father was very persuasive, saying no one should visit Colorado without riding an ATV.”
“And now you’ve done it. Next time, you’ll have to see it all from horseback.”
“Another date?”
“You’re not going to suggest a trip to the local history museum?” He was kidding, but her face lit up.
“I’d forgotten all about it! I love museums.”
He winced and ran a hand through his hair. “It’s really small. And I know the local history by heart.”
“Then you can elaborate on the skimpy displays.”
He let his gaze roam down her body, saw her nipples tighten for him, felt himself getting hard. “Speaking of skimpy displays . . .” He thought she might cross her arms over her chest, but she didn’t.
“Isn’t it kind of late for early-rising cowboys?”
He looked into her sky blue eyes, opened his mouth, but nothing came out. He felt like a horny teenager again.
Her gaze softened. “Come on up.” She glanced past him. “No Scout?”
“Nope.”
She hesitated as if waiting for an explanation, then gave him a small smile. He followed her up the stairs, admiring her lean runner’s thighs displayed by the shorts. Along the hall that ran past the bedrooms, he saw a framed photo of the Elk Mountains in winter, then another mountain picture in the living room, the high peaks of the Maroon Bells rising over the lake.
He arched a brow at her, and she blushed.
“Garage sale,” she explained. “Your sister is a master at haggling.”
There was a throw rug before the small couch and an upholstered wooden chair facing it. Though still spartan, the apartment was starting to seem more homey. He glanced at her swiftly, then away. What was wrong with him? He was usually the one so at ease, the one in control. And he needed that control, knowing his own weaknesses. But tonight . . .
“You must think I’m crazy to be decorating something that’s so temporary,” she said hesitantly.
“Not at all.”
“It’s just that . . . I like how it feels, having my own place. It’s mine, and I want it to look a certain way, without anyone’s influence. Valentine has helped me discover that.” She smiled and shook her head. “Can I get you something to drink? I have Dale’s.”
“My favorite beer,” he said.
“After you ordered it, I thought I’d give it a try. Go ahead and have a seat.”
She moved past him, and he inhaled her scent, saw the jiggle of her breasts, felt his control beginning to slip. He wanted her, he wanted to taste every part of her. Instead, he forced himself to sit down gingerly on the little couch, in case it creaked under his weight. Nothing happened, so he relaxed a bit, but not completely. He had a hard-on the size of Montana, and felt like a lumbering, growling bear in her pretty little apartment.
She emerged with a couple beers, and he didn’t say anything, just watched her set them on the coffee table. She gave him a curious stare but didn’t speak as she returned to the galley kitchen. This time she brought out a bowl of chips, salsa, and napkins. As she leaned over, the t-shirt gaped a bit, and he could almost see farther down her chest. To his disappointment, she straightened, put her hands on her hips, and studied him. Her breasts gave a bounce that was his undoing.
“Nate, what—”
He reached forward, caught her hand and drew her toward him, sweeping her legs out from beneath her and cradling her in his lap. She gasped, but didn’t protest, just looked up at him all wide-eyed.
“I’ve wanted to do this all day, heck for weeks,” he whispered, and lowered his mouth to kiss her.
To his relief, she flung her arms around his neck, which pressed her breasts against his chest, making him groan. He deepened the kiss, felt wild about her taste, and wanted to touch her everywhere. He licked and nipped his way down her neck, buried his face in her hair, used his hands to explore her lean back. He cupped the curve of her ass before moving up inside her shirt, along her ribs. Her heart pounded hard against his, and she seemed desperate as she cupped his face and brought their mouths together again. They kissed as if they’d never kissed before and might never again. She tasted like the sunrise to him, the promise of something new, fresh and full of possibilities.
And then his hand captured her bare breast, and her ragged moan made him shudder. He