Iron Cowboy [Erotically Yours 2] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic) Read online

  Lana dropped her forehead against his chest as he worked on a particularly sore muscle, drawing in a deep breath and letting it out slowly before answering. “Yes.”

  She could still feel the slice of the huge knife, stiffening at the remembered horror. “I came home, and he was just there.”

  “Did he rape you?” He pulled her closer, the anger in J.W.’s voice making her feel a little better, but thinking about her attack chilled her.

  Trembling from head to toe, Lana choked back another sob and clung to him. “No. H–he didn’t get that far.”

  “Daniel told me he hadn’t, but I’d wondered. You stopped him.”

  Shaking her head, Lana fought to get enough air into her lungs as she relived the terror she’d felt that night as she’d done hundreds of times since then.

  This time, with J.W. holding her, she was able to think about it more clearly while the horror of that night played in her head. “No. My neighbors did.”

  “But you fought hard. Tell me.”

  Instead of being angry at his demanding tone, she found herself slightly amused, relieved that he kept the worst of her fear at bay. “My friends Jack and Evan lived in the condo next door.”

  “Oh? Were either one of them interested in you?”

  Smiling, she lifted her head to look up at him, surprised at the glitter in his eyes. “No. Jack and Evan are madly in love with each other.”

  Stepping out of his arms, she turned and went back to the window, gripping the countertop by the sink and looking out at the darkening sky. “I was out of town, and they knew I was due back that night. I’d talked to them earlier, and they invited me to dinner. They did that a lot when I came home from an assignment. Evan had a new recipe he was trying out. Evan always had a new recipe. I called them when I stepped off the elevator and told them that I was going home to take a shower and put on some comfortable clothes. I was still on the phone with Jack when I went into my bedroom. He heard me scream.”

  She choked on the last word, and immediately, J.W.’s hands closed over her shoulders again, giving her the strength to continue. Taking a deep breath, she stared out at the cows in the distance. “They heard me scream. Jack plays softball, and he grabbed his bat on the way over. Thank God. Luckily, I’d given them a key. They watched over my condo and took my mail in when I was out of town. Sometimes I’d be gone for weeks at a time. They always knew when I’d be leaving and when I was on my way home. I trusted them, but I never dreamed they’d save my life.”

  “So they scared him off?”

  Nodding, Lana stiffened when she found herself leaning into him, the hard chest at her back solid and warm. “Yes. Jack got a few shots in with the bat.”

  “Good for him.”

  Nodding again, Lana tried to move away, but the hands on her shoulders moved down, covering the top of her back almost completely. “I really need to go home.”

  She hesitated, dreading the thought of going home to an empty apartment at night. Making sure the parking lot was well lit had been one of her main priorities in choosing the apartment, but crossing it at night still made her uneasy.

  She’d left several lights on in her apartment, but she hadn’t planned on being home after dark, so she doubted she’d left enough of them on.

  “You didn’t eat your dinner, but because you’ve been a good girl, I’ll let you have a piece of Alice’s apple pie.”

  Lana smiled at that but shook her head, moving away. “No, thank you. I really need to go.”

  J.W. scowled, his jaw clenched as his gaze raked over her. “You don’t eat enough to keep a bird alive.”

  Uncomfortable at how much she’d revealed to him, Lana decided that it would be better if she put some distance between them, both physically and emotionally. “That’s really none of your business.”

  Moving fast, he closed his hands on her waist and lifted her to the counter, parting her thighs and standing between them. Bracing a hand on either side of her, he bent toward her, his nose almost touching hers. “What if I want to make it my business?”

  His voice had taken on an intimacy that sent a different kind of shiver through her, and she found herself leaning toward him without meaning to.

  Visions of lying naked in his arms danced through her mind, surprising her and making her heart beat so fast she had to struggle to keep her breathing even.

  The warm rush of desire made her breathless. “What do you mean?”

  His lips brushed hers, making them tingle and sending another rush of heat through her. “Are you going to try to pretend that you don’t feel this chemistry between us? I’m not blind, Lana. You want me as much as I want you.”

