Becoming The Cowboy's Bride: Boxset 1-4 Read online

  He flashes those dimples again and seems surprised when I push him onto the bed. All my inhibitions are gone as I tug at the bronze buckle on his belt. Flicking it open for me, he moves his hand down to my thigh, while the other moves up to the tie on the back of my halter neck. While kissing me, he pulls at one side of the bow and the halter neck falls down. He tears his lips away from mine and sits up to remove his shirt before leaning down to kiss me again. He turns us over so he’s on top of me and I wrap my legs around him and tug at his jeans with my feet as he slides a hand up my thigh. Then he pulls away.

  ‘What’s wrong?’ I ask.

  ‘I just want to give you a moment to think about this Gemma. If you’d rather I went tonight, then I’m good with that.’

  I look deep into Jacobs' eyes and there is no way on earth I am asking him to leave. ‘I want you to stay; I mean I would like you to if you would like. Are you not attracted to me Jacob, is that it?’

  ‘Of course that's not it.’ Moving to the edge of the bed, he reaches into the pocket of his jeans to prepare himself. ‘Now where were we?’ He says rolling back onto the bed and leaning towards me until his lips touch mine.

  Kissing me, he looks deep into my eyes before moving closer. We move together, my hips gyrating in time with his rhythmical movements. He nuzzles his head into my neck again and it’s all too much for me. Jacob brings his lips back to mine while his body stiffens too.

  We kiss until he rolls off me and onto the bed, and lies beside me stroking my face. The last things I see before I fall asleep are those beautiful, big brown eyes smiling at me. Oh and those dimples again.

  Chapter 10

  I think at first that I'm at home when I wake to the smell of pancakes. Then I remember, neither Rebecca nor myself have ever cooked pancakes for breakfast. Come to think of it, we’ve never cooked anything at all for breakfast. As I stretch out my arms, it begins to come back to me where I am. I can feel I’m alone so I sit up to look around. Last night was like a dream. It was my first night in Texas and I had a guy stay over. A gorgeous, sexy, funny guy, but he isn't here now. I can still smell that sweet smell, so cast an eye around the room until I find the source. It turns out to be a trail of steam rising from a tray on the dresser. Getting out of bed, I walk over to see breakfast waffles covered in syrup and ice cream. Along with a fresh cup of coffee on the side and in the middle, a note sits folded over with my name on it.

  He’ll see me again soon. When, where, how?

  That was a shame, as I was hoping to catch a glimpse of him as he got out of bed this morning. I had surprised myself with Jacob I must admit. In ordinary circumstances, I wouldn’t reveal myself to someone in this way so soon. But, there’s something about his relaxed attitude that makes me comfortable, and I do hope I see him again before I go home. The waffles are a nice thought too, they do look tasty. But the note reminds me I have somewhere to be this morning too, so had better get a move on.

  Chapter 11

  ‘Miss Jones,’ Mr Cunningham the realtor rushes towards me, taking my hand as I walk into his office.

  ‘Call me Gemma, please,’ I say as we shake and the weight of his handshake vibrates all the way to my shoulder.

  He’s a bigger man than I’d expected, and older too, I’d guess maybe mid-fifties perhaps. His hands are small for a big man but clammy. Which is understandable considering how hot it is. The air con's on and a fan blows in the corner of his office. But my blouse is still drenched, and my hair's going frizzy and sticking to my face. I've already had to fix my mascara once in the car on the way over and I'm sure I'll get a severe case of panda eye again soon.

  ‘Please take a seat,’ Mr Cunningham motions towards a chair then sits back down himself.

  As I sit, the doubts are surfacing again and I’m beginning to regret doing this all on a whim. I don’t need to be here. It’s just an excuse to do something adventurous. It doesn’t feel bold right now. It just feels hot, sweaty, tiring, and expensive. But, last night turned out to be three of those things and I don’t have any regrets thinking about that.

  ‘You know you didn't need to come all this way Gemma. I could have had any sorts of photos or videos taken and sent over for you.' Mr Cunningham echoes what I'm thinking.

  ‘I know though I did want to see the place for myself just once.’

  ‘I have some news for you as it happens. I’ve received some interest in the land.’

  ‘What does that mean?’

