that old gelding like she was scared to death he was gonna get away from her. Dear God, she was a prize.” “She was a child!” “Hell, Corbin. I could look then. I was a kid, too, remember?” Corbin snarled. “I seem to recall asking her out for a movie and you beatin’ the tarnation right out of me. Taught me a lesson, that’s what ya did and look where it got me. You still ain’t asked her out, and she’s been of age for a right smart while now.” “I’ve been gettin’ around to it,” Corbin drawled, copping a smile. “She did always look like a picture postcard riding through town on that old plug horse, didn’t she?” “More like a centerfold.” “She hasn’t changed much, has she?” Corbin asked, sipping from his straw. “Maybe not yet,” Travis said, pointing toward the parking lot and acknowledging Bella’s return. “But by the time he’s finished, you can bet on one thing if nothin’ else—her innocence will be gone and that light you see shining in her eyes will be forever lost.” **** Benson went around front, and Bella entered the diner through the back. Nancy met her at the lockers. “Sugar, I don’t know what kind of game you’re playing with Corbin Cansey, but if cat-and-mouse is your thing, we need to have a chat.” Stuffing her purse on a nearby shelf, Bella turned around. “What do you mean?”

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“He’s refusing to let me or anyone else wait on him. He said he’d be ready to order just as soon as you got back. Now, he’s sitting there like a toad on a log telling Travis all the reasons why you couldn’t possibly have an interest in Benson Leary.” “He is, is he?” “Sure is. You got him tore up, darlin’, tore the hell up, I’m tellin’ ya.” Bella felt a sudden sense of satisfaction. “Good, maybe by the time he chokes down his lunch, he’ll know what it feels like to be an outsider looking through a window with his nose mashed against the glass.” Nancy shrugged. “I don’t know if I’d push that cowboy’s buttons, Bella. I’ve seen a lot of possessive men in my lifetime, but that one there came here for you. Now I know you’ve had a thing for him and you were hurt when you came back from San Antonio, but give the guy a chance. He’s here to make amends. I’d bet all the tips I’ve made today he’s planning on asking you out. A man like Corbin Cansey could show a gal a real fine time.” Bella smiled at the woman who’d been a lifelong friend of her mother’s. Nancy was pretty, but she’d been used up pretty good by some of the cowboys around there. If anybody knew men, Nancy probably earned her right to form expert opinions. “You’d better listen to me, Bella. I know what’s what around here. You don’t wanna mess with that look Corbin has in his eyes. He’ll bring down hell on those who stand in his way of getting what he wants, and that Leary boy is no match for a Cansey. Why, Corbin’s very own uncle used to look at me that way, and I’ll go to my grave knowing Mac Cansey was the one who got away.” Mac Cansey was nothing but a drunk, but Bella didn’t bother telling Nancy the facts. He was, and perhaps always would be, Nancy’s blind spot, her truest weakness. “I have plans for Corbin,” Bella said, thinking she never wanted to end up like Nancy, with an apron pocket full of regrets. “I’ve waited

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all my life for that damn cowboy. If he wants me now, he’s gonna know how it feels to stand at the back of the line and watch from the rear of the pack. “Way I see it, one of these days, he’s gonna have to man-up. If he doesn’t do it soon, I’m gonna look somewhere else and I might as well start with Benson Leary.”

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Chapter Four Benson tilted his hat toward Travis and Corbin. Travis tossed up his arm and waved, slapping his palm against the Formica table. Corbin didn’t bother. “I didn’t think the guy had the nerve to come in here after he left with my girl.” Travis chuckled. “Your girl? Since when?” “Shit, man, you know how she’s always rattled me.” “I never saw her shake you enough to make you mind your manners and keep your pants up.” “This coming from a man who’d fuck around the clock if he had a different woman waiting at the stroke of another new hour?” Corbin asked, arching his brow. “I swear I’d like to beat Benson’s ass just for looking at her like he’s done been there and done that.” “We’ve been on the circuit,” Travis reminded him. “We don’t know for sure what Benson’s been up to, or for that matter, what Bella’s been down on.” Corbin snarled. “Watch it.” “I’m just sayin’. For all you know, Bella’s already shined and polished something other than his belt buckle.” Corbin sneered. “Shut up, Travis. Here she comes.” Bella had just about made it to their table when Benson caught her arm. “Sweetheart, I wanted to ask you something.” Corbin cut his gaze toward Bella. Her back was to them and Benson was very much aware of the fact that Travis and Corbin were watching him. Corbin almost fell out of the booth trying to stretch and bend so he could watch the whole Bella-Benson saga unfold.

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“Ask away, Benson,” she chirped, acting and sounding a little too excited about all the attention. “There’s a new club opening right outside Shamrock this weekend. Wanna go check it out? I could pick you up around seven on Friday.” “What the hell does he think he’s doing?” Corbin rasped, keeping his voice low. “Sounds to me like he’s introducing little Bella to his way of life and he ain’t wastin’ a cowboy’s second doin’ it up right.” Corbin grated back a round of curse words. “I don’t go to clubs, Benson,” she said sweetly. Corbin released a burdened sigh and settled his back against the vinyl seat. “See there? What’d I tell ya? My girl.” He poked his thumb against his chest. Then, he grabbed his cup and slurped down a hearty drink. After a stifled burp, he quickly said, “But I admit that was a close call.” “I hope you’ll reconsider,” Benson said, refusing to take a no and go. “You ain’t out of the woods yet, Smokey,” Travis said, swinging his arm over the back of his seat so he could look on with direct interest. “This isn’t your typical club,” Benson explained. “I get VIP service since I know the owner. If you’re with me, you’ll be treated like a star from the moment we arrive there.” Corbin gripped the table with both hands. “What the hell is he doing?’ Travis looked over Corbin’s shoulder. “Looks to me like he’s scheduling a date with your woman.” “Here,” she drawled. “Give me a call. We’ll talk about it.” “I’ll do it,” Benson said, rolling his tongue over his bottom lip and looking at Bella like she was the dessert he’d forgotten to eat. Corbin slumped in the booth, trying his dead-leveled best not to gawk at the slip of paper in Benson’s hand. About the time Bella

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headed their way again, Corbin grabbed his hat and took off for the exit. “Hey Corbin. I was just coming to wait—” “You can keep right on waiting, Bella. I’ve lost my appetite and I may never get it back.” **** Truth told, Corbin had never been hungrier. He stalked around the barn that afternoon madder than a caged bull waiting for his first rodeo. He’d been unable to think of anything other than Bella since he’d returned from San Antonio. Then as bad luck would have it, when he finally decided to approach her, what had she done? Humph! She’d hooked up with that damned-ass kink mongrel. Benson Leary was no proper match for a lady. He certainly wasn’t a good man for Bella. “There you are,” Travis said, entering the office. “Danny Carlton is outside. He’s here with that load of Holsteins you wanted brought back from the Wheeler feedlots.” “Put ’em in pin five. I’ll see to ’em tomorrow.” “What’s wrong with you?” Corbin slowly lifted his gaze and stared at Travis. “You have to ask?” Travis laughed. “No, but I’d love to hear the excuses you give for being as ornery as a hornet trapped under a woman’s skirt.” Corbin sneered. “It ain’t a woman’s skirt I’m worried about.” “The hell it ain’t,” Travis said, going for the door. “Wait,” Corbin said, standing. “I want to know something. How come you never told me exactly what Bella said when you saw her in San Antonio?” “You never asked.” “You should’ve volunteered and told me what she allowed all the same.”

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Travis shrugged. “Some things a man is better off not knowing.” “Maybe so, but I’m askin’ and you’re gonna give me the straight of it.” Travis sat on the end of the worn leather sofa. “Corbin, the way I see this mess here is that you’ve got two choices. You can either leave Bella alone—and I do mean leave her be, don’t go near her, don’t think about her, nothin’—or you can start actin’ like the kind of fella that girl deserves. If you do that, you best take a warning before you pursue her.” “What’s that supposed to mean?” Travis took a deep breath. Upon releasing the dramatic sigh, he rubbed his chin and said, “If you hook up with Bella, you’re done man. She’ll ruin you for other women. She’s gonna latch on and never let go.” “I ain’t lookin’ for a permanent relationship.” “Then like I said, you best be leavin’ her alone then. You may not be lookin’, Corbin, but what you’ll find if you get a hold of Bella is more than you’ve ever had in this lifetime. Take it from someone who’s been there.” “She’s too young.” “Yep.” “She’s barely a woman.” “Yep.” Corbin shrugged. “For the first time in your sorry life, you’re right. I best be leavin’ her alone.” “Yeah, buddy. That’s for sure. Besides, Benson is known to train ’em young. Let him break her in for ya. Then, if you’re still interested, go see her. She won’t have all those silly little fantasies by the time Benson takes her on a first ride.” Corbin flinched. “Are you trying to make me feel worse?” “I’m not tryin’ to do anything except tell ya the straight of it, buddy. Women like Bella want a man they can keep. We ain’t keepers and you know it. We’re married to the rodeo.

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“Let someone else teach Bella the ropes. Then, one of these days, you can slip into her bed and have yourself a real fine time. You can wake up in the morning, kiss her good-bye and then be on your way. Benson will make your life easier. All the town gossips say he loves ’em hard and leaves ’em tired…and fully trained for a better way of life, if you understand my meaning.” “Bella deserves better than Benson.” “After what she saw in San Antonio, she deserves better than you, too.”

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Chapter Five Cowboys and Cowgirls was hopping. The grand opening was such a huge success that there had been a waiting list just to drive through the gates. Kegs were tapped, and the party outside was alive with chatter, music, and free-flowing alcohol. Bella was nervous. She’d never been to a bonfire, much less a nightclub, and she’d never tasted a mixed drink until Benson handed her a shot of what he called Hot-Sex-on-the-Beach. Draping his arm around her shoulder, he whispered, “This crowd is something else, huh?” Bella locked gazes with Corbin, spotting him the second he walked through the lower fields, strolling toward an exhibitor’s tent where provocative apparel and sex toys were sold. “It’s something all right,” she agreed, feeling that familiar lump in her throat. Taking a sip of her fruity beverage, Bella puckered. The tangy fruit drink was sweet to the palate but stout enough to alarm all other senses. Benson watched her with curious eyes. “I told the bartender to make it a strong one. Good?” “Yes,” she replied, smiling up at him. “It’s delicious. Thank you.” He winked. “That’s my girl. Drink up. We should be inside in about half an hour.” Bella raised her plastic cup and took another sip. About that time, Benson spotted someone he knew. “Hey, wait right here. I’ll be back.” She nodded and then stood there alone, watching Corbin as he made his way through the crowd. Oh boy. Here comes trouble.

