The Cowboy Way Ch. 06

There was a knock at his door, the sound actually making him jump. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest. Wiping his hands on his jeans, Ryley opened the door.

Mandy stood on the pavement looking up at him, the setting sun giving her blonde hair a fiery tinge. She wore a pair of baggy white, cotton pants, the wide openings in the legs just showing her red toenails and edge of her black slippers. A hooded white, zip up sweatshirt was open just enough to reveal the cleft between her breasts. A light shade of pink lip-gloss adorned her lips as a smile spread slowly across her face.

" You gonna invite me in, cowboy? Or just stare?" she asked, cocking her head slightly.

Ryley smiled. " Sorry, come on in," he said, stepping to the side.

She stepped up into the trailer and Ryley closed the door then turned to her. Their difference in height made Mandy crane her neck to look up at him. Ryley's mind swam as he caught the scent of the lotions she had rubbed into her skin. He could still smell the peach conditioner she had used in her hair earlier.

Mandy kind of pursed her lips as her eyes ran over his form, taking in his attire. As always he was wearing jeans and a T-shirt, though they were the cleanest ones he owned. She smiled, expecting nothing less from him as she turned and walked over to the couch. Sitting down, she crossed one leg under her and placed her elbow on the back, resting her head in her hand.

Ryley swallowed. " Do you want something to drink?"

She smiled. " Sure, a water if you have one."

Ryley turned to he refrigerator and opened the door. His hand was shaking so bad he almost knocked the entire contents of the appliance onto the floor. Mandy stifled a giggle and Ryley shot her a comic glare as he pulled out a bottle of water.

" Am I making you nervous, Ryley?" she asked.

Ryley opened the bottle of water and handed it to her. " No, I'm just a little freaked about having to actually act."

Mandy smiled as she placed the bottle to her lips and sipped from the contents. It was a lame excuse and they both knew it. Ryley could never remember a girl making him feel like this, something had to be wrong with him.

" Well then sit down," she said.

" Oh, right," he replied as he sat down next to her.

Mandy put the bottle of water on the windowsill. " Okay," she said.

From there she launched into a long description of what the next part of the video entailed. Basically, the majority of it was going to be Ryley driving the car, while Mandy sang parts of her song, all the time swiveled in the passenger seat, her eyes fixated on Ryley. She explained that it was important Ryley keep a stern look on his face the entire time, you know, play it cool.

There would be another scene, which would be Mandy sitting on the hood of the GTO. Ryley would be standing in front of her, while she wrapped her legs around his waist and draped her arms over his shoulders. It was supposed to look like Mandy was trying to draw his attention but again, Ryley was supposed to remain stone faced, staring off at the horizon or some shit.

Eventually, Ryley had to appear like he was cracking under Mandy's constant ministrations. Then he was supposed to turn around, and they would kiss, ending the video. Ryley sat in a very well hidden shock at the fact that he would be kissing Mandy tomorrow. The prospect of this both confused and excited him.

" Basically the song is about love conquering the facades we put on," Mandy explained. " And that's what I want to convey with the video."

Ryley nodded. " I think I can do that."

Mandy smiled. " Ryley, you and I are close, right?"

" Yeah," he replied. " Absolutely."

" Can I talk to you about your brother? About Sean?"

Ryley swallowed. " Yeah."

Mandy sighed. " You know I was young when we were together, right? I mean I was like thirteen and he was seventeen."

Ryley knew this. He had been twenty years old when she had begun seeing Sean.

" Do you remember the first time I saw you?"

Ryley thought back. " Yeah, when Sean brought you home to meet our parents one day."

Mandy shook her head. " No, Ryley. That's the first time you saw me. I mean the first time I saw you."

He shook his head, confused. " No, I don't know what you're talking about."

She smiled. " Well, we had all heard Sean bragging to his buddies about how his older brother was going to be a Winston Cup driver. He told his buddies that if they wanted to see what a real driver was they should hang around after school to be there when you picked him up.

" So my girlfriends and I got all excited about seeing an older guy, you know?"

Ryley didn't but he smiled and nodded, intrigued by Mandy's angelic voice.

" Well we hung around after school that day. And you came screaming into the parking lot in that crazy GTO you used to have."

