The first thing she noticed was that the chest was completely naked. The second thing she noticed was that the chest beneath her hands was hard as a rock. Lean. Well-toned.
Then she saw the scar.
“You’ve had heart surgery?” she asked before she thought about how nosy the question was.
He nodded, covered her fingers with his own, keeping her hands trapped against all that male skin. “Found an issue about four years ago. Genetic, correctible. Shouldn’t cause a problem now. I did lose two brothers to it before we realized what it was. It’s relatively rare, apparently. Thankfully, it didn’t pass on after us. Except for Patton. He’ll need minor surgery in a year or two—his won’t be as invasive as mine, as mine was emergency, but we’re all good now.”
“I’m sorry about your brothers. How many were there of you?” The flesh beneath her palms was warm. She wanted to keep touching him.
“There were eight of us. Now it’s just Ned, Nick, Bill, and me. Our youngest brother, Bruce, took off years ago with a much younger woman. Left three young daughters behind. We’re not sure where he’s at now or if he’s even alive. Haven’t heard from him since. His girls are in their early twenties now; their mother took off the year before he did.”
“I’m sorry. That must have been hard for his kids.”
“It was.” His hands had slipped down. Wrapped around her waist. “Honey, you keep pressing up against me like that…I am just a man.”
Glenna’s heart flew into her throat in an instant. Her eyes met his.
There was hunger there. Real hunger.
Not just the expression that would be on Lincoln’s face when he decided he wanted sex and she would do for the night.
She had a feeling Phil was actually seeing her. And not just any random warm body to play with.
She would never be one hundred percent certain who all Lincoln had slept with in the last few years of their marriage. He’d told her when she was pregnant with Elly that he didn’t find her hot any longer. Didn’t want to bother having sex with her if all she was going to do was be pregnant after.
That was when she’d first suspected he was having an affair.
She’d asked him. He hadn’t denied it.
Not exactly something a woman with two young children, morning sickness and stretch marks had wanted to hear at the time. She’d told him the truth—if that was the case, he could just keep his hands to himself.
He had. Mostly. There had been once or twice when he hadn’t. When he had been insistent that he still loved her, and it would be good for both of them if they were intimate again.
She had given in. Because she’d wanted to preserve their marriage. Glenna should have left him long before.
But if she had, she wouldn’t have Elly. She had no real regrets.
Phil’s hands felt nothing like Lincoln’s. The expression in his eyes was definitely not like her ex’s.
It was just her and Phil and heat between them.
Glenna’s tongue darted out to moisten her suddenly dry lips. “Phil…”
“Don’t be afraid. I will never hurt you…” His head lowered. Then she was being kissed. Like she’d seen his nephew kiss Jude today. A real kiss. One with heat and…caring.
Wow.
Glenna’s hands clenched on his strong arms. And she pressed closer.
Glenna kissed him back.
He probably shouldn’t be kissing her. But Phil didn’t care. He’d wanted to. The sweatshirt and jeans she wore weren’t exactly the sexiest of outfits, but they made her look real. Alive.
He wanted his hands on the flesh under that sweatshirt.
Wanted it real bad.
But Phil hadn’t been at this stage with a woman in almost thirty years. He wasn’t exactly certain what he should do next.
So he just felt. There wasn’t much else he could do.
He slipped one hand beneath the sweatshirt and spread his fingers over the soft skin of her back. Glenna had silky soft, perfectly smooth skin.
He wanted to touch her all over. Wanted her to let him do that. Wanted her to let him hold her, too.
Phil wasn’t ready to push, though. Not yet.
Glenna was the kind of woman who required more coaxing, for one thing. More finesse.
Hell, Phil was just a rancher. There was no real finesse in him anywhere. Open and honest, real feelings. That was what made a Tyler man.
That was what he could give her. If she’d let him.
She was kissing him back. That was what mattered now. Phil just held her right there on his upstairs landing.
He stayed right where he was, holding her, until the sound of a small herd of buffalo hit the bottom of the stairs and kids calling out “Mommy!” and “Dad!” had them pulling apart like they’d just been engaged in the most dramatic secret yet.
“The kids have found us. Run!”
Glenna’s green eyes widened, and she laughed. Still wrapped up in his arms.
Right where he wanted her to belong.