Cole adjusted his watch and paced outside Jackie’s bedroom door, inexplicably nervous about their dinner with the other auction winners at the community barn.
She’d promised she needed just one more minute.
That was five minutes ago.
When he’d arrived ten minutes ago, she’d still been wearing her dusty jeans and dirt-smudged long-sleeved shirt from their day of chores. She’d even had a small twig still stuck in her sandy-yellow hair, from working on Mrs. Fisher’s yard.
While he’d gaped at her, she’d handed him her dog’s leash. He’d taken Goose for a meander through the nearby park behind the gas station. Now they were back and she still wasn’t ready.
Even though Cole had told Karen and Laura he needed his auction winner to help with ranch chores, he’d actually been planning a surprise for Mrs. Fisher. With her husband in a wheelchair, and her working long shifts at the diner, her yard had suffered over the past several years. Myles and Brant had been helping out as they could, but there had still been a lot to do, from weeding the flowerbeds to trimming back the lawn overgrowing the walkway, as well as reshaping the hedge.
Jackie had been game, even charming William Fisher, who’d come to the door, into agreeing that they could work in his yard as a surprise for his wife.
But what had Jackie been doing in the forty-five minutes since they’d parted ways at the Fisher’s? Was she experiencing cold feet? She’d been flirting with him all afternoon, claiming there were no boundaries between them.
Maybe she’d realized there was nothing to be gained by faking it as his girlfriend.
Then again, she was a fun gal, a flirt, and didn’t seem to mind kissing him. And Sweetheart Creek could be a tad boring.
However, he’d flown home after their work, grabbed a fast shower, shaved, and upended his clean-laundry pile looking for his nicest pair of Levi’s and cleanest shirt. He’d dug through the box of belongings he’d left behind on the ranch to find his most-prized belt buckle, which hadn’t ended up in his bag when he’d left town. He’d even begged his mom to show him the iron, so he could run some heat over the shirt. Then he’d taken a hat brush to his best Stetson, removing dusty fingerprints from its brim, and swiftly oiled his newest boots.
He looked good. Real good.
And Jackie hadn’t even seemed to notice.
He paced her living room again, stopping at the kitchen counter to help himself to a glass of water. There was a note by the sink, and his eyes caught a few words before he minded his own business.
Memory care facility.
Knowing he shouldn’t, he drew the scrap of paper closer, reading the careful, flowing handwriting. He sucked in a breath when he saw the dollar amount at the bottom of the note.
Had Jackie come home and dealt with figuring out care for her ailing father instead of getting ready for their fake date? She hadn’t mentioned Gerry Lee once during their day together, but Brant had said in passing that her father wasn’t well.
Cole downed the last of the water, mulling over how he might help Jackie.
She came hustling out of her bedroom, breathlessly saying, “Ready.”
She froze when she saw his expression. “What?”
He couldn’t seem to make his jaw do anything but hang there. She was gorgeous. Seriously gorgeous. Levi’s former-fashion-model girlfriend had nothing on Jackie. Nothing. Unable to stop gaping at her, he didn’t even try. Those wonderful legs, the flare of her hips, the nip and tuck of her dress at her waist, the hint of cleavage at the softly revealing neckline. Irresistible.
“What?” she demanded.
He blinked, rousing himself. “Did you paint your nails?”
She held them out for inspection, then gave them a shake and blew on them. “They’re still a bit damp. Do you mind driving? I don’t want to ruin them.”
“Sure.” He took her in again. Her shoulder-length hair was done up off her neck, her makeup subtle, highlighting her cheekbones and her sparkly, mischievous eyes.
She was hot. Seriously hot.
“How did you do all of this in…” He checked his watch. “…eleven minutes?”
“If I knew you were timing me, I would’ve done it in ten.” She glided past him to the door, leaving a fruit-scented trail.
“What do you smell like? Raspberries? No… strawberries?”
“It’s my lip balm.”
“I can’t wait to taste that.”
