“I’m not exciting either.”
Cal’s hazel eyes seemed to drill straight through her. “Maybe you just haven’t found anything that excites you.” He hesitated for just a second before he continued. “I didn’t come here to talk about a loan.”
Her heart rate kicked up a notch. “Then why did you come here?”
He cleared his throat. “I came to talk about . . . a secret affair.”
It felt like all the oxygen had been sucked from the room. She struggled to breathe. “W-W-What?” she croaked.
His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. “You don’t remember mentioning a secret affair on Thanksgiving?”
Her cheeks heated. She had hoped he’d forgotten about that. “I apologize for speaking so inappropriately. I certainly didn’t mean anything by it. I just thought it was rather humorous that if we did have an affair—which of course, we never would—we could do it right under the townsfolk’s noses and no one would be the wiser.”
His gaze remained intent. “Exactly. No one would be the wiser.” Was it her imagination? Or had he moved closer? His face was so close she could see the different flecks of gold and brown in his eyes and feel the heat of his breath on her face.
“What are you doing, Mr. Daily?” she whispered in a husky voice that didn’t sound like her own.
“Cal. My name is Cal.” He took a step closer. “And I’m here to try to convince you to have a secret affair with me, Jolene.”
She placed a hand on her chest, trying to still the mad thumping of her heart. “With me? But why?”
“Because I want you. And I’m hoping you want me too.” He moved even closer, a pearl snap of his shirt brushing the back of the hand she still had pressed to her chest. “Do you want me, Jolene?”
A swell of emotion filled her throat and she couldn’t have spoken if she’d wanted to. But she could nod. As soon as she did, he lowered his head and kissed her.
Wantdidn’t come close to describing the feeling that slammed into her. As soon as Cal’s lips touched hers, she didn’t just want. She hungered. She hungered for more of his soft lips and the delicious wet heat he delivered when he opened his mouth. It was their first real kiss, and yet, it felt like they had done this a hundred times before. Their lips danced like two old lovers who remembered all the steps to a perfect waltz.
Or a wicked tango.
His tongue certainly felt wicked when it slipped into her mouth and tempted her to answer with a thrust and slide of her own.
The kiss became hot, demanding, and wild.
And freeing.
For the first time in a long time, Jolene felt free of all the constraints her family name had placed on her. Of all the restrictions and rules that came with being an Applegate. She was just a woman sharing a passionate kiss with a good-looking cowboy. And she never wanted it to stop.
Cal seemed to feel the same way. One hot kiss led to another and another. Somehow Jolene ended up sitting on a rung of the library ladder with her skirt hiked all the way to her panties and Cal’s hard body between her legs.
It still wasn’t enough. She wanted to feel his hands on her naked flesh . . . and she wanted her hands on his. She pulled his tucked-in shirt from the waistband of his jeans. Slipping her hands in the open neck, she tugged until all the pearl snaps popped. Beneath the soft cotton was warm naked skin and hard muscles. Lots of hard muscles thatflexed beneath her cool touch.
She had touched Kyle’s body, but it had been nothing like touching Cal’s. It wasn’t just the differences in their muscle tone. It was the sensations that spiraled through her as she slid her hands over Cal’s bare chest. Touching Kyle had never made her feel like she was burning from the inside out. It never made her feel uninhibited and needy. Ravenous and greedy. She wanted to touch every inch of the body before her. Unfortunately, before she could, he drew back from the kiss and rested his forehead against hers.
“We need to stop, Jolene. This isn’t the place.”
His words pulled her out of her desire-drugged haze like a bucket of cold water dumped over her head. She pulled her hands back and stared at him. “Oh . . . I . . . I’m so sorry . . . I don’t know what happened.”
He cradled her face in his calloused hands. “It’s called passion. And you never have to apologize for it. Never.” He kissed her again before he lifted her off the ladder and set her on her feet. Her knees felt wobbly and he steadied her with an arm around her waist as he smoothed her skirt. When he straightened, his eyes were sincere and direct.
“I want you too. Badly. But not in an unlocked room where anyone could walk in. If we’re going to keep this a secret, we need to be discreet.” His eyes narrowed in thought. “We’ll need a place. A private—”
The door opened and Cal stepped away from her just as her father walked in.
Otis Applegate was an imposing man. He stood over six feet tall with broad shoulders and a full belly that he tried to hide beneath the double-breasted suit jackets he always wore. His auburn red hair was still thick, but had started to turn silver—which only made him look more imposing and distinguished. As did his neatly trimmed mustache. Jolene had seen pictures of him without a mustache, but for as long as she could remember he’d always had one.
Thankfully, the tree held his attention so she had time to smooth her hair and try to settle her rioting emotions.
“Good Lord, Jolene.” Her father stared at the tree. “Where did you get this one? Rockefeller Center?”
