Free A Real Cowboy Knows How to Kiss by Stephanie Rowe Page A

froze, her gaze snapping to his. "You do?"
    At his slow nod, anticipation rolled through her. She suddenly felt a little warm. Yes, he was stubbornly ignoring her decision to keep a safe distance between them, but it was the most delicious sensation to have Steen pursuing her ruthlessly. It made her feel like there was something special about her, something that was worth going after.
    Not that she was going to do anything with Steen, for a thousand reasons, most importantly because her soul was so fragile that she knew that even the slightest breeze would shatter it forever. She was holding on by the most delicate filament, and Steen had the power to sever that last hold she had on her ability to cope and be strong. "Don't."
    He cocked an eyebrow. "Don't what?"
    "You know what I'm talking about." When he continued to gaze at her intently, she flushed under his inspection. "Damn you." She cleared her throat, turned away, and began assembling her supplies to clean his still-healing incision, which was quite small and innocuous compared to his other scars. "I already told you that nothing is going to happen between us. No kissing or fondling of any nature. That means we don't need to have personal discussions about our past romantic lives, okay?"
    "No, not okay. I'm not going to lie, I liked kissing you. A lot. I'm not ready to go away."
    Despite her best efforts not to care, a little stab of excitement raced through her. She bit her lip, so frustrated she was responding to him. "I'm not ready for a relationship," she said quietly, almost not able to believe she was saying it. This was Steen, the man she hadn't stopped thinking about since he graduated high school and left town so long ago. How could she say no? Except she was. She had to. "Listen, Steen," she said as she began to clean the wound, "I'm too broken right now for anyone, including you."
    He didn't flinch at her ministrations, but he turned his head to watch her. "I don't think so."
    "But I know so." She said as she studied his assorted scars. She wanted to kiss away the pain she knew he must have endured. Her heart broke for what he'd suffered. Had there been anyone to sit by his side and tell him not to give up? She had a feeling he hadn't allowed anyone to come close, even if they'd wanted to. Was he like her? Keeping everyone at a distance? It was a terrible way to live, but she didn't know what else to do. "I came out here to heal and to find myself," she said as she laid the fresh bandage over his injury and rewrapped him. "I need space to be me." She finished and stepped back, needing desperately to retreat from the temptation he offered. "Looks great. You're all set. So, I'll see you around—"
    He turned toward her and caught her wrist. "Who is the you that you're trying to find?" he asked, his dark eyes boring into hers with the same penetrating stare he'd always had. "Talk to me, Erin. I'm not a stranger."
    A part of her wanted desperately to sit down and pour her heart out to him, to abandon the pretense of being the strong, amazing woman that she had always aspired to be. But at the same time, she couldn't afford to open the floodgates, or she was afraid she'd never be able to go back to her life and step back into the role she'd given everything to attain. Silently, she shook her head. "Steen, let it go. Please."
    He frowned at her for a moment, still holding onto her wrist. Finally, he inclined his head ever so slightly. She wasn't sure if he was acknowledging her request, or if he was having a slight muscle spasm, because his stoic expression gave away nothing. "How about a trail ride?" he said. "I have to go check the herds at the far pastures."
    She blinked. "Ride? Horses?" It had been so long since she'd ridden a horse. She operated on them almost every day, but her only focus was on them as patients who needed help, not them as animals that could be a part of regular life. "I'm not sure I remember how to ride. I've only done it a few times."
    He