Page 34 of Some Cowgirls are Worth Protecting

Rachel turned the doorknob and pulled the door open.

Hudson had his forearm resting on the doorjamb, his head hung low. When she opened the door, he lifted it. The intensity of his gaze burned right through her. She half expected him to add to what he’d said to get her to open the door. But instead, he pushed his way into her room.

His hands cupped her face on either side, lifting it gently until she was looking into his eyes. He swept his focus over her face, searching, imploring her to give him a sign that she wanted this too.

Slowly, as if against her own will and better judgment, Rachel lifted her hand. She threaded her fingers through his hair, exploring the soft texture. Everything around them disappeared. Her senses had given up reporting the smell, warmth, and sounds of her bedroom. Instead, her brain had been inundated with alarm bells.

Her heart raced too fast.

Her pulse roared in her ears.

Her mouth had gone dry.

She couldn’t breathe.

And yet, none of that mattered.

Hudson lowered his face closer to hers, one hand slipping around her waist, the other around the back of her neck.

He’d captured her, and yet she didn’t feel trapped at all. If there was any way she could get closer to him, she would. With one motion, Hudson closed the distance, his lips crushing over hers, stealing what little breath she had left. She closed her eyes and let him whisk her away into a world where only magic existed. He was her knight in shining armor. No longer did she need to protect herself. Now she had someone who she could trust to take care of her—someone who would give anything for her.

Rachel wrapped both arms around his neck and deepened their kiss. They had become one, their hearts beating to the same rhythm. There was once a time when she would have shied away from such an expression of passion. She would have immediately assumed the man was only after one thing.

But something deep inside her knew Hudson was different. He wasn’t like the other men she’d gone on dates with. Hudson was a gentleman who cared more for others than himself. He was the kind of man she could trust not only her life with but her heart as well.

The heat between them continued to grow. Desire flickered to life and shifted into a dull roar. This was what she’d been missing out on. This was everything she’d wished for but had never found.

Suddenly, Hudson released her.

She teetered from the motion, shifting her weight from one foot to the other to keep her balance. The air missing from her lungs whooshed inside her body as she took a deep breath. Cool air replaced the heat that had sparked between them.

Rachel couldn’t tell if she was disappointed by the sudden shift or if she was grateful. There was no telling how far that might have gone, and she already knew she wasn’t in the right headspace to make smart decisions.

She swallowed hard and reached out to the wall beside her, steadying herself before meeting his eyes. Hudson stared at her hard from the doorway, his dark eyes more wolf-like than she’d remembered them. Desire and passion lingered in that gaze, sending shockwaves through her body.

It wasn’t that she didn’t feel safe with him. These sensations coursing through her body were something else—primal even. Rachel’s hands trembled, and to hide it, she shoved them into her pockets. Was he expecting her to say something? What could she say? Nothing. There was absolutely no way she’d be able to find her voice after a kiss like that.

Hudson raked a hand through his hair and glanced away. “I should… probably…” He peeked at her. “Do you want to…”

She swallowed at the lump in her throat, but it wouldn’t budge. “Want to… what?” she rasped.

He rubbed the back of his neck and looked away. “Can we start over?”

Chills rushed down her spine, making her legs tingle. She bit back a smile. Something told her that asking her that question had been incredibly hard for him. At the same time, it was something that thrilled her beyond measure. “I’d like that,” she whispered.

Hudson nodded sharply, then turned on his heel and took a few steps toward the stairs. He stopped at the landing and turned back to face her. “I’m taking you out on a date.”

“Okay,” she mustered despite feeling dizzier than before.

“A real one. None of this staying home nonsense.”

“You don’t have to?—”

He waved a dismissive hand in the air. “We’ll go someplace nice. Just the two of us. To try and forget about the craziness of the past week... at least for a little while anyways.”

This time she did smile. “Okay.”

Hudson nodded again, then hurried down the steps, leaving her alone in the wake of what had just happened.

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