Page 37 of Pack to the Wall

I smiled at that off-hand compliment. “It’s the fated thing. It messes you both up. Got you thinking more about fuckin’ than talkin’.”

Her eyes went wide, then she laughed again. More and more of the tension she’d been holding was draining out of her.“You’ve got that right.” She shook her head. “How did one as young as you get so wise?”

“I may be young, but I’ve seen a lot of shit. That either breaks you or makes you tough… and wise… I guess.”

She put both her hands on my chest over my leather cut, gazing up at me. I couldn’t help myself, the pain and confusion in those soft brown eyes made me want to hold her. I brought my arms around her softly, gently, and she leaned into me. I choked up for a moment at how easily she melted against me. I didn’t quite understand it, but I wasn’t going to question it. I had a wonderful, caring woman who wanted to be close to me and I didn’t want to screw this up.

We stayed there for a while, me holding her softly while she rested against my chest.

Finally, she asked, “What did you want to show me?”

“A few things, and we’re almost there, you wanna see?” I asked, excited.

She nodded against my chest.

I let her go and we walked side by side again, but this time she took my hand. I held her soft palm in mine as we walked. I couldn’t help but grin at how easily she’d accepted me. It was her large heart, and I’d never do anything to break it.

I loved everything about this woman. So what if she was a decade or more older than Tasha had been? Her body might not be fit and firm, but hey, soft curves were good too. And really, it was her heart that called to me. I felt like I’d found Tasha’s soft soul once again in Jane.

The brush and trees gave way to the rocky fringes around a burbling brook. I loved the peace and serenity of this place.

“There.” I pointed to a large flat boulder to one side of the rocky stream. “That’s one of the things I wanted you to see… or rather… feel.”

“Feel?” she asked as I drew her over to it, our hands still together.

“Yeah,” I said. “There ain’t nothing better than lying on that rock in the sun.”

She smiled. “That does sound nice.”

We’d reached the rock and I released her hand to climb up. It was tilted slightly, easy to get onto and also perfectly facing into the sun. I lay down and closed my eyes and let the sun’s heat wash over me.

“Like this,” I said.

I heard her move and felt her lying down beside me, then… a long sigh of contentment.

“Ohhhh, thisisnice,” she said softly.

I opened my eyes and rolled onto my side to look at her. She smiled faintly, narrow lips spread, the lines on her face easing. She looked like some goddess of nature with her hair splayed out behind her, her eyes closed peacefully, and her rounded chest rising and falling evenly.

“I want to kiss you,” I said, then blinked at myself, surprised I’d said it out loud. I’d certainly been thinking it.

Her eyes fluttered open, blinking at the sun shining down on her, and she raised an arm to shade her face. An aroused curiosity lit up in those soft brown depths, but also confusion and uncertainty.

“Colt…”

“Yeah, I know, sorry, forget about it.” What had I been thinking?

She gave a soft laugh. “I mean I’m flattered that ah… a nice,youngerman like you would be interested in a plain older woman like me. But?—”

“No, Jane. You’re not plain, and you’re not that old.” There was a mild reprimand in my tone that I couldn’t hold back. Icouldn’t bear it when kind souls like her — and Tasha — put themselves down.

“I dye my hair, that makes me look five years younger… most days.” She grimaced.

“Just don’t think of yourself that way, okay? My… the woman I knew, she did the same thing, putting herself down, saying she wasn’t pretty, but she was… and so are you.”

Jane blushed. “Thank you, Colt. And I mean, it’s not like I don’t want to be kissed. I do, or part of me does, but ah… well…” She swallowed. “I’m still getting used to everything that’s happened and… and now suddenly I’m fated for Tyson, and… I don’t even know what that means. But if I’m… going to someday be with him, then… I don’t think…”

Gods, she was cute when she was flustered.

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