Cowgirl Up and Ride (Rough Riders #3)(42)

His lips were so close. So warm and full. And tempting. Her tongue darted out and licked the seam of his lips. Mmm. Coffee. Cookies. Cord. His breath caught, but he didn’t take over, as she expected. He allowed her to explore. She slid the tip of her tongue over his teeth. Nibbled on his lower lip, then his upper lip. She kissed the corners of his mouth until he smiled. She stopped teasing and slipped her tongue inside the warm cavern.


Cord kept a firm grip on her wrists, almost as if he didn’t trust himself not to touch her. The kiss went on and on, both sweet and hot, and intense and lazy.


Reluctantly she eased her mouth away. “You make my head spin.”


“That’s bad?”


“Right now? Yes, because my body craves the rest of that headlong rush. I want to tear off your clothes. I want you to tear off my clothes. Then we can race up to the hayloft—”


“Stop. Jesus, AJ.”


“See what I mean? Quit kissing me like I’m nekkid.” She looked at the bulge in his Wranglers and a tiny surge of pride arose. “I’ll walk out first. Give you time to think about baseball or something.”



“You really have to stop reading Cosmo.”


“But now I can finally utilize some of those sex tips I’ve been saving up.” She ducked out of the barn to the sound of his frustrated male groan.


A few minutes later, Cord propped his boot on the fence next to her, which looked casual to the casual observer, but wasn’t casual in the least.


“Better?”


“No. I want you so f*ckin’ bad, I’m thinkin’ takin’ you for a roll in the hay in the barn in broad daylight might be worth someone discoverin’ us.”


Her hopeful sex sent a rush of wetness south.


He pointed to Lucy. “Ever think about breedin’ her?”


“I wanted to this year. But it’d be too much work for Ma.”


“You upset about Flo sellin’ the ranch?”


Yes. “I’m not really surprised. She isn’t spry enough to run this place on her own, she wasn’t years ago when they made me do it after Dad…”


“What? After he died?”


Damn. No one knew what’d gone on in the years before her dad died and she intended to keep it that way. “She’s been struggling since I went to school, though she doesn’t want to admit it. I panic when I think how things might’ve turned out if Jenn hadn’t found her right away that day.” AJ winced at the image of her arthritic mother laying in the pasture with a broken hip.


“Take a deep breath. Come on, baby doll, she’s all right. So are you. Accidents are part of life. A big part of ranch life, we both know that.”


A moment of silence passed.


“Sometimes I wonder if I won’t be out checkin’ cattle and I’ll find my dad has done some fool thing and broke his fool neck. Then I’m amazed that Ky hasn’t busted more bones from all the stunts he’s pulled.”


“Like father like son, huh?”


“Somethin’ like that.”


They talked about Ky. About the time AJ relaxed, Cord said, “You sore from last night?”


“Didn’t bother me when I rode Lucy, if that’s what you’re asking.”


“No, I’m askin’ purely and simply because I cannot wait to have you again. Can you come to me tonight?”