Thank Christ. There was something sexy as hell seeing her dressed in that robe and the quick peek of her tight, tiny shorts and tank top I’d glimpsed before she tightened it, that had fired up my decision to pursue this…whatever it was…but she was feeling it too.

With my lips at the corner of her mouth, as soon as she breathed out ‘please’ so needy, so quiet, so damn cute, I brushed my lips over hers. One small taste.

It was all I wanted. It was all she was even minutely ready for and as I paused, my lips right against hers, gave her time to pull back or push me off, she did the exact opposite and gave a sharp inhale and lifted her chin.

Easier access. I took it.

I brushed my mouth over hers again, slowly, teasing her. I might only get one chance to taste her and I needed to prolong it as much as possible. Move slow. She tasted so good. She smelled even better and even though I wasn’t touching her anywhere except where my lips brushed against her oh so soft ones, heat emanated from her skin.

Her body trembled.

“Becca.” Her nickname fell from my lips right before I settled my lips against hers. I couldn’t help it. Then I tasted her.

I nibbled her bottom lip, kissed her slowly and tenderly, as if it was my first kiss, my last kiss, the only kiss I’d ever need for the rest of my life and her body loosened and relaxed. Tension and fear that had coiled her tight unwound and still, I forced my body not to press against her.

We’d go as slow as she needed. I’d dodge as many bombs as I could and hope I didn’t blow either of us up in the process.

My hand would be just fine taking care of my dick. That wasn’t what tonight— this moment, this kiss— was about.

I debated pushing away from her and ending the kiss, but then she put her hands on my hips.

Game over. The warmth of her hands soaked through the thin fabric making me force myself not to thrust my hips against hers to show her exactly what she did to me.

Instead, I shoved my hand on the wall by her head, into her hair and angled her, and slid my tongue into her mouth for the first time.

She whimpered down my throat, arched her back, and kissed me deeper.

Holy hell it was magnificent. Her hands went to my hips, slid up to my waist, and her small, but strong fingers dug into my burning flesh.

My shoulders shook, tensed from staying in place, not moving forward and flattening her against the wall before lifting her legs to hold them around my waist.

And even if that was what I wanted, what I was thinking of and seeing while our tongues slid against each other, we tasted each other and discovered each other for the first time, I still stayed still.

I needed to touch her. My other hand went to her hip, sliding slowly over her robe to give her time to allow it or end the kiss.

Instead, she relaxed further. I pushed back her robe and settled my hand on her hip, over the clothing.

No skin to skin tonight. Not for me. My fingers dug into her shirt, my other hand in her hair, I held her in place, devoured her mouth and soaked in every minute, every tiny little sound she made, until my control reached a snapping point, and I slowly pulled back.

My shoulders heaved. My breath was ragged.

Her lips were parted and her eyes glassy. Her chest moved rapidly up and down.

“Better than I imagined,” I said. I still held her. My brain at the top of my body hadn’t gotten the message I needed to let her go. I was still thinking with my dick.

She let me go first, and I followed.

“That was…nice.”

Nice. I’d take it. At least she didn’t think it was a mistake yet.

“It was.” I slid my fingers from her hair and settled my hand back on the wall. “You okay?”

She blinked several times, her chest still moved quickly, her cheeks were flushed and her lips were puffy because I’d just kissed the shit out of her.

No one had ever been more beautiful.

“Yeah. I’m okay. Good, I think.” Uncertainty flashed across her face as she glanced to the mess at the floor.

I leaned in, blocking her view.

“I can go into town tomorrow and get some boxes. Box it up so you don’t have to go through everything again.”

“No. I want to. I need to. I’ll call Brooke or another friend to help me.”

I’d give her that. I should also leave before it got awkward.

“Hey,” I said when her gaze fluttered from mine and she went back to peering at the wall behind me like she’d done when she first saw me. “I liked that, Rebecca. I like you. There’s nothing wrong with what we did. You know that, right?”

“Yep.” Her lip disappeared into her teeth and she nodded. “I know.”

“You want me to leave you alone now?” I’d pressed my luck far enough.

She liked the kiss. It was written all over her. Reality was slowly sinking in though and if she needed time to process that, she needed to take it. Joseph would always be with her. She still loved him. I still didn’t want him ruining that moment. Not immediately, although I suspected that would come. I’d figure out how to handle it then.

“Yeah, I should get some sleep.” She licked her lips.

I pushed off the wall and took a step back.

“Okay. Good night, then.” I turned to leave when her hand pressed against my stomach. Her hand was shaking, tiny little tremors that belied the coolness in her eyes when I stopped.

“I liked it too, Cooper.”

Her smile was fleeting.

I still wanted to stick it in my pocket and keep it like an award.

I left her without saying anything else, hoping like hell she knew how much I liked it too, liked it more she gave it to me, and maybe…just maybe wanted more.