  ‘It could mean everything, it could mean nothing. I thought they should come along today and they’ll be here any moment.’

  ‘They're coming along with us today.’

  ‘Yes, it makes sense. Now don’t worry Gemma; you just let me do all the talking,’ he holds his palm up as he glances out of the window. ‘I’ll have to fill you in later as they’re here now.’ He rushes out to greet the interested party. ‘Come on, come on in.’ I hear him talking but can’t see anybody yet. ‘As I explained on the phone, we're in the lucky position to have the owner here today. They've come all the way from England just to meet you.’ That’s a lie. But if it helps with a potential sale, I won’t correct him. ‘This is Miss Jones,’ he says leading the interested party into the room and I stand in preparation. ‘And Gemma, this is Jacob Callaway…’

  Chapter 12

  Jacob! What’s he doing here?

  We’re standing face to face. Well, I’m looking up at him, as he’s quite a bit taller than I am. My eyelids fall and, as I blink, I feel my mouth falling open. If I weren't looking straight at him right now, he could be someone else. He looks quite different to how he looked last night and as I think about that, I almost cringe.

  He looks quite the executive today I must admit. Standing there in his smart, shiny, grey suit. What’s left of it, as he seems to have discarded the tie and jacket somewhere. I can’t say I’m surprised about that in this weather. I wish I'd had the same idea because I'm standing here sweltering in my trouser suit right now. The top button on his shirt's undone too and his shirt sleeves sit turned halfway up his forearms. I may or may not be noticing the muscle definition in his arms as his hands rest on his hips. His appearance is in stark contrast to the laid-back vibe I'd gotten from him last night. But despite taking a moment or two to get used to, I have to admit it does suit him.

  His eyebrows raise in recognition of me and his cheeks push up into a smile forming lines around his eyes. He has one hand dipped into his trouser pocket as the other rests on his hip. As much as my mind's about to wander, I’m determined he's not going to win me over that easy. Maybe it’s the jetlag, maybe it’s the lack of sleep, or it could even be the heat. But the shock of seeing Jacob here this morning, and the fact he’s kept this from me makes me feel quite grumpy.

  ‘Actually, we…’ Jacob begins.

  ‘Pleased to meet you, Mr Callaway,’ I say interrupting him mid-sentence while keeping my hands by my side. As I turn back to Mr Cunningham, I can see from the corner of my eye that Jacob looks confused. ‘Can we go and see the land now Mr Cunningham?’ I ask, and as much as I want to look back at Jacob, I resist the urge.

  I do feel the attraction of wanting to be around Jacob, wanting to be near to him, but I just can’t let myself. I have no idea where I stand for a start and this revelation has just irritated me and confused everything. I hope Jacob changes his mind and decides not to come on the viewing today. There's no point after all. I have no intention whatsoever of selling anything to him the way I feel right now. If he does decide to waste his time, I'll just humour the situation out of politeness to Mr Cunningham. But nothing will be coming of this.

  ‘Okay…You can ride with me Gemma,’ Mr Cunningham furrows his brow in confusion as he looks at me. ‘Jacob you can follow us can’t you. You pretty much know where you’re going anyway,’ he says turning to Jacob.

  ‘No problem,’ Jacob says tipping his head in Mr Cunningham’s direction.

  ‘Follow me then.’ Mr Cunningham walks ahead pushing open the double
doors.

  He holds one open for me as Jacob walks alongside me through the other. We’re a few awkward steps into the car park when Mr Cunningham begins to feel around inside of his trouser pockets and stops dead.

  ‘Shoot.' Mr Cunningham's forehead wrinkles as he stamps his foot. ‘I think I’ve left my keys inside. I won’t be a moment; I’ll just pop back inside and get them.’

  ‘I can take Gemma with me if you want to follow us?’ Jacob offers.

  No, he can’t!

  ‘I’m happy to wait here until you get back Mr Cunningham,’ I say as I marching over to his car and lean up against it. I cross my arms for good measure to make it clear I'm not moving until he gets back.

  ‘I’ll be back in a minute then.’ Mr Cunningham turns to walk back inside.

  ‘Gemma, is everything all right?’ Jacob asks once Mr Cunningham’s disappeared into the building.

