Her Cowboy Hero (The Colorado Cades) (14 page)

Hannah nudged Todd with her shoulder. He gave her a quizzical look, but then comprehension dawned.

He leaned over and kissed his wife on the cheek. “Dance with me, gorgeous?”

When they came back, Annette’s cheeks were flushed and her eyes were shining. “I don’t know why we don’t do that more,” she told her husband.

“From now on, we’ll make a point of it,” he promised.

Annette smiled. “Your turn, Hannah! We can watch Evan if you and Colin want to—” She broke off, interrupting herself. “Do you dance, Colin?”

He responded slowly, as if he wasn’t sure of the answer. “I used to, but it’s been a long time.”

“At the very least, we know you can dip me,” Hannah said, thinking of the bowling alley.

He grinned. “Well, that’s a start. I’m game if you are.” Rising from his chair, he took her hand. His thumb brushed back and forth over the spot he’d kissed last night, and a tremor of anticipation went through her.

She clasped one hand in his and slid the other above his waist, and everything else faded to black. She doubted that her rhythm was right because she could barely hear the music over her own heartbeat. He may have even stepped on her toes, but she couldn’t feel anything beyond his hand at the small of her back. She wished it was a slow dance, so that she had a reasonable excuse to press herself against him, even with friends and family watching, but she made the best of the situation. It wasn’t difficult to find a bright side when Colin was holding her.

The song was over too quickly, and she tried not to feel despondent as she returned to their table.

“We’ve been talking,” Annette said, “and the three of us want ice cream. What if Todd and I take Evan, and we’ll meet the two of you for fireworks?”

Which would give Hannah and Colin at least half an hour alone. Annette really was the best friend ever.

“
Please,
Mommy! Can I have a cone with just one scoop?”

He’d already had plenty of junk food today, but she supposed she could make an exception since the May Day festival came only once a year. She tried very hard not to think about Easter baskets, trick-or-treat bags, Christmas stockings or any of the other year-round opportunities to get cavities.

She took an extra moment to give the illusion of deliberation, then nodded. Her friends were even thoughtful enough to take all the stuff with them, Todd carrying the octopus atop his shoulders as if it was a young child. But the Reeds were so busy shuffling everything that they didn’t realize Todd’s wallet had dropped. Luckily, Colin spotted it before he took Hannah for another spin around the dance floor.

“Be back in just a sec,” he told her, hurrying after them.

She was watching him walk away—and enjoying the view—when someone tapped her on the shoulder. She turned, half expecting Malcolm Kilmartin. Though she’d told him to look for her at the fair, she hadn’t seen him all day. She wasn’t looking at him now, either. Instead, she found herself face-to-face with Gideon Loomis.

Her mouth twisted. What did he want? “Hello, Gideon.” Every time she saw the man, he wore a different cowboy hat. Tonight’s was a black Stetson with a studded band.

“You owe me a dance,” he informed her.

“How do you figure?”

“I won a cake of yours today.” He put his booted foot on the empty chair beside her and winked. “Since you’re responsible for the calories, it’s only fair you help me work some of them off. Preemptively, so to speak.”

Why did all of the man’s attempts at flirting make her want to smack him with a rolling pin? Even though she’d been planning to dance, now she wanted to escape the tent. “I’m pretty beat. Comes with trying to keep up with a four-year-old all day. So—”

He grabbed her hand and tugged. “Hannah, Hannah, Hannah. When are you going to learn?” He chortled. “Loomises don’t take ‘no’ for an answer.”

“Do they take painkillers?” Colin asked mildly. “Because you’re going to need one if you put your hands on her again.”

Yanking her hand free, Hannah stood, putting herself between the two men. She should probably be appalled by the indirect threat of violence, but mostly she was just glad Colin had returned. “I was explaining to Gideon that I’m getting tired and was thinking about going elsewhere.”

“Sounds good to me,” Colin agreed. He shot Gideon one last fulminating glare. “It’s too crowded in here.”

As they emerged into the cool night air, Hannah jabbed him in the ribs. “Not that I’m ungrateful for the timely interruption, but you cannot go around threatening to beat up anyone who annoys me.”

