Stealing the Cowboy's Heart

by Debbi Rawlins

  “What? I just meant—”

  “I know exactly what you meant.”

  After clearing his throat, he said, “My bag’s in the truck. I didn’t want to bring it in yet. Barry was here when I arrived. The kid’s a hard worker.”

  “That’s great.”

  “Yeah,” he said, turning away from a nosy neighbor across the street. “Also, I wanted to make sure you hadn’t changed your mind.”

  The only response was silence, and his heart nearly stopped.

  “Sorry,” she said, and he was relieved to hear customers yapping in the background. She’d been distracted, that was all. “Didn’t you get my text? I figured you’d know it was safe to check out.”

  He almost said something about what had occurred to him earlier, but thought better of it. She’d just worry about the gossip even though he’d, in effect, taken care of that. And she had enough on her mind. “Yep, I got it. Just double-checking. Barry leaves at three. I’ll get settled into the spare room after. Hope the bed’s not a single. My feet always stick out the end.”

  “It may not be motel grade, but I think you’ll fit just fine,” she said, her voice a little huskier than it was a minute ago.

  “Yeah?”

  “Three birthday cakes. I need to go. I should be home at around four. After, we can talk about checking out the dance.”

  “You bet. Anything I can do to help before you get here?”

  “Yeah. Don’t make a mess. I’ll see you later.”

  She was gone before he could say goodbye. As he put his phone away, he thought about what it would be like to have a normal evening alone with Kylie, eat dinner, maybe watch some TV, make out on the couch like kids. The only word that came to mind was sweet.

  * * *

  KYLIE WAS A bundle of nerves as she opened her front door. She had no business being anything but confident. She’d decided on a game plan. They could go by the dance, just to socialize. And when they got back? She’d be the one to initiate the first kiss. That should surprise the heck out of Landon. The thought of being in his arms made her shivery with anticipation.

  He was nowhere in sight, but she could see that the door to his room was open. “Landon?”

  “Hey,” he said, although she still didn’t see him. Then he walked out of his room, shirtless, hair damp, jeans on, barefoot.

  She needed to sit down.

  “I took advantage of your shower.”

  “Good water pressure, huh?” She clenched her teeth. Good water pressure?

  The right side of his mouth curled up. “I agree. Heats up fast, too.”

  “Okay. That was stupid,” she muttered. “Feel free to go finish dressing. I didn’t mean to disturb you.”

  He didn’t move. Well, nothing besides his eyes as they swept down her body. She wasn’t wearing anything special. Work khakis and a T-shirt, something she didn’t mind getting messed up at the shop. Her hair must have been a sight though, and she hadn’t even thought about checking it before she’d walked home.

  While he, on the other hand, looked...beyond perfect.

  “I wasn’t sure what to wear,” he said. “I mean, if you still wanted to go to the dance. Or go out to dinner first?”

  “I don’t know. Do you have a preference?”

  The look he gave her made her weak in the knees. She bet if she looked up smoldering in the dictionary, she’d see a picture of his darkened eyes.

  “I want to do whatever you want,” he said. “I’m easy that way.” He took a step toward her. “As long as I’m with you, I’m happy watching the grass grow.”

  She smoothed her hair and moved around him into the kitchen. She’d been home all of ten seconds and already she was rethinking her master plan. “I defrosted a casserole before I left this morning. I’ll just put it in the oven and it’ll be ready in forty minutes. I’ll take a shower while it’s heating. I can make a salad, too.”

  Now that there was some distance, she turned to face him. His smile was still in place, a bit sadder maybe. She should have kissed him.

  No. Kissing was for after. And even though she wanted him so badly, there was time, right? Despite the fact that she had to force herself not to touch his tanned chest, run her hands over every last muscle.

  “Whatever you want is fine with me.”

  “Do you even like chicken and noodle casserole?”

  “Love it.”

  She exhaled, frustrated at her inability to be the least bit cool. She wasn’t a teenager, even though she was acting like one. “Hey, I meant to ask,” she said, grasping for a change of subject. “Do you have the invoices for the stuff we’ve bought so far? I was just wondering where we’re at.”

  He blinked a couple of times. Maybe the change of topic was a bit too abrupt. “I have everything, but I haven’t put it all together. Don’t worry, though, you’re still within your budget.”

  “Oh, good,” she said, opening the fridge. She put the casserole on the counter, and when she turned to put the oven on, Landon was so close she nearly stepped on his bare foot. “Oh!”

  “Hello, Kylie. How was your day? Did you get all three birthday cakes finished in time?”

  She let out a soft laugh. “Hello, yourself. Yes, thank you. The cakes were big hits. Joe showed up on time. Celeste is doing a great job. And how was your day?”

  “Frankly, the best part of it is right now.” He leaned toward her but kept his hands at his sides.

  Without even realizing it, she found her hand frozen partway to his chest.

  He took a small step closer. Though not quite to the point of touching. That would be up to her.

  “Whatever you want,” he whispered.

  Oh, screw it. She couldn’t stop herself from that one final step. This was Landon. The man she’d never been able to stop thinking about. And she’d waited too long already.

