Claimed by Vicki Lewis Thompson

Chapter Eleven

Josie had always been able to sense when Jack entered a room, so she knew immediately when he came through the front door of Spirits and Spurs. He glanced over at the bar, and she met his gaze. The cocky smile he gave her was like old times. That was the Jack she remembered.

The four-person country band up on the small stage just happened to be playing a Martina McBride song they once liked dancing to, which only added to the feeling of déjà vu. Josie wasn’t foolish enough to believe that they could recapture the past that easily, but seeing Jack here looking like his old self was a promising start.

Tilting his hat back with his thumb, he maneuvered around the couples on the tiny dance floor and came over to lean on the bar. “Hi, gorgeous.”

“Hi, yourself.”

“Is your brother here?”

“He’s over at the corner table behind you.”

Jack hunched his shoulders and talked out of the corner of his mouth like an old-time gangster. “Thanks for the tip, doll-face. Is he armed?”

Josie laughed. “You’re in a rare mood.”

He gazed at her, his dark eyes sparkling with good humor. “I ran the light.”

“Uh-oh. You know Elmer talked the county into installing a camera.”

“I didn’t know until I ran the light. How did Elmer ever convince the county to put up a camera in a little town like Shoshone?”

“I think they got sick of him reporting everybody and then having the offenders argue their cases. You were the most frequent example of that problem, as I recall.”

“I thought of it as sport! Anyway, that signal is rigged, and if he doesn’t fix it, I’m going to prove it’s rigged. Plus the camera’s got to go. It offends me.”

She smiled as she handed him his favorite brew. “We’ve missed you, Jack.”

“Obviously, if nobody else has the cajones to do something about the doggone light. Anyway, you got a spoon I can borrow?”

“You’re not really going to do the spoon trick, are you?”

“I’m not only going to do it, I’m going to attach that spoon here and walk over to your brother’s table without having it fall off. I’m that good.”

“Here’s a spoon, but hang on a minute. I still have a couple of drinks to mix, and I want to walk over there with you.”

“Okay, then I’ll practice.” He began rubbing the bowl of the spoon over his nose.

“Dear God. I’m so sorry I left my camera upstairs.”

“A still camera could never capture the artistry of this move. You’d need a Hollywood film crew.”

“I’ll remember to call you the next time we get some Hollywood types in the bar.”

“Go mix your drinks.” Jack unsnapped his cuffs and rolled back his sleeves. “I have work to do.”

Josie somehow managed to put together a gin fizz and a strawberry margarita, although it took her twice as long because she kept glancing down the length of the bar where Jack was practicing with his spoon, much to the amusement of the others sitting at the bar.

When she’d placed the drinks on a tray for Carolyn, the night waitress, she hurried back to Jack and lifted the hinged part of the bar in order to join him on the other side. “Let’s go.”

“What?” He turned to her, his eyes crossed, and the spoon dangling from his nose.

She lost it, laughing so hard her ribs hurt.

“You need to walk ahead and announce me.” Jack turned around slowly, and the spoon remained suspended on his nose.

“If I can catch my breath.” Gasping helplessly, she started over toward Alex’s table.

Alex stared at her as if she’d lost her mind, which she probably had. Jack had that kind of effect on her.

“Presenting Jonathan Chance, Jr., and his famous suspended spoon act,” she said. “Don’t try this at home.” She stepped aside and swept a hand in Jack’s direction.

Jack walked slowly forward, and by now half the patrons of the bar were watching his progress and cheering him on.

“I’ll be goddamned.” Alex began to grin. “You weren’t kidding.”

“I wouldn’t kid about a skill this impressive,” Jack said. “I dare you to try it, Keller.” Still balancing the spoon, Jack sat down across from Alex. With a flourish he removed the spoon.

Alex gazed across the table at Jack. “I’ll take that challenge, Chance. Josie, another spoon, if you please.”

“I have one!” said someone at a neighboring table. “I always wanted to learn to do that.”

Jack glanced around as if assessing the crowd. “Many are called. Few are chosen.”

