years, like hers.
Damn! Here stood the first man she’d met since her separation who made her think
of all the steamy possibilities, and he was too young.
She didn’t realize she’d cursed out loud until his soft chuckle washed over her like
a silky caress. Her cheeks flamed instantly.
“Women don’t generally cuss me ‘til after they know me better,” he said, his
baritone voice thick as molasses.
The timbre and tone of his voice appealed too much. She lifted a single brow, trying
for off-putting and hoping he didn’t notice her lashes were still wet from tears.
“Obviously, they’re not too discerning.”
His smile dimmed and his eyes narrowed, sweeping over her face and body
hunched behind the steering wheel. “Not from around here, are you?” he asked,
leaning closer.
She reminded herself she was alone, in the middle of a country road, with a large,
predatory-looking man looming over her—and she’d just insulted him. She hit her
automatic lock button.
“Whoa,” he said, lifting his hands. “I didn’t mean to scare you, ma’am.”
Ma’am! Now she really did feel like the spinster librarian she was.
“Look…” He straightened away. “I just stopped to see if you were having car
trouble.”
“Funny, but I wasn’t having any trouble at all ‘til you stopped,” she said, making
sure he understood her unsubtle dig, and hoping he’d take the hint and leave.
The cowboy looked around and then down the gravel road toward her home,
before returning to give her a questioning glance. “You lost then? The main highway’s
about three miles behind you.”
6
Ride a Cowboy
“Nope, I know exactly where I am.” She kept her response terse and lifted her chin.
No way was she going to encourage the conversation to continue—no matter how
handsome the man was—or more to the point, because he was so attractive. “Not that
it’s any of your business. I was just double-checking the address.”
He pushed back his cowboy hat and leaned down again. “Well, I wouldn’t want
you to waste any more of your valuable time,” he said, his gaze raking her face, “but
you’re at 118 Amman Road. The letters are worn off the mailbox.”
The longer he stood there, the more certain she became she needed him gone.
Something about him, his steady gaze and his large sturdy frame, made
her…want…something more, something she was better off not having right now.
“Then I’m in the right place,” she said, keeping her expression challenging.
His hand rubbed the back of his neck and he shook his head. “Well, I’ll be
damned,” he said softly. When his green gaze returned, his expression was hard to
read, but intense, almost searching.
Katelyn shivered. All that attention from a handsome man unnerved her. She
needed time alone to dam up her defenses against her unwanted reactions. Handsome
she’d had and wasn’t what she needed now.
“Seein’ as how you don’t need any help,” he said, “I’ll be on my way.” One last
glance with a naked promise she couldn’t misinterpret, and he left…taking Katelyn’s
breath right along with him.
In the mirror, her gaze clung to his broad back and nicely rounded backside until he
reached the door of his cab and glanced back. She whipped away her gaze and hoped
like hell he hadn’t caught her looking at his ass. Sinking in her seat, she burned with
embarrassment while he passed by, giving her one last smoldering glance.
Katelyn’s heart slowed and her hands released their tight grip on the steering
wheel.
He was just a man—he had nothing she needed or wanted— ever again . Except
maybe sex. She did miss that. But she’d never have sex with entanglement again.
7
Delilah Devlin
Complicating that fact, she’d come to a small town to start her life anew and couldn’t
afford the kind of scandal a fling with a younger man would cause.
Pushing thoughts of the tall cowboy aside, she pulled onto the long gravel
Damn! Here stood the first man she’d met since her separation who made her think
of all the steamy possibilities, and he was too young.
She didn’t realize she’d cursed out loud until his soft chuckle washed over her like
a silky caress. Her cheeks flamed instantly.
“Women don’t generally cuss me ‘til after they know me better,” he said, his
baritone voice thick as molasses.
The timbre and tone of his voice appealed too much. She lifted a single brow, trying
for off-putting and hoping he didn’t notice her lashes were still wet from tears.
“Obviously, they’re not too discerning.”
His smile dimmed and his eyes narrowed, sweeping over her face and body
hunched behind the steering wheel. “Not from around here, are you?” he asked,
leaning closer.
She reminded herself she was alone, in the middle of a country road, with a large,
predatory-looking man looming over her—and she’d just insulted him. She hit her
automatic lock button.
“Whoa,” he said, lifting his hands. “I didn’t mean to scare you, ma’am.”
Ma’am! Now she really did feel like the spinster librarian she was.
“Look…” He straightened away. “I just stopped to see if you were having car
trouble.”
“Funny, but I wasn’t having any trouble at all ‘til you stopped,” she said, making
sure he understood her unsubtle dig, and hoping he’d take the hint and leave.
The cowboy looked around and then down the gravel road toward her home,
before returning to give her a questioning glance. “You lost then? The main highway’s
about three miles behind you.”
6
Ride a Cowboy
“Nope, I know exactly where I am.” She kept her response terse and lifted her chin.
No way was she going to encourage the conversation to continue—no matter how
handsome the man was—or more to the point, because he was so attractive. “Not that
it’s any of your business. I was just double-checking the address.”
He pushed back his cowboy hat and leaned down again. “Well, I wouldn’t want
you to waste any more of your valuable time,” he said, his gaze raking her face, “but
you’re at 118 Amman Road. The letters are worn off the mailbox.”
The longer he stood there, the more certain she became she needed him gone.
Something about him, his steady gaze and his large sturdy frame, made
her…want…something more, something she was better off not having right now.
“Then I’m in the right place,” she said, keeping her expression challenging.
His hand rubbed the back of his neck and he shook his head. “Well, I’ll be
damned,” he said softly. When his green gaze returned, his expression was hard to
read, but intense, almost searching.
Katelyn shivered. All that attention from a handsome man unnerved her. She
needed time alone to dam up her defenses against her unwanted reactions. Handsome
she’d had and wasn’t what she needed now.
“Seein’ as how you don’t need any help,” he said, “I’ll be on my way.” One last
glance with a naked promise she couldn’t misinterpret, and he left…taking Katelyn’s
breath right along with him.
In the mirror, her gaze clung to his broad back and nicely rounded backside until he
reached the door of his cab and glanced back. She whipped away her gaze and hoped
like hell he hadn’t caught her looking at his ass. Sinking in her seat, she burned with
embarrassment while he passed by, giving her one last smoldering glance.
Katelyn’s heart slowed and her hands released their tight grip on the steering
wheel.
He was just a man—he had nothing she needed or wanted— ever again . Except
maybe sex. She did miss that. But she’d never have sex with entanglement again.
7
Delilah Devlin
Complicating that fact, she’d come to a small town to start her life anew and couldn’t
afford the kind of scandal a fling with a younger man would cause.
Pushing thoughts of the tall cowboy aside, she pulled onto the long gravel
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