Jessica took her glass. “Hey, that’s great—”
“No, it’s not. This has disaster written all over it. It’s one thing to be neighborly, help him with the baby when it comes to picking out food. But a date? On top of kissing him? That’s taking things way too—”
“Whoa, wait a minute.” Her sister cut her off. “You kissed him?”
“He kissed me. Then I kissed him back.” Kelsey took a large gulp of wine. “We kissed each other.”
“Just now?”
Kelsey shook her head. “Wednesday. After I helped him give Anthony a bath.”
“How was it?”
“The bath?”
“The kissing.”
“Oh, it was… He was…”
Her sister dropped to the couch and leaned back against the cushions with a sigh. “Oh, I remember what that was like.”
“What?”
“The inability to put into words what a man does to you.”
“I’m not… He’s not…”
Jessica smiled as she ran a finger around the edge of her glass. “Boy, you’ve got it bad.”
She did.
And for a man she’d known just over a week.
All the strength left her and she slowly sank to the couch next to her sister. “Jess, what am I going to do?”
“Hon, I know you’re scared, but you need to let go of your past.” Jessica patted her on the knee. “You remember what Mom always says about gauging a man’s worth?”
Kelsey nodded. “How a man acts around children and animals will show his true character.”
“And you’ve seen both firsthand with Cooper. You said yourself he’s wonderful with his horse. As for the way he is with his son…well, his lack of experience is far outpaced by his obvious love and commitment.”
Everything her sister said was true, but that didn’t make the jump back into the world of dating any easier. Especially since her last two boyfriends had been great with animals, too. It was their inability to treat her decently that got in the way. “I’m going to screw this up, Jess. Just like always. I’m going to fall too hard, too fast and then—”
“So, just take it slow this time,” her sister said. “It’s only a date, right? He didn’t get down on one knee, did he?”
“I’ve only known the guy a week!”
“I fell in love with Pete when I was barely a teenager,” Jessica reminded her. “There aren’t any rules when it comes to finding your true love.”
“This isn’t true love.” Kelsey stood and marched to the kitchen table. Placing her wineglass down with a thunk, she grabbed the bowl of blueberry facial. “It’s just…hormones.”
“Okay, whatever you say.” Jess joined her as she pulled her hair into a tight ponytail. “I’m guessing you’re whipping that fruity mixture into submission for my benefit?”
Kelsey stopped her frenzied churning and scooped up a handful of the facial. “Yes, and close your mouth. My aim isn’t so good.”
Jessica complied, but the sparkling laughter in her eyes told Kelsey how hard it was for her sister to comply. She smoothed on the creamy blend leaving only her sister’s eyes and mouth uncovered.
“Okay, go ahead.” Kelsey went to the sink and washed her hands. “I know you’re dying to ask something.”
“What are you going to wear?”
“Jeans and a T-shirt,” she replied, knowing her sister was asking about tomorrow’s date. “What else?”
“Oh, come on. The man’s only seen you in jeans and T-shirts since you met him.”
“Don’t forget this lovely outfit.” Kelsey turned around, hands held aloft as if she was a model posing for a photo shoot. “Complete with a ratty towel turban and my face covered in strawberry gunk.”
Jessica laughed and grabbed a bottle of nail polish as she toed off her flip-flops. “Don’t you have anything in your closet that’s flirty and sexy and guaranteed to knock his boots off?”
Kelsey steadied the towel on her head as she looked down at her pajamas. She cringed at the image of her Cooper had left here with, but flirty and sexy?
“Wait, I know what you should wear!” Her sister jumped up from her chair and headed for Kelsey’s bedroom.
From the noise, Kelsey knew Jess was rummaging in her closet, but she doubted her sister would find anything. Her whole world was working with horses and being in a barn all day.
What could she possibly have that would give the prescribed effect her sister suggested? Did she want to knock Cooper’s boots off—figuratively or otherwise? And what would she do if she managed to accomplish just that?
