Rawhide and Roses by Maddie James

her attention to her barbecued chicken, sinking her fork into a piece of juicy thigh meat.
    Kim dismissed her with a grumble and glanced quickly at the rest of the group, all eating hungrily. Even Tim didn’t seem interested in more than his meal at the moment. Shrugging, she headed for the solitary table.
    After a minute or so into her meal, the shadow crossed her plate again.
    Thad sat across from her without a sound, or even acknowledgment that he was not the only person at the table. For several minutes, she ate, every once in a while lifting her gaze to snatch a glimpse of him. He kept his attention on his food. Kim noticed he heartily sampled all of her dishes and before long, his entire plate was clean. Finally, like a satisfied male, he looked up to catch her watching him. Funny how the notion that she’d satisfied his stomach made her wonder if she could satisfy him in other ways as well.
    A thrill burst up through her at that moment and she realized that ever since last night, ever since she’d felt Thad’s hard, warm arms wrapped around her naked torso, her brain and her hormones had been thinking the same thing. Could she satisfy a man like Thad Winchester? Correction. Not a man like Thad Winchester, but Thad himself?
    Those cool, dark eyes bore into hers and a white-hot shiver raced across her shoulders. “So...” she interjected, glancing toward his plate, “ready for seconds?”
    Shit! Seconds? Her brain went to last night.
    Hesitating, Thad shook his head. “No,” he finally answered. “Thank you, though,” he added.
    “Oh...that bad, huh?” Her gaze kept pace with his; her pulse kept rhythm with...something.
    A glimmer raced through his eyes. “No. The supper was...adequate. You’ve handled yourself quite well in the kitchen.”
    Was that statement an actual compliment? “It’s second nature.”
    “Oh?”
    She watched the thin line of brow running over his eyes arch in animation and his jaw grow slack. She was more used to the narrowed, hooded expression he usually sported, but suddenly found his face quite attractive since he’d momentarily rid it of the scowl. Not that she hadn’t found him attractive before — that is if one went after the rugged look...which she didn’t, usually, but....
    Kim leaned both elbows over the table and drew closer to Thad. She squinted against the setting sun and felt one corner of her mouth draw up into what might be described as a smirk. Discussion of the dinner was more easily handled at the moment than the thought of her and Thad together. And for once, they weren’t yelling at each other. “That meal was more than adequate and you know it, Thad Winchester,” she threw out playfully.
    Am I actually flirting?
    Echoing her lean, Thad’s face inched closer. “Well...I might be willing to up the rating to satisfactory if I had some desert and coffee.”
    Is he flirting?
    “Regular or decaf?” They both knew there was nothing but regular.
    Thad pulled himself back at the quick comeback and Kim actually saw a hint of a grin pass over his lips. “Regular. I sleep like a log. What’s for desert?”
    “Pound cake with strawberries. And you didn’t sleep like a log last night... Cream or sugar?” She drew in over the space of the table again, becoming accustomed to this strange banter between them.
    “Black. And no strawberries. I’m allergic. Why don’t you think I slept well?”
    She rose, her gaze holding his steady, picked up her plate, and reached across the table for his. “Because I didn’t, either.”
    Thad’s fingers wrapped around her wrist stopping her and her gaze shot to his hand. An ever-so-gentle tug pulled her slightly closer. Kim felt drawn to him, the tug likely wasn’t necessary. The physical pulling of her closer wouldn’t have mattered at all. Her plate fell to the ground with a clank and rattle. She had practically stopped breathing the instant his hot fingers curled around her wrist.
    But when she brought her gaze back