Anything for a Cowboy

Aeryn bit back a groan, fighting temptation.

"Maybe you should let me go." she said shakily.

"I would, but I know I'd just be delaying the inevitable. There's chemistry here, Darlin'. I don't think I'll be able to live in the same house without having you."

Oh boy.

She was on the brink of accepting when a wave of dizziness hit.

Wyatt noticed it immediately and reluctantly put her down. He thrust the water at her and watched as she chugged it.

"You can't tonight." he said, refilling her glass. "You're wiped out, I'm sorry."

"So am I." she muttered.

Aeryn hadn't felt this awkward since she'd caught her brother en flagrant delicto with her best friend.

In order to escape the uncomfortable situation, she grabbed the water from him, mumbled a good night and made a beeline for her room.

"It's going to happen, Aeryn." he said from her doorway.

Aeryn didn't expect him to follow her, and she jumped at the sound of his voice.

"I don't believe in inevitability, Wyatt." she said, some of her bravado returning. "But I am tempted; I'll give you that."

"You're more than tempted, honey." he drawled.

"And you're arrogant."

"I ain't denying it." he smiled.

Her words were all brass, but she was shaking, and not in fear. He walked into her room, and as her eyes widened, he simply grabbed her hand and kissed it. "Good night, Aeryn, and good luck gettin' to sleep."

With those words, he turned and walked out, knowing that he was going to spend a very uncomfortable night, alone.

***

Wyatt awoke to the scent of something heavenly. With a frown, he threw on a pair of jeans and made his way to the kitchen.

"Good morning, sunshine!" Aeryn said brightly. "I found some stuff in your fridge and decided to make you breakfast."

Her eyes moved to his naked chest and widened.

She swallowed slowly but her hand never wavered from the pan she was tending.

Despite his irritation at her chipper mood, he admired her for it, and felt more than a little vain from the way she was ogling him.

"I normally take my breakfast in the cookhouse with other hands, and you should be resting." he said irritably.

"I'll go back to bed." she said with a shrug, filling a plate with a generous helping of eggs, hash browns, and bacon.

"What's this for?"

"You saved my life, and I always repay my debts. Eat!" she barked, thumping the plate down in front of him.

Wyatt wasn't used to being ordered around, especially at 4:30 in the morning, but he yanked the fork from her proffered hand and dug in.

Wyatt dropped the fork and stared at her.

"What?!" she demanded, looking up from her food.

"You can cook." he said.

"And?"

"I thought city girls didn't cook."

"My mother would smack you upside the head if she heard you right now."

In spite of himself, Wyatt chuckled.

"Sounds like my Momma."

Aeryn waved her fork around, frowning.

"You know, for someone that has to be up at this God forsaken hour every morning, you're no morning person."

"And apparently you are." he grumbled.

Aeryn smiled at that, her full lips curving.

Wyatt smiled back.

Their eyes met across the table, and an adorable blush bloomed across her face.

"I'd better get back to bed." she said, tossing back her orange juice and dumping her dishes in the sink. "Enjoy your breakfast!"

Wyatt was grinning now.

"I'll get one of my boys to get your stuff and have the garage tow your car."

"Thanks!" she yelled.

He heard the unmistakeable thump of her running feet as she ran to her room and slammed the door.

***

It had been a hard day at the Ranch.

They'd nearly lost five head of cattle on a regular feeding run, and a fight had broken out between a couple of men over a girl. Right now, all he could think about was a hot meal, a hot shower, and a couple of hours of good, sweaty sex to ease his aching muscles.

He was guessing, given Aeryn's show of spunk that morning that she was already wandering around, getting herself into trouble, which meant that she was all better. He was just entering the cookhouse when he heard the unmistakeable sound of female laughter.

"You mean he's the reason you bumped your head?"

That was Irene, his cook.

She was five foot four, two hundred pounds of Native American beauty, and she could make a chilli that burned the whiskers off your face.

"Yeah, not exactly a high point in my life."

And that was Aeryn; that sassy, sarcastic voice was beginning to imprint itself on his memory.

She entered the room wearing skin tight torn jeans and a baggy t-shirt liberally splattered with food.

"Woo-ee, who's the new filly?" his men were asking.

"The writer." she said, hauling a pot of chilli wider than she was.

Tiny as she was, she got it on the table without spilling a drop.

"You don't look like a writer." said Allen, his second in a command.

