Hands behind her propelled her forward, right into Rudy.
Traitors!
He cupped her cheeks in a cold, wet grip that was both gentle and possessive.
"But I'm wearing a white shir—"
His mouth smothered her protest as he claimed her lips in a kiss that erased any doubt anyone might have—including her—about them being in a relationship. It was both possessive yet tender. Passionate yet gentle. It was the kiss she'd been waiting for all day.
She wanted this with him. Forever. So how did she reconcile that with the desire to still live the corporate life? And maybe even own her own business.
Darn Esmeralda and the power of suggestion.
Blocking the fortune teller from her mind, she slid her hands up Rudy's shoulders, losing herself in the kiss. She loved the feel of his muscles bunched beneath the wet cotton. Pleasure—pure and simple—filled her, making her forget they had an audience.
Rudy's cold, wet body enveloped her overheated one as he shifted his hands from her face to wrap around her, pulling her flush against him. Moisture seeped through her shirt as warmth built inside her.
Talk about a shock to the system!
Considering the urgency with which his lips moved against hers, she expected steam to start rising from their bodies soon. But cheers, catcalls, and jeers of "Get a room," surrounded them, and Rudy pulled back much sooner than she would have liked.
Eden clung to him. "Don't let go of me. I don't want everyone to see my pink bra through my now-wet t-shirt."
"The pink one, huh?" he asked with a chuckle.
She slapped the back of his head. "Have you been thinking about my bras?"
"Only when you wear a white t-shirt." Before Eden could stop to think about how often that was, Rudy raised his voice. "Sheriff Winters is up next! Ryan and Carson, didn't he write you both tickets last month?"
The crowd cheered and shifted to form a line again.
Rudy guided her across the park, keeping an arm around her shoulders. When they reached the back of the city offices where the crowds had thinned, he relaxed his hold on her.
"Do you want to go home and change into dry clothes?"
Eden surveyed her shirt. Yes, it was wet and somewhat see-through, but the damp fabric also cooled her from the heat of the day.
"If you can keep from ogling my pink bra, I'll just let it dry. But you probably want dry clothes."
"I have a duffel bag with extra clothes in the car." He hooked a thumb over his shoulders. "Question is: do you want to keep hanging out here or go to the rodeo grounds?"
"Aren't we planning on going to the rodeo tomorrow night?"
"Yes, but this afternoon there are a bunch of activities going on over there."
"Like what?"
"Dog races, cow pie drop, mutton busting, and goat wrestling. Mostly little kids’ stuff, but it's fun to watch."
Eden felt her brows inching a little higher with each thing he listed.
Cow Pie Drop? Mutton busting?
"I think I need to see these...activitiesfor myself."
CHAPTER19
And that's how Eden found herself an hour later sitting in the shade of a wide umbrella that Rudy had the foresight to bring, waiting for a cow to poop in the rodeo arena. The crowds were not as plentiful here as at the park, but there were surprisingly still a lot of people.
