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Exhilaration battled the panic that grew within her. “What do you want?” she demanded. “Why did you follow me out here?”

“Because…” His voice died, and he finally looked away.

“That’s not an answer.” She meant for her voice to sound stern and accusatory. She would have felt better about all of this if she could get the higher ground. “For heaven’s sake,” she whispered, “will you just tell me what’s going on so my heart will stop with the acrobatics?”

Mason’s eyes darted to meet hers. “What’s going on…”

“That’s what I said.”

The hand that kept hers pinned to his chest released it, but only so he could grasp place a hand on her cheek. “So you feel it, too.” It wasn’t a question. While his eyes seemed to convey a curiosity she found adorable, everything else about him exuded a quiet desire. “Tell me you feel it, too,” he whispered this time.

“Feel what?”

Mason shook his head. “Don’t play that game with me.”

“What game?”

He groaned, slipping his free hand around her waist to keep her close. “I’m attracted to you, Harley. Against my own better judgment, I find you… irresistible.”

She wanted to point out that his statement wasn’t going to be the kind to win her over. He couldn’t possibly think she’d want to hear any of that. What woman wants to be told they’re a bad idea?

Unfortunately, her heart won that argument. Once again, her lungs refused to work. “You’re attracted to me.”

His quirked, half-smile was almost more than she could bear. The warmth of his touch set her skin on fire. She was paralyzed by the whole concept that a cowboy wanted to be with her.

Not just any cowboy—Mason Keagan.

“Well?”

Harley’s eyes widened slightly. “Well, what?”

“Are you going to say something? Do you know how hard that was to confess to you?”

“I’m sure you say that to all the girls.”

His hold on her tightened and that goofy smile disappeared. “I’ve never told a girl anything like that in my life.”

“You haven’t?” Her disbelief was apparently more offensive than she thought it would be.

“Is that so hard to believe?” Mason shifted his focus to her face, tracing her jawline with the back of his knuckle before securing her head with his hand. At some point, she’d moved to grasp him behind his neck. To anyone on the outside, they looked to be at the start of an embrace. “I don’t know what’s going on with me, but I have the strangest urge to kiss you right now.”

If she’d been with anyone else, she might have laughed.

This was not that moment.

Her lashes fluttered, and her heart could have beat a racehorse around the track for how fast it was pounding. She hadn’t come out here to find romance. It was a negligent thing to do. She had plans for her future, for heaven’s sake.

And yet all of those arguments floated out the window, carrying no weight with them.

“So kiss me.” She breathed out the statement so quietly that she couldn’t be one hundred percent sure he even heard her.

Mason stared at her hard, searching her eyes, caressing her face with his gaze. Then, she tilted her head so her chin lifted. His lips lowered to meet hers, gently, sweetly, and intoxicating all at once.

There had been a time in her life when she might have called this kiss timid. A man of Mason’s background shouldn’t be shy. He was a cowboy who should know how to take charge in a moment like this one.

The old Harley would have judged him for the way he took it easy.

But not tonight.