Page 57 of Nanny for the Cowboy

Still, Brooks always has a way of making me feel more at ease—and certainly more playful. A side effect of his presence that I’m still trying to understand.

“You’re not going to drop it, are you?” Brooks eyes me, licking his lips to wet them, which has my stomach flip-flopping.

“Nope.” I stare him down, not willing to lose this silent challenge.

“Ugh,” Brooks sighs, rolling his eyes before meeting my gaze again. “Yes, you hold your own fine on the ranch.”

“Ha!” I burst up, too undeniably happy about that to keep it in. “Hell, yes.”

I’m kneeling in the couch cushions, though, and I pitch forward, tumbling into Brooks, who only just catches me before I fall face-first into his lap.

“You dope,” he groans, helping me up so that I can sit on my heels.

“Eh, a small price to pay.” I do a little bow. “And thank you, thank you. Just your resident NYC chick carrying the weight of the ranch while you mend your terribly broken arm.”

He laughs, and God, that sound.

“Terribly broken?” Brooks raises his brows at me. “It was a normal break, and I would have gotten that damn cast off sooner if?—”

“If you had actually listened to the doctor? Yeah, I’m aware, Mr. I Have To Do Everything Myself.”

“Watch it, Lucky.” Glaring playfully at me, Brooks leans forward, the heat spiking between us.

Don’t, Clover. Don’t.

“Or what?” I return, challenging him. “Ace.”

Our stares connect, and I can’t look away. I can’t do anything, for that matter. I’m consumed by the way Brooks is looking at me, and I know that this is thatthingbetween us.

We should be backing away. We need to be getting the hell away from each other. But I just…can’t.

“Clover,” Brooks’s voice pitches lower, and he probably doesn’t realize it, but he leans closer, his eyes going to my mouth, “I…”

“You what, Brooks?”Why am I like this?“Cat got your tongue?”

Oof, the tension is wild right now, and I am so terrible. Why am I doing this? Still, I can see that look in his eyes, and I know I’m giving it right back.

It’s too hard. We’ve been fighting this connection between us, our attraction, for too long. I…don’t want to anymore.

I’m not sure if I ever did.

What Idoknow is that I feel safe with Brooks, and being with him lights a storm of firecrackers in my belly, that’s undeniable.

And I won’t anymore. I won’t deny it.

“You just can’t help yourself, can you?” Brooks hovers closer, and I can feel the weight of his presence, the heat of his body, pressing down on me. “You just have to use that smart mouth of yours. It’s like youwantme to punish you.”

Fuuuck. Okay, this is definitely…something.

“Maybe.” I blink, staring down before daring to return my eyes to Brooks’s. “You gonna put your money where your mouth is?”

This is it. This is where one or both of us snap out of this and go back to what we should be doing. Or…

It’s where we don’t.

Brooks stares at me, his eyes roaming my face. After a moment, I think he’s going to pull away again, and I can’t lie to myself and say that I’m happy about it.

But then, quicker than I can track, Brooks wraps his hand around the back of my neck and pulls me forward, crashing his lips down on mine.

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