“Queen for the year, Chad McCray. I’m queen for a year. And hell yeah, I’m beginning to like it. I’ve never gotten this much attention from…”
Her cheeks pinked. Damn, she was adorable as all get out.
“From men, sugar? You’ve never had this much attention from men?”
“No,” she said flatly. “No, I have not. And frankly, Chad, it’s flattering and I like it. So if you’ll excuse me—”
He clamped his mouth on hers so hard he thought for sure he’d bruised his lips. She resisted at first, but his persistence paid off, and she sighed and opened to him. He swept his tongue into her mouth, tasting her lips, her
teeth, the inside of her cheeks. He hadn’t a clue what she’d been drinking, but damn it, she tasted like raspberries. Again. He groaned. Why couldn’t he get enough of her?
As though it had a mind of its own, one of his hands began to unsnap her white western shirt. The shirt was fitted—the same one she’d worn in the parade, and it clung to the swell of her finely shaped breasts and had made him hard all freaking day.
She shied away.
“Nuh-uh, sugar,” he whispered. “You’re not getting away from me.”
She pushed against his chest, but he held her in his grasp.
“I want you.” He ripped all the snaps open with one fell swoop.
“You just had me last night.” Catie pushed against his chest.
“Well, I want you again now.”
“No, Chad. Not like this. Not in your brother’s house, with the whole town outside.”
Chad chuckled, nipping her ear. “I remember a party once. At your house. And you would have been damn happy to do this with the whole damn town within earshot.”
Chad’s arousal tightened even more, if that were possible, as he thought of the gazebo on the Bay ranch, and that night four years earlier when Catie had begged him to make love to her. He had resisted, but he still dreamed of that night. Even though he’d had her several times now, the memories of that evening still inflamed his passions. Would he always be inflamed around Catie Bay?
Catie pushed him away, and her strength startled him.
“I was a kid then, Chad, as you reminded me that night. I no longer want to make love in front of the whole damn town.”
“Fine then.” He took her hand. “We’ll go back to my place.”
“No again,” she said.
Chad gasped in surprise. “What?”
“You heard me.”
He shook his head. “Unbelievable.”
“What’s so unbelievable about it? We had some good times. You made it clear that’s all I could ever expect from you. I enjoyed myself. You did your…job well.”
“My job? What the fuck?”
“Yeah. Your job of taking my virginity.”
“Now you hold on, sugar. That’s not fair.”
“It’s not? Well, here’s some news, Chad McCray. I got what I wanted. I got you to take my virginity. I wanted it. I got it. I’m done.”
Chad shook his head, flabbergasted. Was he hearing her right? “You’re kidding.”
“Nope.” Catie shook her head with vehemence. “I want you. I don’t deny it. But I'm no longer satisfied to come to your bed just when you’re in the mood. You have a decision to make, Chad. I’m not going to be your call girl any longer.”