Just Shoot Me (Cowboy Way, #1) (10 page)

“
I forgot to bring the right belt,
and made him wear one that one of the models left behind on
Saturday. It was a little girly, and macho man had a problem with
that.”

Tina laughed. She hadn’t even noticed the
belt. She was too busy looking at other things. Like that man’s
spectacular ass in those jeans. “No, it wasn’t the belt. He thought
the jeans were, um, too tight, and felt uncomfortable. It’s all
good now. But we’re delaying the shoot until tomorrow, because he
wants to show me a location.”

“
Really?” Cord and Hope said,
looking at each other with disbelief.

“
Yeah, he said he knew of a perfect
place to shoot, and he’s going to show it to me.”

Cord guffawed, and a small smile eased up the
corner of Hope’s mouth. “I’ll bet he has a lot to show you,” Cord
said sarcastically. “I’d be careful going out with my brother
alone. We might find you tied to a tree.”

The thought of being tied up by Dean Dixon did
have its appeal. It sent all the moisture in her body flooding
south. “He’s good now. I promise.” More than good. Spectacular.
Delicious. And a damned good kisser. Another feather of desire
floated through her tickling all the way down. “We had a meeting of
the minds, and he’s going to cooperate.”

“
That must’ve been a helluva
meeting,” Cord said with a shake of his head.

“
She kissed him,” Laney tattled
around the huge bite of brownie in her mouth. Heat rushed up to
Tina’s face and she shot a glare at her niece, who she hadn’t even
seen come inside.

“
Yeah,” Jeremy confirmed, with a
smile that showed the brownie stuck in his teeth. He shoved another
bite in his mouth, then added, “And he was choking chickens. I told
Grandma and she was mad. He’s in big trouble.”

Right that minute, Tina wanted to wring both
kids’ necks like that chicken.

Tina groaned and her face felt like it was on
fire. Dean was going to be mortified. And Jeremy was the one who
was going to be in big trouble, if she didn’t get him out of there.
“I thought your daddy told you to stay up at the house with your
Grandma?”

“
Paulo is gonna cut my hair like
daddy’s,” Jeremy said, glancing at her hairdresser.

Dean walked through the doorway just then and
all eyes swung in his direction. Jaws dropped as they studied him,
and Dean just scanned the group curiously. Tina couldn’t even take
time to appreciate how delicious he looked in his black cowboy hat,
faded Wranglers and tight white t-shirt. She knew if she didn’t do
something fast, disaster was about to land right on her head. Even
riding with him on that big black beast didn’t seem so bad right
then.

“
Um, you ready to go?” she said
walking over to grab his arm. Dean looked down at her and his lips
curved just a bit. Tina yanked on his arm and turned him toward the
door. “We need to get going.” Tina pulled him onto the porch,
hoping she could get him out of there before someone made a
comment.

Her heart skidded to a stop in her chest, as
she stopped beside the horse and looked up, way up, to the seat of
the saddle. Swallowing her fear she asked, “Okay, how do I do
this?’

The bags behind the saddle were stuffed so
full they bled over into the seat of the saddle. It made the seat
look even smaller. Tina wondered how they would both fit in
it.

Dean Dixon was not a small man.

“
Up you go,” Dean said as he
clamped his hands at her waist. Before she knew what he was doing,
she was flying through the air like she weighed nothing. Tina’s
butt hit the leather with a jarring impact, the horse shifted his
weight, and Tina felt herself sliding off the other side of the
saddle. She yelped and her heart shot to her throat, but Dean’s
fingers dug into her thigh and he caught her.

“
Whoa, buttercup,” he said with a
laugh, pulling her upright again. “No riding side saddle.” He
reached over her to grab the saddle horn, put his foot in the
stirrup and in one fluid motion swung into the saddle behind her.
His hips rocked forward against her, and Tina fought the urge to
push back. “Scoot up, you’re crowding me.”

Crowding hell. There wasn’t an inch of spare
room between them, and she didn’t really have anywhere to go. Tina
scooted a few inches forward, the horse took one step and she felt
herself sliding sideways again. Dean’s hands gripped her hips, and
the heat of his fingers seemed to burn through her
jeans.

