Page 30 of Beyond Montana's Sky
That smile hooked her heart and gently tugged Edith closer.
Cai cupped her face with one roughened hand. “I won’t beg your pardon. I’ve wanted to kiss that luscious mouth since last night.” He ran a thumb over her lips and then slid his hand to the back of her neck. “Well, to be truthful, since I first laid eyes on you.” He grinned, shameless and charming.
“To be truthful, I wouldn’t have objected,” Edith said, seizing boldness. “So, why didn’t you?”
His eyes glinted with humor. “The circumstances were too tempting—the coziness, the privacy,you. Kissing wouldn’t have been enough.” He dropped a kiss on the tip of her nose. “Besides, you’re leaving.”
Puzzled, she pulled back. “But why now? I’m still leaving.”
“Because we must get you home before your brother and the sheriff form a posse and ride out after you.”
She gave a little shake of her head, not understanding. “That made you kiss me?”
“Last night, Ihadto be a gentleman and, given the temptation….” Cai shook his head. “This morning, I know we won’t have privacy for long. Knowing that fact will keep me to gentlemanly behavior…well,almostgentlemanly behavior. If we stay like this for much longer, I won’t be able to hold myself back.” He ran a finger down her cheek. “After all, I can’t have you compromised.”
She let out a breath that was almost a huff of disappointment.
With a chuckle, Cai kissed her again, a light, firm peck on the lips. “Come on, darlin’, we must head out.”
“Of course,” she murmured. But still that kiss had her whole body thrumming down to her toes, and Edith knew, quite improperly, if she were completely honest with herself, she’d prefer to be compromised.
CHAPTER TEN
For the journey home, Edith graciously allowed Cai to take the reins of the surrey, more than happy to keep her hands tucked in her warm muff and not to tax her sore shoulder and arm muscles. They drove in companionable silence. Most of the snow had melted into wet patches, with only a few areas remaining, which the team and wagon easily drove through.
Although they sometimes bumped when the wheels jolted into a hole, for the most part their arms were separated by a fraction of an inch. But Edith could not escape the way his nearness affected her. He’d pulled on leather gloves, so she couldn’t watch his bare hands, but she could inhale his scent, glance at his profile, and see the curve of his jaw, the straight line of his nose, the curl of his eyelashes, the dark shadow of beard.
Cai turned to glance at her, and their eyes caught and held.
Edith’s breath was shallow in her throat, and she could not turn from his blue gaze.
A yearning for what she would not have pierced her. As much as Edith wanted to reach over and touch him, he was not for her.I am not for him.Instead, she just savored each moment in his company.
At the outskirts of town, Cai pulled up the horses and set the brake. “I think this is where I need to leave you. I don’t want to, but we can’t give people a chance to gossip. We’ve been lucky so far not to run into people looking for you.”
He was right. But Edith wasn’t willing to part. “Come home with me,” she coaxed. “Have some tea. I’m sure Mrs. Graves will have baked cookies or a pie or cake. She usually does.”
He frowned. “I don’t think I can. I can’t pretend that well.”
“Oh.” Edith supposed she couldn’t either.
“You’ll be all right to drive?”
“Of course.” Edith raised her chin.
Cai transferred the reins to one hand and with the other cupped her head and kissed her. Once, twice, three times. Then he pulled back and exhaled. “Drive safe, now, hear?”
Her throat clogged, and all she could do was nod.
Handing her the reins, he stepped down from the buggy.
She slid over to take his place but half turned to watch him.
Cai moved to Rascal, untied the horse from the surrey, and pulled the reins over the gelding’s head. He mounted and sat there a minute with his gaze on her. Then, he touched two fingers to his hat brim in a salute.
Edith forced a smile and turned to face the front, releasing the brake and snapping the reins to start the team moving. With a lump in her throat, she didn’t look back to see if he watched.
Her shoulders and arms were still sore, but she didn’t have far to go. Eventually, she smiled and nodded at the few people she passed but tried not to think of the man she’d left behind, only the family she was driving home to.
