Page 24 of Dirty Ginger

Beckett shifted in his chair, refusing to let his mind go there. “But life isn’t for our choosing. Things happen, and you just have to roll with it.”

“I guess you do,” she agreed, then her expression shifted, becoming a little more distant.

Beckett knew why. She was thinking of all her life choices and where they got her, but the blame for her life going wrong all landed in Beckett’s lap. Had he not lost his way after the accident, he would have proposed to her before she left for college and drove up to see her whenever he could. They would have made it work. But he had lost his way, and shut Amelia out of his life. That would never happen again.

To get her out of her head, he tapped her arm with his. “Getting lost in there?” he asked.

She glanced his way and smiled. “A little.” Her expression shifted then, and Beckett felt the heat roll through him in an instant. “But I’m also thinking of something else we could do that’s much more fun than talking about all the heavy stuff.” She rose and climbed onto his lap, and he wrapped his arms around her back as she thrust her hands into his hair. “Don’t you?”

“Mm hmm,” he told her.

She licked her lips and he had to use all his strength not to claim that mouth. “Want to come inside?”

Damn did he want to. The heat building in his groin agreed. But Clara’s talk rattled him. He couldn’t shake what she said: Please, please, take this slow and easy so that it works out and you both come out of this happy. The last thing he wanted to do was take a wrong step. Once everything got away from him and he’d lost Amelia, his dreams of becoming a professional calf roper, and his family in one fell swoop. He’d never let anything get away from him again. His steps needed to stay focused and his mind had to remain clear. “Actually, I’m beat. It’s been a long day. Is it all right if I take a raincheck?”

Obvious disappointment flashed across her expression. “Sure, of course.”

He kissed the top of her forehead and then rose, setting her back to her feet. “I’ll see you tomorrow?”

She nodded. “I’d like that.”

“Me, too.” Unable to help himself, as she looked up at him with those cute eyes, he took her chin and slanted his mouth across hers. She fell into his kiss, pressing her lush body against him, offering him whatever he wanted. And it was the purest form of hell when he broke the kiss and walked away.

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