Kissed, Spurred, & Valentined (Cowboys of Nirvana Book 4) Read online

  Rational alarms went off inside of her head. She couldn’t sleep with him, not after one dinner. She didn’t want him to think she was a woman who gave herself to any man who tickled her inner need. However, this wasn’t just a tickle. This was an internal fire scorching every part of her.

  Tomorrow would be a whole new day. Six days would go by at the blink of an eye and she planned to take the bull by the horns, or the cowboy by the spurs, and rock his world. She desperately wanted him to put out the flames he’d started within her. The idea excited her. Wild would become her new middle name. When she left next week, she’d definitely leave a few memories neither would ever forget.

  CHAPTER SIX

  MAVERICK CLIMBED OUT of bed, pulled on his jeans, and grabbed a bottle of water. He downed it in one gulp. He wished he could eradicate the need buried in his gut, but until his body got what it craved, there would be no satisfaction. He slid his hand inside of his jeans and adjusted the problem.

  Last night, he’d left Jax at her door, came back to his cabin to crash, and instead, tossed and turned due to a restless mind and a solid cock.

  How in the hell had she embedded herself inside of him so quickly? The unexpected need for her shook him to the tips of his toes and he had no clue where to go from here. Jax was a guest here at Nirvana, not a woman he could take to bed and move on as if nothing happened—as if he hadn’t sampled desire’s greatest gift. And… he hadn’t slept with a woman in two years, and the very thought created an entirely new can of worms. He wasn’t sure sleeping with a woman who affected him as she did was such a grand idea.

  Maverick was in charge. His duties were to keep his brain on track, simple and suddenly so freaking difficult. Since he’d caught a glimpse of Jax standing at the gas pump at the market, his brain had been doing everything but functioning correctly.

  He’d arrived at Nirvana, packing enough baggage to weigh a mule down, and he kept himself at a safe distance from the guests. Ignoring sexual advances. Being a gentleman without giving the wrong impression. Of course, he wasn’t the female guests’ favorite cowboy. He’d never learned the charm like some of the other hands. His was broken from the start. Maybe he just never liked being anything that he wasn’t.

  Scrubbing his jaw, Maverick blew out a long breath. Jax thought he was hiding something under his beard. He chuckled. The growth was getting a little out of hand.

  Tossing his empty bottle into the trash can, he went to his bed, took out the dumbbells from underneath, and started his morning routine. He continued lifting until sweat slicked his body and his arms were numb. Unfortunately, the tension remained.

  He dropped onto his bed, unzipped his jeans, and took his shaft into his palm. Images of Jax invaded his mind and he squirted faster than a teenage boy watching porn for the first time. He grabbed the discarded towel from the chair and cleaned himself off, disappointment combating the adrenaline of release. A man just needed to hold soft curves at times.

  She was supposed to be here for her wedding and probably reeling from the break up. She didn’t seem to be in a sad state of mind, but he didn’t want to take advantage of her vulnerability.

  He looked at the wall calendar spotlighting Harley’s and skimmed the dates. Damn! Today was Valentine’s Day. He’d almost forgotten. If he knew anything about a woman, and he’d like to think he did, they coveted the romantic day like it was a brand new pair of heels. His wife was the same. It was the only day of the year she expected flowers. He didn’t know Jax well, but considering today was supposed to be her day—the whole wedding thing—she deserved more than just a box of candy hearts.

  Could he spend his time catering to Jax’s needs, enjoy her company, and keep his palms off the goods? He was a mature man and it should be simple to remain professional, but when it came to her, professionalism took a detour right out of the equation.

  So, should he stay away? Hell, Cord had volunteered to help out. This would be a great training opportunity for the newest hand because Jax was easy to please. She didn’t make outrageous requests like ice cream at midnight, a dozen different fragranced wax melts, or a fully stocked liquor cabinet.

  Nope. Maverick wasn’t having it. The mere thought of Cord near Jax made his gut clench. Jealousy? No way. Not possible. He’d never been the jealous type. Not even with his wife.

  Damn, bro. You’re fucked.