“We’re late. And it’s cherry.”
Cherry. She was trying to kill him.
As they trundled down the stairs to the gravel parking area behind her building he asked casually, “How’s your dad?”
“He’s in Riverbend.”
Not what he’d asked.
“How long’s he been there?”
She spun around. “Where’s your truck?”
He gestured to the end of the alley, where he’d parked on a cross street. It was already dark out and he shifted closer, ready to steady Jackie should she stumble on the uneven ground in her heels. “Is he doing all right?”
“Do you know where we’re going?”
“I heard he has Alzheimer’s?”
“You can park behind the building,” she informed him as they reached the sidewalk. “There’s a guest spot.”
For visitors. For boyfriends. That idea felt inexplicably good. As if he belonged somewhere. Was expected, even welcome.
Cole gave up trying to get answers about Jackie’s dad and opened the passenger door to his F-150 for her. He’d bought the truck secondhand when he’d returned home, and while it had seen a lot of miles before him, he doubted it had ever met a woman as stubborn as Jackie when it came to things she didn’t want to talk about. Her father must be in bad shape for her to so doggedly avoid the topic. She was like that mare in the ranch’s riding stable that always sidestepped a saddle. What was her name again? Roses?
Jackie focused on something out the side window while he climbed in behind the wheel, and Cole got the feeling she was hiding.
He paused for a second, considering the bouquet of flowers tucked on the dashboard. He’d bought them on a whim on the way to Jackie’s, but somehow this didn’t feel like the right time to give them to her.
Everything at the moment felt too real.
And they weren’t doing real.
Instead, he embraced the silence and reached out, squeezing her hand. Her fingernails were slightly tacky, but she didn’t withdraw, or complain about the fact that he might be messing up her manicure.
“Do your toes match your fingernails?” he asked.
“No, that’s why I’m wearing boots.”
He chuckled. She wasn’t wearing boots, but the jut of her chin told him not to point that out. He pulled onto the street, lifting the fingers of his free hand off the steering wheel to give Sheriff Johnson a casual wave as they passed. Then checked his mirror to see if the officer was going to follow him, call him out on the gradual angling away from the curb he’d made due to his right hand being tangled in Jackie’s. The police truck remained where it was.
“If you ever want to talk about your dad, I’m here.”
Jackie gave a curt nod, her fingers tightening around his.
“I know how it feels to be alone, and it isn’t much fun.”
“You don’t want to hear about that stuff,” she said, lifting her right hand to toy with a slender chain around her neck.
“Maybe that’s what boyfriends do. They dump the crap from their past on you, so you can dump your current crap on them.”
His chest felt tight, this moment seeming surprisingly important to him. He wanted her to trust him, to open up and be her true self the way he had been with her all day. Because he had a feeling that as open and generous as this woman was with everyone around her, there was a secret wall holding the real Jackie inside.
“Let’s just enjoy the evening,” she said tightly, “and not pretend to be more than we are.”
“We’re not friends?”
Her eyes fell on the bouquet.
“Those are for you.” He waited as she tentatively reached for them, drawing them into her arms to inhale their fragrance. “Sorry, they were out of roses.”
“I like these better. They’re free of expectations, and can just be their own beautiful souls.”
“Kind of like you?”
She laughed at his attempt to be sweet, filling the cab with the best sound he’d heard all day.
* * *
Reaching the community barn, Jackie hesitated on the threshold. Cole, coming up behind her, clasped her hand in his. Her mind was still stuck in the phone call she’d had with her father’s physician, Dr. Gomez. He no longer felt the level of care available at Gerry Lee’s nursing home was adequate. And while Jackie had known the day would come, since the center didn’t have a special unit for residents with dementia, she hadn’t been ready for it to come so soon, or for the gut punch situation that had resulted in the call.
Earlier in the day, her father, lost in a world she no longer recognized as this one, had found his way out of the nursing home and had nearly been hit by a car. Luckily, Riverbend was a relatively small town, and the driver turned out to be an old friend of her dad’s, and had brought Gerry Lee back to the facility. She didn’t know what she’d have done if her father had gotten lost in a city where no one knew him, and been left to meander about on his own.
