Page 21 of Cowboy's Healing Heart

I start pounding on Shane’s door. “Kennedy! Open up, I know you’re in there!”

There’s a muffled curse from inside, and then the door swings open. Shane stands there, shirtless and damp, a towel slung low on his hips. For a split second, all coherent thought flies out of my head.

He must’ve just gotten out of the shower. Droplets of water cling to his tanned skin, trailing down the ridges of his abs in a way that makes my mouth go dry.

I shake my head, forcing myself to meet his eyes. “Don’t just stand there lookin’ pretty. We need to talk.”

Shane raises an eyebrow, leaning against the doorframe. “Everything okay, KD?”

“No, everything is not okay!” I snap, the anger rushing back in full force. “What the hell were you thinking, teaching my daughter combat moves?” I demand, jabbing a finger into his chest. “She got into a fight at school today because of your stupid ninja lessons!”

Shane’s eyes go wide. “Whoa, KD, calm down. Daughter?”

“Yes, Kennedy. My daughter, Ashanti.”

“I should have known.” A slow smile crosses his face. “Look, I’m sorry. She asked me to show her some self-defense moves. Just in case, you know?”

“In case of what? Getting jumped by ninjas on the playground?” I throw my hands up in exasperation. “She put another kid in the nurse’s office today with one of your little moves.”

“Shit. Was it that Devon kid?”

“That’s not the point, Kennedy.”

“Look, I didn’t think she’d actually use them. I just wanted to make sure she could protect herself if she needed to.”

“Well, now she’s grounded for two weeks, thanks to you.” I jab a finger into his bare chest, trying not to focus on how firm the muscle feels under my touch.

He catches my wrist, holding it there against his skin. The contact sends a jolt of electricity through me.

“I apologize if I overstepped, KD,” he says, his voice low and serious. “But you didn’t see her face after he tried to run her home. I’d rather Ashanti put that kid on his ass than let them bully her. His ego and wrist will heal.”

I open my mouth to keep yelling, but the words die in my throat. Shane’s looking at me with those intense blue eyes, sincere, apologetic, and advocating for my daughter. And with his chest still bare and damp, it’s getting harder to focus on being mad.

Before I can stop myself, I’m leaning in, drawn to him like a magnet. Shane’s breath catches, his grip on my wrist tightening.

Our faces are just inches apart. I can feel the heat radiating off his body and smell the clean scent of his skin.

Then Shane closes the distance between us, capturing my lips in a searing kiss.

It’s like someone lit a match inside me. The anger melts away, replaced by a hungry, burning need. I kiss him back fiercely, fisting my free hand in his damp hair.

Shane’s lips are hot against mine, urgent and demanding. His tongue slides along my bottom lip, seeking entrance, and I open for him without hesitation.

Fuck, he tastes good—like coffee and mint and something uniquelyhim.

I press closer, my body molding to his as if we were made to fit together. His hands slide down my back, leaving trails of fire in their wake, before settling on my hips. He pulls me tight against him, and I can feel every hard plane of his body.

A moan escapes me, swallowed by his mouth. I tug at his hair, angling his head to deepen the kiss. Our tongues tangle in a heated dance that sends sparks shooting through my body.

Shane breaks away, trailing kisses along my jaw to my neck. His teeth graze my pulse point, and my hips buck involuntarily. I feel every inch of his dick through his gym shorts.

“Shit,” I gasp, my voice barely recognizable.

He chuckles against my skin, the vibration sending shivers down my spine. “Like that, do you?”

I want to come back with something snarky to maintain some semblance of control, but my brain’s short-circuited. All I can think about is his mouth on me, his hands gripping my hips, the hard length of him pressed against my stomach.

“Shut up and kiss me,” I manage, pulling his face back to mine.

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