An Excerpt From: Bad In Boots: Harm's Hunger

© Copyright Patrice Michelle, 2003.

All Rights Reserved, Ellora’s Cave, Inc.

Chapter One

“What do you mean, you don’t know where she is?” Ty Hudson raised his voice and switched his cell phone to his other ear. His dark brows drew together as he rubbed the back of his neck, clearly agitated. “Her flight was due in at three. Did you call her cell phone?” Ty cast Harm an apologetic glance.  

Harm placed his booted foot across his knee and leaned back in the seat sighing. Looked like he might be here a while.  

“She probably forgot to turn it back on once her plane landed. Check that she did actually get on the plane and call me back. I appreciate it, Colt.” He snapped the phone closed.  “Sorry about the delay, Mr. Steele. I know you’re anxious to get the papers signed and get back to your ranch, but my sister owns half the property, so I need her signature as well.” He ran a hand through his close-cropped hair. “I don’t know why our great-aunt Sally stipulated we handle the transaction in person if we decided to sell the property.”

Harm rose and placed his black Stetson back on his head. “Sally Tanner was a fine woman. I’m sure she had her reasons.  I can hang out for a couple more hours. He patted the cell phone clipped to his belt. You’ve got my number. . Call me when you locate your sister.”

As he walked toward the elevators, Harm wondered for the fiftieth time why Sally deeded the land to the Hudsons. They were from the east coast, used to city living, not ranching. Sally had been a great neighbor, letting him use a large portion of her property to rotate his cattle. She’d always claimed, “It’s the Texan way, Harmon. You take care of my horses and I let you use the land.” And it was as simple as that for Sally.  He’d miss the old girl.

As he pushed the button for the lobby, just his luck, the elevator skipped right past the lobby and descended to the basement level.  When the elevator doors slid open, two long, shapely legs attached to a very curvy body stepped into the elevator.

Maybe his luck was about to turn.

“Hi.” The blonde woman with crystal blue eyes smiled at him as she leaned over to push the button for the eighth floor.  She was wearing a barely there two piece candy apple red bikini, her hair and skin still wet from the hotel pool she’d obviously taken advantage of. He smiled back and out of habit, ran his fingers across the brim of his hat. “Ma’am.”

She looked him up and down and quipped with a grin. “Ooh, a real live cowboy.”

“Born and bred.” He grinned back.

When the elevator stopped on the lobby floor, Harm was thankful no one was there waiting to get on. He hit the Close Door button, fully intending to bask in this woman’s beauty as long as he could. A lift of her eyebrow was the only indication she noticed he didn’t punch a button for a different floor, only the eighth floor button was lit.

As the elevator started to ascend, Harm asked, “Not from around here I take it?” He couldn’t place her accent. Virginia maybe? But she had the huskiest voice, like Lauren Hutton’s. It was so damn sexy he wanted to keep talking just to listen to her speak.

She gave a throaty laugh. “No. Just visiting.”

As she stared up at the elevator lights, he took a moment to enjoy her luscious curves. Not one ounce of fat graced her nicely built body.  She looked to be about five-eight or nine. A nice fit for his six foot three frame. The first stirrings of arousal made itself known in his tightening crotch when he noticed her hard nipples pressed against her wet top. He let his gaze drop to her flat stomach and firm thighs. Nice. He’d bet his last dollar she had an ass that begged to be squeezed. But unfortunately she had her hands crossed behind her back, holding a small hand towel against her damp suit.

The elevator stopped on the six floor but the doors didn’t open. They both looked at each other and then he punched the button for the eighth floor to get it going again. Nothing happened. He hit the Open Door button but the doors didn’t budge.

Harm lifted the emergency handset and dialed the front desk. Once he’d set the receiver back on its cradle, he turned to her and grinned. He couldn’t help it. Now he had a few more minutes with her. It would take the front desk at least fifteen minutes to find maintenance. “Well, looks like you’re stuck with me for a few.”

He put his hands on the guardrail and leaned his back against the sidewall. She adopted the same position on the opposite wall, laughing. “So sit a spell and all that, huh?”

He chuckled. “Yeah, something like that. Where are you from?”

“Maryland.”

“Here for long?”

She shook her head, her eyes twinkling. “Not officially.”  

A long moment of silence ensued as they both assessed each other. She had a beautiful oval face with almond shaped eyes and eyebrows slightly darker than her hair. But it was her lips that drew his attention. Free of lipstick, her full, naturally rosy lips made him throb. Those lips were made for kissing.

Her unabashed gaze roamed his face and his body while he did the same, this time appreciating the full frontal view. If only he could see her breasts. Were her nipples large quarters or small dimes? He was dying to peel away her bathing su—.  Just then, he couldn’t believe his eyes, the front snap on her bikini top gave way and her luscious breasts spilled out as the lycra material snapped backward.

Her sharp, embarrassed intake of breath had him averting his gaze and turning his head while trying not to grin. Dimes. Perfect rose tipped dimes. She faced the wall and made frustrated sounds as she tried to get her suit back together.

“Um, excuse me. Would you mind doing me a favor?” She called over her shoulder?

She’s kidding, right? He cleared his throat. “Sure, can I turn around?”

She laughed. “Yes, you’ll have to in order to help me.”

Harm turned and immediately saw her problem. One of the hooks had caught on the back of her bikini top and she wasn’t able to reach it. He had to touch her back in order to release the hook. The brief brush of his fingers against her soft skin only made his cock throb harder.  

“Thanks.” She let the towel drop so she could fix her top.

Holy shit! What a beautiful ass. He couldn’t tear his gaze away from the firm round flesh that the red straps of the g-string bikini framed quite nicely.  

She faced him, her eyebrow arched. “Enjoy the view?”

“Hell, yes,” he admitted before he thought better of it.

She didn’t look angry, just amused. Shrugging, she picked up her towel. “I was trying to avoid that.”

His lips quirked upward. “I figured as much.”  He hadn’t moved away and now only a foot separated them. Her scent reminded him of warm sunshine right after a spring rain.

She leaned back against the wall, putting her hands on the handrail for support. “You know, I—” Her bathing suit popped open again, exposing her breasts once more. “…am apparently going to keep flashing you,” she gritted out, her cheeks turning red as she dropped the towel once more to grab the errant fabric.

“You won’t hear any complaints from me. Flash away.” He gave his best roguish grin.

“Har-har.” She looked up while trying to snap the scraps of material closed.

 The elevator started moving and her sarcastic expression turned to panic as they neared her floor. He reached out and pulled the red emergency button to stop the elevator. When he turned back to her she looked about ready to spit nails.

“Can I help?” he offered.

She threw her hands up in frustration, obviously beyond embarrassment at this point. “Have at it.”

       As he moved closer, she added, “The bikini top, I mean...”

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