He ducked his head. “You’re right. But don’t you think me popping him one on the nose would be more humane than letting you Taser him?”

She laughed. “Let’s just agree to avoid Gideon when possible. Although, I’m sorry we left the tent.”

“I’m not,” he said cheerfully.

“No?” Maybe he hadn’t enjoyed the physical proximity of their dance as much as she had. There was a depressing thought.

“I have something else I want to do with you.” Mischief laced his tone. “Without Evan around.”

“Um...what did you have in mind?”

“You’ll see.” He reached for her hand. “Come on, Hazel Eyes, this’ll be fun.”

Ten minutes later, they were handing their tickets to the attendant at the Ferris wheel. It was all lit up for the night, and the garish lights of the carnival were prettier than they should have been. When she climbed into the suspended bucket, it immediately rocked back and forth. The motion didn’t bother her when they were at ground level. Once they were one hundred feet in the air, however, she had a slightly more nervous reaction to the swinging. Wind curled around them, and she clutched Colin’s hand.

He grinned, tightening his hold on her. “Maybe I should have taken you into the haunted house. That could have been fun. But this,” he said as they rotated to the very top and stopped there, “is perfect.”

His playful smile dissolved into something more intent, and he cupped his hand around the nape of her neck. She met him halfway, clashing in a hot, open-mouthed kiss. They were as hungry for each other as lovers who’d been separated for months. Throughout the day, wanting him had been a kind of sweet, heavy ache inside her, but now it sharpened to piercing need. Her fingers were meshed in his hair, her chest pressed to his when the bucket lurched. She realized they were moving backward, but she couldn’t bring herself to break away yet. He kissed her all the way down.

They finally broke apart, and if she hadn’t been too breathless to speak, she might have invoked her son’s festival motto.
Again, again, again!

He took her hand and helped her to her feet, not bothering to let go once she stood. They walked hand in hand to where they were supposed to meet the Reeds, and Hannah gave him a sidelong smile. After that explosive kiss, though, the glittery flare of fireworks was going to be a little anticlimactic.

* * *

E
VAN
FELL
ASLEEP
in the backseat of the truck before they’d even left the parking lot. Smiling, Hannah studied him from the passenger seat. He looked so serene, it was hard to reconcile him with the noisy little boy who’d thrown a fit when he’d discovered he was an inch too short to ride something called The Toxic Blaster.

She’d helped him pull off his boots while Colin started the truck, and his hat hung crookedly from his head. “He can just sleep in his clothes tonight,” she said. Then she scowled, rethinking her decision. “Although I guess I should probably wake him to brush his teeth after all that junk food, huh?”

“It’s one night. And you did give him that piece of plaque-fighting gum during the fireworks show.”

She laughed at his earnest tone, not sure a stick of gum qualified her for Mother of the Year. “Oh, well. I’ll make him brush twice as long tomorrow.”

When they got to the ranch, Colin volunteered, “I’ll get him. You’re the one with the house keys.”

She pulled them out of her purse and unlocked the door, pausing to shoo Scarlett outside for the night while Colin carried Evan to his room. When she joined them a few minutes later, he’d tucked Evan beneath the blankets and was standing by his bed with a heart-rending expression on his face. She wasn’t sure she’d ever seen joy and sadness comingled so poignantly.

Swallowing back a tide of emotion, she passed him to drop a kiss on Evan’s forehead. Then she took Colin’s hand. “I know it’s been a long day,” she whispered, “but is it too late for that second dance?”

He shook his head. “I’d like that.”

Her purse was on the end table in the living room, and she pulled out her phone, scrolling through her playlist until she found something appropriate. The music wasn’t very loud, but it was enough for barefoot dancing in her living room, illuminated only by the spill of light from a tabletop lamp. Now that they were free of an audience, she put one hand on his shoulder and fit her body to his. It was closer than they’d been all day, but it still wasn’t enough. Heat thrummed through her as they swayed, the friction of his jeans erotic through the soft cotton of her skirt. He was tracing his fingers up and down the length of her spine in a slow, sensuous manner that would have been relaxing if it weren’t so arousing. Electric shivers broke out over her skin.

