Page 43 of Roaring Fork Wrangler

“They’re all in good health, but they’re lacking the kind of energy it takes towranglea herd as big as this one. I guess I’ll need to talk to Sam about that since it would mean investing a significant amount of money. There is one that seems quite a bit younger than theothers. Name’s Apache. I’ve taken to riding him.” From the corner of my eye, I thought I saw Juni flinch. “Everything okay?” I asked.

“Yeah, fine. Horses can be expensive,” she said so quietly I wasn’t sure if she meant for me to hear her.

“It isn’t just the horses. To be honest, there isn’t a single hand I want to keep on the payroll.” They were a pretty tight-lipped bunch, so much so I hadn’t been able to get a read on whether they were all part of Schultz’s crew or if they’d worked for JD. Something told me the former was more likely. While I could’ve put the hammer on them, I hadn’t been here long enough to risk either them ganging up on me or losing the only help I had.

I glanced at Juni, whose eyes had glazed over.

“Sorry, it’s not that interesting of a subject.” I motioned to the sofa. “Do you have time to sit for a bit?”

“Since you’re giving me a ride home, I guess you’d be the one to determine how much time I have.”

I wanted to tell her I’d keep her here all night if I could. Longer, in fact. “Okay if I get a fire going?” I asked instead.

“That would be nice.”

The wood was already stacked, so all I had to do was light the kindling, which only took a couple of minutes to catch. I got up and turned around, smiling when I saw Juniper sitting in the dead center of the sofa.

“Mind if I join you?” I asked.

“I was hoping you would.”

I sat on her left and stretched my arm across the back of the cushions. “Are you warm enough?”

“I’m getting there.” She wriggled closer to me.

“Juni—”

“Let me go first, okay?”

I nodded.

“Earlier, I mentioned that Grayson told me what you said at the theater about how sometimes you meet a person and you feel as though you’ve known them for years even after only a few hours.”

“I did say that.”

When she turned her head and looked into my eyes, all I could think about was how much I’d wanted to kiss her—that night and now.

“It’s how I feel too, and while you said I don’t have anything to apologize for, I feel like I do. I was rude to you last night, and I’m sorry.”

I reachedup and brushed her hair from her face. “You are so beautiful,” I murmured.

“Cord, I?—”

“No more talking.” I leaned forward and kissed her. It was like a whisper, a promise, teasing and taunting, even though I was mad with the desire to ravish her. When she whimpered and grasped the front of my shirt, it was like she’d taken me off a leash, allowing me to break away from all restraints. I pressed my tongue into her mouth and tasted a hint of the wine she’d sipped.

I kissed her slowly, deeply, my tongue winding with hers, and when a second breathy moan escaped her lips, I pulled her onto my lap and eased my hand under her sweater, touching her bare skin.

“Cord, please…”

My desire for her that had been building since the moment we met was like a volcano ready to erupt. But this was too much, too fast. And maybe my name on her lips wasn’t pleading with me to take things further. Maybe it was a plea for me to stop. I withdrew my hand, agonizingly pulled my lips from hers, and moved her from my lap.

“Did I do something wrong?” she asked.

I wrapped my arms around her, stroking her hair when she rested her cheek against my chest. “Everything you did was perfect.”

“Then, why…”

“Because I asked you here so we could talk. To clear the air between us, not to seduce you.”

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