He couldn’t stay where he was, and Dr. Gomez recommended he be moved to a memory-care facility designed for Alzheimer’s patients, with dedicated, trained staff. But how was she going to afford that? Her dad had some money left from the sale of his house, but there wasn’t enough if he proved to be as physically resilient in his golden years as he had during his prime.
Cole gave her hand a tight squeeze as she continued to waver in the doorway. “We don’t have to do this,” he said.
She straightened her shoulders, pushing away her doubts and worries, hoping that in a few minutes her false cheer would feel more real. Stepping forward, she reached in her pocket for the dinner tickets and handed them to Carly, who was seated at the entrance to the beautifully decorated barn.
“They roped you in, too?” Cole asked her.
“Ryan and I are very romantic, aren’t we?” she said, with a wry smile that warmed as she cut her eyes to the youngest Wylder. He was leaning against a pillar, arms crossed and looking bored.
“I suggested going somewhere for Valentine’s Day,” he protested, coming alive.
“You are somewhere,” Jackie teased. She glanced at Cole and did a double take. The man was seriously hot tonight. She’d barely focused on him earlier—other than to note that he looked even more handsome and irresistible than usual. But now that she had a moment to do nothing but soak him in, she felt her knees weakening.
His shoulders looked extra broad in the black dinner jacket he wore over a crisply ironed gray shirt that brought out the intense blue of his eyes. His jeans were more worn than his dark wash ones, but somehow looked dressier paired with the jacket. The outfit made him look casually confident and extremely handsome.
Her crush was not waning one bit right now.
Cole was watching her with a curious gaze, no doubt trying to hone in on what had been bothering her. He’d almost managed to get her to cave and spill her problems. His kind, patient questioning had been close to irresistible. It had taken every scrap of resistance Jackie could muster to keep her mouth shut, because if the old problem-solving Cole had surfaced and come up with a plan to save her and her father, she would have fallen irreversibly in love with him.
And that was a terrible plan.
Anyway, she was with him to fix his life, not the other way around.
“Shall we present ourselves to the town?” he asked as they left the ticket table, leaning close enough that she could smell his aftershave.
She laughed nervously, the charade suddenly feeling very real. People were going to freak out with excitement and tell him she’d been pining for him for years. Which would be fine if they truly were in love. But because they weren’t, it was only going to make things awkward. And when the two of them eventually “broke up,” everyone would pity her for reaching for the unattainable and failing.
“You all right?” Cole asked, when she didn’t answer his earlier question. He seemed worried about her, and the very idea gave her the strength to shake off the rest of her mood. She was here with the handsomest man in town. He had made an effort to dress up, to be an actual boyfriend, asking about her, bringing her flowers. And now he was holding her hand.
She straightened her shoulders again. “Of course.”
As soon as Karen Hartley spotted their interlinked hands, she beamed. It didn’t take more than a few seconds for others to notice, as well. As Jackie followed Cole between the long tables set up under the strings of lights, past the cutout paper hearts and Mason jars filled with tiny lights littering the white tablecloths and along the creaky wooden floorboards, she could feel people watching, her back prickling.
“This is certainly romantic,” she said. It felt a lot more like a community date night than dinner for a bunch of people who’d spent the day working hard on chores to support the library.
She didn’t dare look at Cole as he murmured in agreement. The barn was nearly full, with at least fifty people already seated. The two of them were late, and it felt as though nearly everyone was noticing them. As they passed full tables on their way to a partially empty one at the back, she could hear snippets of whispers. Her name. Cole’s. April’s. Words about Cole’s sudden return.
Cole said, “Maybe I should just give you a big, long kiss and end the speculation?”
Jackie laughed. She didn’t realize he was serious until his powerful hands grasped her waist and pulled her against him. His shirt was smooth under her palms, his muscled chest warm and firm.
