Free Corralling the Cowboy by Katie O'Connor Page B

of heat through Alex. His body
was hot in the cooling air inside the large beer garden tent. It
felt like his body had absorbed the heat of the sun and he was
passing that heat onto her. Alex stifled a smile at the whimsical
thought. It was body heat, nothing more, but oh what a body. She
leaned into him a bit, absorbing his warmth and flirting just a
little.
    They
talked about the headline band that had performed on the outdoor
stage earlier, a favorite of them both. “My sister thinks the lead
singer is the hottest man on earth,” Joe told her with a laugh. “I
just think he needs a haircut, even if he does have a talented
voice.”
    Alex
laughed. “He has great eyes, but it’s all I can do not to climb
onto the stage and cut his hair. I’m not a long-hair-on-men kind of
girl. I like it short and tidy.”
    Joe
lifted his hat to reveal his short, well-trimmed hair with a mild
case of hat-hair. “I’m a short hair man myself. Although I expect
that after an entire day in this hat, my hair is anything but
tidy.” He winked at her and reached out to tug gently on a lock of
hair hanging over her shoulder. “And I love long hair on women.
Especially blonde hair.” His words were a blatant come
on.
    He
winked again and her knees went weak. It was a good thing she hand
her arm on his forearm or she would have fallen. He had the
strangest effect on her body. She felt tingly and alive, like she
was waiting for something special. Something only he could give
her.
    “ What’s your favorite ride?” He asked suddenly.
    For a
moment, she pictured herself astride him, then realized that wasn’t
the kind of ride he had in mind. She swallowed hard. “The Ferris
Wheel,” she answered with a laugh. “Janine loves the real wild
rides, but I’m a bit of a chicken. But the view from the top can’t
be beat.” They talked about the midway, the rides, the games and
the crazy food for a while.
    “ Drink up, and I’ll take you for a spin on the Ferris Wheel.”
Joe drained his glass and indicated that she should finish hers
too. “It’s getting dark and everything will shut down soon, but I
think the lights will be amazing from the top right now.” He waved
a handful of ride tickets under her nose. “I love the rides,” he
confessed with a sheepish grin. She grinned back and they headed
for the wheel. The line was blessedly short and they were skyward
in minutes. They enjoyed the ride enough that when they reached the
bottom, they handed over more tickets and went for another round.
Twice.
    It was
nearly full dark, and their car stopped at the top of the Ferris
wheel. They sat swaying and enjoying the lights as the evening
continued to darken around them. The evening had a feel of fun and
frivolity, and the expectation of something exciting to come. An
occasional a bark of laughter jumped out of the background of
tinkling carnival noises. The moon was nearly full, casting its
light over everything and pushing the falling darkness back. “It’s
beautiful, isn’t it?” She asked, looking down at the lights of the
midway and the city.
    “ Yes it is,” he said with a catch in his voice.
    When she
looked at him, he wasn’t looking at the lights, he was staring at
her. Joe slid his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close to
his side. His breath was soft in her hair, his fingers gentle but
firm as he tipped her face up to look at him. Oh my, she thought, I
wasn’t expecting this.
    “ I’m going to kiss you,” he warned softly, leaning slowly
towards her.
    “ I hardly know you,” she responded, tilting her head to the
left, wordlessly inviting him in. His lips brushed, featherlike,
across hers. She shivered and pushed back against him, deepening
the contact. She had been aroused since she bumped into him in the
beer garden. Now, she wanted him with a desire that shocked her.
Something about this man called to her, sending a pulse of longing
racing through her to lodge in her core.
    “ Kiss me again,” she