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Unfortunately, trouble trotted over without so much as a pause in his gait. “Bella,” Corbin muttered, tilting the brim of his hat. “Corbin,” she said nervously, swirling her drink and refusing to meet his gaze. “You look nice tonight,” he said, staring at the low-cut scoop of her red tank. “I’m surprised your momma let you out of the house dressed like that.” Bella felt her skin heat. His hot gaze dripped over her like melted butterscotch. She glanced over his shoulder, searching the crowd for Benson. “How ya been?” “Good,” she quickly answered, clearing her throat. “Great, in fact. Never better.” He grunted. “What ’cha got there in that cup?” “A fruity cocktail. I don’t like beer.” “You ain’t old enough to be drinking a’ tall.” “I’m twenty-one now, Corbin.” “So maybe you are,” Corbin rasped. “Age won’t matter here anyhow. Once you get inside that club, you’re gonna see right fast that you’re in the wrong place with the wrong man.” “Why Corbin, you sound downright jealous.” He eyed her breasts again. This time his gaping wasn’t a stare and go. He made sure she understood precisely where he’d chosen to look. “I ain’t ashamed to admit it. You and I both know if you’re gonna be here, you ought to be on my arm.” Immediately, Bella remembered how envy had taken hold of her. It was all she could do to keep from closing her eyes and reliving the night she’d watched Corbin with that Mexican girl at the San Antonio roadside motel. Feeling self-conscious, she raised her cup and finished off her beverage. “Well, it’s good to see you,” she stuttered, making her escape before she threw herself into his arms. She forced herself to walk

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away before she asked him why he was suddenly possessive, acting like a scorned potential lover left in the middle of a date. “You, too, Bella,” Corbin said, a tense expression washing over his face. “You take care of yourself tonight. If you need anything, you come find me.” “Thanks,” she said, trying to convince herself that she wouldn’t search out Corbin as long as she was Benson’s date. Bella took a deep breath and a first step in the other direction when Corbin added, “You know, you can always change your plans. We could go somewhere. You could leave with me.” Facing him, Bella asked, “And just why would I want to do something like that?” His lips twitched. She thought he was mocking her and expected a come-on line, some verbal banter like they’d enjoyed in the past— when he must’ve considered her safe to tease. Humph, torture was more like it. “I was just saying,” he remarked carefully. “This ain’t a club for you. You’ll see, Bella. This is not the place for pure women, innocent angels.” About that time, Benson returned. “Corbin,” he said, offering his hand. “Remember what I told ya,” Corbin stated flatly, ignoring Benson before walking away. “Old friend?” Benson inquired, grinning wider like he’d just won first place in some kind of male race. “I guess so,” she replied, tossing her cup in a large black trashcan. “Come on,” he said, lacing her fingers through his. “I talked to the owner. Our names were added to the VIP list.” “VIP, huh?” “That’s right,” Benson replied, passing Travis and Corbin. “When you’re with me, I’ll always treat you like a VIP—one very important possession.”

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Chapter Six “Did you hear that creep?” Corbin asked, watching Benson and Bella until they disappeared through the club’s hospitality entrance. “I told you,” Travis said. “He’s gonna break her in right. Don’t hate the trainer, or even question his techniques. Later, you might thank him.” “Like hell I will. He has one thing on his mind.” “So do you,” Travis reminded him. “Only if you do that, you’re done, man. You’re toast, burnt toast. Benson, on the other hand, probably couldn’t care less whether or not he makes it through the night with Bella. He’s only interested in the jam and jelly.” Travis gyrated his hips, rocking them forward and back a couple of times for the crudest impression. Corbin stuffed his hands in his pockets. “You’re sick, man.” “Not near as ill as you’ll be,” Travis grumbled. A few gals walked by them and tried to get their attention. When Corbin didn’t acknowledge them, Travis said, “Ah hell, what are you waitin’ for? If you didn’t notice those three hotties, then you might as well run on along and fetch your bride.” “I ain’t interested in getting married, Travis,” Corbin bit out, stamping his boot in the dry dirt. That wasn’t entirely true. Since he’d figured out how much he’d hurt Bella, Corbin had been considering his future, certain the days ahead belonged to Bella. He’d also started regretting the past he hadn’t spent with her. “Then what do you want with her?” “I want to tell her I’m sorry.”

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“You want to apologize?” “Hell yeah, I’m sorry. And I want her to know.” “You weren’t seeing her in San Antonio. You don’t owe her anything, man.” “You don’t understand. Bella. She’s different.” “Anyone can look at her and tell she’s not like the rest. I’ll give you that. Still, you don’t owe her an apology.” Corbin looked down at the ground. “What did she tell you? When you saw her at the rodeo, what did she say?” Travis’s eyes lit with pure fire. “You want me to spell it out?” “She saw me with that whore.” “Yep.” “Fuck.” “Yep. She saw that, too.” Corbin studied his face. “What do you mean she saw that, too?” “She walked up to the door, planned to knock, but watched instead. You must’ve left the drapes cracked because she saw more than you’d ever let me watch.” “Great, just great,” Corbin grumbled, shaking his head. “You can stop your little act with me. Apparently Bella understands what it’s gonna take to lead a Dom out of the closet.” Travis shrugged. “I’ve been your best friend for fifteen years, and I never knew you had a thing for Domination and submission, but after Bella told me what she watched you do, I knew it had to be true. There’s no way that girl could’ve made up such explicit activities.” “It was role play, that’s all,” Corbin said, shrugging his way through the crowd. “Shit, it’s the only way I can keep my distance from these women. If I’m in control, nothing can touch me.” “If you feel that way, then you should’ve been beddin’ Bella, not fuckin’ whores.” “I knew you wouldn’t understand. I’m not interested in the lifestyle. I just do it for kicks, thrills.”

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“I really don’t care,” Travis said. “But Bella must. Why else would she hook up with Benson?” “You tell me.” “Okay, fine. Here it is. You made her feel like she couldn’t handle a man like you, so she’s lookin’ to Benson for an education. And by God, she’s gonna get a first-class instructor. Benson isn’t just gonna fuck her. He’s gonna make her his submissive. She’ll be tied, bound, gagged, and penetrated before she ever knows what hit her. When he’s done with her, she’ll think he’s a god and wonder what she ever saw in you.” “I doubt that,” Corbin retorted, paying the doorman when another group of guests were called to enter. “It’s a promise,” Travis said, gasping and pointing as soon as they walked in the club. “By hell and a cowboy’s glory, what’d I tell you? That bastard didn’t waste any time.” **** “Holy shit,” Corbin said. “Just what in the hell does she think she’s doing walking around this place dressed like that?” Travis’s jaw dropped. “You gotta admit, that outfit looks a hell of a lot better on her than it did out there on the gift shop mannequin. Guess Benson didn’t like her in jeans and a halter top.” Corbin gulped. “Do you think this means…” “Gal like Bella wouldn’t slip that dress on for any other reason.” Wearing a daring little number, Bella was hugged by a shiny black leather bodice held together by silky ribbons laced from her belly button to her breasts. Her middle was exposed and when she turned around, whispering something in Benson’s ear, Corbin almost lost his manners right there. The backless dress showed off her bare shoulders and framed her ass, which was Corbin’s undoing. He was about to make a real spectacle out of himself.

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“Damn, I knew she was built. But ah hell, man, I had no idea she looked like that!” “Somebody must’ve painted that dress on her flesh.” “Somebody for damn sure,” Travis agreed. Corbin growled. “That’s it. I’ve seen enough.” Travis grabbed his arm before he darted away. “Wait a second, Corbin. Something ain’t right with Bella. Look at her.” “I’ve seen all I care to!” he yelled, tugging his arm free. “Maybe you have, but Bella ain’t seein’ a cotton-pickin’ thing. Come on.”

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Chapter Seven Benson cupped her behind. “Are you having fun?” The music pulsed through Bella’s body. She was feeling the tempo as much as her own heartbeat thrumming against her chest. She took a sip of her drink and nodded. Her eyes were heavy, her body felt weightless, and the room kept spinning faster and faster. She caught a glimpse of Corbin right before she collapsed in someone’s arms. A scuffle erupted around her and Bella focused on the bright lights shining directly on her face. The warmth was incredible, orgasmic really, not that she had personal experiences in which she could compare sensations. “Bella? Are you all right?” “Travis?” “Yeah, doll. It’s Travis. Hang tight. We’re gonna get ’cha outta here.” **** “You sorry pig!” Corbin screamed, clutching Benson’s collar. “What’d you do to her?” Benson glared at Corbin. “What’s wrong, Cansey? You’re acting like I stole your woman.” Corbin gripped the material tighter. “What’d you give her?” He sneered. “Is she yours, Cansey? I didn’t see your brand anywhere, and believe me, I had the opportunity to look mighty damn close.”

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Corbin shook him. “Answer me, you sorry asshole! What’d you give her?” “Chill out, man,” Benson slurred. “I just gave her something to relax her.” “What? Damn you, I want the name! Did you give her a roofie?” “Hell no, I fuck the willing, not the disabled.” Corbin threw the punch he’d been dying to take. “I asked you a question!” Rubbing his jaw, Benson glared back at him. “I slipped a couple of muscle relaxers in her first drink. She was fidgeting, so I just wanted her to let loose and enjoy herself. Hell, I didn’t know she was yours for crying out loud!” Corbin sniffed at that. “What else has she had?” Benson winced when Corbin drew a tight fist again. “So help me, I’ll break your jaw if you don’t start talking.” “She’s had a few drinks, two pills, and that’s all.” Corbin released Benson and turned to Travis. “Let’s go.” They started out of the club. Corbin looked at the collapsed beauty curled in Travis’s arms, and his heart threatened to stop right there. “Hell and damnation!” he yelled, turning the other way. “Where are you going?” Travis asked. “We need to get her out of here!” “Wait in the truck. I’ve gotta ask him something else.” “Man, you can ask later. Come on, people are staring. Let’s go.” “Meet me outside!” “Damn it, Corbin!” Travis called behind him. “This can’t wait,” Corbin said, disappearing into the crowd and stretching his neck, looking for Benson. When he spotted him, Benson ducked, trying to hide behind his latest prey. Corbin shot through a funnel of people and wrapped his arm around Benson’s neck, grabbing him from behind. Whispering in his ear, he said, “I’ll ask once, and by God, you’d better give me an

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honest answer, or so help me, I’ll deck you here, and you’ll be lucky if you wake up next week.” “Fuck!” Benson screamed, trying to break free. “Yeah, about that—did ya?” Benson tried to move, but he was overpowered by Corbin’s strength, hardly a match for his anger. “No! I chose that outfit for her and made her put it on in front of me. Shit, I didn’t have time to fuck her. Besides, you’ve been watching her like a hawk since you got here. How the hell could I screw her without you knowing it? She hasn’t been out of your sight for longer than a few minutes.” Corbin stilled behind him. “You helped her dress?” “Yeah, I swear that’s all I did. I barely touched her.” Corbin jerked. “Well, you sorry son-of-a-twisted-bitch!” “I didn’t fuck her!” “Maybe not, but when it comes to Bella, we ain’t talkin’ horseshoes, and barely touching is still caressing flesh that don’t belong to you!” He threw one punch and then gave him another. When he didn’t feel any better, he towered over him and brought him to his feet. “If I find out you took something you weren’t supposed to have, I’ll be back. You understand me?” “Yeah,” Benson said, dabbing his lip. Working the kinks out of his neck, he added, “Shit, Corbin, I really didn’t know she was yours. Damn it, everybody in town knows the Cansey men are pure crazy when it comes to women. If I’d known, I swear I wouldn’t have brought her here.” “Well, now you know,” he said, strutting out of the bar. Once the warm night air hit his face, he was struck by a new revelation as well. “And now I reckon it’s time I own up to it, too.” **** “You should’ve let me go back inside and get her clothes,” Travis pointed out when Corbin pulled in her driveway a few minutes later.

