True-Blue Cowboy - Vicki Lewis Thompson Page 0,27
Dad set off on a quest and could still be in Tibet for all I know. Mom died when she volunteered to test an experimental drug being developed by a friend.”
“Hm.”
“Yeah. I think they were both into recreational drugs and it took them down. Aunt Sally put a positive spin on it for my sake.”
“Bless Aunt Sally.”
“That’s for sure.” She took a steadying breath. “Which brings us to the moment upstairs when I almost kissed you.”
He lowered the ice pack. “It does?”
“I mean, I suppose a kiss is no big deal, but—”
“I disagree.” Heat flickered in his eyes. “We’re not kids playing games. I don’t kiss a woman for the heck of it. Not these days.”
Her breathing quickened. “Then we’re on the same page.”
His mouth curved in a soft smile. “Not yet. But we’re reading the same book. That’s a good start.”
“We’ve established that we’re not indiscriminate kissers.”
“Right.”
“I have a reason for not kissing you a while ago.” She paused. “There’s something you need to know.”
His stance widened and his jaw tensed as he physically braced himself. “Okay.”
“When I had my first physical, I got the same news as Aunt Sally and my mom. I’d seen first-hand how much Aunt Sally enjoyed her life as a single woman. I decided to follow in her footsteps.” She prepared herself for an argument.
His shoulders relaxed. “I can see why.”
“You don’t have a problem with that?”
“Why would I? It’s your life.”
“I’ve had some guys take it as a personal rejection.”
“Sorry to disappoint you.”
“Just to be clear, I’m never getting married.”
His lips twitched as if he might be trying not to laugh.
“Is that funny?”
“No, ma’am.” His blue eyes sparkled with amusement.
“It is. Tell me why.”
“It’s just that I’ve spent so much time working on my proposal, and now—”
“You have not. You’re teasing me.”
“Yes, ma’am. Just a little.”
“I suppose that announcement could seem… slightly premature.”
“A tad bit.” His gaze warmed. “It’s always possible after we kiss for the first time I’ll fall to one knee and pop the question, but it’s never happened before.”
“Then again, it could be the kiss to end all kisses.” She moved closer.
“It certainly could.” The warmth in his eyes became heat.
She took one more step. “Let’s find out.” She landed an open-mouthed lip-lock and quickly added some sexy tongue to the mix. Time to get this party started.
Chapter Thirteen
Holy moly. Nick had readied himself for a sexy kiss. The light of challenge had gleamed in Eva’s green eyes before she’d made her move.
He’d underestimated. She was bringing serious heat, scorching him from the soles of his feet to the roots of his hair, sucking the breath from his lungs and sending his blood rushing to a destination south of his belt buckle.
Groaning, he wrapped her in his arms, craving the sweet press of her body, needing—
“Yikes!” She wiggled out of his grasp and stood back, chest heaving as she gestured in the general direction of his crotch. “That thing’s cold.”
He stared at her in confusion. “Cold? Lady, that thing is hotter than a—”
“Not that.” She pointed again. “That.”
He glanced at the ice pack clutched in his right hand. The kitchen towel had slipped. When he’d pulled her into a bear hug, the ice pack had been part of his otherwise warm embrace.
He looked up. “Sorry.”
She took a shaky breath and met his gaze. “Maybe… maybe it’s a good thing.”
“Think so?” He didn’t. He held up the ice pack. “This isn’t surgically attached. I can put it down if you want to try that maneuver again.”
She stayed where she was and stuffed her hands in her pockets. “I, um, didn’t expect to get so… involved.”
“Feel like proposing?”
That cracked her up. “Oh, Nick. Your reaction is so not what I expected. I’ve had guys take it as an affront that I don’t plan to walk down the aisle. But you….”
“I was relieved.”
“You don’t want to get married, either?”
“Oh, I do, especially after seeing the devotion between Henri and Charley. But when you said there’s something you should know I immediately imagined worst-case scenarios. Your big reveal was mild compared to what I’d come up with.”
“Such as?”
“That you only have a month to live.”
“What?”
“Or if it wasn’t that, then maybe you’re on the run from the law because you murdered your cheating ex, or your ex is alive but he’s a psycho who’s killed two previous boyfriends, or during a full moon you become a were—”
“Wait. You believe in werewolves?”
“Not really. I threw that in for the hell of it.”
Grinning, she studied him