He grasped her arm again.
When she halted, this time she turned and looked directly at his mouth, as though she believed that the reason he’d stopped her so abruptly was because he intended to kiss her. He’dstopped her so that he could lead her down the adjacent path, to the bathhouse where she could change into a swimsuit.
His smile curved higher. Yes, she definitely had kissing on her mind. Thankfully, he wasn’t the only one.
“So, how many women have you kissed out here?” she whispered, still watching his mouth.
He leaned closer, unable to stop himself from teasing her just a little. “A few.”
“Give me a number.”
“Three.”
“You’ve kissed three women here?”
He shrugged. “It was a long time ago in high school.”
“So you didn’t kiss Nettie here last night?”
He liked the jealousy in her tone. Liked it a lot.
The fact was, he likedhera lot, even more so after the day he’d spent with her. There hadn’t been a moment when he’d thought about the ranch or work or Wyatt or even Dad. He’d been focused on her and only her because she was so vibrant and full of life. She’d been fun and energetic and had embraced every single one of his activities enthusiastically, filling him with a satisfaction he’d never known before. He didn’t understand it. All he knew was that he’d loved making her happy, and he’d loved being with her when she was happy.
He also loved that she was being possessive of him. And that she didn’t like the idea of him kissing other women. That had to mean something, didn’t it?
He angled in so that his mouth was only inches from hers. Although he was still teasing her, the closeness was all too real, her warmth too near, and her body too beautiful to ignore.
Shoot. He really wanted to kiss her, wanted to see if her lips tasted as good as they looked. He had the feeling that a woman as independent and strong as Kinsey wouldn’t be a passiveparticipant in kissing, that she’d be just as independent and strong in her kissing.
His heart began to race faster. Could he just bend in and take one kiss? There wouldn’t be anything wrong with that, would there?
“Well?” She lifted her hands and pushed at his chest, forcing him to back up a step. Her eyes were slanted and demanded an answer.
What had they been talking about?
Kinsey’s expression remained expectant. She wanted to know about Nettie and kissing.
“No. I haven’t brought any women out here in years, not even Stephanie.”
The confession seemed to placate her, because a smile tugged at her lips. “Not that it matters or anything.”
“Of course it doesn’t matter.” He couldn’t stop himself from reaching for her hand and enfolding it in his. He didn’t give her the chance to pull away, and instead, began to tug her along behind him toward the right path.
The expertly manicured gardens that lined the pools were brimming with blooming flowers, the heady scent lingering in the air. Stone benches were strategically placed along the paths. A covered patio with tables and chairs surrounded a large hot tub built into the ground. Another area led to a full heated pool with deck chairs for guests to relax in the sun.
A luxurious bathhouse and a snack bar bordered the pool. As he unlocked the door and led her inside, he opened the gift shop and told her to pick out a swimsuit. She browsed for a few moments, then found the plainest swimsuit on the rack—one that was made for serious lap swimming, not a late-night rendezvous.
Not that he wanted her to pick something pretty. She was already attractive enough. But she clearly thought he hadulterior motives in coming to the hot springs and was picking a swimsuit she thought would deter him.
“Listen, Kinsey.” He pushed away from the store doorway where he’d been waiting. “I didn’t bring you here to seduce you or make out or whatever you think I’m planning to do.”
“I know.”
“Then what?”
She hesitated, twisting at the tag on the swimsuit. “I’m making sure we keep our relationship where it needs to be.”
“And where’s that?”
