Every nerve in her body zapped with electricity, wholly attuned to him. The way his hand rested on her lower back, warming her and heightening her awareness. How his shoulders stretched the fabric of his quilted jacket and how his thigh muscles shifted under the faded denim of his jeans. She noted the whorls of dark brown chest hair that peeked out from the open V of his shirt and the clean line of his strong jaw. Then her eyes fell on his mouth. So close. So sexy.
Something pulled at her heart and the rest of her too, drawing her like an irresistible magnet. She leaned toward him, the scent of leather, and horse, and musky man filling her nose. She had fantasized about his mouth and how it would feel on hers. Would his kiss be soft and sweet, or would it be hard and possessive?
Would he pull her close?
Would he push her away?
She had to know and, in the blink of an eye, she was too far gone to care about anything else. All she could think about was his mouth and how much she wanted it on hers.
His head dipped as her fingers brushed the clean-shaven skin of his jaw, surprising her with its smoothness, and then slipped around his neck. His breath tickled her face and the tips of her breasts pressed into his chest.
Oh, God, please kiss me!
She went up on her toes to close the gap, to reach his beautifully chiseled lips, but she came up short. She’d come this far, and she wanted this—wanted him.
All or nothing, she thought as her fingers tightened on the back of his neck, pulling him in. He resisted. Doubt flickered in his gorgeous eyes for an agonizing instant before his mouth crashed down on hers. Hot and demanding, he nibbled at her lower lip, then his tongue traced the crease of her mouth and she opened immediately. His tongue darted inside and she tentatively greeted his invasion with an invitation for more. He groaned in his throat, soft but guttural, as his hands gripped her hips, pulling her tightly against him and then his arms wrapped around her.
Oh, God, he feels so damn good. All that hard heat crushing her, warming her, turning her on.
His fingers slipped into the braid she had fashioned her hair into this morning, dislodging several strands and tilting her head, capturing her completely. His mouth slanted over hers, taking control, diving deep. She moaned and melted into him, her fingers fisting in his shirt, wanting more, wanting him. More than anything, she wanted to grind against that hard shaft pressing against her stomach and—
“Addie!” Lana called and the world with all its distractions crashed into their little fairytale. “Do you have any extra gloves?”
Panting, Cade jerked back, his blue eyes dark with desire. Something tightened almost painfully inside Addie, leaving an ache that she suspected only Cade could ease.
With his eyes sparkling at her and the realization of what she’d done slamming home, Addie’s cheeks turned hot.
“Oh, I…” she said, pulling her arms from around him and stepping back, feeling more than a little foolish, “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be,” he said in a breathless whisper, his arms falling to his sides.
She glanced toward him, but couldn’t hold his gaze long enough to read the expression in his eyes. When she moved to go help her friend, Cade gently captured her chin between his thumb and finger, stopping her. She looked up at him, her eyes wide with fear of what he would say. Would he chastise her, express his disgust, or even quit the farm?
Oh, please, let the ground swallow me whole right now!
“We’ll talk about this later. Okay?” His voice was low and deep and vibrated through her to settle in her core.
She bit her lip and her breath caught with the lump in her throat. Unable to find her voice, she nodded and stepped back. Hand dropping to his side, he grinned softly, reassuringly, and she could suddenly breathe again.
With a quick nod of his head, he turned and finished the hitching. She no longer wanted to see what he was doing or decipher the look in his eyes. All she wanted was to escape.
“Addie? Where are you?” Lana called again.
“Coming,” Addie shouted, taking one last look at Cade. The soft turn of his mouth was still there when he glanced at her, and that odd internal tugging returned. It drew her to him, but she wasn’t listening this time. Lips still tingling and her body still humming with desire, she spun on her heel, gave the large animals a wide berth, and headed toward her waiting friends.
Oh, God, what have I done?
Chapter 8
Closing the lid on the tractor’s engine compartment, Cade grabbed a clean rag and wiped down his greasy hands and tools. Outside the machine shed, stars sparkled in the late-September sky and the air had turned chilly. It was late and he should’ve turned in hours ago, but he hadn’t wanted to face Addie again. He knew it was cowardly, but something about her pulled at him and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t shake it.
Despite all his best intentions and everything he’d told her after the hay harvest about not being the right guy for her, he still wanted to kiss her again. Wanted to see where it would lead, to give in to the desire in her eyes and the need burning through his veins.
That kiss they’d shared in the dooryard two weeks ago may have been short-lived, but he’d dreamt about it almost every night since. The kiss, the nervous way she’d scuttled away from him after, and the devastated look on her face when he’d said he wouldn’t be staying. He found himself thinking about all of it and watching her when she wasn’t looking, soaking in her sweet curves, remembering how good she’d felt against him, and basically driving himself crazy.
Cursing himself as a fool, he
