Page 16 of Take Me Away, Cowboy

Paige blew out a puff of air and made a “whoooo” sound that echoed over the fields.

“That’s a tall order. You got plans tonight, Johnson?”

He let out a deep chuckle and her stomach stirred with lust. It might get her into trouble later, but at that moment, Paige wanted to be as close to the cowboy as she could get.

Let her conscience deal with it tomorrow. Tonight, she wanted to have a little fun.

CHAPTER FIVE

Not What She Expected

“Ido now,”Owen said, wrapping his arm affectionately around her shoulder. “You got anything stronger?” he asked, holding up his empty bottle.

“I do. At the risk of sounding forward, wanna come up?”

Paige nodded up to her apartment above her parents’ garage feeling every bit the naughty teenager. She wanted nothing more than to talk to, get to know, linger beside, Owen. If other things should come of that, then she wouldn’t complain. They were both adults.

He smiled. “I thought you’d never ask.”

She led him up the stairs, both of them quiet. When they got up to the common area, she pulled up another chair from the small desk in the back and procured a second glass. They wordlessly clinked glasses before sliding into their chairs.

Before she could say a word, he waved her book in front of her with a smirk on his face.

“You read this crap?”

She threw him a pointed look, complete with arms crossed over her chest. His glance dipped to where the tops of her breasts peeked out from the top of her blue tank.

Men.Hating on romance novels but treating women like they were on the cover of one.

“I do. Unapologetically, actually. You should give it a try—this one’s actually a good read.”

He raised an eyebrow at her.

“We’ll see. If I get bored, I know where to find you,” he said, adding what she now considered his trademark wink. “Anyway,” Owen said, putting the book down where he’d found it, “we’d moved on to you. Spill.”

“Right, the answer to your question. I don’t mean to be vague, but I think it’s both.”

“That’s cheating,” Owen said.

“I know it seems that way, but hear me out,” Paige contradicted.

Owen waved his hand, telling her to proceed.

“I think it was the fact that this is a one-horse town, with no culture, no promise, no future, for me at least.”

“You know, lady doc, I’ve got two horses on my property alone, so I suggest you take another look.”

Owen’s smile turned up in the corner, giving him the look of a man conspiring for or against something. She wished she could suss out which since she had the distinct feeling she would be on the receiving end either way.

He sipped his rum, then licked his lips. Paige almost choked.

Damn.Her thoughts dipped into forbidden territory where his lips and tongue were concerned. The sun had set while they talked and drank, bathing them in a pink light.

*

Paige laughed. “Okay,okay. But that was the pushing part. The pulling is stronger. I think.”

“Again, I’m listening.”

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