She craved his kiss like a drug, but not even standing on her tiptoes would bridge the gap between them. “Colin.” His name was somewhere between a plea and a reprimand. “You did promise me a kiss at the end of the date.”

His lips quirked in a wicked half smile. “Are you sure you want this to be the end?”

Chapter Twelve

Hannah’s face was covered in a fiery blush, but she was smiling at his bold question. He found it impossible to look away from her mouth. The memory of how she’d kissed him on the Ferris wheel had him hard all over again.

“I don’t want this to be over,” she admitted. “I want you.”

He cleared this throat. “Then maybe we should move to another room. One with doors.” Once he got her out of that dress, he might not notice if a marching band came through the room.

She nodded. “Upstairs?”

His self-control lasted only until they reached the hallway at the top of the stairs. He backed her against the wall, holding her hands on each side of her head, fingers laced together, and devoured her with kisses. When he nipped at her throat, she arched her neck to give him better access. He released her hands long enough to remove her jacket, which crumpled to the floor with a soft thud. Her dress was long, but loose enough to give her freedom of movement. She hooked a leg behind his thigh, and he was cradled against her. For a second, he lost himself in the mindless bliss, rocking his hips and loving the sexy whimper that escaped her.

They might have made love there against the wall if they hadn’t bumped a framed picture, knocking it askew and bringing him to his senses. His bed was around the corner and presented fewer safety hazards. He could wait the extra few seconds to be inside her. Maybe.

He stripped off his shirt on the way. When they reached the side of his bed, he gave her ponytail a light tug. “Take this down?”

She humored him, removing the elastic band with nimble fingers, and her hair spilled over her shoulders, framing her face. God, she was beautiful. He felt for a zipper on the back of her dress, but there wasn’t one. She gathered the material at the hem and worked it upward, revealing her curvy body one dizzying millimeter at a time. She wore a satiny black bra and panties. The deceptively simple lingerie was a lot like the woman—not fussy, but feminine and stunning.

He cupped her breasts, running his thumbs over the tight peaks. She trembled so violently he was afraid she might stumble.

She seemed embarrassed by the intensity of her reaction. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be.” It was powerful, knowing how he affected her.

She gave him a slight smile. “It’s been so long, I...”

The last thing he wanted to do right now was talk, yet he heard himself ask, “Has there been anyone? Since...” It would be less complicated if she said yes. Four-plus years of celibacy was a lot of pressure.

Yet when she shook her head, he felt a rush of fierce joy. He was irrationally glad she’d waited for him.

He sat on the mattress and reached for her hips, pulling her into his lap. Unfastening the front clasp of her bra, he peeled back the silky fabric. He’d dreamed about Hannah like this, but the reality of her was incomparable.

He trailed his fingers across her bare breasts, then kissed a path from her collarbone to one nipple, sucking hard. She writhed against him. They rolled over on the bed, Colin impatiently shedding his jeans with one hand. Earlier in the week, he’d given in to the impulse to buy condoms, then called himself a fool the entire drive back to the ranch. Now the small foil packets in the nightstand seemed like his most valuable possession.

But first he needed to know that she was ready. Kissing her greedily, he lowered one hand to the slick folds between her thighs. She arched off the bed as he stroked her, her soft cries urging him on. The feel of her, the sound of her, was addictive. She tightened her grip on his shoulders. Her body stiffened and she threw her head back, her expression rapturous.

He sheathed himself in the condom and slid inside her, momentarily overwhelmed by how damn good she felt. She tilted her hips, silently asking for more, which he happily gave. They moved together, faster, more urgently, until the pleasure blotted out everything else. His blood roared in his ears, and he heard his own hoarse shout as if from a distance. Then he collapsed against her, holding her tight as if she were the most precious thing in the world. The way he felt at that moment shook him to the core.

They held each other in silence, and he was more content than he could remember feeling in over a year. But eventually, he was going to need to say something. He rolled away from her, uncertain. Most of the words that came to mind were too trite to encompass what they’d shared.

He simultaneously wanted to gauge her reaction and give her space. If
he
was this dazed, what must she be experiencing? It had been longer for her since she’d been with anyone and, on the whole, women were more emotional than men. What if she—

“That was amazing!” She sat up, unself-conscious in her nudity, and beamed at him. “We should do that again sometime. I feel...” She gave him a quick hug. “Did I mention
amazing?
” Then she climbed out of the bed.

