14. Cora
fourteen
cora
T he sun’s powerful rays warm my skin as I park Lola behind a line of other cars and make my way up the driveway, gravel crunching beneath my feet. I’m cradling a loaf of warm banana bread in my arms, the only thing I know how to bake. The gooey chocolate chips that I added to the batch on a whim smell decadent, and my mouth waters for a slice. I hope Imogen and her family like it.
Imogen and Cowboy’s house is a refurbished farmhouse that looks straight out of a magazine. Similar to Jack’s house, lush hydrangea bushes in various shades of purple and blue line either side of the front door. The cream colored colonial has a vibrant sky blue door that pops. It’s dreamy, and exactly the type of house that I always imagined I’d have as a little girl.
I catch my reflection in the storm door, and have to admit that I look freaking good today. My jeans are covered in embroidered daisies, a diamond-in-the-rough thrift store find from a few years ago. They hug my ass just right and always give me a confidence boost. A simple black tee and red sneakers tie it all together.
I knock on the door, and moments later Imogen’s husband, Cowboy, opens it wide. He flashes me a friendly smile.
“Hey Cora! Come on in.” He moves to the side and beckons me in with a wave. “Everyone is out back. Follow me.”
He leads me through their spacious living room and down a hallway lined with the most precious family photos of Imogen, Cowboy, and their sweet son Ollie. Cowboy is much taller than I am, so my short legs have to almost jog to keep up. The hallway opens up to a meticulously decorated country chic kitchen.
“Your house is incredible,” I say looking around the space and shamelessly cataloging ideas for my own future home.
“Thanks. This is all Imogen’s doing. I don’t know if she mentioned it, but she went to school for interior design.” It plain to see that this man adores his wife deeply, his pride for her reflected in his kind eyes. “I keep telling her that she should start up her own business, because people around here would hire her instantly.”
“She absolutely should. Her eye for detail is impressive, and there’s a market in this town for sure.” It’s then that I realize that I’m still holding the bread in my hands. “Before I forget, here’s a little thank you to both of you for inviting me over today. It’s chocolate chip banana bread.”
Handing him the loaf, he immediately opens it and takes a chunk off the side, popping it into his mouth.
“Holy crap, that’s good. Thank you for making it, and feel free to send over as many loaves as you want in the future. Imogen is going to love this.” He rips off another chunk and gestures towards the sliding glass door before pulling it open wide. I follow him out to the sounds of multiple people laughing and talking.
Sitting at a large patio table in the shade of an umbrella is Bethany and Imogen. Ollie balances on Imogen’s lap while another group plays an animated game of horseshoes across the lawn.
“Keep an eye on my brother,” Imogen shouts to the group. “He’s a total cheater!”
I try to see the players’ reactions to her teasing, but some of them are obscured by a series of large, puffy flower bushes, so it’s hard to make out just how many people are over there.
Cowboy walks me over to the table, and Imogen’s chair squeaks across the patio when she jumps up to give me a hug. Ollie, still in her arms, joins in on the action, wrapping his arms around my neck as well.
Bethany walks over, pulling me in for another quick hug. “Cora, I’m so glad that you came!”
“Puddin’, you’ve got to try this banana bread that Cora brought over.” Cowboy holds up the piece in his fingers to Imogen’s lips, and she releases a deep moan as she chews.
“Holy shit. You’re gorgeous, funny, and you can bake? I need to introduce you to my brother later. It’s about time he settled down.”
My entire face feels hot.
“I think that’s an excellent idea,” Bethany adds, and the mischievous look on her face has me on high alert. What is she up to?
It’s then I notice a little hand tugging on my shirt. Ollie’s arms are outstretched towards me.
“Excuse me sir, are you trying to ask me to hold you?” I giggle, staring down into his sweet face.
“Cora hold Ollie?” he asks, straining his whole body to get out of his mother’s arms and into mine.
“Well, in that case, I’d love to.”
Imogen kisses the top of Ollie’s messy brown curls before passing him over. Within seconds the sweet boy is snuggled against my chest with his arms wrapped around my neck.
“Someone’s certainly made himself comfortable,” Bethany points out as Ollie continues to burrow into my neck.
“Cora, let’s go watch the horseshoe game and I’ll introduce you to everyone else, especially my brother.”