  There was no ignoring the need burrowed in his body. Maybe instead of ignoring it, he needed to roll with the sensation. Spend time with her. Give her a week worth remembering.

  By the time he walked into staff quarters a half hour later, he’d already convinced himself of a plan to keep Jax happy. Dodge and Jace were sitting at the table digging into cereal and both of their heads came up when Maverick strolled in. Their gazes narrowed. “You look like shit, bro,” Dodge said.

  “And you smell like shit,” Maverick growled the words. He was a bit edgy this morning.

  Dodge laughed. “Glad to see the bubbly Maverick is back in place.”

  Maverick flipped him off, removed his hat, and poured himself a cup of coffee. Leaning against the counter, he looked at the two men through the steam. “Chores done?”

  “Every last strand of hay put in its place and the horses purtied up for nothin’,” Jace said, then shoveled a spoonful of cereal into his mouth. “What’s on the agenda today?”

  “Even though the snow has stopped, it’s nothing but an ice rink out on the land. Take care of the few guests that are here, make sure no one falls and hurts themselves. Offer them the usual complimentary additions and keep them happy. We don’t want anyone to feel holed up in this shit.” Maverick took another sip of the tar-tasting brew, dumped it out, and rinsed his cup.

  “What are your plans today?” Dodge asked.

  Maverick hesitated. “It’s Valentine’s Day.” He pushed himself off the counter and spotted the fresh arrangement of flowers in the vase on the center of the table. “Who got those?”

  “Moon said we needed some color around here.” Dodge chuckled, pushed back in his chair and the legs scraped against the floor. “I don’t mind as long as she doesn’t start spit shining my face clean like my mom used to do.”

  “She’s exactly right. Color is great.” Maverick grabbed the bundle of flowers and shook off the excess water. He noticed that Dodge and Jace were looking at him in confusion. He pulled out two daisies and handed one to each of them.

  “I didn’t think I’d ever receive flowers from you, you considerate bastard.” Jace dramatically blinked his eyes and blew a kiss toward Maverick. “Does this mean we’re dating?”

  “Don’t cream your tightie whities, asshole.” Maverick grabbed a paper towel and wrapped it around the stems to keep from dripping. “We’re going to pull a Ben Kade on the guests.”

  “A Ben Kade?” Dodge scrunched his brows.

  “He always brought the ladies flowers.” Maverick smiled.

  “Did the real Maverick get abducted by aliens last night?” Jace looked up at Maverick in concern.

  “Wasn’t aliens, man. It was a purty blonde with a knockout figure.” Dodge smothered a laugh, then took his bowl to the sink.

  Maverick didn’t respond to the badgering. However, he did stop at the door and smile. “Enjoy your day, fellows.”

  He placed the bouquet on the passenger seat of his truck and eyed it with a grin. This wasn’t like him, not at all. The attraction for Jax wasn’t normal either. He might as well enjoy it. In a week she’d be gone and things would be right back to usual.

  Steering the truck toward the north side of the property, he had to make one more stop before he headed to pick up Jax. He always made it his morning ritual to check on Dade before things got busy. Dade hated being cooped up in the cabin. After the accident, he’d spent a lot of time in the hospital, then recovery. Once he was released, his parents had wanted to take him back to his hometown with them, but Dade wouldn’t hear of it. Chase, feeling like Dade was his responsibility, offered to have him come a
nd stay at Nirvana. The hands had made one of the guest cabins easier for Dade to get around.

  Maverick knocked on the cabin door and Dade’s newest nurse, Sabrina, answered. The twenty-something, short brunette gave him a half-smile. “Hi, Maverick.” She stepped back so he could enter.

  “Dade behaving himself this morning?” Maverick removed his hat and held it against his chest.

  Sabrina sighed. “About the usual. Cantankerous and bitter.”

  “That great, huh?”

  She shrugged. “He’s eating breakfast. While you’re here, do you mind if I take care of a business call?”

  “Sure. I’ll stay for a while. At least till you get back. Maybe it’ll give me a chance to whip him into shape.”

