“And have I told ya what a good dancer ya are?”
“No.”
His face fell into her hair as he breathed deeply. “And ya smell just like honeysuckle.”
“Thank you.” She tried to ignore the tingles spiraling through her body and took careful steps, but he still lagged beside her. “Would you quit talking and concentrate on moving your feet?”
“Oh, Summer, do ya know what y’re doin’?” He looked into her eyes and grinned. “Y’re rescuin’ me. Y’re my hero.”
She rolled her eyes and kept walking. Once they were at the wagon, she pushed him into the seat and then climbed in beside him. Urging the horses forward, she hurried to get him home before he lost consciousness. The ride went smoothly, even when she dragged him out of the rig and into the house. After depositing him on his bed, she stepped into the kitchen and lit the stove to heat the kettle for coffee.
When she walked back into the room, the scene she witnessed stopped her in her tracks and made her want to laugh. Jesse sat on the edge of the bed, pulling off his boots. He’d managed to lift one foot over the other, earnestly trying to accomplish the task, but it was his comical expression that made her smile. His forehead creased as he concentrated, his tongue caught between his teeth and lips, and his face crinkled with the effort it took. The absolute strain etched on his face reminded her of a little boy diligently trying to complete a complicated task. Through his grunts and groans, she could tell his effort was getting him nowhere.
“Here, let me help.” She moved beside him, bent, and grabbed his boot. “I swear, Jesse, you’re the most obstinate person I know. I don’t know why you decided to get yourself drunk tonight, but it’s the most idiotic thing you’ve ever done. I hope you have a tremendous headache in the morning.”
She pulled off the boot and raised the other foot. Glancing into his eyes, she noticed tenderness staring back at her. Gone was the boyish look, replaced with one she didn’t want to define.
“Thank you,” he said softly.
She smiled. “You’re welcome.”
“You didn’t have to help me.”
“Yes, I did.”
“Why?”
“Because if I didn’t, you could’ve been discovered by Rosie, and I didn’t want my sister to see her future husband in this condition.”
His fingers grazed her cheek. “You do care about me, don’t you?” The drunken slur had left his speech.
Her attention switched back to his boot. She didn’t want to answer his question, so she concentrated on her task. Luckily, she didn’t have to answer.
“You do care, I can tell.” He sighed heavily, and his hand dropped to the bed.
The boot came off, and she placed it next to its companion on the floor. Jesse had a faraway gleam in his eyes, and she assumed he had drifted into a drunken stupor.
“Let’s remove your shirt and make you more comfortable for bed,” she mumbled.
As her fingers fumbled with the buttons of his shirt, his dopey expression changed as he stared openly at her. The tenderness coating his eyes made her nervous, and she wished he had stayed in his drunken coma. Her heart jumped. Of course, knowing she was actually undressing this man didn’t help matters.
“Will you give me a hand, Jesse? I can’t remove your shirt by myself.”
He slowly slid his arms out of the sleeves, and she managed to strip them off of him. When she became aware of his broad, muscular chest, she completely lost her smile. Golden tan skin colored his frame, and her hands itched to run across him just to see if he was as muscular as he looked.
She clenched her hands into fists in resistance. Very little hair sprinkled his chest, but it didn’t take the masculinity away. In fact, it made him more irresistible, more desirable. She suddenly wished she’d left him on the ground by the barn. She quickly turned away.
“Summer? Look at me.”
“No.” She moved, but he grabbed hold of her hands and held onto them. Without asking her permission, he placed her palms on his bare chest and then sighed.
“Your touch heats me.”
Shock forced her to look at his face. His eyes no longer had the effect of liquor. They were lucid. A knot formed in her throat, and she swallowed hard, fighting the desire creeping into her body. She couldn’t remove her hands. They felt so good next to his fiercely beating heart.
Her breathing became harsh, and for the life of her, she couldn’t figure out why she didn’t pull her hands away. Somehow, he’d put her in a spell.
“Oh, Summer. Your hands are so soft... so warm.”
