Her Unbridled Cowboy (Harland County Series) (4 page)

She dredged up a smile and even
managed a laugh. “Thanks for stopping my fall, and yep, that’s me.” Pushing
free, she bent and swiped the remains’ of the frozen culprit from the floor
with the napkin still clutched in her hand, then tossed them in the trash.
“Kerri the adorable. Adorable Kerri.”

Cute, but not sexy enough to hold a
man’s attention. What was she thinking?

Silently, and for something to do, she
walked to the sink and refilled her discarded glass with cold water. One sip
turned into three and…

“Kerri, I wanted to talk to you
about a few things.”

She nearly dropped it in the sink
when Connor spoke again. From right flippin’ behind her. His sexy southern
drawl sent goosebumps down her spine, and she stayed put not wanting him to see
another flush heating her face. She really wasn’t in the mood to hear that
adorable
remark again.

“What is it?”

“Well, for one thing, could you
maybe turn around so I don’t have to talk to your backside?” he asked, smile
evident in his tone. “Not that it isn’t a nice, well rounded backside, but
right now, I’d prefer to talk to your face.”

Taking a deep breath, Kerri willed
her body not to respond to his nearness or his unexpected compliment about her
backside, as she placed the glass in the sink then turned around. “What is it,
Connor?”

“Ah, that’s much better.”

His dimple glared and her insides
took to fluttering.

“You sure are beautiful when you’re
annoyed.”

Oh, swell. She moved up from
adorable to beautiful to annoyed. “Did you want to say something or not?”

“Relax, darlin’.” He held his hands
up, palms out. “There’s no need to get your thong in a bunch.”

She blushed. Again.
Darn it.
“My
thong
is of no concern to you, Connor,” she replied with a little more
attitude than she’d intended. “Now, if you don’t mind, I am going back to the
celebration.”

Lightening fast, his hand snaked
out and wrapped around her arm. “I’m sorry, Kerri. I didn’t mean to offend you.
Why do you have to take things so literally, and why can’t the two of us have a
civilized conversation?”

Why indeed.

She swallowed a snort. “I don’t
know, Connor. Maybe because when I look at you I don’t see civilized.”

Shoot. That was mean.
What
was her problem? And what was her body’s problem? Darn thing tingled where his
hand lay.

“Oh, now you’ve got me curious.” He
raised an eyebrow and leaned closer. “Just what
do
you see when you look
at me?”

A naked 18 year old Connor
coming out of the swimming hole
. The thought caused the image to instantly
materialize.

Shoot.

Her throat and face heated at the
memory of him proud and built and smiling, stalking toward her and her sister
wearing nothing but his dang dimples. Given his increased size and muscles, she
knew that delicious view could only have improved. Big time.

Shaking her head, she focused on
that dimple and swallowed hard before stammering, “A-a cowboy.”

His chin lifted. “A cowboy.”

She nodded. He didn’t need to know
about the naked part.

“So, you’re saying you see a
tobacco chewing, cattle roping hick that could only get a woman if he hog ties
her and throws her over his shoulder? Someone who couldn’t survive in a big
city, only out in the open range?” 

Whoa. Where in the world is all this
coming from?

“I wouldn’t exactly put it like
that.” Kerri tugged free and raised a brow at him. “Now who’s got their boxers
in a bunch?”

“Then what would you change from
that statement?” He stared down at her, amusement and curiosity evident in his
eyes.

The bugger. His teasing demeanor
was contagious. A smile hovered over her lips. “You don’t chew tobacco.” 

He laughed, full and boisterous,
just like the man. A few seconds later, his gaze grew wicked. “And what makes
you think I wear boxers?  Maybe I wear briefs.”

Images of Connor modeling underwear
tried to form in her mind. She refused to let them.
Heck no.
He was
dangerous enough as a cowboy.

“You’re right, Connor.  What was I
thinking?” She smacked her palm off of her temple.  “You, in conservative
boxers?” With a smirk, she ran her gaze up and down his relaxed form, and of
course, blushed, but still, she continued, “No, you are definitely a brief
man.  Fire engine red ones, I think.”

