Page 17 of The Christmas Cowboy

Liam stopped her with a hand on her arm. “You’re forgetting something.”

“What?”

He tapped his lips. “A good-night kiss.”

Instead of answering she put her arms around his neck and pulled his head down so she could reach his mouth. He was smiling when she kissed him. She didn’t give him a peck on the lips. She threw herself into it, determined to make him realize that, pregnant or not, she was a woman with needs.

At first he hesitated but then he took control of the kiss, thrusting his tongue inside her mouth to meet hers, demanding a response, pulling her flush against him to where her breasts were pillowed against the hard muscle of his chest. As the kiss deepened his arms tightened around her, one hand falling to her butt to press her gently against him.

Hello. She knew what an aroused man felt like and Liam definitely was. But he didn’t push. Instead, he let go of her and said, “Get some rest. I’ll be in later.”

Chapter Seven

Val woke uptucked under Liam’s arm, her head on his chest. Her hand lay above his heart on that warm, bare chest. How had that happened? She must have been asleep when Liam came to bed the night before because she didn’t remember anything. She sure as hell didn’t remember cuddling up to him.

She’d never spent the night with a man. Never been cuddled against a man, as she was with Liam. His skin was so warm. She raised her eyes to find him looking at her, a faint smile on his lips.

“Hey,” he said, his voice deep and husky.

“Hey.” His hair was disheveled; there was a light stubble on his jaw. His eyes were green, rather than the hazel they often were. She couldn’t read him. And then his expression changed, and he kissed her. Short and sweet. A kiss good morning. No big deal.

So why did she feel like swooning?

Pregnancy. That was it. Her stomach somersaulted and she jumped out of bed and dashed into the bathroom, barely making it to the toilet. Damn it, she should have taken crackers to bed with her for the morning, but she’d forgotten.

There was a tap on the bathroom door. “Can I get you anything?”

“Crackers,” she croaked. Once she thought she was finished puking—at least for the moment, she rinsed her mouth out and brushed her teeth. Then she wet a washrag and managed to get back in bed, placing the cool cloth on her forehead.Please, God, tell me this nausea will go away.Or would she have to deal with it the entire pregnancy? Some women did, she knew. She’d gone to the OB/GYN in Livingston during the week before the wedding, the same doctor she’d seen to confirm the pregnancy. The doctor had been reassuring about the pregnancy and the baby, and she’d given her tips for dealing with morning sickness. But she’d also said that since Val had started having morning sickness early, it wouldn’t be unusual for it to last the entire first trimester or even longer. The doctor had also given her the name of the new OB/GYN in Marietta since Val wanted a doctor there. Livingston wasn’t far but it was winter and if the weather was bad, it would be better to have her doctor closer to home.

Liam came in with a stack of crackers and a clear soft drink. He handed her a couple of crackers, holding the rest, and sat beside her on the bed as she ate them slowly. He gave her several more before she stopped.

“Better?”

She took a sip of the soft drink and nodded. “I think so.”

“Does this happen every morning?”

He wore pajama bottoms and that was it. His chest was distracting. All smooth, tan skin, stretched over lean muscle. No surprise, he had a six-pack. Hell, he was a rancher. She knew what kind of work he did. Her brother did it too. So did she, though not to the same extent they did. She wanted to run her hands over his chest and keep going down. Shit, she was staring at him. At his body. He was bound to notice. But damn, he was smoking. She shook her head, remembering he’d asked her a question.

“Pretty much. My OB said it’s supposed to get better as the pregnancy goes on and stop around three months. I hope.”

“You hope? You mean it could last longer?”

“Some women have nausea the entire time.” Was it her imagination or did he pale at that?

“We’ll have to hope you won’t.”

No joke.She ate a few more crackers, finished her soft drink, and started to get up. Liam stopped her with a hand on her leg. Even though her leg was under the covers, the contact still gave her a thrill. How silly was that?

“Why don’t you stay in bed a while until you’re sure you feel okay? We can go hiking later, when you get up. There’s no rush.”

“Okay.” He got up and started to walk out of the room. “Liam?” He stopped and looked at her questioningly. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

She gestured at the empty glass. “For taking care of me.”

He smiled and walked out the door.

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