Page 65 of A Nice Day for a Cowboy Wedding

“You seem a little distracted, Shane.”

When he finally managed to tear his gaze from her legs, he found her grinning.

“You better not invite me inside, or I might just show you why.”

She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth, making a considering sound, and, if not for the yip of that damn neighbor’s dog, Shane might have bent down and taken some of what he wanted in a kiss.

“Your neighbors are watching,” he offered instead.

“Oh.” She glanced across the way, then waved at the couple still on the porch before pulling Shane firmly inside. She closed the door, leaning against it. He told himself to look around, to compliment her on her house or something, but all he could do was look at her.

“If I kiss you, it’s only going to mess up your makeup.”

“I could probably fix it,” Cora returned. “If necessary.”

How could there be any other option but to step toward her, cage her against that front door, lean his mouth to hers and—

A loud knock startled them both.

On a heavy sigh, Cora rolled her eyes. “Just give me one second, okay?”

“Uh, sure,” Shane complied, taking a few steps back, hoping the raging erection he was currently sporting wasn’t as noticeable as it felt.

Cora opened the door. The woman from the porch stood on the other side, holding a bowl. She pushed it toward Cora.

“Hi, Cora. Could I borrow a cup of sugar?” the woman asked, smiling and batting her eyelashes and clearly checking Shane out, not paying attention to whatever Cora’s answer would be.

“You don’t bake, Tori,” Cora replied, forcing the bowl back at the woman. “And that’s a bowl, not a measuring cup.” She gestured back toward Shane. “Tori, this is Shane. Shane, this is Tori. She’s leaving now,” Cora said firmly, giving the woman a little push.

“Is he a real cowboy?” Shane heard the woman ask in a low voice, as Cora nudged her firmly out the door.

“I’ll tell you all about it later,” Cora said, then closed the door on Tori.

“Nosy neighbors,” Shane offered, shoving his hands in his pockets. Because if he didn’t lock them in, he’d reach out and touch her. Kiss her like he’d been planning to, and then it would take the kind of restraint he’d really rather not employ to usher her out the door and into his truck so they could go into Benson for dinner.

It was the first time in years he wished he had his own place, and not just because of his wounded pride that he’d lost that opportunity.

“Nosy friends, more like,” Cora replied. “Tori’s actually marrying my . . . Well, my sister’s brother-in-law, I guess he’d be. They both work at Mile High with Lilly and—” She waved a hand. “Anyway. Where were we?”

Shane cleared his throat.Far too clothed, he wanted to say, but he was supposed to be a gentleman. “Ah, maybe we should go. I said I was taking you out, and I’m not sure where we were would lead us out the door any time soon.”

She looked around the little entryway as if pondering some great problem, so Shane did as well, noting the clutter of young boy and professional woman, mixed up and shoved into a little corner. Sneakers and high heels, some flowery printed scarf tangled up with a fleece jacket. It felt . . . right. Cora. Made him glad to be here even aside from the potential for sex.

She met his gaze again. “I don’t want to go out.”

His stomach dropped, something like panic catching in his chest. “But, I thought—”

She stepped toward him again, this time reaching out, her hands landing on his chest, fingers splaying there. She looked up at him, blue eyes dark and damn near mesmerizing enough to drown in. “I want to stay in.”

He maybe wasn’t the quickest man in the world, but he wasn’t a slow one either. Everything inside of him tightened, and damn near yearned. But there was a protocol. A plan. A certain way you did things with a woman you were interested in. “You’re all dressed up,” he managed, a feeble excuse at best. If all his blood hadn’t rushed south he might have come up with something better. “You’d want to go out after all that work, wouldn’t you? I mean, I don’t know much about women, but I heard my sisters complain about getting fancied up plenty growing up.”

“All that work doesn’t need to go outside to be enjoyed,” Cora replied, hands sliding up his chest to his shoulders as she moved onto her tiptoes, against his chest, her mouth just out of reach.

God, he wanted that mouth. Those curves. He wanted all of her so much he practically throbbed with it, but there was still some semblance of brainpower left. Obligation. He should take her out first. He should. “But—”

“We have approximately eighteen hours in this house together, alone, and then God only knows when the next time will be, at least until school starts again. How doyouwant to spend it?”

“Sold.” He reached out, lifting her off her feet in a smooth maneuver if he did say so himself. She laughed, breathlessly, then latched her mouth onto his, a potent mix of lips and teeth and tongue.

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