Page 17 of Cowboy’s Last Stand (His to Protect #1)

“It’s a little early for that question. We just met.”

“Would you take her to Montaina?”

“Montana.”

Marcus repeated it.

“I don’t live in Montana anymore. I moved.”

“Where to?”

“San Diego.”

“Is that in Mexico?”

Jason chucked at the hopeful question. “It’s close. If I took your mom anywhere, you’d come with us.”

“For real?”

“For real.”

Natalie had to leave the table to get a tissue for her weepy eyes. By the time Marcus came back inside, her emotions were under control again. He asked her to read him a story before bed. She’d never been happier to comply.

After he fell asleep, she went outside to sit with Jason.

Her irritation with him had faded. She couldn’t fault the way he’d handled the conversation with Marcus.

He’d been patient and deferential to her.

Even so, the larger problem remained. She was still worried about Marcus getting emotionally attached to Jason. She was worried about herself too.

“I’m sorry about earlier,” he said. “I overstepped.”

“I overreacted.”

He shrugged off her admission.

“Thank you for talking to him and for not telling him who Billy was bothering.”

“No problem. I didn’t want him to get riled up again.”

“I appreciate it.”

“Boys are protective of their mothers.”

“I suppose you consider this a valid reason to fight.”

“It is in Montana. Not sure about Texas.”

She sighed, shaking her head.

“I thought of something that might help, but I wanted to run it by you first.”

“What’s that?”

“Tai chi.”

“Tai chi?”

“It’s a meditative type of martial arts.”

“You know how to do it?”

“I’ve studied it a bit.”

“You’re a man of many interests.”

“My physical therapist recommended it,” he admitted. “For mental health benefits and improved self-control.”

Natalie liked the suggestion. “Do you need help with self-control?”

He shrugged. “I have an issue with enclosed spaces.”

“And crowded ones?”

“Yes.”

“Were you uncomfortable tonight?”

“Not as much as I expected to be.”

“Why did you agree to go?” she asked, baffled.

“Why do you think?”

“To score points with me?”

“I’m not keeping score. I enjoy your company.”

She gave him a skeptical glance. It wasn’t that she didn’t believe him about enjoying her company. The feeling was mutual. She just found him a little too good to be true. “There’s something strange about you.”

“Quite a few things.”

“I’m not talking about the way you avoid crowds and enclosed spaces. I’m talking about the way you are with me.”

“How am I with you?”

She tried to pinpoint the issue. “It’s like you already know me. From a past life.”

He arched a brow. “Do you believe in past lives?”

“No, I don’t,” she said, twining a lock of hair around her finger. “But I can’t think of another word to describe it. You act like you’ve known me forever, and you look at me like I’m the only woman in the room.”

“You’re the most beautiful woman in the room.”

“You’re attentive, and protective, to an unusual degree.”

“I’m your ‘guardian angel.’”

“Now you’re mocking me.”

“No. I’m not.”

“We’re not even dating,” she said, flustered.

“We can change that.”

“Marcus already adores you.”

“Is that a problem?”

“Of course, it’s a problem,” she said. “He lost his father. Why would I let him get attached to a man who’s going to California?”

“Ah.”

“He’ll be heartbroken.”

“California isn’t my only option.”’

“What do you mean?”

“I haven’t accepted the position in San Diego.”

Natalie wondered why he would pass on the opportunity. San Diego was an ideal place for him. He could sleep outside there year-round.

“I’m a military-trained mechanic,” he said. “I can work on any base in the country.”

“So you might stay in Texas?”

“Why not? Fort Cavazos is only twenty minutes away.”

Although Natalie had more questions than answers, it was hard to focus when he was staring at her with full intensity.

He’d removed his glasses and put them away.

He was so handsome that her chest ached.

The light from the kitchen window cast a faint glow behind them.

The rain had dissipated, leaving the air moist and the street glistening.

She felt something for Jason that she’d never felt with Wade.

Her emotions were all over the place. “You don’t seem fazed by any of this. ”

“Any of what?”

“Marcus, the sheriff… our argument.”

“I don’t scare easy.”

“Wouldn’t you rather date someone unencumbered? I’m a single mom with a lot on my plate.”

“But you’ve got a great vocabulary.”

“Will you stop complimenting me and be serious?”

He scrubbed a hand over his jaw, considering.

“The sheriff can’t run me out of town. I studied law and criminal justice, so I know my rights.

As far as Marcus goes, I don’t blame him for what happened.

He’s five years old and full of spirit. He lost his dad, like you said.

It’s only natural for him to worry about losing you too. ”

“You don’t think he did anything wrong tonight?”

“His heart is in the right place,” he said. “And that other kid had it coming.”

“We’re not going to agree on this.”

“We don’t have to agree on everything. It’s better not to.”

She tilted her head toward him. “Why is that?”

“Because it’s impossible, not to mention boring. Passionate people disagree.”

Her mind got stuck on the mental image of the two of them being passionate—in bed.

She wondered what it would be like to get really heated with him, to raise her voice in a fit of temper.

Maybe he would grasp her arms and crush his mouth over hers.

She studied his lips, which were quirked with amusement.

“Also, you’re cute when you’re mad,” he said.

“That’s incredibly sexist.”

“Is it?”

“You know it is,” she said, gaping at him. “You’re trying to get a rise out of me.”

“You should smile more. All women should.”

She shoved at his chest in mock outrage, which played right into his hands.

He captured her wrists to prevent her from doing it again.

