Chapter 6
Chapter six
Pretty Little Poison
Cheyenne
Ileaned back against the stucco-sided building and sucked in a lungful of fresh air…
and all but choked on the humidity. Summer in Texas already in full swing and June wasn’t even completely over yet.
It felt like I was wading through hot sauce.
But at least I’d escaped wannabe Morgan Wallen’s unrelenting advances.
If I had to listen to him try any more of his shitty pickup lines on me, I might’ve keeled over and died of disappointment.
Maybe I should just go home… Except the whole reason for coming out tonight was so that I didn’t have to be stuck in my trailer feeling sorry for myself.
Yet, here I was, feeling sorry for myself.
Maybe I should just forget about Maverick.
Maybe there was a reason it hadn’t worked out with him yet. Maybe it never would.
Some things just weren’t meant to be.
“There you are.”
My body seized up, a spark of excitement igniting in my chest at the sound of that familiar voice—deep, smooth as velvet. It made my stomach do little somersaults.
I turned to take him in—from his black cowboy hat down to his black boots. Dear Lord, he was hot. He wore the same usual scowl, the same hooded, closed-off gaze. He always seemed so mysterious. So grumpy.
“Maverick,” I said with a nod, looking forward once more and settling back against the wall.
I let my eyes flutter closed as I feigned disinterest, even as my heart fluttered like it was full of a swarm of butterflies waiting to be released.
The air moved beside me as he settled on my left—close, but not quite touching.
A ripple of desire coursed through me. I didn’t open my eyes though. Not yet. I was still being petty.
The scent of him—tobacco and leather—filled my nose, reminding me of home. My heart panged at that.
“So, I uh…I got a few babies I’m workin’... There’s this one…Blue Zeus, he’s uh, he’s this little blue roan. Cason named him. But uh…”
Why was he talking about horses? I’d hoped that if he ever worked up the nerve to talk to me it would be to flirt…not talk about the babies he was breaking.
I sucked in a deep, sharp breath through my nose, preparing a flippant response, but the moment I glanced over at him, I paused, mouth half open, the words dying on my lips.
His usually guarded gaze was open, earnest, his face holding none of the usual dourness he almost always possessed.
Vulnerability lingered throughout every inch of him.
I blew out the breath I’d been holding, all of the anger leaving me as my heart all but melted. A smile toyed on my lips as I turned to face him, angling myself closer so that my body brushed against his.
He fumbled over his words, his gaze widening—in fear or nervousness, I wasn’t quite sure—for a moment as he noticed my movements, but still he continued on.
Something shifted in him the longer he spoke.
I wouldn’t necessarily call it confidence, but maybe…
certainty. He spoke about the babies he was breaking with a surety and knowledge I could only dream of possessing…
and I’d grown up with horses. But the way he spoke about them…
I’d never seen him talk so much. So animatedly or passionately.
It was cute and innocent and sweet, and it melted me even more.
I hadn’t expected that. Maverick didn’t seem the type to melt your heart.
He was broody and grumpy and closed off, more the kind of guy to break a heart than melt it, but beneath that, I realized, was the sweetest soul.
He reminded me of Ferdinand the bull, who only wanted to sit and smell the flowers.
Only all this cowboy wanted was to talk about horses.
A full-fledged smile spread across my mouth, and I don’t know how or what possessed me, but one minute I stood there, the next, I was leaning up on tiptoe, pressing a quick kiss to his lips.
He all but jumped back, a look of pure bewilderment on his face, those jade eyes flashing with disbelief. “Wh–what’d you do that for?”
I shrugged and smirked, raising a tentative hand and placing it against his chest. His heart thumped beneath my touch—a fast, erratic beat. “You’re cute when you talk so much.”
Something ignited in his gaze, which was sharp and intense as it pegged me in place, but still he made no move toward me.
I bit my lip, my voice dipping low as I asked, “Can I kiss you again, cowboy?”
I almost thought he wouldn’t react. That he’d just stand there and let me flounder again.
Oh no. A rush of disappointment washed over me. Had I gone too far? Scared him off completely?
His hands, calloused and rough, cupped the back of my head and scraped along the small of my back before hooking around my waist, pulling me to him.
His mouth met mine once more, holding a possessive, demanding note to it that had my toes curling in my boots.
