Page 55 of Lone Star Wanted
His arms came around her without a word, holding her tight, strong, steady. The moment she felt the press of his body to hers, she let out a long, slow breath.
The tears didn’t fall, but the emotions still surged through her like a wave. Relief. Anger. Fear. Exhaustion. She clung to him like he was the only solid thing left in her world.
They stood there for minutes, unmoving, hearts beating in sync. His hand rubbed slowly along her back, grounding her. Eventually, she leaned back just enough to meet his eyes.
“Thank you,” she whispered. “For getting me out of the county sheriff’s office. I was a heartbeat away from falling apart.”
“You don’t have to thank me,” he murmured.
But when she looked at him, when she really looked at him, everything she’d kept tightly locked down threatened to crack wide open again. She didn’t think. She didn’t plan.
She just kissed him.
At first, it was soft, desperate, a way to hold on to something that didn’t feel like it was slipping away. His lips met hers with that same gentleness, as if he understood exactly what she needed.
But then the kiss changed.
His hand slid into her hair. Her fingers tightened on his shirt. The soft press of lips became something deeper, something hungry. Fire curled in her stomach and shot through her chest, and when he pressed her closer, she didn’t resist. She wanted more. Needed more. Her body ached from the fear and adrenaline and grief, and now it ached for him too.
What had started as comfort flared into heat. The kind that burned away every thought but one.
She wanted him. Here. Now.
Cassidy couldn’t think. Not clearly. All she knew was the solid feel of Kincade’s arms around her, the heat of his mouth on hers, and the rising wave of emotion that threatened to pull her under. The fear and worry she’d been holding in for hours began to shift, replaced by something powerful and grounding.
Kincade.
The way he held her wasn’t rushed or demanding. It was steady and sure, as if he knew she needed to feel safe again, needed to feel something other than the panic that had chased her all day.
Her fingers curled in his shirt as their mouths moved together, heat building in layers. She pressed closer, seeking more, and when his hand slid under her top, skimming the skin of her stomach and higher, she shivered. Not from the touch alone, but from how much she wanted this. Wanted him.
He paused, his forehead resting lightly against hers, breathing hard. His voice was rough with restraint. “Cassidy…”
She opened her eyes and looked at him, her answer written in every beat of her heart. She wanted this. Not out of fear or desperation, but because with everything falling apart, he was the one thing that made her feel whole.
Cassidy kissed him again, slower this time, her hands moving to his face, anchoring them both. The kiss deepened, and they started moving together, step by step, toward her bedroom.She didn’t remember who turned them, who led the way. It didn’t matter.
All that mattered was this moment. Him. Her. The quiet promise in every touch.
They reached the doorway, still wrapped in each other, and she thought maybe she should stop, pull back, take a breath.
But she didn’t want to.
She wanted him, and this, and everything they hadn’t let themselves feel until now. She needed to feel alive. And she only felt that way with him.
They landed on the bed in a tangle of limbs and breathless laughter that quickly turned into more kisses. Kincade’s hands were everywhere, reverent and warm, peeling away layers until nothing separated them. She tugged his shirt over his head, her fingers grazing the hard lines of his chest, and he did the same to her, their clothes falling to the floor.
The heat between them didn’t flare fast and reckless. It built slow and deep, fed by everything they had carried—grief, longing, guilt, and hope. All of it threaded through every kiss, every touch.
He paused long enough to retrieve a condom from his wallet. Their eyes met as he rolled it on, and there was something steady in his gaze, something that anchored her more than any touch could.
When he came over her, their bodies fit together like they were meant to. There was no rush. Just movement. Breath. Hands finding familiar places. And emotion, so much of it, that it cracked something open in her chest.
Cassidy held on to him like she never wanted to let go. And maybe she didn’t. Maybe after everything, this was where she was supposed to be. With him. In this moment.
Their rhythm built, slow at first, then urgent, like neither of them could bear to hold back any longer. When it crested, itwasn’t just physical. It was a release of everything they’d been holding in. A breaking point and a beginning, all at once.
She came with a cry against his neck, and he followed, their bodies locked together, hearts pounding in sync.
