A Real Cowboy Never Walks Away (Wyoming Rebels Book 4) Read Online Free PDF Page B

mean to scare you," he said, still not looking at her.
    Her heart turned over at the regret in his voice. "You didn't scare me. I just...panicked."
    He turned his head to look at her then, his blue eyes steely as they studied her. "If you weren't scared, why did you panic?"
    There was no judgment in his question, just curiosity, and her embarrassment faded before it even took hold. She sighed. "I wasn't scared of you ," she said. "Just the concept of kissing a man. Of wanting to kiss a man."
    One eyebrow quirked. "Are you a nun?"
    She couldn't help but laugh. "No, I'm not." She began to relax again, his casual demeanor putting her at ease. She picked up her dessert plate and started to wash it. "I just...I don't get involved with men. Dating is..." She bit her lip, not sure how to articulate it.
    "Dating is what?"
    She glanced at him. "So much to lose," she said softly, "and so little to gain."
    His eyebrows went up, and for a moment she forgot to breathe. There was so much understanding in his eyes, and pain, pain that seemed to wrench her own heart. "I know what you mean," he said quietly.
    "Really?"
    "Really." He picked up another plate and moved beside her to wash it. His arm bumped hers, and electricity seemed to leap through her. "I don't date either."
    She would have thought she'd be relieved at his confession, but instead, she just felt regret, and a penetrating loneliness. She didn't want to date him, or anyone, but a part of her wanted him to pursue her, to force her out of her self-imposed exile, to convince her it would be safe to open her heart again. She wanted him to fight for her, to force his way through her demons, so she could feel again, and breathe, and live more than what she was living. "If you don't date," she said, concentrating on the dish she'd now washed too many times, "why did you almost kiss me?"
    For a long moment, he said nothing. He just finished washing his plate and dried it off. It wasn't until he put it away that he turned to face her. "Because you gave me a gift tonight," he said.
    She frowned. "A gift? What are you talking about?"
    He ran his hand through his hair, shifting restlessly. "Tonight was the best night I've had in a long time," he finally said, his blue eyes intent on hers.
    Warmth tightened her chest. "It was?"
    "Yeah." He moved closer, and slid his hand around hers. He raised her hand to his lips and pressed a kiss to the back of her hand. "I needed tonight to restore my faith in humanity. I needed to meet you, to see that there was someone in this world who is a good person, someone worth believing in."
    Her heart turned over, and her throat tightened. "I'm not—"
    He pressed his finger to her lips. "You are. I needed to meet you tonight." He slid his hand along her jaw and around the back of her neck, his fingers weaving through her hair. "Thank you." His gaze flicked to her mouth, and her heart started hammering again.
    Was he going to try to kiss her again? She knew she wasn't going to pull away this time. He was electric, awakening so much inside her that was terrifying, and exhilarating. Just one kiss. Just one—
    He pressed a kiss to her forehead, and she closed her eyes, drinking in the sensation of his lips against her skin. It was tender and soft, but it also sent heat streaking through her. He pulled back, his face inches from hers. "You need a ride home?" he asked.
    She shook her head. "I live upstairs."
    "Okay." For a long moment, he didn't move.
    Kiss me, Travis. Just kiss me. She didn't back away from his gaze, trying to let him know that she wouldn't push him away this time. Yes, yes, yes, she didn't date, and she couldn't get involved, but her entire soul was crying out for one kiss from him, from this man who, in one evening, had made her feel like she mattered. He was the one who'd given her the gift, not the other way around.
    "You're in town for the fair? Just for a week?" The question slipped out before she could stop it. If he wasn't local and wasn't