  “Good luck. I won’t take long.” She grabbed her coat from the rack, dragged it on and shut the door behind her.

  Maverick found Dade sitting at the table, his untouched plate sitting in front of him. “You’re the only staff member who refuses to eat Deke’s food.”

  Dade brought his chin around. “I’m the only disabled hand too.” His hair had grown long enough to touch his collar, his beard had gone from stylish to scraggly, and the dark circles under his eyes had become part of his facial features. He’d once been a cheerful, smiling man, but something had happened after he’d come home from rehabilitation. He seemed like he carried the world on his shoulders. Maverick wasn’t sure that being here was helping the man any, not when he couldn’t do what his heart craved—working the land.

  “Bad night?” Pulling out the empty chair, he took a seat, placing his hat on the table.

  “Like any other.” Dade shrugged a thin shoulder.

  “How’s Sabrina working out?”

  His brows pinched together. “Peachy.”

  “Come on, bro, spill the issues,” Maverick urged.

  Another lift of his shoulders, then a deeper slump. “I have a beautiful woman putting her hands on me for all of the wrong reasons.”

  Maverick leaned forward, understanding the pain. “Would you like for me to get Nurse Battleax back? I remember you saying she had the hands of a weightlifter.”

  One corner of Dade’s mouth lifted. “Fuck that. I can take a lot, but having ol’ Battleax trying to bathe me was crossing every sane boundary.”

  “Then Sabrina it is.” Maverick chuckled. “Sounds like a much better plan. Has she tried to wash you yet?”

  Dade shook his head. “Nope. She tells me I’m lazy, throws me a wash cloth, and points to the bathroom.”

  “Is that why you are cantankerous?”

  He was silent for a long moment, as if gathering his wayward thoughts. “I guess I haven’t been myself lately.” He sniffed loudly.

  “Cut yourself some slack. The roughest and toughest of men couldn’t have handled it any better than you have, my man. You’ve got to give yourself some credit where it’s due. Docs said you wouldn’t walk and here you are. It’s not a wheelchair next to your bed, but a walker. How’s that for beating the odds.”

  Dade shifted a glance over his shoulder, then leaned in. “I had a bit of a situation last night.”

  “A situation?”

  “Sabrina was massaging my legs and I…well…had a rise to the occasion.” His eyes glazed.

  “You got a hard on? If you ask me, that’s something to celebrate. All of your parts are working.” Maverick patted him on the shoulder.

  “But she was right there, inches from it,” he said in a lowered voice.

  “Did she run screaming?”

  “No. She smiled.”

  “Sounds like you’re one lucky bastard, my friend.”

  The corners of Dade’s mouth dipped. “I wouldn’t go as far as to say that luck has anything to do with this.”

  Maverick’s gut tightened. “I know this is hard on you, but you’ve got to keep your eyes on the prize. You’re almost there.”

  Dade blew out a long breath and wilted back into the chair. “She must think I’m a total idiot.”

  “Who? Sabrina?”

  He nodded. “Here I am, a crippled, getting hard just from a doggone touch on my legs. Who does that?”

  “A man who hasn’t had sex in a very long time.” Maverick felt sorry for the kid. He wasn’t seasoned like the other hands. Never been a womanizer, and never been in a relationship, not that Maverick knew of. What man didn’t have unexpected pop-ups? Maverick was experienced and still couldn’t control that part of his body when it came to certain circumstances—or a woman, Jax in particular. “Now, quit feeling sorry for yourself and eat your eggs. Don’t make me call your mom.”

  Dade wrinkled his nose. “Don’t even threaten me with that. She’ll be on the next flight out.”

  “She still hounding you to come home?” Maverick remembered how upset Dade’s mother had been with his decision to stay at Nirvana. It’d taken all he had to stand his ground.

  “She forgets I’m an adult.” He took his fork and stabbed some of the scrambled eggs, shoveling them into his mouth.

  “Most parents do forget.”

  Another bite. “So tell me. Who’s Jax?”

  Maverick clenched. “Who’s been talking to you?”