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“I’m not worried about her momma. She’s probably out cold by now.” “Out?” “She’s an alcoholic.” Travis shrugged. “Sot or not, she probably won’t be too happy to see you bringin’ her daughter home dressed like this.” “Help me get her inside. Look in her purse and see if you can find her keys. If we can let ourselves in, maybe we won’t wake her mother.” Travis dug inside the small clutch-style purse and retrieved a loose brass key. “This is the only thing she had in here other than…” “Other than what?” Corbin asked, meeting Travis’s gaze. Travis closed her bag. “It’s nothin’.” “Really? The way you’re acting, nothin’ sure sounds like somethin’,” Corbin said, reaching for the purse and snooping, too. He felt all the blood drain from his face when he saw the plastic light blue dial-a-day container. “She’s on birth control?” Travis waggled his brows. “I don’t think this is funny.” “I’m not laughing. As a reminder, most women don’t like men goin’ through their things.” “Then maybe she should’ve chosen her dates more carefully, and then we wouldn’t have been responsible for bringing her home.” Cradling her body against his, Corbin felt a sudden sense of loss and gain. Had he waited too long? Had she given her virginity to another man while he was out there sowing his wild oats and trying to keep his distance? Was Bella on birth control because she planned to give it up to Benson, or had she been on the pill for a while now because she was promiscuous and Corbin just hadn’t heard about it? He brushed her long golden locks away from her face. She looked like a sleeping angel, a fragile woman so lost in her dreams, she wasn’t even aware of who held her, and that in itself broke his heart. “What if we hadn’t been there?” he asked, traipsing up the sidewalk.

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They reached the front door and the porch light beamed overhead before they had the opportunity to try out the key. “I have a feelin’ we may wish we weren’t,” Travis said, looking down at Bella. “Momma’s home, and she ain’t gonna be too happy to see the likes of us.”

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Chapter Eight “What in the blessed name of a cowboy have you done to my daughter?” Surprisingly enough, Bella’s mother wasn’t drunk, or if she was, she hid it well. “Evenin’, ma’am,” Travis said, removing his hat and looking Bella’s mother up and down like he was right interested in older women. Then again, Travis was interested in pretty much anything with legs and a pussy. “Bella?” she squawked, peering down. “What’s wrong with her? What have you done to her this time Corbin Cansey?” This time? Corbin bit his tongue. What exactly had Bella told her mother? “We saved her from a few big mistakes, if you want to know the straight of things, ma’am.” “You bring my daughter home dressed like a…dressed like a…” She couldn’t finish making the comparison. Instead, she asked, “Is she drunk?” “Yes, ma’am, I do believe she is,” Corbin replied, starting toward the main stairs. “Just where do you think you’re going?” “Is her room up here?” Corbin asked, clutching Bella’s lifeless form still tighter. “Yes, but, you wait there a minute. I’ll take care of my daughter.” “Travis?” Travis waggled his brows behind Mrs. McDermott’s back, staring at her ass. “Mrs. McDermott, let Corbin take care of Bella. I’ll explain everything.” Bella’s mother glared at Corbin. “If you hurt her, so help me—”

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“Ma’am, believe me when I tell you, hurting your daughter is the last thing on my mind.” **** Bella didn’t move. She was breathing, and she had a strong pulse, but she lay listlessly against him, curled in his arms. Corbin smiled to himself. Naturally, she’d had a little help with the way he’d positioned her. “Is she all right?” Mrs. McDermott asked, stepping inside Bella’s small bedroom a few minutes later. “If Benson—the fellow she was with at the club—told me the truth, she should be fine, but I’d feel better if you’d call her family physician. Maybe ask for a second opinion since I ain’t a doctor.” “That’s for sure,” Mrs. McDermott said, looking around Bella’s room. “Doctors save lives. Cowboys destroy them.” Corbin, by some miracle, let her insults go. He followed her eyes and noticed an easel in the far corner. “What’s that?” “Bella didn’t tell you she’s an artist?” “Bella doesn’t confide in me much.” “I reckon you haven’t given her the chance, now have ya?” she asked, placing her hands on her hips. “But yeah, she’s got some talent. Her paintings and drawings would be in museums if she ever got her mind off you and moved outta this town.” “You don’t like me,” he said, noting the obvious. “I don’t have an opinion about ’cha either way.” Corbin shrugged. “Some believe that’s the worst insult a man can get.” “I don’t know you, boy. All I know is that you’ve hurt my daughter in a bad way. She ain’t been the same since she came back from San Antonio. Whatever happened there between you and her, I suppose it’s your business, but you put her through pure hell and I listened to her cry plenty.”

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“Cry?” he asked, arching a brow. Immediately, he felt a strange stabbing sensation right smack-dab in the center of his chest. He’d made Bella cry? “You staying or going?” she asked, changing the subject. “I’d like to stay,” he said, easing away from Bella. “But I’ll go.” Mrs. McDermott took a deep breath. “Ah hell, she’s probably gonna kill me, but since you’re here, go ahead and kick off your boots and get comfortable. I’ll entertain your friend.” Corbin narrowed his gaze on Travis, who was standing behind Mrs. McDermott gnawing on his bottom lip. He stared at Bella’s mother like he couldn’t wait to teach the teacher or take intimate lessons from a more experienced instructor. One thing was obvious— Travis liked Mrs. McDermott. Resisting the smile tugging at his lips, Corbin nodded once. “I appreciate that.” “No funny stuff.” “No, ma’am,” Corbin promised. “I’ll even leave the door open.” “Just as well,” she said. “Bella doesn’t even know you’re here.” When they disappeared down the hall, Corbin cupped Bella’s cheek. When she turned toward his palm and sighed, he whispered, “She knows. And she probably realizes I’m not going anywhere now that I’m right where I belong.”

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Chapter Nine Corbin couldn’t sleep. He was as hard as a rock, and if he didn’t get things under control soon, he was gonna find the bathroom and manhandle his growing problem. Slipping away from the bed, he eyed the bustier pressing Bella’s breasts high enough for a provocative show. He should’ve asked Mrs. McDermott to help Bella slip into something more comfortable or maybe taken to task what was his job in the first place. He snorted at that. He’d like to think he’d be the one to slide that heavy leather away from her silky skin. Far too aroused to even contemplate changing her clothes, he paced the room. He ran his hand down the length of his face and focused on Bella, really studied her. She was the epitome of purity. Her blonde hair fanned around her face. Her small button nose looked trapped between round cheeks, perfectly flushed from the heat, or maybe it was lust. Maybe she was even dreaming of him, or perhaps he was just wishful thinking. He lightly fingered the length of his rigid cock. He was definitely thinking all right. And God help him, he had more ideas than cattle to feed. Focusing on the easel again, he tiptoed to the corner and peered around the large drawing tablet. “Look at this,” he whispered, realizing, too, that no one was there to peek over his shoulder. He was taken aback by what he saw. Staring at a life-size portrait of himself, he sat on the stool, and flipped through several pages. To his surprise, as he turned one page

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over and then another, his life unfolded before his very eyes. The history he shared with Bella was documented in living color. **** Bella was floating. She drifted over the ocean like a swan, graceful in her moves and quite at peace, too. Deliberately, she swept lower and then darted higher, completely out of sight. Next, she was running, gasping for her next breath but unable to slow down. She needed to get somewhere and she needed to arrive there fast, but where and why? She seemingly drifted right to the edge of consciousness before slipping back into the confines of sleep. Suddenly, she jerked. She was aware of the danger and desperate to escape. Choking, she sat up all at once, coming out of a deep sleep and so woozy she thought she might fall against the bed again. “Corbin?” she screeched, looking around her room, tossing her head from side to side and wondering how she’d ended up there. He walked toward her. “I’m here.” “I see that,” she muttered, swallowing tightly and resting the back of her hand on her forehead. “But why?” “You don’t remember anything?” She glanced down at what she wore. She immediately looked back up, thoroughly confused. “What the hell am I doing wearing this…this god-awful outfit?” “Uncomfortable?” he asked, sitting next to her casually. “I could’ve helped you change, but I was pretty certain you’d slug me once you regained consciousness.” She narrowed her gaze. She wasn’t amused in the least and for some reason, Corbin hadn’t stopped smiling since she awoke. “What time is it?” “Almost five.” “What happened to me?”

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“Benson slipped you a couple of pills, and you drank a few drinks.” “And then I what—hit some slut over the head and demanded her clothes?” “The dress looks nice on you.” “Seriously?” “Yeah.” “No, I mean, you’re telling me I look nice rather than explaining why I’m wearing something straight from the streets of Amsterdam!” “Don’t knock the life, baby,” he drawled. “Hate the designer if ya gotta, but I still think you look hot.” She pursed her dry lips. She’d kill for a glass of water, not that she could make it downstairs to fetch one. Trying to move, she noticed how sore she was. Her body felt like one large bruise. When she tried to leave the bed, her head spun. Corbin placed a gentle hand on her wrist. “Are you all right?” Trembling, she studied her hands and tried to steady them. “What time did you bring me home?” “Around ten.” A long silence distanced them. Then, she cleared her throat. “Corbin, can I ask you something?” “Sure, anything,” he assured her, touching her cheek. This was not the Corbin she knew. What had happened to her? Did he know what she’d done? And if so, was that why he was being so sweet? Raising her gaze to meet his, she said, “Did Benson…” Corbin’s face flared red, and he immediately balled his fists. “Why? Do you feel like something happened?” She cleared her throat. “Not like that but…” She stopped talking and then rubbed her arms. “I’m still disoriented. I feel like I’ve lost time. But I’d know, right?” “Well, I can’t say how you’d feel from personal experience, but yeah, I think you’d know.” “How?”

