The Cowboy and the Cougar (The Cougar Chronicles 1)

She looked away and huffed. "What are you, some kind of stalker?"

He shook his head, chuckling. "Can’t say I’ve done anything like this before."

"How’d you get in here?"

"Some doormen can be bribed."

She rolled her eyes. "I don’t have a doorman."

He gave a lazy half-smile. "Okay, you got me. Some horny women can be bribed."

Horny women?

"Sheila."

Her man-hungry neighbor had been known to be free with the passcode. Now Holly’d have to call management and get it changed again.

"That her name?"

"Did she have bleached blonde hair and a voice hoarse from smoking?"

"That’d be the one." He fingered his stubbled jaw line. Holly tried not to gape.

"Damn her anyway." Holly continued her relentless search for her keys.

Cowboy gently pried the purse from her grasp and pulled out her keys. "This what you’re

lookin’ for?"

She grabbed her purse. "Yes. Thank you, Cowboy."

He miraculously picked the right key and fit it into her lock.

"It’s Jack," he said. "Jack Sherwood. No more cowboy." He opened the door, picked up her portfolio and bag of groceries and waited for her to walk in. Her nerves rattled as she entered. He followed her in and set the portfolio and groceries on her kitchen counter.

"Well, thank you for your help," she said. "I can manage now."

"Oh no," he said. "Not so fast. You haven’t told me your name yet, sugar."

"Sugar’s fine."

"The hell it is." He walked to the door, shut it and leaned back against it. "You left me that morning without even waking me to say good-bye. I thought we had a good time. I wanted to see you again. Why’d you pull a stunt like that?"

Holly’s heart raced. He’d wanted to see her again? This had to be some kind of sick joke. "It was a one-night stand, Cowboy."

"Jack."

She sighed. "Do you understand what a one-night stand is? One night of mind blowing sex? I’m sure you’re familiar with the concept."

"That’s not what I’m about."

"Well, that’s what I was about that particular night," Holly said. "I’m sorry if I upset you. Really I am. I was in a bad place that night and all I wanted was..." She let her words trail off as she closed her eyes and sighed again.

"You ever gonna tell me your name?"

"I think it’s better to leave it—" She opened her eyes. "Hey! What the hell are you doing?"

Jack had grabbed her purse from the counter and fished out her wallet. He opened it and pulled out a credit card. "Holly. Holly S. Taylor. What’s the S stand for?"