Bethany smirks again, practically skipping across the yard in front of us. “Yes, you most definitely need to introduce Cora to him.”
We turn right, brushing past a thick, fragrant lilac bush, and a cluster of voices rises ahead. A small group of people stand in a circle, locked in an animated discussion about the rules of the game.
It’s then that I see him, and my mind goes to mush.
Nash Montgomery wears a fitted navy t-shirt that perfectly displays his sun-kissed skin, muscular tattoo-covered arms, and a sinful pair of jeans. His hair is messy, probably from playing, and my fingers immediately itch to run through the strands.
He’s having an animated conversation with Cowboy and another man that I don’t recognize. Nash raises the beer in his hand to his lips and that’s when our eyes meet. A spark of electricity jolts between us.
Imogen walks over to Nash and threads her arm through one of his. “Cora, I want you to meet my brother, Nash. He works with Cowboy over at the firehouse.”
I spot Bethany out of the corner of my eye with her hand covering her mouth.
“Cora and I go way back. Don’t we Honey Bee?” Nash gives me a playful wink and takes another slow sip of his beer, looking amused. Horseshoe comes to an abrupt halt as everyone looks on at our exchange with curiosity.
“Really?” Imogen’s brows furrow, eyes darting between Nash and I. As if struck by lightning, her eyes widen and her enthusiastic gasp startles me. “Wait a minute, this is her ?” she squeals playfully smacking Nash on the arm.
What is she talking about?
My confusion must show on my face, because she quickly clarifies, “Oh, nothing. Nash just mentioned meeting a very pretty redhead recently. That’s all.” Her voice may sound innocent, but what just came out of her mouth is complete bullshit.
Nash’s tanned skin blushes a shade of red, and it oddly makes me feel powerful. Apparently this man has been talking about me to his sister, and he doesn’t look thrilled that she just spilled the beans.
“Okay, nothing to see here folks.” Cowboy opens his arms wide and corales everyone toward horseshoe. “Let’s get back to the game.”
Bethany and Imogen don’t budge an inch. With a loud sigh, Cowboy shakes his head, then strides over and drapes an arm around each of them.
“Come on, you two. You’ve both done enough today.”
Without missing a beat, he gently lifts a now-sleeping Ollie from my arms and steers them away. Both women insist that they have no idea what he’s talking about, but he doesn’t let up.
Nash shakes his head at Imogen. “I apologize for my sister. I swear, she wasn’t raised in a barn.”
My nerves get the better of me now that we’re alone. Why does this feel weird now? We haven’t spoken since he came over to check on me and my thirsty ass threw myself at him.
“Um, hi,” I say.
Then, as if I couldn’t make things more uncomfortable, I wave at him. Yes, I freaking wave. I rarely ever get nervous like this, especially around a man.
Get it together, girl.
“Come with me.” Nash’s hand envelopes mine and leads me behind a row of tall bushes, cutting us off from the rest of the party. He turns quickly, yanking me to him and devouring my mouth. His tongue brushes against my bottom lip and I gladly open for him, letting him take control. It feels so right to be held by him.
The kiss unfortunately winds down, and he presses his forehead to mine. “Hi.”
“Hi,” I reply again, playing with the gray hairs at his temples. “You certainly know how to treat a lady.”
That kiss has me weak at the knees, ready to agree to something crazy, like hiking or voluntarily watching one of those older artsy films that never make any sense to me.
“There’s only one lady I care about right now.” His arms tighten around my waist. “Are you feeling less nervous?”
Oh God, he could tell that I was being weird. I cover my face with both of my hands. “This is so embarrassing.”
“Hey, none of that.” Nash removes my hands from my face and holds them in his. “It was actually refreshing to see you nervous for once. You’re always such a badass.”
He laughs, taking a step back but never letting go of my hands. Then his brows furrow a bit. “By the way, how do you know my sister?”
“Bethany introduced us a little while ago, and we kind of became friends. I had no clue that Imogen was your sister, though.”
My new friend and the guy I’m falling for happen to be siblings. This goes beyond the saying what a small world.
“It all makes sense now. Imogen was trying to fix me up with a new friend she had made.” He points to me, amused. “I’m guessing that was you.”
“And I’m guessing that you’re the brother that I just had to meet.”
Our little bubble is interrupted when Bethany pokes her head around the corner.
