Read Online Borrowed Cowboy (Shadow Maverick Ranch) by Parker Kincade - Free Book Online
Authors: Parker Kincade
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“Then again, you and Patrick spent so much time together, I guess I didn’t realize you had other friends.”
Reese tensed. A slight tightening of her muscles he’d bet no one but him noticed. He hated that she’d blamed herself all these years. Hated even more his part in why she felt that way.
“Who’s Patrick?” Lauren asked. “I haven’t met him, have I?”
“No, he was killed in a riding accident.” Damn, he and Reese had talked about this. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt her again, but she needed to understand he didn’t blame her, or himself.
Lauren’s hand pressed against her chest. “Oh, no. I’m sorry.”
Amber, sensing a serious adult conversation, wiggled from Lauren’s lap and scampered over to the pint-sized play kitchen Erin must have brought with them.
Careful to keep his expression passive, he moved around the island and placed a gentle hand against the curve of Reese’s back. He liked that she didn’t jerk away, but instead, arched against his touch. A subtle move, meant only for him.
Pax acknowledged Lauren’s sentiment with a quick nod. “It was a long time ago.” Warm affection filled his chest as he thought about his friend. “I’ve never seen a man more comfortable on a horse than he was on his own feet. That was Pat. We used to joke his butt came out of the womb saddle-shaped. Nothin’ he loved more than the freedom of being on horseback with room to ride.”
He slipped his fingers under the hem of Reese’s shirt, using his body to shield the movement from wandering eyes.
Reese tilted her head, looked up at him. “He would’ve ridden to school too, had they let him.”
Atta girl. Stay with me. Remember the good times.
He grinned down at her, trailing his thumb across her silken skin. “You know he would have.”
He wanted to kiss her. Jerk her head back and crush his mouth to hers. Slowly peel her clothes from her body. Feel every inch of her against him, all warm and soft. There were so many things he wanted to do to her. With her.
Things he couldn’t do with an audience.
Lauren cleared her throat and slapped her hands against her thighs. “Hey, Gavin and I are going to Slick’s for a drink and some greasy bar food. I’ve managed to talk Jade into babysitting so Erin and Trevor can come too. How about you, Pax? You up for some family fun?”
“You got Jade to babysit on a Friday night?” Pax shook his head and stepped away from Reese before he embarrassed both of them.
“Don’t get excited,” Erin told him. “Amber is staying here tonight, so don’t be alarmed when she jumps on you at three in the morning and wants breakfast.” Her gaze darted to Amber and back, her voice barely above a whisper. “Don’t spoil this for me. I’m paying good money for a night alone with my husband.”
“I’m getting paid?” He dodged the towel Erin snapped his way. “I’m in for a couple of beers. As for the other…” Pax stopped to ruffle Amber’s ebony curls. “Uncle Jared makes a much better trampoline than Uncle Pax, right squirt? We’ll be fine here all night, won’t we?”
“Cookie!” Clearly, Amber had inherited his sweet tooth.
He handed her a cookie and looked up to find Reese watching him, a strange glimmer in her eye.
“What about you, Reese? Want to join us?” He remembered what Clay had told him about seeing her with someone and a knot formed in his throat that he cleared away. “If you don’t have other plans, that is.”
Her gaze darted between him, Erin, and finally, Lauren, as though his invitation made her uncomfortable.
“We’d love to have you join us, Reese,” Lauren assured her. “No wedding talk, though. I won’t have you working while the rest of us are having fun.”
“You should come, Reese,” Erin chimed in. “You can tell us all the dirt you have on Pax.”
“Oh no, you don’t,” he warned Reese with a mock glare. “No telling secrets, you hear me?”
Reese’s husky laugh went straight to
Reese tensed. A slight tightening of her muscles he’d bet no one but him noticed. He hated that she’d blamed herself all these years. Hated even more his part in why she felt that way.
“Who’s Patrick?” Lauren asked. “I haven’t met him, have I?”
“No, he was killed in a riding accident.” Damn, he and Reese had talked about this. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt her again, but she needed to understand he didn’t blame her, or himself.
Lauren’s hand pressed against her chest. “Oh, no. I’m sorry.”
Amber, sensing a serious adult conversation, wiggled from Lauren’s lap and scampered over to the pint-sized play kitchen Erin must have brought with them.
Careful to keep his expression passive, he moved around the island and placed a gentle hand against the curve of Reese’s back. He liked that she didn’t jerk away, but instead, arched against his touch. A subtle move, meant only for him.
Pax acknowledged Lauren’s sentiment with a quick nod. “It was a long time ago.” Warm affection filled his chest as he thought about his friend. “I’ve never seen a man more comfortable on a horse than he was on his own feet. That was Pat. We used to joke his butt came out of the womb saddle-shaped. Nothin’ he loved more than the freedom of being on horseback with room to ride.”
He slipped his fingers under the hem of Reese’s shirt, using his body to shield the movement from wandering eyes.
Reese tilted her head, looked up at him. “He would’ve ridden to school too, had they let him.”
Atta girl. Stay with me. Remember the good times.
He grinned down at her, trailing his thumb across her silken skin. “You know he would have.”
He wanted to kiss her. Jerk her head back and crush his mouth to hers. Slowly peel her clothes from her body. Feel every inch of her against him, all warm and soft. There were so many things he wanted to do to her. With her.
Things he couldn’t do with an audience.
Lauren cleared her throat and slapped her hands against her thighs. “Hey, Gavin and I are going to Slick’s for a drink and some greasy bar food. I’ve managed to talk Jade into babysitting so Erin and Trevor can come too. How about you, Pax? You up for some family fun?”
“You got Jade to babysit on a Friday night?” Pax shook his head and stepped away from Reese before he embarrassed both of them.
“Don’t get excited,” Erin told him. “Amber is staying here tonight, so don’t be alarmed when she jumps on you at three in the morning and wants breakfast.” Her gaze darted to Amber and back, her voice barely above a whisper. “Don’t spoil this for me. I’m paying good money for a night alone with my husband.”
“I’m getting paid?” He dodged the towel Erin snapped his way. “I’m in for a couple of beers. As for the other…” Pax stopped to ruffle Amber’s ebony curls. “Uncle Jared makes a much better trampoline than Uncle Pax, right squirt? We’ll be fine here all night, won’t we?”
“Cookie!” Clearly, Amber had inherited his sweet tooth.
He handed her a cookie and looked up to find Reese watching him, a strange glimmer in her eye.
“What about you, Reese? Want to join us?” He remembered what Clay had told him about seeing her with someone and a knot formed in his throat that he cleared away. “If you don’t have other plans, that is.”
Her gaze darted between him, Erin, and finally, Lauren, as though his invitation made her uncomfortable.
“We’d love to have you join us, Reese,” Lauren assured her. “No wedding talk, though. I won’t have you working while the rest of us are having fun.”
“You should come, Reese,” Erin chimed in. “You can tell us all the dirt you have on Pax.”
“Oh no, you don’t,” he warned Reese with a mock glare. “No telling secrets, you hear me?”
Reese’s husky laugh went straight to
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