Page 122 of Rocky Mountain Devil
He wanted it to be like that, did he?
She snatched the bottle from his fingers. “Don’t you have somewhere to be, Coleman?”
“Yup.” He grabbed the bottle back, taking a good long drink before meeting her stare with a “what are you going to do about it?” attitude. “Right here.”
You’re right, God. Sometimes it’s not patience we need to pray for, but courage. Help me help this stupid man get his shit together.
Laurel snatched the bottle from his fingers. This needed something big. Something epic to get his attention and prove she meant business. She twisted and threw as hard as she could, the bottle flying nicely through the air to slam into the half fence beside the parking area.
She had to stop from gasping in surprise when the bottle didn’t just break, it shattered into a million pieces, falling like green rain onto the undisturbed snow.
She could hear God laughing at her. You don’t remember your laws of physics, do you?
Fine, maybe not, but it was as good as blowing a bugle to get Rafe’s attention. She snatched up the remainder of the six-pack before he could get any ideas.
There was something very satisfying about swinging her arm back then sending the box flying in a smooth arc. Up and up then down, vanishing into the deep, soft snow.
Laurel faced him again, fighting to stop herself from shaking out of her oversized boots.
“You’re going to that church, rightnow.” Although if he refused to cooperate, she had no idea what she’d try next, because, holy moly, he looked big and imposing sitting there. Completely unmovable.
They exchanged long glances, Rafe’s expression hard and unreadable. What she wanted most was to crowd closer and wrap her arms around him. Comfort him and kiss him and tell him…
Well, she wasn’t going to tell him she loved him until he got his head out of his ass and smartened up.
It took all her courage to stay in one spot when he hopped off the tailgate and stepped into her personal space. Tall. Very tall—andbig. Had she mentioned big?
Still, chutzpah could take a person a long way. “You don’t scare me,” Laurel said with as much conviction as she could muster. “Get your ass in gear.”
One brow rose in surprise, but he didn’t tease her about swearing. Instead he looked nearly scared to death for a moment. At least until he stepped closer, his muscular body brushing hers.
She was airborne a second later, held in his firm grasp high enough she could look him in the eyes and see raw emotion. Desire as well as a whole lot of fear.
His fingers slipped around the back of her neck and then his mouth crashed down on hers, and he was kissing her as if he expected her to vanish between one breath and the next. Kissing her as if this was the last thing he was going to do before wandering out to meet a firing squad.
Kissing her as if she were the only thing in the world he had, and he was desperately afraid he was going to lose her.
She didn’t fight him, just pressed herself tighter against him and gave. Gave her willing friendship from all those years. Tried to give some of the joy that they’d built up through laughter and troublemaking and everything that had come before.
And over it all she laid a thick layer of love. The kind of love that took years to build, sneaking in when you weren’t aware of the walls rising higher and higher. Built on a rock-solid foundation so that when storms like this hit, things could shake, and things could rock, but they weren’t going to fall.
They could stand firm through anything together.
He had her up the stairs and into the house, and for a second she thought he was headed to the bedroom. Instead he plopped himself down on the couch, arms like iron bands around her as he refused to let go and just held on tight. Kissing her, caressing her, whispering words she struggled to hear.
She couldn’t take it anymore. She threaded her fingers through his hair and tugged him back so she could look into his face. Tears threatened, but the rest of his face seemed almost emotionless as he struggled to stay in control.
He didn’t need to be in control around her.
“I love you,” she whispered.
His eyes widened, his jaw dropping open a little.
“Stupid timing to confess that, but, hey, this isyourSitko. The girl who blurts out things as soon as they come to her—although honestly this one I’ve pretty much had in me for most my life.” She stroked her fingers through his hair, soothing it to lie straighter. Soothing him. Soothing herself by touching him.
He looked dazed. “You don’t know. You don’t know what I did. What I could do in the future— Youcan’tlove me.”
Okay, that was one-hundred-percent horse hockey. She looked at him sideways. “Excuse me, Coleman. Did you just tell me I’mnotallowed to do something? Because you know that’s the surest way to make me want to do it.”
