Roping The Virgin (Cowboys & Virgins #2) by Alexa Riley Page A

hit me like a truck loaded down with bricks. Might sound crazy, but it was there and I knew it. One look and I knew she’d be mine. I felt it bone deep, something I’d never felt before in my life.
    The first time I laid eyes on her, she was standing outside the veterinary office in town. I was across the road from her, talking to some tourists and giving them directions, when my eyes landed on her. I stopped mid-sentence and stared at her. When her eyes finally came to mine and she gave me a soft smile, all the air left my lungs. But it was gone as fast as she gave it, and she turned to walk inside the clinic. Since that day, I’ve been trying to get her attention and I’m failing miserably. I’m not used to this. I’m the light-hearted one in the family. The smooth talker. But Luciana wasn’t having any of it. The most I could get out of her were one-word responses, no matter how hard I tried. But I’ve seen her with other people. With everyone else she laughs and smiles. I’ve even seen her giving people some sass. I want that aimed in my direction, but I can’t get it from her. When she sees me coming, a concrete wall falls into place and she does everything she can to avoid me. It’s driving me fucking insane. At first I thought it was cute, but as time goes on, I feel like I’m going to explode from need for her. Like I’m running out of oxygen. If I don’t have her soon, I feel like I’ll die. And I don’t mean beneath me in my bed. Don’t get me wrong, I want that, too, but it’s more than that. I need her. All of her.
    “There are other girls in town, Blake. Plenty who have been trying to get with you for a while,” Ty says, breaking into my thoughts once again. “It’s not like you don’t flirt with everyone.”
    “I don’t flirt. You just think having manners is flirting.”
    Mary-Jane starts to giggle because I’m right. The thought of another woman only pisses me off. I already have one. I’ve had her from the moment I saw her. As far as I’m concerned, she’s the only woman who exists for me.
    I don’t date girls from town. That’s like shitting where you eat, but that rule went out the window with Luciana. None of the rules apply when it comes to her. She’s the one. We aren’t together and I’m already lost for her, thinking about how I’d never let her get away from me. She might not know it yet, but she’s mine and there is no way in hell I’m ever letting her go. Maybe I should stop trying to be the nice guy. Moving in slow and trying to get her attention hasn’t worked. I need another plan. One that works a whole lot faster. Otherwise I’ll up in the loony bin or something. I feel like that’s the direction I’m headed.
    I move towards the kitchen breakfast bar and take a seat, knowing Mary-Jane will make me something to eat for breakfast. God knows I can’t cook to save my life. Dolly, our little sister, will sometimes take pity on me and come over and make me some meals, but she’s been MIA a lot lately. I should probably look into that, make sure she isn’t getting into trouble.
    “Don’t you have some land to tend?” my brother says.
    “There is enough breakfast for everyone,” Mary-Jane says in a chastising tone.
    “He’s not eating what I plan on eating,” Ty growls, and Mary-Jane smacks his chest playfully. He smiles at her and they laugh. The change I’ve seen in my brother is crazy. He hasn’t smiled this much since before we lost our parents and he took over watching out for all of us. Goes to show you what the love of a good woman can do for you.
    “Besides, I’ve got a plan,” Mary-Jane says, looking over her shoulder at me and then back to Ty. “Down.” Ty gives her one last kiss before pulling her from the counter and placing her on her feet.
    “A plan for me?” I question, not sure what she thinks she can do.
    “Yep. I came up with it last night. It’s perfect.” She claps her hands excitedly, her dark curls bouncing with the