Page 65 of Cowboy Stole My Heart
Chapter 17
MIAwaved out to Sam when she saw him. It had been two days since she’d seen him; the day before she’d stayed in bed late feeling sorry for herself and her tender stomach. And with Tex receiving his treatments instead of being worked, Sam hadn’t been hanging around for long. Although he’d texted her and told her he’d been making some slow progress, she was looking forward to seeing how the treatment and training had been going.
And looking forward to seeing Sam.
After the way he’d looked after her, she’d started to think about him differently. She shuddered thinking about the way he’d seen her, the way he’d had to strip her out of her clothes and hold her hair back while she was sick. But the flipside to how mortified she felt was the tingle she felt thinking about how caring he’d been, how unflappable he’d been even when everything good about their night had turned to crap.
“Hey, gorgeous.”
Mia spun around and was face to face with the man she was thinking about. Damn, he looked good. Every timeshe thought about him, she wondered if she’d imagined how handsome he was, until she saw him and realized he was every bit as good as she remembered.
“Have I missed you already?” she asked, flushing as his eyes swept over her, up then down.
“Sorry, early session today. And he’s not having another treatment until tomorrow.”
She smiled, hopeful. “How’s he doing?” Mia was ready for some good news.
Sam’s grin said it all. “He’s good.Realgood.”
She let out a breath she didn’t even know she’d been holding. “That’s the best news I’ve heard all day.”
Sam moved closer to her, his lips twisting into a smile. “Want to go have some tacos or chili to celebrate?” he teased.
Mia groaned. She’d been hoping he wasn’t going to bring that up. “I’m so sorry,” she murmured. “I don’t even know what to say except…”
“I’m just messing with you,” he said, touching her arm, his fingers teasing her skin even more than his words had. “And trust me when I say there’s nothing you have to apologize for.”
Mia sucked in a breath when his fingers tickled higher, moving up her bare arm. He stopped at her shoulder, watching her, staring into her eyes and making her think wicked thoughts. Missing out on three nights of fun with Sam had been unfair, and she wanted him. Now, tonight, tomorrow… she didn’t care when so long as it was soon.
“Do you have plans for the rest of the day?” she asked, waiting for him to kiss her,wantinghim to kiss her. She decided not to wait for him to make the move and stepped into his space.
“I do,” he said. “But plans are made to be changed.”
Her lips parted to accommodate his, and she was reminded of exactly why she liked him so much. His mouth played across hers and she sighed when he pulled away. “But I’ll be back tomorrow.”
Mia shook her head and grabbed his collar, tugging him back a little, not ready to let him get away just yet. “Will you be passing this way later?”
He smiled. “Maybe.”
“Then come by tonight. I’ll cook and we can…” she shrugged. “Let’s just say that I’m sure we’ll find something to do.”
Sam’s warm laughter made her crack, unable to keep the come-hither expression on her face she’d been trying to perfect. “See you later then,” he said, winking and pulling away from her.
Mia stood, one hand on her hip, the other shielding her eyes from the sun. It was good to be feeling like herself again, to be flirting with Sam and enjoying the fresh air. Now she needed to forget about him for a while, ride her horses, get all her work done, then figure out what to cook for Sam. Or maybe she wouldn’t bother cooking, she thought wickedly. Maybe she would just open a good bottle of wine, slip into her bikini, and wait poolside for her lover to swing by.
She laughed to herself as she crossed over to the stables, calling out to her horses and loving the sound of them nickering in response. This was her happy place, the one place in the world that made her heart skip a beat, but Sam was quickly becoming the one person in the world she looked forward to seeing, the only person who’d ever made her feel an unfamiliar mix of excitement, anticipation and contentment. And it scared her.
“He’ll be gone soon,” she muttered to her mare as shelet herself into her stall. She’d had the ranch hands feed her horses and care for them for the past two days, and Indi was especially pleased to see her again. “He’ll be gone and then I’ll wish I never let him get under my skin, won’t I?”
Her horse snuffled her pockets and Mia stroked her neck affectionately, pressing a kiss to her warm, hairy cheek. Deep down, she wondered if maybe Sam would want to see her again, after their time was up, but she was smart enough not to get her hopes up. She’d agreed to his terms,wantedthe same terms he had, and it wasn’t his fault he’d made her feelings leap all over the place.
***
Sam rounded the corner and found Mia stretched out, lying on a pool recliner beneath a big umbrella, eyes shut. He was about to alert her, then realized she was sleeping, or at least it looked that way. Her pool was like something out of a resort—a perfect long rectangle of the deepest blue, with four perfect sun loungers and umbrellas between them lined up on one side.
He took off his hat and set it down beside her drink on the side table, drinking in the sight of her lying there in her bikini, hair wet and fanned out around her, one knee raised. Her mouth was parted and he smiled down at her, not wanting to give her a fright but wanting to surprise her nonetheless.
Sam carefully positioned himself above her, trying not to make a sound, bending low, his mouth hovering over hers. He kissed her so softly, wanting to wake her with a smile on her face, his lips barely brushing hers, caressing her.