  His teeth closed lightly over her bottom lip, the sexuality in the small movement so stunning she gasped.

  The tingling sensation in her nipples drove her mad and made it nearly impossible to sit still. The upper cabinets kept her from leaning back, so she found herself leaning into him. Another gasp escaped when her nipples brushed against his chest, her breathing becoming harsher. “I admit no such thing.”

  Lust took over, the need for him unlike anything she could have ever imagined.

  Lifting his head, J.W. raised a brow, the playful smile tugging at his lips adding fuel to the flames licking at every erogenous zone in her body. “I can make you admit it.”

  Taking her left hand in his, J.W. lifted it, turning his head to examine the scar on her wrist as he ran his thumb over it. “Is this one of the scars he gave you?”

  Embarrassed, Lana tried to pull away, but he held firm. “Yes. My wrist was broken in the attack. They had to operate on it to put a pin in it to hold it while it healed and then take it out. It’s still a little weak.”

  Her breath caught when he lifted it, brushing his lips over the scar.

  He held her gaze, his eyes dark with hunger.

  She’d seen hunger in men’s eyes before, but nothing like this.

  J.W.’s eyes held a possessiveness that stole her breath, the look in his eyes like that of a lover. “Is this little thing what’s keeping you from modelling?” He ran his tongue over the faint scar, sending a riot of sensation over the sensitive skin and up her arm to center at her nipples.

  Trembling with arousal, Lana tried to press her thighs together, but his hard thighs prevented it. Unable to tear her gaze from his, she let her head fall back, too weak to hold it upright. “Don’t pretend you don’t see the one on my face.”

  Lowering her wrist, he narrowed his eyes, his hands sliding gently over her neck as he used his thumbs to keep her face lifted. “Where?”

  Her hand trembled as she lifted it, pointing to the scar that went from her hairline and downward over her cheek.

  J.W. shook his head. “That little thing. I can barely see it. You must have lived in a world of very shallow people.” Bending, he brushed his lips over the scar the way he’d done with the one on her wrist. Lifting his head again, he stared down at her with sharp eyes. “You don’t think it makes you any less beautiful, do you?”

  Lana shrugged, hating to admit how self-conscious she was. “It’s there. A reminder. And it ended my career. No one wants a model with scars.”

  “I’m sorry this affected your career, but I’m more sorry that it left you so scared.” Brushing his lips over hers, he smiled. “I’m glad you’re here. I want you, Lana. You get to me. I can’t say that I like it, but there it is.”

  Lana gulped, fighting a need unlike anything she’d ever experienced. Lifting her chin, she purposely injected a forcefulness into her shaky voice. “I appreciate your honesty, but I have no interest in becoming the lover of a man who doesn’t want to want me.”

  His lips twitched, but his eyes hardened. “Not the heart and flowers you’re used to, huh? Sorry, baby. I’m not romantic. I like sex raw and crude. Sweaty. Probably not good enough for a delicate thing like you.”

  Lana wanted to be insulted, but she saw beyond the anger to the hurt beneath it. She started to reach for him, shocked when
he turned away.

  Stopping about four feet away from her, he spun again, facing her but keeping his distance. “I’m a man with scars of his own, both inside and out.” Pausing with his hands on his hips, J.W. stared at her with unreadable eyes. “You’re not used to a man like me, and I’m sure as hell not what you need right now. You need a man who’ll handle you with kid gloves, a man who wouldn’t break a sweat during sex. That’s not me. If I took you, it would be raw, hot, and sweaty.”

  Lana squeezed her thighs together against the tingling sensation in her clit and pussy, stunned at the need that just kept growing. She’d never imagined lust could be so all consuming or that it could make it so difficult to think clearly.

  She just knew that she trusted J.W. and wanted him with a passion that wouldn’t be denied.

  She could almost feel his naked body against hers, the heat of it and hard muscle all around her.

  She craved it. She craved the promise of safety and protectiveness she knew she would find in his arms.

