Page 39 of Kiss of Steel

“What’s so funny?” He raised his head.

“I’m not laughing, but I was smiling. How did you know?”

“I could tell from the contraction of your facial muscles.”

“You’re way too observant, but I was smiling because of you. You make me feel good.”

“You make me feel alive,” he said. “You make me feel…human.”

He slipped off her then and rolled to the side. She shivered, chilled by the loss of his warm weight. He hooked the blanket with his toe and covered them.He really is observant.

“Better?” He tucked her against his side, pillowing her head on his shoulder.

“Perfect.” She drew lazy circles on his chest. “Hmm…” Drowsy and content, she mulled over the past few hours—his non-confession confession, their near declarations of love, and his voracious sexual appetite. She didn’t have all the facts about him, but she believed she saw the real man. He’d come across as hard and cold at first, but his exterior hid a vulnerability she couldn’t help but respond to. He was strong and capable yet oddly unaware, almost innocent of the ways of the world.

Utterly enthralled by him, she couldn’t have asked for a better match. The marriage had turned out better than she’d hoped. She rubbed her calf against his leg in a satisfied caress. Only one thing could improve upon this moment.

“How do you feel about eating the dessert we brought home?” It had appeared to be some sort of gooey dark-brown cake. Chocolate would be too much to hope for, but she figured it would be yummy anyway. All the desserts were excellent.

“I’ll get it.” He flung the covers aside and leaped out of bed so fast her head thunked on the mattress.

She chuckled.

Naked, he padded out of the room.

Nice buns.Damn, he’s fine.She scooted to a sitting position, propping a pillow between her back and the wall.

He returned with the box and two spoons. “Is this okay? Or should I have gotten us plates? I’ve never eaten in bed before.”

“This is fine.”

He settled in, and they opened the box. To her pleased surprise, the dessert did taste chocolatey. Cocoa family, anyway.

“Tomorrow is the last day of our work week,” she said. “Then we have two days off. Maybe you can show me where you work? I haven’t seen anything beyond the quad.”

“Sure! I’ll talk to Dusty and see if I can borrow a wagon for a tour of the area. I can show you the horniger calves.”

“I’d like that! It’s a date!” She kissed him. He tasted like their chocolate-ish dessert. Yummy.

Chapter Seventeen

“Hornigers!” Honoria eyed the dozen or so beasts grazing on the other side of the paddock. She counted six adults and seven wobbly calves.

“We rounded them up yesterday. Dusty thinks if we can get the calves used to people sooner, we’ll have a better chance of domesticating them. These calves are newborns; they’re still nursing and need their mamas, so we brought the cows into the paddock with them.”

“They’re adorable!” she exclaimed.

“Adorable now, but dangerous when they mature. The horns grow fast. And don’t ever get between a mama and her baby.”

“No,” she agreed. The females sported vicious horns like the males.

“This is a good time to cross since they’re on the other side of the paddock.”

The weather today was unusually pleasant, pleasant being relative. The air was chilly but calm, and rays of sunlight broke through the clouds.Almost balmy.“It’s a shame we didn’t order lunch at breakfast. We could have a picnic,” she mused.

“We don’t have time to get lunch now. Dusty will be waiting for us. He’s off work today but agreed to help me. All the vehicles were signed out yesterday. The ranch hands sleep in them when they’re too far out on the range to return before nightfall. But he expected one to come in late last night and promised to reserve it for me and show me how to operate it.” He pointed to a wagon outside the barn. “That must be it.”

“Why don’t I get us a box lunch while you meet with Dusty? I can be back in a flash and meet you in the outbuilding.” Before they toured the property, he’d show her the tack room, the horniger stalls, all the inside areas where he worked.

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