“Sorry to intrude, but the food’s ready.” She disappears momentarily, but then reappears. “Can I just say that you two are gorgeous together?” Nash and I stare at her, and she takes the hint. “I’ll be going now.”
Nash pulls me in for one last kiss. “Okay, we better join them before they send Ollie to get us. That boy’s scary strong and isn’t afraid to throw a fit if you don’t do what he wants.”
We walk over and settle in at the long wooden picnic table. Running down the center are large platters of food, pitchers of iced tea and lemonade, and even some desserts. My mouth waters and my stomach growls loudly in anticipation.
“Imogen, everything looks incredible.” I gesture to the spread on the table, in awe of her talent. “You must have spent ages in the kitchen making everything.”
The entire table erupts into laughter. Someone I don’t recognize even wipes tears from their eyes. Nash, who just so happens to be sitting next to me, chokes on his glass of lemonade.
“Are you okay?” I ask, patting his back as he releases a combination of coughing and cackling. Then my eyes travel over each person at the table. “Did I say something wrong?”
“You all are such assholes,” Imogen says, rolling her eyes. She glances over at me, dramatically crossing her arms across her chest. “You didn’t do anything wrong, Cora. These so-called friends of mine are making fun of me.” She looks pointedly around the table. “You see, I can’t cook for shit. If it were up to me, this would be catered. Cowboy does the cooking in our house, and my man could easily run his own restaurant if he wanted to.”
Imogen stands up and walks over to her husband, wrapping her arms around his shoulders from behind. The love between them makes my heart ache for my own love story with someone who accepts me for who I am, someone proud to be by my side.
A strong hand rests on my thigh, gently squeezing and then rubbing slow comforting circles. It startles me at first, but once my mind registers that it’s Nash, I relax.
“You doing okay?” He’s bent close to my ear, whispering for me alone to hear. His body deliciously leans into mine, and I can’t deny that I enjoy having him this close.
I look up at him, his face so close to my own that only a few short inches separate our lips. “I’m having a good time. Your friends and family have been so kind to me.”
My eyes zero in on his lips, and my mind starts racing, wondering what his lips feel like at this very moment.
“Yeah, they’re okay,” he teases, shooting me a wink and a smile that melts my heart. We become lost in our own little world while the rest of the group continues to eat and chat.
“Cora, I was wondering if you’d…” Nash trails off, his face serious. His grip on my thigh tightens slightly.
“Is there room for one more?”
Jack suddenly appears at the end of the table, holding a case of beers up high for everyone to see. His gaze is immediately drawn to Nash and I. The bastard slowly smiles, raising his eyebrows at me as if to say, caught you, Cora .
Bethany rolls her eyes, groaning loudly. “All right, who the hell spilled the beans and told Jack?”
“Awe baby, you know you missed me,” he replies, not missing a beat. He seems to enjoy irritating Bethany a little too much .
I look between the two of them, confusion rising as the seconds tick by. “Anyone care to explain?”
Imogen is the first to speak up. “Don’t mind them. They’ve been bugging the shit out of each other since high school. It’s our very own will they, won’t they. ”
Nash’s hand doesn’t move an inch as he raises his other hand to wave to Jack. “Hey, J! Glad you could make it, man. Make yourself a plate.”
Jack saunters over to our end of the table and of course, sits right across from us. “Don’t mind if I do.”
And I don’t miss the smug look he shoots Bethany, or how she sticks her tongue out at him in return.
* * *
A few hours later, Nash, Bethany, Jack, and I are in the kitchen helping with party clean up. I finish rinsing the last bit of soapy water off a dish and hand it to Cowboy, where he loads it into their overflowing dishwasher.
“Cowboy, do you mind if I ask you a question?” I ask, leaning against the island opposite him. The others are busy entertaining Ollie a few feet away.
“Go for it,” he replies, closing the dishwasher and turning it on. A dull humming noise fills the space.
“I’ve been wondering all day how you got the nickname Cowboy . Is there a story behind it?”
Cowboy’s eyes grow wide, his face flushing a deep scarlet. Oh, there’s definitely a story here, and it’s a juicy one.
He stumbles over his words. “Well, um, you see…”
Nash and Imogen appear next to us. Bethany and Jack trail after Ollie as he wanders off to another part of the house.
“Oh, go ahead. honey. Tell her how you got your nickname,” Imogen says, smirking.
