Page 67 of Cowboy Seeks Husband
“Oysters,” he said, voice husky. “You’ll love them, I promise you. I’d even mind my manners on our date and not stuff my face. I want to make a good impression, after all.”
“So you can get into my pants?”
Walker lifted his head, suddenly dead serious. “So you’ll want to see me again.”
“Okay.” Roan whispered, swaying closer. “Then what?”
“I take you home. I debate whether or not I can get away with kissing you, but I decide against it. It will be so much better after the second date when I take you dancing. There’s this bar where they play a mix of Latin and local music. We’ll get swept away in the heat of it. It’s sensual and intense. Everyone’s hot and the energy in the air tastes like sex. I’ll want to tasteyou.” Walker’s voice dropped to a whisper and he was lost in the moment, almost seeing Roan’s skin glistening with sweat, clothes sticking to his body, narrow hips undulating against him. “It’ll be torture to watch you and feel you and not touch you the way I’m dying to.”
“Jesus,” Roan groaned and jerked back, the spell broken.
“Too much?” Walker whispered.
“No, it’s just…” Roan stepped close again and brought his free hand to Walker’s chest. His pinky slipped between the buttons and touched the center of his breastbone. The point of contact radiated heat all through his chest, down his arms where goosebumps rose, and straight through his stomach into his dick. “I wish that was how we’d met. I wish this wasn’t—”
“A show.”
Roan looked down and nodded. Slowly, Walker trailed his hand up Roan’s arm, over his shoulder and applied some gentle pressure. Roan came easily, stepping up against him, and Walker stared into the night. As they hugged each other tight, the cicadas sang loudly, the night hung close and warm against them, and stars spanned out all the way to the horizon.
With Roan’s breath fanning his neck, Walker wished it could be true too.
And then the camera guy whistled under his breath and said, “The producers are going to love this.”
When Walker andRoan wandered back inside, most of the others had gone to bed already. John hung out on one of the couches, talking to Victor and Peter, but that was it. Most of the crew was gone.
“Night, little lion,” Walker said. Roan began to back away, hands stuffed in the back of his tight jeans. The effect wasn’t lost on Walker.
“Sweet dreams, cowboy,” Roan murmured, grinning, then turned away and took the stairs two at a time.
Walker waved at the others as they called out their goodbyes. He dug his keys out of his pocket and was about to unlock the Ford when he heard suppressed, heated voices. Walker frowned and quietly made his way to the side of the house, where he spotted Ben and Molly stuck in some kind of standoff. Part of him wanted to interfere, but he figured it wasn’t his business, so he went back to his car.
He opened the door, but turned around when footsteps came running up behind him. The porch light had gone out, but Walker recognized Ben’s big body and ever present white T-shirt.
“Hey, where y’at?” Walker asked, slipping into Louisiana slang. “I mean, what’s up?”
“Hey, I’m glad I caught you. I was wondering if we could talk for a second.”
Walker glanced around but Molly was nowhere to be seen. “You okay?”
“Yeah, I—yeah.” Ben ran a hand through his hair and let it fall. He reached out and gently hooked one finger through Walker’s belt loop but wouldn’t look him in the eye. “Do you think we could talk inside for a second? I’m being eaten alive out here.”
Did Ben want to go home during the next horseshoe ceremony or something? Maybe that was what the argument with Molly had been about. “Sure, come on.”
All the lights in the living room had been turned off apart from one small table light in the corner. John and the other guys were nowhere in sight now. Walker reached for one of the big switches, but Ben stopped him.
“What is it?” Walker asked. Ben gripped his hand tighter and stared at their entwined fingers.
“I just wanted to say…” Ben took a deep breath, and his big chest expanded. “I really like you. And I want…I want to kiss you. If that’s okay. I mean… I know you like Roan. It’s pretty obvious. And who wouldn’t? But this is a…a safe place to try it, do you know what I mean?”
“Ben…” Walker began, a little dumbstruck. He wanted to say this wasn’t right, that Ben should wait for a real date and man who really cared about him. But Ben was a grown-up and he could make his own decisions. Walker didn’t really want to kiss Ben, not like he wanted Roan, but he felt for the guy. Still, he hung back.
The decision was taken out of his hands when Ben stepped up, cupped his large hands around Walker’s face and kissed him.
It startled Walker so much he didn’t instantly react. But it felt nice, and Ben was so tentative, he didn’t have the heart to shove him away. He gently touched Ben’s arm when he pulled back a little. Ben moved in again, eyes squeezed closed, tense all over but ready to try again. “Shh,” Walker said against his mouth. “Relax. It’s okay.”
Ben stepped away and still wouldn’t look at him.
“Look, if that still didn’t feel like you were expecting, it doesn’t mean—”