Smiling, Ryley recalled the '67 GTO he had owned back then, a mean muscle car that was unrivaled in their town. He would later give the car to Sean, who would end up blowing the motor. Ryley couldn't recall what had become of that car.

" Ryley, when I saw you I felt my knees turn to Jell-O. You were the most incredibly gorgeous guy I had ever laid eyes on," Mandy said, her face turning red. " I just knew . . ."

Mandy trailed off. " Maybe I shouldn't tell you this."

Ryley touched her hand. " You started it."

She lowered her eyes.

" Amanda," Ryley said gently.

She looked up at him, a different look in her eyes than Ryley had ever seen before.

" No one has called me Amanda in a long time."

Ryley smiled. " It's a gorgeous name."

She smiled, her face turning bright red.

" Now tell me," he ordered.

Mandy swallowed, her lower lip trembling. " Ryley, I started seeing Sean so I could meet you," she said, her voice breaking.

She stood up, quickly and rushed towards the door, grabbing the handle. Ryley stood up and grabbed her arm, stopping her before she could go outside. Mandy froze under his touch.

She allowed him to pull her, gently, back inside and turn her around. Ryley placed a finger under her chin and raised her face so he could look into her eyes. She kept them closed, her lips parted slightly. Ryley reached down and took her hands in his and moved them behind her to the small of her back. He slowly pulled her to him.

This caused their bodies to touch. Ryley thought he could actually feel her shiver pleasantly at the contact.

" You can't leave yet, Amanda."

She opened her eyes, hazel gems that made Ryley's head swim. " Why not?"

He smiled. " We aren't done rehearsing."

" What?" she asked.

" Isn't there a kiss in this video?"

Mandy smiled, her eyes sparkling. Ryley leaned down, inhaling her scent as she closed her eyes. Their lips touched and Ryley could feel the hair on the back of his neck standing on end along with his cock, which was straining against his jeans.

Moaning in relent, Mandy opened her mouth and slipped her tongue into his. Her mouth tasted fresh and minty, which urged Ryley to return her kiss with a fiery intensity. He could feel her hands slip from his and slide up his chest to cradle his face. Ryley wrapped his hands around her waist, lifting her off her feet.

He carried her over to the couch and sat down, Mandy instinctively straddling his waist. Through their clothes, Ryley could clearly feel her inviting pussy as she ground herself against his protruding cock, sending delicious sensations through both their bodies. Ryley kissed his way from her lips to her throat, where he nipped and licked her flawless skin.

Mandy arched her back and pushed her chest outwards as Ryley reached the bare skin of her upper chest. His hand rose up to the zipper of her sweatshirt, which he tugged slowly down until the garment hung open. Ryley leaned back, his eyes glowing when he saw she wore no bra. His eyes surveyed the flawless skin between her breasts, which were still covered. Her tight stomach was moving with her breathing, turning her sexy navel into an inviting target.

She wrapped her hands around the back of his neck as Ryley leaned her back and lowered his mouth to her belly button. Mandy squirmed in his lap as his tongue circled the opening. She pulled herself up straight and let Ryley slip his hands under her sweatshirt.

Their eyes locked as his hands rose to her shoulders and slid the sweatshirt down until it rest at her elbows. Mandy's eyes dropped down to her chest along with Ryley's. Her breasts were gorgeous orbs of flesh without a single mark or line, sitting high on her chest. Her nipples were a light shade of brown, standing out about a half an inch, surrounded by areolas a little bigger than a quarter. They weren't large by everyday standards, but coupled with the rest of her body they were perfect.

Mandy's skin was a silky smooth tan, stretched tight over her well-defined body. Their eyes met again, holding each other's gaze for a long moment, before they both leaned in and kissed again. There was a silent, heartfelt intensity to their kiss as Mandy pressed her chest to his, pushing them both back against the couch.

Ryley's hands slid down to cup and squeeze her pert, incredible ass. Slowly he reached around between them to cup her sex and lightly rub it. Mandy's breathing grew ragged and her hips began to move of their own accord.

Suddenly, she pulled back, brushing her hair out of her face. She stood up, zipping up her sweatshirt.

" No, Ryley, this is too quick, we can't," she said fumbling for words.

" What?" Ryley asked, standing up quickly, then reaching down to adjust his painfully erect cock.

Mandy's eyes dropped instinctively to his crotch and widened for a moment before she looked back up at him.

