Page 8 of The Cowboy's Surprise Return

Jackie froze. He was finally about to kiss her, and he’d sworn off women? He’d asked her to keep him, but he didn’t want her?

She sighed, the sound one of longing. Cole Wylder was still destined to dart in and out of the lives of women.

And yet there was pain and regret in his hesitant confession she didn’t fully understand. But she realized he was no longer the wild cowboy some folks seemed to think he was—if he ever had been.

“Me, too. I mean, I’ve sworn off men.” Jackie’s hands were on his upper thighs, holding on as though she was afraid to let go, afraid she’d listen to herself and walk away. “Flings. One-night stands. They’re all a no.”

She was about to lean back, break the connection, but Cole tenderly stroked her cheek, wrapping a spell around her. He was taking her in with that studious look of his, making her feel as though he was here, totally present.

“So we are both saying no.”

“We are both saying no,” she confirmed, hating her own lack of resistance, the way she was leaning closer, allowing the spell to weave and tighten around her like a climbing vine.

“I told myself I was going to do things differently this time,” he said, after clearing his throat. He had eased back as though someone had flooded him in light, making him aware of what he’d been doing. “I have fences to mend. I’m sorry.”

“I rejected you first,” she said, suddenly angry with the push-pull between them, and the way he was making it seem as though she didn’t understand that this wasn’t going to work out.

He laughed. “I know.”

“You’re a tease.”

“So are you,” he retorted quickly.

“No, I’m aflirt.”

“No, you tease with those pained, sad eyes, hiding behind your sunshine and laughter.”

“I’m fine,” she insisted, but she felt her chin tremble. Somehow, having her pain recognized made it hurt all the more.

They were quiet for a moment, Cole focused on the ice pack resting on her knee. They were still close, and he tipped forward so he could rest his forehead against hers with a sigh. Her lips were a whisper from his, and there was an urgency in his voice as he asked, “Can I kiss you anyway?”

She glanced upward, then caught her breath. He was so close. She didn’t think she’d ever looked anyone in the eye at such proximity. His irises had a dark ring around the edges, and his lashes were black, intensifying the blue.

A kiss… A kiss wasn’t a fling. Surely that would be okay? Something for her to carry with her like a souvenir of her long-standing, now-expired crush.

“Yes.”

Finally, his lips met hers, in a kiss she’d been imagining since elementary school. The fantasy had evolved over the years from a stolen peck to one full of passion and heat. The real Cole was no disappointment.

At first the kiss was tentative and she groaned in frustration. She swept her tongue against his closed lips, wanting more. If she was relenting and kissing him, she wanted nothing held back.

His intake of breath stirred the air around them, a split second of hesitation where she sensed he’d allowed his mind to assess the situation and decide his next move. She shifted forward, sliding from the couch onto his lap, bracing herself with her good leg so she wouldn’t land on the floor.

She could feel the moment Cole stopped thinking, his kisses becoming unbridled. She could barely breathe, inhaling through her nose as she came up for air, before diving in for more. His mouth was exploratory, hungry, his response impelled by a need that matched her own.

Waves of electricity zipped between them, sharp, biting, almost painful. And filled with so much longing it took what was left of her breath away.

And in that moment Jackie knew she’d made a grave error.

One kiss with Cole was not harmless. Not by a long shot.

She pushed him away, her heart pounding. If he stayed one minute longer, she’d do the exact thing she’d promised herself she wouldn’t. She’d undo everything and be that woman April had scorned and laughed at earlier in the evening. The woman who would never find love.

Jackie looked up, determined. “That was nice. But it was a mistake.”

She slid back to the couch, to the safety of not being in his arms.

Cole seemed dazed, confused.

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