Page 8 of A Cowboy's Bride
It was Aiden who tightened his grip on the back of her neck and, with a groan, separated his mouth from hers. He tipped his head so their foreheads met, and the two of them damn near gasped in each other’s faces, trying to catch their breath.
“Holy shit.”
Petra whispered it, but Aiden heard, and he chuckled. A barely there sound more noticeable because his entire body rocked against hers. Which also was not easy to take because there was so much more she wanted to do.
He smiled, eyes bright with amusement and lingering passion. “I agree. Holy shit.”
She put her hands back on his chest, rearranging herself until the room between their upper bodies had vanished. She leaned on him, his hands resting easily on the swells of her buttocks.
“We are going to do…each other…again,” Petra promised. “But no matter how much I wish I could change my mind, I’m still going to go with door number two this time. Not tonight.”
“Agreed, again.” Aiden’s gaze roamed over her face. “You just moved to town. I just moved to town. I’ve got a long list of things that need to be accomplished and can’t be put off, but I want to see you when it works.”
The way he worded it sounded like more than wanting to get together for a booty call, and Petra hesitated. “Just so you know, I’m not looking for a boyfriend right now.”
His shoulders lifted in an easy shrug. “Finding a girlfriend wasn’t on my to-do list. But we’ve got some amazing chemistry between us. Seems a shame to not at least enjoy that. If that’s something you’re looking for.”
The moment of panic passed. “We do have chemistry.”
His lips twitched. “Did you want to go back on the dance floor and torment ourselves for a little longer?”
“Definitely,” Petra agreed. He went to straighten but she pressed her palms to his cheeks and shook her head. “But first, we stay here. I’d like about three or four more kisses like that first one, please.”
“Please and thank you. Very polite, just like a good girl.” Aiden sank back against the wall, teasing his fingers along the crease where her butt and legs met. “Good girls get all sorts of things they like.”
Oh. My. God.The zap that went through her at his words could’ve powered a small space station for a full day. “You talking that way shouldn’t make me this hot.”
“Don’t try to analyze it.” Amusement danced in his eyes. “If it works, it works.”
Petra couldn’t agree more as his mouth crashed down on hers. She thoroughly enjoyed having her brain scrambled with kisses that left her aching and needy and happier than she’d been in a long time.
New beginnings. A place to start over and get her feet under her. Sometimes that was exactly what a person needed.
3
Aiden hovered over the coffee pot until it boiled. Amusement rose as Jake and Declan also filled mugs as if their lives depended on it.
They settled at the trestle table and drank in silence.
Aiden wasn’t sure why his brothers looked like the walking dead. Him? He’d slept like crap. Far too many dirty images had raced through his head to allow for sweet dreams. Plus something more…
It was the oddest thing. Naturally he’d dreamed about Petra and sweaty hot sex, but there’d also been other images. Like the two of them walking hand and hand, and one of being curled up together in front of a fire. Sweet and homey mental pictures that were as distracting as the sex thoughts.
Petra was going to be trouble, he knew it to his core.
It wasn’t until they were on their second cups that Aiden felt human again.
“It’s a good day to get started on what comes next.” Jake opened his notebook and tapped the page. “Can I simply hand over your lists of what needs to be done, or are we going to sit and argue about them first?”
Declan shrugged. “I’ve got my own shit to accomplish. I can get to whatever’s on your list at some point, I suppose.”
“We all have a ton to do,” Aiden pointed out. “But let’s lean into our strengths, remember? From this point forward, Jake organizes the overall schedule, and we dictate in our areas of expertise.”
Their older brother eased back in his chair and folded his arms over his chest, coffee mug resting on the table in front of him. “I’ve got no argument with that, and you know it. Hell, the renovations would have stalled a dozen times if I hadn’t had the checklists and contracts, in triplicate” —he glared momentarily at Jake— “to shove in the contractors faces to light their asses on fire. But there are animals I promised to go pick up over the next couple of days. Make sure that’s worked into the schedule.”
Jake nodded. “I’ve got that in there. We need to finish prepping the dorm rooms, the retreat space, and the room for our on-site therapist. I’ve broken down the remaining tasks into what we can take over now that we’re all here and what we still might like to hire out. We’ve got at least a couple of months of work before the big spaces are livable. Oh—and we need to keep looking for a housekeeper.”
“The living quarters for us, as well,” Aiden tossed out. “I know it’s lower on the priority list, but let’s make sure we keep that moving as well.”