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“Well, there’d be some uh…well, I would think you’d be sore— real, real sore,” he said, probably exaggerating the fact so she’d fear sex from that day forward. “Assuming it would’ve been your first time.” Bella immediately lowered her eyes. She felt her skin heat. God, could she be any more embarrassed than she was right then? “Bella, what do you remember?” She closed her eyes and tried to think. After some consideration, she said, “I remember talking to you and walking toward the club. As soon as we were inside, I knew you were right. I didn’t belong there. Benson led me to the dance floor, and we started dancing.” “How many songs?” “I don’t know—two, maybe three. Then, I…oh God, Corbin, I remember changing into the outfit.” He nodded. “And Benson helped you.” She stilled against him. Her eyes watered. “It’s all right, Bella. Tell me what happened next.” “He groped me, told me something stupid like I was meant for his bed, but he was gonna make me wait and only give it to me if I acted like a good girl. Then, he led me back outside, and that’s when I saw you and Travis.” Corbin released a huge sigh of relief. “Are you sure that’s what happened? You’re sure you remember everything?” “Until I saw you and then I don’t recall anything at all. How’d I get here? How’d you know something was wrong?” Corbin lifted her hair from her shoulder, locking a curl around his finger and then admiring the way the strands parted and fell. Their eyes met. “Because I know you, Bella.” “You do know me, Corbin,” she whispered. “Maybe not as well as I should,” he said, tilting her chin toward his. “As much as I hate to admit it, Travis noticed something wasn’t quite right.” “Travis?”

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“Yeah, he’s downstairs talking to your mom, or he was. I didn’t hear the truck leave, so he’s probably on the couch sawing logs by now.” A somewhat uncomfortable silence passed between them before Corbin said, “Are you feeling okay now?” “I’m good,” she assured him. “I’d like to test that out for myself,” he said, giving her a light peck on the lips. **** When she responded to his kiss, he bracketed his arms around her waist and drew her to him, kissing her like he’d wanted to kiss her all night, holding her against him until the swell of her breasts rising and falling alerted Corbin to the obvious—things were going mighty well for them, all things considered. Lapping at her lips, he moaned and forced himself to move away. He’d thought he could kiss her and that would be that. He was wrong. Backing away, he paced the floor, running his fingers through his hair. “What’s the matter?” Outside of a hard-on, not a damn thing, but he didn’t think she’d appreciate the obvious being brought to the forefront of their conversation. Besides, if she glanced down, she could judge his dilemma for herself. He redirected his focus, pointing to the easel. “I saw the pictures. You’re very talented.” She blushed. “I had inspiration.” A smile tugged at his lips. He’d like to give her some more. He was still a man after all. And Bella was quite possibly the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. “The first drawing—the sketch—that’s the first day we met, isn’t it?”

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Her eyes held the distant memory. “After my father’s funeral.” He remembered. He recalled seeing Bella with her mother, walking right outside the cemetery. He’d given them a lift home, wondering at the time why they’d been walking in the rain. Later, he’d discovered Bella’s mother had been too drunk to drive. Bella was fourteen, and he just happened on them at the right time, in the middle of a downpour. “I look young there,” he said, returning to the easel and finding the drawing. “That sketch is my favorite,” she remarked, joining him there and taking a seat on the stool. “And you were young. You were—” “Twenty-one,” they said in unison. Again, the silence separated them, but at the same time, brought them together. “I’ve waited a lot of years for that kiss,” she finally said. He moistened his lips. “I’ve been waiting, too, Bella.” “No, you haven’t. But I understand.” He was overcome with guilt, remembering Maria and realizing precisely what Bella had witnessed. “You shouldn’t have gone to San Antonio.” “Maybe not, but you shouldn’t have paid for something I was willing to give you for free.”

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Chapter Ten A loud boom sounded out beneath them, interrupting the most wonderful moment of Corbin’s life. He was just about to kiss her again, when several repetitive noises followed the first, alerting him to a potential problem downstairs. “What is that?” Bella asked, gripping his biceps. Corbin had his suspicions. He hoped to hell he was wrong, but after an undeniable tempo alerted him to various possibilities, only one made sense. He was pretty certain Travis and Bella’s mother hit it off and found a way to entertain one another. He hoped they left the furniture intact and the walls in place, but by the sounds of how things were going, he had his doubts. “I’ll be right back,” Bella said. “I need a drink of water.” “I’ll get it for you,” Corbin hurriedly offered. “You really shouldn’t be up movin’ around until the alcohol and drugs wear off. Besides, I can’t let you go down there and face the unknown.” Before she protested, he left her room, rushed down the stairs, and entered the kitchen. “What the hell do you think you’re doin’?” he rasped, meeting Travis at the refrigerator. Travis’s hair was disheveled, and he was naked. “I’m looking for something to drink. What about you?” “Shit, man. Bella is up!” “She is?” “Yes! And she was on her way down here until I stopped her, so I suggest you go back to momma’s bed and keep the old lady busy. Do me a favor and try your dead-level best to do that as quietly as possible.”

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Travis grinned. “Want me to tell her mom she’s awake?” Corbin reached in the fridge and retrieved two bottles of water. “Why don’t you do a friend a favor and keep her content until later today?” “Trust me, you’ll be doing me a favor if you keep Bella in bed for the rest of the month.” “I’m not taking advantage of her.” “You would if you knew what her momma says she’s been savin’ just for you.” “Her mom said that?” he whispered. “Said Bella has dinner offers all the time and she turns ’em down. In fact, her mother said she was surprised Bella went out with Benson. She’s never mentioned Benson. Plus, Bella told her mom she was waitin’ on you.” “What else did she say?” Travis put his hands over his cock. “Uh, if you don’t mind, could we swap information maybe later, say tomorrow?” “What else?” “The only thing she said is what I told you…oh, and, uh, that she’s been waitin’ for ya to reach the age of maturity.” Travis chuckled as he strutted toward Mrs. McDermott’s bedroom. “By God, I had to laugh at that. Age of maturity? Bella’s kiddin’ herself if she thinks you’ll ever be that old!” Bella was waiting for him to grow up, huh? Humph, well maybe he’d just trot on up those stairs and show her why he was certainly worth the wait. **** Bella jerked when he reentered her room. She’d dozed off again. “Everything still okay in here?”

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“Yes,” she replied, cursing herself for acting like an excited schoolgirl when she saw him. “I’m still groggy. Maybe once I get some sleep, I’ll feel better.” “I’m sure you will,” he said, handing her the bottle. “What was that noise downstairs?” Corbin cleared his throat. “Travis. He’s such a nuisance sometimes. He was in the kitchen trying to find something to eat. I can’t keep the boy fed.” She arched her brow. “Are you telling me the truth?” “No,” he said, grinning. “I’m lying like an evangelistic preacher caught with a prostitute and recorded on film.” “I don’t want to know, do I?” “Probably not.” “So I shouldn’t ask?” “I wouldn’t if I were you,” he said, uncapping his bottle and taking a swig. “So you never explained how I ended up here.” “There’s not much to tell. Travis carried you out of the club. I hit Benson a few times, asked him if he fucked you, and threatened him.” “Right, not much to say about that, huh?” she asked, taking a gulp of water in an effort to hide her smile. She was actually surprised Corbin left Benson alive. **** Corbin shrugged, remembering how he’d laid claims to Bella in front of a club full of Doms and subs, but more importantly, some of their neighbors. If he didn’t tell her about that, someone would. He’d rather her hear it from someone else. “Aren’t you uncomfortable?” “Actually, I was gonna put on pajamas while you were downstairs, but I’m so lightheaded, I couldn’t make it to the dresser.” He set his bottle down on the nightstand. “Which drawer?”

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“You can’t go through my lingerie.” “You have…but of course you do.” “Corbin!” Her smile was weak, and she was extremely pale. He should’ve been shot for thinking what he was considering right then. She was too weak and probably still intoxicated. The last thing he wanted to do was take advantage of her drunken status, especially since Benson did enough of that already. Trying to be a gentleman, he said, “I could carry you over there.” “Are you trying to seduce me?” “By toting you across the room? No, darlin’, if I wanted to seduce you, you’d be seduced in that bed right there.” “Then do it,” she challenged him. “I’d like nothing more—” “But…” Corbin’s cock twitched under his breeches. He was so hard, he was dangerous. Bella couldn’t handle the kind of loving he wanted to give her, and yet here he was looking at her, thinking she was too irresistible to deny. “Bella, I can’t.” She arched a brow. “You don’t like me?” “Like you?” he screeched, realizing he sounded truly desperate then. “Well?” she asked, running her hands over her breasts and down her sides. “Don’t you?” He gasped. Now he didn’t have to wonder. She was still drunk. The Bella he knew would never come on to him in such a manner. Bella would never touch herself in front of him. Would she? “I’ll get those pajamas,” he said, backing away from the bed. He opened the top dresser drawer and stared down. “What have we here?” he muttered, fingering the thongs and other soft lingerie inside the bureau.

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His mind played a million tricks in one right then, right there. He saw her sliding over him in a crotchless lavender number. Wearing a red-hot sequin-covered teddy, Bella straddled him while touching herself the way she’d earlier demonstrated. Finally, he picked up a paisley short-style pajama set and, oh goodness, he could almost see her bent over, her ass presented to him like a partially opened birthday gift. “Something wrong?” she asked, stark humor driving the mischief in her voice. “What about this one?” he asked, opting for a flannel gown instead of one of the numerous silky—slinky—other options. “No,” she answered him firmly. “Find something pink.” Pink? His breathing changed as he thumbed through the selections. Everything pale was revealing. Then again—he glanced back to the bed—nothing compared to what she was wearing already. Choosing a translucent baby pink slip-style short night-dress, he closed the drawer and returned to the bed. “Here,” he said casually, turning his back. He waited. And he waited. If she’d moved behind him, he hadn’t heard her. “Are you done?” he asked a few minutes later. “Let me ask you something,” she said, pausing. “How can you buy time with hookers and then act like you’ve never seen a woman before when you’re with me?” He cleared his throat and turned around. Her back rested against the square pillows behind her. The nightgown was folded across her lap. Rubbing his lips with his forefinger and thumb, he silently cursed his tented pants and himself for getting himself in this situation. “You’re not like those other women, Bella. I’ve always known that.” “Why?” He turned his head and stared out the window. The sun would be rising soon and he couldn’t think of anything he’d rather do than sink down to that bed and make love to Bella until the sun was high above

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the morning sky. But he knew it was wrong. He was staring at the woman he wanted to one day take as his wife—and that much he was certain of after what happened at the club—and best of all, she’d saved herself for him. By damn, he wasn’t about to screw this up.