"Why? What do writers look like?" she frowned, a challenge in her sparkling eyes.

"Old!" one of his hands said.

"And male." said another.

"And ugly!" said a third.

"You're none of those things." Allen finished, his white teeth flashing against his ebony skin.

"Yeah." said Robby, one of his younger hands. "You look more like a ten year old boy with tits."

Wyatt and Aeryn glared at him, and he sunk lower down in his seat.

"A ranch ain't no place for a woman." one of his older hands grumbled.

Her smile faded.

"Especially a city woman." said another, glaring at her beneath the rim of his hat.

"I won't be in anyone's way." she said defensively.

"That's what they all say, but the next you know it we'll all be drinkin' fancy coffee and lettin' her drive the truck."

Aeryn didn't flinch at that.

Wyatt shot them a warning look. Before he could open his mouth, Irene ran out of the kitchen and cuffed both men firmly on the back of the head.

"Leave the girl alone!" she bellowed. "She's good in the kitchen and Wyatt won't hire more help!"

Laughter broke out all around the table and Aeryn surprised them by grinning smugly in return. Just like that, a potentially problematic situation was resolved.

She helped Irene bring the food to table and they all sat down to eat with easy camaraderie. As far as his men were concerned, if Irene liked her, how bad could she be?

After supper, his men broke out the cards, and with a smile, Aeryn broke out her money.

"Who wants to clean out the city girl?" she asked innocently, laying fifty bucks on the table. The guys normally played for fivers, but she pouted those sin inspired lips, and batted her eyes in a way that screamed feminine naiveté.

With a laugh, the men dealt her a hand.

"I wouldn't do that." Allen said quietly. "She has the look of a ringer."

Wyatt didn't doubt it for a second, for he knew false innocence when he saw it. He indulged his men by playing out a few hands, and then respectfully sat out the rest, wanting to watch his new roommate.

For an hour, he sat at the table watching her deliberately lose hand after hand until she had only five bucks left. She was the consummate actress, pouting at the cards, and letting her face fall when she lost, accepting sympathetic pats on the back and the condescending comments about her abilities.

Then she got down to business.

Without dropping her I don't know anything about poker routine, Aeryn began winning...

And winning, and winning...

By the time Wyatt put a stop to the game, she'd managed win back all her money, and cleaned out a couple players.

It was one of the most impressive acts he'd ever seen, and it had taken a lot of self control not to grin as he watched her.

After the game, some of the men opted to turn in; others headed home, and still more wanted to make the forty five minute drive to the nearest bar.

"You wanna join us, Aeryn?" asked Robby.

Wyatt sent him an angry look, all but grunting at the younger man. In response, Robby blushed beneath his tan and tugged nervously at his collar. He knew that look, and didn't feel like facing his boss in a fist fight. Wyatt in turn, knew he was being a jealous baboon, but as far he was concerned, until he had Aeryn under him, no one would, especially not a twenty year old kid.

"She's had enough for tonight." he said. "When I found her she was half dead, and she needs to rest."

"I'm fine, really—" she began.

"No you're not. I'm the doctor and I say you need to get to bed, now!"

Aeryn didn't like being ordered around, and his possessive tone instantly put her back up.

"And I say you're being an asshole!"

A muffled hush filled the room.

"I'm in charge here, Darlin'." he said slowly, his eyes narrowing. "You wanna do this the easy way, or the hard way?"

Aeryn tensed, her eyes flashing with temper. Her hand formed a fist at her side.

"Try it and you will rue the day you were born male." she said slowly.

She moved to strike him, but he was fast and she was over his shoulder in a flash.

"Have fun!" he said to his men, heading towards his house while Aeryn cursed and vowed vengeance.

"You son of bitch! I will kill you! I'll tear the meat from your bones and eat it like a fucking steak!"

"Keep talking, darlin'. It's turning me on."

Aeryn screeched with outrage and slapped his ass. Wyatt slapped hers right back, and then smoothed his hand over her, easing away the sting.

"You watch your hands, Cowboy." she hissed, trying to ignore that same hand now working its way down her thigh as he hauled her into the house and dragged her down the hall to the bathroom. She kicked and cursed, trying to wriggle out of his grasp as he turned on the shower and adjusted the spray.

"What the hell are you doing?" she demanded.

"I've been working my ass off all day, Aeryn. I'm exhausted and I need a shower."

Aeryn stilled in his arms.

"Fine." she said. "I'll go to bed and give you some privacy."