  Her hands landed on his chest, just above his heart, and she felt his muscles tense. She moved her head closer to his neck, wanting to scent him like a wild creature. As she inhaled, the flesh beneath her hand quivered, and she jerked up, almost hitting his jaw before she tried to step back. “Oh.”

  “Don’t,” he whispered, his big hand coming up and touching her gently under her chin with one finger. That’s all. Just one.

  “You smell nice,” she whispered.

  “So do you. Like sugar and spice.”

  “I should probably shower.” They were looking into each other’s eyes, again, and she had no desire to move.

  “Not from where I’m standing. I wasn’t being poetic. You really do smell like the best dessert a man could ever have,” he said, his gaze unwavering. “I can almost taste...”

  Her breath left her, but her courage only strengthened. “Yes?”

  His smile was as warm as the hand that curled behind her neck. Slow as molasses he lowered his head, and when they were close enough that she could feel his heat, smell the fresh scent of the man beneath the soap, she made her move.

  He grunted a little bit, probably with surprise, and then he was kissing her back.

  Soft. Careful.

  Wanting more, she increased the pressure.

  His moan filled her mouth, then he wasn’t so gentle. He pressed against her, trapping her hand so that she could feel his heart beating rapidly, matching the rhythm of her own.

  Her lips parted just enough for him to slip his tongue inside quick as a wink. But he took his time once he was there. Slowly tasting, teasing, exploring. His fingers were running up the back of her neck into her hair, and she had goose bumps to match her shivers.

  Her own moan snuck out, and she felt his lips curve up. That was a sweet extra.

  Had she ever been this swoony over a kiss? Not that she could recollect. It was even better than she’d imagined. Stand
ing was becoming difficult, as his every move made her tremble.

  When he pulled back, it wasn’t far.

  “The spare room bed is all made up,” she said. “It’s a long single.”

  “I noticed.”

  “Mine’s a queen.”

  He stilled. Even his chest. His breathing.

  “Join me?” she whispered, hardly believing the words were hers, but sure. So sure.

  “You sure?”

  She smiled. “Yes.”

  “You know how long I’ve been waiting for this?” he said, leaning back so he could meet her gaze.

  “How long?”

  “Forever.”

  * * *

  LANDON WOKE UP to the early light of dawn sneaking through the curtains in Kylie’s bedroom, but all he cared about was the woman sleeping next to him. Her hand was lying on his chest, her head tucked into the curve of his neck. It felt like winning the world champion title. Like he’d arrived after a year-long journey straight into his fondest dream.

  Landon had wanted her from the start. Not that he hadn’t tried to do the decent thing and forget about her. But the pull had been too great. She was his ideal woman—her kindness, her sense of humor, the way she looked, and on a deeper level, he knew they shared the important things, like home and loyalty, and wanting a family. He’d even understood her trying so hard with Gary, despite the bastard’s behavior toward the end. She was a woman who didn’t run away from life’s brutal pitfalls.

  He didn’t want to wake her, but he couldn’t hold back from brushing a wisp of hair off her cheek.

  Last night, she’d been a little shy, a little daring. He’d gotten a little overexcited, but they’d just laughed. Being with her like that was something he’d never forget, no matter what the future held.

  “You’re awake,” he whispered when he saw her lashes flutter. “I hoped you would sleep a bit longer. I kept you up past your bedtime.”

  She blushed a pretty pink. “What time is it?”

  “Time for a kiss,” he said, pulling her up against his chest, the feel of her hard nipples driving him crazy.

  “Wait,” she said, her voice a breathless whisper.

  “For...?” He kissed her neck, right where he knew she liked it, and inhaled her sweet womanly scent. After a long passionate night, how could he want her this desperately?

  If Landon had his way, he would call Barry and tell him to take the day off. Hell, he’d like to call the whole town and tell them to get their donuts and birthday cakes somewhere else, then he and Kylie could spend the day in bed.

  She pulled back. Not a lot, just enough so they could look at each other.

  “Last night was wonderful,” she said, her beautiful eyes meeting his. “You were wonderful.”

  “I knew it would be like this,” he said. “No, that’s not true. I couldn’t have imagined it would be this...”

  She sighed, then suddenly her face paled and her eyes widened. “What time is it?”

  “About six.”

  “No, no, no, how could I have slept through the alarm? I’ve left Celeste to do everything by herself.” She was scrambling, pulling the blankets up to cover herself, fighting the sheets with her feet. “I’ve got to go.”

  “Yes. Okay. Just, before you leave, let me kiss you.”

  She stilled. “Yes.” Right before their lips met, she murmured, “Oh, God, I’m going to be so late.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Mrs. Ramsey’s dahlias were still in bloom, and Kylie slowed her step to take in the beautiful colors. Pinks, reds, purples, and especially the blue flowers were thriving. Behind them were a row of gladiolas, yellow and white and peach, a perfect backdrop for the drama of the dahlias. It was a real treat to see them this late in the season. After the first frost, they’d be gone.