Cole angled his lips onto hers, his hat surely blocking everyone’s view even though there would be no doubt as to what they were doing. His arms slid farther around her, holding her so close a piece of paper couldn’t be slipped between them. Jackie freed her hands and slid them over his shoulders, marveling at his strength before gliding her fingers into the fine hair at the nape of his neck, her favorite place. His tongue teased her lips, and she opened, deepening the kiss. She wanted to wrap her legs around him and let him carry her away. As his mouth angled over hers, kissing her deeper, she wondered if he was thinking the same thing.
When they broke apart, she stumbled against a chair behind her, then used it for support.
Wow. That was worth the wait. So far every kiss had been.
Kissing Cole was definitely not her crush’s kill switch.
Cole caught her again, pulling her against his chest. This time it was a brief, sweet meeting of their lips, but still powerful.
“Well,” she said, her voice shaky, when they broke apart.
“How is it that every time we kiss it’s hotter than the last?” he murmured in her ear, his body humming against hers, his breath sending shivers down her spine. She could feel the heat of attraction coming off him in waves, and she longed to take him away from here and keep him all to herself tonight. They hadn’t set out any rules yet, but she was certain that would be on the No list.
“How fast do you think we can eat supper and get out of here?” she asked.
She saw his attention flicker to movement off to one side. Servers from the local caterer were setting filled plates in front of those who were already seated.
“I’m thinking twenty minutes or less.” He stroked her jawline with a thumb, her body still snugged against his.
“Our goal is fifteen.” She winked at him. “Speed-eating contest.”
“You’re romantic, despite what everyone else says,” Cole declared with a laugh. He quickly pulled her to a free seat and held it out for her, no doubt brushing off just how serious her offer had been.
Which was a good thing.
This was fake, a long game. It was not a fling, and she’d be best to remember that so she didn’t ruin everything.
* * *
Cole would have to be blind not to see the way Jackie was a magnet that attracted male gazes as they’d crossed the dining area. Sure, plenty of women were gawking, eyes flicking over them, but that had been to gather fuel for gossip. The men, though—they’d followed only Jackie as she’d marched across the room, moving like she owned the place even though she was being towed by Cole.
He’d given her that kiss to make it clear to all that Jackie Moorhouse was off-limits. And wow, it had been quite a kiss. His body’s reaction to that hot and sultry lip lock had nearly had him skipping supper and tearing out of there, Jackie tossed over his shoulder.
But he’d been raised better than that. Just barely.
Plus Jackie was taking the plan to mend his reputation seriously, and it wouldn’t have done hers any good to rip out of here after a kiss like that. Everyone would think he was using her, and that the crush they all said she’d had since elementary school was causing her to be blind. He had to do right by her. He had to be the kind of man a woman like her deserved.
As they waited impatiently for their meals to arrive, Cole settled in next to Jackie, dropping his hat on the table and draping an arm over the back of her chair. Across from them, Daisy-Mae sat with a partially bald man, both looking uncomfortable. Beside Daisy-Mae was Jenny Oliver, whose attention seemed to drift to a different table with an interest that meant, well, interest.
“So?” Daisy-Mae asked, elbow set beside her plate as she leaned forward. “You two?”
Cole waited, expecting Jackie to confirm their status as a couple, and ignoring the way Daisy-Mae was watching him. He could practically hear her questioning the excuse he’d given her not that long ago about not wanting a girlfriend. And here he was with one.
When Jackie remained silent, he said, “I finally let her catch me.” He gave her a warm smile, surprised when her cheeks flushed. “I avoided her for years at recess, but now I’m wondering why.”
“So you’re staying in town then?” Daisy-Mae asked, doubt thick in her tone.
“I am.”
“He found a reason to stay,” Jenny said with a sigh, as Cole took his thumb and grazed it along Jackie’s bottom lip as though tenderly wiping something away. Jackie swallowed hard, then took a sip from the water glass beside her plate.
