Daddy Wore Spurs (Mills & Boon Cherish) (Men of the West, Book 32) by Stella Bagwell Page A
Authors: Stella Bagwell
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looking to start up a relationship with you.”
She swallowed to ease the aching tightness in her throat. “I’m sure you didn’t. So what—”
“Am I doing?” he finished for her. “The only thing that’s clear to me is when I’m near you I lose control. And I think it happens to you, too.”
She turned to face him and her heart was suddenly crying for her to step into his arms, to confess how much the warmth of his embrace chased away her loneliness. But that would be inviting trouble. The sort she didn’t need at this point in her life. She had very little experience with men. Especially one as rugged and sexy as Finn. Hot, brief flings were his style. Not waking up in the same bed with the same woman for the rest of his life.
“Yes. It—” Glad he couldn’t see her face, she closed her eyes and licked her swollen lips. “I’m not going to deny that I’m attracted to you. That would be pretty pathetic, wouldn’t it? When I just kissed you like—well, like I wanted you.”
His fingers tightened on her shoulder and for some inexplicable reason Mariah felt the urge to cry. To brace herself, she bit down hard on her lip and drew in a deep, cleansing breath.
“I want you, too, Mariah.”
Such sweet, simple words. But his wanting wasn’t the same as hers. She wanted him for more than just a day or night. And she wanted more than just his physical touch. She wanted even the simplest form of his company. To see his smile, hear his voice, watch the ever-changing moods in his sky-blue eyes.
A few years ago, during her college days, she’d thought she felt these things for Kris. But now she realized how lukewarm her feelings for him had been compared to the intensity of her reactions to Finn. And what did it all mean? That she was falling in love with a man she’d met less than twenty-four hours ago? No. Dear heaven, no. His life was back in Nevada on that rich ranch. He’d never think of her in a long-term way.
Bracing herself, she turned and faced him. “It’s nothing more than chemistry, and we need to deal with it in an adult way.”
“Speak for yourself. I pretty much feel like an adult right now.”
She groaned with frustration. “Yesterday we were total strangers, Finn!”
A slow grin spread across his face and Mariah’s gaze went straight to his lips. Even now, she wanted to forget the right or wrong of it and tilt her mouth back up to his. Oh my, she had to get a grip and fast.
“If you ask me, a kiss is a pretty good way for us to get to know each other.”
She stepped around him before she was tempted to give in to the urge of touching him again. “You need to understand that I’m nothing like Aimee!”
“What the hell does that mean?” he barked.
She started toward the door. “It means I won’t go to bed with you just because it would feel good!”
“Thanks for the warning,” he flung at her, then stomped off the porch.
Mariah didn’t wait to see where he was going. With her eyes full of tears, she hurried into the house.
* * *
A few minutes later at the barn, Finn backed his truck up to the door of the feed room and began to unload sacks of grain and alfalfa bales from the bed. As he stacked the feed and hay neatly to one side of the room, Mariah’s parting words continued to eat at him.
Damn it, did she think all he wanted from a woman was to get her into bed? Having a brief fling with Aimee didn’t make him a playboy. But apparently in Mariah’s eyes it did. And after the way he’d been grabbing her up and kissing her, he could hardly blame her for thinking that way.
Using his knee to shove the last bale into place, Finn stepped back from the stacked hay and pulled a bandanna from the back pocket of his jeans. As he wiped the sweat from his face, words of warning from his father and brother swirled through his mind, adding to his frustration.
Deep down, he realized his family was right. Now more than ever, he needed to use common sense. He couldn’t let
She swallowed to ease the aching tightness in her throat. “I’m sure you didn’t. So what—”
“Am I doing?” he finished for her. “The only thing that’s clear to me is when I’m near you I lose control. And I think it happens to you, too.”
She turned to face him and her heart was suddenly crying for her to step into his arms, to confess how much the warmth of his embrace chased away her loneliness. But that would be inviting trouble. The sort she didn’t need at this point in her life. She had very little experience with men. Especially one as rugged and sexy as Finn. Hot, brief flings were his style. Not waking up in the same bed with the same woman for the rest of his life.
“Yes. It—” Glad he couldn’t see her face, she closed her eyes and licked her swollen lips. “I’m not going to deny that I’m attracted to you. That would be pretty pathetic, wouldn’t it? When I just kissed you like—well, like I wanted you.”
His fingers tightened on her shoulder and for some inexplicable reason Mariah felt the urge to cry. To brace herself, she bit down hard on her lip and drew in a deep, cleansing breath.
“I want you, too, Mariah.”
Such sweet, simple words. But his wanting wasn’t the same as hers. She wanted him for more than just a day or night. And she wanted more than just his physical touch. She wanted even the simplest form of his company. To see his smile, hear his voice, watch the ever-changing moods in his sky-blue eyes.
A few years ago, during her college days, she’d thought she felt these things for Kris. But now she realized how lukewarm her feelings for him had been compared to the intensity of her reactions to Finn. And what did it all mean? That she was falling in love with a man she’d met less than twenty-four hours ago? No. Dear heaven, no. His life was back in Nevada on that rich ranch. He’d never think of her in a long-term way.
Bracing herself, she turned and faced him. “It’s nothing more than chemistry, and we need to deal with it in an adult way.”
“Speak for yourself. I pretty much feel like an adult right now.”
She groaned with frustration. “Yesterday we were total strangers, Finn!”
A slow grin spread across his face and Mariah’s gaze went straight to his lips. Even now, she wanted to forget the right or wrong of it and tilt her mouth back up to his. Oh my, she had to get a grip and fast.
“If you ask me, a kiss is a pretty good way for us to get to know each other.”
She stepped around him before she was tempted to give in to the urge of touching him again. “You need to understand that I’m nothing like Aimee!”
“What the hell does that mean?” he barked.
She started toward the door. “It means I won’t go to bed with you just because it would feel good!”
“Thanks for the warning,” he flung at her, then stomped off the porch.
Mariah didn’t wait to see where he was going. With her eyes full of tears, she hurried into the house.
* * *
A few minutes later at the barn, Finn backed his truck up to the door of the feed room and began to unload sacks of grain and alfalfa bales from the bed. As he stacked the feed and hay neatly to one side of the room, Mariah’s parting words continued to eat at him.
Damn it, did she think all he wanted from a woman was to get her into bed? Having a brief fling with Aimee didn’t make him a playboy. But apparently in Mariah’s eyes it did. And after the way he’d been grabbing her up and kissing her, he could hardly blame her for thinking that way.
Using his knee to shove the last bale into place, Finn stepped back from the stacked hay and pulled a bandanna from the back pocket of his jeans. As he wiped the sweat from his face, words of warning from his father and brother swirled through his mind, adding to his frustration.
Deep down, he realized his family was right. Now more than ever, he needed to use common sense. He couldn’t let
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