Hungry Cowboy Read online

  I went to bed after a second movie and tossed and turned as I thought back to the way that Nick had felt last night. I knew that it wasn’t love, but it didn’t feel like casual sex to me, either. What did I know, though? It was my first time having sex at all, and it wasn’t the situation that I had planned on. I got up early after a restless sleep to work on my project in the quiet house before I showered and got ready for dinner.

  We were the last to arrive and walked into the house where my boisterous family were going on and on about the big win. Nick and Brandon were on the couch telling my Dad all about the plays as his eyes lit up, and it made me smile. He loved football, and he loved his son playing even more. I saw my mother poking her blonde head into the room and smiling my way as she shook her head. “Hello, Mel and Bonnie.” Nick turned to look at me as I waved at everyone and his eyes made my skin heat up as I pushed my hair back. “I love the red, Melissa. It suits you.”

  I thanked her and walked forward as Dad stood to hug me and mess my curls up with his hand as he kissed my cheek. “I heard you were at the big party last night, Mel. How was that? Your mom and I were in bed by ten.”

  “It was so full of celebrities, daddy. Your son and Nick are stars.” I hugged my oldest brother Jimmy and then went to my Mom and held her tightly. We were closer than the others, and I adored her. I longed to tell her about Nick and my skin burned as I felt his eyes on me again. I’d picked my worn skinny jeans with him in mind and topped them off with a purple burnout t-shirt with a thin camisole underneath. “Hi, mama. How are you?”

  “I am so proud right now.” She beamed with her bright smile. “My babies are doing so well, and we’re all together tonight. I couldn’t be any happier right now.” My brother Jimmy had been promoted to partner at the law firm that he’d worked at for ten years, and he had finally decided to start a family with his wife of five years, since Riley could stay at home now comfortably with the new income.

  “The boys are doing well. I am still in school,” I smiled at her, and she ran her hands through my hair as she shook her head.

  “Don’t be silly. You’re talented, sweetheart. Your turn is next.” Mama hugged Bonnie as she approached and greeted her. “I am so proud of Nick, honey. Your mama would be too.” I squeezed Bonnie’s shoulder at the mention of her mother. She smiled.

  “I know she would be. Nick is doing so well, and I’m beyond proud.” She was so good at looking at the bright side, and I wondered how she’d handle hearing about her brother and me. “Can I help with anything? It's sports talk central in there.” The two of us helped mama cut up vegetables and marinate them while the chicken was cooking on the grill. We also made a salad filled with fresh veggies and prepared a pot to boil some corn on the cob. Riley got in just as we were finishing with her delicious cheesecakes and we all hugged her before we put them into the fridge.

  “I am so happy for Jimmy!” I told her, and she grinned and nodded.

  “He’s worked so hard. I know that his hours might be awful sometimes, but I can deal with it and take care of him.” The cute brunette smiled, and her blue eyes twinkled as she looked at us. “I’ll be busy once he knocks me up.”

  Mama clapped her hands together, and we all laughed at her as Riley went to get Jimmy. He was the man who grilled in the family, and I noticed that when Brandon and daddy joined him to walk out to the backyard, Nick remained seated. He met my gaze and I licked my lips as he clenched his hands. “Did you get that pig sty cleaned up?” Bonnie teased him, as she went to sit down on the couch next to him.

  “We got her out there yesterday. It’s good as new,” Nick replied, as he messed up her straight, dark hair with his hand. “Good timing, too. Hell starts next week.”

  “It’s that coach that got you through the season, goof. He knew what to do with you guys,” Bonnie reminded him, as he laughed and looked around the room.

  “True. I am just glad we get a chance. I have dreamed of this since I was a kid. It’s all that Bran and I talked about, and to be here together is better than anything.” Nick smiled and gave me a curious look as I seated myself across from him. He took a sip of his beer, and I watched as he swallowed it before I forced my gaze away.

