This Love (Cowboys & Angels 6)

Where is Cord learning all these words in Irish? The other day he’d called me his cailin, which meant “girl.”

And just like that, Cord Parker’s muscular, hot body was walking down the hallway while I stood in tatters, yearning for him to do things I’d only read about in romance books.

One last glance back and I saw that he had the nerve to pull his towel off again, giving me a great view of his arse.

Dead, I’m simply dead. And all I can think about are all the things I know he’s capable of doing to me.

Very naughty things.

After tugging on shorts, a T-shirt and baseball cap, I slipped my feet into flip flops and headed downstairs. It was nice forgoing the jeans, boots, and cowboy hat.

I grabbed my phone off the counter and looked to see who might be the mastermind behind this.

Paxton.

Hitting her cell phone number, I waited.

“Cord! How’s the lake?

“You knew?”

She chuckled. “I might have planted the idea in your mother’s ear.”

“You little shit.”

“Tell me you’re upset Maebh is there, and I’ll do anything you want me to do for a whole year.”

My hand raked through my hair. “I wanted a few days to think, Paxton.”

“About?”

“If I can do this?”

She scoffed. “Do what?”

“This whole one-woman thing. I’ve never had the desire to date one woman. What if I—”

“Stop right there. You never had the desire because the right situation never presented itself. Cord, you don’t have to ask her to marry you. Take a deep breath and enjoy the next four days getting to know each other with no interference from anyone. Not your family, your jobs, nothing. It’s just the two of y’all. Let your guard down and live in the moment. I can hear it in your voice. You’re not upset she’s there.”

I grinned. “Maebh said I made her feel like she was living in the moment the other night.”

Paxton chuckled. “See. Stop thinking too hard, and just be.”

A voice cleared from behind me, and I turned to see Maebh coming down the steps.

Holy Christ. She was in a pair of cut-off jeans, a white tank top, and pink Converse. It was topped off with a baseball cap that said I’m Irish, bitch. Back off.

Swallowing hard, I whispered, “I think I just fell in love.”

“Let me guess, the cut-off jean shorts I suggested she pack?” Paxton asked, laughing.

“Bye, Paxton.”

“Wait! Cord!”

I hit End and let my eyes move over her body. “You look adorably sexy.”

“Adorably sexy? Is that a Texas thing?”

“It’s a Maebh thing.”

Her gaze traveled over my body and then back up to the baseball cap I had on backwards.

Her teeth captured the corner of her mouth, and she chewed on it as she eye-fucked the shit out of me.

“You’re in flip-flops and a baseball hat.”

I nodded. “We’re at the lake. The whole cowboy attire gets put up.”

Her cheeks blushed. “It’s just…I’m used to seeing you in jeans, boots, and a cowboy hat.”

“And I’m used to seeing you covered…a bit more.”

Maebh glanced down to what she was wearing. “Do you not like what I have on?”

“Fuck yes, I like it, but I’m not going to like all the guys staring at you.”

Her face lit up. I found myself liking the way I could make her smile.

“Ready?”

She nodded and laced her fingers with mine. For someone who thought he needed a few days to think this shit over, I was eager as fuck to get our weekend started. I was going to have to do something special for my mother and Paxton when I got back.

We headed to the back door instead of the front.

“Um, where are we going?”

“To the boat.”

“Boat?”

“Yep.”

She looked confused, and it was cute as hell, especially when that round button nose scrunched up. “Are we eating on the boat?”

Laughing, I pulled her closer and wrapped my arm around her shoulders as we headed to the boat dock.

“I called on the way here and had Rick, our neighbor and a good friend of my father’s, get the boat ready to be taken out. I thought I’d be grabbing a quick bite and heading out to fish, but with the appearance of my sweet Irish beauty, those plans changed. We’re taking it out and going to a restaurant.”

She giggled. “I feel stupid now.”

After helping Maebh onto the boat, I got us ready to head out onto the lake. Maebh leaned her head back and let the sun hit her face as I drove us over the water. She held onto her hat as I made my way across the lake. A strange feeling hit me in the chest each time I looked her way. Maebh O’Sullivan was working her way into a part of my heart I never dreamed I’d open up. I found myself trying to think of ways to make her see that she was so much more to me than a hook-up. That I was serious about a relationship, even though at times it still freaked me out.