Single Man Meets Single Mum. Jules Bennett
Her tendency to fix things and have everything in her life make sense would have to be satisfied with just this piece of wood for now. The Ian issue—and she feared he was fast becoming an issue—would have to wait.
She grabbed the hammer and several long nails from the toolbox in the equipment room. She shoved the nails in her back pocket and held on to the hammer as she climbed the ladder that stretched to the loft of the stable.
The setting sun cast a soft glow into the structure. Horses neighed, stomped hooves and rustled in their stalls. The sounds, the smells—none of it ever got old. Cassie loved her life here and she looked forward to bringing her daughter up in such a beautiful, serene environment.
During her four years of marriage, she’d been away from the estate. Even though she and Derek had lived only ten minutes away, it just wasn’t the same as being on the grounds. Cassie loved living in the cottage, being with the horses and knowing her family was all right here helping with her emotional recovery.
With her tears mostly dry, Cassie sniffed. Crying had never been her thing. Anger fit more into her life, especially since she’d been abandoned only two months after giving birth. Tears hadn’t brought her cheating husband back, not that she’d wanted him after the fact, and tears certainly weren’t helping her raise her daughter or move on like the strong mother she needed to be.
Halfway up the ladder, she eyed the broken rung, then carefully slid it back into place. Widening her stance as far as she could to balance her body while holding the hammer, she reached around into her back pocket for a nail.
“I can help you with that.”
Cassie glanced over her shoulder to see Ian at the base of the ladder, his watchful gaze raking over her body. Great. She had red-rimmed eyes and a red-tipped nose, she was sure. She was not a pretty crier. She always got the snot-running, red-splotchy-face and puffy-eyes look.
Cassie slid a nail out and turned back around to place it against the wood. “I’ve got it, but thanks.”
She knew he hadn’t left, but Cassie didn’t say anything else as she worked quickly and repaired the rung. With a hefty tug on the wood, she made sure it was securely in place before she started her descent. Just as she’d gotten to the last rung, Ian moved his hard body against hers, trapping her between the ladder and a most impressive chest. Her body was perfectly aligned with his, causing ripples of heat to slide through her. They were both fully dressed, but the sensations spiraling through her had never occurred before, even when she’d been completely naked with her ex.
Yeah, she was doomed where this sexy stranger was concerned.
Cassie swallowed, closed her eyes. Ian made her aware of just how feminine she was. When was the last time she’d felt desirable? Was it so wrong to want a man to find her attractive? After being married to someone who kept looking elsewhere for his desires to be fulfilled, Cassie knew she was probably grasping at any attention at this point.
She also knew she didn’t care—not when his body was so hard, so perfectly perfect against hers. Not when his soft, warm breath tickled the side of her neck, and not when his masculine aroma enveloped her.
“What are you doing here?” she whispered.
Ian slid his arms up to align with hers, his hands covering hers on the wood. “I saw you walking this way. You looked upset.”
No. He didn’t care. He couldn’t. Not this soon and not about her. Sexual desires were clouding his mind...and hers, too, apparently, because she was enjoying the heat of his body a little too much.
What man would follow a woman into a stable just because she looked upset? No. He’d followed her for one reason and one reason only. A reason she certainly didn’t think she was ready for.
“I’m fine,” she lied.
Ian nuzzled her hair. Oh...when he did that she forgot all arguments about why being attracted to someone so full of himself was wrong. Her mind completely voided out any pep talks she’d given in regard to steering clear of lustful feelings and attractive charmers.
“You’re a very beautiful woman, Cassie.” His soft voice slid over her body, reinforcing those tremors that were becoming the norm where he was concerned. “I tried to ignore this pull I have toward you, but it was damn hard when I saw you during the shoot. How do you do that to a guy?”
Um...she had no clue. Power over men had certainly never been something she’d mastered. If it had, she’d still be married.
“Ian, we just met and...”
He used one hand and slid the hammer from her grasp, letting it fall to the concrete floor with a loud thud.
“And I’m older than you,” she continued. “I’m thirty-four. You can’t even be thirty.”
With an arm around her waist, he hauled her off the ladder and spun her around until she faced him—their mouths inches apart.
“I’m twenty-nine, and I assure you I’m old enough to not only know what I want, but to act on it.”
His mouth came down on hers, hard, fast, hungry. Cassie didn’t have time to think or refuse because her body was already melting into his.
The passion pouring from him stirred her desire even more as she gripped his thick biceps. Giving in to just a few seconds of bliss wouldn’t hurt.
And when Ian’s mouth traveled from her mouth down the column of her throat, Cassie tipped her head back as her breath caught. What was he doing to her? A full-on body attack. His mouth may be in one spot, but Cassie could feel every inch of her body tingling and wanting more.
Wait...this wasn’t right. She couldn’t do this.
Pushing him away, Cassie slid her hand up over the exposed skin peeking out of her shirt...the skin his mouth had just explored.
“Ian, I can’t... We can’t...” Words were useless because her mind was telling her one thing and her body was telling her another. “I just met you.”
“You’re attracted to me.”
She couldn’t deny the statement. “That doesn’t mean I should act on it. I don’t just go around kissing strangers.”
“After you learned my name this morning, I was no longer a stranger.”
Those dark eyes held her gaze. Even without a word the man exuded power, control. Derek had been so laid-back, so uncaring about everything that this was quite a change.
And Cassie would be lying if she didn’t admit the fact that Ian was the polar opposite of her ex turned her on even more.
“You’re only here for a short time,” she went on, crossing her arms over her chest. “We can’t just...you know.”
“Have sex?” he asked, quirking a brow.
Oh, mercy. The words were now out, hovering in the air, and from the smirk on his face, she was the only one feeling awkward at this moment.
“Yes, that.” Dear Lord. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t had sex before; she’d had a baby, for crying out loud. But she couldn’t discuss something like that with him. Now she felt foolish and juvenile. “Acting on sexual attraction isn’t something I normally do.”
That was an understatement, considering she’d had sex with one man and that had been her husband. What if she did throw caution to the wind? What if she had some sordid affair?
Seriously? Was she contemplating that? She was a mother—a mother to a little girl. What kind of example was she?
“You’re thinking too hard.” Ian started to step forward, but he stopped when Cassie held up a hand.
“Don’t. I can’t think when you’re touching me.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
Cassie rolled her eyes. “You would.”
“See?