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Chapter Eleven Bella was confused. She thought she’d detected a rise in his jeans, but she hated to stare. She’d thought Corbin was attracted to her, but he acted like he was afraid to touch her. What was she supposed to make of his behavior? “You don’t want me, do you?” she finally asked after he’d placed far too much distance between them. “That’s not it, Bella.” “Then what?” she asked, crossing her arms and realizing she probably looked like a sulky teenager. “I’m afraid I’ll hurt you,” he replied. “I’m scared I can’t give you what you need or if I do, I’ll still hurt you sometime down the road.” “Because you’ll never settle down?” “Because of who I am, what I like, things you know nothing about, Bella.” “Like being tied up?” He gulped. “Oh God, Bella.” “I saw what you did to that girl in San Antonio. I remember everything, Corbin. I stood outside and watched.” “What did you see?” he asked in a deep voice, his eyes darker than before. “Tell me, Bella.” “I saw you tie her up. I saw you gag her, first with some kind of ball, later with your cock. I witnessed everything, Corbin.” He jerked. “You shouldn’t have been there.” Was that regret she heard in his voice? Anger? “You should’ve been there,” she said. “Only you should’ve been there with me.”

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He stalked the bed then. He sank to the mattress and placed his fingertips against her belly, caressing the area under the ribbons. The warmth of his palm seared her skin where the lace ties failed to cover her. Their gazes met in another enchanting moment, and slowly his hands moved, his fingers crawling up her middle as he released the long strings of thin material. She held perfectly still until her breasts were no longer confined and the leather only sparsely covered her. Her next breath caught in her chest, and he stopped his pursuits, leaving his palm flattened between her mounds. “I’m in love with you, Corbin. I’ve always been in love with you.” “I know,” he said. “And that’s why, right now, I can’t do this, Bella. Don’t you see? If I make love to you now, you’ll regret this for the rest of your life.” “No, I won’t,” she stated firmly. “Yes, you will,” he promised her, rising again. “Get changed. I’ll be back.” “Where are you going?” “I’m checking on something,” he grumbled. “Then, I’m gonna hold you all mornin’ while you sleep in my arms. Just so you know, I may never let you go.” **** Corbin pressed his head against the tile wall of the bathroom. He tugged his length through the palm of his hand over and over again. Shutting his eyes, he pictured Bella beneath him, arching for him, looping her slender arms around his neck and giving herself to him freely, unconditionally. Good God, he was hard. Bella made him as horny as he’d ever been, and the fact that she was so honest, so pure, made him crazy. She’d been right about something. He shouldn’t have been with the girl in San Antonio. He shouldn’t have been with any of the

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women he’d taken to his bed because every woman he’d had there in recent months reminded him of what he didn’t have, what he couldn’t have, until now. He cupped his sac, his balls feeling like weighted water balloons. He continued pulling for his release, tugging for some measure of satisfaction. He imagined Bella on her back, spread before him, begging for his cock, arching for him, bucking against him, and then—“God bless!” “What are you doing?” she screeched, slamming the door and stepping inside the bathroom. Looking down at his swollen shaft like she was completely mortified, Bella’s eyes returned to his, and they were wide, wild, and so filled with lust, just the sight of her almost made him come. “Ah shit!” he exclaimed, grabbing her around the waist and kissing her like crazy, wedging his tongue inside her mouth and kissing her deliberately, aggressively, and far too forcibly. “You should’ve stayed in bed, Bella.” She trembled in his arms, glancing down and then back up again. “What were you doing in here?” “What’s it look like I’m doin’?” he bit out, stuffing his cock back in his pants. “You can take away the temptation, but the longing is still gonna be there.” Without question, she’d felt the swell of his erection, and in those glorious seconds, Bella must’ve known she was set to become his woman. “Corbin, don’t hide from me.” “Bella, I told you. I can’t,” he said, holding her at arm’s length. “Why?” she dared him, reaching for him, acting as if she were dying to wrap her hand around his cock, perhaps itching to show him how much she wanted to belong to him. “Because, damn it! I just can’t!” He stormed out of the bathroom, down the hall, and into her bedroom. “There’s a time for everything, but right now is not the right time for us!”

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She trailed behind him. “You don’t want me, but you don’t want to reject me outright. Is that it?” “No!” he said, rubbing the front of his pants. “You don’t find me attractive?” “For the love of God, Bella.” “You think I won’t please you?” “Are you serious?” He took a step toward her. “Bella, that’s the craziest thing I’ve ever heard.” “Then what is it? Tell me!” She shoved him, and he was shocked. “Tell me why you can take other women to your bed, but when it comes to the thought of me, you’d rather take your own hand to your cock than to have my lips around you, suckin’ that thing dry!” “Dear Lord, Bella.” “What? You think I don’t know what you like? I saw, damn you! I watched with my own eyes!” “Then you ought to know better than to try and provoke me right now, woman!” “Why, because I’m barely twenty-one—not quite a child, but hardly a woman in your eyes?” By this time, she was crying—damn it all—and she was mad, good and furious. “Yes,” he finally said. “There. Are you satisfied? You’re still young and in many ways too immature to handle what I like.” “That’s bullshit, and you know it, Corbin. That’s a copout. You’re saving me for yourself, but how long before I get tired of waiting, huh, Corbin? How long before I’ve had enough? You sure haven’t kept yourself for me, and yet you expect me to wait? I’m an adult, Corbin. A woman! I have needs, too, damn it, and I have desires for you!” When the anguished expression washed over her face, stamping its permanent place on her cheeks, settling deep in her eyes, he whispered, “Bella, you’re still not ready for me, honey.” “Then tell me something, sir,” she drawled sarcastically, “how old does a woman have to be before she can land in bed with the great

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Corbin Cansey, huh? Twenty-one wasn’t old enough, so what’s the magic number, huh? Twenty-five? How old, damn you?” she asked, pushing him again. He pursed his lips and glared back at her. “I think I should go.” “Good! Go! I’ve been humiliated enough for one lifetime, so you damn well should leave! Don’t you ever come back here! If a whore is good enough for you but I’m not—so help me God, I never wanna be in the same room with you again!”

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Chapter Twelve Travis was whistling Dixie, and Corbin was singing the blues. Travis had an extra spring in his step, and Corbin’s sore balls prevented him from taking a walk at all. There was something wrong with this picture. Corbin tapped his ink pen against the desk and studied Travis for a long time before he finally said, “So have you moved in yet?” Travis grinned. “Nope, not yet, but I think it’s gonna happen.” “You’re still fuckin’ Bella’s momma?” He shook his head. Who would’ve thought things would’ve played out like this? “Yep,” Travis said, flipping through cattle orders. “And I like it. I like her a lot. We make a good couple.” “What does she think about the circuit?” Travis shrugged. “I haven’t asked her.” “Hmm,” Corbin said, thinking that would be the deal breaker sooner or later. Travis might as well enjoy his short-lived love affair. “Have you seen Bella?” “Yep.” Corbin balled his fists under the desk. For the last week he’d been trying to pry information out of Travis, and he’d gotten nowhere. If he wanted his buddy’s help, he was gonna have to come straight out and ask for his assistance. “Where did you see her?” Travis dropped the bills on his desk and glared across the office. “She finally came out of her room two days ago and watched a movie with me and her mother. This morning, we even had breakfast with her. Happy?”

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Corbin grunted. “That’s about what I figured. What’d you ask for?” “I was thinking about inviting her out to dinner. There’s a new steak house that just opened out on the river. I thought I’d take her out for dinner and dancing. What do you think?” Travis shrugged. “She’ll probably tell you to go to hell, but it couldn’t hurt to ask. We leave in a few days so you might as well try to settle things before we hit the road. We’ll be gone a month, you know.” “Uh-huh,” Corbin said, wishing he’d had time to set things right with Bella long before now. “I’ve considered that, too. I may ask Bella to come along. What’d ya think?” Travis stood. “I think you want her so desperately you’ve convinced yourself she already belongs to ya. That’s my opinion. As for Bella goin’ anywhere with you? I don’t think she will. I believe you’ve played enough mind games with her. Corbin, she may be done with you, and if she is, you can’t blame her. A woman can only take so much.” Corbin balked at that. “I was just askin’ for an opinion, not a fullscale psychological evaluation.” “That night we took her home…what’d you do to her anyway, Corbin?” “You don’t want to know.” “Her mom thinks she tried to get ya to fuck her and you turned her down.” “Of course I turned her down, and what is it with Mrs. McDermott anyway? Is she trying to get her daughter laid?” “No, but Jane and Bella are close.” “Jane is it?” Travis snickered. “Well, surely you didn’t think I yelled out Mrs. McDermott when we were in the heat of passion, did ya?” “I didn’t think you’d go lookin’ for some one-night stand in a woman who is twice your age.”

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“She’s lasted a good bit longer than twenty-four hours. Where age is concerned? She’s forty-five, and I’m twenty-two. In matters of the heart, numbers don’t take away from real feelings or have to add up in any particular order, Corbin.” “I still don’t see it.” “You wouldn’t. Hell, you don’t know anything about love or companionship. You can’t get beyond the fact that Bella is twentyone years old and she’s waited her whole life just to capture your attention. You know what really bothers you about Bella? Her inexperience, that’s what. But the damndest thing of it is that if she had any kind of history with men at all, you wouldn’t want her either. Bella can’t win for losing.” “She hasn’t waited her whole life, for God’s sake. That’s her mother filling your head with nonsense.” “The hell she hasn’t. Since I’ve been sleepin’ there, I know that girl has had at least five dinner offers. Every bachelor in town wants a chance to tap on her door.” “Like who?” “Who doesn’t matter. What matters to Bella is that those dinner invitations sure as hell haven’t been comin’ from you!” “I’ll break her heart.” “You’ve already done that. See if you can’t try to mend it and see if that doesn’t work out better for the both of ya. Otherwise, Bella is gonna move on, and when she does, I’ll be the first one tellin’ ya all about it. You’re stubborn as hell, but stubbornness won’t help you win the hand of the woman you love.” “I never said I loved Bella.” “You didn’t have to. We’ve gotta be in Tulsa in two days, and you haven’t been on a bull’s back since San Antonio. As far as a horse? Hell, you’ve probably forgotten how to tighten a girth.” Travis stormed out of the office and then returned once more. “There are two things you need to do, and you need to do them today. One, get off your ass and get out there and ride.

