Let his brothers and cousins run the massive McKay ranch for a few weeks. God knew, Cord had pulled their weight more than a time or two. They owed him.
Cord’s mother talked him into coming home, giving Ky time to adjust before making a rash decision. Ky seemed fine whenever Cord talked to him on the phone, which had calmed his fears somewhat.
Somewhat. Damn, he missed his kid something fierce.
So, here he was killing time in the local honky-tonk, wondering how he’d get through the next month and a half without going insane. Wondering if the next time he stumbled over one of Ky’s toys whether he’d break down and bawl like a lost calf.
The chair next to Cord’s squeaked as a big body flopped beside him. He tilted his hat up and saw his cousin Kade’s shit-eating grin.
“Fancy seein’ you here, Cord.”
“Don’t get used to it.”
“Don’t worry, I know you ain’t here trollin’ for a piece of ass.” Kade’s dark eyebrows rose in challenge. “Are you?”
“Fuck off.”
Kade’s baritone laugh boomed. “You talk to Ky today?”
“Twice.”
“Cool. How’s the little guy doin’?”
“Good. Misses his horse more than me.”
“Sounds like a typical McKay response. How’re you doin’?”
“I’m here, ain’t I?”
“Must mean you’re bored already, huh?” Kade’s gaze swept the bar. “Who you here with?”
“Colt is supposed to show up.”
“He’ll show up late, if at all.” Kade snorted. “Last I knew he was hookin’ up with some stripper from Lusk. I swear he’s nailin’ three-quarters of the women in the tri-county area.”
“Jealous?”
“Hell yes, I’m jealous. He gets more pu**y in a week than I get in a year.”
The haggard waitress dropped off a fresh beer and took Kade’s order. Cord asked,
“Is Kane here?”
“Nope. He’s got a hot date. Everyone is gettin’ laid but us, cuz.” He shot Cord a devious look. “Unless you’re lyin’ to yourself, me, and your mama on why you’re really here?”
“Not hardly. I don’t have time for the bullshit that goes along with the privilege of gettin’ my rocks off once or twice.”
“Man, that’s harsh. You tellin’ me you wouldn’t make time if someone came along?”
Cord’s beer stopped halfway to his mouth. His attention wandered to a woman swinging her hips on the dance floor.
Oh yeah. He’d make time for her in a f**king heartbeat.
Holy hell. Her legs went on forever. His gaze started at the heels of her high-heeled silver boots, gradually traveling up along the sexy line of those shapely legs, ending at her luscious ass barely hidden beneath an extremely short denim skirt. When her dance partner twirled her, Cord caught a glimpse of bright red bikini panties.
Lust whomped him in the gut.
He’d been so busy checking out her ass he hadn’t seen her face. Her backside faced him—not that he was complaining—and a cheap straw cowboy hat covered her head. Her strong, tanned arms slid around the wide shoulders of the lucky cowboy as she sashayed closer to grind her pelvis against his. The cowboy whooped, clamping his hands on her ass in a dirty dancing move that’d make Patrick Swayze jealous.
It caused a burst of envy in Cord too. Nonchalantly he asked, “Kade, who’s the chick on the dance floor?”
“Which one?”
“The one with the never endin’ legs puttin’ on the show in the miniskirt.”
Kade squinted. “You mean AJ?”
AJ? Not a familiar name. “Yeah.”
“She’s quite the dancer, huh?”
“Sure is.”
AJ performed a shimmy-shake with her hips, while snaking her arms above her head.
The movement caused her tight lace shirt to slide up, exposing the smooth curve of her lower back.
Cord withheld a groan. Nothing was sexier than that dimpled section of a woman’s back above her ass. Nothing.
With the exception of those unbelievably hot legs.
Every wicked undulation of her hips resulted in the fringe on her skirt swishing across the back of her firm thighs. He’d never been jealous of a skirt before now, but he sure as hell was right then.
“She seein’ the guy she’s dancin’ with?”
“Mikey? Nah. Not for lack of tryin’ on his part. AJ doesn’t lack for partners.”
“I’ll bet.”
“She’s sweet as the day is long. How your sister hasn’t corrupted her is beyond me.
She ain’t as wild as Keely, but ain’t for want of volunteers to take her for a walk on the wild side.”
Walk? Hell, Cord would take her for a ride on the wild side. Binding her mile-long legs around his waist as he drove into her hard and fast. Feeling those slender thighs draped over his shoulders as she rode his face.
Jesus. Been an ice age since he’d had a woman, especially a buckle bunny cowboy-toy like her—built for speed with curves that’d lead a man straight into temptation.
Cord nursed his beer, his eyes never straying from her twisting form. Still, something about her seemed…familiar.
AJ threw back her head and laughed. Her straw hat tumbled to the floor.
Come on, baby doll, bend over and pick it up.
She twirled his direction and Cord finally saw her face.
If his lips weren’t pressed against the beer bottle, his jaw would’ve smacked his knees.
The blonde sexpot with the killer legs and fantastic ass was none other than little Amy Jo Foster. His astonished gaze zeroed in on the cle**age spilling out of her V-necked blouse.
Nothing little about her now.
Talk about degenerate behavior. He’d been ogling his much-younger sister’s best friend. His son’s former babysitter.
Christ on a crutch.
Good thing she’d never waltzed into his house dressed like that—a sex kitten on the prowl. He’d’ve been arrested for his lewd thoughts alone. Dammit, why couldn’t he stop wondering whether her ni**les were pale pink like her lips or cherry red like her undies?
Amy Jo’s large silvery-gray eyes met his for a moment. The come-hither smolder she aimed at him nearly knocked him off his damn barstool.
Where’d she learn that “fuck me now, Big Daddy” stare? She was too damn young.
She’s old enough.
And he was old enough to know better.