  I ignore him, continuing to look the other way. Not even acknowledging the fact he's spoken.

  ‘Gemma, listen, I understand you not wanting Barry to know your personal business.

  ‘But you're being a bit rude to me don't you think?’

  ‘Barry?’ My head jolts around at the mention of Mr Cunningham’s first name. ‘Let me guess, you know him from around town,’ I say before remembering myself and turning away again.

  ‘Yes as a matter of fact. Look, what is wrong? Is this because I left before breakfast? As you can see, I was telling the truth about having somewhere to be.' He smiles.

  ‘At least you told the truth about something.’

  ‘What’s that supposed to mean?’

  ‘Look, if you think…’

  ‘Found them!’ Mr Cunningham bursts back through the doors and into the lot shaking his keys in the air.

  ‘Great, let’s get going then!’ I say, as I’m holding onto the handle of the car door eager to get in.

  Jacob stands with his back against his truck as Mr Cunningham gives him a wave as we get inside. But I continue to look away as I don’t know what to think about any of this and right now, it doesn’t feel good.

  Chapter 13

  It feels so hot in Mr Cunningham's car that every breath I take feels like I’m swallowing fire.

  ‘Sorry about the heat Gemma,’ Mr Cunningham says noticing me tugging at my collar. ‘The air conditioning isn't working, it went yesterday and I'm getting it looked at soon. It’s not pleasant in this weather I know. But my guy couldn’t fit me in any sooner so there’s nothing I can do about it I’m afraid.’

  ‘It’s fine, I guess I’m just not used to this weather.’

  I just know I’ll be drenched with sweat again by the time we get there. On the bright side, the car is massive of course so I have plenty of legroom.

  ‘So you and Mr Callaway are acquaintances then?’ I ask as I fan myself with some papers from my bag.

  ‘Who Jacob? Yeah, everybody knows Jacob,’ he says stopping at a junction. Removing a handkerchief from his pocket, he dabs away at the droplets of sweat forming on his brow. ‘Jacob grew up here. He was a big local football star for a while when he was younger. Do you have football in the UK Gemma?’ He asks and, as the lights change, he pulls away again.

  ‘Yes. But not the same as yours, we have what I think you’d call soccer,’ I reply.

  ‘Okay, yeah. Well, Jacob was a quarterback; do you know what that is?’

  ‘I’ve heard the term, but I don't quite know what it is, no.’

  ‘I’m not familiar with English football so let me think now. It may be kind of like your captain or striker if you like. Do you get it?’

  ‘I know little about sport, to be honest. Even the ones popular in my own country. Though I can gather from what you’re saying that it's a good position.’

  ‘It’s an excellent position; of course they’re all good. Jacob's team brought the championship home on two occasions. It was kind of a big deal around here.’ Mr Cunningham’s keeps his eyes on the road. He's watching the traffic around us as we approach a turning.

  ‘I see.’

  ‘It’s just down here now Gemma.’ He turns the wheel and drives us down a long, dirt-track road.

  I’m not so grateful for the big car now, as I feel every lump and bump beneath us as we drive along the track. Jacob’s here already, leant up against his dark-blue, pick-up truck. He must have overtaken us at some point, or perhaps he knows a shortcut. His hands are in his pockets, and his eyes squinting away into the distance. The breeze is blowing chunks of dark-brown hair from his face and I observe how beautiful his profile is. His face is all angular and chiselled with a rugged square jawline. Hearing us approach he walks over to meet us as Mr Cunningham brings the car to a halt. We get out and I’m squelching in a trouser suit soaked through with sweat. Mr Cunningham, or Barry as some know him, rushes straight for Jacob and slaps him on the shoulder. The two of them walk together towards the 'For Sale' sign a few feet ahead and stop beside it. Looking out across the fields, they point and make general sweeping movements in the air. They both look excited and seem to be seeing things that I’m not, as I just see fields. Plain, patchy, and grassless in some places but just fields and nothing exciting at all.

  ‘Come over and join us, Gemma,’ Jacob calls over to me.

  ‘It’s Miss Jones thank you, Mr Callaway.’ The words leave my mouth before I have time to think about them and I do feel a little immature hearing myself.

