How Far Will You Go?

By Barbara Baldwin

Kelly Baker had always been willing to take a dare. That attribute led to losing her virginity to Loukota Kincaid when she was a sophomore in high school. Now, ten years later, Lou is back in town and the gorgeous cowboy dares her to go well beyond that original initiation to sex and to explore the sensual magnetism that draws them together. The minute Lou sees Kelly he wants to pick up where they left off, but he's not back in Dexter, Colorado for the rodeo as Kelly imagines. He's conducting undercover surveillance for the government. He wonders if he can maintain his cover and still convince Kelly they will be great together - in bed, in the back of his pickup, or back to the original hayloft - anywhere that he can strip her naked and take her in all the ways he has imagined.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Torrid Books
• Release date: Dec 1, 2005
• ISBN: 9781593744526

Barbara Baldwin

Barb loves to travel and explore new places and each of her novels is set in a different locale. She has written practically all her life, beginning with journals of family vacations. She is now published in poetry, short stories, essays, magazine articles, teacher resource materials, and full-length fiction. She also wrote and co-produced a documentary on Kansas history that won state and national awards. She has an MA in Communication, has taught at the college level and has made over 100 presentations at state and national conferences.Barb can be reached at [e-mail] or through her website at www.authorsden.com/barbarajbaldwin.

Book preview

Chapter 1

Kelly Baker had always been the one willing to take a dare. That attribute had led to her breaking her leg by jumping off a garage roof in grade school, getting rip-roaring drunk on beer at a party in middle school, and losing her virginity to Lou Kincaid after the Spring Fling when she was a sophomore in high school.

That last thought slammed into her chest, constricting her breathing when the aforementioned person walked into the Crystal Water Café late one summer afternoon.

Walked wasn’t exactly how Kelly would describe the arrogant swagger and rolling gait of the boy she hadn’t seen in the last ten years. In fact, boy certainly wasn’t the right word either, but then again her brain had turned to mush the moment he had come through the door. She never would have recognized him if it hadn’t been for the scar curving across his cheek to the edge of his jaw.

So why was he showing up in Dexter now?

Are you listening, Kelly? Maggie rattled the papers under Kelly’s nose.

What? She couldn’t drag her gaze from the tight jeans clad butt that had just straddled a stool up at the counter. Loukota Kincaid, in the flesh. And oh, there was so much more to his flesh than there had been in high school.

The reunion. Hello? Maggie tried to capture her attention again, then turned to see what Kelly was staring at.

Oh, my, her best friend breathed. I forgive you.

Kelly didn’t bother answering, her gaze riveted on Lou, or what she could see from the back, which was enough to make her heart beat faster and her breath catch.

Of course, he looked nothing like the kid that she had made out with back in high school. Then, he had worn glasses and had braces on his teeth and he had been several inches shorter than her five foot, eight inch gangly frame. What had started out as a dare from her friends had turned into the most mind-boggling sex she had ever had.

Well, given that she was a virgin when she and Lou wrestled in the hayloft at his parents’ ranch, she hadn’t had anything to compare it to back then. However, even in her naivety she had realized that nineteen-year-old Lou had certainly known his way around a girl's erogenous zones.

Who on earth is that hunk? Maggie whispered, though Kelly figured her voice could probably be heard next door.

Shh. It’s Lou Kincaid.

No way!

Yes, way.

But he was… Her friend gestured with her hands, apparently unable to come up with any adjectives to properly describe him.

A nerdy, Future Farmer of America, hayseed cowboy? Kelly quirked a brow.

Her friend’s eyes grew round as she nodded. And you made out with him!

Yeah, Kelly sighed. The dare had been only to neck, get a hickey to prove she had, and report back to her friends. She had never even told Maggie what had really happened.

Man, how come he didn’t look like that in high school? Maggie groused.

He had; or at least Kelly had seen the potential when he had stripped down in the hayloft, tossing his glasses to the ground. She remembered his eyes, dark with passion, so different when not hidden behind the thick lenses of his glasses. Working on the ranch and wrestling steers had given him broad shoulders and tight muscles even back then, but Kelly could see he had filled out considerably in the years since.

Are you going to wait on him? Maggie hunched over the table to whisper to her.

Kelly’s stomach dropped. It was slow that afternoon at the Crystal Water Café, so she had told Maggie to come down to go over plans for the reunion. She looked down at the candy-striped apron she wore over a white tee shirt and jean shorts. There was nothing wrong with hard work, so why was she suddenly embarrassed that Lou might think she still worked in her mom’s café after all these years?

She had no idea what he had done with his life since he left the small town of Dexter, Colorado after graduation. Two years later, she had gone off to college and a career, and had only come home six months ago to help her mom after her dad died. From the looks of his clothes, he must still be riding the rodeo circuit, but somehow, she just knew he had made something more of himself.

Probably something grand that involved lots of prestige and money. And with his looks, no doubt had women at his beck and call. Now why did that disturb her so much?

Ouch! She jerked her arm back when Maggie pinched her. You’ve been doing that to me since grade school and I wish you’d stop! she hissed under her breath.