  It took everything that I had not to crawl into his lap and kiss him. I forced myself to stay still and listened to the conversation until Brandon walked in to get the chicken and peered into the living room. “Come on out, Nick. There’s more beer out here.”

  “Be right there,” Nick answered, as Brandon disappeared. “Guess I should go make sure that Jimmy doesn’t burn dinner.” We all knew that my brother could handle a grill better than any of us and laughed as Nick walked through the kitchen to join the men in the back. I watched him before I looked back at mama as she started asking Riley about babies. I thanked my lucky stars that I wasn’t there yet in life. I still needed to finish school.

  We ended up eating outside about an hour later, and the conversation flowed smoothly as it typically did. We were all close, and I sipped wine as I laughed at the topics that everyone chose. My family was so outgoing and fun, and I was glad that they’d adopted Nick and Bonnie so quickly. We were eating outside at the big patio table since it was a relatively nice day, and I went in to get a new bottle of wine once we realized that some glasses were empty. I stepped into the empty kitchen and reached into the fridge when I heard footsteps behind me. I jumped as I felt a hand on my hip, and then Nick spoke to me. “It’s just me. I had to use the bathroom.”

  “Did you?” I had the heavy bottle in my hand, and I stared into his eyes as I straightened up.

  “Did you think about it?” His voice sounded like he’d been thinking as hard about it as I was. “I didn’t sleep well after we talked.”

  “I was restless too,” I admitted, as he searched my face. “I want to try. I can’t stay away from you, Nick.” He grinned and took the bottle to set it down before he pulled me into the living room and down the hallway. I was glad that I wasn’t wearing lipstick as he pressed me against the wall and kissed me hungrily.

  “Thank you. I’ll do the best I can with what I have to give.” We kissed for a few minutes before we heard someone calling our names and I wiped my mouth and walked into the kitchen.

  “There you are.” Mama was pulling out the cheesecakes and glanced at the wine. “What happened?”

  “Nick reminded me that I had to use the bathroom as well,” I took the bottle of wine and grabbed some plates from the cupboard to follow her outside. Nick joined us as we were passing around dessert and as he took his seat next to Brandon he shot me a look across the table. He had been gone for a while, and I wondered what he had been doing back there, since I was aroused at just the kiss that we shared. I’d never been the sex toy type, but that might change very soon.

  We ended the night close to ten, and everyone hugged goodbye as we wandered to our cars. Nick held me a little longer, and I breathed him in as I let my hands stay around his neck for as long as I dared. Bonnie led the way to my car, and I found myself unable to wait for the next time that we could be together.

  Chapter Five

  School kicked in hard the next day, and I fell back into a routine quickly. I spent days at school and evenings working as I passed the time between the texts and calls that I got from Nick. The first time we managed to sneak away was the following Friday, and he gave me a hotel room number to meet him in. Nick told me that he wanted to fuck me properly and to be ready for him. He’d been putting in long days at practice, and I knew he was tired, but I agreed to meet him. I dressed in a short gray skirt and a sweater with some tights and boots. I told Bonnie that I was meeting some other students to work on a project and started my car with a big smile. I couldn’t wait to see Nick again.

  The hotel was beautiful, one of the boutique style ones in town. I parked in the garage and walked inside with a quick glance around to see that nobody was looking at me. The red hair seemed a bit bright as I walked through the lobby and to the elevators to head u
p to the third floor. I stepped inside the elevator with a couple that was young and holding hands as they gazed into each other’s eyes. It was sweet, and I pictured a future where I could act like that with Nick, but this was sex for now.

  I tapped on the door that boasted the number that he’d given me, and Nick opened the heavy white door with a smile. “Hi, Mel. I got us some room service.” He allowed me in, and I looked around the beautiful suite with a gasp. It had a king sized bed and a gorgeous balcony, and there was a tray of food in the center of the room.

  “This is so nice,” I told him, as he stalked across the room towards me.

