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Colton grabbed her arms in a rough grip and jerked her toward him. “Dammit, Kendra, watch where the hell you’re going!”
His words made her glance back. Her stomach experienced the deadly fall he’d just saved her from. Blind instinct fisted her hands in his T-shirt as an uncontrollable trembling shook her body. The mere thought of what she’d almost done sparked a wave of dizziness. Her breath shortened and she leaned heavily against Colton’s strength.
Soft words soothed. Comforting hands stroked her hair and rubbed over her back as he sat down on the rock and she was cradled on a solid lap.
With the gradual retreat of her panic attack, the shaking subsided and she was able to relax her grip on his shirt. She flattened her palms against his chest and took a deep, cleansing breath.
Only then did she become aware of the hard muscles beneath her fingers.
And the equally hard muscles beneath her butt. Comforting became caressing with the onset of physical awareness.
She peered up through her lashes. Her gaze locked with Colton’s and his hands stilled.
When she swallowed and moistened her lips, he groaned softly.
Chapter Twelve
Colton’s groan vibrated against her fingers just seconds before his mouth captured hers. From a distance, she thought that this should scare her, too—the leashed tension she could feel in his arms. But it didn’t. Elated by his reaction, resisting was the furthest thing from her mind.
As he deepened the kiss, her hands crept to the back of his neck, delving into his soft hair. Her sideways position proved awkward, so she maneuvered until she could swing her right leg across to straddle his thighs.
The new position gave her the freedom to explore the contours of his chest while his lips held hers willingly captive. Muscles developed from years of physical work at the ranch were well defined, and she enjoyed her journey of discovery. So much so that when his hands skimmed over her ribs and traveled further north, her indrawn breath was one of expectancy, not alarm. Anticipation pooled when he cupped her breasts.
Kendra was aware of two things; she’d never willing gone this far with any man…and she wasn’t afraid. The brush of his palm across her pebbled nipple felt so right that all she could think was wanting more, wanting the barrier of cloth gone.
His mouth left hers to trail down her throat and she arched back, swamped with sensations too exciting to comprehend or deny. Moments later, the hem of her tank top was raised ever so slightly, and a cool rush of air hit her quivering stomach.
The sharp cry of a hawk overhead served as a stark reminder of their location. Kendra’s sanity returned slowly, and she pulled her hands down to stop the upward movement of his. Colton lowered the material back into place even though his lips lingered on the rapid pulse at the base of her neck.
“We should get back,” she murmured, her eyes still closed.
The heat of his mouth gave way to a draft of cool air, and she lifted her lashes to find him staring down at her. “In a minute,” he promised.
His husky voice made her insides melt. A deep, thorough kiss, all wet, hot tongue, spiraled her back into the dizzying pool of sensation. She was completely dazed when he released her bottom lip and lifted his head. “Okay, let’s go.”
Kendra blinked at his casual tone as she accepted help off his lap. Wow. How did he do that? She felt as if her entire world had shifted, whereas Colton appeared completely unaffected. Had it even meant half as much to him as it had her? Of course not, she realized. Because he had no idea the huge hurdle she’d silently negotiated.
Besides, he liked blondes. Tall ones. Bitterness rushed forward at how easily she’d fallen into being a convenience for him. When he didn’t speak to her on the climb down, she began to feel like even more of a fool.
At the bottom, he halted her with a light touch on her arm. “I hope you weren’t offended by what happened,” he said hesitantly.
She offered a slight smile, but avoided his gaze. “That’d be ridiculous given my participation, wouldn’t it?”
“Good.”
When he didn’t say more, she turned to go.
“Kendra.”
Heart tripping uneasily at his serious tone, she paused.
“I was in the house the other day when the phone rang…”
A sickening feeling churned in her stomach. Had Robert found them? She faced him slowly, afraid to know the answer.
“It was your lawyer,” Colton said.
“My lawyer?” Relief was swift.
