Total pages in book: 106
Estimated words: 101778 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 509(@200wpm)___ 407(@250wpm)___ 339(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 101778 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 509(@200wpm)___ 407(@250wpm)___ 339(@300wpm)
Her hand went to the handle, and she opened the door.
I pushed it shut.
When she glared up at me, I saw that feisty woman from yesterday appear.
“Excuse me, but you sure like to manhandle me, don’t you? I’m not one of the bulls you ride, Brock Shaw.”
I stepped closer, my heart hammering in my chest. “What did you and Dirk talk about last night?”
Her face constricted with a confused look. “What?”
“Did you dance with him?”
“N-no. He never even asked me to dance.”
That brought a smile to my face. It was already getting harder to ignore how much I was attracted to Lincoln, and knowing Dirk wasn’t gave me an odd sense of peace. Placing both of my hands on her car, I caged her against it. I swore her chest rose and fell at the same rate my heart was pounding.
“I’m sorry I acted like I did yesterday. It was hard, being back at my old place and knowing the changes you were making to it, and I took it out on you. But I truly am sorry I acted like a dick.”
Lincoln swallowed. “It’s okay.”
“Please stop saying I don’t like you, Lincoln. That’s the furthest thing from the truth.”
Her eyes darted up to meet mine, and when her pretty little tongue swept over those pink lips, I had to hold back a moan. “Stop treating me like you don’t like me, then.”
The corners of my mouth rose, and my gaze landed on that mouth I so desperately wanted to kiss. “I can do more than that.”
Getting lost in those emerald eyes, I couldn’t stop myself.
Leaning down, I softly brushed my lips over hers. She sucked in a breath—and I lost it. Pressing my lips harder to hers, I pulled her body against mine and ran my tongue over her bottom lip, asking for permission to taste more of her.
She pulled back.
“Brock . . . I . . . I haven’t brushed my teeth this morning.”
Laughing, I put my hand behind her neck and brought her mouth back to mine, taking it fully this time. Lincoln lifted onto her toes and wrapped her arms around my neck. My other hand went to her lower back, pulling her as tight as I could against my body, while the one on her neck pushed into her hair, giving it a tug.
Lincoln practically melted into me, like she’d been banking on this kiss as much as I had. I hadn’t wanted to admit it to myself, but since the moment she’d looked up at me after falling yesterday in the barn, I’d been wanting to kiss her. Needing to kiss her. Afraid as hell to kiss her, and for good reason. The feel of her soft body against mine was already addicting. She gave me a warmth I hadn’t experienced in a very long time. A feeling of desire that I don’t think I’d ever really experienced before.
Lincoln’s kiss felt like it was waking up a part of me I had given up on.
A throat cleared from behind us, and Lincoln promptly pulled away.
“I see you got him home safely last night,” Betty Jane said, a shit-eating grin on her face.
The shade of red that covered Lincoln’s cheeks was adorable. “Um . . . yes.”
Turning, Lincoln slipped into her car and started it. I took a few steps back as she rolled her window down. She dug her teeth into her kiss-swollen lip before speaking.
“Bye, Brock.”
My hand lifted. “See ya around, Lincoln.”
I watched as she pulled out of the parking spot and made her way onto Main Street.
Betty Jane walked up next to me and bumped my arm. “You’d better not hurt her, Brock. I like her. She’s got something that says she’s a good soul.”
When Lincoln’s car turned the corner, I faced Betty Jane. “You played a little game last night, didn’t you, Betty Jane?”
She acted innocent. “Why, I don’t know what you mean.”
“I’ve gotten drunk here plenty of times, and you have Ralph bring me to my truck and I sleep it off, but last night, you had that poor girl haul my ass home. Why?”
With a wink, she said, “Because I saw the way you were looking at her, and I saw the way she was looking at you. It’s time you stopped punishing yourself for something you had no control over, and if that young lady can help you do that, then so be it.”
Groaning, I scrubbed my hands over my unshaven face. “Ah, hell, Betty Jane. Don’t be going and trying to fix me up with her. You know I’m not interested in dating. I’ve got Blayze, and he keeps me plenty busy when I come into town.”
She huffed. “Right. You just keep lying to yourself, Shaw. I’ve got to go inventory the booze in that joint,” Betty Jane said as she hooked her thumb over her shoulder. “Have a good one.”