  “I want you to have the best, Mel.” His lips claimed mine as he tugged me against him hard and I slipped my arms around his neck. Our lips were rough as we kissed and made up for the time apart, and I slid my tongue into his mouth to meet his as I moaned. He pushed me to the bed and down onto the mattress before he kneeled before me and started to remove my boots and tights. His hands pushed up my skirt and traced my bare pussy with a groan of satisfaction before he leaned in to taste me. “I’ve thought about this all week. I want to jerk off every night in bed thinking about you.” He licked me and parted my folds to find my sensitive clit as I shuddered.

  Nick was perfect, and he mixed it up a bit to bring me close to the edge before he backed off and slowed down. He seemed to get off on my begging as I pulled his head closer to me, and he drew me between his lips as I cried out his name. Nick focused on my clit as he slipped a finger inside of me and pressed it deep inside.

  I came hard, and my eyes blurred for a minute as I dropped back onto the bed and let it pass. Nick was ripping off his shirt and dropping to his jeans when I was recovering, and he moved over my body and kissed me with my taste still on his lips. “Take your sweater off for me. I need to feel you, Mel.” I complied, and he kissed my nipples through my bra before he tugged it off.

  His lips kissed and pulled at me as I held him close and moaned his name. Nick had me pleading with him before he sheathed himself with a condom and slid hard inside of me. I grunted as he moved clumsily for a moment before we found our rhythm and rocked together. After I had come, he flipped me over and took me from behind until he was crying out my name and thrusting hard against my ass. We dropped onto the bed and relaxed until we got up to eat dinner naked at the small table in the room.

  We returned to the bed, and he took me a couple of more times before we dozed in each other’s arms until we had to leave. We kissed as we dressed and I felt something in me breaking as I realized that I had no idea when we would do this again. I wanted him every night, and I wanted to fall asleep in his arms, and I left with my shoulders slumped as I returned to the apartment. Bonnie was already sleep, and I poured myself some wine and sat down on the couch as I felt the ache between my thighs. We’d spent a matter of hours together, and I knew that my feelings were deepening.

  I focused on school and my part time job as well as hanging out with Bonnie. Her hockey player had called, and she was spending time with him now, so I ended up being alone a lot. That led to our next tryst being in my bed, when I informed Nick that Bonnie was away for the weekend. Cory wanted to show her around Colorado, and she instantly agreed.

  Nick stripped me down quickly in my room and pulled me into his lap on the bed as he kissed me. He was hard, and I rolled the condom onto him before I speared myself over his cock and started to ride him on my bed. It was intense, and I was shaking soon as I came on him and he pushed me onto my back and finished himself off with my feet on his shoulders. We stayed there and did it again before he rolled beside me and slipped his arm over my stomach. “If you don’t think Bran would come by for any reason, I can stay here tonight. We have tomorrow morning off, and he’ll think I’m with a girl already.”

  “He doesn’t usually surprise me, and I know that Bonnie will be gone,” I murmured. I sensed him frowning beside me. I looked, and sure enough, he was. “She’s a big girl, Nick.”

  “I don’t know if I like that guy. I’ve heard things.” I raised an eyebrow at him, and he stared at me. “What?”

  “Have you looked yourself up online recently? I don’t even want to ask if any of that is true. I might second guess this decision,” I murmured, as something painful crossed his face.

  “Very little of it is, I have no kids that I have been told about, and I’m careful not to do that. I’m not ready.” Nick dropped onto a pillow and stroked my skin. “You know that I hooked up with some bad women, and I won’t hide that. I’m not proud of myself for that, but I moved past it. I did some stupid things when I started with the NFL.” He stared into my eyes. “What else do you want to know?”

  “Did you get arrested for a DUI?” He rolled his eyes.

  “I partied a lot. I won’t deny that, but I had money and took cabs or got rides from people. I only drove that way a few times, and I stopped when I realized how dangerous it was.” He seemed to be open about what I was asking.

  “Why the coach’s daughter after the big game, Nick? You knew that would piss people off, right?” I asked, and he shrugged.

