Page 75 of Dirty Cowboy

For a while, I just sit there, letting my mind drift. Then, a familiar voice cuts through the stillness.

“Emma!”

Eric.

I push to my feet and wave, his silhouette moving closer.

He barely slows Dash before jumping off and stalking toward me.

My smile dies.

"What the fuck were you thinking, taking Shadow out?"

Emma’s arms cross over her chest, her gaze unflinching and chin lifted in defiance. "Why don't we lock you up in a stable and leave you there all day? Shadow needs air, socialization, exercise?—"

I drag a hand through my hair, trying to rein in the surge of emotion clawing through my chest. "She goes out on walks in the paddock."

"Walks," she scoffs. "You should know better. Horses need more than a paddock. Look at her." She gestures toward Shadow, who stands beside Dash, their noses brushing in an easy, unbothered way. "She’s fine. Why can’t she be out with the other horses?"

"Because she’s unpredictable." My voice drops, tight with restraint. "And your brothers would skin me alive if anything happened to you."

Her eyes flash with bright irritation. She steps closer, pushing into my space until her mouth is within my reach. The air between us crackles, and my lip twitches.

"I can handle myself," she bites out, her finger jabbing into my chest. "I don’t need you or my brothers telling me what to do."

Shit.

"Dammit, Emma." My hands curl into fists at my sides. "Shadow’s feisty. She sets her mind to something and doesn’t back down." I shake my head, exhaling sharply. "She’s just like you."

Emma’s lips part. She’s so close I can feel the warmth of her body against mine. All I have to do is lower my lips to hers to shut her up. The tension threads between us like an invisible rope, pulling me in.

"Emma," I murmur, my voice raw.

Her name barely leaves my lips before I give in, my hands framing her face, tilting her up to meet me. I crash my mouth against hers, kissing her like I need her breath to survive. She melts into me, soft and sweet, her hands gripping the back of my shirt like she never wants to let go. She gives in like a good girl, and my fingers find the small of her back, pulling her flush against my chest. I swallow the soft moan that escapes her lips.

Desire licks up my spine, coiling low in my stomach. If she were mine—really mine—this is where we’d use sex to fix everything. We’d tear the frustration and unspoken words into shreds. I can picture Emma tangled in my sheets, her laughter filling my house, her body pressed against mine, and every inch of her surrendering beneath me. Having Emma in my life would mean countless adventures and late nights in bed. She would beg for my forgiveness, and I would give in every time she mouthed a word.

The addictive taste of her eager lips forces her every exhale and every moan down my throat as her fingers trail down my back, nails scratching, sending fire through my veins. She’s intoxicating. And I’m drowning.

Then her hands find my belt, and reality slams back in.

I break the kiss, stepping away even though every part of me wants to pull her right back in.

"Fuck, Emma." My breath is ragged, and my pulse thunders through my body. "I shouldn’t have done that."

Emma stands there, breathless and flushed, her lips parted as if she’s still tasting me. Her eyes, wide and searching, are filled with questions I can’t answer. Hell, I don’t even know the answers myself. My pulse pounds in my ears, my blood rushing south, and if I don’t get out of here now, I’m going to lose the last thread of control I’m clinging to.

I step back, run a hand through my hair, and let out a rough exhale.

The river. I need the river.

Unbuckling my belt, I toe off my boots, yank down my jeans and socks, then pull my shirt over my head and fix my sights on the water.

"Eric?" Emma’s voice is laced with confusion, but I can’t stop.

I take off, sprinting toward the river, dodging Dash and Shadow as they graze without a care. The moment my body crashes into the icy water, the shock snaps me back into myself. Cold relief drowns out the heat raging under my skin, but it lasts all of three seconds before I come up for air and turn around.

And that’s when I see her.

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