He was surprised by her agility. He felt so wrung out he could barely move. In disbelief, he watched her shimmy into her dress, not bothering with her bra. Her denim jacket was still out in the hall somewhere.

He propped himself up on one elbow. “Where are you going?”

“To bake.”

“At this hour?” Shouldn’t she be mellow and sleepy? “You seem pretty keyed up. A less secure guy might worry you didn’t enjoy yourself enough.”

She leaned over and kissed him soundly on the mouth. “Oh, I enjoyed myself. Twice! Good sex is just really invigorating, don’t you think?”

“Uh-huh.”

“What may look like manic energy to you is actually a huge compliment, I promise.” She blew him a kiss, then she was gone.

He blinked at the empty space in the room where she’d been standing a moment ago. Well. That was unexpected. No emotional drama, no need to talk things through, not even any freaking cuddling. He was relieved, of course, thankful she’d kept things so simple and light. It would be best this way for both of them.

He turned on his side and punched his pillow, trying to get comfortable. She’d seemed so unbothered about leaving him mere minutes after making such an intimate connection. It was almost discouraging. Then again...at least he knew for future reference that they were on the same page. They could make love without his worrying that she had the wrong idea about his long-term plans.

Maybe she was right—there was always a bright side.

* * *

I
T
TOOK
ABOUT
ten minutes for reason to catch up with the endorphins. Hannah stood at the kitchen island, eyeing ingredients that she shouldn’t have pulled out. Once she put something in the oven, she wouldn’t be able to go to bed until it was finished baking, and she’d barely had any sleep last night. Since she’d spent most of her day at the fair, she had a lot to catch up on tomorrow.
You need rest.

But she hadn’t been able to help her euphoric reaction. After a release like that, she’d felt as if she could fly.

In the past, Michael had teased that “normal” people didn’t get that energized after orgasms. The way she saw it, her reaction was like a runner’s high. Except what she and Colin had done was way more fun than running.

Still, now that a little bit of time had passed, she acknowledged that the wiser course of action would be to go to bed. She packed the baking ingredients back into the pantry and took a shower. Although the warm water helped relax her some, her mind was still racing.

She carried her phone into the bedroom and texted Annette
You awake?
Almost instantly, the cell phone rang. Hannah grinned. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

“Everything okay?” Annette asked.

“Wonderful.” She scooted down beneath the covers. “Maybe that’s the problem—it’s been such a nice day that, subconsciously, I don’t want it to end.”

“If you’re too restless to sleep, I vote you go upstairs and ask that cowboy of yours to do something about it.”

“Um.” Heat prickled in her cheeks. “Funny you should say that.”

“Are you
kidding
me? Wow. I told Todd the two of you looked awfully cozy during the fireworks display! How do we feel about it finally happening? Excited? Regretful?”

How could she regret something so perfect? “I haven’t felt this alive in... Well, it’s been a while.” Satisfaction had given her a potent buzz. She felt womanly and desirable and centered. “But I’m really rusty at this. I may have handled the afterglow part badly. I thanked him, then ran off to make cookies. Is that weird?”

“Yes.”

“Annette!”

“There was a hot naked guy in the bed, and you voluntarily left? I’m sorry, but that’s weird.”

Had Colin wanted her to stay? Or had he been glad she didn’t stick around, crowding him? It was disconcerting, to have been so physically attuned to someone yet still be left guessing what was going on in his mind.

And perhaps that was the real reason she’d sprinted out of there. Was she afraid to find out what he’d been thinking? If he’d told her he thought it was a mistake, she would have been devastated.

“I’ve been single a long time,” she reminded Annette. “I’m not sure I remember how to do this.”

“Colin’s coming over to help Todd tomorrow with that shed. Do you want me to ask my husband to subtly—”

“No!” Having Annette ask her husband to do some digging on what Colin had thought of the evening, then report back, was immature, if not downright cowardly. “I will muddle my way through this without turning it into a group project.”