“I can do this.” Alex turned the spoon over in his hands. “I seem to remember you have to rub the bowl of the spoon over your nose a few times.”

“Want some pointers?” Jack asked helpfully.

“No, thanks. I’ll figure it out.”

By this time the band had caught on and was playing a countrified version of “A Spoonful of Sugar.”

Alex’s first attempt failed, but the second time he was more successful, keeping the spoon on for several seconds. “Okay,” he said. “I’m ready. Anybody got a stopwatch?”

“I’ve got five bucks says Chance can beat you!” someone shouted.

“I’ll put ten on Josie’s brother!” called someone else. “He’s a Chicago boy, like me!”

Josie stepped back and watched in admiration as Jack and Alex competed in the first annual Spirits and Spurs spoon-dangling contest. The customers gathered around the contestants as beer and laughter flowed freely. It was the liveliest group she’d seen in… well, ten months.

Alex and Jack took plenty of breaks, and drank their fair share of beer. After an hour, both men were laughing so hard that they had to call a halt to the contest. But Jack had accomplished his goal. They’d become drinking buddies, and Alex had agreed to be the DJ at Gabe and Morgan’s wedding reception.

Alex even went so far as to slap his new best friend on the back and thank him for providing some excellent entertainment. Then Alex came over to Josie and drew her aside. “I get it, now. I understand why you fell for the guy. He’s fun to be around, but… I still want you to be careful.”

“I will be.” Josie glanced over to the table, where Jack was trying to teach a few of the other customers the spoon trick. “I learned a hard lesson last October, and I’m not likely to forget it.”

* * *

Jack had achieved his stated goal. He and Alex were on speaking terms and Alex had accepted the DJ’s job for the wedding reception. Jack had also found a moment to apologize for trying to hit him when they’d first met, and Alex didn’t seem to hold a grudge about that. But Jack knew that Alex wouldn’t necessarily trust him to get involved with his sister.

That meant Jack’s other, more private goal was proving tough to accomplish. He wanted a chance to hold Josie before he drove home. Matter of fact, he wanted to do more than hold her. But he didn’t have an available spot to accomplish that, and besides, Alex couldn’t know about it.

He had decided to hang around and see if maybe Alex would go upstairs to bed before closing. As if Alex sensed that was Jack’s plan, he stuck like glue. Jack had to hand it to him, too. The guy had stamina.

Alex couldn’t dance country worth a lick, and he looked like a greenhorn in his jeans and Bulls T-shirt, but nevertheless he got out on the floor as if determined to learn the two-step. Plenty of women were willing to teach him. Jack saw a bright future for that boy when it came to the women of Shoshone.

As the magic hour of closing drew near, Jack meandered over to the bar where Josie was mixing the drinks for last call. “I was hoping your brother would give up and go to bed, but no such luck.”

Josie raised her eyebrows. “And why were you hoping that, Jack? Feeling reckless?”

“Feeling desperate. I’ve been watching you all night long, and other than a casual brush of bodies here and there, I haven’t had any contact to speak of.” He lowered his voice and leaned closer. “I’m used to ending this kind of evening in your bed.”

“Not going to happen.” She busied herself with the drinks.

“If I outwait your brother, there’s always your office.”

Her cheeks turned pink. “Nope. I’m not going to take the risk that Alex will decide to come down and check on me.” She put three drinks on a tray and went back to mixing.

“But you wish we could get away with it. I can tell because you’re blushing.”

“It’s warm in here.” She moved efficiently, squirting mix into glasses from the nozzles attached to containers under the counter.

Jack imagined squirting the mix over her naked body and then licking it off. “With a little imagination, it could be hot in here. All we need is a little privacy. How come we never did it on the bar?”

“Because there’s no covering for the windows, in case you never noticed. With light from the streetlamps filtering in, someone might have seen us.”

“Kinky.”

“Jack… give it up. We can’t do anything tonight, and that’s that.”

“I’m not the kind of guy who gives up easily. I’ll just hang around a little longer and see what develops.”

“You’re wasting your time.”

“We’ll see about that.”

