Free Cowboy of Mine by Red L. Jameson Page A

thought of repercussions. But she’d been so grateful when he’d said yes. Then she’d been turned on, especially as he’d peeled off his black waistcoat, revealing rippling muscles under his dark button-up shirt. What would it be like to touch those muscles? Well, she’d promised herself, she’d keep her hands to herself.
    And she had. Kind of. However, his hands were everywhere. Goody, she almost giggled.
    Meredith finally opened her eyes. It was still dark outside, but there was enough morning lavender light she could see her white chemise riding up her thighs. How had she wiggled free from the coverings? Well, she was decent. Kind of. In her own time, she was decent. Here, she’d be considered a whore. Well, just add that to her other names.
    God, this really was the best way to wake up, in a man’s strong arms. No, in Jake’s strong arms, held so closely she didn’t need the bedding. Oh, it was nice.
    Really nice.
    He nuzzled the back of her neck with his whiskered jaw. Probably doing that on accident. More than likely he was still sleeping. Slowly, carefully, she turned her head enough to see from her periphery that Jake’s eyes were indeed closed. It must have been the moon helping her see, because she made out his dark lashes. They were so long and made shadows on his cheeks. She guessed that the tips were blond, which made her wonder if he had been born blond.
    His whiskers were mainly dark, but she did see a few sparkle a lighter color around his relaxed sensual mouth. Mixed into that was a few shining reds. Wow, he was breathtaking up close. His jaw line and cheekbones cut his face into rugged yet handsome features. He had a blade of a nose she liked a lot. She wanted to touch it.
    When was the last time she’d wanted to touch another?
    Years?
    She’d met her long-term boyfriend, David, when she started going to graduate school. He had been too. He’d been her first for so many things. And her only. She’d thought she’d loved him. But now, after ten years of bitterly waiting, of wishing he’d choose her, of trying so hard to be good enough, she wondered if she ever had loved David. Or maybe she’d just loved the challenge.
    Sick though, that. But she may as well be honest with herself. Now.
    Ironically, before she’d come to the Montana Territory in 1887, she had tried to break things off with David. But he’d even managed to steal that from her. She couldn’t in the end say, “Well, I finally saw the light and got rid of him.” No, he’d tossed her aside, similarly to how he’d treated her for years, as if she were a piece of garbage. Not even worthy enough for a face-to-face conversation. Nope, he’d ended it in a Twitter feed, so the whole world would know.
    Leave it to a psychologist to mess you up better than anyone else, Meredith thought.
    Jake, again, pulled her closer. This time his nose rubbed against her neck.
    That felt so good. To be touched and held felt so freaking good.
    And it was at that moment she never wanted to think about David again. Never wanted to think about ten years wasted waiting on him. Never wanted to think about her past.
    Not while Jake held her.
    Sure, he was sleeping and would wake, then push her away. But in the meantime, why not indulge a little and cozy up to a man who had steel for legs and possibly an oak chest and stomach. And...Oh! Something else on him was very hard as well, pressing into her backside.
    Well, it was the morning. And when he’d wake, he’d push her away. His erection wasn’t for her.
    But she could pretend, couldn’t she?
    She could fantasize she was young like him, that she hadn’t made too many mistakes in one lifetime. That he wanted her. He wanted her .
    Gingerly, she held his hand over her rounded stomach. Shouldn’t she be embarrassed her belly wasn’t exactly flat anymore? She hardly knew what to think, liking his touch more than anything else.
    He stirred once more, this time making a groggy moan. He rocked his