Montana Cowboy (Big Sky Mavericks Book 2) by Debra Salonen Read Free Book Online Page B

firm. The money was too good to pass up."
    Requisite small talk. Easy. Nothing that required too much brainpower, which was fortunate since her brain had turned little girl giddy. Her heart palpitated. Her palms went moist. Her knees wobbled slightly. All because her date was more handsome than the cinematic hunk who played Thor.
    She swallowed twice to build up enough liquid in her mouth to speak. "Has anyone ever told you you look like Chris Hemsworth?"
    He chuckled, his wide shoulders shrugging modestly. "I've been told there's a blog devoted to the subject. I've never read it."
    Blog. The B-word.
    She'd managed to squeeze in a quick peek online before her shower. Her search engine queued up a couple of dozen pages with Austen Zabrinski's name in big black print. After skimming the headlines, she had a very mixed picture of the man. She wasn't one to believe everything she read—her slightly anti-establishment parents made sure of that, but most of the headlines made him out to be a dilettante playboy at best, a corrupt politician at worst.
    Would she tell him her horror story tonight at dinner? Maybe. Maybe, not. She still got chills when she verbalized the possibility that someone tracked her down from the Internet, invaded her space, and compromised her privacy. Could someone with a high profile career even begin to understand how violated something like that made a private, ordinary person feel? She doubted it.
    Either way, she looked forward to finding out the truth about Austen Zabrinski one layer at a time. She pivoted and walked to the coat closet. Her leather biker jacket would have to do.
    He hurried across the foyer to help her into her coat. This put him close enough for her to inhale his cologne. Something wonderful. Fresh. Like an Oregon woods on a spring morning.
    The jacket settled pleasantly over her shoulders then two strong hands turned her about face. "I've been thinking about our kiss all afternoon. I almost convinced myself it didn't happen. Or if it did, it couldn't possibly be as good as I remembered."
    She knew exactly what he meant. She'd had the same conversation in her mind half a dozen times today.
    "Would you mind if I refresh my memory?"
    She'd just applied lipstick, but what the heck. "Okay."
    His hands bracketed her shoulders as if to keep her grounded. She kept her hands by her side. No crazy, jumping the gun tonight. If things worked the way she hoped, she'd invite him in...after a good dinner...fuel they'd both need for what she had planned.
    He lowered his head to touch his lips to hers.
    Tentative at first. Maybe he was worried about the lipstick. She wished she hadn't worn it.
    A little more pressure...
    She pulled back enough to say, "Oh, come on. It's only lipstick. It'll wipe off. Kiss me, damn it."
    So, he did. Masterfully. Mouth open, tongue engaged. Hands shifting to her back to draw her closer. Her front lined up with his. Barely touching.
    One hand cupped her buttocks and pulled her hips inward. Bottom half lined up with bottom half. A perfect fit when she rose on her toes. His male part showing instant interest in her female part.
    She took a step back, gasping for a breath. "I got so distracted I forgot to breathe. I don't think that's ever happened before. Wow."
    His grin was pure ego-stroked male.
    "Don't get too cocky. I haven't kissed that many men."
    "Oh. Well, you kiss like a pro." He paused. "Not like a prostitute pro. I don't mean that. I meant like someone who kisses well." He pushed a hand through his perfectly styled hair. "I'll quit while I'm ahead, okay?"
    "Good idea. But, for the record, do you know how a pro kisses?"
    "I'd rather not answer that."
    She laughed. She didn't care about his history. She only cared about his future love life for as long as it involved her, preferably in her bed, tonight.
    She walked to the door, opened it and whistled for Beau. Although she loved the dog's companionship, he always remained outside at night. His toenails clicked on