Page 133 of Cowboys & Navy SEALs

Amusement lit his eyes as he grinned. “Pity,” he murmured, removing his arm. “I thought we fit together quite nicely.”

She wished he’d stop with the innuendos. It was hard enough to remain unaffected by him as it was. But to know that he also liked her … well, that took the attraction to a whole new level. She traced the outline of his lips, the firm shape of his jaw. Her eyes went to his neck, his prominent Adam’s apple so distinctly masculine. Recollections from her dream flooded her. She’d buried her fingers in his spiky hair, felt the delicious sensation of his lips against hers. The kiss had ignited a spark in her powerful enough to start an inferno. But with the all-consuming attraction came something unexpected—the feeling of belonging, of coming to the end of a long journey … finding the thing she’d searched for her entire life.

Corbin cleared his throat. She jumped slightly, embarrassment cloaking her like a stifling blanket. She’d been standing there, gaping at him. Meanwhile, Corbin and the store clerk were watching her. She stepped back, putting as much space as possible between her and Corbin.

The woman extended a hand, a professional smile touching her lips. “Hello, I’m Marissa Harris. Let’s see what we can help you find. I understand you want something completely different from your real hair.”

“Yes.” Delaney wasn’t sure how much Marissa knew about her situation, but she wasn’t about to divulge additional information.

Marissa motioned to a stool beside a mirror. “Have a seat. I have a few selections to get us started.”

Delaney sat down.

“Here, put your hair in this.” She handed Delaney a hairnet, then reached for a wig. “Let’s try this one first.” The good news is that with your dark eyes, the brown hair will look natural on you. She fitted the short cap of hair over Delaney’s head and adjusted it. Then she stepped back. “What do you think?”

Delaney’s first thought was that her hair hadn’t been this short since kindergarten. Her second thought was that she looked like she had an animal skin on her head. A laugh bubbled in her throat as she swallowed to stifle it. She looked so ridiculous! Before she could tell Marissano, Corbin spoke up.

“Absolutely not. My woman would never wear that.”

This time, she couldn’t stop a chuckle from escaping. “Your woman?” She removed the wig and placed it on the counter. Yes, she was going to Birchwood Springs under the guise of Corbin’s girlfriend. The tone in his voice sounded so serious, matter-of-fact, that she could almost believe she really was his girlfriend.Would that be such a bad thing?Dang these renegade thoughts.Yes, it would be a bad thing, she answered, squelching any further thoughts on the subject.

His eyes locked with hers. “Yes, you are my woman.”

The certainty in his voice struck a chord inside her.His woman. She liked the sound of that. Blood pumped faster through her veins, making a swooshing sound against her temples. She looked at his lips, wondered if they’d feel and taste anything like she’d imagined in her dream. Her voice went higher as she laughed to relieve the tension, her words gushing out. “You sound like the Russian inMan From U.N.C.L.E.,where the girl’s trying on clothes to pose as his fiancée, and he keeps telling her that his woman wouldn’t wear that.”

Corbin shrugged. “I assumed girlfriend would do the trick, but I guess we could elevate our situation. Boost you up to fiancée level.”

“Girlfriend is good,” she said quickly, her cheeks scorching like a sunburn. She swallowed hard, so glad he couldn’t read her thoughts. Relieved he didn’t know what she’d dreamt about him. Then she caught the mischievous glint in his eyes and realized he was teasing her again, enjoying watching her squirm. And she was rising to the bait. She scooted back in her seat, her chin lifting.All right, buddy. You wanna play games? Fine. I’ll play.“What would your woman wear?” she asked snippily.

He made a face, his eyes going to the wigs lined up on the counter. “Certainly not those.” He looked at Marissa. “No offense.”

She waved a hand. “None taken.”

Corbin looked thoughtful, his eyes scoping the options. He strode across the room and lifted a copper-brown wig off the mannequin head. “This one.”

Delaney wrinkled her nose. “Seriously? You don’t think it’s too red?”

Marissa tilted her head. “Try it on. It could work. I like the style.”

Delaney placed it on her head and pursed her lips, studying her reflection in the mirror. The bangs were wispy, the sides tapering around her face. The length came to her shoulders. Surprisingly, it looked pretty good. She looked like a different woman, yet still attractive. This was good. No one would recognize her with this on.

Marissa stepped up behind her and began fluffing the top. “You can add as much volume as you wish.”

“You like it.” Corbin quirked a satisfied grin. “I can see it on your face. Admit it.”

“You don’t know what I’m thinking,” she shot back, but couldn’t help but smile. “Okay, I do like it.” She rolled her eyes. “Who would’ve guessed … Captain America’s a fashion guru at heart.” It was cute how color seeped into his face.

“Is this one ago?” Marissa asked.

Delaney looked at Corbin, a thrill shot through her. She liked this energy between them. She’d never been as aware of a man before. “Would your woman wear this?”

His eyes caressed hers. “You’re wearing it, aren’t you?”

Her breath caught and all she could think about was that his eyes looked more gold than green today. She looked at Marissa who smiled as if to say,The two of you are great together.

“Of course, nothing looks as good as the blonde,” Corbin continued in a low, throaty tone, “but this will do for now.”

Another inference to her being his woman. And he liked her blonde hair. A swarm of butterflies took flight in Delaney’s stomach. She looked down to break the connection.Sheesh.She was trying to remain aloof around him, dodge the landmines, but she kept tromping right on top of them. These landmines wouldn’t destroy her limbs but her heart instead.

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