Cowboy Cool: Book 5 (Cowboy Justice Association) Read Online Free PDF Page A

she’d dated in the past. Obviously she was due for someone who truly appreciated her. That man simply wasn’t him. He would put her in bed, head back to the hotel for a good night’s sleep, and then in the morning get back on the road and start enjoying his first vacation in over five years.
    He lifted her into his arms and she curled up trustingly, laying her head on his shoulder. By the time he found her bedroom up the stairs and at the end of the hall she was snoring softly. Balancing her weight on one arm, he pulled back the covers before laying her on the bed.
    He scraped his fingers through his hair and sighed in resignation. He couldn’t just leave her like this. Bending over, he slipped off her shoes and tucked her under the covers. Her features were soft and angelic in sleep, so unlike the independent and stubborn woman during the day. He brushed a stray strand back from her cheek and tucked it behind her ear. Her skin was soft and warm and…fuck if he didn’t need to get the hell out of this bedroom right now.
    Bounding down the stairs, he stood in the middle of the living room, torn in two. The logical part of him knew she’d be fine and he should just leave. Maybe he could write her a note. The other part didn’t like the idea of leaving a semi-drunk woman on her own. She might wake up and stumble down the stairs, hurting herself.
    With a sigh of resignation he kicked off his boots. He wasn’t going anywhere until she was a hundred percent. He flicked off the one lamp she’d left on from earlier and then stretched out on the couch with a groan of relief. He was tired and in the military he had learned to sleep anywhere, but he would keep an ear cocked in case Kaylee decided to take a midnight stroll.
    Just a minor change of plans. He’d still get on the road in the morning.

Chapter Four

    K aylee opened her eyes and quickly shut them again as a sharp pain pierced her skull. The light streaming in the windows was too fucking bright. Why had she left the drapes open last night? Slowly she lifted her lids again, wincing at the pounding in her temples and the back of her head. Shit, even her hair hurt.
    Groaning as she pushed to her elbows, she looked down at herself still fully dressed from dinner last night. Her foggy brain tried to make sense of the evening before and she sat up, swinging her legs off the bed.
    Dinner. Drinks. Oh fuck a duck.
    Drinks explained the cottony dry taste in her mouth this morning. The small amount of dinner she’d eaten explained why she’d managed to get herself north of tipsy. And being nervous about having dinner with a handsome hunk from one of her books explained why she hadn’t eaten in the first place.
    It all added up to a nightmare.
    Resting her head in her hands, the night before began unfurling in front of her like a really bad movie. She’d had too much to drink—something she hadn’t done in years—and thrown herself at Reed Mitchell. Whether he was being a gentleman or simply wasn’t interested, he’d turned her down which was probably for the best. She didn’t need a man that good looking staring at the cellulite on her thighs.
    She stripped off her clothes and stepped into the shower, scrubbing off the shame of the night before. Pulling on a pair of yoga pants and a t-shirt, she went down the stairs rubbing her forehead and swearing to never drink again.
    She needed ibuprofen and coffee. Perhaps a mental eraser as well so she could forget her embarrassing behavior from last night. She wasn’t in the habit of trying to lure unsuspecting men into her bed, despite what people might think because of her occupation. Reed probably thought she was a real slut.
    “You’re awake. I made coffee.”
    His deep voice was unexpected and she gasped in surprise, her heart skipping a beat with shock. She had to lean a hand on the kitchen counter to catch her breath.
    “You scared the ever loving fuck out of me.”
    Reed was standing in her kitchen drinking coffee