Playing for Keeps (Honky Tonk Angels Book 5) Read online

  *****

  Cade parked beside the trailer and got out of his car. He’d never seen a drill site before and it was not the glamourous thing he’d imagined. In fact, there was nothing pretty or glamourous about it.

  Before he’d made it to the door of the trailer, it opened and Jaxon Riggs stepped out. “Hey man.” Jaxon walked down the three wooden steps that had been built for access and held out his hand. “Long time.”

  “Yes, it has been.” Cade took Jaxon’s hand, then gestured around. “So, from what I hear you drove a mean bargain with these oil people.”

  Jaxon shrugged. “They stand to make a fortune—no, actually a lot more than that. They’ll be rich as Midas when this thing hits. What they’re paying me is a drop in the bucket in comparison.”

  “But a healthy addition to your nest egg?”

  “You got it, brother. Wanna come in and have a beer?”

  “Hell yeah.”

  They went inside the trailer and Jaxon gestured toward the living area. “Take a load off.”

  As Cade took a seat, Jaxon headed for the kitchen. “Gotta say I never expected to see you in Cotton Creek, and for sure not working at the Honky Tonk,” Jaxon said over his shoulder. “Sorry we didn’t have a chance to talk the other night. I was there with Quinlan and Pursell and it was just business.”

  “Figured as much and no problem.”

  “So, the last time I saw you was in Atlantic City. What happened?”

  “Sold out.”

  “Why?” Jaxon returned with two beers, handed one to Cade, then took a seat.

  “Got tired of it. Wanted a change.”

  “To what?”

  “Hell if I know.”

  “So you came here? Long way from Atlantic City, brother, even if it is family. You said Stella Sweet is your aunt?”

  “Yep. Mom’s sister.”

  “So how you like the Honky Tonk?”

  “It’s okay. Real busy place.”

  “Kinda the only game in town if you know what I mean,” Jaxon remarked. “And with the boom it’s liable to get a whole lot busier.”

  “That’s what I hear. Can an oil boom really make that much difference to a place?”

  “Brother, it can turn a one-horse town into a metropolis or a mess; just depends on whether the place can provide and keep up with growth. It’s a shame gambling is illegal. You could clean up in a place like this.”

  “Tell me about it,” Cade agreed. “So, I hear you and Cody were shooting sparks at one another?”

  Jaxon chuckled. “She’s a fireball, that one. Damn hot little bundle but I get the feeling she’s not one to mess with.”

  “I tend to agree and not just because she’s family. From what I hear, she hasn’t been involved with anyone in several years. Seems she got her heart broken and swore off men. Not that she hasn’t had chances, she just doesn’t take anyone up on an offer.”

  “Interesting.”

  “Yeah, I can see those wheels turning, but in the spirit of friendship, I’ll let you know that you don’t want to start up something with her that you can’t finish. She might be rough around the edges, stubborn and headstrong, but she’s Cotton Creek’s darling. People here love her and if you hurt her, trust me, they’ll rain hell down on you.”

  “Oh? Well, good to know. And who said I was going to start anything with her? I’m probably old enough to be her father.”

  Cade laughed. “Yeah, right. Whatever. Just don’t say you weren’t warned. I hear you were the white knight for another of Cotton Creek’s damsels. Callie?”

  “Callie Williams? Nice lady. Her little girl is cute as hell. Callie got a real raw deal from a guy who wrangled his way out of prison. We were just there to make sure he didn’t give her any grief at the hearing.”

  “It turned out to be a lot more than a hearing.”

  “Yeah, it did. Bad times, brother. A police officer died.”

  “Sorry to hear that, but it’s good you all were there to help Callie.”

  “We were happy to do it. Speaking of Callie. She mentioned that you and the new gal at the bar are pretty chummy and damn man, that girl is smokin’ hot.”

  “Roxie?” Cade blew out a breath. “Yes lord she is. And prickly as a rose bush.”

  “So your normal charms aren’t working on her?”

