Naked Heat: Naked Cowboys, Book 7 by Desiree Holt Read Free Book Online Page B

As she backed around and drove onto the street, he cleared his throat.
    “I’m sorry this is uncomfortable for you. I’d think your friends would know better.”
    She laughed, a soft musical sound. “Oh, they do. I promise you. They just can’t help themselves. Would you believe me if I told you that every couple at that table has been manipulated? In the nicest way, of course.”
    Mac chuckled. “They do seem a determined lot. The men as much as the women.”
    “People say it’s something in the water. I don’t know. But…” She paused.
    “But what?” he prompted.
    “I came here four years ago to get away from the mess I’d made of my life. I had nothing but my real estate license and a need to start over.”
    Mac grunted. “I can relate to that.”
    “I met Amy first,” she went on. “None of the others were here yet. She befriended me and sort of made me her project. Introduced me to everyone. Put the word out to scare up listings and clients. Little by little, our group just grew. Everyone’s got a story, believe me. Now I don’t know what I’d do without them.”
    Mac thought about it as they rode silently through the night. Maybe that was why he’d ended up here, drawn by an invisible thread to a place where people brought their troubles. He certainly felt a lot better sitting close to this woman, no matter how contrived it had been.
    “Thanks for the ride home,” he said at last and reached over and gently squeezed her arm.
    “Actually, it’s my pleasure.” She glanced his way quickly and gave him a smile that surged all the way through his body. He was in big trouble here.
    They rode in silence the rest of the way, as if they both knew they could be comfortable with it. When she parked the car to the side of his house, she just sat there studying it. The moon was full and cast everything in a bright light.
    “You’ve gotten a great deal done since you closed on this,” she commented.
    He gave a short laugh. “And there’s still ten times as much to do. But it’s getting there.”
    She surprised him by getting out of the SUV and standing in front of it, taking a good look around. Mac went to stand beside her.
    “You’ve certainly got lots of sweat equity into this,” she commented.
    “That’s the damn truth. And lot’s more to come.”
    There was more silence. “I know you didn’t come here just to hide out in a rundown house,” she said at last. “When you’ve dealt with troubles, you can sense them in others.”
    “Nida, listen. I—”
    “I don’t want an explanation. Just know that if you need someone to listen, I’m here. And I don’t tattle.”
    “I wouldn’t think you did.”
    He turned toward her at the same moment she moved to look at him, and it seemed the most natural thing in the world to put his hands on her shoulders and take a good long look into those mysterious eyes. It seemed even more natural for him to cup her chin and tilt her face upwards. He was a bare whisper from her mouth when he stopped.
    “I’m going to kiss you. Take a step back if you don’t want that.”
    When she didn’t move, he lowered his head and pressed his lips to hers. Damn, she tasted incredible, hot and sweet at the same time. When she opened her mouth, he thrust his tongue inside and every nerve in his body fired. His cock, already throbbing with need, swelled even more, and his balls ached like a son of a bitch. Heat surged through his body as their tongues tangled and he drank her in. He could stay like this forever.
    Breaking the kiss was one of the hardest things he’d ever done and took every ounce of his self-discipline. What he really wanted to do was carry her in the house, strip off all her clothes and run his tongue over every inch of her body.
    “Nida, I have to tell you—”
    She touched her slim fingers to his mouth. “You don’t have to tell me a thing. That is, until you feel you want to.” She took a step back. “Good night, Mac. It was great seeing