Page 35 of Overdue for a Cowboy

Her gaze dropped to the open space now between them. All she had to do was scoot into it, but her stupid bashful body wouldn’t move.

Come on.This was the moment she’d been waiting for. He was already facing her—they were laughing together—and he hadn’t turned away or acted like he was falling asleep from the boredom of being in bed with her.

When would she have another chance like this? Maybe never.

She remembered a moment from when she’d been in junior high. It had been a hot day at the end of the summer, and she and her mom had decided to spend the day at the swimming pool. They’d had a great time, swimming and reading, then her mom had suggested they end the perfect day by jumping off the high dive and into the deep end of the pool.

Maisie was a good swimmer, but she didn’t like heights. She’d wanted to say no, but she hated the idea of disappointing her mom more. Her mom went first, and she could still hear her shriek of laughter as she raced down the diving board and leapt off. Maisie remembered the fear filling her belly as she climbed the tall ladder then the trepidation of stepping onto the divingboard, the cool gritty feel of it scraping the bottom of her feet as she inched forward.

Everything in her screamed to climb back down—to run to the safety of their chairs—anything to not have to jump off that springy board into twelve feet of sheer air.

She’d inched out a little further and peered down…way down…into the blue water. Her mom was in the pool, laughing as she called something encouraging up to her. She’d paused for a second, her stomach churning, praying she didn’t throw up—that would definitely be worse than dying in a dramatic high dive incident. She’d wanted to jump, wanted to feel that freedom that her mother had just demonstrated, wanted to have the courage to overcome her fear.

Just like now—in this moment with Dodge—she wanted to take that leap, to slide into that empty space between them.

She remembered drawing in all her courage, her heart pounding as she’d pushed away the fear, then plugged her nose and leapt off the board and into the air. She didn’t recall much more than the rush of air and the splash of the water, but she remembered the feeling of overcoming that fear and taking the leap.

That’s what she wanted to do now. The space between her and the cowboy of her dreams was like the water of that swimming pool and all she had to do was summon her courage and jump into it.

Taking in a breath, her stomach churning just like when she’d been a girl—although it would be a thousand times worse if she barfed on Dodge—she pulled on every bit of bravery she had, every depth of desire she had for this man, and took that leapas she slid forward into the crook of Dodge’s arm and pressed herself against his warm body.

Chapter Sixteen

Maisie stared up at Dodge, so close she could swear he could feel her heart beating in her chest. She was afraid to speak, afraid that saying anything would break the spell and have him pushing her back to her side of the bed.

His hand lifted and brushed a stray lock of her hair from her cheek, and the soft graze of his fingers sent a delicious shiver racing down her spine. His voice was soft and had a husky edge as he whispered, “You are so beautiful.”

No one had ever said those words to her, and she literally melted at hearing them. “No. I’m not. I’m plain and boring,” she whispered back.

He pressed his finger to her lips. “Don’t say stuff like that. I have not been bored once when I’ve been with you. And you are far from plain. Your smile could light up this room.”

She was dying inside, her heart soaking in his words and craving more. Her lips burned where his finger touched them, and she had a wild impulse to lick the edge of it then suck it into her mouth.

What was happening to her?

First, she was blurting out dirty come-on lines and now she was imagining sucking his finger. Apparently, years of unrequited lust were pouring out of her in crazy ways.

Which must be what inspired her to look up into his eyes and whisper, “I really want you to kiss me again.” His finger fell away, and nerves tightened her chest as she shook her head. “No. I take it back.”

He raised an eyebrow. “You take it back? You don’t want me to kiss you?”

She huffed. This was her chance, and she was getting it wrong. “No. I mean, yes, Idowant you to kiss me. But I don’t want you tojustkiss me. Or maybe I mean I want you to kissallof me.”

His eyes widened.

The stupid sling between them made everything awkward, but she was suddenly determined to get this out, to take this chance and tell Dodge Lassiter that she wanted him.

She reached up her good hand and lightly touched the side of his face. He hadn’t shaved that day, and his whiskers scratched the tips of her fingers. “I’m no good at this. I’m not experienced, and my words seem to either get tied up in mouth or blurt out in some kind verbal diarrhea.”

Seriously?Had she just used the word ‘diarrhea’ in her play of seduction? She was terrible at this.

She pushed on anyway. “What I’m trying to say, even though I’m doing a seriously horrific job at it, is that I want you.” She drew in a long breath then her next words came out in a rush as she took another leap. “I want you, Dodge Lassiter, all of you. I wantyou naked and on top of me, and then I want to be naked and on top of you. I want to have your hands on me, oneverypart of me, and I want to touch you too. The way you kissed me today makes me think—hope—that you want me too.”

She stopped talking then and waited for his response, but Dodge just stared at her. He didn’t say anything, but at least he wasn’t laughing at her or sneering in derision at the suggestion of them getting naked and touching each other.

His voice was shaky when he finally did speak. “I want you too, Maisie. I swear I do. Everything you are saying makes me want to strip you down and take you right now. Iwantto kiss you again, to touch you. It’s just about all I’ve been thinking about today. Except when your dang doorbell kept ringing.”

She smiled, a small smile, because something in her heart was starting to crack, because she could hear something in his voice. Something that had the power to destroy her and crumble all the bravery she’d fought so hard to find.

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