Ride Rough - Tessa Layne Page 0,30

her eyes. He leaned down, tentatively pressing his mouth to hers. A question that was answered with a tiny sigh and an instant opening. He questioned again, this time with the tip of his tongue. Gently flicking across her lip, tasting the corner of her mouth. Her hand came to his arm, clutching his bicep as she softened and sighed again, responding to the slip of his tongue with a gentle rub. Heat flooded him. He dropped a hand to her hip, just holding her, steadying her as he reacquainted himself with her mouth, learning with every probe of his tongue what she liked and how he liked it.

Just as he thought to back her up and pin her against the counter, the timer sounded with an annoying ding.

Cecilia pulled back, a little dazed and a lot sexy with her mouth plumped from his kisses. Damn, he could kiss the woman for hours and not tire of it. She blinked rapidly and let out a husky laugh. "Saved by the bell, I guess."

Cock-blocked by the bell was more like it.

"Izzie and Cat will be here soon if you need to go help elsewhere," Cecilia said as she pulled the biscuits from the oven. "I can manage until they get here."

"I can help until you kick me out," he said gruffly. She was more than capable of managing, but he'd use any excuse to stay in her orbit.

She shot him a sly look. "Be careful what you offer, cowboy."

"Bring it."

She smirked, eyes sparkling. "Fine, you want to help? Grab an apron." She raised a brow in challenge and cocked her head in the direction of the wall where a blue checked apron with ruffles hung.

"You think I'm too manly for ruffles?" he grinned as he backed toward the wall, grabbing the apron. "If you think that's all it takes to run me off, you've got another thing coming, sweetheart." He braced himself for a sharp retort, but it didn't come.

Her eyes lit as she crossed her arms. She was trying so hard not to smile and it only served to make her look cuter. "I dare you to take out the sandwiches now."

So she wanted to tangle? He'd play. "What's in it for me if I do?" The front of the apron was too snug, and the ties barely fit around his back. He didn't need a mirror to know he looked ridiculous.

She lifted a shoulder, and looked away with a little smile. "My gratitude?"

"It better be a lot more than your gratitude, darlin'," he poked again as he crossed back to where she stood. Anything to get a rise from her.

"Bargaining with kisses, now?"

"I'll bargain with whatever you like." He stared at her until she met his eyes. His stomach gave a low roll at the naked emotion on her face. Part hopeful, part hungry, part scared. An uncomfortable ache tightened his chest, and the urge to duck out rose through him. There were so many reasons why he should bolt, starting with Sterling, Weston, and Travis. He didn't do emotions. He didn't know how. But the look on her face - he recognized it. It had been years since he'd allowed himself to feel anything close to the mix of emotions showing there, but he knew them. And a long-buried part of himself, a piece of himself he thought was gone for good, sparked to life. He swallowed as the tightness closed his throat. Heat raced up his neck and he cleared the prickle in his throat. "I'll take the sandwiches." He turned and grabbed the plates before he did something stupid like declare himself. He'd known her less than a week, spent even less time with her. He had no business, no right, to the feelings ricocheting through him.

The catcalls and whistles began as soon as his feet hit the grass. "Yeah, yeah," he hollered back, placing the plates on the long set of tables festooned with flowers and lace tablecloths.

"Looks like CiCi already has you whipped, man," teased Tony.

Something snapped in him. He spun on a heel and stalked to where Tony and Robbie stood enjoying a beer with Jaxon, hot enough he could feel sweat pooling on the back of his neck. "You have a problem?" he said tersely. "She's in there by herself, buried in food. Why don't you get off your asses and help?"

Tony and Robbie exchanged a startled look. "Sorry, man," Robbie said. "We were just fucking with you."

"No harm, no foul," added