The Arizona Lawman by Stella Bagwell

Author:Stella Bagwell
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2017-10-12T18:06:58+00:00

Chapter Seven

Tessa lost count of how many times Joseph kissed her. Not that the number mattered. She could’ve gone on kissing him forever. But something eventually caused him to lift his head and once the contact between their lips was broken, Tessa was so dazed she could hardly focus on his face.

As he eased her out of his arms, she breathed deeply and tried to calm the desire raging inside her.

“I, uh, think we’d better get our lunch,” he said, “Before...”

His awkward pause had Tessa finishing the words for him. “Before things get out of hand.”

“Something like that,” he muttered.

She was trying to come up with a suitable reply when he turned away and picked up the saddlebags packed with their lunch. As Tessa watched him carry the meal over to the wide pool of water, she wondered what he could possibly be thinking. That he wanted to make love to her but had decided he would later regret it?

She fought off the depressing idea and walked to where he was spreading a small square cloth on the ground.

“Is this spot okay?” he asked.

Her lips were still tingling from his kisses, her body still aching to be next to his. She didn’t want to think about eating, yet she was mature enough to understand he needed space and that she needed to give it to him.

“Yes,” she told him. “It’s lovely. The shade from the pines is deep and cool. And I can hear water trickling. Is that coming from the mountain?”

As she eased down on her knees to take a seat at the edge of the small tablecloth, he motioned to a spot in the slabs of red rock jutting from the hillside. “Over there. Looks like you have a spring, too. I don’t know if the pool stays full year round. I never heard Ray mention it, but I’m sure Sam can tell you.”

“This is desert country,” she stated the obvious. “The water has to be coming from somewhere deep underground.”

“Look over to your right,” he told her. “Deer tracks where they’ve been watering. I figure mountain lions show up here, too.”

“Let’s hope that species stays away until we eat our lunch,” she said wryly.

Sitting cross-legged, he placed their meal on the space between them while Tessa made herself a comfortable seat on the thick carpet of pine needles.

He said, “Looks like Reeva packed sandwiches of pulled pork. There’s also potato salad and some sort of cake for desert. And I put in canned sodas just in case you wanted more than water to drink.”

“Sounds yummy. Thanks,” she said as he passed half of the meal over to her.

As they began to eat, he cast a sheepish glance in her direction. “I guess you’re thinking I’m crazy or something.”

She lifted her gaze to his and as their eyes met she felt a soft punch to her midsection. “Why?”

He grimaced. “You’re not making this easy for me, Tessa.”

She said, “Look, Joseph, you ended that kissing session because you wanted to—or thought it best.

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