“You can wear this,” Jessica said, returning with a dress dangling from her fingertips. “It’s soft and feminine and sexy—”
“That? I haven’t worn that since Mom and Dad’s anniversary party five years ago.” Kelsey stared at her sister. “And you spent most of that night telling me it was too short!”
“Like I said,” Jessica said with a grin. “It’s perfect!”
Chapter Seven
Cooper stepped down from his truck, his boots so shiny he could see his freshly shaved reflection in them. He tucked his starched shirt back down into the waistband of his jeans and straightened the rodeo buckle he’d won six months before he’d been legally old enough to drink.
Eyeing his Stetson in the backseat, he decided to leave it there since he’d just take it off again on the drive to the fairgrounds. He looked to the other side of the seat where Anthony sat, smiling and drooling, safely locked into his car seat.
He wondered if he should leave him there. The stairs to Kelsey’s apartment were only a few feet away. He’d be able to get to her front door and never take his eyes off the truck.
Better not, he decided, as he rounded the freshly washed vehicle’s front end, reaching for the back door on his son’s side of the truck.
“Please, don’t worry about moving him. I’m ready to go.”
He turned at the sound of Kelsey’s voice.
The air disappeared from his lungs before he could brace for the effect. Damn. He managed to lock his knees and stay upright, a major victory, when he caught sight of his date.
He thought he’d gotten used to the now-familiar kick to the gut every time he saw this lady. A kick that even happened last night when the only things he could see in all that creamy goo were her beautiful eyes and luscious mouth.
Not this time.
Nope, this felt like he’d been knocked on his butt by a rearing bronco. He half expected to look up and see a ring of dancing stars circling over his head.
What he saw instead was Kelsey, standing outside her apartment on the postage-stamp-size landing. Her hair flowed over her shoulders in a dark shiny curtain, and he realized it was the first time he’d seen her wearing it down. Lightly tanned skin was laid bare thanks to the sleeveless, peach-colored sundress that hit her midthigh. Sexy sandals revealed the results of last night’s beauty regimen with polished toes that matched her dress.
She held tight to the stairs’ handrail while her smile, a mixture of anxious and sweet, dimmed. “Cooper? Is everything all right?”
Everything was perfect.
She was perfect.
He blinked hard and resisted the urge to make sure his hair wasn’t a mess. He should’ve cut it today, but opted for cleaning out the truck instead.
After a quick glance at Anthony, he forced his legs to move to the bottom of the stairs. “Yeah…everything’s…”
His voice trailed off as she started toward him, bringing those lean, toned legs closer and closer. The image flashed in his head of him kissing one delicate ankle before moving upward until he reached the smooth, sweet—
“Cooper?”
He broke free of his fantasy and realized she’d stopped on the second to last step. They now stood eye to eye.
“You can close your mouth.” Kelsey’s fingers lightly tapped beneath his chin. “And thank you.”
He grinned, enjoying that she knew she’d taken his b
reath away. “You’re welcome.”
“You clean up nice, too.”
The tip of her tongue swiped across her lips. A wet shine remained that Cooper wanted to devour, along with the rest of her. He fought off the impulse, reminding himself again, that this was just a friendly date, a night on the town.
With a woman who had the ability to drop him to his knees.
Literally and with pleasure.
He gestured at the truck. “Ah, you ready to go?”
“Sure.”
Kelsey stepped down the last two steps and walked to the passenger side. He opened the door, noticing her quick study of the amount of space between the ground and the seat. She hesitated for a moment before grabbing the hold bar and hoisting herself inside.
Suddenly grateful for the oversize tires that raised the truck’s chassis almost two feet off the ground, he enjoyed the sight of her dress inching even higher on those gorgeous legs. He then realized he’d missed out on the chance to get his hands on her in the guise of offering her assistance.
That was probably a good thing.
He shut the door and headed for the driver’s side, taking the long way around the end of the truck. He used the extra steps to remind himself again why he’d waited until the last minute to make plans with Kelsey.
