The Price of Passion (Texas Cattleman's Club: Rags to Riches 1)

“Who said I wanted us back together?”

His words stung in spite of what she was feeling. She wouldn’t let him see the hurt, though. “Good, then we’re on the same page.”

“Almost.”

She huffed out a breath. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Well, hell, if we’re going to avoid each other and we’re never going to be together again, then we need to do something we didn’t do fifteen years ago.”

Actually, Beth couldn’t think of a single thing they hadn’t done back then. And remembering everything they had done made her heartbeat skip and her blood hum through her veins. It seemed fury wasn’t enough to squash the kind of desire that pumped through her whenever Cam was near. “What’s that?”

His gaze fixed on hers, one corner of his mouth lifted into a tiny, secretive smile that used to drive her crazy with need. “Well,” he said softly, “we never did kiss goodbye.”

And he swooped in on her just like he used to.

* * *

She’d pushed him, just as she used to. Made him feel too much, just as she used to. And just like when they were kids, Cam swept Beth off her feet and pressed her tightly to his chest. Then he fused his mouth to hers as if she held his next breath. And while he fed a need that had haunted him for years, one corner of his mind was alert to her reaction.

Would she push him away? Would she tear her mouth free and shout “no”? It would kill him to stop, but damned if he’d hold her if she didn’t want him to.

But she hooked her arms around his neck almost instantly and everything in him roared into life.

The taste of her filled him. Her scent seemed to surround him, drawing him in, drawing him back to a time when she was everything to him.

But memories paled when compared to having her back in his arms again. She parted her lips and at the first slide of his tongue against hers, Cam was electrified. His body turned to stone, and all he could think was more. He held her tighter, pressing her body to his so that she had no doubt of what she was doing to him. His hands swept up and down her spine, and every time she shivered, he felt the fires inside erupt.

Years fell away. Old aches, hurts and regrets faded into the rush of heat that swamped him. All he wanted was to carry her inside to his bedroom, stretch her out across the mattress and bury himself inside her. He craved that connection as he did his next breath.

And that was enough to have Cam breaking the kiss, setting her on her feet and taking a single step back from her. Damned if he’d seduce her on his driveway when a dozen cowboys could glance over at them and get a show.

He looked at Beth as she stared at him while she struggled to catch her breath. He knew how she felt. His own heartbeat was raging, and the ache in his balls made him want to brace his hands on his knees and do some deep breathing until the pain eased.

He hadn’t asked for this to happen, though he’d known that coming back to Royal would mean being around Beth again. And maybe pretending it wouldn’t happen again really would be lying to himself. What he had to do was remember that she’d betrayed him. Yeah, they were different people now, but how could he trust her, remembering?

Maybe Beth’s idea to keep their distance was a good one, but damned if he could see that bargain lasting for long. Royal wasn’t big enough for them to avoid each other. But one more episode like this one just might kill him.

“Okay then,” she said finally, sounding a little breathless. “You’ve had your goodbye kiss...”

“Yeah. About that.” He locked his gaze with hers. “Didn’t really feel like goodbye. It tasted more like welcome back.”

“No, it didn’t.” She shook her head as if that action would help.

He grinned in spite of everything. Hell, he remembered Beth arguing even when she was wrong and knew it. In fact, she’d fight back even harder if she was wrong. Like she was now.

“Well, then let’s try it again,” he challenged, even though another kiss at the moment would bring him to his knees. “See which one of us is right.”

She skipped backward a couple steps. “I don’t think so. I already know who’s right and it’s not you.”

“Guess we’ll see, won’t we?” Oh, this wasn’t the end of whatever was still simmering between them. Cam knew they were just starting and she knew it, too. Which was why she was inching ever closer to her car.

“Whatever you might be thinking, Camden?” she said, fumbling behind her for the car door handle, “I haven’t been standing still waiting for you to come back. You got married. Moved on. Well, so have I.”

Surprised, he asked, “Seriously?”

“Is that so hard to believe?” She looked insulted.

“No. But I didn’t hear anything about you being married...” And he didn’t like thinking about it. Whether it made sense or not didn’t matter.