Read Online Sweet and Wild by Cerian Hebert - Free Book Online Page B

day she’d been happy and energized.
This melancholy mood didn’t become her.
    “Then how ‘bout dancing with an old
man?”
    This got her attention. She looked at
him, but the frown remained and her blue eyes narrowed. “Who, you? You’re not
old.”
    Craig laughed. “Thank you very much. Yes
me.”
    Quinn bit her lip and stared at him for
a good long time. Enough time for him to admire how soft rosy light from the
sunset made her skin glow in a way that was almost magical.
    “All right, I’ll dance with you.”
    He didn’t take her hand as they walked
back to the dance area, but he anticipated her touch, wondering how she’d feel
in his arms, small but feminine. Supple and curvaceous. When they found a spot,
she looked up expectantly.
    He slipped an arm around her waist and
took her free hand in his. Her palm was warm to the touch and soft despite the
nature of her work.
    “What did you and Ted Penney talk about?
He looked mighty unhappy when we got back. Did he try to sell you some stock?”
    What a way to spoil the mood. “We were
discussing the condition of Emerald Ranch. And his horses.”
    “Oh. He’s really run the place down. And
if I won the lottery I’d buy every last horse from him. He gives breeders a bad
name.” Despite the content of their conversation, Craig fixated on Quinn’s low,
husky voice. At some point the slow sway of the dance brought them closer until
he felt a whisper light touch of her breasts against his chest. He swallowed
hard to get past the desire that slight contact fired up. His arm tightened on
her a bit more. She didn’t pull back; instead she looked at him. Her blue eyes
were so clear, so wide as if she saw directly into his thoughts.
    “Yes, he has. I used to love that
place.”
    “Just like I used to love Long Knife
Creek.”
    She was nearly fully against him. Her
touch, the brush of her body against his, the way her fingers rested against
his neck, the tips tickling the nape ever so gently. All of it brought him to
the verge of feelings he hadn’t had in so long.
    The fact that Quinn had this effect on
him didn’t make it any easier, yet there was no way to stop this.
    “You don’t like this place?”
    “Jacob did a tremendous job with it. The
house is gorgeous, and the new spa is heaven, but it’s not home anymore.”
Quinn’s voice had dropped so low he had to dip his head to catch her words.
    Doing so brought him mere inches away
from the mouth he’d admired all day long. All she had to do was tilt her head
slightly to the side and he’d be able to capture them.
    Maybe the same thoughts and desires went
through her mind too, because she turned her head, lifted her face enough for
him to reach her lips with a light caress. That she put herself in this
position was surely no accident. No, he felt her mouth open to his.
    Who’d have thought this tough,
strong-willed cowgirl could have such a gentle touch. The soft movement of her
lips against his fueled a wildfire in his body and head. In the middle of the
entire town of Falstad and the guests of Long Knife Creek wasn’t the place to
explore these heady desires. He pulled away from her but, kept her tight in his
arms.
    Neither spoke. What could be said?
Should he apologize for being so bold? It wasn’t as if she’d found the kiss
repulsive. On the contrary, she’d contributed as much to it as he had. Besides,
he didn’t want to apologize. He wasn’t one bit sorry. In fact, he wanted more,
maybe not here, not now, but he couldn’t deny that Quinn intrigued him.
Exploring what had just happened might be impossible to avoid.
    Whether good timing or not, Craig didn’t
know, but the song came to an end and Quinn slowly pulled away. He looked at
her but instead of meeting his gaze she seemed to peer at his shoulder or maybe
beyond. Her eyes were wide, kind of spooked, her lips pressed together tightly.
    “I, uh, have to go feed the horses,” she
murmured as she moved entirely away.
    Craig didn’t say