Page 15 of Hometown Cowboy

She touched her lips to his. A silent sigh left her. The pounding rain disappeared from her consciousness. All that existed was him.

He touched his tongue to her lips and she was gone.

“I’m thinking we need to get out of here,” he murmured.

Darby slid her hand into his hair. “Why?” She leaned back into the hay and pulled him with her. “I doubt we’ll be disturbed here any time soon.”

He chuckled as a massive burst of thunder rattled the world above them and leaned into her body, settling comfortably between her legs. “I think you may be right. We may get stuck here for a while.”

Darby laughed as he nibbled at her neck. She glanced outside as the storm raged on.

It can take as long as it wants.

Chapter Eight

The unmistakable soundof crunching gravel alerted Ryan to a car in his driveway. There was no engine noise to give a clue to who it might be. He glanced at the clock.

Seven thirty in the evening.

Frowning, he walked to the window and sipped his coffee. His stomach flip-flopped and a surge of excitement rushed through his blood.

Darby.

The no car noise now made sense. She had a hybrid and it was almost silent.

He waited inside, carefully sipping his coffee, trying for all the world to make himself look as nonchalant as possible. All the while his gut was churning so badly it was a miracle he wasn’t puking. He’d stayed at her house the night before after waiting the storm out in the barn, and came home before dawn. It had felt a little like slinking around, but until she was comfortable with the thought of them, and, indeed, until he knew if it was just a couple of one-night stands, they’d agreed it best to keep it to themselves.

Get a grip!

She’d pulled up in that exact same spot so many times over the years the grass had worn-down indent patches from her tyres.

He closed his eyes and breathed in deeply, trying to calm his raging heart. Darby represented everything he knew he should never want. She was the epitome of a good girl, the typical girl next door—or rather,womannext door.

Down to earth, wholesome, and simply a damned wonderful person. Sure, she was no saint, no one was. But just being around her made him feel like he washome.

And it was a feeling he had no right in experiencing.

Someone like him, someone who never hung around, would never be right for her. Would never be good enough.

A light tap of a knuckle against his front door opened his eyes. He breathed in the scent of the coffee as deep as he could to fortify himself, hoping like crazy he could keep his hands to himself.

He turned with a slight smile on his lips.

Goddamn, she’s gorgeous.

The smile she sent him unleashed a hunger so intense that he almost couldn’t see straight, a hunger that said that smile should only be for him.

“What can I do you for, Darb?”

She seemed to relax, her shoulders loosening at his offbeat comment. She motioned over her shoulder with her chin. “Do you need to be out there? Am I interrupting?”

He gulped down the last of his coffee and put the cup on the table. “No. I’ve already been out and fed them, and Gabe’s herd too. I’m all yours.”

This time he didn’t react to his own words. Around Darby he always had foot-in-mouth syndrome. It didn’t seem to make sense to worry about it now.

He motioned toward the coffee machine. She shook her head. She opened her mouth as if to speak, then frowned as she thought better of it.

A determined look crossed her face moments before she started across the floor toward him. She grabbed him either side of his face and pulled his head down. His eyes closed involuntarily as her mouth hit his.