Page 53 of Wrangling a Texas Hometown Hero

But before she could apologize, Jace tipped back his head and laughed. All she wanted to do was crawl onto those hard, muscled thighs and place her lips on his and suck all the laughter inside her. When he stopped laughing and looked at her, he must have read her thoughts because his eyes darkened and his lips parted in a puff of air.

It took Mimi’s chuckling to pull their gazes away from each other.

“Like I said, you just don’t know how the good Lord is going to answer prayers.” She bowed her head and held out her hands. “Now let’s thank him for that and this food.”

Jace bowed his head and took Hallie’s hand. It was like a lightning bolt shot straight up her arm to her heart. It was a relief when the prayer ended and she could jerk her hand free.

Jace didn’t seem to have the same problem. While she felt like she was about to combust with desire, he calmly chatted with Daddy about ranching and football, with Mama about how much he loved her buttermilk waffles, and with Mimi about her garden and what kind of vegetables had done well this year.

Every time he caught her gaze, his eyes were the color of steam rising from a whistling teakettle. She tried not to look at him, but her gaze seemed to have a will of its own. By the time breakfast was over, she felt like those eyes had steam ironed her like a wrinkled pair of linen pants. It was a relief when Jace got to his feet and made his excuses.

“Well, thank y’all for breakfast, but I should get going. I have game film to watch.”

Hallie jumped up. “I’ll walk you out.”

On the way to the door, she went over what she planned to say. I think we both know that starting something is just plain stupid when we’re both planning on leaving. So it’s best if we just stay friends—friends who keep their distance from each other.

As soon as they stepped out onto the porch and Jace had pulled the door closed behind them, she turned to give her speech. But all the words disappeared beneath his hot gaze. She stood there for only a second before she launched herself at him.

He caught her and his lips met hers with the same hungry need. Before she knew it, he had her pinned against the side of the house and one hand slid under the elastic waistband of her pajama bottoms. They both sucked in their breaths when his fingers slipped between her legs.

He pulled back, his eyes wide. “The entire breakfast you didn’t have on any panties? What are you trying to do to me, Hallie Holiday?”

“Drive you as wild as you make me, Jace Carson.”

“Well, you’re doing a good job. I couldn’t sleep last night for wanting this.” He dipped deeper into her moist heat and her head lolled back. He kissed his way down her neck as his fingers worked their magic. The sound of chairs scraping across wood floors came out the open kitchen window and Jace quickly removed his hand from her pants and stepped back. His hair was messed from her fingers and his eyes looked dazed. She wanted nothing more than to jump him all over again.

“We’d better wait—”

“Like hell, we will.” She grabbed his hand and pulled him down the porch steps. Once inside the barn, she pushed him back against the wall and ripped open the snaps of his shirt to reveal his muscled chest.

“What are you doing? Your daddy—”

“Will be getting ready for church with the rest of the family.” She stripped off her shirt and tossed it away before pushing down her pajama bottoms and stepping out of them. “Now are you going to finish what you started or not, Jace the Ace?”

Jace’s gaze ran over her naked body as a smile tipped the corners of his mouth. “Oh, I’m gonna finish what I started and then some, Hallie Girl.” He lowered to his knees and looked up at her with eyes that held a promise that stole her breath. “Come here.”

She did.

Twice.

After he made her see stars with his greedy mouth and talented tongue, he pressed her up against the wall of the barn and slid deep inside her. There was something so hot about being completely naked while Jace was mostly clothed. The rough denim of his jeans brushed her in all the right places as he pumped out his desire. When he was close, he reached between them and helped her along. Her second climax was more explosive than her first. She would have easily slipped to the ground if Jace hadn’t been holding her.

He rested his forehead against hers. “I’m thinking I’m going to need a lot more of that. What are your plans for the day?”

“I planned to break things off with you.”

He drew back. “I planned the same thing. We’re both leaving and it seems—”

“Stupid to get more involved.”

He nodded. “But I think we’re already past the stupid point, Hallie.”

She sighed. “I guess that only leaves one thing.”

“What’s that?”

She shrugged. “Enjoy our stupidity.”

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