  His size and strength should have intimidated her, but she would bet her life that, despite his size, strength, and threat of rough sex, he would be an unforgettable lover.

  She couldn’t do this. She wanted it more than she’d wanted anything in a very long time.

  As much as she wanted him, though, she knew she was out of her element.

  She also worried that he’d be disgusted when he saw her scars.

  Resting his forearm on top of the refrigerator, he eyed her steadily. “Have any of your lovers made you come so many times that you could barely move afterward?”

  He took a step closer and stopped abruptly, his jaw clenching. “Have any of them taken the time to prepare you and fucked you in the ass because they wanted every part of you? Because they wanted to know that nothing was off-limits?” His eyes flared at her gasp. “It’s raw. Primitive. Very intimate. You have to trust your lover completely to let him take you that way.” With a curse, J.W. turned away again, his hands fisted at his sides. “Christ, I want you!”

  Lana’s bottom clenched at the thought of being taken that way by a man as overwhelming as J.W., her entire body trembling harder in reaction.

  She opened her mouth, and the words spilled out before she could stop them, the need for physical contact—the need to feel beautiful again, safe again—overwhelming her.

  “Show me.”

  J.W. whipped around to face her, his eyes flaring with hunger. “With pleasure.”

  With a hand on her bottom and the other at the nape of her neck, he lowered his lips to hers and carried her down a long hallway to his bedroom.

  Lowering her to the bed, he stretched out over her, shoving her dress to her waist and parting her thighs with his own. With a groan, he lifted his head and reached for the lamp on the nightstand, illuminating the room in a soft glow.

  Dizzy, Lana sucked in a breath and clung to him. “Please leave the light off.”

  Holding her face between his hands, he stared down at her with eyes that glittered in the low light. “I want to see you. I want to see all of you. I want you to see how much I want you. I want to see your face when you come.”

  Mesmerized by his low, even tone and the possessive hunger in his eyes, Lana trembled, focusing on his masculine features as he started to undress her.

  Easing her out of her light sweater, he kissed each inch of skin revealed, lifting and moving her in a way that made her feel small and delicate but cherished.

  His gentleness lured her deeper into the seductive web he wove around her while his strength wrapped her in a blanket of security that stripped away her defenses.

  Gasping at the sharp pleasure, but embarrassed when his tongue traced the scar on her neck, she tried to pull away. “J.W., please!”

  Lifting his head, J.W. held on to her wrist, lifting it to his lips as he held her gaze. “Don’t even think about trying to hide anything from me, Lana. I’m not one of your shallow boyfriends who runs at the sight of a tiny scar.” After brushing his lips over the scar on her wrist, he sat back, pulling her onto his thighs with an ease that stunned her.

  “Now, baby. Let me see the rest of you.”

  Stripping her out of the rest of her clothes took less than a minute, leaving her lying naked on the bed with her legs spread by his knees against her inner thighs.

  Sitting back again, he eyed her hungrily, frowning when she covered her breasts. “Get those hands out of the way, or I’ll tie them above your head.”

  Instead of scaring her the way it should have, his threat excited her. Lowering her hands to her sides, Lana held her breath, her heart beating loudly in the intense silence. “You would do that?”

  “Damned right.” Running a hand over her breast, he squeezed lightly, watching her eyes. “And we’d both enjoy it. I told you I’m not one of your citified boyfriends. When you’re in my bed, I want it all.”

  Stunned by his words and the thrill of erotic hunger they inspired, she watched him remove his shirt, gaping at his naked chest. “Damn, you’re beautiful.”

  His lips twitched, his eyes dancing with amusement. “Glad you think so. You’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen, and I want to explore every inch of you.”

  Lana reached up to caress his chest, groaning when he caught her hand in his and pressed it back to the mattress.

  Shaking his head, he leaned over her, bracing a hand on either side of her waist. His eyes narrowed, the hunger and possessiveness in them as they raked over her nakedness making her feel indescribably desired. “Not this time. I want you too much.”