She paused to give him a bemused smile. “Gabe’s right. I never quite realized how stubborn you are. Apparently I never told you no.”

“Why would you? We had a good thing going on.”

“We did, but now that I think about it, I went along with whatever you wanted. I never denied you a single thing.”

He leaned closer, breathing her in. “And I like that in a woman.”

“I’ll bet.” She speared an onion and an olive with a plastic toothpick and plopped them into a martini glass. “But you’ll come away empty tonight, Jack, so you might as well face defeat and head back to the ranch.”

Jack turned back to the dance floor. “Your brother has worn himself out trying to learn the two-step, not to mention the mental exhaustion of going to that interview. I predict he’ll sleep like a rock.”

“Go home, Jack.”

“Not yet, Josie.” He knew, even if she didn’t, that persistence usually paid off. Everyone might want to label him stubborn, but he considered himself a master of persistence. The only person he’d never been able to outlast had been his father, who’d been the grand master of persistence.

His mother, from what little he knew of her, hadn’t understood the concept at all. She’d given up at the first sign that ranch life would be hard and might require some sacrifices, or so his father had told him. Jack had no respect for that.

The band finished their last number and began packing up their instruments. Customers drifted out the door, and a few came over to thank him for the spoon-dangling lessons. That crazy stunt had brought back memories of his father, too. Jonathan Chance had loved to give people something to talk about.

Jack smiled as he remembered the annual prank involving the life-sized plaster horse standing on the porch roof of the feed store. Every fall Jonathan and Jack would sneak into town with a ladder and a can of blue paint. When they left, the horse’s privates would be blue. No one ever caught them, but everyone in town knew the culprit.

Alex came over to the bar. “I’ve had it.” He stuck out his hand. “But I wanted to say thanks for a very interesting evening.”

“You inspired me to get back in training.” Jack met Alex’s gaze as he shook his hand. “I’m thinking of lobbying to make spoon-dangling an Olympic event.”

“You draw up the petition and I’ll sign it.” Alex paused. “So I guess you’ll be shoving off now, right?”

“Soon.”

Alex glanced over at Josie. “Need any help closing up?”

“I’ll be fine. You go on to bed.”

“I’ll help if she needs it,” Jack said.

Alex hesitated. “On second thought, I think I’ll stay down here and stack the chairs.”

Josie reached across the bar and grabbed his arm. “Seriously, Alex, it’s under control.”

“You’re sure?”

“I’m sure. Don’t act like a chaperone. I can take care of myself.”

Alex looked back at Jack as if he had doubts. “If you say so. I really am beat. See you later, Jack.”

“You bet.” Jack raised a hand in farewell. Yes. He started moving around the room stacking chairs on top of tables while Josie got out the industrial-sized broom. They’d done this together a hundred times. More than a hundred.

Jack went to fetch the long-handled dustpan. “Feels nice, doing this again.”

“Just so you don’t expect a reward after we’re done.” Josie swept the debris into a pile so Jack could load it into the dustpan and dump it in the trash.

“I’ll settle for a kiss.” Or at least he’d start there.

She put the broom away. “You’re pushing it, Jack.”

“One kiss. That doesn’t seem like too much to ask.” He dumped the dustpan and put it in the closet, which happened to be near the main light switch. He killed the lights, figuring semi-darkness could hide a multitude of sins, or a multitude of pleasures.

Her voice sounded hollow in the now-empty room. “I know those moves of yours, and I’m not going along with your evil plan.”

“It’s not evil.” His eyes adjusted and he walked over to where she was standing by the bar. “Surely you can spare me one little kiss.” He could feel her heat even before he reached her. Her breathing was shallow and quick. She wanted his touch as much as he wanted hers.

“I don’t think we’re capable of one little kiss, Jack.”

“Then two big ones. And then I’ll go home.” He gathered her into his arms and groaned. “God, you feel good.”

“This is such a bad idea.” But she cupped the back of his head and pulled his head down.

“Yeah, just terrible.” He met her halfway and groaned again as he tasted her sweet, sweet mouth. No kiss had ever been so long anticipated or so thoroughly enjoyed. At first he used his tongue only to explore and caress, but primitive urges soon had him thrusting with his tongue and reaching for the snaps on her shirt.