Dimples appeared while devilment
flashed through his eyes. “Well, now, why don’t we check?” He reached for his
jeans, undid his belt buckle and chuckled.

She stopped smiling.
Dear Lord
.
Surely he wouldn’t…

“What’s wrong, darlin’? Don’t you
want to see if you’re right?”

Heck yeah
!

No…
No,
you don’t
,
her mind insisted.

Her gaze met his amused expression,
and she swallowed hard. Darn, sexy cowboy. She was no longer a young teenager.
It was time to stand up to his teasing.

“No,” she replied, relieved her
voice sounded calmer than she felt. “That won’t be necessary, Connor. Some
things are better left to the imagination.”

To her immense relief
—
okay, and a tiny shard of disappointment
—
he
did up his buckle, and soon her heartbeats began to decelerate. The cowboy was
just lucky she wasn’t Jordan or his jeans would be hugging his ankles right
now.

No. That wasn’t true. Her sister
had never been interested in Connor. It was Cole’s bluffs Jordan had always called.

“All right then.  I’ll just let you
think about it then. But,” he said on a sigh, looking crestfallen. “I was
hoping if I showed you mine, you’d show me yours.”

She snorted.
Dang, incorrigible
man
. She couldn’t believe they were standing in the McCall’s kitchen
discussing underwear.

“At least tell me if you
are
wearing a thong. Come on. Throw a guy a bone.” His eyes danced with the devil as
he sent her an indolent grin.

Yes, dang incorrigible. And his
teasing was
very
contagious.  “Well, I could have on a pair of grandma
underwear,” she said, twirling a strand of hair around her finger. “Or maybe I
am wearing a nice lacey black thong with red satin running through it.” Her
chin lifted. “I guess you’ll never know…
cowboy
.”

Silently applauding her attempt at
bravado, she smiled.
There. Put that in your Stetson and wear it.
Happy
at standing her ground, she stared, mouth drying as his smile disappeared and
heat suddenly replaced the amusement in his eyes.

Shoot. No. No. This wasn’t good.

With his simmering gaze now trained
on her lips, Kerri’s euphoria diminished along with her ability to breath or
talk, and if she didn’t move quick, she wouldn’t be standing either.

Whether it was divine intervention
or dumb luck, he chose that moment to turn around and walk to the center island.

His potent gaze no longer visible,
her brain began to function, and she drew in a long, overdue breath.

Idiot.

Exhaling, she watched him place his
hands on the counter, and noticed his shoulders rising and falling while he
took a few deep breaths.

  Not even trying to contemplate
what any of that meant, she found her voice and said hurriedly, “I think we
should be getting back to the others now.”

  “Wait, Kerri.” He twisted to face
her. “Before we go back, we need to clear the air.”

Clear the air? How? The air was
charged and thick with…with…
something
. How could they clear the air if
she couldn’t name it?

“All right,” she replied anyway,
when what she really wanted to do was bolt from the darn room.

Still, she waited, heart beating
out of control as he leaned his large frame against the island and folded his
arms across his broad chest.

“I think we both know our parents
are up to something, if those looks they were exchanging in there are anything
to go by,” he stated slowly.

So, he
had
seen them, too.
Dang
.
She’d hoped she’d been wrong.

“Yes, they most definitely are.” Her
heart continued to beat out of control while she wondered just what he was
getting at.

“Well, no offense to you, darlin’,
but I’m not looking to get hitched. And I got the impression you were done for
a while, too.  Am I right?”

His question brought instant
relief.

“Oh, absolutely! I’m so glad you
said that, Connor.”  She smiled as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear,
and her mind cleared. “I have to admit, you had me worried for a moment.”

He smirked. “I take it being
married to me would be like a death sentence?”

“Oh no. It’s nothing like that.” Horrified
he’d come to that conclusion, she stepped forward and lightly touched his arm.
His very warm, muscular, manly arm. It was…nice. “I’m sure you’d make a fine
husband. You really would. It’s just that with all my other worries, the last
thing I need right now is a man,” she stated, and was shocked to see
understanding enter his warm gaze.

“I’m sorry about your home and your
restaurant, Kerri.  It can’t be easy for you.”

