Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 95273 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 476(@200wpm)___ 381(@250wpm)___ 318(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95273 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 476(@200wpm)___ 381(@250wpm)___ 318(@300wpm)
“It’s okay,” I reply. “I just had a busy day. We had to herd cattle from higher ground, down near the barn so we can keep an eye on them in this weather. We don’t want to lose any of them.”
“Of course not.” Once she’s finished tidying up, she leans on the counter, and I get a front-row view of her impressive cleavage.
What am I doing here? I should go home. I should get the hell out of here, where I’m not tempted to make moves on a woman that I absolutely can’t fuck around with.
“This was delicious,” I say after finishing the last bite. “Thanks for it.”
I take my plate to the sink, rinse it, and then set it in her dishwasher.
“Are you sure it’s safe for you to drive home?” Abbi asks with a frown as she nibbles on her bottom lip. “It’s snowed another foot since you picked up Daisy.”
I sigh, looking toward the windows where the snow is coming down hard, and shoot my brother, Chase, a text. “Let me check with Chase.”
Me: How nasty are the roads?
Almost immediately, he replies.
Chase: Rem just texted. He barely made it home without going off the road. Had to crawl. It’s a shitshow out there.
I show her the response, and she cringes.
“Stay here,” she says, and my whole body reacts at her suggestion. “I have a guest room upstairs, and I’d feel better if I knew that you were safe. The storm should pass by morning.”
“Abbi, you don’t have to—”
“Am I that repulsive?” she demands, her hands on her hips now, and we’re caught here, between the island and the sink, and I want to kiss her more than I want my next breath. “I know I’m not a skinny woman, and I’m a mom, but I’m only suggesting you stay here, where it’s safe. You don’t have to worry about me getting naked and trying to have my wicked way with you when my daughter is twelve feet away.”
Her eyes go wide, and she covers her mouth with her hand, clearly horrified that she said the words out loud.
“Oh, God,” she whispers.
“Number one,” I begin, and immediately move in, sliding my hand over her round hip, my fingertips pressing into her, as I cage her in against the countertop. “You’re every fucking fantasy I’ve ever had, so don’t ever say that shit about yourself again. Got it?”
She’s watching me intently as she nods, and her hand falls from her face.
“Number two.” I lick my lips as my gaze slips down to her mouth. “I want to kiss you. I won’t take it further. I know Daisy’s right upstairs, but fuck me, I want to kiss you, Abbi.”
She doesn’t pull away. She doesn’t say no, and by the way her breathing has just gone ragged, I take that as consent.
My hold tightens on her hip, and I cup her jaw with my free hand as my mouth descends to hers, and I nibble. I take my time tasting her before I sink in and take. She moans deep in her throat as she shifts closer to me, presses those fan-fucking-tastic tits against me, and her hand dives into the hair at the nape of my neck, and I am completely lost to her.
Fuck me, I’ve wanted this for months. I have no business doing it. None whatsoever, but I’ll be damned if I can stop.
Finally, though, I loosen my hold on her, and she pulls away, just out of my reach. She’s breathing hard. Her blue eyes are on fire as she watches me, and her blonde hair is the perfect halo of light around her, illuminated by the firelight and Christmas lights in the living room.
“Every goddamn fantasy,” I repeat before swallowing hard. “And your curves? Jesus Christ, Abbi, your curves are enough to kill a man.”
She giggles, pushes her hands through her hair, and turns away from me, pacing.
“You’ll sleep here,” she insists after swallowing hard and clearing her throat. “Because I don’t want to worry about you getting home safely.”
“Yes, ma’am.” I shove my hands into my pockets so I don’t reach for her again. “I have a bag in my SUV with necessities.”
She lifts an eyebrow, and I grin.
“I get pretty messy at the rodeo and at the ranch. It pays to have extra things on hand.”
“Ah. Makes sense. Go ahead and grab it.”
With a nod, I hurry outside, through the falling snow and wind that’s just flat-out obnoxious, and retrieve the bag from the back seat. When I return inside, the lights are off, and Abbi’s waiting to escort me upstairs.
Her ass sways back and forth as she climbs the steps ahead of me, and I have to swallow hard and think about something other than burying my face between her legs. Baseball. Branding season. Getting bucked off of a pissed-off bull and dislocating my shoulder.