She broke away, gasping. “Jack, we really shouldn’t.”

“I know. But I’m dying, here.”

“Me, too.” She caught his hand and drew him away from the bar. “My office. We’ll lock the door.”

He managed to swallow a shout of triumph. Thank God she needed him as much as he needed her.

The office was even darker than the main room of the bar, and once she closed and locked the door, he couldn’t see much of anything. But he could feel, and once he located her, he had no trouble finding the eager mouth she lifted to his, or the buckle to her belt and the metal button and zipper on her jeans.

She helped by toeing off one boot so that he could get her out of half her jeans. That was really all he needed.

“Your chair,” he said between frantic kisses. “Let’s use that.”

Her reply was breathless. “Okay.” She helped him search in the darkness for her desk chair. “Here it is.” She guided him to it.

As he sat down, he was already unbuckling his belt and unzipping his pants. The armless chair squeaked as he leaned back and fished in his jeans pocket for the condom he’d brought in hopes he’d get to use it. Ripping it open, he shoved the wrapper back in his pocket. He wasn’t leaving any evidence behind.

“Now?” Her voice quivered with eagerness.

“Almost.” He rolled on the condom and reached for her. “Where are you?”

“Here.” She took his hand and placed it between her spread thighs.

He sucked in a breath as he caressed her, sliding his fingers up and in. “You’re so wet.”

“I’ve been like this all night.”

“If I’d known that…”

“You know it now. And now that you do, could you please do something about it?”

“Be glad to.” Cupping her bottom with his free hand, he guided her into position so that she straddled him on the chair. Then he slowly withdrew his fingers so that he could replace them with his cock.

She slid down with a low, soft, moan of pleasure. “I thought we couldn’t.”

“But we can.” Cupping her bottom, he closed his eyes and murmured his heartfelt thanks for this moment.

“You’re welcome.” She braced her hands on his shoulders. “This is one kind of riding I don’t need lessons for.”

“No. As I recall, you’re an expert.” His heart thudded rapidly in his chest as he waited, because this was Josie’s show. She had to make it happen.

“Even experts can use extra practice.” As she rose up, she tightened around him.

Oh, yes. He remembered this, and he was about to have the ride of his life.

She began slowly, sliding up and down with those tight muscles that massaged his aching dick and provided the most exquisite torture imaginable. He wanted her to go faster, but he’d be damned if he’d ask for that. She’d pick up the pace when she was ready.

She bounced a little faster, and then… she went for broke, her bottom slapping against his thighs in a piston-like movement that made him grit his teeth against the climax that hovered ever nearer.

He couldn’t hold it. He wanted to, but… “I’m going… to… come…” he said, gasping.

“So… am… I…” Breathing hard, she changed the angle, and then… her spasms hit as she let out a long, keening wail through clenched teeth.

He erupted, his hips jerking upward and impaling her even deeper as he trembled in the grip of an orgasm that went right off the Richter scale. Some deeply buried instinct of self-preservation kept him from crying out.

“Oh, Jack.” She slumped forward and rested her forehead against his. “That was so foolish. And so wonderful.”

“It’ll be okay. No one ever has to know.”

“We can’t keep hiding this forever. Sooner or later we’ll have to go public.”

“That’s your decision. You have the protective brother.”

“And you have the nervous bride and groom.”

Jack had to admit Gabe might look upon this development with skepticism. A love affair always had the potential to blow up, especially with the kind of history he had with Josie.

He sighed. “We’d better keep it quiet for now, at least.”

“I agree. And I need to get upstairs before Alex gets suspicious.”

“Chances are he’s out like a light. He won’t even hear you come in.”

Jack wished to hell he’d been right about that, but when he and Josie finally got themselves back together and opened the office door, someone was sitting in the shadowy room at one of the tables. It could have been a ghost, if Jack believed in ghosts.

He wished to hell he did. He’d rather deal with a ghost than this guy.

“Okay, Chance,” Alex said. “We need to talk.”