Elle pushed her toward the dishwater. “Which is why I switched into your old room so I wouldn’t have to get up early all summer long.”

Allison dug into the washing, passing the pots and lids over to her sister to dry. It was a bit of a time warp, back to their teen years. Not all the memories of that time were good, not with the long illness they’d faced with their dad. The little chores, though, like cleaning the house or doing the dishes. Those things felt comfortable and familiar. Something to fall back on to help the hurt fade.

Elle hip-checked her lightly. “Dirt. Spill.”

It took her a second to figure out what Elle was talking about. Allison grinned. “I’m not telling you the details. You go find your own cowboy.”

“If you won’t talk, it had to be sex outdoors. Or something sex-like.” Elle swung her towel in the air like she was roping a calf. “Yeehaw.”

“Oh jeez. Watch yourself, or you’ll put out an eye.”

“You and Gabe—it working out okay? Like you’d hoped?” Elle leaned on the counter. “When you announced you were engaged, I’ll admit it was a shock, but you seem pretty happy lately. You thinking this is really it?”

Allison was torn. Telling the story she’d been sticking to was possible, but there was more between her and Gabe than before. Secrets she wasn’t sure she wanted to even share with herself, let alone her sister.

Since it was only pretend on Gabe’s part. And wouldn’t falling in love with him be about the stupidest thing she could do?

“You’re not talking, sis. Stop daydreaming about his ass, and answer the question,” Elle said.

“Abs.” The word snuck out.

Elle raised a brow. “Abs?”

Allison gave up. It was safer to talk about the physical side of things than the turmoil of emotion in her heart and head. “The man has got the most incredible butt, yes. And arms. And shoulders. But goodness, you should see his stomach.”

“Six-pack and all, I bet,” Elle teased. “You need to take pictures and post them.”

“Hands off.” Allison shook her head. “Forget I said you should see him naked. You just daydream about other cowboys and leave mine alone.”

“So he’s good then?”

Allison twisted to give her sister the evil eye. “You really asking what I think you’re asking?”

“Does he know how to burn up the sheets? Yes, I’m really asking. Because I need to live vicariously—”

Elle shut her mouth with a snap.

Uh-oh. “What about that reporter Mom said you’re seeing?”

Her sister snorted. “Was seeing. Once. Maybe twice. It was terrible. He kissed like a wet fish. And I didn’t even try sex with him, not when he pretty much proved he didn’t know where or what my clit was.”

Allison laughed. “I don’t want to know how that happened.”

“I bet your cowboy knows where things are. Tell me you’re at least happily getting all the sex you can.”

A little over a week ago she would have had to lie through her teeth and ignore the sexual frustration she’d been feeling. Now? Now she was free to grin and gloat a little. “Oh. My. God. You have no idea.”

The back door opened, the squeak echoing off the walls.

They both swung their heads to take in her cowboy slipping into the house, his broad shoulders just about filling the teeny back entranceway.

Elle was busy admiring Gabe. “Look what the cat dragged in.”

That curious flutter in Allison’s stomach kicked up again. Especially when he looked straight into her eyes, ignoring Elle completely as he marched across the kitchen. He wrapped his hand around the back of her neck and brought their mouths together.

Possessive. Sweet. How was it possible for both those sensations to whip through her? Like he was cherishing her and never going to let her go at the same time.

It might be a show for Elle’s sake, but Allison didn’t care. She slipped her wash-water-wet hands over his shoulders and held on tight. Returning the kiss and savouring his touch.

When he finally let her up for air, she was grinning so wide her cheeks felt stretched. “I wasn’t expecting to see you, but that was very nice.”

Elle snorted. “Nice. Sheesh, I need a cold shower after witnessing that. I’ll leave you two lovebirds alone. Mom wanted to watch a show and it’s on in a bit.”

“See you in the living room in a few minutes.” Allison meant the words for her sister, but she couldn’t take her eyes off Gabe. He held her, his fingers tickling the hairs at the base of her neck gently.

The door to the living room closed with a soft sigh, and still he held her.

The position was comfortable, and she wasn’t sure why. “What are you doing here?”

Gabe lowered his voice. “If your family just found out about your mom, and you need to be here, then I need to be here as well.”

A thread of sadness wove through her tangled emotions. Oh. That made sense. And yet it wasn’t what she’d been hoping to hear, not if she was honest with herself. “You’re right. Thank you for coming.”

She went to walk around him, to put some physical space between them to help put some emotional space between him and that weird aching sensation in her heart.

He wouldn’t let her go. Instead he slipped one arm around her waist and tugged her to his side. Lips hovering over her ear. Secretive. Private.

“I came here for you. Because I wanted to be with you.”

Allison looked into his green eyes. The blond waves of his hair stuck out in a mess from under his hat, his concern clear in his expression. His hands on her body were controlling, but careful.

“You wanted to be here? What about the Coleman gathering?” Maybe he hadn’t meant his message how it came out. The caring sound of the words—that could be her wild imagination speaking.

He rubbed his hand up and down her back slowly. “Drinking with the guys can wait.”

Gabe didn’t say anything more, just tugged her against him and held her head to his chest. The steady beat under her ear reassuring and stirring at the same time. He wanted to be with her.

Like a tiny seed of hope in the middle of the coldest winter.

“Gabe?”

“Yeah?”