“
You’re gonna have to hold on
better than that, or this is going to be a long ride. Hold onto the
horn,” Dean suggested. He covered her hand with his, and put it on
the horn, then patted it. He grabbed the reins, clicked to the
horse and she felt his thighs flex under her legs. The horse
started moving forward and she gasped, as her body rocked from side
to side and she felt as if she was falling again. Tina’s other hand
found the horn, and she held on for dear life, praying where he was
taking her wasn’t too far.

The sooner this ride was over, the better, in
her opinion. She was not, and probably never would be, a country
girl. She might work for a western wear company, have on brand
spanking new jeans, boots, and a cute western shirt, but that did
not make her a cowgirl. Just like her samples for the Texas Tomcat
apparel hadn’t made Dean Dixon a model. He was a cowboy, a country
man. That had never been her type of man before, cowboys were her
sister’s flavor. But damned if it didn’t seem to be hers with
him.

The horse took a stutter-step and Tina
wobbled, even though she was holding on. Dean’s left arm wrapped
around her waist, and he pulled her back against him. She wiggled
trying to get comfortable, and he leaned near her ear and growled,
“Sit still.”

“
How the hell do you figure I’m
going to do that on a moving mountain of a horse?” she asked with a
huff.

“
Moving?” Dean laughed. “This ain’t
moving, sweetheart.” Dean walked the horse to the gate behind the
barn, then dismounted and opened it to lead the horse through into
the pasture. He shut it, then got back on the horse. “Hold onto
your bloomers, Priscilla, it’s about to get bumpy. I don’t want
this to take all night.”

Neither did Tina, but they were going fast
enough for her. Dean’s arm clamped around her waist, he leaned over
her back pushing her forward, and his legs flexed. The horse shot
forward and she squealed, almost tempted to throw her arms around
the horse’s neck. She gritted her teeth against the jarring, as she
was bounced willy-nilly in the saddle and against Dean Dixon. Dean
groaned, then pulled the horse to a stop suddenly. Tina grabbed the
horn to keep from pitching over the horse’s head.

“
Okay this isn’t going to work,” he
said gruffly near her ear. His hot breath tickled her there,
sending chills snaking down her spine. “You’re going to have to
move with me and the horse, or we’re both gonna wind up on our
asses.”

“
I’m doing the best I can,” Tina
said with frustration.

“
First thing you need to do is
relax,” he instructed. Tina nodded and tried to force some
elasticity into her body. “That’s better. Now feel how the horse
moves under you and roll your body with him…with me.” Dean clicked
his tongue, flexed his legs and the horse started walking. Tina
focused on the roll in the horse’s movement and tried to match her
body movements with his. Dean’s hips rolled behind hers and they
seemed to be in perfect rhythm after a while.

The fact that the slow gentle roll was very
akin to the slow gentle roll of making love was not missed by her
body. With each forward motion, the seam on her too tight jeans
pressed against the bundle of nerves at the top of her thighs, and
sent delicious tingles floating through her body. Tina bit her lip
to stifle a moan and took short even breaths. She tried to shift
her position a little, but that made things worse.

She decided the best thing she could do was be
still and focus on keeping the rhythm. If she came on the back of
this horse with Dean Dixon behind her, so be it. Tension inched up
inside of her, her heart fluttered in her chest. Her breath got
shorter, and she leaned back against Dean’s solid chest trying to
ease the pressure. His arm tightened around her under her
breasts.

“
You okay?” he asked with
concern.

There was no way she was going to tell him
what was going on. It was just too embarrassing. She couldn’t talk
anyway, so Tina just shook her head from side to side, and fought
the orgasm that was so damned close she could taste it.

“
You still scared?” he guessed,
then commented, “Your heart is beating like a time bomb, and you’re
not breathing right.”

His arm was around her, so he would notice
that, Tina realized and held her breath.

“
Relax, you were doing fine,” he
said and his legs flexed again.

