“Yes,” she said in a low, soft voice that sent more blood surging to his groin, “as a matter of fact, you’re in luck. A pair of boots crossed my porch about month ago.”
“Oh, thank God,” Roman said, as the knot in his stomach released and his semi-hard cock filled with additional interest.
“But, how can I be sure they’re your boots?” she asked with a smirk on her lips, and a glint of mischief in her eyes.
“Do you have many men leaving boots on your porch?” He asked with a grin of his own.
She giggled, actually giggled, and the sound sent more heat through his body. “You might be surprised,” she said. “I’ve had several men try to claim them, but none of them fit the boots.”
Stepping back, she waved him inside. Her smile gave him hope that she felt the threads of attraction building between them. An attraction that had him wanting to do more than just take his boots and head back to the ranch
Once inside, Roman surreptitiously sniffed and smelled something yummy cooking. Spicy sweetness filled the air, and if he had to guess he’d say it was some kind of cookie or cake. He looked around, curious to learn more about this woman whose appearance had flipped his male attraction from dead to on.
The walls were the sandy color most contractors used in new homes and the floors a dark hardwood. Other than a small wooden bench and rack of coat hooks tucked behind the front door, the entryway was bare. There were three coats hanging from the hooks, a heavy winter coat, a denim jacket, and what looked like a sheepskin vest. It looked, at least from her outerwear and the T-shirt she wore, that the woman was embracing her Texas cowgirl.
On the floor beside the bench, he saw a familiar sight. “There they are,” he said, happy that his were the only boots left in the neighborhood in the last few weeks.
“Yes, there they are. But to make certain, I’d like you to try them on, just to prove that they really are yours.”
Roman could only chuckle at her request. He would think she would be happy to just hand over the boots. But by her expression, he knew she was serious.
After toeing off his work boots, he winced when he realized that not only were his socks two different colors, they both had holes in the toes. He really needed to go shopping for more than animal feed and bailing wire.
With a shrug, he sat down on the bench before grabbing the right boot and slipping it on. Even through the thin cotton sock, the leather felt cool against his foot. He stomped his foot on the floor as he pulled on the top of the shaft. Once the right was on, he repeated the process with the left one. “Fit perfect, just like always,” he said as he rose once again.
“Yes, they do,” she responded, her soft voice sounding a little breathless.
Checking the woman’s left hand for a wedding ring he was pleased to see the finger was bare. Looking to her face again, he found her staring at his boot as she licked her lips.
The unconsciously sensual act tripped Roman’s trigger. Though he knew nothing about this woman, all he could think was that he had to taste those berry lips. He needed to see if they tasted as delicious as they looked. Giving in to an urge he had not felt since meeting his wife nearly thirty years ago, Roman slowly took the three steps that closed the distance between them. Lifting his hands and resting them on her shoulders, he bent close, and gently brushed his lips over hers.
Her lips were warm and soft against his, and she smelled of orange and spice. Pulling back an inch, he half-expected the woman to slap him for his sudden bold advance. He forced himself to remain still, giving her a chance to pull away or push forward. It was up to her to stop whatever this was building between them, or make the next move.
While he had occasionally been with other women since his wife’s death, none had affected him as strongly or as quickly as this woman did. The past few years, women had been a means to an end, a way to scratch an itch, ease the tension that built when he went too long without. An itch he had been ignoring ever since deciding that the next woman he got involved with would be the woman he stayed involved with. He needed more than a one-night or even a one-weekend affair. He needed a forever woman.
Roman was not prepared when the woman’s hands came up and cupped his cheeks. Her palms were warm against his skin as she tilted her head slightly to his left and closed the small distance between them once again.
Chapter Five
Mary Beth did not question what she was doing when she allowed the cowboy to kiss her. The simple brush of lip on lip sent a shiver through her body. When his lips pressed solidly on hers, every cell in her body screamed “Whoopee,” while the continuous chatter that always raced through her brain went blessedly silent. When he broke the kiss and waited, her heart, mind and body screamed for more, so she cupped her hands over his cheeks and initiated their second kiss.
He allowed her to lead for a few seconds, and then took over. One thickly muscled arm slid around her back to ease her closer to his solid, muscular body. In the next heartbeat, they were so close that their bodies meshed together perfectly. His other hand stroked up her back until he wrapped it around the back of her neck, cupping the base of her skull with long, thick fingers.
In the next moment, his lips parted, and the kiss deepened even further. As soon as they touched, their tongues began to duel, not in a battle for supremacy, but in a dance that went back and forth between them.
Now that he had taken control, Mary Beth stroked her hands from his scruff-covered cheeks down his neck to his broad shoulders. From there her fingertips traced down the front of his shirt, feeling the ripple of muscle under the soft cotton fabric. She continued to the top of his jeans and then around his torso to meet at the middle of his back. There, she linked her fingers together and hooked her thumbs under his wide leather belt.