The sincerity in his voice brought
a stinging to her eyes.

“I’m okay.” She withdrew her hand
and repeated her worn out line, “I’m just glad to be alive.”

A single tear wet her face. Darn
it. Why him? She’d had this conversation with both her parents and his, and
yet, somehow, this cowboy with the smart aleck remarks and laughing brown eyes,
got past her walls.

Shoot. She should’ve bolted while
she’d had the chance.

Kerri peeked up at him thru her blurry
vision and bit her lips to keep them from trembling.

A groan ripped from his
nuzzle-me
throat, and before she knew it, he pulled her against his warm, rock hard body,
and held tight. Nice and tight.

“It’ll be all right, darlin’,” he
said, running a hand gently through her hair.

Feeling safe and engulfed, Kerri
momentarily gave into her emotions and hugged him closer, her tears soaking his
chest. She missed this part of marriage.

Although they had hugged a lot, it
never felt like this with Lance. Probably because he was only two inches taller
than her, she reasoned.

“I’m glad you were with your sister
that morning,” Connor said gently, his chin resting on her head.

Sometimes, the incorrigible cowboy
could be so darn sweet. She squeezed him a little harder while another round of
tears fell.

Okay, Kerri, that’s enough now
,
she admonished herself a minute later.
You don’t need him or anyone else.
You’ve been doing just fine by yourself for the past two years.

Getting her emotions back under
control, Kerri pulled out of Connor’s embrace and looked up at him. “I’m sorry.
I don’t know what came over me, but…thank you.”

“No problem, kiddo. Anytime,” he
replied with his trademark grin dimpling his cheeks. “So, as far as our
matchmaking parents, are we good?”

Grabbing another napkin from the
counter, she nodded then wiped her face. “Yes. Absolutely. You don’t want a
wife, and I don’t want a husband. So we’re real good. Besides, I’m hoping to
fly back to L.A. this weekend.”

“Perfect.” His smile broadened.
“That won’t leave them much time to do anything.”

She returned his smile. “Nope.”

Whatever their parents had planned,
it wasn’t going to work. They were wasting their time.

“And even if Jordan needs me to stick around and help plan the wedding, you and I both know that’s going to be
quick.”

“True.” Connor chuckled. “Knowing
my brother, he’ll want it to take place by Christmas. Heck, probably by the end
of
this
month.”

By the end of November?

Oh, she liked that idea. A lot.

“That works for me.” Sending him a
smile and a nod, she turned around and walked to the door.

For the first time since stepping
foot back on Wild Creek Ranch, Kerri felt good. Calm. Relaxed. If everything
went right, she’d be back home this weekend. Worse case, she’d have to stick
around a few weeks until her sister was married, and as soon as Christmas was
over, Kerri would be back on a plane bound for California. Safe. Yes, safely
away from matchmaking parents, and more importantly, the red-blooded, teasing
cowboy following her back into the gathering room with his sexy darn dimples
and fire engine red briefs. 

“V
alentine’s Day?”
Kerri couldn’t help but bellow in total disbelief.

Her sister made the crazy
announcement of the projected date of her wedding soon after Kerri and Connor
returned from the kitchen. Maybe she’d heard wrong.

Please, God. Let that be it.

She couldn’t possibly stick around
for
three
months.
Crud. Not three months
. No. She’d never
survive.

“Yes. February 14
^th
.
Why? Is there a problem?” Jordan asked as the others in the room stopped
talking and waited for Kerri to answer.

Problem? No. Why would there be
a problem?

Just because she’d be forced to
stay in the same town—which would
not
be big enough—with the cowboy full
of unbridled sex appeal? A sex appeal she was finding harder and harder to
resist? Because her mind was a jumbled mess and not in clear working order,
which made her close proximity to him a danger she couldn’t afford? And, as it
happened every time he was near, her body wanted her to chuck reason out to
pasture and ride the cowboy ‘til the cows came home?

See?
Those thoughts!
Kerri
didn’t have those kinds of thoughts. But she was on testosterone overload and
didn’t have a clue how to fight her body’s need. And lately, she wasn’t sure
she wanted to.