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“I don’t play the field,” he said. “I didn’t come to Wilder to hook up, that’s true. I have a lot on my plate. But something about you feels right, darlin’. And I don’t give a damn how old you are.”
She drew in a long breath, let it out slowly. “I wasn’t looking, either.”
“I can tell. You didn’t put on the high heels and pearls for me when you knew I was on my way over to the B&B. And I’m glad, because I like how grounded you are.” His head dipped and his lips brushed over hers. “So real.”
Her eyelids fluttered closed, so he moved in for a kiss. A slow, easy one that had their bodies gravitating to each other. He wrapped an arm around her waist as the other one cupped the back of her head. Her breasts pressed to his chest again, the sensation more enticing this time than when they’d been on the dance floor, because there was no one around to take note of the way their bodies melded together.
His tongue slipped past her parted lips and delved deep. His arm tightened around her waist. He kissed her with all the passion she incited, all the desire she evoked.
When he finally broke their kiss, she was breathless. Her chest heaved against his and short pants of air fell from her lips.
With a grin, he asked, “What was that you were saying about keeping my options open?”
Under the dim light of the parking lot lampposts, he saw the blush spread over her cheeks. “You’re very sweet.”
He groaned. “One kiss and I’m already hard. You wanna call me sweet?”
The rosy color seeped down her neck. “And sexy.”
“Now you’re talking.” He kissed her again. When he heard voices coming from the entrance of the saloon, he pulled away. “Why don’t you hop in?”
She stared intently at him a moment, and it stirred myriad feelings within him. Although the hint of reticence still rimmed her eyes, the prevailing emotion he saw was need. Plain and simple, she needed him to help her get back something she’d lost because of her ex—her dignity.
Caleb could see this quite clearly, because he knew what it was like to have a shortcoming that required someone else’s assistance to rectify it. He suffered from being too young numerically for his advanced maturity. The very reason he had to bring in a more experienced vet to help him get his business underway. Though he was damn certain he was capable of managing the operation—he’d helped injured animals since he was a kid, after all—he was smart enough to admit eight years of schooling and working in a clinic did not make him the be-all, end-all of large-animal vets. Maybe someday he’d be able to make that claim. In the meantime, he looked to Dr. Donald Peters to work with him on the most difficult cases.
As far as Reese went… The woman seemed to know he was more than capable of getting her back in the saddle. If a little romance helped her regain her confidence and inner strength, Caleb was definitely the man for the job. Hands down, he was already nuts about her.
Finally she slipped into the passenger’s seat and he shut the door after her. He climbed in on his side and started the vehicle. “Need the heater?”
“Not after those scorching-hot lip locks,” she said with a sigh. “In fact, I could use a little air to cool down.” She cracked the window an inch.
Caleb backed out of the parking space and hit the road. He reached for her hand and rested it on his thigh, his hand covering hers. His muscles bunched at her touch, a reaction he liked. She did all sorts of interesting things to his body.
Glancing over at him, she asked, “Do you always work this fast?”
His laugh filled the quiet interior of the SUV. “Do I go after something I want? Yes. But when it comes to women… Let’s just say I’ve always been a bit gun-shy.”
“Oh really,” she deadpanned. “Because I don’t get that at all.”
He liked her gentle teasing. “You’re a different story. Something clicked when I met you. I can’t explain it.”
“Yeah, I felt it too.” Regardless of her affirmation, she pulled her hand from his leg. “The thing is, I’m still bumbling along. As you observed earlier.”
He was quiet as he considered this. On the one hand, he did have a tenacious nature when it came to his goals. His professional aspirations required his undivided attention. As for Reese… Well, he certainly knew where she was coming from.
The difficulty with the situation was that he’d never actually been this ensnared by a woman. That it had happened almost instantaneously meant even more to him. He’d kept his guard up since he’d been a teen, having learned at a very early age what the opposite sex typically wanted from him. His family name on Forbes billionaires’ list was a guarantee he’d never be lonely. But that was not the kind of companionship he sought.
The woman sitting next to him hadn’t even asked where he’d come up with the money to bankroll the rescue operation, nor had she been quick to snatch his credit card for the room and board. While he had a well-padded trust fund, he hadn’t needed to dip into it for the animal shelter. His grandfather had taught him about the stock market when he was in high school, and he’d invested his graduation money in several sweet spots that had helped him to make even bigger investments later on. He’d also saved his money from birthdays and Christmases, knowing someday it would be better spent on his dream than a collection of comic books or a video gaming system or some other expensive, though inconsequential toy.
He wouldn’t say he’d made his money all on his own. His family had too much of it for the cash not to flow in his direction. But he’d more than stepped up to the plate to reach this point—a necessary tactic in order to justify his need for independence. He didn’t want to be a drain on the Bennett finances any more than he wanted to be a slave to them.
Pulling into the drive of the B&B, he wondered about the current course of action to take with Reese. While his libido was in high gear, he also knew any sort of involvement with her would not be strictly physical. He wasn’t the love ‘em and leave ‘em type.
He cut the engine and she attempted to release the seatbelt again.
“You’ve got to get this thing fixed.”
“Already planned to trade the SUV in for a truck next week. But in the meantime, you’re my captive audience.”
