Page 65 of Unforgettable Cowboy
Which Hayes hoped was not his future role.He simply couldn’t deal.
“How about you?”he asked.“Did you date?”
“I dated a lot actually.”
He doused the spark of jealousy that ignited deep inside of him.“Did you get serious?”
She frowned as she looked down at their boots, covered in green sludge and only inches apart.He felt her muscles tighten beneath his touch.“Just once.It scared me.”
“Once.”
“Okay.Twice.”She looked up at him.“Same guy.”
Hayes couldn’t put a name on the emotion that made it difficult to speak.He managed to get the words out despite everything.“Me?”
“Who else?”
“And?”
She closed her eyes and her mouth worked for a moment.“Good question.”When she opened her eyes, they shone with a determined light, as if she was making herself move into the dark waters that stood between her and her goal.“I have a lot to overcome.I will try my damnedest not to screw things up because of knee-jerk reactions.”
“I am aware of these issues, and I have a few of my own.”
She gave him a curious look.“Such as?”
His grip tightened on her arms, as if he was afraid that she’d slip away.If she did, he’d have to let her go, but she was going to go knowing how he felt.
“I’m protective.”
“Okay.”
“But not smothering.”
“Good to know.”
“I know what I want, and I’ll move heaven and earth to get it.”Her lips parted in that knee-jerk response she’d spoken of, but she held his gaze, waiting.“But I will nevereverbend anyone to my will.”He quirked up one corner of his mouth.“Except Trev.I’ll bend him sometimes.”
Bailey laughed and took hold of his forearms, completing the connection between them.“I’ve been thinking about spending the winter making new stock.On my place.If I can get a neighbor to plow me out.”
“You want to live in a horse trailer during a Montana winter.”
“And if I do?”
He smiled easily.“More power to you.”
She lifted her face to his and he lightly touched her lips, loving the taste of her.
“If your neighbor tries to talk you into moving onto his place when the snow gets too deep, what might you say?”
“I guess we’re going to have to find out.”This time she kissed him, letting go of his forearms to slide her hands around his waist.
“This is so weird.”
Her head jerked back.“What?”
He brought his forehead down to touch hers.“One of the best moments of my life is happening while standing in green slime.”
She smiled that beautiful smile of hers.“Better than cow manure.”She tapped his chest.“That could be our motto.”
