Once Upon a Cowboy Christmas--A River Ranch Novel
Page 25
He let her tug him along, making their way around and down the incline, hand in hand toward the tree. When they got there, Lexi took both his hands and he let her take the lead, letting her walk him backward and push him against the trunk. She held his hands down and stood on tiptoes, kissing along his jawline and then finally finding her way to his mouth. He slipped his hands to her waist and she laughed, taking them off and putting them at his side again.
“Why can’t I touch you?”
“Because I’m in charge, that’s why.”
He grumbled, planting his hands firmly back on her hips. “Maybe I don’t like you being in charge.”
She laughed and leaned in to him, her body firm to his as she tipped her head back and looked up at him.
“I’m the one studying to be an architect now,” she teased. “And that means I’m in charge of everything to do with our house, including this tree.”
“Did I mentioned how pleased I am that I found my way back to you,” he murmured, leaning down and kissing her, slowly, gently, loving the warmth of her soft lips against his.
“Me too,” she whispered back, her fingers running through his hair as she tugged him back down for another kiss. “What do you say we give this tree some new memories?”
He scooped his hands under her bottom and lifted her up, turning them around so it was Lexi’s back against the tree. Her legs wrapped around him, hands slung over his shoulders as he kissed her, over and over again, never tiring of the feel of her in his arms or the way she seemed to melt against him.
“What do you say we give Harry a sibling?” he whispered in her ear, his heart pounding as he held the woman he loved in his arms.
“I say slow down, tiger,” she whispered back, kissing his earlobe before gently nibbling it. “I want to enjoy every second of being back together again, and I’m not dropping out of college again.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah,” she murmured. “Doesn’t mean we can’t practice though.”
Cody didn’t need to be told twice. He’d wasted a decade away from Lexi, and he was going to spend the rest of his life making up for lost time.
Coming soon…
Look for the next novel
in Soraya Lane’s
River Ranch series
My One True Cowboy
Available in April 2020
from St. Martin’s Paperbacks
Don’t miss the first two novels in the River Ranch series
Cowboy Stole My Heart
All Night with the Cowboy
And look for Soraya Lane’s Texas Kings novels
The Devil Wears Spurs
Cowboy Take Me Away
I Knew You Were Trouble
From St. Martin’s Paperbacks
Also by Soraya Lane
I Knew You Were Trouble
Cowboy Take Me Away
The Devil Wears Spurs
Cowboy Stole My Heart
All Night with the Cowboy
PRAISE FOR THE NOVELS OF SORAYA LANE
I Knew You Were Trouble
“Readers will fall head-over-heels in love with Nate and Faith. Lane’s latest is filled with a huge dose of Southern Texas charm.”
—RT Book Reviews
“First-rate writing and memorable characters prove that sometimes things are worth the trouble as demonstrated by Ms. Lane.”
—Jenerated Reviews
“A fun, endearing, yet heartbreaking read that kept me eagerly turning pages just waiting to see how everything works out for Faith and Nate.”
—Romance Junkies
“For those who love a Texan man and some good flirtation, I recommend I Knew You Were Trouble.”
—Harlequin Junkie
Cowboy Take Me Away
“A sexy, charming Southern read.”
—RT Book Reviews
“Soraya Lane keeps the story going and exciting to the very end.”
—Reader to Reader Review
“If you like steamy cowboy romances you’ll love this book.”
—Bitten By Love Reviews
“Captivating on so many levels … heartbreakingly memorable.”
—Romance Junkies
The Devil Wears Spurs
“Hot, handsome cowboys and sharp, amusing banter make Lane’s latest a fun, sexy read … With down-to-earth characters in a Western setting, Lane tells a story that will keep readers engaged until the very last page.”
—Romantic Times
“It’s no gamble to bet on cowboy Ryder King. Soraya Lane’s The Devil Wears Spurs is hot as a Texas summer. It’s a wild ride you don’t want to miss.”
—New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jennifer Ryan
“Watch out, the Devil has met his match! Sit back with Soraya Lane’s The Devil Wears Spurs and enjoy the sparks that fly between champion bull rider Ryder and Chloe, a barmaid with a few aces up her sleeve. You won’t want their story to end!”
—Laura Moore, bestselling author of Once Tasted
“Sassy, sexy, and so much fun, The Devil Wears Spurs is a cowboy fantasy come to life. With this rowdy, romantic ride from the ranches of Texas to the casinos of Las Vegas, Soraya Lane proves herself a bright new voice in western romance.”
—Melissa Cutler, author of The Trouble with Cowboys
About the Author
As a child, Soraya dreamed of becoming an author. Fast-forward more than a few years, and Soraya is now living her dream! She describes being an author as “the best job in the world,” and she hopes to be writing romance and women’s fiction for many years to come.
Soraya loves spending her days thinking up characters for books, and her home is a constant source of inspiration. She lives with her own real-life hero and two young sons on a small farm in New Zealand, surrounded by animals and with an office overlooking a field where their horses graze. For more information about Soraya, her books, and her writing life, visit sorayalane.com or www.facebook.com/SorayaLaneAuthor, or follow her on twitter @Soraya_Lane. She would love to hear from You. Or sign up for email updates here.
Thank you for buying this
St. Martin’s Press ebook.
To receive special offers, bonus content,
and info on new releases and other great reads,
sign up for our newsletters.
Or visit us online at
us.macmillan.com/newslettersignup
For email updates on the author, click here.
Contents
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Epilogue
Also by Soraya Lane
Praise for the Novels of Soraya Lane
About the Author
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
First published in the United States by St. Martin’s Paperbacks, an imprint of St. Martin’s Publishing Group.
ONCE UPON A COWBOY CHRISTMAS
Copyright © 2019 by Soraya Lane.
All rights reserved.
For information address St. Martin’s Publishing Group, 120 Broadway, New York, NY 10271.
www.stmartins.com
eISBN: 9781250224293
Our ebooks may be purchased in bulk for promotional, educational, or business use. Please contact the Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department at 1-800-221-7945, ext. 5442, or
by e-mail at MacmillanSpecialMarkets@macmillan.com.
St. Martin’s Paperbacks edition / November 2019