Read Rodeo Blues for Free Online

said with confidence,
but then her gaze locked with Tye's and the blood in her veins
rushed through her body as her heart kick started into a thumpty-thump she could hear between her ears. Dear Lord,
the way he looked at her with such want, such need… She frowned
wondering how she would know such a thing, but then it dawned on
her how she knew. 'Cause it's mirroring your own
desires. "I need another drink," she grumbled.
    Tye's eyebrows furrowed – probably because
her gaze didn't match the words that flew from her mouth. She
wanted to say, Kiss me… And she'd be all
kinds of stupid to say those words out loud.
    "I'll tell Stan to keep them coming," Tye
said.
    "There's my boy," a man she didn't recognize
said as he waltzed into the room with his arm around Whisper. Her
best friend just winked at her.
    "Hey, Buddy." Tye turned toward her. "This is
Jolie Lockhart, Jolie this is my good friend, Buddy Meilak," Tye
made the introductions. They shook hands and she met Buddy's eyes
which sparkled with mischief. She wondered if Whisper knew what she
was getting herself into, but one glance at her friend and she knew
the woman could handle this cowpoke.
    "Do you want to join us?" Tye asked Buddy and
Whisper. "We could play teams."
    She glanced at Tye, but he wouldn't meet her
eyes. Good going, Tye. One way to get out of
explaining your reasons for coming home after so many years. You
never had the inclination to do so before – not even when your
daddy passed away. Now you're here. Why oh why are you
here?
    "Sounds like a plan," Whisper said.
    Well, at least she'd have a
chaperone… or so she thought, but as the night wore on and
the drinks kept coming...
    They racked up the balls for another game. How many games was that now? Jolie
wondered. She burst out laughing and she didn't even think Tye's
joke was all that funny. She leaned on him for support and snorted.
Her hand flew to her mouth, horrified at her unladylike response,
but Tye moved her hand away and leaned in for a kiss. He'd been
stealing a peck here and there all night. Stealing? Heck,
she'd been giving them away for the last hour. He'd had as many
drinks, if not more than she had, but he stood sturdy as a
rock.
    Good Lord above, the man
could kiss. Passion passed between them like a crackle of
energy, raw and carnal. She nipped his lower lip and he moaned in
pleasure, taking her under all over again. Her tongue stroked
against his with wicked temptations as he backed her against the
wall, his hard body pressed against hers. She wanted him. She
didn't care she'd regret her actions in the morning. She wanted to
pretend for a moment that Tye still loved her.
    They'd been an item in high school. They used
to talk of marriage and shared their dreams of a future in Skeeter
Blue, but she should have realized for Tye, escape was a must. He
couldn't live in the same town with a daddy who cared more about
the bottle than his own son. Gunther Casper never laid a hand on
Tye, but he stood to the side, as a watcher, not a participant,
leaving Tye to fend for himself for money, for support, for
everything. Tye pretended he didn't care, and when he was with her,
maybe he didn't.
    She allowed herself to remember another
night, another heated encounter when she'd just turned eighteen and
he'd been a smidgen older. Fourth of July at the pond, and long
after the fireworks, long after most folks had called it an
evening…
    "Make love to me," she said, a little
breathless after a heated kiss. Her arms were around his neck as
they snuggled close on the blanket they spread beneath the
stars.
    His gaze riveted to hers with uncertainty.
His Adam's apple bobbed up and down as if he'd swallowed a golf
ball. "Are you sure?" he asked and his voice hitched. He cleared it
and waited for her to maybe change her mind, but she hadn't.
    She nodded and pulled him closer so their
lips were inches apart. "I love you, Tye."
    "Oh, Jolie." He took her under again with his
kisses. His hands slid down her