  She continued down her street, aware of the lightness of her step, and how stupidly happy she was. It was nice, just for a few minutes, to let herself bask in the feelings. Yes, there were reasons to put the brakes on her giddy heart—there was still so much she wasn’t sure about. But Landon had only been staying with her for five days, so she supposed it was okay for her to feel as if she’d won the lottery.

  The only thing she had to keep in mind was that this wasn’t necessarily the beginning of something bigger. Although, it could be, and that’s where the risk was, wasn’t it? Landon would be returning to his own life soon. And at the rate he was healing, it might be sooner than either of them had anticipated. She’d be busy with the bakery and he’d be busy winning rodeos and...so much could happen. Still, worrying about that served no purpose now.

  Things were going great with Celeste, who was a quick learner with a good eye and talent that would only grow as she decorated more cakes. The customers liked her, and she’d even taken the time to figure out the espresso machine, then walked Kylie through the process until they were both comfortable.

  If only Joe had been working as hard as Celeste and Landon. She understood the man had another job, but that shouldn’t interfere with hers. After all, she’d hired him first. As it was, he sometimes showed up late and he’d missed two full days, when the whole job was supposed to have taken one week.

  On the other hand, according to Landon, the tables and the bench seats were almost done. Happily, the warm weather had helped the varnish dry on all the wood, and Barry was a big help. A nice kid, too. She’d had lunch at home twice with the two of them.

  As Kylie neared the house she made up her mind to ask Joe to work over the weekend to make up for his lost time. In fact, she’d insist. After all, the counter should have been finished by now.

  It hadn’t helped matters that she’d been getting less sleep than she needed. Having Landon in her bed was far too much of a temptation. He honestly had to be the sexiest man alive.

  He was also adventurous enough to make her blush even now, and he’d never once just rolled over and went to sleep, leaving her hanging.

  Ugh, no, she wasn’t going to ruin things by thinking of the past. Living in the moment was working for her big-time. Plenty of life ahead for regrets. But being with Landon wouldn’t be one of them.

  The garage door was shut when she reached her house, both trucks parked outside. She wouldn’t bother them. After a sad look at her plain grass lawn, she couldn’t help taking a moment to imagine what it could be.

  She didn’t linger, though, since she wanted to make lunch and surprise the guys.

  After dropping her purse on the end table, she heard voices on her way to the kitchen. The door to the garage stood open. The temptation to peek was enormous, but she’d given her word. Though she hadn’t made any promises about not listening.

  “...great stuff.”

  Landon’s voice. Just hearing it made the butterflies in her stomach flutter.

  “Seriously. We’re further ahead than I expected. You sure you want to major in business instead of working in carpentry? You’d do well.”

  “Nah,” Barry said. “I need to be able to count on a steady income.”

  “It’s a risk, that’s true.”

  For a moment, the sound of what Kylie guessed was an electric sander drowned out everything. If she were a better person, she’d shut the door and get busy making meat-loaf sandwiches. But she’d never claimed to be a saint.

  “So, if you didn’t have to worry about your siblings or your mom working so hard, what would you do?”

  There was silence for a moment, then more sanding or whatever, then quiet again.

  “It doesn’t matter.”

  “Maybe not,” Landon said.

  She could hear him walking with one crutch. They’d gotten carried away last night, and when she’d asked if he was okay, he’d said yes. Liar. At least he was being careful today.

  “You know
how I told you about my dad dying,” Landon said. “It was my senior year, and out of the blue he had a massive heart attack. He’d been healthy, active. Anyway, I’d been breaking mustangs since I was about fourteen and Dad and my brothers noticed I had a talent for it, and they encouraged me.

  “After the grieving, and man, that went on for a long time, I figured my rodeo dreams were over. I felt real guilty for being pissed about that. I was even angry—” Landon cleared his throat. “I was angry at him for dying. It was my brothers who yanked me out of my funk. I was sure I had to work extra hard on the ranch to make up for my dad, but they kept pushing me to keep going. Insisted our dad would have wanted me to do what I loved. They swore they had the ranch covered.”

  After a short silence, Barry asked, “Did you leave right away?”

  “I didn’t completely believe them, but I was seventeen and I wanted to rodeo more than I wanted air. So after high school, I enrolled at a local college. I figured I could help at home and still manage to rodeo on the weekends if the events were close enough. It turned out to be too much so I quit school.”

  Seconds ticked by without either of them speaking.

  “Probably a good choice,” Barry said finally. “I mean, you know, a degree in history...”

  Landon laughed. “Shut up, smart-ass. And pass me that Phillips.”

  Kylie smiled, picturing his slightly flushed face as Barry laughed along with him. She was about to back away when the pounding stopped and Barry said, “You went pro about eight years ago, right?”

  “About that. I told myself I’d win a bunch of money and pay for some of the expenses at the ranch, ease the burden that way. Did okay, too. I was no wunderkind, but I was moving up the ranks.”

  “Yeah, but then you were like...gone for a while.”

  “Hey, you been researching me, kid?”

  “Well, yeah,” Barry said. “Gotta get a fix on the boss, you know?”

  “Hell, when I was your age—”

  “Oh, man, here we go.”

  Landon chuckled.

  “And by the way,” Barry said, “you’re only ten years older than me.”