“You’re a couple,” Jenny said softly, her focus still split between them and another table. She peeled her eyes away from whoever had her mesmerized and flicked her gaze between Cole and Jackie, her confusion and concern growing. “For real?”
“For real,” Jackie echoed.
Jenny continued to stare at them, along with Daisy-Mae, and Cole snugged Jackie closer, planting a kiss on her temple. She gave a quick smile and glanced over her shoulder, then back at everyone’s plates. The other four had their meals already and were politely waiting for Cole and Jackie to be served before starting.
“Go ahead, your food is getting cold,” she told them.
“Well, I say way to go, you two. It’s about time,” Daisy-Mae said sincerely, lifting her fork.
“I need to find someone next,” Jenny complained, following suit.
“Nope, Jackie said I’m next,” Daisy-Mae protested.
The men sitting beside them dug into their food, not seeming bothered that Cupid hadn’t delivered for them today, as their two dates bickered about finding true love.
“What did y’all do for odd jobs?” Cole asked Jenny as their plates arrived.
“Dennis helped me with inventory in my store.”
The man nodded, remaining silent. His cheeks had colored and Cole wondered if the bratty twinkle in Jenny’s eyes meant she’d had him working in the lingerie section just to make him uncomfortable. She was quiet and kind, but had a bit of a bratty streak to her when someone rubbed her the wrong way. It had made her one of Cole’s favorite people back in high school.
“How about you, Daisy-Mae? What did you get up to?”
“She helped me tag a herd this morning,” the man beside her said, leaning back and slinging an arm behind her. When his fingers curled around her arm Daisy-Mae straightened as though correcting her posture, moving out of reach.
Cole lowered his chin, raising his eyebrows in question, until she gave a slight shake of her head. He knew she was well-practiced at handling men and unwanted attention, but that didn’t mean there weren’t times when it would be nice to have a man step in on her behalf, ready to raise a fist.
By the time Cole had finished catching up on everyone’s day, his plate was half-empty. He checked Jackie’s plate. It was scraped bare.
“I told you, fifteen minutes,” she said.
He pressed his leg against hers as he checked the time.
“You seem to be eating rather slowly,” she drawled, causing his blood to warm. Was she serious?
No, she was a flirt.
This was all a game.
He laughed, relaxing in his chair. He was going to enjoy the next several months. That is, if he didn’t die from internal combustion whenever she gave him that teasing, burning gaze. One that had him thinking of things that would most definitely not fall into the category of fake relationship.
* * *
Jackie could barely focus on the chocolate cake that had been served after the main course. Her friends kept shooting her looks of encouragement laced with concern. She could read their thoughts like they were her own. Daisy-Mae was excited for the way she was finally claiming the object of her affections, but wondered if she’d get hurt by hooking up with a known heartbreaker. Jenny was thrilled Jackie and Cole appeared to have a connection, but wondered if it was fueled by something other than love on Cole’s part.
Jackie hated to admit it, but spending time with Cole today had not nudged her any closer to ending her crush. The man was as good as she’d dreamed. Everything from taking care of Mrs. Fisher’s yard without being asked, to worrying about her father, to loving his family so much he felt guilty for not being able to pull his brothers from the raging creek faster, to being a thoughtful and caring boyfriend tonight. He was everything she’d look for in a man.
Which meant she might have messed up.
She gave herself a shake. No, this was all still early on, and it was a charade. That’s what she needed to focus on. Heck, Cole was probably pretending. He couldn’t possibly be like this day in and day out.
It was like her Jackie Show. He was putting on the Cole Show to prove to his family that he was home for good, loved them and wanted to fix things.
He’d signed up for the Jackie Show, not for her to fall in love with him. And especially not with a pretend version.
She opened her mouth, smile at the ready… and couldn’t think of a single thing to say.
Cole scooped up a chocolate-covered strawberry before his dessert plate was swept away by a busboy. He held it out for Jackie. “Want my strawberry? I noticed you saved yours for last.”
