Page 39 of Owned By The Cowboy

I want to kiss her, want to push her against the table and get my fill. But her kids are only feet away.

“Blayne?” Annalise calls out. “Are you done? Can we dance now?”

“Coming, princess.”

“You don’t have to,” Reggie says softly, shaking her head with a smile.

“Promised her dance lessons. Can’t back out now.”

“A man who keeps his promises.” Her tone is teasing, but the light in her eyes says this means a lot to her.

So I spend the next twenty minutes getting schooled in father-daughter dancing by a six-year-old who takes the whole thing very seriously. She shows me how to hold her hand, how to spin her around, how to dip her without dropping her.

“You’re getting really good!” she announces after our third try.

“I have a good teacher.”

Reggie snorts, sitting at her breakfast bar, sipping on some tea, watching us.

“I know!” She grins up at me. “Mama, did you see? We’re gonna be the best!”

“I saw, baby. You’re both amazing.”

I look over at Reggie, who’s studying us with a soft expression. Like she’s seeing something she didn’t expect.

“All right, princess, I better head home. Got work early in the morning.”

“Do you have to go?” Annalise asks with a cute little pout.

“Yeah, but I’ll see you Friday, right? For our big dance?”

“Right! In my sparkly dress!”

“Can’t wait, sweetie.”

I say bye to her siblings, then walk with Reggie to the door.

“Thanks for dinner, neighbor,” I say.

“Thanks for being so good with my baby. She was nervous about the dance.”

“She has nothing to worry about. She’s gonna steal the show.”

The backs of our hands are brushing, and we’re staring into each other’s eyes, saying things we can’t voice out loud right now.

“You’re really good with kids.”

“Don’t know shit about kids, beautiful.”

“Could’ve fooled me.”

We’re standing really close, and I can feel that pull between us, the same thing that’s been drawing me to her all these years. And to know that now she feels if too. Fuck.

“Nine tomorrow?” I ask.

“Nine.”

“See you then, baby.”