Smoke. Fire. Cowboy (Cowboys of Nirvana Book 3) by Rhonda Lee Carver Page A

come out of her mouth?
    “Sofie, I—”
    A knock rattled the door. Sofie almost jumped out of her skin. “Who the hell is that?” she mouthed.
    Jared shrugged his shoulder. “Who’s there?” he yelled.
    She sighed, giving him what she hoped was her best pissed expression. “Why did you do that?” she whispered.
    “Uh, I think they would have to know I’m still in here.” He didn’t seem a bit stressed, although he was sitting naked in his bed with used condom wrappers laying everywhere. She was so nervous she could have almost passed out. She gripped the sheet like it was a magical wand and wished she could tap her feet three times and then disappear.
    “Jared? Get your ass up!” It was Maverick calling back through the door.
    Her stomach turned and sweat beaded between her breasts. “Oh shit! Get rid of him.”
    Jared sighed and slid out of bed, not grabbing anything to cover his nudity. The man was too proud! He went to the door, with her gaze following his shapely, horse-riding ass. She guessed if he had it, he should flaunt it. He most certainly had it and more. He looked at her over his shoulder, “You going to just stand there?” he asked.
    “Yes—I mean, no.” She scurried into the bathroom and shut the door. Turning on the light, she caught her fatigued refection in the small mirror above the sink and cringed. Her wild, tangled hair framed her pale face. Her eye makeup was smeared below her eyes. She didn’t even think to wash her face before bed. Really, she hadn’t been thinking about much of anything except how good Jared felt between her legs. How had she fallen asleep? In his cabin! The last thing she remembered was Jared pulling away, dragging her close to his side and a feeling of complete sedation had moved over her.
    She spent the night with a bad boy. Huge mistake, but very satisfying.
    There wasn’t anything she could do to fix it now—but she had to fix herself before someone saw her. Looking over Jared’s small supply of manly products, she found a black fine-toothed combed and, with great effort, forced it through her tangled hair. Content that it wouldn’t get any better, she was glad she no longer looked like she stuck her finger in an electrical outlet. Splashing her face with cold water and wiping the remnants of mascara from under her eyes, she decided she was presentable enough to face the beast.
    She opened the door an inch and listened. Nothing but the rattling sounds of Jared in the tiny kitchen. He was filling the coffee maker with water. She stepped out the rest of the way.
    “Coffee?” he asked.
    “No, I have to go.”
    ****
    Jared swallowed the lump in his throat. “You might wait a bit, until all of the hands are busy before you walk out.”
    “Okay.” She went to the bed and sat on the edge. “What did you tell Maverick?”
    “That I drank too much last night and had a hangover.” He tried not to look at her, but he couldn’t believe how lovely she was. Bright eyes. Rosy cheeks and swollen lips from his kisses last night. His cock stretched behind his zipper, aching for another round.
    “Did he believe you?”
    “Sure.” He couldn’t tell her the truth that Maverick could see straight through the lie. But at least he didn’t ask questions.
    “Thank you,” she said in a soft voice.
    He blinked. “For what?” God he hoped she wasn’t one of those women who thanked him for sex as if it was a present.
    “For not telling the truth.”
    “I wouldn’t do that,” he said a little too quickly. He didn’t bother measuring the coffee granules and dumped them into the filter, hit start and concentrated on Sofie. He needed caffeine, fast. How awkward it should be to have Sofie in his cabin, in his cluttered cabin, but instead it seemed natural. Hunger still pulsed through his body, landing like a solid mass in his groin. And as he’d suspected, she wanted no part of another round. Figured. Didn’t change the fact though that he still wanted her.
    She