She took it, watching him. His gaze was full of kindness and warmth that stirred her crush like a cat pouncing into a cloud of butterflies.
“Are you okay?” Jenny leaned forward in concern as Jackie slowly ate Cole’s strawberry, lost in her thoughts.
“You’ve been really quiet,” Daisy-Mae added.
Jackie faked a yawn and stretched her arms. “I’m beat. That’s all.”
“Sure, sure,” Daisy-Mae said with a wicked grin, shooting Cole a sly look.
“Sorry, girls.” She shifted in her seat, grabbing her purse from where she’d slung it over the back of her chair. “I’d love to stay and chat, but I need to teach Cole a few things. It was on his to-do list.” She stood, winking at her friends, who hooted with laughter. The men beside them gaped, eyeing Cole, then her.
Cole’s face turned red.
“I’m kidding! Cole and I…” She lowered her chin, looked at him shyly through her lashes. “…are just taking things slowly. We discovered today that we get along really well and enjoy each other’s company.” She frowned, realizing the truth of that statement. “So we’re exploring where that might take us.” Also relatively true.
“Well, judging from that kiss earlier, I think I already know,” Daisy-Mae said with a giggle.
“They’re serving coffee,” Cole said, giving Jackie a pointed look.
She dropped her purse into her lap, realizing what she’d done to him. She’d put on her flirty-and-full-of-games, innuendo-making persona, which was not the image they’d planned to create. No burning fast and hot. Slow. Careful. Like they wanted this to last. And she’d retreated into safe territory as soon as things got a little too close for comfort.
Jackie sighed.
This was so difficult. Who was she supposed to be? Her real self? Nobody was ready for that.
And if she let down her guard, she might fall in love with this man.
“So? Did you get Jackie some flowers?” Daisy-Mae asked, resting a hand under her chin. “It’s Valentine’s Day.”
“I did, actually.”
Jackie felt herself blush, and looked down. He’d not just bought her flowers, but had inadvertently chosen her favorites. When she glanced up again her friends were watching her.
“You two are so sweet,” Daisy-Mae said.
“Us?” Jackie asked in surprise.
“You’re so… different tonight, Jackie.” Daisy-Mae was studying her. She focused on Cole with a look of wonder.
“I’m not. Just worn-out, that’s all.”
“She’s had quite a day.” Cole slipped his hand around hers and gave it a supportive squeeze while meeting her gaze. The kindness in his expression brought tears to her eyes.
No. No, she wasn’t going to cry. She wasn’t going to mistake his caring for something deeper.
She laughed, getting out of her seat. “I’m tired. We’d better head out.”
“Already?” Jenny complained.
Cole shifted in his chair, seeming reluctant to leave.
“I need a good-night kiss from my boyfriend, and since I’m tired and it’s going to be a very long kiss, we need to start now.” She winked at him.
He stood, jaw flexing, and with a sweep of his hand indicated she should go first. She patted his cheek on the way by and added an exaggerated sway to her hips.
At a narrow spot between two tables, his hand landed on her lower back to guide her, and she felt as though she almost lost the ability to walk. When they reached the doors, Cole collected their coats, then held Jackie’s out for her to slide her arms into. He turned her to face him, straightening her collar, then pulled it gently but firmly toward him, drawing her in for a long, deep kiss that did nothing to help the strength of her legs.
“What was that for?” she breathed when the kiss ended.
“Just reminding you of something.”
“What? That you’re my…” she paused, then lowered her voice “…fake boyfriend for the time being? I think everyone already noticed.”
His jaw flexed. “No, that when you’re with me you don’t have to act like you’re alone and scared.”
She felt her eyes dampen unexpectedly, and she whirled and headed outside before anyone noticed.
She was not scared.
“Good night,” Cole called to Laura and Karen, who were bent over a list near the doors. He joined her outside. The rain Maria had predicted was going to start soon, judging by the feel of the cold, damp air.
