AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I should not accept such a gift as this, but thank you, Ben.” The words were not enough to express her gratitude. She bit her lip, contemplating thanking him in a more personal way, and before she could talk herself out of it, raised up on her toes to kiss his cheek. He turned his head at the same moment and the kiss ended up landing beside his mouth.
Morning Dove froze. Ben glanced at her mouth before he locked eyes with her—and leaned forward. His kiss did not miss its target. His lips landed on hers in a slow, barely there brush that made her heart skip several beats. She had never thought of Ben as being tender, but when his mouth slid across her own again, it was the only way to describe it.
He never deepened the kiss or did more than take a few soft lingering passes across her lips before he lifted his head, and it was over much too soon.
Neither of them spoke as they stood there breathing in each other’s air. Her heart beat a hard, steady rhythm in her chest and all those questions she had about whether or not Ben was interested in her were answered as she looked into his eyes. He was. The knowledge stole her breath.
He smiled and straightened. “I should go.” He looked at her lips again, his gaze lingering before he stepped back from the gate.
Morning Dove nodded, not trusting her voice. She walked with him back outside and said nothing as he mounted Cash. He stared at her for a long moment before giving her a wink and tugging the reins to get Cash moving.
She stood in the dying light and watched him until he was nothing but a dark shape moving on the horizon.
Then she smiled.
“What are you doing?”
Ben turned at the sound of Aaron’s voice. He stood leaning against the fence post, his arms crossed over his chest. “What does it look like?” He tossed down the roll of barbed wire he’d tied into a tight coil. “What are you doing? Besides holding up a fence post that’s already secure. Shouldn’t you be in town? Or did Percy get tired of you and fire you?”
“No, you ass. And I meant what are you doing with Morning Dove.”
At the mention of her name he paused, and he hoped Aaron hadn’t noticed. The previous night came back to him in a flash and made him wish he could rewind the entire day and find himself standing in the dark with Morning Dove again inside Aaron’s barn.
The kiss they’d shared had kept him awake half the night. He’d played it over repeatedly in his mind, wishing he’d done more, deepened it and tasted her like he wanted to instead of doing nothing more than tasting her lips, but—he didn't want to scare her. She’d been aiming for his cheek. He’d turned his head before she could get there and ended up kissing the side of his mouth. The rest was all on him. And it hadn’t been enough.
“Well?”
Ben grabbed the other roll of wire and began rolling it up. “Well, what?”
An exasperated sigh and an eye roll from Aaron followed. “What are your intentions toward Morning Dove?”
“I don’t have any.” Other than to taste her the way he wanted to.
“And the horse?”
Owen stepped out of the barn and threw his hand up, interrupting them.
“Hey, Aaron.” Owen said. “Did you finally quit the livery stable and decide to come back here?”
Aaron grinned. “Naw. You cowboys are more than enough to work Holden's ranch. I’m quite happy with my leisurely days working in town.”
Owen wandered off and Aaron focused his attention back on him. “Well?”
“Well what?”
He blew out a frustrated breath. “The horse.”
Ben threw down the coil of wire in his hands and grabbed another before shrugging. “It was a gift. Morning Dove saw her at the Avery’s party and said it reminded her of a horse her father had so I worked out a deal with Holden and bought her.”
“That’s an expensive gift for a woman you have no intentions toward.”
Yeah, probably. “So?”
“So—get some.”
Get some? Ben looked up, shock stilling the blood in his veins. “Get some what?”
Aaron laughed. “You should see the look on your face.” It took him a few minutes to stop laughing. “Get some intentions.” He paused before saying, “Not that I mind her living with Betsey and I, but she needs a husband.”