  “Let’s just say, I think there’s a lot more to her than meets the eye.”

  “And what meets the eye is mighty fine.” Riggs raised his bottle in a toast.

  “Amen to that.”

  “And I imagine you’ve got feelers out to get the hidden details?”

  “What makes you say that?”

  Jaxon laughed. “Cause you’re a gambler who never plays unless you’ve got an Ace up your sleeve and I get a feeling you’re playing something with Roxie.”

  “Like you’re not playing something with Cousin Cody?”

  Jaxon grinned. “Nope. Not yet.”

  Cade smiled. “Well, at the least it will be interesting to watch.”

  “What, no bets on the outcome?”

  “Not yet. I still don’t have enough data to lay the odds on who will come out on top.”

  “Either way works for me. But let’s get back to you and foxy Roxie. What you have planned on that front?”

  Cade polished off his beer. “Let’s just say that I’ve presented a challenge.”

  “Oh, this is going to be good. Let me grab another couple of beers.”

  As Jaxon got up to fetch more beer, Cade thought about Roxie. He was going to have to make damn sure he made it hard as hell for her to say no to him.

  No, he was going to have to make it impossible. So the first order of business was to find out what flipped her sexual switch and to make sure he lit that thing up like the fourth of July.

  *****

  Roxie’s pulse did a quick two-step when Cade opened the front door of his house. Dressed in soft, faded jeans and a white dress shirt open at the neck, his sleeves rolled up his forearms, he looked good enough to eat.

  “I see you found the place.” His smile had her temperature kicking up a couple of degrees.

  “Thanks for the loan of your truck.”

  “My pleasure, darlin’.”

  She almost rolled her eyes. He was laying on the Texas accent a bit thick and she knew he’d had his truck left in town for her to drive because it suited him to do so. Roxie had been around gamblers all her life and recognized when someone was setting her up to take a fall.

  Not that she intended to fall for Cade Beckett. She was just here, on her day off, because it was part of the bet.

  “Come on in.” He stepped aside for her to enter.

  She smiled in amusement as his eyes raked over her. Her outfit obviously wasn’t what he’d expected, but the look in his eyes when they met hers told her quite clearly that he liked what he saw.

  Good. She’d chosen her outfit with care. A gypsy skirt that rode low on her hips, a tank top that stopped just short of her navel and an old soft denim shirt with the sleeves rolled up and the bottom tied just above her waist. She wore her hair loose and had opted for a pair of sandals to complete her outfit. Bohemian, Dini called it, and a look that had always worked for her.

  He smiled at her. “Nice outfit, but not too good for riding.”

  She returned the smile. She might be set on spurning his advances, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t play a little herself. She liked the way he looked at her. Liked knowing that he wanted her. Most of all she, liked being able to turn him down because each time she did it she was one day closer to leaving Cotton Creek.

  “Depends on the kind of riding you had in mind.”

  The look he gave her was heated enough to ignite a fire in her belly. He took her by the wrist and pulled her into his arms. Roxie fought to resist, to ignore the fact that everything inside her was shouting for her to just let go and give in. To enjoy the sinful temptation his eyes promised and the delicious feel of his hard body against hers.
r />   But that wouldn’t get her back on the road, so just before his lips met hers, she raised her hand and covered his mouth with her fingers.

  He didn’t release her, but did straighten, letting one of his hands drift down her back to slide across the swell of her ass. She stepped back, forcing him to drop his hands.

  “So, what kinda riding is it gonna be today, Roxie?”

  “Hmmm, don’t know that I’m much interested in riding today, Beckett.”

  His eyebrows rose a moment before his smile. “Not Mr. Beckett? Does that mean the rules have changed?”

  She smiled and reached up to trace her fingers along the side of his face. “Hmmm, let me think on that a minute.”

  Even as she acted, she knew she was treading dangerous ground. Playing with Cade Beckett was definitely like handling fire. Fire that could spread in an instant. But she couldn’t resist.

