On the way to the kitchen, she met Jacob coming down the hall. He was dressed in a charcoal gray suit, crisp white shirt, and patriotic red tie. His ever present Stetson sat on his head like a crown. Talk about someone who could make any outfit look good…could she say that about a man?

He was on his way to a cattle conference in Whitehorn and would be gone for ten days. He looked expensive, sophisticated and, as usual, totally out of her league. His absence would give her some breathing room at least.

No doubt the buckle bunnies would be all over him. Dressed as he was, they couldn’t help themselves. Carolyn sighed. Of all the men in the world to lose her heart to, Jacob McKay should have been the very last one she should have picked. He was too hard, too rough around the edges. Too damaged? He was as cynical as she was naïve. The last man she should be in love with. But love was never logical.

“Good morning, Carolyn.” He gave a cool smile and appeared totally unapproachable.

“Good morning, Mr. McKay. I hope you have a successful trip.” She gave him a small smile, nothing more than a brief movement of her lips, her eyes focused on the hallway as she moved to pass him. The image of him was imprinted in her mind and would stay with her the whole time he was gone.

When he stepped into her path, she moved once more to go past him but he caught her arm and pulled her back around. Before she could protest, his big body had her pressed against the wall. He’d maneuvered her with an ease of movement much like a ranch dog herding a stray cow. He bent his bad leg as he leaned toward her, the flare of his pants brushed against her bare calf. With just that stroke of fabric against fabric, she felt the heat ramp up between them.

One lean hand tilted her chin up. “Are you even going to miss me, honey?”

Some days she hated the casual endearments he threw her way so carelessly and on others, they gave her hope. Either way, the careless blandishments made her heart beat faster. Today was one of those days when she both hated it and loved it. Much the same way she felt about the man. She fought against every instinct that urged her to jerk her chin away and get as far away from him as physically possible. She knew that was what he expected—for her to be intimidated by his touch and act like some Victorian virgin. So she remained where she was and willed the tingles of pleasure his touch created to the dark depths of hell.

Exactly where she’d been since her heart had decided it was him or no one.

“About as much as I’d miss ants at a picnic.” She smiled tightly, hoping he wouldn’t see how his nearness affected her.

“Someday that smart mouth of yours is going to get you in trouble, Miss Adams.” His deep voice lowered, his gaze focused on her mouth as if he’d like to do something about it right then.

Her lips parted and her breath rushed out, filling the short space between them.

He raised his gaze, his expression hidden by a heavy-lidded look. “Do you know what I want to do to that smart mouth of yours, Carolyn?”

“No,” she whispered, her body tingling from head to toe, her gaze just as focused on his mouth as the husky words whispered across her skin. 

“Then let me show you.”