Page 38 of Some Cowboys Fight for Love

No, it was a promise.

Aria broke the kiss first with a gasp, her cheeks and nose pink.

Then she smiled.

16

Aria

This was really happening.

Aria ducked her head so she didn’t have to meet his eyes. She knew if she did, that the last bit of her defenses would completely crumble. There was no other way around that. Daniel had opened up to her; he’d shown her a side of him that spoke to her on a completely different level.

Daniel’s eyes searched hers, but for what she couldn’t be certain. A smile tugged at his lips. It was soft and sent her nerves into overdrive.

It was at this moment that Aria knew she didn’t have to hide behind her flirtations. Her smiles and extroverted behavior weren’t necessary. Daniel had seen right through those smiles anyway. Hadn’t he told her as much over and over?

He’d seen her heart before she knew what was happening. There was a part of her soul that welcomed it, wanted him to take everything he could from her.

Daniel’s hand shifted, tracing her cheek with his fingertips until he placed his palm against her cheek. “You don’t know how long I’ve waited to find someone like you.”

She couldn’t breathe. Guys didn’t say stuff like that. Not to her, anyway.

The pads of his thumb brushed against her skin again, setting off crashing waves of chills through her body. It was all she could do not to shiver. Then he lowered his face closer to hers. Aria thought he planned on kissing her again, but he didn’t. His forehead pressed against hers and he took in his own shuddering breath. “As much as I want to pull you into my arms and hold you there for the rest of the day, I think you should get something to eat.”

She bit back a smile. “You’re the one who has a job around here.”

His grin warmed her. There was something about being the girl who could make this giant of a man smile. It was like she held a degree of power over him somehow—something she never had with Cayden. He’d taken everything, bled her dry, and left her cold and alone while not letting her escape him.

Daniel ushered her toward the couch, then retrieved the coffee and pastries before joining her. He held out the cup, his fingers grazing against hers in the process of her accepting his offering. If Sophia could see them now, she would most definitely have an opinion about what had occurred between them.

Aria took the bear claw from him and picked off a piece of it before tossing it in her mouth. The flavor burst on her tongue, and she closed her eyes as she leaned into the couch cushion. “This is amazing.” Before she opened her eyes, she could feel his focus drilling into her—much like he’d done several times before. She flushed, avoiding looking at him directly. “What?”

“I didn’t say anything.” It was far more difficult not to react to him when he used a low, rough voice like that one.

“Clearly. But you’re looking at me like you want to,” she said.

She risked a look at him, finding him smiling. It was far too soon for her to get attached to him in any way. She couldn’t allow herself to do that when she didn’t even know where she was going to be in the next couple years.

Could she move here permanently?

No. She couldn’t do that.

Couldn’t she, though? It wouldn’t be the worst thing. She adored her cousins and they’d been nothing but supportive—more than she could have ever asked.

“You’re right,” he said.

Her head snapped up and she stared at the man, retracing the words she’d said to him, attempting to figure out what he was referring to.

Daniel leaned forward and placed his half-eaten bear claw on the coffee table. He brushed the crumbs from his fingers, then tilted his head as he gave her his full attention. “I’m curious about something.”

She stiffened. The way he was starting this conversation made it sound like he wasn’t sure he wanted to ask whatever it was that plagued his mind. Aria swallowed hard, steeling herself for the worst. While Daniel had brought up his history, she hadn’t exactly told him everything about her own. It would make sense for him to delve into those memories.

“Do you like living here?”

Her mouth nearly dropped open. That wasn’t what she’d expected. “Sure. What’s not to like?”

He rubbed his palms against his jeans. Then he stared at her in a way that made it clear he wasn’t going to avoid her gaze for what he wanted to ask next. “Do you think you could settle downhere? Is there anything here that might interest you enough to stay?”

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