“Flattered as I am… Why me? You gotta know any one of the young guys in here would kill to have a shot at you.”

AJ broke eye contact and scraped at the label on her beer bottle. Shoot. How was she supposed to answer that without giving herself away?

Cord’s rough hand curled over her wrist and he idly stroked her knuckles. Her stomach jumped again. She glanced up, overwhelmed by the lust in his eyes.

“Jesus. You have the sexiest mouth I’ve ever seen. I can’t think beyond tastin’ that mole by the corner of your lips. Runnin’ my tongue over it. Kissin’ every inch of it on the way back to kissin’ every inch of your mouth.”

Warning. Don’t let him sweet-talk you until you get a chance to speak your piece.

She blurted, “Do you wanna dance?”

“Not to this.”

“Why not?”

“Because the first time I put my hands on you, I want you close. Real close. Close as we can get with our clothes on without getting kicked out for lewd behavior.”

The silence between them grew. AJ felt her confidence slipping. This was not the way she’d envisioned her night of seduction.

Then take charge.

She finished the beer and hopped off the barstool. “I want your hands on me now, Cord.” She hooked her finger in his belt loop and towed him on the dance floor to the corner farthest away from the stage.

He placed his hot palm on the small of her back, urging her lower body against his, threading the fingers of his left hand through the fingers on her right.

AJ slowly dragged her palm up Cord’s arm just to feel his muscles before she rested her hand on his shoulder. “Isn’t this better? We can make the music fit our mood, not the other way around.”

“Seems you’re in a reckless mood.” Cord stared at her, no hint of a smile. “Why’re you flirtin’ with me like this?”

“Besides that you are one hot, sexy cowboy?”

“Bullshit. Are you playin’ some kind of game with me? Seein’ if you can get the old man hot and bothered and then flit away to laugh about it with your girlfriends?”

“No. Geez, Cord. You have such a high opinion of me.”

“Nothin’ personal.”

“Just women in general?”

“Yep.”

AJ let her fingers trace the ridge of his collarbone. “I wouldn’t tease you. But I will admit I have an ulterior motive in flirting with you so shamelessly.”

His eyes hardened. “Why?”

“Because I want something from you.”

“What?”

“For you to teach me everything you know about sex.”

Pause. “Come again?”

“Oh, I’d like to come again and again.” She smiled triumphantly at his stunned expression.

“You’d better be explainin’ that.”

“What I know about sex is what I’ve seen in the barnyard.”

“That’s it?”

“Well, that and some porn.”

He gave her another skeptical look. “Is there a reason you’re sharin’ this information with me?”

“Yeah, but it’s sort of embarrassing. You are looking at the only twenty-two-year-old virgin in all of Crook County.”

Cord quit moving, causing AJ to stumble into him. The man was rock solid. Heck, everything about him was firm and broad and hard. Very hard. Mostly his eyes right now.

“This is some kinda joke, right?”

“No.” She predicted he’d be suspicious, but mad? Yikes. She tried to snatch her hand from his to escape, like hightail it straight for the South Dakota border and not look back.

“Oh, no you don’t, baby doll. You don’t get to tell me somethin’ that fogs my damn brain over and then dart away like a scared rabbit. We are gonna discuss this, in detail, right now, since you brought it up, Amy Jo.”

She lifted her chin defiantly. “It’s AJ.”

“Fine, AJ.”

“Could we keep dancing? You sorta stopped.”

He spun them so his back was to the room. His deep blue eyes locked on hers.

“Lemme get this straight. You ain’t never been naked with a man. Now that you’ve decided you’re ready to spread your gorgeous legs, you’ve picked… me to be the lucky one?”

“Yes.”

The muscle in his jaw snapped. He opened his mouth. Closed it. Finally he said,

“Christ almighty, do you know what that does to me? Hell. You don’t, because you’ve never—”

“You can just say no, Cord.”

His lips curled oh-so-slowly, in a decidedly predatory grin. “Here’s the deal: I don’t wanna say no.”

AJ froze.

“Keep dancin’, you sorta stopped,” he teased.

Neither spoke for a few beats as they swayed together.

Cord placed his mouth to her ear. “But before I say yes, I’m curious about a couple of things.”

His hot breath sent shivers down her neck, tightening her nipples against his chest.

“Like what?”