In response, Wyatt set her down in the shower fully clothed. While she cursed and sputtered, he unbuttoned his shirt and then sat on the toilet to pull off his boots.

"What are you doing?!" she asked in a panic, now oblivious to the water.

"I'm taking a shower, and unless you can admit right now that you don't want me, you're taking it with me."

Aeryn swallowed slowly as Wyatt reached for his belt buckle. She was soaked to the skin, and still vaguely pissed at him for hauling her out of the cookhouse caveman style.

She'd known her answer last night when she'd seen him ride in looking like some fabulous mirage.

Without a word, she toed off her shoes and tossed them, with her T-shirt, on the bathroom floor.

Wyatt licked his lips, shucking his jeans and boxers in one fell swoop.

Aeryn blew out a breath; he was already hard... and huge, frighteningly huge. Her mouth went dry and her hands were shaking as she undid her jeans and slowly peeled them off.

"Everything." Wyatt murmured.

"What?"

"Take everything off. I've been dreaming about that sweet ass of yours since I first saw it sticking out the front end of your car."

Aeryn closed her eyes, breathing heavily as she peeled off her glasses and she reached behind to undo the clasp of her bra. As she pulled down her panties, she felt Wyatt enter the shower behind her and shut it around them. Steam wafted around her, and as she tried to turn towards him, he stilled her by placing those broad hands at her shoulders.

"Put your hands on the wall." he said, trailing his tongue up the side of her neck before taking a bite of her earlobe.

Though the water was hot, goose bumps pebbled her skin as she moved to obey him.

He slid a strong thigh between hers, spreading her legs.

His lips were at her ear, his voice a torture in and of itself.

"Since I heard you in the shower last night, it's all I can think about. Tell me, Aeryn, when you make yourself come, do you touch yourself here?" his calloused fingers slid between her thighs, easing between the lips to tease her clit with slow maddening circles. "Or do you reach deep, like this?" Two fingers slid deep inside her, massaging her g-spot with merciless pressure.

Her sanity was holding on by a thread, so all she could do was arch her back and whimper.

"What was that, Aeryn? I can't hear you." he said calmly, moving his fingers slowly in and out of her clasping body. "Tell me." he commanded, rubbing her harder, "tell me how you make yourself come."

Aeryn tried to hold it back. She wasn't talkative in bed, and always felt a little embarrassed by guys who did... but this was different. As her teeth sank into her lower lip, he rubbed slowly, until her eyes rolled back in her head, and the words were forced from her.

"Fingers." she moaned helplessly, moving her hips to match his rhythm. "Fingers on my clit."

Against her ass, she felt his cock harden even further.

"Do you touch your breasts?"

"Yes." she breathed, feeling his free hand slide up her stomach, towards the mounds now tight and aching for his touch.

"How?"

"What?" he was rubbing her stomach up and down, moving inexorably closer to her breasts, scattering her thoughts in a million directions.

"How do you touch your breasts? Tell me." he drawled.

"I--." Aeryn swallowed slowly. "I rub my hands over them, palms teasing the tips."

"Like this?" his free hand slid upward, calloused palm gently rubbing her nipple. As he moved, his other hand maintained the relentless assault on her g-spot, until her legs were shaking and only his thigh between hers kept her from collapsing.

"Yes." she breathed.

Aeryn was moaning, whimpering; for the first time in her life, she was ready to beg.

"Do you want to come now?"

"Yes, please dear god yes!"

Behind her, she heard Wyatt's pained chuckle.

"Too bad..." he said, withdrawing his fingers.

Aeryn was ready to panic.

"You can't do this to me! You can't tease me crazy and just stop—!"

"Yes I can."

"Why?"

"Because I only met you last night and I've been painfully hard ever since."

Aeryn shuddered, her head rolling back against his shoulder.

"This is payback, Aeryn." he said huskily, his lips against her cheek.

"What do you want from me?" she said at last.

"All of you, tonight." he whispered back, and then his hands were on her hips and he was sliding inside her.

Wyatt gritted his teeth.

She was very wet, he'd made damn certain of that, but she was also tight, like she hadn't been with a man in ages. As he slid all the way in, his eyes nearly crossed with pleasure. She was, he thought hazily, a perfect fit: tight and slick, and grabbing him with muscles shaking with the need for release.

"Oh Christ." she hissed, her fists clenching against the wall. Her back arched, and over her shoulder he saw the expression of tortured ecstasy.