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“Then, go see Bella. Tell her how you feel. If you don’t, it’s a long way to Oklahoma and back. I have a feeling as soon as you get out there you’ll turn around and head straight home. You ain’t gonna do yourself any good until you get your head in the right place—and I ain’t talkin’ about the one toppin’ your shoulders.” **** Corbin removed his hat. “Mrs. McDermott, I’m here to see Bella.” “Come in, Corbin. She’s in her room. You can go on up.” “Thank you,” he said, starting for the stairs and preparing to take the longest walk of his life. “Corbin?” “Yes, ma’am?” “You can call me Jane, by the way.” “Yes, ma’am,” he said, trying to hide a smile and continuing up the steps. “Corbin?” “Yes, Jane?” he asked, stopping again. This time, he took a deep breath, too, hoping Bella’s mother showed some mercy and didn’t make him dally long. “You break her heart again, and so help me, I’m asking Travis to beat your ass.” He smiled. “I’d say he’d like that.” “I would,” Travis said, appearing in the foyer all spiffed up, wearing a pressed white shirt and black jeans. “In fact, I’ve been waitin’ for a reason, so if Jane gives me one, I may jump at the chance.” Corbin laughed, thinking Travis sure looked like one henpecked cowboy. “Where are you two headed?” “Travis is taking me out on the town tonight,” Jane said enthusiastically, a twinkle in her midnight-blue eyes. “He told me

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about this new steak house on the river. We’re going for dinner, and then he’s taking me dancing. He’s such a romantic.” Corbin shook his head. “Yeah buddy. He’s one of kind.” “How about that, Corbin?” Travis said, smirking. “A night out on the town, a long night straight ahead.” Corbin cleared his throat. “Uh, what time do you expect to be home?” Jane cut her gaze toward Travis. “Didn’t you say we were staying out at the ranch tonight?” “Yep. I sure did.” Jane clutched her purse at her side. “Well, what do you know, Corbin? Looks like you and Bella are home alone.”

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Chapter Thirteen Corbin shoved his hands in deep pockets, checking to be sure he had everything he needed. He’d screwed around long enough, and now that he was about to take a big leap of faith, he didn’t want to fuck this up. He’d come to Bella’s place well-prepared. Corbin’s grandfather had been a rancher. He’d died at a young age. A wild bull got him, which was why his own father eventually joined the rodeo. Corbin’s mother used to tell him stories about his father, trying in her own way to make him understand why he’d been taken away from them at such a young age. Corbin had been a kid when his father died in front of a stadium full of spectators. If his father’s death taught him anything at all, it was that everyone lived on borrowed time. Gathering up his courage, he knocked on the door. “Bella?” “It’s open,” she snapped. Nothing like a warm greeting. She was seated at her easel, painting. The ripe smell of acrylics filled her room. She tilted her head and studied her masterpiece, holding the brush between her teeth and acting like the painting was far more appealing than the man in her room. “Corbin,” she finally said, acknowledging him. “What brings you out here tonight? I figured you’d be over at the club since I ruined your first visit there. From what I understand, most men your age can’t get enough of that place.” He stalked across the room but stopped when he saw the fury behind an artist’s work. “What the hell is that?” he asked, looking at

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the distorted images scattered across the canvass. Some of them looked like him, others resembled Bella. “Mass confusion,” she told him, brushing a few strokes of red across the center, splattering paint all over the place. “It’s a collage of memories overlapping one another. One runs together with another, and they all meet in the middle because it’s hard to tell where everything began or predict where it all might end.” Corbin knelt beside her, taking the brush out of her hand and placing it on the tray. “Bella, look at me.” “Let me guess. You didn’t do enough damage the last time you were here, so you came back to humiliate me some more?” “Bella, you’d been drugged. You’d been drinking. You weren’t in any position to take a man to your bed. The last thing I ever wanted to do was hurt you or take advantage of you when you weren’t in your right mind. Don’t you understand?” She pushed him away. “I didn’t want to take just any man to my bed. I wanted you!” He gulped. “Do you honestly think I didn’t want you right back? Hell, woman! Why do you think I was in the bathroom?” Her nose twitched. She was fighting off a grin and maybe an outright laugh. He wouldn’t have blamed her if she’d heehawed considering she caught him jacking off and sweating bullets, tugging himself like the dickens, all in her honor. The air was thick with a right smart amount of tension. She swiped the hair out of her eyes and stared right at his cock. “It’s hard. In case you’re wondering.” “Then why don’t you do something about it?” she challenged him, shaking her head and pacing around the room. “I plan to,” he said, stalking her. “I’ve been planning to for a while now.” He stopped abruptly, running his fingers through his hair. “I mean…I just decided here today—I’m doing something about this.”

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“Which explains why you’re still the slowest cowboy in the whole state of Texas?” “Yes,” he said, the anxiety building in his chest. He was more nervous than the second before. He felt like he was about to enter a bull pen with a beast he’d never be able to ride, one he’d never be able to control. Yet, he was gonna do it or die anyway. “I have something to ask you.” Her eyes met his. The silence was alarming. Corbin was nervous. “Yes, Corbin,” Bella whispered. “You don’t know what I’m gonna ask yet.” “No, but if it’s about whether or not I want you, the answer is still yes.” Corbin sniffed. This was a big step and by damn, he didn’t want to get all teary eyed when he popped the question, but he was feeling that sentimental urge, that real soft side, threatening to surface. “Would you sit down there on the bed for a minute?” She arched a brow. “Sit?” “Yes, damn it, sit.” He cleared his throat. “Please.” She took a deep breath and sat down like she was aggravated all to hell because she was playing along and following his demands. This was not how he imagined things would go, but so far nothing with Bella had been predictable or perfect. She was anything but easy. He retrieved the small jewelry box from his pocket, lowering himself to one knee. He felt like he was gonna fall over right there, so to steady himself, he took her hand—something he needed anyway. Or at least, he sure hoped so. Bella’s eyes were wide, and she looked so surprised that he wasn’t sure if he was even doing this right. So maybe he was rushing things, but according to Bella he was the slowest cowboy in Texas so perhaps this gesture would change her mind. “Bella McDermott, I want you to know that I plan to do right by ya, if you’ll have me.” His palms were clammy, and he was feeling

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sort of light-headed. He stared at her then and grew really nervous as he watched the tears stream down her cheeks. “I reckon I’ve sowed a few wild oats, and maybe I don’t deserve you, and maybe that’s why I’ve stayed away as long as I have, but I’d like to marry you all the same. If you’ll become my wife tonight, I’d be honored.” “Tonight?” she screeched. “Tonight, Corbin?” “Or tomorrow night. Why yes, tomorrow night will work just fine, too.” **** Bella stared down at the most beautiful ring she’d ever seen in her life. The thing must’ve cost a fortune, but the expression on Corbin’s face was far more priceless than the gold and diamonds. His eyes were moist. His lips were dry. And he looked like he was anxiously awaiting the answer she’d always wanted to give. In fact, as a girl, she’d practiced her reply many times. “Yes,” she whispered, throwing her arms around his neck and kissing his cheeks. “Yes, I’ll marry you.” “Well, thank God,” he said. “Maybe now I can breathe again.” He wiggled the ring away from the velvet holder and slid the symbol of his love on her third finger. “Lookie there,” he drawled. “It fits. Who would’ve thought?” “It’s perfect,” she said, holding her arm away from her body. “You shouldn’t have, Corbin.” “Yes, I believe I should’ve. I reckon you deserve the finest in jewelry since you’re getting a less-than-perfect man” he said, drawing her wrist to his lips and kissing a trail down to the center of her palm. “I’ll make you the happiest woman around, Bella. I swear I will. I’ll make up for any shortcomings you think I had in the past, and I’ll make a good husband. You’ll see. I’ll be the man you can depend on, the man you’ll be proud to call your own.”

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“I know you will,” she said gleefully, wrapping her arms around his neck. “But I have something to tell you.” “What?” he asked, alarmed. “I can’t put together a wedding on short notice.” “It doesn’t matter,” he said. “You said yes. That’s all I care about. When you said yes, you became my wife in my heart, Bella. We’ll make it legal whenever you say so, but I couldn’t go to Tulsa day after tomorrow without knowing you belonged to me or without you there with me.” “You want me to go to Tulsa?” “Why yes, that’s a fine idea. I’m glad you thought of it,” he said, pulling her into his arms. “Corbin Cansey, you’re full of surprises!” she exclaimed, leaping into his arms and laughing as he spun her around. He shot her a wink along with a wicked smile. “You have no idea, but you’ll have some by the time the honeymoon is over.”

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Chapter Fourteen Bella descended down the front steps a few hours later. Corbin stood in the foyer watching his beautiful bride, the woman who’d wormed her way into his heart seven years prior, when she was still too young to know what she wanted, and far too young for Corbin to claim. Dressed in the beautiful low-cut lavender and lace gown— something he’d purchased from the lingerie shop earlier that day— Bella looked at ease, not at all like the nervous blushing bride he’d half expected. “You look sensational,” he said, slipping a kiss upon her hand when he laced their fingers together. “Perfect.” “Something smells good,” she said, peering over his shoulder. “What would a wedding night be without a little dinner and dancing before the honeymoon?” “You went to a lot of trouble. You didn’t have to do all this.” He led her to the candlelit dining room and pulled out a chair. “Some women are worth the effort.” While she’d showered and changed, he’d turned down the sheets, placed rose petals on the bed and candles throughout her room. Then, he’d prepared dinner—grilled steaks, salad, and mashed potatoes. Pouring a glass of sparkling non-alcoholic champagne, he said, “I want this night to be everything you’ve ever imagined, and I want you to remember your first time, our first time together.” “Corbin, I’ll always remember,” she promised, twisting around in her chair so she could look at him.

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She was eye-level to his cock and took the time to trace the ridges with her dainty fingers, pressing against him and watching him curiously, asking for permission without saying a word. “Soon,” he said, gripping her wrist and leaning over to deliver a heated kiss. “But I’m starving,” she told him, the statement loaded. “Before the night is through, you’ll be properly fed, baby. Trust me. Save a lot of room for dessert.” **** After dinner, they danced to one country song, something about giving up loves and finding new ones. Corbin didn’t know anything about that. All he’d known since the day he met Bella was that somehow, she had a place in his life. He waited on her to grow up, and he almost tarried too long. He hadn’t meant to run from her, and it was a complete waste of time. He’d been trapped in a damn triangle, trying to find his way out when Bella had always been right there in the center of his pyramid, watching and waiting, loving him from a short distance in spite of his flaws. He had plenty of those, but Bella seemed to love him in spite of them. When the music stopped, he drew her against him. “I’m gonna love you, Bella McDermott Cansey, for the rest of my life.” “We’re not married yet,” she reminded him. “The hell we aren’t. Back in the olden days, how do you think a man and woman got together and decided they were married?” She shrugged. “I don’t think about the way people used to live, Corbin. Right now is the only moment that matters.” He kissed her, rubbing the texture of his lips against hers, nuzzling her as he moved with her body, drawing her closer, holding her securely, afraid to let her go. “They consummated it, by the way.” “What?” she asked dreamily.

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“Back in the good old days, that’s how things were done,” he informed her, realizing he was buying time, understanding once they went upstairs, his life as he’d known it was over. Then again, the changes had already begun, and the future ahead was much brighter than the past he chose to leave behind. “Then what are you waitin’ on, cowboy? I think you have a bride to bed.” He hoisted her into his arms, and she looped her thin limbs around his shoulders, resting her head against his chest. He carried her to the bedroom, across the threshold, and placed her on satin sheets, surrounding her with the soft red petals he’d earlier placed there. That’s when reality struck. He was a committed cowboy, a man who was finally ready to devote his life to the woman who had always been destined to become his wife.

