Whirlwind - Janet Dailey Page 0,37

to go now.”

Lexie shook her head. “Don’t go unless you need to. I know I haven’t been a barrel of laughs. But I do appreciate your putting up with me—maybe even saving my life. You didn’t have to do this.”

“I know.” He rose, walked back to the bed, and sat down on the edge, facing her. “But there’s no way I would have left you to stay here alone.”

“Thank you,” she murmured, drawn by the warm intensity in his eyes. She felt as if she could float into their coppery depths.

Leaning toward her, he hooked her chin with his thumb and raised her face to his. Lexie could tell that he meant to kiss her and, against her better judgment, she wanted it to happen. A secret part of her had wanted it to happen from the first moment she’d laid eyes on him.

Her pulse surged as his lips settled on hers with gentle sureness and lingered in a long, easy kiss. She closed her eyes, letting her mouth soften, feeling the silkiness of his inner bottom lip, his warm breath on her face, the roughness of stubble against her skin. He smelled of expensive soap, fresh hay, man sweat, and the pungent odor of bulls—a blended aroma that was strangely arousing.

That he didn’t touch her body or even use his tongue only heightened the kiss’s dizzying impact. Heat coursed downward through her body, triggering subtle tugs and tightenings. By the time he eased away from her, Lexie was damp and breathless.

Speechless for the moment, she fell back, gazing up at him. His grin reminded her of a little boy who’d just stolen a handful of cookies and made a clean getaway. The rascal had known exactly what he was doing. He had played her again, and she had let him. Worse, she’d enjoyed every pulse-pounding second of it.

She opened her mouth to speak, but he touched a finger to her lips. “Shhh,” he said. “We can pick up where we left off later. But only if you decide it’s what you want. For now, give yourself time. Close your eyes and get some real sleep. You’ve got a big day coming up. It’ll be here before you know it.”

He was right, Lexie realized. She was tired—too tired to argue or even talk about what had just happened. With the big rodeo coming up tomorrow, she’d be wise to get some rest while she could.

“Don’t worry, I’m right here.” He had left her and walked back to the chair. Rolling onto her side, with her back toward him, Lexie closed her eyes and allowed herself to drift. The last thing she remembered was the distant wail of a police siren, fading away in the night.

* * *

The cacophony of morning traffic woke Lexie from a deep sleep. Light was pouring through the blinds into the room. Blinking and rubbing her eyes, she sat up.

Shane was nowhere to be seen. Had he gone out for coffee or simply left? Either way, for whatever reason, he had chosen not to wake her.

So where should she go from here? Shane had left that up to her. His kiss had had her almost begging for more. But there were two big, red flags against any kind of relationship with the man. First of all, he was working for Brock Tolman, and no matter what he told her, she couldn’t afford to trust him. Second, he was a bull rider—and by his own admission, the dangerous sport was his life. After watching her brother die in the arena and seeing how Cory’s accident had affected his wife and most likely his marriage, she had sworn that she would never go down that path.

There was only one right decision here. This evening, she would watch Shane ride Whirlwind in the arena. Whatever the outcome, she would congratulate him on a good ride. And then she would walk away, for good.

In daylight, the room looked even shabbier than it had the night before. Lexie got up, hurried to the bathroom, and rinsed off in the rusty shower before dressing in clean underwear, jeans, and a white western-style shirt from her duffel.

She had combed her hair, dabbed on a little makeup, and was organizing her bag when she heard a knock. That was probably Shane. But in this neighborhood, she’d be smart to ask before opening the door.

“Who’s there?” she called out.

“Me.” The voice was Aaron’s. “Are you decent?”

“Come on in.” She opened the door. He was clean-shaven