She didn’t look up, just clung a little tighter. “I’m glad you came.”


Elle had gone to bed. Maisey had gone to bed. Paul had left and headed back to his place. The living room was down to him and Allison, and if he wanted to be any use in the morning, he damn well better be going to bed soon as well.

He couldn’t stand to move. Not with the way she’d draped herself over him while they’d watched TV with her mom. The shows weren’t much on his agenda, but the heat of Allison’s body snuggled up tight—that he could get used to having around all the time.

When her sister had plopped down on the far side of the couch, Allison had shifted closer to him to make room. Gabe had to adjust position a couple of times to ease off the pressure on his cock. Damn thing didn’t care they were in a public place. The longer they sat in the cozy room, the more Allison’s scent filled his head. Her perfume, or soap, or whatever it was, tickled his nose and made him long to start at her toes and nibble the entire way up. Stopping a few places along the way for good long breaks.

Worse still was thinking about what she wore underneath the skirt. And that bit of torture was his own damn fault.

Allison sighed. “We could have gone back to your cabin.”

“I don’t mind staying. Puss in Boots is cared for. Your mom enjoyed having us here, and it’s no trouble to drive the short distance in the morning.”

“She’s going to want to feed you pancakes. It’s traditional Saturday morning fare.”

Gabe would have answered, but Allison picked that moment to roll and stretch, her breasts pressed to the front of her tight T-shirt.

He couldn’t look away.

She flicked a finger under his chin. “You never seen a pair of tits before, Angel Boy?”

Gabe rotated her slightly to let her back rest on the couch, her hips still in his lap. “You and the Angel Boy business. No one calls me that anymore.”

“Your family is still known as the Angel Colemans around town. I’ve heard it.”

“Whatever. I’ll answer your question if you answer mine.” He smoothed his hand over her legs. “And this isn’t the question, but what are you wearing? Not that I mind that shirt—shows off your tits nicely. And yes, I’ve seen that particular pair a few times.”

“Hoping for more?” she teased.

“Always,” he whispered back. “Fooling around in your mama’s living room. I feel like I’m fourteen and hoping for a grope or two.”

They smiled at each other, and the ease and comfort between them was wonderful and frightening at the same time.

They’d been having sex, but always on the wild side. Raw and needy, physical release and physical comfort. This felt like there was something new in the room. An edgy, needy part, just not as frantic.

Her breathing picked up as he caressed her leg. “I had old clothes in a drawer. Most things were too small, like this T-shirt. The jeans were all a write-off. The skirt still fits—oh!”

Gabe had gathered the fabric in his fingers, a little more bunching up on each stroke. Now he touched smooth, warm skin, letting his hand sneak under the cotton material.

“So my real question is…did you put on those panties like I asked you to?”

Allison bit her lip, then nodded.

He had to suck in a breath of air to keep from shouting out hell, yeah or something. He snuck his hand higher, teasing the inside of her thigh.

The house was silent but for the moans of the wind and the floorboards settling. And the increased pants from Allison’s lips.

Gabe touched a scrap of lacy fabric a second before making contact with the warmth of her mound. The curls covering her were damp. He forced himself to continue past until the second section of elastic brushed his fingertips.

He’d been right.

It only took a second to lean in closer. He kept his hand cupping her heat, not wanting to let go. “What a nice surprise.”

She glanced toward the stairs. “Gabe, not here.”

He pressed his index finger between her folds and hit moisture. Heat. That urge to up and drive into her struck again. To lift her legs in the air and rest them over his shoulders so he could line up and thrust deep…

“You’re addictive.”

“Gabe.” She sucked in a gasp as he pressed into her core fully, burying his finger while running his thumb over her clit.

Just as suddenly he withdrew. Lifted his hand to his mouth and licked his finger clean. Her scent wrapped around them, filled his mouth, filled his head.

Her eyes were wide. Her hips had followed him as he’d pulled back, as if she was as reluctant to let him go as he was to leave off touching her.

Please, please let her want him as bad as he wanted her right then.

“Where can we go?” he whispered.

Not upstairs where the guest room sat next to the master bedroom. Not on this floor where he knew Elle slept. He didn’t give a damn who heard them, but Allison probably would.

She used his shoulders as a lever to rise, slipping off the couch and pulling him after her. When she opened the front door, he thought maybe they were going to leave, but instead she tugged him around to the side of the porch.

He peered through the darkness eagerly searching for deck chairs. Or a porch swing.

No such luck. One good thing, though, there were no windows on this side of the house. This section of the porch faced the fields and the small horse stable. It was as private as he could hope for.

Impatiently he scooped her up and manoeuvred her until he could claim her lips. Kissing her, wanting to experience her taste and the wild thrill of teeth and tongue, lips and needy gasps. Allison wrapped her legs around him, the layers of her skirt riding up and exposing her long smooth limbs.

He grabbed her by the ass and held on tight. Brought her warmth over his hard cock, rubbing her slickness over him. She was wet enough he felt it through his jeans. Gabe pressed her against the wall and pinned her there as he struggled to gain back control before he simply ripped open his pants and fucked her hard.

Allison caught him by the ears and pulled until their lips met again, just as hungry as he was.

He backed away. She clung to him as he walked the dozen steps to the corner of the porch. Inspiration struck as he lowered her to the top rail.

“Grab on to the upright post,” he ordered, “and spread your legs.”