Page 12 of Love’s Silver Bullet

Hard. Determined. Dangerous.

Scared.

With a shy grin tugging at her mouth, she grated her teeth against her lower lip while she studied olive skin bronzed by the sun and peppered with a shadow of dark bristle. She supposed she could tickle him like Maggie had with that little boy, but that would only make him laugh.

Her chin nudged up in a show of resolve despite the nervous lump in her throat. And she didn’t want him to laugh. She swallowed hard as she stroked his sandpaper jaw with trembling fingers. No, she wanted him to groan in surrender when her lips finally caressed his …

“And trust me, chica, with a mula like Jake, only a kiss can do that.”

“But … but … what if I d-do it wrong?” Sheridan had said when Lolita had instructed her on various kissing tips, any boldness she might have had as damp as the palms of her hands. “I’ve never even been alone with a man, much less kiss one.”

Lolita had rolled her eyes. “Bah! Those brothers of yours are handsome, si, but they stick to you like a Puttington agent deeped in tar.”

“Pinkerton,” Sheridan had corrected with a smile, pretty much in agreement with Lolita’s assessment. Between Uncle Finn, Blaze, Dash, and Jake, Sheridan had never even been alone to flirt with a boy or man properly—not on the ranch, not at the annual rodeo dances, not in town, not even at church. A wispy sigh breezed from her lips. So, how on earth am I going to kiss Jake?

“But … but … what if he hates it?” she’d asked with a bite of her thumbnail, a sliver of nail flying through the air.

A low throaty laugh had bubbled from Lolita’s lips as she winked. “A man would have to hit his head on a rock, chica, out cold to hate a kiss from you in this.” She’d tugged Sheridan’s blouse a tad lower on her shoulders.

Close. But a rock was involved …

Sheridan blinked, her focus returning to the comatose man lying beside her.

If, that is, Jake really was out cold.

Only one way to find out. And like Sophia said, this could be her last chance.

“Jake,” she whispered, voice as quivery as her stomach, “before I go, there’s something I need to tell you while you’re unconscious because I don’t know if I’d have the courage to say it when you’re awake … but I love you so very much, and to prove it …” Fortifying with a deep ingest of air, she expelled it again in one long, trembling exhale before lowering to carefully brush her lips against his. She forced herself to ignore the sudden jolt of his body—and hers—to focus on giving his lower lip a gentle scrape with her teeth just like Lolita had instructed.

“As easy as breathing,” her friend had said, and oh, sweet mother of mercy, it was! And ragged breathing at that! Heart pumping, she lost herself in the wonder of Jake, the delicious taste of mint and man muddling her mind while she suckled his lower lip, body tingling so much, she felt like she was floating on air. Which she pretty much was when …

Whoooooosh!

“What in Sam Hill do you think you’re doing?” he croaked, tumbling her on her back so fast she caught her breath with a grunt, blue fire shooting from his gaze while he pinned her to the ground. “Are you crazy?” His shout echoed across the lake, the whites of his eyes as wild as his hair, which dangled precariously over his forehead and hers.

“As a matter of fact, I … am crazy, Jake …” Her voice trembled as much as her insides, and she didn’t miss the tremble of his own arms as he hovered over her, biceps bulging with the strain of his weight. “Over you.” A knot ducked in her throat. “And I think you’re crazy for me too.”

Hissing what might have been a swear word, he gave her a little shake. “Your head is full of pipedreams, little girl, so you need to get rid of any cock-eyed notions that you and I will ever get together, Sher, you hear me? Because I am not attracted to you that way, Half-Pint, and you need to face that.” Still hovering over her, he shook his head with a scowl, every word out of his mouth pooling more tears in her eyes. “For pity’s sake, Sheridan, I’m a man almost eight years older than you, so I only see you as a little sister!”

Liar! Sheridan wanted to smack him, but his hands still shackled her arms, anchoring her to the ground.

He softened his tone, the tears trailing her cheeks obviously having an effect. Gently wiping the wetness from her face, he started to rise. “I’m sorry to be so blunt, Half-Pint, but—”

Arms suddenly free, she lunged for his neck, determined to show Jake Sullivan once and for all that he was lying through his teeth. He was attracted to her and she knew it! If not from the near-silent moan that had leaked out when she’d kissed him, then surely from his glazed look when their eyes met during the lesson. Now, she just had to prove it to him …

Catching him off-guard, she hurtled all of her weight against him, toppling him on his back with a grunt of shock. Flopping down, she kissed him with everything she had, pulse pounding as she waited for him to push her away.

Only he didn’t.

With a pained groan that literally melted in her mouth, he rolled her over so quickly, she had time for only one quivering breath … before he descended with a kiss that stole it all over again.

CHAPTER SIX

Just one taste, please … that’s all I want ...

That had been the lone thought that betrayed him, along with his body, when Sheridan Marie Donovan’s lips met his for the second time in mere minutes, sealing his fate. When she’d first brushed her mouth to his, he’d been stunned to stone, which was good because he needed to remain still to keep the illusion alive that he was “out cold.” Even if he was “on fire” instead.

Okay, fine, he was man enough to handle the innocent brush of her lips for a second or two before she left to go get help, because really, it was so soft and sweet, it could have been a kiss on the cheek. But then she’d turned up the heat to scalding with a tug of his lower lip, actually taking it into her mouth.