Cowboy Crushin' (Dalton Boys Book 3) by Em Petrova

She had no excuse to remain seated. She put her hand in Witt’s and he pulled her to her feet.
    “Walk with me,” he said.
    “What if Alex comes looking for me?”
    “Hank’ll find us if that happens.”
    She thought Alex would have trouble remembering he had a mother let alone to come looking for her.
    After retrieving her phone from her back pocket, she checked her messages and sighed with relief when she didn’t find any.
    Witt chuckled. “No cell service here in Paradise Valley.”
    “Oh.” She replaced the phone and tried to put some distance between her and Witt, but he caught her hand.
    “I want to get to know you, sweetheart.”
    Dark need slithered through her. “Please don’t call me that.”
    “I get that you might still be recovering from your divorce. I’m sorry if I’m too forward but I can’t help it. I like you.”
    His words punched the air from her. She curled around a desire so hot and bright, she was blinded. Witt stood before her, strong and good. Everything she’d fantasized about those other guys being. They’d all failed miserably.
    “Let me get to know you, Shelby.”
    She felt herself caving in. “What do you want to know?”
    He stroked a lock of her hair off her jawline. Her heart rate spiked. “Why don’t we talk about that kiss we shared?”
    “No.” Not that. Anything but that. She was already leaning toward him.
    They were out of sight of the house. A glance around told her none of the brothers could see them either.
    He trailed his sandpapery finger over her jaw and up to her ear. When he threaded his fingers in the hair on her nape and tugged her mouth to his, she lost herself.
    His kiss was slow and tender. Had any man ever smelled or tasted so good? She couldn’t remember one. He glided an arm around her waist and pulled her against his hard length. Every inch of her throbbed as it made contact with the muscled cowboy.
    Her lips parted and he swooped in, tongue plunging, drawing a long moan from her. He issued a rough growl in response and angled his head to get closer.
    She clung to him, allowing him to slowly burn her to ash. By the time she felt his hand moving over her spine toward her ass, she could hardly recall her name.
    “Witt, stop.” Was that her voice? It was too breathy.
    “Sweetheart, these lips are made for me to kiss.” He brushed another feathery caress across her lips, making her feel drunk.
    “I’m not here for kisses.”
    He straightened but didn’t release her. “No, you’re here because something’s going on with your son—something he forgets about when he’s around animals.”
    “Or you,” she said grudgingly. Tears were too close again.
    With a knuckle under her chin, he lifted her face to look in her eyes. “Let’s talk about that. I want to help.”
    “You’ve already helped more than you know. To see Alex reaching out to touch someone—to touch you…” A tear splashed down her cheek.
    “Then he isn’t normally affectionate?”
    “Since the divorce, he’s built a wall around himself and he won’t let me inside. He lets me do things for him, but touch him? Hug him? No.” Her voice pitched higher as emotion clogged her throat.
    Witt wrapped his arm around her and started walking. She put one foot in front of the other and stared at the horizon. In the distance, a house perched on a rise, as pretty as a painting.
    “Do you think his refusal to be affectionate is because he’s angry?”
    “I didn’t think so until I saw how open he is to you. He…hugged your leg.”
    “Yes, he’s a great kid. I’m glad I can be there for him. But you know that he loves you above anything else, right?”
    She stopped walking, tears scalding her nose. “No.”
    “Have you ever heard about boys and their mothers? A special bond lies between them. I love my pa, but I’d never, ever want to disappoint my momma. Alex will come around—I know it.”
    “I hope you’re right.”
    “I am. Here he is now.”
    She looked up in