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Chapter Fifteen Bella was somewhat relieved when Corbin didn’t tote handcuffs and blindfolds to the bed right along with him. She was hoping he’d shelf his dark side and save that part of himself for another night. Oh sure, she was curious about Domination and submission, but she wanted a more traditional wedding night, since Corbin seemed hell bent on referring to their first night together as their honeymoon. As long as Bella had Corbin in her arms, she didn’t need an official marriage certificate or an engagement announcement in Sunday’s newspaper. A preacher hadn’t married them, and they hadn’t exchanged vows before their family and friends, but Bella knew in her heart Corbin had decided to make her his wife. He’d stopped running. He was willing to give her a special place in his heart. He towered over her, spreading her legs with his knees as he brushed her body with his, dropping soft kisses against her lips while driving her mad with the growing need for his touch. His tongue parted her lips, and he kissed her like he planned to be right there doing the same thing this time next week. He wedged his tongue between her lips and left her longing for more of his affection. “I won’t hurt you, Bella,” he promised, relaxing his grip, grinding between her legs, until she was panting, moaning, and biting back a real hankering to scream. She wasn’t embarrassed by her own heat, but she was quite aware of her swollen clit, the warmth between her legs, and the dire need she possessed. The full-throttle urgency consumed her, rushing through her veins like alcohol and making her intoxicated, totally high.

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Bella ached for his touch, longed for his hand. Oh yes, she was quite convinced the hottest heat wave Texas had ever gauged was settled between her legs, contained deep inside her pussy. Only one man could cool down the burn. Only one cowboy could ease the pain, but first he’d torture her with a small taste of pure pleasure, foreplay she’d never forget. Bella gripped Corbin’s shoulders, riding the covered length he allowed her to feel, the erection pulsing under his denim pants, bulging for freedom. She clawed at his buttons, ripping them, tugging them free from the aggravating slits, wise to the fact she was greedy, acting like a lost lover feeling her way through the darkness, hoping to find her way home. Corbin took her hand in his and raked her fingers across his lips. Kissing them, he whispered, “Easy, Bella. We have all night.” But she didn’t want all night. She wanted to take what was hers to have. Bella had waited, lurked in the shadows of an unexplainable agony only a woman in love could understand. She’d stood by as the man she desired penetrated another, made love to a stranger, while she’d witnessed the pleasure his body delivered. Without a doubt, after what Bella viewed, after what she endured and barely survived, she understood the havoc lust could bring when desire was fueled by love. She pushed her hand down the front of Corbin’s pants, fighting for a good grip as she freed him. Touching his shape, she caressed the heavily veined flesh, tracing his thickness. Returning to his middle, she glided upward, sliding her palms across his chest, but itching to hold him, stroke him. Returning to his lips, she braced for another ravenous kiss, his sweet taste filling her senses the moment their mouths met. She held him to her lips, kissing him like a woman who would never find enough in one kiss, who would always seek more than she’d gain in the next. She straddled him then. Leaving his mouth,

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Bella took advantage of her position and the new wave of overpowering lust. She was hungry for more than she’d ever been permitted to taste. Hoping Corbin wouldn’t stop her, Bella used her body and groveled for penetration. Her mind churned with explicit ideas as she rubbed her pussy against his heated skin. “Easy, Bella,” Corbin warned, stopping her from achieving orgasm as she ground against him, rubbing her clit against his skin. He placed his hand between his rigid cock and her damp pussy. “You don’t play fair.” He grinned as he watched her. Clasping her wrists, he flipped her over and pinned her against the mattress, shoving her arms high above her head. He dipped his head and aroused her, lapping at the hard point of one nipple and then the other, licking through the lace bodice until she was writhing under him. “Slow and easy, baby,” he whispered. Corbin lifted her gown, bringing the material to her hips. He stared at her pussy like he was surprised to find her bare, and equally as pleased to discover she wasn’t wearing panties. “My, my, what a sexy lady you are.” She stretched her neck, but her back remained against the pillows. Corbin crawled down the length of her body. She trembled as he moved lower, taking a position between her legs. Kneeling, he slowly inched away. Leaving her provided a temporary diversion, one necessary for disrobing. He was naked, a gorgeous sight, tugging at his thick length as he gaped at her. Her eyes felt heavy, and she started to go to him, was dying to take the first sip from him, when he fell between her legs once more. This time, with a smile shaping his lips, he committed himself to one carnal goal. Corbin was ready to devour her, and she couldn’t wait to enjoy her first intimate experience. ****

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Undressing before her heated eyes was quite possibly the most erotic moment of Corbin’s life. Bella had watched him carefully, eyed his hands like they alone held the secrets to treasures she’d waited a lifetime to find. He’d kept his eyes on hers until he was completely exposed. Then, his gaze lowered, and he was fixated on her glistening intimate lips as he watched her arousal consume her and tempt him. Spreading her legs with his elbows, he framed her pussy with his fingers, lapping at her clit, taking his time, and finding pleasure in the way she rode his tongue. Oh and how sweet she tasted, like ripe fresh berries, straight from the vine. He licked through her folds, lapping up her innocence, tasting her cream, rolling the hard bud under his thumb until she was bucking beneath him, rising and falling under every thrust. Succumbing to the pleasure, she cried out his name and the sound of her voice inspired him. “Oh, Bella,” he whispered, nuzzling her. “Come to me, honey. Let me taste your pleasure, baby.” And that was all the coaxing the little vixen needed. She exploded on command, riding him, throwing herself into the act as she rocked to and fro, bracing herself with one hand behind her, and the other pressed flat against his head. His tongue dipped in and out of her sweet pussy. He indulged, loving the pleasure, the real satisfaction of pleasing the woman he adored. “Corbin!” she screamed, grinding against him, taking that first dip into ecstasy with his tongue guiding her, pushing her over, and leaving her in complete shambles. “I’m here, baby,” he whispered against her mound, flicking her clit and sipping at her juices. “And I’m perfectly content to stay here all night.” ****

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Corbin licked his lips clean before he rose over her again. Watching the lust burn still brighter in her eyes, he was mesmerized by the way love mixed with desire. Her expression would be stored to memory, forever stamped in his mind. He would remember her like this, and long to teach her more. Each time he would take her to his bed, he would find new ways to please her, other ways to surprise her. Holding himself away from her body, he kissed her. The spicy rich flavor of her release stained his lips, burned his tongue. He ached for her then, like he’d never wanted another, and he wedged his fingers inside her pussy, fucking her with the long length while knotting locks of her hair in his fist, holding her to him, bringing her closer. “Not yet,” he said, watching her eyelids grow heavier still with the burden of taking what she was driven to have but defying that urge because there was so much more she wanted to embrace, too much she wanted to experience. She reached for his cock and stroked, pulling the hard flesh through her tight fist, gripping him like she’d hang on for dear life. He eased his fingers from her body and covered her hand with his, showing her how to hold him, guiding her as she stroked him. “You’re drivin’ me crazy here, sugar,” he crooned, teaching her how to pump him. “Keep that up and I’ll come.” She released him, and he greedily pushed the head of his cock against her entrance. Quickly, she snapped her legs closed. “Oh, no you don’t. I’m not done with you yet.”

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Chapter Sixteen “Bella, we don’t have to do everything the first time.” “Relax,” she told him, wondering what took her sudden stroke of confidence so long to emerge. Seconds before, she’d approached a hand job somewhat timidly, but now she was hungry. She was dying to know what it felt like to have the man she loved swelling between her cheeks, sliding across her tongue, and coming for her, the stream of his release trickling down her throat. She wanted Corbin’s cock locked between her lips. She wanted him fucking her mouth, gripping her hair as he watched his cock slip across her tongue. She sucked the swollen head, cupping his balls in the palm of her hand as she tasted him, sliding her lips back and forth over the slit, rubbing the texture of his dick against her tongue until he was gripping her hair, pulling the locks, parting the strands. She rose to the tip, laved the end, showered him with her affections, and then lowered herself over him again. His eyes were dark, the light brown shade held a soft toffee shine, and he watched her consume him, acting as if he’d never had a blow job quite as good as she could give. The way he focused on her made her brave, gave her confidence, and empowered her already growing strength. She whipped her tongue around his length, sucking him as she tugged him to the back of her throat, moaning as she felt him sliver down the opening, and grunting, showing her frustration, when he wrapped his hand around her nape and gently pulled her away. “Enough?” he asked, and undoubtedly it was a question.

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They locked gazes, and she wondered what he held in store, but was more curious then about what she’d missed. “No, Corbin. I haven’t had nearly enough.” He studied her lips. “Shit, Bella. That mouth of yours is tormenting me.” “Then why don’t you let go of that blasted control and give me what I need?” she asked, arching a brow. “If I’m not doing it right, you can teach me. Tell me what you like. Talk me through it.” “You don’t need help here,” he crooned, rubbing the tip of his dick across the swell of her bottom lip. She tilted her head to the side and curled her tongue around his balls, lapping at them until the hard proof of what he needed weighed heavily upon her lips. Suckling his sac, she taunted him before she rose to the crest again, this time with one goal for her tongue, mouth, and lips. Bella sucked Corbin to her throat. The hard, pulsing flesh tapped the back of her throat. Her cheeks were swollen with his size as he barricaded himself inside her. Then, he thrust for the pleasure she’d sought for him, and he certainly gained one hell of a satisfying release. **** “Oh God, Bella!” he screamed, pressing his palm against her nape, holding her in place. Shit! He hadn’t meant to come in her mouth! This was her first time for crying out loud! He rose to his elbows, watching as she sucked him, praising her with his eyes as she licked him clean. His cock pulsed at her throat, and the little vixen swallowed, again and again, drinking him in and savoring him like the last bite of her favorite creamy dessert. “Vixen,” he grated out, pulling her to him, eyeing the aftermaths of his glistening release staining her chin. “God, you’re good…sensational…at that.”

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“Really?” she asked, probably thinking he was pitching a pack of lovesick lies. “Fuck yeah, really,” he muttered, pulling her across him. They stared at one another, lost in time, trapped in one another’s eyes. Her nipples pressed against his chest, and he was lost in her body all over again. “You insatiable little woman, you.” “I haven’t been loved all night long, as promised.” “It’s coming, baby,” he said. “I swear to you. I’m just getting started here, Mrs. Cansey.” She grinned at that, and he slid his hand between her thighs, working his fingers deep inside her warm pussy, rubbing his hand back and forth until her sweet heat coated his flesh. He directed her, allowing her to lead the way as much as follow his lead. He caught her nipple between his lips, rolling his tongue over the sensitive bud until he was lost in saturating her with his affection. And the little siren had waited long enough. She lowered herself to him, and he buried himself inside the hottest, sweetest pussy he’d ever visited in his life. Her eyes were blue-hot flames dancing in desire. Her touch captivated him, placing him under a lover’s manipulated spell. And it took great resistance, more than he admittedly maintained, to keep from hammering forward and taking what was his to possess, hers to give, and theirs to own. She rode him as if she’d ridden atop him many times before, swaying with his body, moving over him like a summer shower or a late fall rain. Her hands went to her head, and she placed her palms behind her, grinding him, tempting him, and introducing him to finer things, more than he’d ever enjoyed before. “Corbin,” she whispered. He watched her as he possessed her and was captivated to discover he was completely under her control. It was then that he realized he’d always belonged to Bella. No other experience would ever compare to the lovemaking he shared with his woman. No

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amount of bondage or role play, or anything else he’d done to fill the void would ever compare to this. Bella was his pleasure. Bella was undoubtedly his only love.

