Page 48 of Kayla's Cowboy
“Hell, Jackson, you don’t even trust a woman to take care of herself.”
“It’s not that... Dammit,” he cursed. “Don’t I get credit for being worried about my son’s mother? The last thing Alex needs is to lose you.”
“That’s why I’m careful. I have two children who need me—I don’t do reckless things. And for your information, a man isn’t any safer around a bear than a woman.”
She was still breathing quickly and temper added to the whoosh of her lungs. They glared at each other until Jackson suddenly reached out and pulled her close, his mouth landing on hers a second later.
The endorphin high from the run was nothing compared to the adrenaline zipping through her veins. His lips moved slow at first, then pressed harder. It was much better than she remembered it from high school, but after a couple of minutes she gathered her senses and resolutely pulled away.
“Thanks, but no thanks,” she said. “I’m not interested in wandering down memory lane.”
“You responded.”
She surveyed the way his loose sweatpants were tented around his arousal. “So did you, but I’m the one who ended it. Now excuse me, I want to finish my run.”
Kayla took off, aware that he was watching her. She didn’t have to question what it meant—he was frustrated at an elemental, masculine level. But Jackson had nothing to do with what she wanted. She needed to concentrate on today, and on the future.
So would that future contain sex?
Kayla almost stumbled, annoyed that her thoughts had circled back to Jackson McGregor. But it was mostly what he represented. The brief kiss had left her shaking with need, reminding her of how long it had been since she’d shared that sort of intimacy.
She didn’t intend to live as a reclusive divorcée, so it had seemed reasonable to accept a few dates when friends began pushing her. The rational half of her brain said that falling in love was a good thing. The scared half told her, Don’t risk it, don’t take a chance. It wasn’t just what had happened with Curtis—her mother had never recovered when she’d lost the love of her life.
After another two laps around the campground, Kayla slowly walked back toward their campsite. Only a few people were stirring, but one grizzled fellow nodded at her. “Hello, there.”
“Hi.”
His eyes were content and pleased with life. A golden retriever puppy dashed over, gamboling at her feet. Kayla leaned over to rub its neck. The pup quivered with pure pleasure.
“Get on back, boy,” said the old guy mildly. “Don’t bother the lady. ’Sides, you’re supposed to be on a leash.”
“That’s all right, he’s fine.”
Kayla gave the eager puppy a last pat and continued walking, her head still arguing with itself. Whether or not she took a risk on falling in love again, she could be happy either way. A woman didn’t have to have a man in order to be complete... Any other idea was sexist propaganda.
And there were great things to enjoy, such as puppies and geysers and children. She didn’t need Jackson McGregor, though she suspected he’d learned a lot about satisfying a woman since they were in high school.
Briefly she wondered if Marcy had felt secure in their marriage, but decided it probably wouldn’t have been one of her concerns. There were stories that suggested Marcy had stretched her wedding vows out of shape in more ways than one, which was likely another reason why Jackson didn’t think highly of the opposite sex.
Kayla stretched. Things would be far less complicated if she’d waited for Morgan to take a run. Jackson wouldn’t have followed her and they wouldn’t have kissed.
But a kiss wasn’t that big of a deal unless she turned it into one.
* * *
JACKSON RETURNED TO camp and started a pot of coffee on his Coleman stove. With seven people to feed, including two voracious teens, the stove was getting a workout, along with the one in the RV.
As the coffee perked, he sat and stared at a beetle making its way through the dirt. Running was redundant exercise for a rancher, but he envied Kayla’s discipline to the sport. At the moment he desperately needed an outlet to relax, except his way required a horse, solitude and miles of rolling land. Even swimming laps didn’t replace being out on the range with Thunder.
At least one McGregor was getting to know Alex; Morgan and her brother seemed to be on great relations.
“Need to talk?” Kayla’s voice interrupted his thoughts. “You look as if you’ve got a lot on your mind.”
Her face was a neutral mask, and Jackson figured she’d decided to act as if nothing had happened. He’d be wise to do the same...and forget how enticing she’d felt against him.