The Cowboy's Temptation Page 0,21

wanted to know what his lips felt like. Were they hard or soft? Would he demand? Or would he entice?

But he stopped and backed up a step, releasing her immediately.

Neither said anything for the longest time.

“I guess I’d better get to bed,” Elissa whispered. “Thank you for the rescue,” she mumbled, then carefully moved around him. Once he was not between her and safety, she ran into the house, needing to get as far away from him as possible.

Thursday was uneventful since Elissa read a book in her room and was, therefore, able to avoid contact with Jake. She was concerned with her reactions every time he came near her. She decided that she needed to make more of an effort to avoid him in the future.

Unfortunately, since she didn’t sleep well the night before, Elissa had to grit her teeth to keep her temper from flaring up during her riding lessons with Jake. He was being extremely demanding and pushing her to do things she was nervous about doing on the horse. He wanted her to get Jemima to a gallop but she kept the horse at a trot, not willing to tempt fate at this point.

But when he yelled at her for the third time, she stopped Jemima in the middle of the corral, got down off the horse, walked over to where Jake was standing and poked him in the middle of his chest as she looked up at him. “Listen, cowboy. I’m tired of you yelling at me and being mean and nasty. Jemima and I don’t want to go any faster, so just back off and teach me to do something else.” By the time she was finished, she was yelling at him, emphasizing each of her points by poking him in the chest again and again.

When she was done, she walked back into the corral, pulled herself up onto Jemima’s back and turned in the saddle, waiting for Jake’s next instruction. She was feeling pretty proud of herself for a few moments.

But that feeling didn’t last. Jake stood by the fence, an astonished look on his face for all of ten seconds. Then his face cleared, his mouth settled into a grim line and he walked purposefully over to where Elissa and Jemima were waiting.

Elissa had no idea what to expect. She just stared down at him, glad that she was higher than he was for once.

She never saw it coming. He moved so fast. One moment he was standing in front of her and Jemima, the next he was seated behind her, pulling her bottom onto his lap and taking the reigns out of her hands. One arm held her around her waist and the other hand directed Jemima to turn to the right. Elissa held on to Jake’s arm for her dear life as Jake nudged Jemima into a full out run. They ran past all the ranch buildings, leaving the ranch hands to stop their work and stare at their boss flying past them with a terrified Elissa in front of him.

He directed Jemima to an outcropping of rocks and trees, then hopped down off the saddle. Once he was on the ground, he reached up to pull her down.

Elissa tried to avoid his hands, but she was no match for his muscular arms. He simply lifted her high up, then slid her body slowly down the length of his, watching her face the whole time.

“I told you I wouldn’t put up with sass,” he said a moment before his mouth came down on hers.

Elissa had been wondering what a kiss from Jake would be like. Nothing in her dreams or past experience could have prepared her for the shock waves that traveled through her veins with his first touch.

He caught her gasp in his mouth and all she could do was grab his shoulders and hang on. His lips were hard and rough in texture and demanded everything while giving her all she could take. His mouth demanded that her lips part to allow his tongue entrance and she immediately complied, eager to feel the next sensation.

His tongue mated with hers, moving in and out of her mouth, forcing a groan from her that she didn’t realize had come from her. Of their own volition, Elissa’s arms wrapped around his neck and the world tilted as he turned them so she was leaning against the rock, her back against the stone and her chest against his chest, both hard and