“Hey,” she whispered.
He bent close, rubbed his nose against hers, pressed a featherlight kiss between her eyebrows. “Yeah?”
“I have to go in an hour. Kiss me like you mean it. Let’s not waste a minute.”
“My pleasure.” He claimed her mouth.
She twined her arms around his neck and gave herself up to the moment.
Much to Jameson’s satisfaction, Vanessa stayed later than she planned. Like their night last winter, they fell asleep in each other’s arms. But unlike that last time, this time he woke when she left the bed.
He turned on the light and watched her get dressed, watched her cover that curvy, beautiful body he would never get tired of looking at. “Don’t forget your other sock, now.”
She picked it up off the rug, waved it at him and sat on the bed to pull it on. Her boots came last. She stood. “See you.”
“I’ll walk you out.”
She protested that it wasn’t necessary, but then she lingered, watching him through heavy-lidded eyes as he grabbed last night’s Wranglers and put them on.
Slim was waiting just outside the door.
“Hey, boy.” Vanessa knelt to give the mutt a last scratch behind the ears.
And then she headed for the kitchen where she’d left her shoulder bag. Pausing there at the counter, she took out her contacts and put on a pair of tortoiseshell glasses, turning to wink at him as she grabbed up her bag. “I’m out of here.”
He stepped in close, blocking her way to the door. “I like those glasses.”
She gave him a look, like he’d better not try keeping her here too long. “Um, thank you?”
“They make you look seriously sexy. And also like a really good teacher who won’t let her students get away with anything.”
“That’s me—but with wiggle room. In my class, everybody gets second chances.”
He took a lock of her hair and tugged on it. “I’ll be at Happy Hearts early to drop off Charity’s heifers.”
“Maybe I’ll see you.”
He couldn’t stop wanting to touch her. Lowering his mouth to hers, he brushed a slow kiss across her soft lips. “Oh, you’ll see me. I think I’ll just hang around, help Daphne out with whatever needs doing. I think I should be there for the pet adoption. After all, it’s the final Red, White and Bronco event for this year. Wouldn’t want to miss that.”
“I would like it if you were there.”
“That settles it, then.”
Her dark eyes had that gleam in them. They made him think of her, in his bed, without a stitch of clothing separating them.
He kissed her again. He just couldn’t get enough of kissing her. “Tomorrow night...”
“Jameson, it’s already tomorrow.”
“Tonight, then. Be with me tonight.”
She hesitated. He dared to breathe again when she decided in his favor. “All right. Tonight, then.”
“I’ll grill us some steaks.”
“Sounds good.”
“Be here at six?”