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Chapter Seventeen Three Days Later, Tulsa, Oklahoma Fairgrounds Bella handed her mother a bag of popcorn. She eyed Travis as he walked their way. He had a little swagger going on, something she’d never noticed about the man before. She looked at her mom and smiled when she caught the extra sparkle in her eyes. The closer Travis came, the wider her mother grinned. Travis was really working his strut by the time he reached them. Leaning over, he dropped a peck upon her mother’s lips. “Hey there, gorgeous. Did ya miss me?” “Hey, yourself. And yes, I did.” “Bella, you doin’ all right?” he asked grimly, acting as if he really didn’t have time to make small talk with anyone other than the woman holding his attention and his hand. Bella looked down at their entwined fingers, noting how nervous Travis seemed, and worse— noticing Travis looked just plain scared, too. “Is something wrong, hon?” Her mother asked what Bella was thinking. Travis looked toward the arena, shaking his head. “Everything is fine. We’re gonna do just fine here today. You’ll see. You’ll both see.” “Are you sure?” Bella pressed for information this time. Something was definitely going on with Travis. He nodded quickly, unable to look her in the eye. “You might as well tell me,” Bella blurted out. “I already know. You don’t even have to say it.”

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“He drew Captain Crazy.” Bella shook her head violently. That’s not what Bella had expected. “No.” Captain Crazy was a notorious bull, a massive beast all the cowboys feared. And Corbin drew him? Talk about the sorriest luck in a draw. “He’s ready, Bella. He’ll do fine.” Then why didn’t Travis sound so sure? Why was he pale? And why did he keep fidgeting? “You yourself said he was the most unprepared cowboy here. I heard you in the car! You said he wasn’t ready for this rodeo. Remember, you said—” “Bella?” Bella stilled when Corbin’s voice cut through the air behind her. With tears in her eyes, she faced the man she loved. “Corbin, please. You don’t have to do this. Say you’re sick. Tell them you don’t want to ride. Hell, quit! Right now! Just don’t get on that bull today!” “Bella, honey, come here,” he said, pulling her to him. Several spectators watched as Corbin led her to the breezeway located behind the arena. “You don’t have to do this,” she said firmly, cupping his cheek. “Please, Corbin.” “I ain’t afraid of that damn bull,” Corbin said, pressing his lips to the palm of her hand. “If you aren’t, then something is wrong with you!” She grabbed him by the collar. “Corbin, he’s injured cowboys. Heck, he almost killed that fellow from Nashville last year. I read about it. You must be afraid of him!” “I’m not,” he said. “But you wanna know what frightens me the most?” Bella tried to act brave, tried to listen to what she feared now could be Corbin’s parting words. “What?” she finally asked, swiping away a few tears streaming down her face. He lowered his forehead to hers and kissed her gently, caressing her face as his lips met hers. “I’m terrified of losing you, of waking

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up without you. If I had to wonder where you are when I desperately want you with me, Bella, I don’t think I could take that.” She looped her arms around him and hugged him, drawing him tightly against her. “If you’re afraid of losing me, then you must know how I feel. I don’t want to face a day without you. I couldn’t bear it, Corbin, not after knowing your love.” Corbin slowly unlatched her thin limbs, practically dragging himself away from the death grip she secured. “Honey, listen to me. I want you to pay attention, all right?” “Okay,” she choked out. “You and I? We’re gonna love hard, love one another real well. And you’re gonna trust me when I tell you that every single time I get on a wild bull, I’m in control in a way I’m never in control when I’m lovin’ you.” “Stop, Corbin,” she said, pressing her palm against his arm. “I’m serious here.” “So am I. You make me crazy, woman, truly reckless. But when I’m out there ridin’, I’m focused. You gotta believe that. I’m real cautious, Bella. I know what I’ve got to lose. “When I’m with you, I’m unable to think straight. You drive me out of my mind, make me have out of body experiences,” he paused, tilting his head from side to side in an effort to peer under her hair and look at her. “I love you, woman. That’s all there is to it. You’re my whole world, and I don’t want you to ever forget that.” “Corbin—” “Bella, stop,” he said firmly. “Life is short, honey. But you and I are just startin’ this journey, and we’re gonna have one hell of a ride together. You got that?” She nodded, unable to speak, unable to do anything more than listen to the soft soothing sound of Corbin’s voice. “Now, after I get done with Captain Crazy, I’m gonna come find you, and we’re gonna go celebrate. It’s me and you, Bella. You remember that. We’re gonna have a good life. We’re gonna ride it for

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all it’s worth. We’re gonna rope in forever and see what’s waitin’ out there just for us. That’s a solemn promise.” **** Corbin knew he’d drawn a bad bull. He’d sort of had an uneasy feeling earlier that day when he’d first arrived at the fairgrounds, but after he’d held Bella in his arms, everything changed. She gave him strength. She made him believe in himself and his abilities. If Corbin listened to some of the whispers around him, staying on Captain Crazy was next to impossible, but for some reason he felt like a man who was about to take the best ride of his life. Tucking his gloved hands under the rope, Corbin realized all eyes were on him. Hell, half the fans were on their feet, acting like they were getting ready to watch a cowboy’s last rodeo. He hated it when these situations happened. Half the time, a bull’s reputation made a loser out of a cowboy. When the crowd seemed to stand behind the bull rather than the man riding him, well, it just seemed like the odds stacked up against a fella. Corbin searched the stands, found the large letter A, and dropped his gaze down, looking straight across the arena into the brilliant-blue sparkling, and quite watered down, eyes of the woman he loved. He tilted his hat and slapped his chest. Bella was his heart. The rodeo was his job. “You’re good to go,” Travis assured him, helping Corbin lower himself atop the angry bull that would either make or break him in this competition. “You got this, Corbin.” Corbin swung his gaze toward Bella, one last time. “You’re damn straight I got this.” Smiling wide, he raised his right arm and his head and shoulders flew back. “Okay, fellas! Let’s see if this bull can give a good ride!”

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The massive gate swung wide open, releasing Captain Crazy and Corbin into a slushy muck-filled arena. And Captain Crazy didn’t waste any time gettin’ down to business. Hanging on tight, Corbin managed to ride his way through numerous spins, jerking to the left and almost losing his balance when he was jolted to the right. The bull turned and jumped, trying his best to lose his rider and gain his freedom. The eight seconds was coming on, and Corbin realized he only had a few more left and a couple of bucks still left to survive. The bull took a leap and another wild circle of tail-spinning confusion began. Corbin saw Travis leap from the fence, hooping and a hollering something fierce. The ride was over, but getting off Captain Crazy sure presented challenges. In those few passing moments, as the cowboys in the arena tried to help Corbin safely to the ground again, Corbin had one thought—one picture in his head—Bella. His hands were caught. It took an additional effort to free himself. He heard the crowd rumble. They were aware of his predicament, no doubt about that. As he tumbled off the bull, he rolled to his feet, gaining his balance and shaking off the hazy confusion. Captain Crazy shot to the far end of the ring, stamping his hoof and pounding out a fit. “Get out of there!” Travis screamed, the echo of his voice humming in his ears, vibrating over and over again. Corbin wheeled around just in time to see Captain Crazy’s fury. The bull charged him, and if Travis hadn’t been there, screaming above all others, Corbin might have just taken his last ride. Instead, Corbin jumped to the fence, barely making it to the other side when nearly fifteen hundred pounds of hellish anger bashed against the thick ringside boards, forking the planks with solid horns and noticeable disappointment. Captain Crazy had every intention of making Corbin a victim. The animal had a temper, but Corbin had still ridden him and walked away with the top prize.

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The crowd cheered, and the applause was all the sweeter when he saw Bella pushing her way through the layers of fans. Once the people parted, she ran into his arms. “You scared me to death!” “I’m gonna scare you all right,” he said, taking her hand and bringing her fingertips to his lips. “You can’t scare me any worse than you just did, Corbin Cansey.” “Wanna bet?’ She kissed him crazy. “Go ahead and give it your best shot,” she whispered against his lips. He cradled her neck and pulled her ear against his mouth. “I had time to think while I was out there riding Captain Crazy.” “Uh-huh, I just bet you did.” “It’s true,” he said, nipping at her ear. “I was thinkin’ ’bout how short life is, and I came up with an idea.” “You did, did ya?” “Sure did,” he drawled, moistening his lips. “I was figuring that maybe me and you could get down to business and start a family. You know, have a couple of kids of our own, show ’em what it’s like to grow up with a mom and dad that really love one another.” “What happened to riding the daylights out of this short life we’re livin’ and havin’ a ball doing it?” “How do you think those kids are gonna get here, woman?” She laughed. “It’ll take lots of practice, Corbin Cansey. I got a lot of catchin’ up to do, remember?” “Believe me. That’s the very reason I kept you waiting so long. I want you to spend the rest of your life making up for lost time.”

THE END WWW.DESTINYBLAINE.COM

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Destiny Blaine and her pseudonyms are best selling international e-book and trade paperback authors. She lives in East Tennessee with her husband and children.

Also by Destiny Blaine Siren Allure: Sports Wives 1: Love, Lust and Scandal in Professional Football Ménage and More: Sports Wives 2: Lust Knows No Boundaries Ménage Amour: Sports Wives 3: Sexy Is Never Ignored Siren Allure: Sports Wives 4: Damaged Goods Ménage Amour: Sports Wives 5: Love’s Unselfish Gift Ménage Amour: Sports Wives 6: The Third Promise Siren Classic: Winning Virgin 1: Winning Virgin Blood Ménage Amour: Winning Virgin 2: Winning Virgin Love Ménage Amour: Winning Virgin 3: Winning Virgin Lust Ménage Amour: Winning Virgin 4: Winning Virgin Promises Ménage and More: Winning Virgin 5: Winning Virgin Devotion Siren Classic: Lying Eyes Siren Classic: A Matter Among Men Ménage Amour: A Matter Among Four Siren Classic: Vampire Up: A Cowboy Rides Ménage Amour: Finders Keepers: A Cowboy’s First Love Ménage Amour: Breakfast by the Sea

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