Talking with Ross and Frannie had him second-guessing his choices, and he hated it. He’d always followed his gut when it came to deciding everything from what job to take next, to when to walk away or stick around for the fight.
So, he’d ignored the almost magnetic pull this lady seemed to have over him and steered clear of her for nearly forty-eight hours. Then he’d decided to follow his own personal code, which coincided with his brother’s advice, and ask her for a date.
“The vehicle only moves when you do.”
Cooper jerked, heat crossing his face. He’d gotten behind the wheel and put on his seat belt, but the truck was still in park with the engine running, the radio turned to a local country music station.
“Right.” His fingers moved to the button that controlled the blast of the air-conditioning. “You mind if I turn this up?”
He looked over and watched Kelsey turn back from where she’d cooed a soft hello to Anthony before grabbing her seatbelt and clicking it into place.
An unsettled feeling hit him in the chest.
She’d taken a moment to talk to his son. What’s the big deal in that? Refusing to scrutinize why it meant so much to him, he pushed the feeling aside, cranked the fan to high, letting loose a blast of cold air, and put the truck in reverse.
Glancing over his shoulder, his gaze landed on Anthony for a moment before it slid over the lady next to him, her long hair blowing off her shoulders in the artificial breeze. The same breeze lifted a light strawberry scent off her skin, filling the truck’s cabin and his head.
He focused on his driving, but his gaze constantly moved to the mirrors to keep an eye on his son and to Kelsey, who seemed to have no problem keeping her gaze focused on the road. An awkward silence prevailed as they reached the crowded parking lot for the fairgrounds ten minutes later and found a spot.
Cooper turned off the engine and exited the truck. He reached Kelsey’s door just as she’d opened it. This time he reached for her, placing his hands around her waist and easily lifted her to the ground.
“Oh, you don’t have to do that—ohhh,” Kelsey said. “That feels good.”
A shiver raced through her and her soft exhale went right to his gut before taking a hard right southward, distracting him from realizing exactly what that sexy sound meant.
He moved his hands from her hips to her upper arms, feeling the raised goose bumps on her skin. “Are you cold? Damn, you’re freezing. Why didn’t you say anything?”
“You seemed to prefer the arctic temperature.” She shivered again as he rubbed her arms. Unclenching her fingers, she placed her hands to his chest. “Mmm, that feels wonderful.”
“You should’ve said something.”
“I didn’t think you were in the mood to talk.”
He stilled, the angle of the early-evening sun making it hard to see her eyes. Her fingertips flexed against the stiff material of his shirt. He had to hold back his own groan as he pulled her closer. So close, he could feel her dress brush against the front of his jeans.
“Maybe we should just do it and get it over with,” Kelsey whispered.
It’d been a while since Cooper had made love in the back of a pickup and it usually involved advanced planning that included privacy and soft blankets—and no children. Of course, that didn’t stop the image of him and Kelsey, skin to skin, beneath a star-filled sky from flashing inside his head.
“Kiss me, Cooper.”
Huh?
She tunneled her fingers into the hair that lay against his shirt collar and tugged his head down until their lips met. Her tongue moved over his mouth and he immediately allowed her entrance, meeting her more than halfway. The desire to crush her to his chest raced through him, but he held off and allowed the beautiful woman in his arms to control this moment.
Arching her back, she reached up and pressed her curves against him. He flattened his hands to her back to hold her in place and keep his fingers from inching southward to find out exactly what she wore beneath the silky material of her dress.
It wasn’t until distant catcalls and whistles from other Spring Fling patrons reached his ears that Cooper pulled back, ending the connection between them.
“There…” Kelsey lowered herself from her tiptoes and withdrew her hands, busying herself with putting her purse back up on one shoulder. “Much better.”
With great reluctance, Cooper let his hands fall from her back as he heaved a deep breath and slowly released it. “If you say so.”
“Now we can enjoy our evening without wondering if the kissing that happened the other day was as good as we thought.”
