He squints his eyes and asks, "But he didn't touch you?"
His knuckles are almost white as he grabs the counter, and I shake my head. "No, he's never touched me."
He takes a deep breath and slowly lets it out. "I'll have a talk with Jeremy. He won't come near you again."
I throw my hands up in the air in frustration. "I don't need another brother to protect me, I've got four already. I can take care of myself."
With that, he smiles. "Honey, I'm not interested in being your brother."
I don't know why that simple statement makes me feel hot all over, but it does. I shrug my shoulders. "You can't fire him. He didn't do anything."
"Why are you worried about Jeremy? Do you want to go out with him?"
Oh my gosh, he doesn't get it. I hold my hands up. "No, I don't want to go out with him. As a matter of fact, I try to stay away from all cowboys."
He doesn't seem to take offense, but he does nod his head. "Okay, so I shouldn't take it personally. It's not just me you don't like. You don't like cowboys in general."
I blink in confusion. "I never said that I don't like you."
But obviously that was the wrong thing to say because his eyes widen, and he smiles. "So then you do like me."
"Oh my gosh, you're so frustrating. What is the point?" I point at him. "You're a Bryant." And then I point at me. "I'm a McCoy." And then I wave my finger between the two of us. "It's never going to work. There's no point in us going out."
He looks at me blankly, and then his eyes light up as if a thought has come into his head. "Well, if you truly believe that, then you won't mind if I test your theory out."
I'm not sure what he means by that, but by the way he's possessively looking at me, I know he has some kind of plan, and I’m not sure if I’ll like it or not.
Chapter 5
Chance
She's trying to figure out what I mean. It's obvious by the wide-eyed, innocent look on her face that she doesn't have a clue. I walk around the counter and don't stop until I'm right next to her. Only then does she put voice to her question. "What do you mean test your theory?"
I put my hands on her shoulders and then bring them down to her arms, holding her steady. Her whole body tautens, but I don't release her. "I want you, Amanda. That much is obvious." She swallows thickly and blinks at me. "But my theory is that you and I together could be explosive, like nothing I've ever felt before."
She licks her lower lip. "And that's your theory that you want to prove?"
I nod my head. The fact is just standing this close to her proves it to me. My arousal is already evident. All I would need to do is put my hands on her hips and pull her to me, and she would feel the proof of it, but her innocence, I wasn't ready for, and I know I need to take this slow. "One kiss," I tell her.
Her eyes get even more round. "A kiss?"
I nod and put my hand on her chin, forcing her to look up at me. "Yes. We kiss, and if you still don't want to go out with me after that, I'll walk away." I feel like I should cross my fingers behind my back or something, because what I just told her is a blatant lie. The truth is I won't be walking away from her now or anytime soon.
When she doesn't say anything, I ask her, "What do you think?"
She shrugs her shoulders. "One kiss. I don't see how it could hurt."
Instantly, my smile widens. If I didn't think she was innocent before, it's obvious now. I put a hand on each side of her face and look into her eyes. I can see the fear reflecting back in the gold flakes of her dark brown eyes. She's nervous by the way her body trembles. I pull her into me until her high, pert breasts are pressed against my chest. She inhales deeply on contact.
I lean down. "One kiss," I whisper to her before I press my lips to hers. At first touch, her lips are sealed closed, and I peck at them gently. When I run my tongue along her lower lip, she gasps, giving me entrance. I mold my mouth over hers, plunging my tongue into her sweetness. She moans, and I gather her in my arms, holding her tight against me. With my heart racing, I deepen the kiss, loving the feel of her against me. I want to touch her. Fuck, I would give anything to take her right here, but I know I can't.