  She stood up on her tiptoes and slowly brushed her lips across his. He made no move to take control of the moment, which pleased her. Her tongue snaked out and his lips parted to allow her access. It was a slow, long kiss with nothing of their bodies touching except their lips. Finally, just before she ended the kiss, she leaned in, grazing his chest with her breasts.

  When she moved back, he reached for her but she stepped back and reclined against the door.

  “Well?” he asked.

  She cocked her head slightly to one side. “Sorry, Beckett.”

  “Your eyes tell a different tale, sugar. And a kiss like that makes promises. Very hot and wet promises.”

  Unfortunately, hot and wet was just how she felt. Were it not for the bet, she’d be on him like white on rice. But losing wasn’t an option and all she could do was bluff her way through the moment.

  “I like it hot.”

  He moved too fast for her to evade and pulled her to him. “Then you’re gonna love this, sugar.”

  His mouth crushed down on hers, one hand tightening in her hair and the other moving up to cup one breast. It was like a bolt of electricity. Every nerve ending in her body went into high gear, sensation screaming through her from his touch. When his thumb tracked over her nipple, she fought to stifle a groan and was only partially successful.

  He lifted away from the kiss, a cocky smile on his face. “You are so going down.”

  His tease brought her back to the game, allowing her to establish some measure of control over her traitorous body that was screaming for her to rip his clothes off and fuck his brains out there on in the vestibule. She stepped away and circled him.

  “Not on you. And since we know we’re not doing that, what else you have for entertainment around here?”

  She moved into the great room and took a look around. Beckett sure had a nice place. Clearly, he wasn’t hurting for money. And that was curious. Sure, the Honky Tonk did a good business, but she didn’t see a small town bar providing the capital for this kind of house, and certainly not the furnishings it contained. He had to be into something else to afford all this.

  “How long have you lived here?”

  “About a month.”

  “A month?” That surprised her.

  Cade shrugged. “I hadn’t really planned on buying a place, but this one came up for sale the week I arrived and the price was too good to pass up.”

  “It’s a nice place.” She walked over to the massive entertainment center that dominated one wall. Who the heck needed a television that big?

  Apparently, he did.

  When she spotted an X-Box console in one of the glass cabinets to the side, she smiled. Ah ha, a gamer.

  “What kind of games do you have?”

  Cade nearly groaned. The last thing on his mind was playing video games. What was on his mind was touching and tasting every inch of her. But like his granddaddy always said, “You can hog that ice cream cone fast or lick it slow and savor the taste as long as possible.” That was a pretty smart old fella as far as Cade was concerned. So he gave in. Prolonging the anticipating and taking it slow only made the having that much sweeter.

  “In the cabinet beneath. Take your pick.” He took a seat on the couch and watched as she knelt and opened the cabinet.

  Gypsy. That was the first thing that came to mind when he looked at her. With the colorful skirt hanging low on her hips and its irregular hem giving glimpses of bare legs and her hair loose and flowing down her back, he could imagine her in a Gypsy camp, dancing around a fire and tempting every man in sight.

  She selected a game and put it in the console then turned to him. “Where do you keep your controllers?”

  “Drawer to the left.”

  Roxie took two controllers from the drawer. She kicked off her sandals and took a seat on the sofa beside him, hiking her skirt up then tucking it between her legs as she arranged herself, Indian fashion.

  The complaint that rose to his lips died as an idea came to Cade. “What’d you pick?”

  She held up the DVD case and Cade smiled. “Ah, a zombie killing fan. I like it. So version one or two?”

  “One. I have a thing for Francis.”

  Cade chucked. Why didn’t that surprise him? Of course, Roxie would go for the character who looked like a big muscular biker with a hair-trigger temper and a bad attitude.

  He reached for the remote and turned on the television.

  “So, we teaming up or you want to go at it one on one?”

  “One on one sounds good.”

  Cade nodded. “You play much?”

