Cowboy Payback Read Online Free PDF

his hold, and for a beat or two, they shared a breath. Anticipation fluttered through Trisha’s chest in a prerequisite of what was to come.
    This was going to change things between them. She knew this to her soul, but was powerless to stop. It had to be done.
    With those words resounding in her head, the cowboy hat was the last thing she saw before their lips met.

Chapter Three
    Goosebumps returned full force, racing down the arms Trisha wrapped tightly around her fiancé’s neck as her world tilted on its axis.
    Cupping her face with one hand, he teased her lips open with his tongue. Not normally one to cling, but cling she did, having effectively lost the feeling in her legs. Again.
    Her C.O. was an expert at many things. Shooting, defusing, coordinating attacks, leading them into battle, chicken fights, practical jokes, and now she could add kissing to the list.
    Even his sex appeal was strong. She pressed into the cowboy-marine’s rock solid body and swept her tongue inside his hot, tempting mouth, determined not to let him have complete control.
    But exploring the sexy captain’s space, tasting his domain, might have been a mistake. She could easily become addicted to his essence. It consumed, heating her within, racing her pulse—sucking the oxygen from her lungs until she could no longer breathe.
    He kissed her slow and deep and thoroughly amazing. Heaven help her, she didn’t want him to stop.
    And that’s exactly why she ended the kiss. She couldn’t let any man have that power over her.
    Trisha was tired of not having control of her life, and just because she had asked the captain for help, didn’t mean he could control her, too. Although, she knew with utter certainty he would satisfy every last one of her needs. Probably twice. Still, he was dangerous, too dangerous to her future plans.
    Because they had an audience, she remained in his arms, looked into his clouded gaze, and summoned the strength to say, “Yippee ki-ya, Captain Cowboy.”
    Another lop-sided grin tugged his lips, and the feeling, starting to return to her legs, did an about-face.
    Darn him .
    She drew in a breath and pushed away from him anyway. Sink or swim was always her motto.
    “That was perfect. Thank you,” Mrs. Laramie said. “I’ll email them to both you and Mr. Finn. And now, we’ll leave you two to get settled in. Enjoy your night,” the jovial manager said before heading to the main building with a smiling Bugsby close behind.
    Trisha walked to the back of the car for her luggage, her legs unsteady, but she pushed forth, pretending the wobbling was perfectly normal. Why couldn’t they have dinner in the main building? That would be better. Much better. They wouldn’t be alone in the main building. There would be people around, and after sharing a kiss like that with her C.O., she did not want to be alone with him anymore than necessary.
    “Here, let me take that.”
    Appearing out of nowhere, the captain grabbed the luggage from her hand.
    “It’s okay. I got it, sir,” she said, deliberately addressing him per rank in order to put things back into perspective as she reached for her bag.
    He swung the luggage away and smiled a fake smile. “We have an audience, dear , so put a smile on your face and let me get the damn bag.”
    Trisha glanced around, and sure enough, the captain was right. There were several workers peeking out the windows of the guest ranch, watching them with grinning interest from across the lot.
    Great .
    “Yes, sir, Captain Cowboy, sir,” she replied in a low voice, resisting the urge to salute. It was meant to be funny, but his hard gaze told her he was far from amused.
    “Just pick up your feet, Corporal,” he ordered through a clenched smile, ushering her toward the cabin, a big, warm hand pressed into the small of her back.
    Why had she chosen him as her fake fiancé? There were plenty of other marines in her unit. What made her blurt out his name to her father? She was beginning to