  “You know rumors flow like the river ‘round these parts. Pretty is she?”

  Maverick rubbed his beard. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”

  “Yes, indeed, I would.” Dade finished off the last of the eggs.

  “Then you better get off your ass and start walking.” Maverick laughed, glad to see that Dade did the same.

  The door opened and it was Maverick’s cue to hit the road. He stood, grabbed his hat and stuck it back on his head. “Don’t be giving your nurse a hard time, ya hear?”

  Dade caught the underlying meaning and his cheeks blushed. “And don’t you go falling in love.”

  “No worries on that note, bro. Been there, done that once. One time is all we really get.” After saying enough on the subject, he bid Dade and Sabrina farewell and went to his truck. He’d promised Jax he would be there early to show her around. She should be up by now.

  When he knocked, it came open and she was on the other side, more beautiful than he remembered. She offered him a bright smile that could have lit up the entire ranch, then invited him in. “Sorry, I’m not entirely ready yet. I slept like a baby and only woke up fifteen minutes ago.”

  He stepped in and swept his gaze over her. She still wore her pajama top and bottoms. He wouldn’t have minded staying in and staring at her all day in the cat printed getup. “No problem. It’s early yet.” He pulled the flowers from behind his back and held them out. Her eyes became blue diamonds. So she does like flowers.

  “For me?”

  “Yes, ma’am. Every beautiful woman deserves flowers on Valentine’s Day.”

  “Please tell me you’re not just feeling sorry for me because today was supposed to be my wedding.”

  He liked how she never minced her words. “No, I think you should be celebrating. Apparently you found out, sooner rather than later, that marriage to this city man wouldn’t have worked.”

  “I like the way you think.”

  He shrugged. “I say we spend the day enjoying each other’s company. I might not be your choice of date for today, but I promise to be on my best behavior.” He wagged his brows.

  She laughed and he could never get enough of the melodic sound that triggered all sorts of sensations in his gut. “Then let me put these in some water and I’ll get dressed.”

  “Layers are the best bet, unless you don’t mind frost bite.”

  “Thanks for the advice. Layers it is.” She disappeared into the bathroom.

  He scanned the interior of the room, taking in things he hadn’t really noticed before. The nature art on the walls were done by previous guests who’d stayed at Nirvana. His eyes naturally fell to the unmade bed. The pillow was still sunken in where Jax had laid her pretty head. The impression of her body was left on the luxurious sheets.

  “Finished.” She
swept out of the bathroom, her smile elating his nerve endings. He smoothed his gaze leisurely from her long-sleeved flannel, over her skinny jeans, all the way to the tips of her pink toenails. How was it possible she could look so lovely, so effortlessly? She wasn’t wearing a stitch of makeup except for a layer of tinted lip gloss.

  Her smile grew and so did his body. His zipper stretched and gave the denim a test in durability. Shit! If he got this turned on by simply looking at her, it was bound to be one long, torturous day for parts of his body.

  “Where are you taking me first?” she asked.

  “It’s a surprise.”

  “I love surprises, and you certainly are full of them.” Her eyes twinkled.

  “Then grab your boots, coat, and camera, and let’s be on our way.”

  ****

  Jax looked across the truck seat at Maverick’s profile. Every cell on her body tingled in excitement. One would think she’d never been around a man this good looking before.

  All of her titillated parts shut off oxygen to the most important part of her body, her brain. She’d pretty much decided last night that she’d go with the flow, wherever that took her. And if she hadn’t been more certain last night, she most definitely was today. He’d brought her flowers and a smile that alone could brighten her sour mood. Once he showed up at her door, she’d forgotten all about what’s his name—Taylor…Thomas…oh, Travis.

  Yet this wasn’t a date—or was it? She wasn’t quite sure. Maverick had called it one, but was he teasing her? She smiled. How could it be possible that she met this cowboy, right at the very moment when she needed him most? She touched the beads at her neck and smiled. Was this the door the guru warned her about? This was only a temporary arrangement, so she had to tread carefully.

  She would eventually be leaving. Going back to her life in…