Then she was trapped against him, her mouth inches from his.

She didn’t move when he dipped his head to kiss her.

Instead of sealing the deal, he stayed achingly close, just a breath away.

Natalie knew she shouldn’t be encouraging him.

She’d told him she wasn’t ready for a relationship; letting him kiss her would send mixed messages.

It would also wreak havoc on her senses.

She already felt off-balance, unsure how to proceed with him.

He wasn’t a stranger anymore, but he wasn’t exactly an open book. He wasn’t the kind of man she could hook up with once and forget about. He was sleeping on her porch. She couldn’t avoid him in the morning.

All of the reasons to pull away from him raced through her mind.

She was wary of the direction they were headed and the sense that he wasn’t quite what he seemed.

At the same time, physical sensation overwhelmed her.

He smelled like the woods after rain, and she could feel heat radiating from him.

She hadn’t touched a man’s body in so long.

She hardly remembered the encounter with Wade, which had passed in a drunken haze.

Going to bed with Jason wouldn’t be like that. It wouldn’t be fast or forgettable.

She was aware of his hard chest beneath her palms and his strong hands shackling her wrists.

His hold was firm but gentle. She shivered at the thought of those big, capable hands moving over her naked body.

Her pulse drummed a wild beat against his thumb, and their breaths mingled.

She could have broken free with a tug. She could have said “no” or “don’t.

” Instead, she lifted her lips to his in invitation.

He must have been waiting for this signal because he took it immediately. He used a light touch, brushing his mouth over hers. There was something erotic about his deliberate slowness. His patience inspired the opposite reaction in her. Heat tingled across her skin and pooled in her belly.

She found herself pressing closer, squirming against him.

Her lips parted for his tongue, but he didn’t introduce it.

He inhaled a sharp breath and released his grip on her wrists to give her more control.

She twined her arms around his neck and thrust her fingers in his hair.

He seemed to like this because he made a huffing sound against her mouth. She licked at him delicately.

That finally broke him out of gentle mode.

With a low groan, he wrapped his big arms around her and kissed her with toe-curling thoroughness.

His tongue plunged into her mouth, hot and deep.

She moaned in pleasure, returning his kiss with equal enthusiasm.

He tasted like salt and mint and some unnamable masculine spice. She melted into him.

His hands slid beneath her cardigan, stroking from her waist to her back and down again. Her skin tingled at the contact, and her breasts plumped against his chest.

She wanted to touch him too. Her hands left his hair to explore the bunched muscles of his shoulders.

When her fingers found the buttons of his borrowed shirt, she paused.

He broke the kiss, breathing hard. Her mouth felt wet and swollen, her nipples tight.

She wanted to strip him out of that shirt and pull him on top of her.

That couldn’t happen outside, of course. Although it was dark, the light from the window illuminated their bodies. Even a heavy petting session would be ill-advised, and she couldn’t remove any clothing. She was a single mother with a young son. Giving the neighbors an eyeful wasn’t on her agenda.

A truck rumbled down the street, punctuating her concern. Jason went still at the sound. He positioned his body in front of hers protectively, as if he expected another attack on her person or her property. The truck passed by without slowing. It wasn’t Billy.

Jason didn’t resume kissing her. He sat forward with his elbows on his knees.

He seemed rattled by the encounter. He avoided her gaze, as if he was afraid a glance might set him off again.

She adjusted her cardigan over her heaving breasts and taut nipples.

The cool night air caressed her overheated skin.

She was uncomfortably aroused, and she felt alive in a way that she hadn’t in a long time.

“Did you mean what you said earlier about sleeping inside?” she asked.

He gave her a hungry look. “Are you inviting me in?”

“No. I was just wondering.”

“I would come in and go to bed with you. I wouldn’t sleep.”

She chose her next words carefully. “I made a mistake with Wade.”

“I’m not Wade.”

“I know you’re not. I’m just trying to explain. With him, it was more about missing Mike than wanting him. I actually called him Mike on accident.”

Jason winced at this admission.

“It was awkward for both of us.”

“Did he finish?”

“Yes.”

“Did you?”

It wasn’t fair to criticize Wade’s performance, so she made a noncommittal sound. “The important part is that I felt bad afterward.”

“I’ll make you feel good,” he promised.

She believed him. “We just met, Jason. Let’s go slow. I don’t want to rush into anything I’ll regret.”

He nodded as if he understood. “Can I stroke you to orgasm?”

She smothered a moan at the suggestion. “How is that going slow?”

“I’ll use a slow hand.”

“No,” she said, choking out a laugh. The offer was tantalizing, but she couldn’t accept. He was direct, and she liked that. She liked having his undivided attention. “I want to wait until I’m sure.”

“All right,” he said gruffly.

They sat together in the dark quiet for a few moments. He seemed to accept her rejection with equanimity. True to his word, he could take no for an answer. She inhaled shaky breaths and tried to summon calm.

“There’s an upside to waiting,” he said. “The more time we spend together, the less likely you are to repeat what happened with Wade. I don’t want you thinking about another man when I’m inside you.”

She shivered at the possessive words. “Will you fall asleep with me after?”

“You can’t cure me that way, Natalie.”

“But you expect me to forget my husband after one night with you.”

“Yes.”

She rose from the glider, torn between amusement and frustration. “I guess we both have wild fantasies.”

“I know I do.”

She laughed again, feeling giddy.

He raked a hand through his hair. “This is going to take a lot of tai chi.”