Three Little Words (Fool's Gold #12)(29)

He released her.

She surfaced, blinking, out of breath and not sure what she’d been thinking. She was the one who didn’t find sex satisfying. Ever. Why on earth would she be fantasizing about doing it with Ford?

“Okay, then,” he said, his voice slightly strangled. “I thought that would be a little more PG-rated.” He ran his hand through his hair. “Next time, give a guy some warning.”

She stared at him. “Warning?”

She started to move away and he grabbed her. “Not so fast. I need a minute.”

She didn’t understand what he was talking about. Then her gaze dropped to his jeans and she saw a massive erection straining against his fly.

Consuelo had warned her that Ford liked all women and he obviously knew how to kiss. So the fact that he was aroused wasn’t something she should take personally. Still, it was nice to know he’d been caught off guard, too.

“I know that smile,” he grumbled.

“What?”

“You’re feeling smug.”

She grinned. “I am,” she admitted. “More than a little. We should get you something cold to drink.”

“Just give me a second. I’m thinking about kittens. Kittens aren’t sexy.”

She rested her palm on his stomach. “Anything I can do to help?”

He grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her hand away. “Don’t do that. Not doing that would help.”

She giggled, inspired by her newfound power. He sighed heavily, then put his arm around her.

“Why did I think you’d make this easy?” he asked.

“I have no idea. Because it’s so much more fun to make it hard.”

* * *

DESPITE THE FACT that it was late afternoon, the festival was going strong. Consuelo hadn’t planned to come to it at all, but somehow she’d been unable to walk away from the music and crowds. She wandered over to a booth where a pretty young woman was selling handmade jewelry.

The stones were mostly uncut, and thin strands of gold and silver had been wrapped around them to hold them in place. Tiny crystals swung from shepherds’ hooks and dangled from delicate chains.

Despite the fact that she was on the short side and small boned, Consuelo didn’t think of herself as petite. Nothing in this booth would suit her, she thought glumly. It was all too ethereal. She was sturdy, in her soul if not in her appearance. Pragmatic, with a foolish longing for whimsy.

She touched a bracelet, and as her fingers moved on the cool metal, she realized there were two men following her.

She’d seen them several booths back, when she’d stopped to look at a display of birdhouses. Mid-twenties, out of shape, a little drunk. One wore a baseball cap and the other had on a T-shirt featuring a gun logo. Good ol’ boys, she thought.

They’d noticed her then. She’d slipped away but they’d caught up with her and now they were getting closer. She was going to have to deal with them directly.

The thought of it made her tired. She wasn’t sure if she was going to eviscerate them physically or verbally. This was a family-friendly event and there were pros and cons to both plans of action.

She turned, prepared to take them on. The guy in the baseball cap walked directly toward her.

“Hey, pretty lady.” His smile was more a leer, with a hint of threat at the edges. “My friend and I thought we’d go somewhere together and get to know each other better.”

A man stepped between her and the guy in the cap.

“I don’t think so,” he said, moving next to her. “You need to leave the lady alone.”

Consuelo stared up at Kent Hendrix. Was he seriously trying to protect her? She was so startled by the thought she just stood there stupidly.

T-shirt Guy grinned at Kent. “Is that so? You gonna make us?”

“If necessary,” Kent said firmly. He was close but not touching her. Larger than the other two. His voice was quiet, yet there was an air of confidence about him that impressed her.

The friends looked at each other. Then, like the bullies they were, they immediately backed off when confronted. Baseball Cap Guy dipped his head.

“No offense meant, ma’am.”

“It would probably be best if you two left the festival,” Kent told them.

The men turned and started walking.

Consuelo put her hands on her hips. “What was that?”

“I noticed them following you. I wanted to make sure you were okay.”

Okay? Okay? Her? “There isn’t a man in a fifty-mile radius I couldn’t destroy in hand-to-hand combat, and that includes your navy SEAL brother.”

Kent nodded slowly. “I have no doubt.”

“Then why would you try to help?”

“It’s the right thing to do.”

She opened her mouth, then closed it. She started to speak, then stopped. Was he from this planet? This century? She should be annoyed as hell, yet she felt oddly touched by his idiotic gesture.

He could have been hurt, she thought. There were two of them.

He lightly touched her arm. “I know you could have taken them. I just didn’t think you should have to deal with them on your own.”

She’d always been on her own. Even as a kid. Her brothers had been involved in their gang, and her mother had worked desperately long hours to keep food on the table and a roof over their heads. For Consuelo, friends had come from between the pages of a book.