" I'm sorry, Ryley," she apologized. " This is just so fast."

" Mandy, wait," he said, folding her into his arms.

She opened her mouth to protest, then relaxed and spread her hands out on his chest.

" Okay, it's too fast," he agreed. " But don't rush out of here like this, all right?"

She nodded.

" This can be whatever we want it to be. Is it just me or is there more here than just a thing?"

" I always had more than just a thing for you," she replied.

" All right, then I can take it slow. Is that what you want?"

Mandy nodded.

" Good, so you won't be all weird tomorrow?"

She shook her head no.

" Prove it," he said with a smile.

A smile crossed her face as she rose up on her tiptoes and kissed him, sliding her tongue into his mouth for a moment.

THE NEXT MORNING

Whether Mandy was being standoffish because of last night was hard to tell. The makeup people had been hustling around him for thirty minutes, much to the amusement of TJ and the rest of the crew. Ryley flipped them the bird, good naturedly as they made comic imitations of him being powdered and glossed and God knows what else.

Thirty feet away, Mandy was sitting at another arrangement. She appeared much more calm than Ryley was about these people flustering all over them. Mandy treated the whole ordeal with a practiced, regal disdain.

They hadn't had a chance to discuss the previous night and Ryley was eager to speak to her. He had realized last night that Mandy could be exactly what he was looking for. The two of them had fit together last night in a way that Ryley hadn't experienced in a long time. He only hoped she felt the same way about him that he did about her.

Eventually, the makeup technicians were finished and Mandy went into the costume trailer to pull on her red leather outfit. When she stepped back outside, the early morning sun framing her figure perfectly, Ryley felt a painful rush of blood to his groin. Taking a deep breath, he stood up and walked over to the costume trailer, praying no one saw his erection.

Stepping inside, he was immediately set upon by a group of three men, whose sexuality definitely wasn't a question. They oohed and ahhed Ryley until he was red with embarrassment and ready to throw all three of them out a window. By the time he stepped back outside, he felt like he had been mind fucked and breathed deeply of the cool, morning air of Arizona.

When he opened his eyes he was greeted by dozens of stares. The guys in the trailer had turned Ryley into a dark, dreamlike premonition. A nearby, full length mirror gave Ryley a glimpse of himself that even made him pause.

A pair of stylish black boots, polished to perfection adorned his feet. Trendy black pants covered his legs with a black leather belt at his waist. A lightweight material, white shirt with a vertical stitch pattern covered his chest and stomach, hugging every well-defined muscle. A long black coat, that reached just past Ryley's knees billowed in the wind, the light material also clinging to his broad shoulders effortlessly.

Looking over, Ryley saw Mandy, her eyes fixated on him like he was a diamond in the rough. Ryley smiled and kind of opened his arms, displaying his costume. Mandy laughed and walked over to him, smoothing her hands across his chest, her eyes sparkling as she studied him. He wanted nothing more at that moment than to pull her to him and kiss her.

There was an electric current in her touch that made every nerve in his body stand on end. Looking up from her, Ryley could see that most of the crew, extras and even his crew could tell something was going on between them. They elbowed each other and nodded in the direction of Mandy and Ryley, holding whispered, not unpleasant conversations.

" Amanda," Ryley said. " About last night."

Mandy looked up at him, her hazel eyes locking with his blue ones.

" Shh . . ." she said, placing a fingertip lightly on his lips. " We'll talk about it later."

And with that she got up on her tiptoes and kissed him gently on the lips, licking his upper lip discretely. Ryley returned her smile, feeling like a teenager when fixed with her adoring gaze.

" All right everyone," Michael yelled, clapping his hands. " Let's go. Ryley, Mandy, places."

Ryley followed Mandy to the GTO, where she climbed into the passenger seat and he got in the driver's seat. The interior was pleasantly cool as Ryley started the engine and shifted into reverse, backing away from his trailer. Shifting into gear, they drove down the road.

The chase vehicle, with its array of cameras and cameramen took up a position behind them. In order to get out to this incredible road where the shoot was to take place, they had to drive through a run down, industrial area. Ryley looked over at Mandy as she adjusted herself in the passenger seat, placing her back against the door and her feet across the center console.

