TY’S HEART SLAMMED SO HARD and fast he feared it would burst from the strain. He tried to talk but speaking and breathing at the same time wasn’t possible. He closed the distance between them, trembling hands cupped her face.

Her voice dropped to a hushed whisper. “What do I do?”

He groaned. “Nothing. Just let me show you what it feels like.”

She nodded, gaze riveted on his mouth as he leaned down.

She glanced up and the shock of discovery hit him full force. My God…she has no idea how beautiful she is.

“I saw Sarah put her arms around Henry’s neck once.” She spoke tentatively as tough testing the idea. “Should I do that?”

Groin tight as a bowstring, he forced out a reply. “Only if you want to.”

A pensive shimmer in the shadow of her eyes, she gently slid her hands up his chest, and around his neck, igniting a flash fire of need he fought to contain.

He lowered his head, intending a light brush of her lips, a chaste kiss to get her accustomed to the feel of him.

That was the plan, which immediately disintegrated the minute their lips met.

Soft and moist, she tasted like the sweetest berries. His raging desire soared when she shuddered against him. Stopping wasn’t an option. He may as well try and touch the moon.

A small, breathless whisper escaped as he claimed her lips again, using his tongue to urge them wider.

She clutched at him, obligingly opened her mouth to allow him entry.

He took what she offered, his tongue dipping inside to explore the velvety softness, skimming the tip of hers and it twitched in response…then shyly touched his.

Reason vanished.

He craved more.

His hands dropped to her waist then slid down to her hips, pulling her tight against his hardness.

She tensed, then pressed herself to him, fingers digging into his shoulders.

He plundered her mouth, eliciting a soft moan that nearly undid him, but, thankfully, also brought his senses back. Slow down. Wrong time. Wrong place.

He pulled back, gulped air like a downing man breaking the water’s surface, then leaned his forehead against hers as he waited for his heart rate to return to normal.

“Damn.”

The soft expletive from Emma made him pull back and look at her. “I’m sorry…I shouldn’t…did I hurt you?”

Those stunning orbs met his full on and had the same effect as being butted in the gut by a bull.

He was done for.

“No. I…Thank you.”

Unexpected, her comment took a moment to register and when it did, he grinned. “You’re welcome.”

She ducked her head, skimmed her hands down his shoulders, and over his arms before dropping them to her sides.

Everywhere she touched, he burned.

“I best go check on Papa.” She stopped, eyes directed behind him.

He turned and saw Henry standing in the doorway, mouth set in a tight, angry line.

“Emma, Sarah is asking for you.”

His terse voice radiated tension and Ty braced himself for what would come next.

“Of course. I need to check on Papa first.” She looked at Ty and smiled. “Night, Ty. Good night, Henry.”

“Night, Emma.”

Henry waited until the door shut behind her. “What the hell are you doing?”

Ty gritted his teeth, tried to gain some control of his emotions before replying. “Well, since you ain’t blind or stupid, I reckon you know.”

“She’s like a sister to me and Sarah. I don’t wanna see her get hurt.”

“Neither do I.”

“How many times have you told me you’re not the settling down kind?”

“Things change. People change.”

Henry stood with hands fisted at his sides, and didn’t speak for several moments. Then, he bowed his head and blew out a long, slow breath. “She smiled, Ty.” He looked at his friend. “Just now. I’ve never seen her smile like that.”

“That’s what Rafe said so I’m guessin’ it’s a good thing.”

Henry straightened, brown eyes drilling into him. “What are your intentions?”

Ty snorted. “My intentions? What are you…her father now?”

“She’s family, dammit. What are your intentions?”

Ty ran calloused fingers through his hair. “I want it all.”

Henry stiffened, his voice hard as steel. “You’d take a sweet girl like Emma just to get her ranch?”

Ty whirled on his friend. “What the hell kinda man do you think I am?”

When he didn’t reply, Ty raised his hands in the air. “Shit, Henry. I thought you knew me better than that.” He inhaled, blew it out slowly. “I’m tired of floating around. I want what you have…a home, a family.” He met Henry’s fierce gaze. “I want Emma.” He held up his hand to silence any retort. “And I already told her if things didn’t work out, I wanted no part of anything belonging to her.”

