Page 26 of Some Cowboys Brave the Flames

Once again, Ash clenched his hands tightly in his pockets and turned to watch the festivities. About twenty minutes later, they were cleaning up. Emma was the one to take stock and commented, “Charlie isn’t back from her walk yet.”

Before anyone else could volunteer, Ash held up a hand. “I saw where she went. I’ll get her.” He turned on his heel and headed into the wooded area.

Charlie wasn’t hard to spot. While she was shielded from the others in the clearing, she was only just within the grove of trees. He caught sight of her hand first, wrapped around the trunk of the tree she leaned against.

He drew closer, not speaking at first. He wasn’t sure if she was resting or if something else was going on.

His boot snapped a twig, and her eyes flew wide just as he came into full view of her. She let out a soft laugh and placed her hand on her chest. “You startled me.”

Ash moved closer, studying her. She didn’t look like she was feeling very well. “You okay?”

She laughed again and nodded, breathing in deeply. “I’m fine,” she said on exhale. “Just a headache.”

He nodded, then jerked his chin toward the clearing. “I brought some aspirin if you need it.”

Charlie waved him off. “I’m fine. Is everyone getting ready?”

The answer didn’t come right away. The more he studied her face, the harder it became to maintain control of his thoughts, his desires. His feet shuffled forward as if against his will. “Charlie,” he murmured.

The whispered word caught her attention and she stilled, her back pressed against the tree. He was blocking the path of her escape, and he wasn’t going anywhere.

“Yes,” she rasped, her throat bobbing as she swallowed hard. “Did you need something?”

Ash let his gaze drift to her mouth, those lips that he’d kissed only once before. It had been the most innocent and yet exhilarating kisses he’d ever experienced in his life, and not for lack of finding something to compare. For nearly two years, he’d tried to find someone who could stir such feelings inside him. He’d had several first dates, but none of those women could compare to how he’d felt after kissing Charlie.

He’d berated himself for it, hated himself for how inappropriate it had been. He’d told himself the universe was punishing him for something he knew he shouldn’t have done.

And yet here she was, unattached, free for the taking.

He moved in a little closer. She sucked in a sharp breath but didn’t pull away to escape him.

“You find her, Ash?” Liam’s voice called from the clearing.

Ash froze, half-expecting Liam to march into the area and explode with fury and indignation.

Before Ash could utter a word, Charlie ducked away from him and escaped.

What was he thinking? Where was his control?

Gone. And he wasn’t sure he really wanted it back.

12

Charlie

Charlie scowled at herself in the mirror. She couldn’t decide if she hated herself or if she hated Ash more.

Every time she closed her eyes, she saw him. Every time she slept, he haunted her dreams. She could smell his cologne lingering in every room of the house he walked through. Her body reacted not only to his smile and scent, but also to his touch.

It wasn’t often, but occasionally their hands would brush or they’d bump into one another in the kitchen. Teaching him was beginning to feel like torture. She couldn’t take it anymore. She wanted to make him as miserable as he was making her.

He had to be taunting her, teasing her. That’s what this was. Every look he gave her made her stomach flip. And whenever she caught him staring, it took all her strength not to tell him to stop.

Ash was dating someone, for heaven’s sake. She didn’t want to be the person blamed for him breaking things off with her.And she definitely didn’t want to be with a guy who would cheat on his girlfriend.

Her scowl deepened.

“Be careful. You keep making that face and it’s going to stay that way.”

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