“Fair enough.” Annette sounded disappointed. “Don’t overthink it too much, okay? First times can be awkward. Next time...”

Would there be a next time?

Colin had come so far from the haunted outsider who had changed her tire, but would he retreat after what they’d done? In the wake of their first kiss, he’d barely spoken to her for two days. It was possible he’d once again revert to a withdrawn loner.
I won’t let that happen.
He deserved joy and laughter and playfulness in his life.

That rainy Wednesday night when Colin had first come here, she’d told Annette it was destiny, a sign that her positive thinking was working and that she could make the ranch a success. Which was a very self-involved analysis of the situation. Maybe fate had brought him here not because
she
needed help, but because he did.

* * *

C
OLIN
SLEPT
SO
deeply that waking up was disorienting. He had to think about where he was and what day it was. But his first clear thought, aided by the wafting scent of coffee, was
Hannah.
Today was Sunday, which meant a big sit-down breakfast. After what had happened last night, he didn’t know if Evan’s presence at the table would make facing Hannah more or less awkward.

There was only one way to find out, though.

After a brief shower, he joined the Shaws downstairs in the kitchen. Hannah glanced up from the waffle iron when she heard his footsteps. She immediately looked away but then, resolutely, met his gaze. He could almost hear her inner pep talk as she told herself she had no reason to be nervous.

Colin wished someone would give
him
a pep talk. He was nervous as hell.

Evan, however, suffered from no anxiety. “Morning!” His greeting was crunchy around a bite of bacon. “Can we ride Viper today, Colin?”

“Sorry, but I won’t be here. I have ranch chores all morning, then I’m helping your uncle Todd with a project this afternoon.”

“But—”

“Evan, stop talking with your mouth full,” Hannah reprimanded, handing Colin a cup of coffee.

Before taking it, he ran his thumb over her wrist, needing some physical contact no matter how slight. “Thank you.” He glanced around the kitchen, unable to resist teasing her. “I was expecting piles of cupcakes and brownies.”

“I did pull everything out of the pantry.” She twisted her lips in a self-mocking scowl. “But then I realized I was behaving like a nutcase, so I took a shower and went to bed. Sorry to be so...me.”

He shook his head. “If there’s one thing you don’t
ever
need to apologize for, it’s being you.”

Her smile heated through him faster than the coffee, and, if Evan weren’t sitting ten feet away, he’d be kissing her already.

The phone buzzing in his pocket helped break the mood, and he retrieved it, expecting Todd’s call. But Arden’s number showed up on the screen, making Colin wince. He declined the call, knowing she’d leave a message.

Watching him, Hannah opened her mouth to speak, then closed it. Then opened it again.

“It was my sister.”

She nodded. “I suspected as much. I just don’t— You know what? None of my business.” She handed him a plate with a fresh waffle on it. “Although, you did say yesterday you were planning to call her back.”

Eventually, he would. Talking to Arden, however, was something that required mental preparation, like the Graduate Record Examination to get into vet school. There were trick questions and awkward fill-in-the-blanks where he struggled to find the words to convince her he was fine and she should stop worrying so much. Most of the time, that required a lot of prevarication on his part.

Truthfully, he
was
doing better now.

But if he told Arden that, she would want details, would want to dissect his life in Bingham Pass. Whatever was developing between him and Hannah was excruciatingly new and raw. He wasn’t ready to discuss it with anyone, much less Natalie’s best friend.

He and Hannah had shared something important. Keeping it between them, protected from the outside world and isolated in the moment—away from painful pasts or uncertain futures—felt like the only way to safeguard it so they could enjoy it a little longer.

After breakfast, Colin complimented Hannah lavishly on her cooking in place of other things he wanted to say but couldn’t in front of her son. However, when he came back to the house to grab a quick lunch a few hours later, Evan was playing in his room.

Hannah looked up from the huge sheet cake she was frosting. “Headed to the Reeds’ now?”

“In a minute. There’s just one thing I need to do first.” Gripping her shoulders, he bent down and kissed her. She melted against him, sighing into his mouth as he deepened the kiss. When he straightened, he said, “Your baking is the best I’ve ever had, but you are more delicious than anything that comes out of this kitchen.”