Page 49 of The Cowboy’s Reckoning

“Me, too. That doesn’t mean I don’t want companionship …” She met his eyes as his voice trailed.

“For a while?”

He nodded, then put out a hand.

Lil stared at it for a moment before she slowly put her hand in his and he pulled her to her feet. “We’re good?”

“We’re good,” he said, keeping hold of her fingers. They were surprisingly soft given the work she did. “You should head in.”

“Yes.” But instead of moving, she tightened her grip on his hand.

“What are you thinking?”

She closed her eyes, and he swore she gritted her teeth before saying in a low voice, “I’m thinking about sleeping with you.”

And suddenly his brain was getting very little blood.

There was no doubting the honesty in her quietly spoken, almost challenging, words, so he managed to push out a few of his. “How do you feel about putting thoughts into actions?”

She answered with a look that made him wonder if he they would make it to the trailer.

They did and once the door closed behind them, Lil took his face between her hands and pulled his lips to hers in a gentle kiss. A promise of things to come.

“You sure?” she asked, her mouth hovering millimeters from his own.

He answered by running his hands up over her back beneath the loose hoodie, her skin soft and warm beneath his touch. Her breath caught as his thumbs caressed the sides of her breasts. He loved that she hadn’t bothered with a bra and the kiss that followed melted any lingering doubts he had about the wisdom of sleeping with his tenant.

Lil’s fingers went to work on the buttons of his shirt, and Jordan watched as the fastenings slipped free, her fingers brushing over his taut chest muscles. She pulled the shirt out of his waistband and made short work of the last two buttons before pushing the fabric off his shoulders. She forgot about the cuffs, and he had to wrestle his wrists free.

Lil rolled her eyes at the mistake. “Rookie error,” she said.

“There’ll be a penalty for that later.” He cupped her face and took over, kissing her the way he’d wanted to for days, losing himself in the taste, the softness, of her mouth against his. And then her mouth left his, tracing over his chest, licking his skin, circling his nipples until he clutched his hands in her hair. She brought her lips back to his, her hands skimming over his body, stopping at the obstacle that his jeans imposed. She fumbled with his belt, but he covered her hands with his, stopping her.

She glanced up, and he eased her away from him, taking hold of the hem of her hoodie and pulling it over her head, then dropping it on the sofa.

“I need you naked,” he said.

Her smile was slow and deliberate. “Wish granted.” She undid her jeans and pushed the denim over her hips, sidestepping as she pulled her feet free of the fabric. Jordan had no idea how exactly he got out of his own jeans, but he was definitely naked when he backed her to the bed.

“Show me what you got, cowboy.” Her breath against his ear almost did him in.

Never one to say no to a lady with a reasonable request, Jordan did as he was told, losing himself in the exploration of Lil’s perfect body. When he pushed into her and felt her gasp against his mouth, it was all he could do to take things slow—for a while anyway. Need got the best of him, but he managed to hold strong until Lil cried out, her fingers clutching his shoulders as she arched against him.

And then he surrendered.

*

Jordan stroked her hair from the side of her face. “Will I see you again?”

“You might bump into me on the property.” Lil propped herself on her elbow.

Loving this man had been breathtaking. Having him not only understand her stipulations, but also share them, even more so. Maybe they were a perfect pair.

“You’ve taken on a lot since your dad got sick,” he said.

“Had to. Meg was in college and Maya was in Chicago starting her career. They did their part.” She rolled over onto her back. “We had a rehearsal of sorts when Mom died. Dealing with hard situations wasn’t new.”

He brushed his fingers over her shoulder, then planted a kiss.