Cowboy Crushin' (Dalton Boys Book 3) by Em Petrova Read Free Book Online Page B

her smile around another bite of cobbler. Judging by the way the curly-haired woman was looking at her husband strutting across the yard, she’d have a baby for the other knee in no time.
    Witt swaggered into the barn with the sack. Shelby watched his strong backside go, a knot of warmth stretched tight in her stomach. Her body screamed for a chance to kiss, touch and lick the hunky cowboy, but her brain needed to grab the reins.
    No more men in her life. Her boy came first.
    Witt stuck his fingers in his mouth and released a short, shrill whistle. Shelby’s body stood at attention, her nipples puckered at the raw display of manliness that was Witt Dalton.
    He waved a hand and hollered, “If you’re done stuffin’ your face, boy, come and see those animals before it gets too dark.”
    “Can I, Mom?” He slammed the glass jar on the step with such force she thought it might shatter and jumped to his feet.
    “Go on.” His big, berry-smeared smile was a ray of sun after a monsoon. He ran off, kicking up dirt, and Charlotte and Maggie joined her in laughter.
    “He’s all boy,” Maggie remarked.
    “Totally.”
    Alex and Witt vanished into the barn again and came out with armfuls of cats. They sat in the yard, letting the myriad of orange, white and speckled cats climb all over them.
    Across the yard, Witt met her gaze. A kitten perched on his broad shoulder, and Shelby could resist no longer. Maggie took the jar from her. Shelby didn’t remember walking but suddenly found herself sinking to the ground among the cats too.
    “I want this one, Mom. It’s so cute!” The brown freckled fur-ball twined around his hands, tail flicking.
    “It is cute.” She rubbed its ear and it purred.
    Witt was staring at her mouth so intensely, she swiped at her face, fearing she had a trace of cobbler there.
    “Don’t worry, you can’t wipe away beauty like that,” he rumbled.
    She flushed from the toes of her boots to the tips of her ears. She shouldn’t let him sweet-talk her, but it felt so good to be desired by a man like Witt. She could get used to this.
    “Hey Alex, I’m going to feed the pigs. Come along?” Hank asked.
    Alex’s eyes popped out. “Can I really?”
    “Go on,” Shelby said, fielding the cat he almost threw off his lap. “Oh poor thing.” She set the feline on its feet and it slinked back into the barn with an offended twitch of its tail.
    She looked up and met Witt’s steady gaze. “I’m glad you came,” he said, low. So low her stomach flipped and parts she didn’t remember possessing tingled to life.
    She had no idea what to say or where to look. Feeling like a fish flopping on desert sands, she struggled to say something that wouldn’t give him the wrong impression.
    “Alex likes you.”
    “He’s a good kid. We get along fine.” The way he drawled “fine” sent ribbons of warmth skittering over her skin. Her heart tripped too fast, her breasts ached and her panties were wet.
    All from one long, drawn-out syllable.
    “I have a feeling his momma would get along fine with me too. If she’d let herself relax.”
    “I’m relaxed.”
    He laughed, the sound rich and full. He scooted closer and the cat on his shoulder walked onto hers. It licked at a strand of her hair and she couldn’t help but giggle.
    His eyes lidded. “You’re gorgeous when you laugh. I need to make you laugh more often.”
    “Witt…I came because Alex wanted to see the animals again.”
    He nodded, gaze fixed on her face. Suddenly he stood, legs unfurling. She followed the denim hugging his calf up to his thigh and almost choked at the bulge in his jeans.
    Was he hard? If so, what had she done to cause it? The power she held over him flooded her head.
    He reached down for her. She blinked at his hand. How would it feel in hers? Warm, rough. She knew that already. She wanted to know his touch up and down her bare body, those long digits teasing her wet folds.
    She shook herself and the cat leapt off her shoulder.