“What’s there to tell?” Nash interjects. “He’s from Texas, so Imogen nicknamed him Cowboy. Everyone calls him that now. I can’t even remember the last time anyone has called you Liam.” He gives Cowboy a confused look, “What’s there to be embarrassed about?”
He must have picked up on how uncomfortable Cowboy looks. There’s now a light sheen of sweat on his forehead.
“I feel like we’re missing something,” I say. My eyes dart between Imogen, who looks like she’s just dying to reveal a secret, and Cowboy, who looks like he’d rather be anywhere else on the planet.
“Cora, how familiar are you with country music?” Imogen’s smirk is now absolutely wicked, and there’s playful mischief in her eyes.
Confused by the question, I reply, “Um, I’m pretty familiar with it, why?”
I glance at Nash, whose eyebrows are drawn together as he looks at his sister, trying to piece together the puzzle.
“There’s this song lyric that I really like,” she says, sauntering over to her husband and wrapping an arm around his waist. “How does it go again? Oh yeah, save a horse, ride a cowboy . Well, I guess you could say that I decided to take the song’s advice. Isn’t that right, honey?”
A lightbulb in my head goes off. Holy fucking shit.
I burst out laughing, gripping the island to hold myself up. My knees wobble like they’re going to give out. It’s official: this woman is my new hero. She has an entire town of people calling her man Cowboy because she likes to ride him. Someone give this woman an award. For what, I have no fucking clue, but she’s earned it.
I’m wheezing as I say, “I knew I liked you.” Pointing towards her before having to wipe tears from my eyes.
“Oh my fucking God, Imogen,” Nash groans, covering his face with both of his hands.
Both Imogen and Cowboy shake with laughter at his horrified response.
“You both let me think it was some ordinary nickname. I wish I could wash my brain out with bleach.” Nash shakes his head, but I can tell that he’s secretly amused and looks like he’s holding back a smile. “There are some things that a man shouldn’t know, and this is definitely one of them.”
After that enlightening conversation, Cowboy and Imogen head off to find Ollie and put him down for the night.
“How are you holding up?” I tease Nash, moving closer towards him now that we’re alone. His strong hands grip my hips and pull me even closer.
“Other than being utterly disgusted by my menace of a sister, this was a fun day. Having you here made it even better.”
His eyes narrowing in on my lips, and I can’t help but lick them in anticipation.
My hands land on his firm chest, and suddenly it’s as if an ice bucket of water pours over my head. I realize that trying to ignore my feelings for Nash isn’t going to work. He’s nothing like anyone I’ve dated in the past. It didn’t matter if they were a man or woman, they just didn’t see the real me. Nash, though?
Fuck, it. It’s time for me to take a chance, to see if he truly wants to let this thing between us grow.
Time to go after what I want. What I actually want. “Nash, ki?—”
Before I can even get the words out, Nash, who must’ve read my mind, presses his lips to mine. My heart stops beating as my brain catches up to the fact that this incredible man is kissing me again.
The kiss is brief, but damn does it make my head spin. Nash’s soft lips pull away all too quickly, and searches my eyes as if to see if I was okay with it. Hell yeah I’m okay with it.
“Cora,” he begins, “I know that you wanted to only be friends, but I’m finding it harder and harder to do that when all I dream about is you.”
His confession should be surprising, but it’s anything but. “I’ve been dreaming about you too,” I admit.
Okay, I’m withholding the fact that in each of my dreams we’re both naked and doing naughty things to each other, but that’s something that can wait for another time.
Loud footsteps alert us of someone coming. I release Nash and take a few steps back, putting space between us. Thank God I did, because everyone walks back into the room at once, eyeing Nash and I suspiciously.
He speaks first, directly to Imogen and Cowboy. “Thanks for hosting this time, guys. Cora and I were just talking about taking a walk on the beach before the sun sets, so we’d better get going.”
“We did?” I stupidly ask, confused. Nash holds his hand out for me, giving me a look that screams just go along with it .
“Oh yeah! Our walk on the beach.” I place my hand in his and he squeezes it gently. “We should totally get going.”
Jack pipes up, “A walk on the beach? Sounds great. Bethany, how about we join these two? I could go for a nice walk about now.” He smirks in my direction.
He’s going to get an earful from me later on.