  But I do walk over to join them, despite knowing I have nothing to contribute to the discussion. Jacob’s smiling, his teeth looking whiter and dimples seeming deeper than ever.

  ‘So Gemma, it’s good news. Jacob here would like to make a rather reasonable offer on your land.’ Mr Cunningham’s hand rests on Jacobs' shoulder as he speaks.

  I look at Jacob and he’s smiling. I don't care about the land, or how much I get for it. Sure, it’s a nice excuse for perhaps an ill thought out holiday but that’s all it is. I've received it through a man who had no time for me and, it seems, didn’t have the time to put a will in place either. Otherwise, I’m in no doubt whatsoever that I would never have even heard about the land, let alone inherited it. Looking at it now, I care even less for it. But Jacob seems to care, a lot; the hope is evident in his eyes. Unfortunately, I’m still not sure about any of this and am still feeling more than a little grumpy.

  ‘Actually I have decided not to sell,’ I say.

  My words cause Mr Cunningham’s face to drop and Jacob’s jaw to tightens as he bites on the inside of his cheek.

  ‘You don't want to sell?’ Mr Cunningham asks looking confused.

  ‘No, I don’t, at least not today. This visit has been informative for me Mr Cunningham, thank you. Now if we could please get back to your office.’

  ‘Why yes, of course,’ Mr Cunningham shakes his head in dismay as Jacob stares at me. His head's tilted, but his eyes are still smiling.

  I’ve noticed that Jacob’s eyes are always smiling. Regardless of what’s going on, Jacob's eyes are always smiling. Ignoring Jacob’s eyes, and how they make me feel, I turn my back on him and march towards the car. Getting inside, I slam my hand on the lock and don’t look back.

  Chapter 14

  The drive back’s awkward, and I can see by Mr Cunningham's face that he's a little confused by the situation.

  ‘So you don’t want to sell now then?’ He broaches the subject as we pull back into his parking lot.

  ‘It’s not that I don’t want to sell, it’s that I don't wish to sell to him,’ I motion towards Jacob’s truck.

  He’s already here before us again. Standing up against his vehicle with his arms crossed.

  He has to know a short cut.

  As Mr Cunningham parks the car, I see an attractive woman hurrying out of the doors towards us. Spotting Jacob, she slows down and sashays past him.

  ‘Oh hello Jacob,’ she says in a coy manner as she touches her hair. ‘I didn’t see you there.’

  She so did see him there.

  ‘Hi
Jess,’ Jacob says, his cheeks bunching up into a smile.

  She keeps her eyes on him for the next few feet, and I keep my eyes on her. Nearing the car, she speeds up again and turns her attention towards us.

  ‘Anyway,’ I begin as Jess approaches the car. ‘I doubt a washed up, old football star can afford it. Regardless of any favours he gets in his hometown.’

  Something about the interaction I’ve just seen has caused me great annoyance.

  ‘Oh no Gemma, you’ve got it all wrong…’ Mr Cunningham begins.

  Knock-knock-knock-knock.

  Jess wraps her knuckles against the top of the car. ‘Mr Cunningham, Mr Cunningham!’

  ‘Yes Jess,’ Mr Cunningham turns off his engine ‘What is it?’

  ‘Mr Cunningham, there’s an urgent issue with the Johnson account. I have the broker on the phone now, can you come and speak to them straight away, please.’

  ‘I'm coming Jess,’ he says. ‘If you’ll excuse me please, Gemma.’

  ‘Of course.’

  ‘Please feel free to follow me in when you’re ready. We’ll discuss your new requirements then,’ Mr Cunningham says as he clambers from the car.

  I'm taking little notice of what he’s saying as I’m watching Jess as she hurries back across the car park. Once again, she slows down a few feet from Jacob. Touches her hair again, and then tilts her head to one side as she smiles at him.

  Are they flirting?

  I see a definite wiggle of her hips, in her tight pencil skirt, and watch as his eyes follow her after she passes.

  They are flirting.

  A tinge of jealousy squeezes inside me and I get out of the car to head into the office after Mr Cunningham.

  ‘Gemma,’ Jacob says as I pass him, but I ignore him and keep walking. ‘Gemma! Just what is your problem?’ He calls out behind me.

  Incensed and unable to keep my cool any longer I turn on my left heel.