The Rancher and the Event Planner - By Cheryl Gorman Page 0,14
to dim the sensations but the desire to kiss her only grew stronger. She was the first woman he’d had any interest in getting up close and personal with in a long time and he had an undeniable hankering to feel her lips under his. “Are you flirting with me?”
“I think I am, yeah. Is that a problem?”
Damn straight it was a problem. She was Cade’s little sister and he’d known her since she was a kid, but he couldn’t yank on the reins and bring his lust to a hoof grinding halt. Need moved restlessly through him like a horse being cooped up too long and desperate for a good gallop. He shook his head, his gaze still on hers, longing glittering in her eyes. He wanted to answer that longing more than he’d wanted anything in forever. “Not if you’re okay with paying the consequences.”
“Good consequences or bad?”
“Let’s find out.” The music swelled around them but he hardly noticed. Suddenly his hands were holding her face, her mouth a fraction of an inch away from his, her gaze filled with anticipation. He lowered his head and pressed his mouth to hers. Her lips were soft, full and giving. Oh, how they gave. He heard her sigh and felt her relax into him, her hands and arms moving upward over his back. He’d only meant for the kiss to be a gentle sampling, a brief taste just to take the edge off his lust, but when her lips parted inviting him in, he couldn’t fight the temptation.
She tasted like strawberries still warm from the sun. He forgot for a moment where they were, in the middle of a dance floor surrounded by people and gave himself over to the kiss. The heady sensation of holding and kissing Jennifer nearly overwhelmed him. He swept his tongue over hers while electricity sparked between them. He drank the sweet flavor of her kiss and let it seep into his bones.
A distant hum started up in his brain then sprinted closer until the raucous sound of hoots and hollers filled the air shattering his blissful retreat from reality. He pulled from her arms and they stared at each other for half a second before glancing around them. His heart hammered so fast he was certain everyone in the bar could hear it knocking against his ribs. A blush grew over Jennifer’s cheeks and he felt embarrassment prickle his skin. He grabbed Jennifer’s hand and led her back to their table. What he thinking? How could he kiss his best friend’s little sister in front of everyone as if his life depended on it? When Cade found out, he was a dead man.
He picked up his beer and took a sip unable to meet Jennifer’s eyes. The band took a break and he forced himself to look at her. Her eyes were fixed on him. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to embarrass you. It’s just that I haven’t—what I mean is that it’s been a long time since I’ve—”
She laid a hand over his. “Rafe, it’s okay. It was just a kiss between old friends, nothing more.” She pushed back her chair and stood. “I’ll be right back.”
***
JC slipped out the back door of the Roundup and leaned against one of the adobe walls still radiant from the day’s heat. She closed her eyes, letting the heat sink into her skin and lifted her fingers to her still burning lips. She’d kissed Rafe, she’d actually kissed him. Or he’d kissed her. Well, they’d kissed each other. She’d often wondered what it would be like and the reality had far surpassed her fantasies. She opened her eyes and stared at the wide Texas sky crammed with a billion stars. And then he’d started making all sorts of excuses about why he’d kissed her. He regretted the kiss. Of course he did. Why wouldn’t he?
A gibbous moon made for romance had risen and sat just over the horizon. The moon seemed to be mocking her. There had never been anything even remotely romantic between them growing up and then suddenly she’s back in town and in less than twenty-four hours she was living in his house and they were sharing a kiss. Stupid, JC, stupid. She had to end this thing between them whatever it was before it went any further because if she didn’t she’d end up getting her heart stomped into something unrecognizable and then where would she be.
Romantic happiness didn’t exist, she knew