Bethany elbows him hard in the ribs, causing him to howl in pain.
“What the hell was that for?” Jack clutches his stomach, looking annoyed.
“ We aren’t going to the beach. You are taking me home.” She tugs his arm. “Have fun you two!” she shouts over her shoulder while Jack trails behind her.
“You bring her home at a reasonable time!” He shouts to Nash.
Bethany quickly adds, “Or don’t. Keep her out all night long!”
The front door slams behind them.
Nash takes hold of my hand, interlacing our fingers. “That’s our cue to leave.”
Thank fucking God, I’m craving time alone with him so badly. Now, it’s my turn to drag him out of the house.
“Bye Imogen, bye Cowboy!” I call as Nash chuckles behind me, allowing himself to be led out the door.
Outside, Nash grips my hips again, pulling my back to his front, before hiding us behind his truck. The unmistakable feeling of a rather impressive erection presses into my lower back, my mind conjuring up all of the ways I could make him scream my name.
My core clenches, begging to be filled when his soft lips are on my neck, dropping kisses along the now sensitive skin. His five o’clock shadow tickles with each press of his lips.
I gasp when his teeth gently bite at my earlobe before soothing the skin with his tongue.
“Nash?” I somehow manage to say, even if I’m embarrassingly out of breath, like at any moment I’ll spontaneously combust.
“Yes, Honey Bee?” His voice is a deep growl in my ear, his chest rapidly rising and falling. He’s just as affected as I am.
Screw a walk on the beach. I’m a woman with needs, and it’s time to see if this man is up for the job.
“Take me to your place.”
His breath catches at the blunt request. “My place?”
“I need you. Now.”
Nash releases his grip on me, and panic begins to set in. Did I go too far too fast? Old insecurities start to resurface, and the familiar burn of tears stings my eyes, threatening to escape. Ryan always criticized my more dominant nature in the bedroom, saying it wasn’t how a woman should behave. I always felt dirty for being a sexual person.
I close my eyes. “Nash, forget I said anything,” I say, fighting the urge to sprint in the opposite direction.
“Like hell I will,” he growls.
And in one swift move, he scoops me up and carries me bridal style. I frantically clutch my arms tight around his neck.
“Put me down!” I squeal, giggling. “I’m too heavy!”
Trying to wriggle out of his grasp does nothing. None of my previous partners were ever able to lift me, which was fine, but this feeling is foreign to me.
“Are you calling me weak?” Nash asks, his gaze hot with lust and a newfound sense of urgency. “Because I think that every lucious inch of your curvy body is utter perfection.”
I can’t form words anymore, but my lips can most certainly do other things. I lean in, devouring his mouth with mine, my tongue tracing the seam of his lips in a silent demand for entry. My fingers tangle into his hair, tightening as I tug him closer, closer, closer.
“Cora, we need to stop before I make love to you right on the hood of my truck.” He must sense that his threat only excites me, because he nuzzles against my neck, his warm breath chuckling against my skin. “Let’s get you out of here, Honey Bee, before I horrify my sister’s neighbors.”
He opens his truck’s passenger side door, gently placing me into the passenger seat. It doesn’t escape my notice that he takes his time buckling me in, his fingers grazing my breasts, making my nipples hard and visible through my dress.
Nash drives as if he’s trying to qualify for NASCAR, his tires screeching as he peels into the driveway and parks. Before I can even unbuckle my seatbelt, he’s hopped out and opened my door, reaching for me.
I place my hand on his chest and lean forward. “Eager, are we?” I purr into his ear, causing him to freeze.
His gaze is transfixed on my face, hanging on to every word. He nods his head enthusiastically.
It’s time to test the waters. I slowly run one of my hands down his chest, watching his eyes become feral with need as I reach the waistband of his jeans.
“Do you want me to go further?” I say, keeping my voice a whisper, which forces him to lean closer.
A hungry grunt is his only response, and that’s good enough for me. I pull my hand away and press his chest, forcing space between us.
Nash’s eyes widen, searching mine with uncertainty. “Cora?” he pants, struggling and failing to rein in his desire.
“If you want me to go further, you’re going to have to earn it.”
Without hesitating, Nash pulls me from the truck and throws me over his shoulder. He slams the door shut and strides towards his front door. His fingers firmly grip my ass.
“Challenge accepted.”