The kiss was quick, intense, and absolutely mutual.Her lips were soft against mine, her hand tightening in my grip.Sparks ignited in my chest, spread through my limbs, and made me forget the cold and the town and everything except the woman pressed against me.
Then I pulled back.Half a beat too late to call it an accident.
Lilah's eyes were wide, her breathing unsteady."That wasn't?—"
"I know."
"I don't usually?—"
"Neither do I."
We stood there, still close, neither of us moving.This wasn't part of the plan.And it seemed like neither of us wanted to pretend it hadn't happened.
CHAPTER4
LILAH
My heart slammedagainst my ribs like it wanted out.Not because of the fall I’d taken, but from the man standing six inches away with his hand still wrapped around mine and his mouth close enough that I could still feel the warmth of his breath.
I should've stepped back.Should have put distance between us and pretended that kiss hadn't rattled something loose inside my chest.But my feet stayed planted and my fingers stayed locked with his.
"We should go," I somehow managed.
"Yeah."But he didn't move either.
The wind kicked up and sent my hair across my face.Dawson reached out and tucked it behind my ear.His fingertips brushed my jaw and lingered half a second too long.
I pulled back first, forcing myself to climb into the truck and shut the door before I did something stupid like kiss him again.
The drive back to the ranch passed in silence.Not the comfortable kind where two people existed without needing to fill space.This was the charged kind where every breath felt loud and every glance carried meaning.
Dawson's hands gripped the steering wheel like he was trying to strangle it.His jaw worked, but he didn't say a word.I watched the landscape roll past and tried to convince myself this was temporary….the training… the attraction… all of it.
I'd been here before.Different town, different cowboy, same mistake waiting to happen.
When we pulled up to the barn, I opened the door before the truck came to a full stop.
"Lilah."
I paused, one boot on the running board."What?"
"You need to ice your side.Twenty minutes.It's going to swell if you don't."
"I know how to handle bruises."
"I'm sure you do."He killed the engine and climbed out."That doesn't mean you should have to."
I dropped to the ground and winced when my weight shifted wrong.Damn it, he noticed.He seemed to notice everything.
"I'll grab a bag of ice and meet you in the kitchen."
"I can get it myself."
"Sure you can, but you're going to let me get it for you."He walked past me toward the barn, his stride long and deliberate."Give me five minutes, and don't make me come looking for you."
I stood there in the cold and stared after him.Bossy didn't begin to cover it.He was protective when he had no right to be, maybe even more stubborn than I was, and apparently determined to drive me out of my mind.
And the worst part was… I kind of liked it.