  His voice had become even harsher. Ragged. Sexy. His gaze settled on her breasts. “I want to take my time, and if you touch me, it’ll be over far too soon.”

  Lana’s breath caught when he started to lower his head, a gasp escaping at the feel of his warm breath on her nipple. She jolted, gripping his shoulders with a cry, the sensation so intense it rippled through her, igniting the flames of passion everywhere.

  “You’re so damned little. I’m trying to be gentle, but I want you so damned much. I swear I could eat you alive.” J.W.’s voice had gotten even deeper, his touch firmer, but Lana felt no fear at all.

  Consumed with need, Lana fought to remain still as he lowered his head again, and even though she thought she was prepared for the sensation, she found it even more intense than the first time.

  It felt as if her nipple had been touched by an electric cord, the sensation so sharp she jerked in his arms with a cry, fighting to close her legs against the ribbons of hot sizzles that raced to her clit.

  It was too strong. Too overwhelming.

  The tingling of her clit made it feel swollen and heavy, an amazing sensation that had her writhing beneath him in a struggle for relief.

  J.W. chuckled softly, lifting his head slightly to glance at her. His eyes seemed to dance, his slow smile of satisfaction sending off a barrage of sparks inside her. “If you think I’m letting you close those long legs, you’re sadly mistaken. I’m going to use my mouth on you, and you’re not escaping it until you come. I want the taste of you on my tongue before I take you.”

  Lana clawed at the bedding when he lowered his head again, wondering if anyone in the world had ever said anything so remarkable erotic. In an effort to appear sophisticated and worldly, she struggled to hold back her cries, but nothing in her life had prepared her for the kind of overwhelming hunger.

  Sensation layered over sensation, making it impossible to think.

  Callused hands moving over her.

  Hard muscle against her thighs.

  Firm fingers pressing into her skin.

  Warm, soft lips.

  Hot, demanding tongue.

  Pleasure washed over her, growing steadily as he sucked and licked her nipple, soft strokes of his tongue followed by much firmer ones before he sucked her nipple into his mouth. Soft. Firm. Soft again.

  She felt his gaze often, as though every aspect of her response fascinated him.

>   “Don’t try to hide what you’re feeling from me.” His smile held an intimacy and tenderness that shocked her.

  Delighted her.

  And ripped away the last of her defenses.

  “You’re not very good at it, and your response to my touch pleases me very much. There’s nothing fake about it. Damn, woman, you get to me.” His fingers closed over her other nipple, the dual sensation driving her wild. Lifting his head, he smiled faintly as he switched to the other breast. “Your nipples are very sensitive, aren’t they, baby?” His hand slid down her body, brushing her mound before sliding through her slit, forcing her thighs wider. “You’re soaking wet, darlin’, and I’ve barely touched you. That kind of response makes a man real hungry to explore more.”

  Rocking her hips against the need that continued to grow, Lana cried out again and again, shocked that she couldn’t control her own body.

  Every slide of his hand or brush of his lips emphasized J.W.’s control over her, his knowledge of her body more than a little alarming.

  Every touch increased the sense of intimacy, which proved even more frightening.

  Her stomach muscles quivered beneath his lips as he slid lower, her pussy clenching each time she rocked her hips. The relentless tingling sensation in her clit threatened her sanity and soon had her begging for release.

  “J.W.! Please. I can’t stand it. Oh God! Please. Take me. Take me.”

  She couldn’t believe she begged.

  She couldn’t believe the closeness she felt to him that allowed it.

  Stunned at her ability to trust him so completely, something she never thought she could do again.

  J.W. groaned and, to her surprise, flipped her to her stomach, his hands so firm and yet somehow so gentle.

  The combination drove her wild.

  Covering her body with his, he used his knees to spread hers wide again, sliding his hands down her arms and lifting them over her head before threading her fingers with his own. His lips, warm and firm, closed on her shoulder, his groan rumbling over her skin and making her feel incredibly feminine and wanted.

  “I ache for you, damn it! Do you like knowing that you have this effect on me?”