"You need release, don't you?" he breathed moving his hands over her breasts, her belly. She had the softest skin.

"Yes."

"Then come."

To his surprise, Aeryn's body stiffened and shot forward. A tiny scream escaped her lips as her control snapped, and she moved her hips violently against him as she came, her pussy contracting around his cock.

It was all his self control could take.

With a growl he placed his hands over hers and thrust violently, until he heard her scream, her orgasm tearing through her with every gasping breath. But it wasn't enough, Wyatt had to have more. With that thought, he brought one hand to her breast, pinching her nipples. With the other, his fingers found her clit, rubbing in time with his thrusts. She came again, screaming even louder, shaking against him, her body milking him with every violent spasm.

It was too much.

With a groan he grabbed her hips and thrust harder and deeper until his world disappeared and he came.

***

What the hell do you say someone who just gave you the best sex of your life?

Thanks?

This was fun?

Aeryn had no idea.

She was still in the shower with Wyatt, and the water had gone cold. Her throat was sore from screaming, and she probably wouldn't sit right for days, but she felt incredible.

Every muscle was relaxed, and she had to resist giggling like an idiot.

Then she realised she hated cold showers, and despite the sex glow, she was starting to shiver.

Wyatt noticed immediately and carefully withdrew.

"Hang on, honey. You need to rinse off, and I need to finish my shower."

That was as clear a dismissal as she was going to get, so she rinsed off quickly and got out of the shower.

"I'll let you finish." she said awkwardly, and grabbing a towel off the rack, she made a beeline for her room.

Behind her, she heard Wyatt curse.

Aeryn made it as far as her room and was smoothing lotion into her skin when her door burst open. There Wyatt stood, in all his muscled glory, wearing nothing but a towel.

Aeryn immediately grabbed her towel and wrapped it around herself.

"Why did you run?" he asked softly.

"I thought we were done." she said uneasily.

He looked delicious.

Despite her better judgement, her mouth watered and her nipples tightened beneath the towel.

"What made you think that?" he drawled.

His voice had a dangerous edge to it, and the very sound put her system on high alert.

Aeryn swallowed tightly.

"You said 'one time to ease the tension'. I didn't want to complicate things by clinging."

Wyatt smiled slowly and pushed off of the door frame.

"You misquoted me, sweetheart." he began, moving towards her in a slow, predatory tread.

"I-I did?" she asked uneasily.

For every step he took toward her, she took one back, until her knees hit the foot of the bed. He stopped right in front of her, so she could feel his erection against her belly.

"I said 'one night to ease the tension.' The night isn't over."

Wyatt watched her eyes widen, and heard the sudden hitch in her breath.

Before she could stop him, he grabbed her towel and jerked it free. Her nipples were already hard, and no doubt begging for a taste. A soft flush spread over her golden skin, and she was trembling lightly.

Wyatt smiled wider, and with one sweep of his leg had her tumbling back onto the bed.

He'd taken her hard that first time, and with the edge taken off his hunger he wanted to savour her.

Wyatt wasn't used to women running from his bed. He was usually the one who put an end to things. Was it ego that had him wanting more, or was it something else?

"Look, I was just trying to make it easy for you." she said uneasily, licking her lips as he jerked the towel from his hips and crawled on top of her. "We'll be living together for a while, and I don't want sex to—"

Aeryn never finished her sentence.

Grabbing both her wrists in one hand, he pulled them above her head, forcing her back to arch and her breasts to press into his chest. He shut her mouth with a kiss, taking advantage of parted lips to thrust his tongue between them, all but daring her to taste him back. He heard her groan before the resistance drained from her body and she submitted to the kiss, meeting his tongue with her own and gasping when he changed the angle, taking her even deeper.

She was so sweet he could have kissed her for hours, but his body had other demands. Smiling against her lips, Wyatt wrapped his legs around hers and spread them, pulling hers apart. He heard her gasp, felt her arch her hips against him, seeking penetration. Despite an erection bordering on painful, he didn't indulge her just yet. Wyatt kept right on kissing her, rubbing his chest hair against her breasts while his hold on her legs kept them spread and ready.

"You can't do this me again!" she gasped, jerking her mouth from his.

Wyatt simply changed tactics and teased the soft skin of her neck with gentle love bites.

"Do what?" he asked innocently.

"Make me crazy! You can't! Don't tease me anymore!"