The horse picked up speed. The seam of the
jeans raked her clit harder, and Tina flew apart. Her body
vibrated, her inner muscles clenched and she couldn’t hold back the
moan that forced past her lips with the unexpected orgasm that
racked her body. Delicious waves of pleasure floated through her.
She dropped her chin to her chest and sucked in a breath. Letting
go of the horn, she gripped Dean’s thigh near his knee and threw
her head back. He pulled the reins back, and the horse stopped,
slamming her back against him.

“
What the hell is wrong with you?”
he asked gruffly. “You’re shaking like a leaf!”

Tina waited until the last tremor ceased, then
she sucked in a deep gulping breath and let it out slowly. “I’m
sorry.”

Dean swung down off of the horse, then reached
up to grab her. He pulled her down and sat her on her feet in front
of him and her legs felt like jelly. Her knees wouldn’t lock so she
all but crumpled at his feet. Dean pulled her back up and held her
to him.

“
Tina, what’s wrong with you?” he
demanded.

Scorching heat pushed up her throat to her
cheeks, and she looked off at the trees in the distance. “I’m fine
now,” she replied, hoping he’d just let it drop.

No such luck. He put a finger under her chin
and tilted her face up, so she had no choice but to look at him.
“Tell me now, or we’re not getting back on that damned horse. I’ll
carry you back to the barn if I have to.”

Her face had to be glowing it was so hot. “I
had an orgasm.”

Dean’s mouth dropped open and he stepped back.
“You
what
?!?”

Tina tilted her chin up to meet his eyes. “I
had an orgasm from all that rocking and rolling that horse was
doing.”

His face flushed and he shook his head.
“You’re shitting me, right?”

“
Afraid not.”

“
Good Lord almighty, and here I was
thinking you were terrified of Blaze,” he said incredulously. “I
guess I don’t need to be embarrassed about what happened earlier
then. This is much better.” Tina Montgomery had an orgasm from
riding a horse. It was amazing to him, and the funniest thing he’d
heard in forever. Laughter bubbled and built inside his chest. Dean
couldn’t help himself, he started laughing. Once he gave it free
rein, the laughter was all encompassing. He laughed so hard he had
to grab his stomach as cramps started in his muscles there. He
laughed so hard his legs went weak, and he had to sit down and hold
his stomach. Bent forward, he laughed until he thought he might
pass out from it.

Until a tiny booted foot kicked him in the
shin. Hard.

His eyes flew upward and met angry gray eyes,
set in the cutest damned face he’d ever seen. But her cheeks were
practically on fire. Dean didn’t know if it was anger or
embarrassment making her cheeks so red, but he knew one thing. It
made her damned beautiful. His laughter stuttered then stopped when
her brow lifted. “You done yet?” she asked shortly.

Dean chuckled and felt it starting again, but
roped the fresh round of laughter that was tickling his insides.
“Yeah, I think so, but can’t guarantee it,” he replied
weakly.

Her lips wobbled and tears built in her eyes
like thunderclouds building for a storm. Guilt shot through him. He
guessed she didn’t like being laughed at any more than he had
earlier. If there was one thing he couldn’t take, it was a woman
crying. Or making a woman cry. Except for Cindy. That was one woman
he’d love to make cry. This woman wasn’t Cindy though.

“
Aww, don’t cry, sweetheart,” he
said softly putting his hand on her calf. “I’m sorry.”

She just nodded then folded her arms under her
breasts and dragged her eyes from his. Dean reached up and put his
hands on her hips, then pulled her down onto his lap. She
struggled, but he held her still.

“
Look at me,” he said seriously.
When she refused, he grabbed her chin and turned her face to him.
“Look at me, buttercup.” Finally her gray eyes met his, and he saw
sadness there. Her lower lip was swollen and red from biting it.
Dean ran his thumb over it, then leaned in and kissed her forehead.
He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her.

“
I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to
embarrass you.”

He kissed her hair, and she leaned her head on
his chest, to mumble, “It was worth it to see you smile.” Dean’s
heart wiggled in his chest. “You’re always so damned grumpy, this
is a definite improvement.”