Oh God ... He grabbed her by the shoulders, intending to push her away, but as his fingers curled around the softness of her flesh, he felt his control waver. Slowly, slowly, he pulled her to him.
When he looked down into her huge, expectant eyes, he was lost. In the deepest recesses of his tired, bitter soul, something warm and bright and almost hopeful unfurled.
"Cornelius?" Her voice was a throaty purr that slid down his ramrod-stiff spine like melted butter.
She was on her tiptoes now, her face within inches of his. He could feel the soft vibrations of her breath against his throat. Her lips were one quick movement away. . . .
She wanted him to kiss her, the little fool.
The realization that he wanted the same thing hit him like a lightning bolt. He swallowed dryly. He couldn't remember the last time he'd wanted to kiss a woman-a quick roll between the sheets, sure, but a kiss? An honest-to-God, lip-to-lip kiss? Never.
"Devon, don't be stupid." He tried to stifle the harsh, almost desperate tenor of his voice but couldn't. "You don't know what you're starting here."
She stared up at him unblinkingly. He was wrong. She wanted him to kiss her, wanted it more than she'd ever wanted
142
Something real.
143
144
145
will
Darn.
clang.
148
did
Nice, cozy tent.
No.
I
150
to his chest and wrapped his arms around his legs. Eyes closed, he leaned heavily against the tree trunk.
Yep, two days away from her and he'd be as good as new. "Stone Man" MacKenna.
But his last conscious thought before drifting off to sleep was of a pair of green eyes.
Chapter Fourteen
Devon curled her gloved fingers around the tin cup, drawing some small bit of warmth from the metal. She took a sip, sighing contentedly as the hot tea slid in a river of warmth down her throat.
From her seat beside the stove she glanced idly around the post. It was perfect, spotless. There was absolutely nothing to be done. Nothing.
Darn it. Stone Man hadn't been gone a week, and already she was bored to tears. And lonely.
"Hiya, miss."