Page 6 of Rogue Cowboy
“Hello, Riley.”
You still up stargazing?
Always.Is it night there too?
You know I can’t tell you where I am.
Mystery man.Sometimes I imagine we’re looking at the same stars.
Someday.
Cole wished he could give her more of himself, but he wasn’t sure if even hinting at a future would send her galloping higher into the mountains.Was the counseling helping?She’d promised—sort of.It seemed invasive to ask.The attack had been a couple months ago, yet she was his wife, and it was in his nature to take care of his own, especially when Riley wasn’t telling him what he needed to know—not that he’d be able to get to her anytime soon.
Can’t sleep?
Someday.
Sassy, cowgirl.
Chapter Two
Cole felt herheart slam against his forearm and then pound quickly like hummingbird wings.Her legs trembled, nearly giving out.Her breath fractured.He’d surprised many targets during his career, and never once mentally calculated the words to lecture them about their lack of awareness afterwards.
Or apologize for startling them.
Fear and concern and fury hit at the same time, but he leaned into experience and training and shut it all down.She was terrified, and terrified women weren’t safe.
“Fight me,” he whispered in her ear.
“Wwwwwha…?”She could barely eke out that syllable, and that wouldn’t cut it.
“Fight me.I taught you.”
“Cccccole?”she squeaked, tried to turn around.He held her firmly but not enough pressure to hurt, though another jerk wouldn’t be so gentle.They both knew that.
“Fight back.”
“I don’t want to…hurt you.”
His dark laugh was unexpected.
“Try,” he invited, relieved to feel her heart rate begin to settle, and her diaphragm expand with a full breath.
“We practiced this,” he reminded her.“What do you do first?”
“You show up after almost six years with no warning and no texts for four months and expect me to remember how to fight you?Careful.I just might remember how.”
Her voice had a snap of flame.Good.
He drew deeply on patience, trying to ignore her scent that teased him, the way her hair was fragrant silk against his lips.“You have options.”
“Lucky me.”
He bit back the smile and gave in to the indulgence to breathe deeply in the fresh citrus scent of her stunning hair.“You’re wearing boots.”For a moment the long ago image of her pink cowboy boots studded with embroidered daisies and rhinestones and the short button-up denim skirt flashed in his memory, and Cole struggled to focus.
“Surprise, surprise on the boots,” Riley drawled, and he nearly gave up and just spun her around to kiss her and see her stunning eyes darken—safety lesson be damned.
“You could kick my instep hard.Heel or toe.Fast.Then spin, fast uppercut to my groin with your knee, then go for my eyes.”