  “I was drunk and feeling sad, like I was the night of the party. I didn’t consider who she was when I left with her, and I was as surprised as anyone else when I found out. I think that got me thinking a lot, because it really shook the team up.” Nick had been photographed with the pretty daughter of the rival coach the evening of a game and nearly lost his position on the team. It was a big deal, and my whole family was on him about that decision. “I started to change around then and kept my antics off the radar.”

  “Lara was not well-known, I gather?” I questioned, and he rested his head against the pillow.

  “You weren’t supposed to be there when she left that way. I was so upset when I saw you sitting there, and I debated between staying in the cottage until you left. That or taking you right in that chair with the way that you looked that night.” He grinned at me. “That was a great night,”

  “This isn’t?” We moved closer together, and I kissed him. He took me again on my back as he stared into my eyes and made me come again.

  “I would like you to go on some birth control, Mel. I want to feel you, and like I said, I’m clean. I’ll show you a test if you want me to,” Nick told me, as I watched him roll onto his back.

  “You really are just with me?” I was nearly sure that he was, but there was a part of me that kept going back to his old ways in my head. I didn’t think he could be with one woman, particularly since we didn’t see each other all of the time.

  “Yes, I am just with you. I am happy with this.” He took my hand and lifted it into the air as he stared at it. “Are you?”

  “Yes.” I watched him for a moment as he stared at our joined hands for a long moment. “I wish that we saw each other more is all.”

  “I’m sorry. I am just so busy right now. After the season ends, we’ll have a lot more time to spend together.” I looked at him. Did he mean that we would become more or still hide this?

  I hated that I was falling harder for him. I hated that I couldn’t just keep this casual and at a level of sex only. Part of me hated that I’d given in to this idea at all.

  We watched a movie in bed before he fell asleep on my pillow with his arm around me. Had Nick ever fallen asleep with a women like this? Did he stay with them or leave in the past? I knew the media reports, but according to him, that was just talk.

  I woke up in the morning to a text from Brandon. He said that Nick hadn’t come home last night and wondered if I’d join him for breakfast. I sat up and tried to decide what to do. Should I wake Nick up and act like I’d heard from him in enough time to invite him?

  I heard his phone and nibbled on my lip before I reached over for it. I just needed to know if it was my brother and that was it. Nick didn’t lock his screen, so I felt better about that as I checked to see his text and realized that one was from Brandon, but there were several others from other numbers. I only clicked on Brandon’s,
and it was asking where Nick was.

  I went into the bathroom to use it and think about my answer, then returned to my phone. I asked where Brandon wanted me to meet him, since we lived far enough from the city to justify that response. Once he responded with the name of a quaint little coffee shop, I told him that I was going to take a quick shower and that I’d be there in half an hour.

  I stood under the water and washed my hair and the scent of Nick off of my skin. I realized how secret this was when I was covering every trace of us, and I frowned as I shut the water off. When I left the bathroom dressed in some shorts and a long green t-shirt, Nick was looking over at me. “Headed somewhere?”

  “Bran sent me a text about breakfast. He couldn’t find you.” Nick grabbed his phone and checked his messages and glanced at the clock.

  “Shit. Want me to text him and tell him that I’ll meet up with you guys?”

  “I mean…if you want to. I’ll be back soon if you want to relax.” Nick stood and looked around the floor for his jeans before he pulled them on over his bare skin.

  “No. Go ahead, I guess. Melissa?” I glanced at him before he stepped forward and pressed his lips to mine. “I loved spending the night with you.”

  “I loved you being here.” Our eyes locked and I felt something strong pass between us as he took a slow breath.

  “I’ll text him; I’ll be there soon.” I nodded and left the house to go to my car. It felt odd leaving without him since we were already so close, just not enough to justify arriving together.

  Chapter Six

  Brandon and I were seated and sipping coffee when the door opened, and Nick looked around. “He’s been staying home so much, alone. I guess he found someone new,” Brandon noted, and I nodded and stirred the hot liquid. “At least he’s calmed down some with all of the focus on the team.”