“Do you love her?”

I want her so bad my teeth hurt.

“Hell, I don’t know as I even know what love is, but I’m right fond of her.” He thought of kissing her, the passion he sensed waiting to be discovered and tamped down the rush of desire it triggered. “She’s a pistol for sure with enough grit to go bear huntin’ with a switch.” He rolled his head from side to side. “Can’t say I love her any more ‘n she loves me, but she’s agreeable to the deal.”

Henry stared at him for several heartbeats, then nodded, apparently satisfied with his answer. “What about Walker? That sonofabitch is trouble if ever I saw it.”

“He is for a fact and for damn sure she won’t be alone with him again.”

“Why? Did something happen?”

“I think so but she wouldn’t tell me what.” Ty walked to the cabinet in the corner. “I need a drink. You?”

“Yeah, thanks.”

He poured two glasses of Rafe’s whiskey and passed one to his companion.

Henry lifted his in a toast, his roguish smile making the dimple in his right cheek deeper. “To happily ever after.”

“Humphf.”

Emma walked slowly, praying her racing heart would soon return to normal. Her hands still tingled from resting on his shoulders, and her lips…oh God, she tasted him still. If all men kiss like him, I’ve been missing out.

She peeked in on her father, glad to find he slept peacefully. She did not want to explain anything to him, not when her emotions were in such an uproar. Sarah was going to be bad enough.

She took a deep breath, tapped on the door of Sarah’s room, and waited for the quiet “Come in.” Her friend sat in a rocker by the window, a shawl over her shoulders.

“Hey. Feeling better?”

Sarah pushed herself out the chair and hurried to Emma. “What happened after I left? Are you and Ty really getting married? What did that awful man have to say about it?”

Emma smiled. “One question at a time and you need to sit back down.”

She guided Sarah to the rocker then pulled a chair away from the fireplace to sit beside her.

“Start at the beginning,” ordered Sarah, “and don’t leave anything out.”

Ten minutes later, her friend stared open-mouthed as Emma ended her story. “And, well, we kinda kissed.” Kinda? I’m pretty sure I was thoroughly kissed.

Sarah stared without speaking for so long Emma became concerned. “What’s wrong? You haven’t said a word.”

Her friend jiggled her head, opened her mouth, closed it, and then placed a hand over her lips.

“Oh no!” Emma looked around for the chamber pot. “Are you going to be sick again?”

“You let him kiss you?” Sarah’s awestruck whisper was accompanied by enlarged eyes. “You, Emma Rose Marshall; the woman who has never allowed a man within arms-length of her, let one kiss you?”

“Well, if you must know, I sorta asked him to.”

Sarah sputtered, leaned forward. “What did you say?”

Emma fiddled with her skirt, avoided looking at her. “I wanted to know…I…asked him to and, well, he did.” My lips still tingle.

“And?” Sarah scooted to the edge of her chair, reached for Emma’s hands. “What did you think?”

A timid smile curled up the edges of her mouth. “It was nice.”

“Just nice?” Sarah snorted. “Then he didn’t do it right.” She sat back in the chair, hands rubbing her swollen belly. “I swear, Henry can make my toes curl when he kisses me the way man kisses a woman when he…” she paused, her smile seductive, “has something on his mind.”

The dreaded warmth returned to Emma’s cheeks with a vengeance, and she looked away. “He did it right. I think. I mean…”

She grabbed Emma’s hands again. “I want details. How did he do it? What did you do? How did you feel?”

Emma frowned. “I can’t tell you all that.”

“We’ve told each other practically everything all our lives. And I can see I will have to be more specific now since you are getting married but that can wait. Right now, I want to know about the kiss.”

The next few minutes were devoted to analyzing Ty’s ability to kiss, much to the delight of Sarah and the total embarrassment of Emma.

“But you liked it, didn’t you? Kissing him?”

“Uh-huh.”

“And you know where kissing leads, right?”

“Well, yes, I guess.” She shrugged, unwilling to admit even to her best friend, her lack of experience in that area. “I know what horses and cows do. I guess it’s the same more or less with people.”

Sarah lowered her head to her hands. “Oh Lord, you don’t know nothin’ do you?”