  “When I can.”

  “Enough to put a wager on the outcome of the game?” He could see hesitation on her face. “It’s okay, if you’re not up to it, then…”

  Oh, he had her. He could tell from the way her jaw tightened and her eyes narrowed that she couldn’t back down.

  “What’re the stakes?”

  He let the moment draw out, running his eyes over her. Damn if he didn’t like what he saw. Like the way her tank top clung to her breasts. And those big hazel eyes going a shade darker when they met his. He most decidedly liked what he saw.

  She rolled her eyes at him. “Come on, Beckett. What’re the stakes?”

  “I win; we spend the rest of the day in bed.”

  “Nope. That cancels our original bet.”

  “I didn’t say I’d get in you, baby. How ’bout this? I win and you get naked with me in bed and everything but that is on the table.”

  “Define everything.”

  “Tasting, touching—anything two people can do except actual intercourse.”

  “And if I win?”

  “Name it.”

  “You fix the T-Bird and chip in two grand, cash, so Dini and I can get outta this town.”

  Shit. That wasn’t what he’d hoped for. He wasn’t ready for Roxie to leave. Was she that certain she could win?

  Bigger question, could he beat her?

  The gambler inside decided for him. “Done.”

  Now came the moment. He could almost hear the wheels turning in her brain. Could she take him? Seeing the uncertainty in her eyes bolstered his confidence.

  She gave him a smile that spoke of determination. “Maybe I should call Dini and tell her to start packing.”

  “Maybe you should wait till tomorrow and tell her about how I drove you damn near crazy with my hands and mouth.”

  She smirked. “Get your game on, stud. You’re about to go down in flames.”

  Cade started the game, hoping she was wrong.

  Two hours later, Cade was starting to worry that she was right. She was good. They were in a dead tie. As the next match loaded on the console, he turned to look at her.

  She watched the screen, unaware that he was watching her instead of the television. He liked the way her brows drew together slightly as she studied the available weapons and made selection. Not to mention the sexy way she pursed her lips.

  Damn if this woman wasn’t a breathing hard-on.

  “This is it,” she said.

  He looked at the screen. “
I’ve heard that before.”

  She cocked her head as she studied the screen. “You won’t survive this one. I’ve got your number, Beckett.”

  He hoped not, but just in case, maybe he’d better turn his game up a notch. This match he was playing a zombie and she was playing a human survivor. If she was smart enough to keep out of areas where she had no room to maneuver and got a good bead on him, she just might survive. Or worse, she might get the drop on him and take him out.

  And if she took him out, that took her out. Of town.

  “Get ready to get naked, Roxie.”

  She cut him a sassy smile, then turned her attention back to the game. “You’re such a flirt. Okay, here we go.”

  A stab of something akin to anxiety lanced through her. They’d battled for hours, evenly matched, neither of them able to get more than one match on the other. Now suddenly her character was trapped in an alley with zombies coming at her from both directions.

  Gritting her teeth, she fought harder. She couldn’t lose. This was her chance to get out of town.

  That thought brought another. Just why was she so eager to leave? She had nowhere to go and no one to go to. Was she running toward something or away from something?

  That was what undid her. In a blink it all caved in on her. The truth was she was running away. Away from Cade Beckett and the feelings he inspired. Not just the lust. That was a horse she could ride. There was something else. Something more. Something about him that said it would be all too easy to lose herself in him.

  And that scared her. She’d sworn off love a long time ago, vowed to never let herself become hostage to emotion. It only brought pain.

  Distracted, she lost focus and made a fatal error. His character, a special zombie that could jump vast distances and had razor sharp nails, pounced.

  “Come on, come on, help me out!” she screamed at the artificial intelligence characters who fought alongside her. If one of them didn’t shoot the hunter off her, she was a goner.

  Seconds ticked by, her life force clicking down steadily until those fatal words appeared on the screen. “You Are Dead.”

  “Noooo!” Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit. It was all she could think. She’d lost.