Project Enterprise by Pauline Baird Jones Page B

spinster who’d never been kissed. So she waited, hoping, still not breathing, as his mouth made a slow approach. Guess he wanted her to know she could stop him anytime she wanted. She wanted all right, she wanted for him not to stop, and she wanted something she didn’t know how to name, something that twisted her insides in a way that felt sort of good, sort of scary.
    The first touch of his mouth against hers was gentle, like his hand had been. Felt like he tasted, maybe explored a bit, then firmed. Rough and smooth again. Felt the quiver of it in her stomach and right down to her toes. She sighed into it, into him, but didn’t know how to tell him she needed more—
    His other arm slid all the way around her back, drawing her in against the hard wall of his man body, one so different from hers. She’d known men were different, but she hadn’t known how different until she relaxed against him. He didn’t push or force, just…invited her in. She accepted, pushing up on her toes, her hands inching around his back in tentative exploration. Muscles rippled under her hands, the skin warm through his shirt.
    Something strange and scary and wonderful spiraled up and up inside her, like setting a horse free on a long stretch of desert. Faster and faster and then, slowly at first, he reined them in, though they were both still breathing faster when he lifted his head. She’d have died on the spot if he’d stepped back, but he didn’t. He held her like he knew she needed it.
    A shudder lanced through him. Did she do that to him? She explored the line of a muscle on his back and he shuddered again. She smiled at the power of it. “Now I’ve been kissed.”
    â€œYou’re long overdue.”
    She leaned back, glared at him. “Is that why you did it? Cause you felt sorry for me?”
    â€œSorry for you? Feel sorry for me. This is the second time I’ve had my brains scrambled by a woman.”
    Ani felt a pang, one not as nice as the other feelings. “Who was she?” Did he love her? Did she care? Not clear. It was the coming in second that stung, though what did she expect? A declaration of marriage? She was a spinster in boy clothes. Helped some to know she’d scrambled his brains.
    He eased away some more, rubbed his hand across his hair, looking almost flustered. She felt cold. Had she always been cold and not known it? She leaned against Delphine, feeling the need for something at her back.
    â€œSomeone from my past. My distant past.” He rubbed his face now. “Can’t believe I brought her up. Even I know that’s lame.”
    Lame? Odd, but she got the meaning, felt her power—her female power—to her toes. Ma had told her women had it. She thought she didn’t get any. Didn’t mind being wrong. He looked almost vulnerable, or maybe just worried, when he shifted, spilling some moonlight across one side of his face. He seemed to gather himself in, maybe braced a bit. Did he think she’d make a scene because he kissed her?
    â€œI should have waited, but you looked fine in the moonlight, Ani.” He half reached out to her, stopped. “Meant to wait and ask before I kissed you. If you said yes, I mean.” He stopped, rubbed his face again and looked at her, with lots of sober in it. “You deserve better than what your Pa’s given you. You deserve better than me, but I seem to be it. This place, you know people make up their minds fast, because there isn’t much time, and your choices are limited. You don’t have to decide now, but I’m declaring so you can think about it until we get to Marfa. Figure out what you want. Decide if you want different from what you have.”
    Her first proposal. At least, “You’re offering to marry me?” He nodded. So it was her first. Probably her last. He was right, only offer she was likely to get out here or anywhere. She saw her Pa clear