Free Rocky Mountain Angels by Jodi Bowersox [romance] Page A

with daisies in it for her kitchen.
    As the afternoon sun was heading decidedly westward, Eli and Mari loaded their art treasures into Eli’s trunk. Eli closed the lid and looked to Mari, whose eyes were shining up at him. “We’re done, right? I mean, you’ve spent quite enough on me today.”
    Eli thought that determined mouth was just begging to be kissed. Kissed until she forgets the cost . He smiled to himself. Kissed until she forgets her own name .
    She stepped closer. “What are you smirking about?”
    Eli drew in a breath, his eyes still drinking in her lips. He placed his hands on her shoulders. Just one kiss . His eyes slid upward to those big innocent doe eyes, and his hands slid off her shoulders as he took a step back. “Enough for today, maybe.” He walked to the passenger side and opened her door.
    She shook her head at him as she got in. “What else do I need?”
    He closed the door on her question and answered once he was seated behind the wheel. “Well, you need a new bedspread—something that’s in line with the style of your bed. Then there’s new towels for your bathroom, an area rug in the living room, and there’s still the matter of something to sit on.” He pulled away from the curb.
    “Eli, you can’t buy me a sofa.”
    “Don’t worry, I’ll check the thrift stores, and besides, I’m not thinking a sofa, I’m thinking a love seat.” He glanced her way, waggling his eyebrows.
    Mari sputtered and whacked his arm.
    “Hey,” Eli protested, “start beating up on me, and I’ll leave you with the cowboy and put the meadow in my office.”
    “You forget, I was happy with the cowboy,” she sassed.
    “Were you? Were you two a happy couple?”
    “We were. All tucked in bed, he was the last man I saw every night.” She looked at him a moment then blushed, angling her face away. “I can’t believe I said that.”
    Eli smiled at both her embarrassment and the picture she just painted for him of her all tucked in bed. He stopped at a red light and reached over to brush her hair away from her face. She turned back to him and before he quite knew what he was doing, his hand was sliding into her hair and his mouth was on hers, giving her a tender kiss. He could tell he surprised her, but she didn’t pull away, and when he kissed her again, she kissed back, putting her hand to his cheek.
    A loud honk behind them broke the mood and got Eli’s attention back on driving. He gave a friendly wave behind him as he pulled forward and crossed the intersection. Glancing at Mari, he was surprised to see her looking at him intently. “I’m sorry, Mari, I didn’t intend to do that.”
    Her brow pinched. “You didn’t?”
    Eli back paddled. “Not that I didn’t want to. I’ve wanted to kiss you since you showed up soaked and bedraggled on my porch. I just hadn’t planned on kissing you right now in the middle of traffic.”
    She was trying hard not to smile. “So was your plan the love seat?”
    He laughed. “There would be fewer people honking.” He turned a corner, his heart dancing with the sound of Mari’s laughter.
    ***
    It didn’t take long to switch out the old art for the new and drive a nail in the kitchen wall above her little table for the teapot painting. Mari was truly thrilled and had to sit awhile in each space looking at them. They shared a cup of tea in the kitchen, the living room, and finally, they sat on the foot of her bed gazing at the mountain meadow.
    “It really is an improvement, Eli. Thank you.”
    “Are you sure you won’t miss him? I mean you and he had this bedroom relationship going on. I know if I were him, I’d be crushed.”
    Now that Eli had kissed her, Mari was starting to feel uncomfortable sitting with him on her bed—especially with him looking so darn good in a teal v-neck t-shirt. She rose, and Eli caught her hand. “Mari, do I have to wait for a love seat to kiss you again?”
    She looked at those dark imploring eyes and