“You were wondering that?” he asked.
“Weren’t you?”
He shook his head, unable to contain the grin tugging at one corner of his mouth. “No, ma’am.”
“Oh.”
“I never had any doubt how good it was,” Cooper said, unable to stop himself from touching her, his thumb lightly brushing over the throbbing pulse point at the base of her neck. “But thanks for the reminder.”
She swallowed, but didn’t move from his touch. He liked that. “Speaking of reminders,” he continued, “I think we should get Anthony out of his car seat before he realizes the truck’s engine is off.”
“Oh, my!” This time Kelsey did spring out of his reach. “I can’t believe I forgot—that I kissed you instead of—”
“Hey, no harm done.” Cooper opened the door to the backseat. “See, he’s fine.”
Anthony turned his head at the noise and offered a sloppy grin around a plastic teething ring.
“As long as he’s got something in his mouth, he’s a happy guy.”
It took some effort, but Cooper managed to cut off any relation those words had to what his own mouth had just been doing. He reached for the diaper bag and stroller. It took a few minutes to figure out how to unfold the complex device, but between the two of them they got everything locked in place, including Anthony, who thankfully still had a dry diaper.
“Whew!” Grabbing his Stetson from the seat, Cooper placed it on his head. He took the diaper bag from Kelsey and shoved it into the open space in the back of the stroller. “I think we’re all set. Ready to introduce this little guy to a Red Rock tradition?”
Kelsey nodded and walked between the parked vehicles toward the open area leading to the concessions. “Let’s start with food. All this work has revved up my appetite.”
He flexed his fingers, relaxing his grip on the stroller’s handles as he pushed his son alongside her. “And here I thought I had something to do with that.”
She tilted her head and looked at him with a smile. “Relax and enjoy ourselves, remember?”
“Oh, I r
emember, all right.”
An hour later, Cooper was sure his head was going to explode thanks to the images bombarding him.
Watching Kelsey dive into her plate of Texas barbecue, licking the sauce from her fingers with ease, having no idea what the sight of her tongue wrapped around those long digits did to him. Her shifting close to him, pressing those curves against his arm as he moved the baby’s stroller through the crowd or whenever she introduced him to people who stopped to say hello. Enjoying the way she happily played Anthony’s favorite game of “drop the toy, watch the grown-up pick it up” they had going on.
And boy, did the girl love junk food.
After dinner there’d been a bag of cotton candy—more finger-licking to wreak havoc on his libido—as they walked through the craft area. She claimed it kept her from spending money, but he’d seen her eyes light up when she spotted a rust-colored blanket with purple, white and turquoise accents in the booth that housed Isabella Fortune’s hand-woven creations.
He’d overheard the two ladies talking as he stood nearby with JR, Isabella’s husband, and saw Kelsey’s disappointment at the price. Slipping his cousin enough cash to cover the purchase and his truck keys when JR offered to stash the blanket there, Cooper promised to stop back on the way out to get his keys. He wanted Kelsey to have something special to remember tonight.
As they entered the Spring Fling midway minutes later to test their gaming skills, she was finishing off a cherry Popsicle that stained the inside of her mouth a bright red and made him want to taste her all over again.
“What’s an aardvark’s favorite pizza topping?”
Pulled from his thoughts by her question, Cooper realized she was reading a riddle off the empty Popsicle stick. “I don’t know. What?”
“Ant-chovies.”
Cooper groaned, but Kelsey laughed and a desperate need to feel her mouth under his again raced through his veins.
She must’ve read the need on his face because she turned toward the closest booth, digging into her purse. “Come on, let’s play this one. I’m feeling lucky!”
He was willing to show her just how lucky they both could be, but instead, Cooper eyed the milk bottles stacked three layers high on the other side of the booth. Often the bottles were made with leaded bottoms, making it near impossible to knock over the entire tower and win a prize, unless the thrower concentrated on the base of the first row.
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