The Rancher and the Event Planner - By Cheryl Gorman Page 0,16
set foot in the house and heard her laughing along with Molly. So what if he’d kissed her last night? It was just a kiss and like she said, they were old friends, nothing more. Besides he wasn’t interested in women, any woman, particularly not his best friend’s sister. He was a grown man not some infantile teenager with no sense.
Stepping inside the cool interior of the kitchen, he smiled at Molly who had just forked in another mouthful of pancakes. His daughter said hi around a mouthful of food.
He shook his head. “Keep your mouth closed when you’re eating.”
Rafe glanced over at the stove where Jennifer stood with an apron around her waist and a spatula in one hand. Jeans hugged her hips and thighs, a blue shirt molded to her upper body like a pair of new boots. A rope of pure male appreciation coiled inside him.
She turned her head and smiled at him over her shoulder. “Good morning. I made breakfast.” She nodded toward the coffee maker. “Coffee’s hot. Help yourself.”
He laid his hat on the table. “Thanks.” He poured himself a cup and leaned against the counter. “You didn’t have to make breakfast.”
She looked at him, gave him a saucy half-smile that affected his blood pressure. “No worries. I enjoy cooking. Besides, I need to earn my keep while I’m here.”
He took a sip. “This is damn good coffee. Even better than Linc’s but don’t tell him that.” He looked at the clock then over at Molly. “Better hurry up, Chickapen. Almost time for us to leave for school and you still need to brush your teeth.” Thank goodness. That would give him some time away from Jennifer so he could get his bearings and shake off these foolish feelings toward her.
Molly got up from the table. Rafe gave her a playful swat as she passed.
“Oh, Daddy,” Molly giggled and disappeared through the door.
“Linc’s driving her in,” Jennifer said. “He’s got an early hearing.”
Damnation. Did his brother really have to be in early or was it a ruse to get him and Jennifer alone together? He was going to pay Linc back if it was the last thing he ever did.
Jennifer finished up the pancakes and set the platter on the table along with some bacon and eggs. “Have a seat and start eating while the food’s still hot.”
In a moment, she joined him at the table. A punch of awareness hit him solidly in the gut. Jennifer in all her goddess glory, seemed to bask in the ray of sunshine beaming in through the wide windows, turning her hair to gold and highlighting her damn-I’m-pretty creamy complexion.
She appeared bright-eyed and rested. At least one of them slept last night. She took a sip of coffee, sweeping the tip of her tongue over a tiny drop remaining on her lower lip. His heart jolted in his chest, before settling back to its normal rhythm. “I need to leave in a bit for the meeting I missed yesterday in Dallas, but my car is in the shop. Do you have a vehicle I could borrow?”
She blotted her lips with a napkin and the memory of holding her in his arms and kissing her last night came back in every mind-blowing detail. Every sigh, every flick of her tongue, the pillow softness of her lips and her taste of pure strawberry, a taste he needed to experience again. Right here. Right now. His blood turned to a syrupy glide through his veins.
There was only one thing to do.
Before he could stop himself he cupped his hand around her neck. Her eyes widened slightly and her lips parted. He zeroed in on her mouth, leaned over and laid his mouth over hers.
***
The last thing JC expected was for Rafe to kiss her again. Especially after last night. She thought he had regretted their kiss but maybe he hadn’t if the pressure of his lips was any indication. She kissed him back unable to resist the feel of his firm, masculine mouth, the sweep of his tongue. He drew her into his arms and she didn’t hesitate. He was a fantasy, a flesh and blood living dream but right now the dream had her in his arms and she wanted to stay there. Forever.
Somewhere in the back of JC’s sensual flooded mind she heard the back door fly open.
“What the hell?”
JC and Rafe pulled out of each other’s arms, their breathing heavy. JC looked at her brother, Cade standing in