“I’m not scared,” Jackie said, her voice hard.
“Then what is it?” Cole had put his hands in his pockets, watching her from under the brim of his Stetson.
“I don’t want to end up looking like a fool.”
“I don’t want that, either.”
So he thought it was possible? Somehow that made it worse. She pulled in a deep breath for courage. “I like you, Cole. Everyone in town knows that.”
She waited for his reaction. He shifted his weight, but continued to listen.
“They’re waiting for me to get my heart broken. And that kiss…” Her voice got shaky.
“Which one?”
“Both. All of them! I can’t act like I don’t get Jell-O knees when I kiss you.” She laughed, suddenly embarrassed. “You’re a really good kisser. I’m affected, and I don’t want everyone to think I’m falling in love with you. Most of all you.” She pressed a hand against his chest and leaned in slightly. “We have to keep this light.”
He nodded. “But I thought we were acting like this was a real, committed relationship and not some fling.”
“I’m not acting like this is a fling!”
“The jokes, Jackie. Quit acting like you’re scared of something deep, and this is just some itch we’re scratching.”
Right. She’d done that.
“I just don’t want everyone thinking we’re a super serious thing heading toward true love, because otherwise when we break up they’re all going to be like ‘Oh, Jackie! Are you okay? You just failed at the love of your life!’ You know?”
The evening had grown cold, and Jackie pulled her coat tight around her body, like a shield. Her voice was shaky again when she said, “And in there it felt like we were dancing too close to pretending this is the real thing, when it’s not. You’re very caring and sweet.”
“And you don’t like that?” Cole gently unfolded her arms, then zipped up her coat. She felt frustrated and cared for at the same time. His head was still lowered, his hat blocking his face, as he said, “So you want to show everyone that we’re in a relationship, but it’s fun and light and you’re never going to fall in love because I’m actually a big meany who doesn’t know how to treat his girlfriend?”
His serious, flat tone made her pause. She felt the hurt in her heart when she said, “Yes.”
He nodded slowly and stepped back, hooking his hands in his jeans pockets. His wounded expression speared her.
“I mean, no. I just… This is harder than I thought it would be.”
“So you have to act cool and unaffected?”
“I don’t—” He made her sound like a crazy person.
“Even though my kisses make you want to rip my clothes off and worship me for the rest of your life?” His lips quirked, his eyes dancing in the light coming from the barn.
“You…!” She gave him a playful shove. He was doing what she did! Making light of the moment, turning something serious into a joke.
But she knew he understood. They were inching along a precarious high-wire, with no safety net below.
He pulled her under his arm with a chuckle. “Don’t worry, sweetheart, I have that effect on women. I’d be worried if you were immune to my seductive nature.”
She snorted and tried to slip free, but he tightened his hold.
“I promise I’ll go easy on you,” he murmured.
She had a feeling he understood the power of their kisses and the impact. It was deeper than anything physical.
“You’re going to ruin me,” she said, thinking how all future men would pale compared to this one, who was steadying her world with a simple embrace.
“Maybe you should get out while it’s easy.”
“That would be cruel.”
“It would?”
“If I left you now, you’d be crawling back to me by next week. It’s best we carry on until you’re good and tired of me.” She slipped her arms over his shoulders, warming her fingers under his collar, against his skin. He didn’t shiver, just took the cold like it didn’t impact him.
He spun her up against the side of the barn and pressed his body against hers. “Not unless you crawl back to me first.”
“And why would I do that?” she said with a breathless laugh.
Suddenly, his lips were on hers, one hand gliding down her hip to pull her snug. She kissed him back, working her fingers under his jacket and yanking the hem of his shirt from his pants. She placed her cool hands on the heat of his lower back, marveling at the muscles, and the slim channel of his spine. He groaned into her mouth, shifting his hips to meet hers better.
“Hmm. That is a good reason,” she said, her earlier worries melting away. She wanted nothing more than to enjoy this moment, in the arms of the man she’d dreamed about for many, many years.