JUST BETWEEN US
THE COWBOY CONNECTION
BOOK 2 OF 3
Cole Shepherd’s quiet demeanor and imposing height made people think of him as a gentle giant. But there was a fire simmering beneath his serene surface. Working the ranch that he and his brothers owned was a dream come true—especially after the childhood they’d each had and the almost debilitating rodeo injury that had left him with a slight limp. The life he had should be enough, except there was still one thing missing.
Grace Holden had suffered some hard knocks in life. The death of her parents and the loss of her family ranch had left her with limited expectations. So when Cole bought her basket at the Fourth of July picnic, she tried not to let her hopes rise. However, the more time she spent with the shy cowboy, she couldn’t help but secretly hope that he would see past her big girl exterior to the true heart beneath.
A heart that beat with love just for him.
Slowly, she lifted her head, taking in the width of his shoulders, the hard thrust of his chin, his clenched jaw. Finally, she met his gaze. A gaze that was blazing with heat.
“Don’t look at me like that, Grace,” he muttered. His voice sounded as if he’d just swallowed barb wire—so rough and rusty it made her insides clench in feminine want.
“Like what?”
“Like you want me to kiss you.” He took a step forward. “Kiss you long and deep.”
“Maybe that is what I want.” She slowly unzipped her rain poncho and pulled it from her arms. She caught it in her hand and settled it on the floor.
He took another step forward, a pulse beating in his jaw in time to the beating of his heart. She knew without a doubt that she affected him as much as he affected her.
“Grace…baby…”
She closed her eyes at his grunted endearments. She’d never affected a man that way before. Had never dreamed that she could. She heard the need and could feel the unraveling of his control. Opening her eyes, she looked at him with as much honesty as she could.
“I know I’m not perfect, not any man’s ideal of a—”
He cut off her words again—this time with the hot press of his mouth on hers. There was no tentativeness in his touch. No, this was a claiming, a pronouncement if you would, that he not only found her attractive, but that she was his deepest, darkest desire.
Her lips opened beneath his like a flower soaking up the morning sun. When his tongue delved into the dark recesses of her mouth, she groaned and arched closer to his big body. The sheer size of him never failed to evoke stunned admiration for his manly form. She could feel the warmth of his flesh through their layers of clothing, chasing away the chill of the rain and spiking her internal temperature. All she could think about was getting closer to the source of the heat spiraling through her. Her lower body brushed against his and, suddenly, his big hands cupped her bottom, bringing her into startling contact with his evident arousal.
“Gracie, honey, I need…”
He didn’t finish the sentence as he backed her against the wall and captured her lips once more beneath his. One hand slid slowly down the back of her thigh, lifting her leg around his waist as his body burrowed closer into hers.
She knew exactly what he needed. She needed it, too. Needed him.
Breaking contact with his very artful mouth was the last thing she wanted to do, but she needed to tell him…