Page 46 of Wrangling a Texas Hometown Hero

She was so drugged by his low, sexy voice it took her a moment to figure out what he meant. She slid her tongue out and ran it over her lips. He groaned low and deep in his chest and desire settled between her legs in a tight coil of need.

“Again,” he whispered, his breath cooling the moisture on her lips.

She wet them again and anticipation made the coil tighten until it was almost painful. “Jace.”

He moved closer until his lips barely touched hers. “Hallie.”

He kissed her.

All her fear of losing control to this man disappeared beneath the heat of his lips. He kissed her like he was sunbaked earth and she was revitalizing rain. He kissed her like it was the single most important thing in his life.

Hallie felt the same way. She felt like she couldn’t survive without the skilled slide of his lips and the hot strokes of his tongue. It wasn’t about control. It was about survival.

The more he kissed her, the more she needed.

She hooked her fingers in his belt loop and tugged him closer, the kiss becoming deeper and more desperate as Jace pushed her back against the truck. Her body went on sensory overload at the feel of all those muscles pressing into her. Especially the hard length digging into her stomach. She wanted to feel that hard length deep inside her worse than she had ever wanted anything in her life.

She stood on tiptoe to get it where she wanted it most, then slipped her hands in the back pockets of his jeans and gripped the hard muscles of his butt as she rubbed against him. He made a sexy, growling sound that vibrated through her mouth before he pulled away from the kiss. His chest pumped up and down and his voice was breathless as he held out his hand.

“Give—me—the keys—to your truck.”

She was just as breathless. “Nobody—drives—my truck—but me.”

A smile spread over his face. He moved her away from the door and opened it. He gave her another kiss that made her legs feel like overcooked green beans before he drew back. “Then drive, woman.”

She didn’t know how they made it to Mrs. Stokes’ guesthouse. It was hard to concentrate when Jace was leaning over the console, kissing her neck and running his hands over her body. But somehow she got them there.

“Pull into the alley,” he instructed as he kissed behind her ear.

She trembled all over at the feel of his teeth sinking into the muscle that ran along her neck. “I’m not climbing the fence in my condition.”

He drew back and smiled. “And just what condition is that? Are you saying you’re Jace-drugged, Teeny Weeny?”

“More like Jace-dopey.”

“I like that even better.” He dug in his jeans pocket and pulled out a key before smiling brightly. “I’ve got a key to the lock.” He hopped out of her truck and she followed and met him at the gate.

Since he had distracted her while she was driving, she felt like turnabout was fair play. She waited until he lifted the lock to insert the key and then slid her hand over his ass and squeezed. He cussed and dropped the key.

He turned to her and she smiled wickedly. “What? You a little Hallie-drugged?”

“Oh, I’m gonna make you pay for that, Teeny Weeny. I’m gonna make you pay big-time.” He scooped up the key and opened the lock, then held the gate for her. “Ladies first.”

“Oh, no. I’m not going first when you just got through telling me I’m going to pay. You go first.”

“Wuss.” He walked in the gate. She followed, then released a squeal when he jumped out from behind a bush and easily lifted her over his shoulder. All she could do was hang there as he ran a hand up her blue-jeaned thigh and cupped one cheek in his large football-throwing hand. “Damn, you have a sweet ass.” He slapped her butt . . . hard.

Her eyes narrowed on the muscled butt that filled her vision. “So do you. It makes a girl just want to . . .” She leaned in and bit him. He yowled, and she laughed. “Now who’s the wuss?”

“Oh, Hallie girl.” He headed for the guesthouse. “You are so asking for it.” He opened the door, then entered and kicked it closed himself. He slapped her butt two more times before he launched her into the air and she landed on the mattress. Before she could finish bouncing, Jace was on top of her. His big, muscled body pinning her to the mattress. It was dark in the room. The only light coming from the moon shining through the window. In that moonlight, his eyes twinkled with deviltry.

“So how do you want your punishment, Hallie? Should I make you scream for mercy? Or maybe just scream my name over and over again?”

“Not happening.”

He smiled. “Is that a challenge, Teeny Weeny? Because I do love a challenge. I tell you what, if I can make you scream my name tonight, you’ll come to my next football game.”

“And what if I make you scream mine?”

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