they’d lost.”
Laura studied his dark eyes. Saw the passion in them, the truth. No dissembler was present now. This was a different man than the one in the Doghouse Inn. No, it was the same man that she’d met, just not the one he did his best to project. Akbar cared about what he did and cared deeply. He even managed to make her feel more important in the process.
Any rational thought went by the wayside, she simply leaned in and kissed him.
His first reaction was neither possessive nor smug; it was surprise. He didn’t break the kiss, but did freeze for a long moment, his eyes wide. Only then did he slip his hands onto her waist. Not pulling her in, just holding her as if he needed to steady himself. When he did kiss her back, it was warm, gentle, and lush. The heat grew like a slow fire until she was lost in the whirl of the flames.
He broke the kiss causing her to stagger a half step.
“Damn, Laura Jenson! Is that how they kiss in the space age? I had no idea what I was missing. Sign me up.”
It was a line. It was just a silly line. But it was a damn good silly line.
# # #
They finished the run back at the corral. Laura had shooed Akbar ahead on the descent as well. He’d given her a lot to think about, like maybe she didn’t care if it would only be a short fling—not if he’d kiss her like that again. She hadn’t wanted him running close behind her, distracting her thoughts.
Sensing something was up, Mister Ed came up to her on the side away from Akbar. The horse made it a clear and total snub. She kissed the big tan gelding on the forehead as Akbar laughed.
“Well, looks like I lost the first round. Care for a rematch, Space Ace?”
“Space Ace?” As nice a request for a second meeting—second date?—as she’d ever received.
“You’re out of this world, Laura. And I’m willing to bet you’re not even from this millennia. They just don’t make women as attractive as you.”
There was no question in her mind about wanting a rematch. But he’d be back on call tomorrow, and who knew what that meant. She had to buy herself a moment.
“What do you think?” she asked her horse. Then she reached to scratch the twitchy spot up under his mane.
Mister Ed stretched out his neck and shook his head with a sharp “no” just like he always did when she rubbed that spot.
“Well, there’s one thumb’s down, Mr. the Great.” Akbar tried to pout, but it didn’t look very convincing. Then she had an idea as she pictured the day’s activity sign-up sheet.
“What? That’s an evil grin you’ve got there.”
“Who said today’s match was over?” She turned to face Akbar and Mister Ed mirrored her move so they were both staring at him. She couldn’t have orchestrated it better if she’d tried. “That was only round one, if you’re up for it.”
“If you’re involved, Space Ace, I’m up for it.”
Picturing a firefighter climbing a glacier could be fun. Besides…
“I have to warn you. There will be this big, very handsome male along.”
“As handsome as this one?” he nodded toward Mister Ed who continued to eye him suspiciously.
“He certainly thinks so,” she allowed the chagrin into her voice.
Akbar flashed her a huge smile, his teeth bright against his skin. “Can’t wait to meet him!”
# # #
The feeling was not mutual. Grayson Masterson was six-two, square-jawed, and had offered Akbar an overly-powerful handshake when they met. Akbar restrained himself from returning the favor by perhaps crushing a few bones with his firefighter-strong grip, and simply returned the same as he received.
He had to remind himself that this was one of Laura’s paying guests, and at no small fee. He’d seen the price that Bess wrote off at the front desk when Laura had added him to the list as a personal guest. He’d actually felt a little guilty, but Bess had cut off his protest.
“You’ll earn it, young man,” she told him without explaining. “Besides, you’re the first
Laura studied his dark eyes. Saw the passion in them, the truth. No dissembler was present now. This was a different man than the one in the Doghouse Inn. No, it was the same man that she’d met, just not the one he did his best to project. Akbar cared about what he did and cared deeply. He even managed to make her feel more important in the process.
Any rational thought went by the wayside, she simply leaned in and kissed him.
His first reaction was neither possessive nor smug; it was surprise. He didn’t break the kiss, but did freeze for a long moment, his eyes wide. Only then did he slip his hands onto her waist. Not pulling her in, just holding her as if he needed to steady himself. When he did kiss her back, it was warm, gentle, and lush. The heat grew like a slow fire until she was lost in the whirl of the flames.
He broke the kiss causing her to stagger a half step.
“Damn, Laura Jenson! Is that how they kiss in the space age? I had no idea what I was missing. Sign me up.”
It was a line. It was just a silly line. But it was a damn good silly line.
# # #
They finished the run back at the corral. Laura had shooed Akbar ahead on the descent as well. He’d given her a lot to think about, like maybe she didn’t care if it would only be a short fling—not if he’d kiss her like that again. She hadn’t wanted him running close behind her, distracting her thoughts.
Sensing something was up, Mister Ed came up to her on the side away from Akbar. The horse made it a clear and total snub. She kissed the big tan gelding on the forehead as Akbar laughed.
“Well, looks like I lost the first round. Care for a rematch, Space Ace?”
“Space Ace?” As nice a request for a second meeting—second date?—as she’d ever received.
“You’re out of this world, Laura. And I’m willing to bet you’re not even from this millennia. They just don’t make women as attractive as you.”
There was no question in her mind about wanting a rematch. But he’d be back on call tomorrow, and who knew what that meant. She had to buy herself a moment.
“What do you think?” she asked her horse. Then she reached to scratch the twitchy spot up under his mane.
Mister Ed stretched out his neck and shook his head with a sharp “no” just like he always did when she rubbed that spot.
“Well, there’s one thumb’s down, Mr. the Great.” Akbar tried to pout, but it didn’t look very convincing. Then she had an idea as she pictured the day’s activity sign-up sheet.
“What? That’s an evil grin you’ve got there.”
“Who said today’s match was over?” She turned to face Akbar and Mister Ed mirrored her move so they were both staring at him. She couldn’t have orchestrated it better if she’d tried. “That was only round one, if you’re up for it.”
“If you’re involved, Space Ace, I’m up for it.”
Picturing a firefighter climbing a glacier could be fun. Besides…
“I have to warn you. There will be this big, very handsome male along.”
“As handsome as this one?” he nodded toward Mister Ed who continued to eye him suspiciously.
“He certainly thinks so,” she allowed the chagrin into her voice.
Akbar flashed her a huge smile, his teeth bright against his skin. “Can’t wait to meet him!”
# # #
The feeling was not mutual. Grayson Masterson was six-two, square-jawed, and had offered Akbar an overly-powerful handshake when they met. Akbar restrained himself from returning the favor by perhaps crushing a few bones with his firefighter-strong grip, and simply returned the same as he received.
He had to remind himself that this was one of Laura’s paying guests, and at no small fee. He’d seen the price that Bess wrote off at the front desk when Laura had added him to the list as a personal guest. He’d actually felt a little guilty, but Bess had cut off his protest.
“You’ll earn it, young man,” she told him without explaining. “Besides, you’re the first
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