When he finally pulled away, both our chests rose and fell in heavy breaths.
He didn’t let go of me, which was more than a bit surprising.
I half expected him to run away already.
In fact, I still half expected it to happen any moment.
“You taste like tobacco and trouble,” I murmured, tilting my chin up to meet his hooded gaze. His hat cast his face in shadow.
He chuckled, tucking a piece of hair behind my ear. “No, you’re the one who’s trouble.”
I grinned, pulling his face down toward mine once more. “I’ll take that as a compliment,” I said against his lips.
He surprised me again, brushing his lips against the corner of my jaw, the words low, husky as he whispered, “Figured you would.”
He claimed my mouth with his, his grip on the back of my head tightening with the slightest pressure as his fingers knotted in my hair. A moan escaped me.
This. This was exactly what I needed. What I’d wanted from the minute I’d met him.
And he sure as hell didn’t disappoint.
I don’t know why I’d expected timidness—okay, scratch that, I knew exactly why I expected that—but I was more than pleasantly surprised when he matched me with a passion I’d only dreamed of.
No, he wasn’t just matching me, he took the damn reins completely as he pressed me back against the wall, his touch, his kisses possessive, hungry, wild.
I liked this side of Maverick.
And I wanted more.
The hand that’d been wrapped around me slid up my waist before brushing along the swell of my breast, finally settling lightly around the side of my neck. A touch that proved Maverick wasn’t as sweet and innocent as he appeared.
As he pulled away, I bit his bottom lip, pegging him in place with a scalding stare.
The look on his face nearly knocked the breath from me. This wasn’t the same man who’d all but trembled in his boots when I’d told him I wanted him. This was a man who knew what he wanted and had no problems doing whatever necessary to get it.
I’d never been more attracted to him.
“Well,” I huffed, my hands resting against the planes of his chest. “Gotta admit, I’m more than a bit surprised at that.”
“Is that a good or bad thing?” Even though that sexy look in his eyes still remained, his voice gave him away. There was a hint of worry laced in his words.
Grabbing a fistful of his shirt, I leaned up once more and kissed him softly. “Don’t worry, Maverick,” I whispered against his lips. “It’s a very good thing.”
He chuckled, low and deep, his light green eyes taking me in. I don’t know what it was about that look, but it filled me with confidence.
One of my hands snaked up his chest to cup the back of his neck, even as his hand clutching my throat drifted down to hook along the curve of my hips. “So, what’dya wanna do?”
The corner of his lips pulled up into a lopsided grin, his light eyes swimming with desire now. Anticipation thrummed through me. Was this really going to happen? Was I finally going to get Maverick all to myself?
“How ‘bout a dance?” he asked, surprising the hell out of me.
It was my turn to frown. Okay, was I in some weird episode of the Twilight Zone? The guy who’d just said he didn’t want to dance earlier now wanted to dance.I studied his face, searching for anything to help me understand the shift in his decision.
“You’re serious?”
He shrugged—his trademark gesture. “You wanna dance, and if I say no, some other guy’s gonna come over and steal you away.”
I highly doubted they’d be able to steal me away, but I didn’t say that. No, I just started counting on my finger.
He frowned. “What are you doin’?”
“I think that’s the longest sentence you’ve strung along all night…that was, what, eighteen words?”
A true, genuine smile pulled on his lips, damn near stopping my heart. Sullen Maverick was hot as fuck, but happy Maverick…he might just be my favorite. “Well, now I ain’t dancin’,” he said with another shrug.
“No!” I pulled him closer to me, a pout drawing on my mouth. “I’m sorry.”
His smile vanished, a seriousness washing over him like a rogue wave. The shift in his demeanor was so quick it left me breathless. He tightened his grip on my waist, his other hand moving to tilt my chin up, forcing me to meet his gaze. “No, I’m the one who’s sorry.”
“For what?” I asked, my heart thumping so hard in my chest I could barely talk, let alone breathe.
“For bein’ an idiot.” He claimed my mouth in another soul-stopping kiss. One that stole the air from my lungs and made my nerves tingle. Dear Lord, if he kissed this good, I could only imagine what else he could do.
“All’s forgiven, cowboy,” I murmured against his lips. “Now let’s go dance.”
He groaned, even as a ghost of a grin warred with the shadows lingering on his face.