To Tame a Cowboy

“I wish I could see you in the light,” she muttered. “I feel cheated.”

“Surely you have candles.”

Piper started to turn away, but Ryan caught her arm.

“Take off your pants. I want to watch you walk away so I can see everything I’ve been wanting for months.”

“Months?”

Ryan nipped at her lips and whispered, “Years.”

Piper had no idea she’d held such control over him and she knew he wasn’t just saying this. Ryan had had his fair share of buckle bunnies, but he’d never flaunted it and never acted like his ego had become inflated because of it.

And the fact that he could have nearly any woman he wanted and he’d wanted her for so long only made her all the more anxious to be with him.

Piper unlaced her work boots and kicked them off, shoved her pants around her ankles and kicked them aside, as well.

Even in the dark, Piper could see Ryan’s eyes widen as they slid down her body. Anticipation swirled inside her, sending shivers shooting throughout her body.

“You better hurry up if you want those candles,” he told her, his voice husky.

Piper turned toward her bedroom where she had a large fat candle on her nightstand. She grabbed it and the matches in the drawer and hurried back, careful not to bang her toe on the end of her bed. The darkness could be sexy, but bashing yourself before foreplay could even begin would not be a turn-on. They’d had enough injuries between them.

When she turned, Ryan stood in the doorway, then moved toward her. Apparently this intimate party was getting started.

Piper set the candles on her dresser and lit them; the room soon basked into a soft, radiant glow.

Ryan eased forward, sliding his hands around her waist, then to her back, and dipped his fingertips in the top of her lacy panties.

The gentle light from the flickering candle set the perfect scene and she could so appreciate his body all the more. The ink that swirled around his left pec and up over his shoulder intrigued her. She’d never given the tat much thought before, but now she found it sexy, alluring, as it stretched across his taut muscle.

“Seeing your panties hanging in your bathroom a few weeks ago nearly killed me, Red. I instantly imagined what you’d look like in them. I knew you’d be smokin’ hot. But even my imagination didn’t come close to reality.”

Roaming her hands up his chiseled biceps and over his shoulders, Piper smiled. “I’m glad you’re not disappointed. I don’t want this to be awkward, Ryan.”

His hands moved into her panties and cupped her bottom, jerking her toward his erection.

Ryan’s shadowed face inched closer to hers; he licked his lips and hoisted her up off the floor. Piper wrapped her legs around his waist, her arms looped around his neck. His chest hair tickled her breasts.

“I’ve waited so long for this,” he whispered. “I want to memorize every moment, but mostly I want to be inside you. I want to know how you feel around me. I want to see you lose control again and know that I’m the cause of your recklessness.”

Who knew her best friend had such a sexy bedroom voice? And who knew he’d had these thoughts about her for so long? Had she missed the subtle hints or had he kept his emotions and fantasies hidden on the inside?

“Then why are we still talking?” she asked. “Take what you want, cowboy.”

His wide smile melted her and she sank her fingers into his messy hair and pulled his mouth against hers.

With only their underwear separating every aching part, Piper rocked her hips against his as her tongue swept inside his mouth, seeking more contact. She just couldn’t get close enough.

Ryan walked backward until her back hit the wall.

“I want all of you, Piper,” he murmured against her lips.

Sweat dampened their bodies.

“Since the fans won’t work without electricity, maybe a cool shower will help us.”

Piper grinned against his lips. “I doubt we’ll cool off, but the thought of getting you naked and wet is one of the best ideas you’ve had.”

“I try.” He laughed.

He eased her down his body until her feet hit the cool tile. She slid out of her panties and unclasped her bra, flinging it aside. When she glanced back up, Ryan was watching her, his lids heavy, his gaze on her body as if he were looking at her for the very first time.

“The word want seems like such an understatement right now,” he murmured. “Crave, desire, hunger for...”

Feeling a bit more flirtatious, she was naked after all, Piper held her arms wide. “Then take what you want, Ryan. I’m not afraid. Once won’t be enough and I can’t guarantee slow or gentle.”