She kicked off her red, high-heeled sandals and slid her feet against Ryley's side. He smiled and reached up to tickle her feet. Mandy laughed, throwing her head back slightly. In that moment, Ryley caught a glimpse of a Monte Carlo parked down in between a couple of the warehouses along the road. The car barely registered to him, though as he was slowly running his hand up Mandy's leg.

" Ryley," she pleaded, with little conviction in her voice. " Stop, everyone can see you."

He laughed as he remembered the presence of the cameras. Taking the two-way radio out of the cup holder, he held it to his mouth and keyed the receiver.

" All right, you guys, are we ready to roll?"

" Hang on," said one of the producers.

Ryley handed the radio to Mandy, who took it and leaned back in her seat as she slid a CD into the player. It had been specially made to have only the acoustics of the song, so Mandy could sing along. She had explained that the music would be voided from the digital feed and another; clearer set of acoustics would be dubbed in.

Having little knowledge of the process, Ryley had nodded in mock comprehension. Mandy had said that the filming that day would be confusing in the car, but just to concentrate on driving. Which Ryley was busy doing at the moment.

" Okay, Mandy," said the producer. " We have sound and picture, whenever you're ready."

Mandy slid the radio down between her and the seat and picked up the controller for the CD player. She pressed play and the beginning of the song came over the radio, the music slow and heart rending. Within thirty seconds a bass heavy intro blasted over the speakers and Mandy launched into song.

The words played in Ryley's ears as he did his best to keep a stone faced expression for the cameras in his face and those catching his profile. His arm rested across Mandy's legs as he began increase the speed of the GTO, changing gears as the song began to work its magic on him. Mandy's angelic voice, which was both powerful and sensuous in his ear, was making him sweat.

They roared down the road at seventy miles an hour. Mandy kept her eyes locked securely on Ryley or on the camera mounted in front of him in the headliner, focused on her face. Ryley could do little else other than drive and listen to her voice, trying not to squirm while she deliberately tickled him with her toes.

It was only a couple of minutes before Mandy stopped singing and picked up the radio.

" Okay, Michael," she said. " How was that?"

" He said it was great," came the reply. " He wants you guys to go out a little further, turn around an do it again. This time let the chase truck go in front of you."

Ryley guided the GTO a little further down the road and pulled into a dirt turnoff. He turned to Mandy, who smiled, coyly at him.

" Stop tickling me," he ordered, laughing. " I'm trying to stay all bad ass and in character for you."

Mandy leaned forwards and kissed him over the center console. She slipped her tongue into his mouth, teasing him for a few seconds before leaning back in her seat. A smile spread across her face.

" Even when you smile, Ryley Hale, you are still a tough guy," she said.

" Thanks," he replied as the pickup truck that had been following them pulled onto the road and began to head back towards the diner and the trailers.

Ryley revved the motor and dumped the clutch, spinning the rear tires. The GTO roared onto the roads sideways in a graceful slide. Mandy was laughing as they straightened out and took up a position behind the truck.

" You sure can drive, Ryley."

They repeated the whole scene again, this time in the opposite direction. Then, low and behold they ended up doing the scene again and again, using different parts of this road they had had closed down for their uses. It took most of the morning into the afternoon to finish, with no break for Ryley or Mandy. When they finally got out of the GTO they were definitely glad to stretch, but not about losing the privacy and intimacy of the car.

Everyone greeted them with smiles and congratulations, and most appreciatively, something to drink. Ryley remained behind with TJ to go over the GTO to make sure the car was okay. He watched, disheartened, as Mandy walked off with a couple of the dancers, whom Ryley had noticed Mandy was close with.

" Mandy," cried Rebecca, a tall, lithe brunette into Mandy's ear. " That was great."

" Thanks," she replied as they sat down in the shade outside her trailer.

" We saw the whole thing," continued Danielle, an equally attractive redhead.

Mandy smiled, blushing.

Danielle went on. " What is going on with you guys?"

" I don't know," she replied. " What I always wanted."

" You knew him before this?" Rebecca asked.

Mandy nodded. " I knew him years ago."

" What's he like," Danielle asked.

She shook her head. " Not at all what I expected."

Indeed, Mandy had wanted Ryley for a long time. She had begun seeing Sean in order to meet Ryley but then she had grown attached to Sean. Mandy had only ever thought what she wanted with Ryley was physical, which had been her intention last night. But when they had finally touched it wasn't at all what she expected.