Montana Wrangler by Charlotte Carter

looking up at her. His rugged jaw relaxed into a smile. His eyes shone with encouragement.
    Her heart did a tumble. Had anyone ever looked at her in quite that way? With approval? Pride? And something that seemed to be much more?
    They reached the place where they had started.
    â€œYou want to go around again?” he asked.
    She shook her head. “I think that’s enough for today.”
    â€œYou’re sure? I’ll let you steer if you want.”
    â€œDefinitely not,” she said with a laugh.
    He looped the lead line over the railing. “Down you come then.”
    She swung her leg up over the horse’s rump. His large hands closed around her waist, warm and strong, as he eased her to the ground. She turned to look up at him.
    Their eyes met, and something electric sparked between them. Something that defied explanation. A snap. A connection.
    â€œYou were terrific.” Slowly, he lowered his head.
    When his lips touched hers, a shiver of yearning quickened her heartbeat, and her breath lodged in her lungs. Excitement churned through her midsection. Dreams she had never dared to dream raced through her head. The kiss didn’t last long. The quick brush of his lips on hers was almost like a reward for a job well done. Even so, she continued to feel the imprint of his warmth. The sweetness of his kiss.
    He took a step back, leaving her slightly unsteady on her feet.
    â€œHow about we go around twice tomorrow?” His voice sounded raspy, breathless.
    She didn’t know how to answer. It didn’t matter. No matter how hard she might try, his kiss had left her unable to form a coherent thought.

Chapter Seven
    J ay had no idea why he’d kissed Paige. He’d helped her off the horse. She’d felt so good right there in his arms. He’d been very proud of her courage. The way she’d swallowed her fears for one trip around the corral.
    So he’d kissed her as if he’d had the right.
    That one little kiss had rocked him all the way down to his boots.
    Dumb idea, Red Elk. She wasn’t going to stick around. He might’ve gotten her on a horse once, but it wasn’t like she’d be joining a Western mounted troupe and parade in a Fourth of July rodeo anytime soon.
    Hours later, as he walked through the stable doing his last check of the horses for the night, he could still taste her sweet lips. Feel her slender figure in his arms. Smell the honeysuckle scent of her shampoo.
    He and Bryan were taking a dozen riders on an all-day trail ride to Mount Thompson in the morning. He’d be well away from Paige. He’d forget about her lips and how he’d like to kiss her again.
    That was the smart thing to do.
    As he returned to his quarters, he glanced toward the house. The light was on in the room where Paige slept. He wondered what she was doing. If she was thinking about their kiss.
    She’d looked as stunned as he had felt when they broke the kiss. She hadn’t slapped him or seemed mad. For the longest time, neither of them had said a word.
    Then Jay had led Peaches into her stall and unsaddled her. Standing silently in the middle of the barn, Paige had watched him.
    â€œBryan will be home soon,” she finally said, her whisper like the rustle of leaves on the ground blown along by a gentle breeze.
    He’d nodded, and she’d left the stable, leaving Jay wondering when he’d turned into a mute. He hadn’t been much more talkative at dinner, which worked out okay because Bryan kept yammering about Game Day and the race and baseball toss he’d won.
    Jay kicked the gravel on the walkway between the house and his quarters. He’d get a good night’s sleep and be on the trail early in the morning.
    That’s what he did for a living. That’s who he was. Not some guy sitting at a desk in a downtown high-rise wearing a suit.
    Not a man who got a second look from a woman like Paige.
    * * *
    First thing in the morning,