Page 38 of The Cowboy’s Intriguing Love

“I don’t know how tonotdo everything by myself.”

He nodded and touched the tip of her nose. “Then I might have to make it my life’s mission to teach you.”

Her heart felt as though it filled up and overflowed. Wouldn’t that be something?! But no, she didn’t need to go getting all carried away.

“How about we start slow? Can I carry your bag out to the truck?”

“Okay.”

He finally let go of her and she reluctantly withdrew her arms from around his waist. He helped her shrug out of the straps of her backpack and slung it over his shoulder.

He offered her his hand with a smile and asked, “Want to get out of here?”

When she placed her hand in his, an electric current zapped through her. Her gaze flew up to meet his, and he smiled.

“Yeah, I felt it, too, Shay.” He squeezed her hand and started leading her toward the doors. “Told you this wasn’t going to be our last anything – we’re just getting started, sweetheart.”

~ ~ ~

Ty kept glancing over at her as they walked. She was gorgeous! When he’d seen her come out from the concourse, looking for the right carousel, he couldn’t believe his luck. It had to be her; the way she’d described what she was wearing didn’t leave much doubt. What he doubted was his own luck.

He’d been preparing himself for disappointment. He’d even given himself a talking to about how attraction could grow over time. He was already attracted to the personality of the girl he’d gotten to know over emails, texts, and phone calls. Despite all that, his heart sank when he saw that other girl in a pink T-shirt; she wasn’t unattractive, but she just didn’t do it for him.

He couldn’t have been more relieved when Shayna told him she was still wearing her white hoodie – so that other girl couldn’t be her.He’d hoped that spark might be there, but he’d never expected that he’d be sporting a raging hard-on from the moment he laid eyes on her – in the middle of a crowded airport no less!

He squeezed her hand when they reached the crosswalk on their way to the parking garage.

Her hazel eyes seemed to glimmer when she smiled up at him.

“You okay?” he asked.

“Yeah. You?”

He grinned. “I’m so much better than okay! Damn, Shay! I was hoping that you’d be okay-looking, you know? I feel like we know each other well enough, and I like you enough that it wouldn’t matter if there was no initial spark. I wasn’t expecting this.”

She laughed and the sound of it made him inhale sharply; it was going to be harder to behave himself than he’d expected. Didn’t mean that he’d break the promise he’d made himself – to keep it in his pants no matter what – but …

“I wasn’t either. I …” Her cheeks turned pink.

“Go on, you can say it, I’m still me – the guy you felt like you could say anything to.”

“I know. It’s … weird, I guess. I was worried that things might get awkward if one of us didn’t like the other. I don’t want things to get awkward because we do.”

“It won’t get weird if we don’t let it.” He chuckled. “I’ll put a paper bag over my head if you like – so that my dazzling good looks don’t distract you.”

She rolled her eyes at him. “You can’t do that! For one thing, I need to keep checking you out to make sure that I’m not making this up, and for another … Never mind.”

The traffic finally stopped, and when they reached the other side of the crosswalk, he stopped and tugged her hand so that she was facing him.

“If something’s up, you have to tell me.”

She shrugged.

“Come on, Shay.” Without thinking, he leaned in, about to kiss her. The shocked look in her eyes brought him to his senses just in time, and he veered off to the side and whispered in her ear instead.

“Remember what we said? We’re going to be friends if nothing else. You can tell me.”

He pulled his head back but only far enough that their noses were almost touching.

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