Free Second Dance Cowboy (Second Chance) by Rhonda Lee Carver Page B

the door.
    Her knees shook and she braced herself against the glass counter . “Talk to you soon.”
    She stared at him through the big window until his truck disappeared from the street. Peyton was a mature, responsible woman and she knew exactly why Dillon had asked her to the party. He wanted to prove to Cassie that he’d moved on—maybe even prove something to himself. As much as she understood his intentions, being used wasn’t enticing, although being used by a man like Dillon certainly would come with benefits. She practically had to fan herself at the mere thought.
    She needed advice. Grabbing her cell phone from her purse, she hit Aspen’s number. Her friend would help.
    ****
    Dillon finished feeding the horses, tore off his gloves and swiped the back of his hand across his wet forehead. He’d been working the land all afternoon and he was finally feeling some of the tension melt from his body.
    After seeing Peyton at her studio, he’d needed to do something. His fingers had brushed her skin and his zipper had stretched to massive lengths. He’d wanted to pull her into his arms and kiss her until she swelled with desire. He’d done the right thing in resisting the painful urge, although his iron hard parts would disagree.
    He’d wanted to hold her in his arms more than he’d wanted his next breath, but he couldn’t give a woman like her what she deserved.
    Back in Shelby , he’d almost gone too far with Leslie Bakerfield, and thankfully her ex had shown up just in time to keep him from thinking with his dick and not his brain. He liked Leslie, but their attraction had stirred more from loneliness than desire. That was another reason why he’d left Shelby and came home. He needed to stop running and face the demons.
    He leaned against the rough wood of the barn, feeling splinters scratch at his bare back. He didn’t care. At least he could feel something else besides the ache in his g roin. He closed his eyes and Peyton’s face appeared on the back of his lids. Damn, he couldn’t get her off his mind!
    Instead of asking her to the party, which hadn’t been his objective, he should have told her goodbye and rode the hell out of her life.
    On the other hand, if he slept with her the satisfaction could exorcise her from his blood. Sometimes a man just needed a sample to ease the hunger. Then he could stop walking around like a zombie with a woody and concentrate on getting his bigger head on straight.
    How could he do that though? She was a mother.
    Even a mother needed intimacy.
    He opened his eyes and slammed his fist into the wall. Hell, she wasn’t a saint. He’d have to guess that she’d had a boyfriend or two over the last few years.
    However, if he wasn’t careful, he’d be picking out china patterns and colors of paint. A man didn’t fool with a woman like Peyton. But the next time he saw her, could he trust himself to keep his hands to himself and his belt buckle locked? Peyton wouldn’t allow it to go further. He doubted she felt anything for him but pity. He wasn’t even sure she was over her ex.
    This could get ugly, quick.
    Sometimes ugly wasn’t a bad thing. Better to feel something than feeling numb like he’d felt for the last few years. Hell, if he had to be truthful, he’d lost passion way before he’d left town, and even before Cassie had broken up with him.
    Looking back, there were significant signs that their relationship wasn’t as strong as he’d wanted. They’d been spending less time together, and when they were hanging out, she’d seemed preoccupied. She’d gone from surprising him with quickies in the barn and blowjobs while he was driving to a closed cookie shop the last few weeks they were engaged. He’d chalked it up to long-term-boredom. They’d been together for years and needed a boost. Instead, he got walking papers.
    Now he guessed she’d been seeing someone else.
    Although he’d missed her, breaking up had been the best thing. They’d been in