Free Cowboy Town by Kasey Millstead Page B

about yourself?”
    “Glad to be finished work, I’ll tell you that much,” I reply wearily.
    “You, uh, would you like to join me for dinner, Edie?” Luke stutters.
    “Oh, Luke, I’d love to but I’m having dinner and drinks with a few people to send off Bastiaan and Zekia.”
    “Oh.  Some other time then?” He asks hopefully.
    “You bet,” I reply. 
    “Can I speak with you,” a rumbly voice sounds from behind me.  I turn in my chair to see Jackson standing there.  Body tensed, eyes blazing, clearly un happy.
    “Sure.  I’ll catch up with you later, Luke,”
    “Sure thing, Edie.  Jack, how’s it goin’, mate?”
    “Could be better, Luke.  See ya,” he says in a tight, restrained tone.
    What the hell is wrong with him?
    He takes my hand and leads me around the side of the pub and into a small nook. 
    “Jackson, what’s going on?” I demand.
    “What in the fuck are you doing in there on a fuckin’ date with Luke fuckin’ Stewart?  You told me the other night in a text that there were no other guys chasing you.  I come in a bit late one fuckin’ night and already some other dickhead is trying to cut me out.  What the fuck, Ace?”  He’s breathing heavy and clearly pissed off to the max.   I’m annoyed that he’s come in here acting like a Neanderthal.  From the way he’s acting, I guess I should be a little glad that he didn’t stand there in front of Luke and bang on his chest while grunting, “My woman.  Woman is mine.”
    “Firstly, there are no other guys chasing me, Jackson.  I don’t have to explain what I was doing just now because there’s nothing going on between you and me, which means you’re not entitled to know that information.  But, because you’re clearly upset about it, and because I don’t want you going in there and ripping heads off, I will tell you that what you saw in there was completely innocent.  I am not the type of girl who “dates” more than one person at a time, and I definitely don’t lead men on.  I am a one-man woman and the fact that you would immediately jump to conclusions and think otherwise, quite frankly, it pisses me the fuck off.  Now, I’m waiting on some friends to show so I’m going back inside.”  He’s standing in front of me in the narrow nook which means that he’ll either have to move or I’ll have to squeeze past him, and it will be a tight squeeze.
    “Excuse me,” I say as I try to maneuver past him.
    He grips my waist with one hand to halt my progress, then he gently pushes me back until I hit the wall behind me.
    “You’re right, Ace, and I don’t think you’re that type of girl.  It’s just … you’re under my fuckin’ skin.  I can’t stop thinking about you.  I can’t stop talking about you.  I’m driving my brother up the wall because I can’t get you outta my head.  You drive me crazy.  I’ve never felt jealous in my fuckin’ life but just then, in there, when I walked in and saw you with Luke,” he shakes his head, “I felt like knocking him out.  Please, please just have dinner with me,” he voice has turned soft and he flush up against me.  His mouth is so close to mine, our breath is mingling.  I want him to kiss me.
    “Please?” He leans in and kisses me softly, “Give me a chance to show you how good it can be between us.” Kiss.  “You can’t tell me you don’t feel that current between us.” Kiss.  “Have dinner with me?” Kiss.  “Let me cook for you.” Kiss.  “I want you.”  When he comes in to lightly kiss me again, I wrap my hands around his neck and deepen the kiss.  He groans and presses deeper into me.  My nipples harden and I feel wetness gather between my thighs.  I moan when his tongue enters my mouth, sending bolts of electricity shooting through my body.  He presses in harder again and this time I feel the effect our kiss is having on him.  His hands snake from my waist to down around my ass where he grips me and pulls me against