With her looking up at him like that, worry furrowing her brow, the angst in his chest melted away. She was so pretty, there was no way he should spend another night in the house with her.
He dropped his voice, gentling his tone. "It's not proper, me sleeping in there without a chaperone." She held his gaze, and he could only hope the warmth shimmering in her eyes was attraction. He'd progressed way past that himself.
Itseemedlike she felt something for him. But he was no expert in the ways of a woman's heart.
He craved to know something certain. To reach out and feel her receive his touch. Maybe even lean in to it.
The boys should all be out weaning the calves, so no one was here in the yard to see if she refused him. He swallowed, gathered his nerve, and took a small step toward her.
She was tall for a woman. But standing this close, she had to crane to look up at him. He didn't want to tower over her. Didn't want her to feel less than equal to him in any way.
He couldn't change his height, but he could lift her up in other ways. He could tell her what a difference she'd made, even though he wasn't good with words. She was gazing at him with such softness, it made his heart race. "Since you came, you've been…a wonder. Not just your doctoring, though we've sorely needed that. And not just the cooking and cleaning you've managed, even with everything else happening. It's the way you've changed our lives. You reminded me of our family's traditions, which I'd let fall away. You've made Lillian blossom more than I've ever seen. I wasn't sure she'd ever smile again, but now she does every day."
He wanted to touch her as he attempted to put into words this last part. But finding the right words would be hard enough, so he kept his hands at his sides.
"And me. You've helped me see my failings. Helped me want to be a better man. More than that, you've awakened something inside me that I've pressed down for years." He did reach up now, brushing the loose hair from her cheek. "You're beautiful. You're brave. You care about people. I don't know how you feel about me, but I can't help but be drawn to you."
The way her eyes shimmered with something that looked very much like pleasure, perhaps she felt the same. It gave him the courage to do what he did next. Slip his fingers behind her head and weave them through her hair. He took a final step to close the distance between them.
She lifted her mouth as he lowered his, but he paused with their lips a handbreadth apart. Even this close, she was so beautiful it made his chest ache. And she wasn't turning away. Maybe she even welcomed his kiss.
That last thought drew him down to brush her lips with his own. Heat swept through him as he lingered there, then went back for more.
He'd never kissed a woman before, save for Ethel Lucas behind the Western Hotel when he was twelve. But that didn't count.
Not compared to the taste and flood of sensations Dinah Wyatt's mouth ignited inside him. She deepened the kiss, sparking a new flame within. He pulled her closer, wrapping an arm around her waist, cupping the back of her head. Tasting. Inhaling. He couldn't get enough of this woman.
She gripped his collar, holding him close with one hand, wrapping the other around his neck. Something about her skin touching his, brushing under his jaw and the lobe of his ear, released a stronger sensation within him. He moved from her mouth to her jaw, tasting her sweetness as she tipped her head back to give him access.
When he reached her ear, a shiver went through her. He slowed, taking his time. He would—
"Jericho."
The way she spoke his name, he couldn't tell if she wanted him to stop or go farther. He couldn't go much farther. Not now. He couldn't make the same mistake Lucy had.
He pulled back to see her face. Her eyes were dark and round, a bit dreamy. Her lips so plump and full from his own. She still had her head tipped back a little. Still giving him access.
But she whispered, "We have to stop."
She was right. With everything in him, he wanted more of her. But he couldn't take it.
He moved his hands to her upper arms, where layers of fabric separated them. He took a half step back too, putting air between their bodies. But he let himself lower his forehead to rest on hers. Maybe this touch wouldn't put them in danger.
As he struggled to catch his breath, he could feel the warmth of her own. "Dinah, I'm falling for you. I think I might have already fallen."
The corners of her mouth tipped up. "I know."
Did that mean she was falling for him too? That thought lit another fire in his veins. He wanted to taste her again, to feel her hands on his skin.
But he couldn't. Not yet. Too much was at stake.
With all the strength he had, he pulled back, taking another step away. He let his palms slide down her arms, taking her hands in his as he stared into her eyes. "I...don't really know where to go from here. Do I court you?" He wouldn't be sleeping in the house again, that was for certain.
Her smile turned sweet, a little shy. "That would be nice."
He eased out a breath, giving her fingers a final squeeze. "All right then." He finally let go and reached for the blankets he'd dropped. "I guess I'd better get back to work." Though he couldn't for the life of him remember what he'd been doing.
CHAPTER20