She sighed deeply as the kiss continued, allowing herself to melt further into the cowboy’s embrace. This was the kind of connection she had been looking for all her life. This was the embrace she had wished for over the years. This was the kiss she had been dreaming about ever since her divorced had been finalized. This was the man she felt she could spend the rest of her life with.
She hoped the cowboy was available and felt the same way.
* * * *
Stunned not only at her response, but also the intense reaction his body had to this woman, Roman knew it was time to back off before he embarrassed himself, or took things too far too fast. They had yet to introduce themselves, yet he was ready to strip them both bare and lay her down right here in the front hall for what he knew would be some seriously amazing sex.
Pulling in a slow, deep breath, he turned his head and broke the kiss. With the hand still holding the base of her skull, he guided her forehead to rest against the front of his shoulder as they both caught their breath.
“Wow,” she breathed just loud enough for him to hear.
“Wow, indeed,” he responded with a smile. “By the way, I’m Roman McBride.”
She chuckled before she said, “Mary Beth Evans. Pleased to meet you.”
Before anything further could be said, a loud ding sounded from the back of the house.
Mary Beth jerked out of his embrace and raced down the hall. “Please, come in. I have to deal with this before they burn.”
His curiosity rising by the second, Roman pulled off his boots and, in stockinged feet, followed her down the hall. He found himself standing in the kitchen doorway watching and licking his lips as she transferred beautifully browned cookies from a cookie pan to a cooling rack on the counter.
“Smells delicious,” he said, the sight of cookies drawing him across the room.
“Thanks. I’m not sure why I’m making them, but I need to do something to keep busy. Would you like to take them to share with Mack and the rest of your employees?”
Roman looked around, and was surprised to see no Christmas decorations. No tree, no lights, nothing to indicate that it was the twenty-first of December. There wasn’t even a display of Christmas cards in si
ght. He frowned in confusion, but did not ask the questions that were beginning to poke at the back of his brain.
“That would be great. Our cook is great with real food, but the goodies not so much,” Roman said, picking up a still warm cookie and taking a bite. He moaned as it practically melted in his mouth. “Delicious.”
She smiled and her cheeks pinked up, though he wasn’t sure if it was at the compliment, or the fact that he was standing so close to her. Turning her attention back to the rest of the cookies, she cleared her throat before she said in a huskier tone, “I’m glad you like them.”
Roman back up a step, taking another cookie before moving around the bar and taking a seat. He watched silently while she set about getting the next tray ready for the oven.
“So, Miz Evans, what are your plans for Christmas?”
She glanced at him for a few seconds before turning to place the empty bowl into the sink as she answered. She then began piling cooling cookies into a large plastic box. “I’m planning a day of romantic comedy movies and junk food,” she said, sounding way too casual.
“You don’t celebrate the holiday?”
She shrugged, but would not turn around to face him. “I’m alone and my family lives on the East Coast. I sent their presents just after Thanksgiving and we’ll talk on the phone that day.”
The resignation and touch of sadness in her voice hurt Roman’s heart. No one should be alone on Christmas, especially not a kind, pretty woman like Mary Beth. “I’d like to invite you to the ranch for Christmas. I can come get you the afternoon of Christmas Eve and bring you back the day after Christmas. You’d have your own room at the house,” he assured her, though he hoped what had begun in her front hall grew into something that had her sharing his bed at the ranch.
She turned and studied him with her head tilted slightly to the right. “Are you sure? Won’t your wife mind you inviting a stranger into your home for the holidays?”
Roman blinked at her second question. “My wife died several years ago. If I was involved with someone, I never would have kissed you. I’m single, healthy, and interested in spending time getting to know you better. I’d like to see if there can be something more between us. So, what do you say? Come spend Christmas at the ranch.”
Mary Beth stood frozen for several seconds before she slowly nodded. “Yes, please. I’d be most grateful to not have to spend the holiday alone.”
Roman smiled at her hesitant expression before standing once again. “Thank you. And thank you for taking such good care of my boots. I’m afraid I have to go. But I’ll come get you about three o’clock on Christmas Eve. Okay?”
Mary Beth nodded as she followed him to the front door. Once there, Roman pulled her close and gave her a long, strong hug before brushing a kiss on her cheek. When he released her and opened the door, he smiled at her. “I am going to have to double Mack’s Christmas bonus and thank him.”
“For what?”
“For believing his great-grandmother’s story about finding love, and for leaving my boots on your porch.”
The End
Other books by Cooper McKenzie
Daydreams and Fantasies
A Hot Box of Firefighters
Ryker's Pet
www.coopermckenzieauthor.com
Other books by S. E. Walker
She: The Journey Out
Fitting In (Millennial Child book 1)
Breaking Out (Millennial Child book 2)
Eight Words
www.sewalker.webs.com
If the Boots Fit Page 3