River's Bend by Joann Ross

Author:Joann Ross [Ross, Joann]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Castlelough Publishing LLC
Published: 2014-01-01T08:00:00+00:00

24

The night was clear and chilly, tinged with a promise of the winter soon to come. By the time Rachel walked up to the front door of Cooper’s log home, situated on the river, the crisp air had cleared her head, forcing her to view her behavior free of the sensual cloud that had been fogging her mind.

Oh, she wanted him. There’d been too many late nights over the past weeks that she’d tossed and turned in her lonely bed, fantasizing making love to him.

She was a normal, healthy woman, approaching her sexual peak. And Cooper was an impossibly sexy man. These feelings she’d been having toward him were entirely natural. In fact, she’d probably have something to worry about if she didn’t want him.

But want was an uncomplicated emotion, easily felt and just as easily satiated. What worried Rachel was that her feelings were more complicated than mere lust. Try as she might, she couldn’t quite shake the misgiving that when she did go to bed with him, she’d risk too much.

What she had no way of knowing was that it was coming as a shock to Cooper how, in such a brief time, Rachel had managed to infiltrate every corner of his mind. She was never out of his thoughts: he envisioned making love to her in front of a crackling fire, under a canopy of stars, in the hand-milled bed where three generations of Murphy brides had spent their wedding nights.

He wanted her with a need that bordered on obsession. But having been in love before, he realized that something else besides lust might be happening between Rachel and him. Something they’d both have to explore further.

Later.

When they entered the living room, Hummer lifted his head, eyed Rachel with interest, and thumped his tail once on the wooden floor.

“This must be Hummer,” she guessed.

“It is. He’d get up and greet you properly, but he’s never been one to move when he doesn’t have to. I think your son wore him out playing fetch the police baton this afternoon.”

“Poor Hummer.” Rachel bent down to pat the enormous head. The dog rolled over and groaned in canine ecstasy as she obligingly rubbed his stomach. “I hope Scott isn’t proving too much of a nuisance,” she said, looking up at Cooper.

“Not at all. In fact, I should probably pay you for having him exercise Hummer every day.”

“That’s not necessary. If you want to get technical, I should be paying you for baby-sitting services.”

They’d been over this before. Each time Rachel had brought it up, Cooper had steadfastly refused. “Why don’t we just call it even,” he suggested easily. “For now.”

Rachel nodded as she straightened. “For now.”

A slightly uncomfortable silence settled between them. That she was nervous was all too obvious. She was twisting her hands together as her eyes darted around the room like nervous birds, never lighting anywhere.

“Would you like to sit down?” he asked, scooping some newspapers off the leather sofa and tossing them onto a nearby chair.

“Thank you.

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