Cowboy on the Run by Devon McKay

rather than lifting the reins. Sexy. Confident. Hell, even his horse had swagger.
    Jessie made herself look away, her perseverance already compromised by the mere sight of him riding a horse. She shook her head in disbelief. What on earth was wrong with her?
    “Do you like him?” Nate asked, trotting to the side of the tractor.
    He tipped his hat back. His face, lit up by a genuine smile, simply took her breath away.
    She’d forgotten this side of him...the happy side. He’d always been at his most content when riding a horse. Long gone was the possessive, demanding man she had encountered a night ago.
    Nate patted the side of the horse’s neck and whispered something into the animal’s ear. The horse responded with a loud neigh and a light-natured two-step. Jessie’s gaze strayed to the gorgeous animal prancing in circles before her.
    The horse was a beast, magnificent in its size. The midnight-shaded gelding was tall, at least sixteen maybe seventeen hands and appeared to be just as proud as the man who rode it.
    Jessie caught sight of his silky mane, noting it shone more blue than black in the sunlight. She climbed off the tractor and approached the animal with a slow, cautious step. She reached out to touch his nose, giving the horse a moment to adjust to her scent.
    “I named him J.W. in memory of my dad,” Nate informed her, patting the horse’s flanks again. “J.W. and I have plans, don’t we, boy?”
    Her head snapped up, surprised he still wore a lighthearted smile after mentioning his father. She didn’t have the heart to ask if the initials represented his dad, or his father’s favorite whiskey.
    “You...ah...you bought a horse,” she stuttered, wishing the trembling of her voice wasn’t such an apparent reflection of the way she felt inside. “So, you’re sticking around for a while?” Unsure if she wanted to know the answer, she combed J.W.’s mane with her fingers.
    “I thought I made that crystal clear last night.”
    Nate slid off the horse with a graceful, careless ease and positioned himself in front of her. The meaning of his words from last night repeated themselves in Jessie’s head, and her body vibrated from his nearness. He didn’t even have to touch her.
    He reached out, tilting her chin so she faced him. Flushed by memories of the previous night’s kiss, she attempted to pull away, but he held firm, his hands cradling her face. She stared at his lips. Hers still tingled, mourning the loss of his mouth on hers. Damn him, how could a mere kiss have such an effect on her? Not to mention the sleepless night.
    She had tossed and turned the entire night, filled with such an intense yearning, an actual need , for his touch. And now, the minute she was able to quell her wanton lust, here he was igniting the fire all over again.
    “I may have done some things I’m not proud of, Jess, but I was never a liar.”
    The honesty in his eyes stabbed through to her very soul, smothering her desire with his truth. No, he wasn’t a liar. He had always been so blunt, straightforward.
    She thought about her children, their children. It was the perfect opportunity to tell Nate about them. But how did you go about telling someone something like that? By the way, you have twins, a boy and a girl.
    No, he wasn’t a liar— she was the liar. And at the moment, Jessie couldn’t bring herself to tell him. Defending her actions, she reminded herself he wouldn’t be sticking around.
    “I’ve got work to do.” She spun back, racing toward the solace of her tractor as if the machine could provide her the escape necessary. At least on her John Deere, her emotions seemed secure, her thoughts her own. Then, maybe, his touch couldn’t dissolve her will or change her mind.
    It wouldn’t actually work. She wasn’t a complete idiot. There was no way on earth mere metal could stop the flow of emotions being near Nate caused, but she kept telling herself it would anyway.
    He caught up to her, stopping her