Page 6 of What the Cowboy Wants
“If I can use your bathroom, I’ll be okay,” she said as he opened his front door.The dogs were under their feet and immediately charged into the house.
“Sit here, please?”Cooper asked Rose.“Let me check the wound.”He motioned toward a kitchen chair.
“As you can see, it’s fine…”
Ignoring her, he pulled out one of the chairs around the kitchen table.
Rolling her eyes, she sat down.“So, you’re also one of those men who like to get their own way?”
“No.”He stood in front of her.“I want to help you.There’s a difference.Relax and close your eyes.”
Warily, she glanced up.
“I’m not going to hurt you, I promise.”
He removed the bandage and put both his hands around her face, his fingers closing over the wound.
Her soft gasp was the only sound in the room.His body reacted.Startled, he looked at her.That has never happened before.Inhaling deeply, he tried again.Miss Rose Dalton was way out of his league, having lustful thoughts about her had to be avoided at all costs.
With an irritated sound, she moved restlessly.
“Shhh.Just breathe.In and out, in and out,” he whispered, directing all his energy toward healing Rose’s injury.
Healing a small wound like this usually only took a few seconds, but today his senses were overwhelmed by her soft skin under his hands, the sound of her breath caressing his face, the smell of wildflowers on a sunny day surrounding her, and the satiny feel of the red strands caught up in his hands.
Focusing on his breath, he willed his body to behave.She was hurt and not just physically.For a moment, he let himself connect with her.Layers of pain, of humiliation, of guilt rolled toward him.Gnashing his teeth, he mentally pulled away quickly.
Everything inside him was urging him to take her in his arms, to comfort her, but it was a bad idea, whichever way he looked at it.
He’d long ago resigned himself to the fact that he would be alone for the rest of his life.It was difficult enough living with the guilt of his brother Walker’s death and coping with all the pain from the people close to him, he didn’t want another person complicating his life.And Rose Dalton, lovely as she was, hadcomplicationwritten all over her.
Stepping away from her quickly, he turned his back on her.“You should be fine now.The bathroom is the first door to the right.”
As she left the kitchen, he slowly exhaled.Damn, that was close.If he’d kept his hand on her for one more minute, he wouldn’t have been able to step away.
Molly rushed closer to him.He crouched down and stroked the dog’s head.“How is she?”he asked.
Molly’s eyes betrayed her worry about Rose, but there was something else too.She missed Laura.
“I know you do, sweet girl, but hang in there.I don’t have anyone else right now that can look after Rose the way you do, okay?”
Resignedly, Molly licked his hand before she trotted off to play with her friends.
He walked toward the fridge and took out a couple of steaks.It was time for dinner and he was hungry.Rose probably was too.Usually, he shared his meals with his siblings at Hayden and Laura’s house, but something told him Rose wouldn’t be too keen to join them.
While texting Isabella, wife of Ricardo, one of their cowboys and the woman who cooked for them to let her know he wouldn’t be in for dinner, he glanced toward the bathroom.Rose had been in there for a while.
As he put potatoes on the stove to boil, he tried to make sense of what was going on inside of him.Usually, he understood his feelings, but not when it came to the redhead.
She’d been hurt, he’d picked up on that immediately when he’d come across her after her car had nearly left the road.Not physically, but she’d reacted like a wounded animal—ready to snarl at any helping hand, especially because she’d so obviously needed help.Still did.
Frowning, he looked over his shoulder.Why was she taking so long?Something wasn’t right.With long strides he moved toward the bathroom and knocked on the door.“Rose?Everything okay?”
Silence.Just before he turned around, he heard it.A soft sniff.That was it, he couldn’t stand tears.“I’m coming in.”He opened the door.Rose was sitting on the edge of the bathtub, her face in her hands, crying.
Going with his gut, he simply picked her up, and cradling her in his arms, walked back to the living room.The dogs rushed closer, all worried, but Ebony gave him a disdainful look before she disappeared through the cat door he’d installed for her.
Still keeping Rose close to him, he sat down on the couch and pulled her even closer.He wasn’t a great talker, never had been, but keeping his voice soft and low, he talked, telling her about his family and the ranch.
