Page 45 of Cowboy and the Convict

“What do you think, J?” Devon’s lips brushed hers. “Can I show you how good this can be between us?”

She should say no. Kick him out and make him clean his own house.

But…

“You don’t know that it would be good between us. It could be a whole train wreck.” Was she looking for reassurance? Agreement? Denial?

No. None of those. She wanted proof. She wanted to see what he claimed to see. Feel what he claimed to feel.

Devon’s lips curved against hers, lifting into a heart-stopping smile. “I’m up for the challenge.” Those sinful lips slid along her jaw, teasing down her neck. “But you have to be the one to pull the trigger.”

Was that something she wanted to do? To face down the reality of what could be?

If Devon was wrong, this would all be over and she could go back to the way she was. The life she had.

Minus the little trailer she called home and plus the weight of another broken heart.

But if Devon was right…

She honestly didn’t know what would come after that, and if she thought about it too long, she might shove him out of her house. Out of her life.

And—in spite of her better sense—she wasn’t ready for him to go. Not yet. He’d somehow managed to establish himself as a fixture in her world. Someone she could talk to. Laugh with.

Count on.

So, before she could talk herself out of it, Janie slid one hand between them, gripping the solid line of his cock through the dark blue fabric of his uniform pants. “Bang.”

18

Devon

JANIE WAS IN her head. He could practically see the conflicting thoughts flying around as she fought with herself over him. What he’d inadvertently done.

Or not done, in this case.

He fucked up. Did probably one of the worst things he could do to her without realizing it. Without meaning to. It would be easy to fall into the same line of thinking she had. To tell himself he forgot because he didn’t have the time or bandwidth for a relationship, going down the same doubt filled road Janie was on.

But he could make time for her. He could find the bandwidth to be what she deserved. What she needed. Because Janie was what he needed, and the past few minutes only made him more positive of it. She hadn’t pretended everything was fine when he pissed her off. She didn’t smile in his face and let her anger fester inside until it poisoned what was between them.

Would some people see her behavior as an overreaction? Maybe. But they didn’t know her the way he did. They didn’t understand what she’d been through. The way she saw the world.

The way she saw herself.

“What do you think, J?” He brushed a kiss over her lips, the motion already familiar. “Can I show you how good this can be between us?”

Her eyes moved over his face. “You don’t know that it would be good between us. It could be a whole train wreck.”

He smiled, because she was wrong. He did know, and couldn’t wait for her to see it too. “I’m up for the challenge.” He trailed his mouth along her jaw, skimming down the soft skin of her neck. “But you have to be the one to pull the trigger.”

The ball was in her court. Janie decided how fast or slow they went. He’d unwittingly sent them a few steps back, so if she wanted to spend the hour he had talking, that’s what they’d do.

And for a second, as she stared up at him, jaw set, expression resolute, he thought that might be where things were headed.

But then one sneaky hand had him hissing out a breath, her grip on his cock both welcome and unexpected. Her eyes locked onto his as a single word passed through her lips. “Bang.”

This woman. Holy hell was she a handful. She was loud and stubborn and determined and unflinching.

And it had him concerned about his ability to keep his shit together. To keep from rushing this. To keep from stripping her naked and burying his body in hers so he would finally know how it felt to have her around him.

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