Well, geez, maybe if you paid attention, I wouldn’t have to. Maggie wrinkled her nose. Get your butt over there and talk to him.

Kelly sighed. Her mom was off this afternoon and Bill apparently wasn’t coming out of the kitchen. In the middle of a weekday afternoon, that only left her. She slid out of the booth.

Okay, but no snickers from the peanut gallery. And for God’s sake, don’t holler my name across the room. Maybe he won’t recognize me.

She quickly came around the end of the counter, grabbing a menu along the way. She laid it on the counter in front of him, willing her voice to come out normal.

May I help you?

The minute he lifted his head and his gaze found hers, she had to clutch the edge of the counter to keep from melting right into a puddle. Those eyes were just as dark as she remembered, his hair just as black. He wore it rather long, and the wind had blown it into a tousled, bad boy style. His western shirt was open part way down his chest and she could see that he was deeply tanned. Whatever he did with his life, he apparently did it without a shirt the majority of the time. The very thought made her hot.

Without taking his eyes off her, he lifted the menu. His hands were big; the faintest hint of dark hair dusting his knuckles. Her breasts ached with the thought of those hands caressing her. Damn, it had been ten years and it wasn’t like she had been celibate since then.

She returned her gaze to his face. He quirked a brow in question. She wasn’t about to offer any information about herself, if that was what he wanted. Thank God her mom didn’t require them to wear nametags.

What’ll you have? she said instead.

That brought a grin to his lips. His mouth had changed. His lips were fuller and his smile quirked up higher on one side than the other. She noticed a tiny spot of gold on one of his front teeth, right where it touched the next.

What are you offering? The innuendo in his words had her stomach rolling. Since he didn’t act like he recognized her, she could only assume that he talked to all women that way. That thought effectively shut down her raging hormones.

You’re too late for breakfast and too early for dinner, she said. So about all you’ll get is a burger and fries.

That’s all? The grin was still there and try as she might, she couldn’t keep an answering smile off her lips.

There might be some pie left, she conceded.

If I remember, Nancy’s peach pie is the best in five counties. Got any of that?

She turned to get his pie and thought about telling him that her mother didn’t bake the pies any more. She did.

Can I have some coffee to go with that?

She placed the pie in front of him and poured a mug of coffee. She automatically moved the cream and sugar within reach, knowing that was how he drank it. He reached for the sugar at the same time and their hands touched.

Absolute awareness shot through Kelly, hotter than the Front Range in July. She could feel her face flush, her breasts swell, and an ache began between her thighs. Her hand shook as she quickly pulled it back, knowing she had to get away from him before she did something really stupid. Like jerk his body right over the counter and ravage him on the spot.

She fled to the kitchen without looking back.

* * * *

Kelly Baker. Lou couldn’t believe it was her. He had only come to the Crystal Water Café in hopes of asking her mother her whereabouts. He hadn’t actually expected her to be working here in Dexter after all these years.

He’d had the hots for her from the minute she started high school but had refrained from acting on it because he knew the minute he asked her out, there was no way he was going to stop with a few good night kisses at the door. Besides, he had been the geek with glasses and braces, and she had played volleyball and ran with the most popular kids in school. But when she had asked him to the Spring Fling dance his senior year, he had readily accepted, even though he had found out it was because of a dare from her friends.

Now, one particular part of his male anatomy jerked to attention as she turned and practically ran to the kitchen. Damn, she had a sweet ass. She had certainly filled out to generous proportions since he had last seen her.

He took a bite of pie and rolled his eyes heavenward. Colorado peach pie; there was nothing better. For all the traveling he did, overseas and stateside, he still favored the simple food he had been brought up on. Meat and potatoes, fresh vegetables, fruit in the summer, and peach pie.

He looked around the old café. The girl who had been sitting with Kelly when he first came in was gone. He could barely hear Kelly’s voice talking to someone in the kitchen. The cook he supposed. He drained his coffee mug and thought about banging it on the counter so she would have to come out and give him a refill.

He smiled when he thought of her nervousness. He didn’t know if it was because she recognized him or not since she hadn’t said anything. Damn, he couldn’t get over the fact that she was right here in town. He contemplated his good fortune.

Of course, he wasn’t back home on vacation. He was working, but given the circumstances, he figured there would be plenty of free time on this job.

Absently lifting his mug again, he frowned, then simply reached over the counter and grabbed the handle to the coffee pot, filling it himself. He groaned at the stretch of muscles as he carefully sat back down. Why had he said he’d use the rodeo as a cover for his work this time? Although he frequently rode, he no longer followed the rodeo circuit, and his muscles were telling him he was too old to be doing it now.

He’d been practicing for nearly a week out at his folks and though his cutting time was getting better, his dad had laughed when he said he was entering the competition at the fair.

I’d suggest you print yourself up some credentials stating you’re a salesman or some such, Louis Kincaid had said just that morning when Lou had fallen off one of the mustangs his dad was taming. His dad knew what he really did for a living, but as far as Mom knew, he simply owned his own security company. If she knew it was far more involved and dangerous than