---

I slept like crap and in the morning, I grabbed my clothes from the dryer and got dressed, started a pot of coffee for Rebecca, and took off before she woke up. The best way to move forward after our night and that kiss—that freaking incredible kiss—was to give her some space. The last thing I wanted was the awkward morning-after scenario if she regretted it.

I’d remember that kiss forever and it was the tamest kiss I’d had since I was a teenager.

I hustled to the guesthouse, jumping over mud puddles and knocked over solar lights on the rocky path. I kicked a few branches out of the way and once inside, I took a shower, took care of myself pretending the whole time I was taking care of Rebecca.

I was in the barn with the four-wheelers and tractors, digging through piles of tools Rebecca used to mend the fences.

I’d take them just in case the storm hit anything.

“You don’t want to take the ATV out today.”

I startled at her voice, as much no-nonsense as it always was when we were working and turned. Rebecca was standing directly inside the barn, sipping on a mug of steaming coffee, dressed in gray cut off sweat shorts and a pale blue sweatshirt. It had a wide neck, hung off one shoulder and long sleeves where her thumbs were stuck through the holes.

Her hair was still damp, hanging long over her shoulders and when she bent her head to take another sip of coffee, I caught a glimpse of a white bra strap.

Fuck me two ways to Sunday, she looked beautiful all messed up and relaxed.

“You’re not dressed to work.”

I’d planned for this moment. Repeated a hundred times what I’d say when I first saw her. That asshole comment hadn’t made the list.

She didn’t seem to care much.

“I called Brooke. She’s stopping at the home improvement store and buying some boxes and bringing them out once they open up. Before then, I have to finish up some more paperwork. I was going to wait for the heat to dry the land before checking everything this afternoon.”

She wasn’t waiting around in cleaning out Joseph’s clothes. I didn’t know whether to hug her or smile.

I rested my hands on my hips. “What do you need from me?”

“If you’re going out to check the fences, take the Kubota.” She pointed to a machine that was a mixture between a small, two-seater truck and an ATV. About the size of the four-wheelers, the cab was enclosed and it had a small bed that would allow me to carry tools. “There’s less of a chance of it getting stuck and you won’t come back covered in mud if it’s messy out there.”

“You sure?”

She brought her mug of coffee in front of her. “Yep. Keys are on the wall on a silver carabiner.”

“Okay.” Apparently, we weren’t discussing last night. “Anything else?”

“Check the calves first. It’s their first storm, and they usually do well, but they’d also be the most vulnerable. I’ll take care of the goats and chickens.”

Calves. Fences. Got it.

She stayed in the same spot. I hadn’t moved either.

There was a dictionary of words to say and I had no idea which one to choose first.

When the silence tilted to the awkward side, I headed toward the key rack to grab the keys for the truck. I wrapped my hand around the carabiner when she finally spoke.

“Cooper?”

“Yeah?” I pocketed the keys. She was still on the opposite side of the barn from me. Too far away to brush off the uncertainty suddenly tightening her features.

She licked her lips. “I liked last night.” Her voice was almost a whisper. It barely carried through the vast space between us.

It still hit me with the force of a knockout worthy punch. “Good. I did too.”

Hell if I was having this conversation so far away from her.

Her cheeks pinked as I headed toward her. She started this, but I still craved the feel of her beneath my hands and the taste of her on my lips. I wanted more.

She hit me with another blow as I reached her, and settled my hand on her cheek. “Did making so many movies in Hollywood teach you how to kiss so well?”

Damn her. This fucking amazing woman. I smiled so hard my cheeks hurt. “No. The girls in Buffalo did.”

She was grinning too. Shaking her head a little bit and revealing that bra strap I could hardly peel my eyes off. “Maybe, tonight, you could come for dinner and tell me about it?”

My chest burned. I was stunned by the invitation and the cute mischief in her eyes.

I couldn’t help but tease her. How far would she take this playfulness? “Tell you about kissing girls in Buffalo?”

“No. Your life there.”

I’d never understood the saying pinch me I must be dreaming until that moment. She hadn’t just taken the first move in getting us past the kiss, something I thought she’d avoid, she was throwing open a door I was definitely walking through.

“Like a date?” I asked slowly.

“Yeah.” Her voice was still soft. Still quivering. Not nearly as uncertain though. “Like a date.”

I didn’t make her wait. “I’d be honored. I’d love to.”

I slid my hand to the back of her neck and pulled her forward. I kissed the top of her head and stepped back before I pushed for more.

“Good.” She pulled the mug to her lips, swallowed, and turned on her boots.

I watched her ass in cut off shorts, loose fitted sweatshirt, and cowgirl boots saunter back into the house debating if I had time to head back to my place to rub one off really quick or if I should get to work.

I went to work, hopped in the Kubota and started it up.

Hours went by feeling like minutes.