“Like why you’re still untouched. Because if this is a religious issue and if you’re lookin’ for a preacher and a weddin’ ring, I ain’t your man.”

“I’m not.”

“Good.” He sighed in her hair. “Then why are you innocent? You are sexy as shit.

Don’t pretend there ain’t been men sniffin’ around.”

AJ angled her head to feel Cord’s smoothly shaven jaw rub over her cheek. Mmm.

He smelled good. Warm skin beneath a hint of spicy aftershave. By the way his body tensed she figured he liked it when she rubbed him like a contented cat, so she kept right on doing it.

“AJ? You gonna answer that?”

“Okay. When did you notice I was sexy as shit, Cord McKay?”

He laughed softly. “Got me there.”

“Exactly. I haven’t been with a guy before because”— I was too busy working my ass off—“I didn’t date in school. When Keely and I moved to Denver there were lots of guys sniffing around, but I was embarrassed to admit I’d never done it.”

“Nothin’ to be ashamed of. I still don’t get why me. Lots of young fellas around here—”

AJ stopped dancing and jerked back from him.

But his iron grip didn’t waver. “What?”

“Say no, but do not try to convince me that Mikey is a better choice for my first lover than you. Don’t treat me like a child who can’t choose between a grape or a cherry lollipop. I’ve thought this through. If you don’t want a piece of me, say so and walk away.”

“I want a piece of you, baby doll, like you wouldn’t fuckin’ believe. Just had to make sure this wasn’t somethin’ you decided on the spur of the moment.”

“It’s not.”

“Then c’mere. You’re gonna hafta get used to havin’ your body against mine.” Cord pulled her even closer. “Get used to feelin’ my hands on you. All over you. All the time.”

Her hormones did the happy dance.

The band segued into a slow, mournful ballad and AJ’s eyes drifted shut. She lost herself in the sensation of finally being where she’d always dreamed: in Cord McKay’s arms.

“How much experience do you have?” Cord murmured.

“You ask a lot of questions.”

“I expect an answer to every damn one.” His lips brushed her temple. “Where all’ve you been kissed besides your pretty mouth?” Cord’s free hand slipped up her waist to her ribcage. His thumb lightly stroked the bottom swell of her breast before sweeping higher, across her nipple, until it was a hot, tight point. “Here?”

Her breath hitched. “Ah. No.”

He twirled them, dancing backward, smoothly inserting his leg between hers.

“Here?” He pressed up so she was riding his thigh. “You ever had a man’s mouth tastin’ your sweet spot?”

AJ softly moaned at the exquisite pressure and heat of his hard muscles rubbing her tender flesh. The thought of his tongue licking there made her throb with want.

“Yes or no?” he growled.

Dizzy, she managed, “N-no.”

“Has any man ever touched this pussy?”

“No.”

“You’ve touched yourself? Made yourself come?”

“Yes.”

Cord hissed. “You’re drivin’ me crazy, thinkin’ of all the things I’m gonna do to you. How many different ways I can make you come.”

“Show me.” AJ tightened her thighs around his. “Show me it all.”

“Remember you said that.” He blew softly in her ear and she shivered like a newborn babe. “Soon as this song ends, I’m goin’ outside. Meet me by my truck in ten minutes.

This is between you and me. No one else needs to know what we’re doin’. Understand?”

“Uh-huh.”

The final drumbeat sounded and Cord eased away from her. AJ locked her knees to keep herself upright.

“Ten minutes. And you’d better not be wearin’ them sassy panties.”

Chapter Six

Cord hadn’t known what’d happen tonight. Hadn’t been entirely sure she’d even be here. He hadn’t expected AJ to ask him to teach her about sex and he sure as hell hadn’t expected her to be a virgin.

A virgin.

Sweet baby Jesus. Had he ever been with a virgin?

Not that he recalled.

So why was he considering bedding the virginal AJ? She knew nothing about taking and giving pleasure. In truth, who was he to talk? Cord hadn’t been in a steady sexual relationship since his ex-wife left him. Sure, in the last couple of years he’d slaked his lust on rare occasions, but did that qualify him to teach her?

Hell yes. Actually, it offered the perfect chance to prove to AJ (and himself) that screaming-raw-hot sex owed nothing to love—just to lust and opportunity, both of which’d been sadly lacking in his life lately. With Ky gone for the next few weeks…and AJ home temporarily…it was a win/win situation for them both.