Page 57 of The Cowboy's Second Chance Bride

He stood at my feet and smirked down at me. “I said I would help once I got things situated in the barn.”

I sat up to lean on my elbows. “I’m not incapable. I can do a lot. I told you that.” I pulled my jeans the rest of the way up.

“I can see that.”

He was staring at the small swath of red fabric exposed by the open fly. He watched me fasten the button on the jeans, and then his eyes traveled up to my bra. The charge had been stoked when he braided my hair, then primed when he’d walked in, his eyes sweeping over me and going dark blue with desire. I wanted him too.

“Red’s always been a good color on you. I like that you still match everything.” He moved to stand between my legs, towering over me.

I knew what he wanted, and I wanted it too. Just the touch of a kiss. He’d always been a good kisser. I wondered if that had changed. But the thing with us was that just kissing had been hard to do. Once we started hitting the bases, both of us always wanted a home run.

I cleared my throat, but my voice came out husky. “You left the door open. What if someone walks by? And I just got these jeans on. Do you know how much effort that took?” I looked between him and the door.

He knelt, his hands going to the floor beside my hips, and like every time before, I felt that invisible string that connected us, pulling us together. I hooked my legs behind him.

“I just want to know?—”

“So do I,” I said.

He moved to crawl over me, holding himself in a plank position, keeping our bodies apart but close. Those strong corded arms didn’t even look like they were straining. I slid my legs up to his waist and dropped back off my elbows.

“The door,” I said.

“No one will come by. One of the hands came to relieve me. Brynna went to her barn to work, said she was inspired by that mean mom cow, and my mom is in the kitchen. Lord, you are beautiful.” He dropped a kiss onto the top of one boob that the bra was pushing up and out. Then he did the same to the other.

There was no hesitation. No trying to talk the other out of it. We’d both silently agreed and moved forward. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him to me. When our lips touched, it was like going through a portal, spinning with craving, a yearning that had never waned.

He scraped my lips with his teeth, and when his tongue touched mine I gave it a quick suck. This sent him into a frenzy and me into a tailspin. He kissed me like there was no tomorrow and we might not get the chance again, which maybe was true. Each kiss he delivered was a declaration as he moved across my neck to the spot behind my ear. I was hungry for him, his touch, and from the way his hands swept over me, I knew he felt the same. I tried to draw him to me with my legs but ended up bumping my ankle and crying out in pain.

Cal jerked up and looked at me in question, a twinkle in his eyes. “That’s never happened to me before.”

I swatted his shoulder. “I hit my ankle.”

He ran his hands down my thighs as he sat back on his haunches. He slowly moved toward my ankle. His touch was like silk, and I thought my eyes would roll back in my head from the sensation. I wondered what it said about my feelings for Cal that I found the swipe of his hands nearly orgasmic.

He swiveled and looked at my ankle. “Let’s get you downstairs and get it elevated with some ice. Here, I’ll take you down.” He stood, scooped me off the floor, and headed for the door.

“I need a shirt first.” I laughed.

Cal swiveled again and set me on the bed. He picked my T-shirt up off the floor and turned to toss it to me but then stalked toward me instead. He slid his hand behind my head and bent to taste me one more time, his lips sweeping over mine, his hand pressing me to him.

I put my hands on his waistband and pulled him closer. Kissing him was like everything I remembered and all that I had forgotten. I remembered how much I loved his touch and wanted to be with him, the feeling of being right where I was supposed to be. But I’d forgotten just how witless he rendered me. How small the world got because he was all I needed. How I sometimes felt like I could only breathe because his kisses were giving me air.

I pushed him away for a brief rest and took my T-shirt from him. His face was close, his breath on my cheek.

“Reenie?” He sounded uncertain, maybe scared and wondering if he’d gone too far.

“It’s okay.”

He moved to sit next to me. “Is it?”

“I just remembered how much I depended on you. How much I asked of you.”

“It was never too much.”

I slipped on my shirt. “Wasn’t it?”

“Not for me.” He met my eyes, and I knew he was telling the truth. Which made me want to ask the why again.

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