Connor: A Cowboy Stepbrother Romance Novel by R.S. Wallace

jacket,” I noted.
    Connor rubbed his hand up and down the outside of my arm, holding me close as he said, “You know, maybe we should get going. Those clouds are moving fast and these afternoon storms can bring a lot of lightning.”
    The wind picked up even more and the clouds loomed over us. I couldn’t believe how fast the weather had moved in. Just minutes before it was sunny and nice. And then suddenly the sky was dark and ominous.
    “So we need to leave this second?” I asked.
    Connor looked at the horizon. A concerned expression crossed his handsome features, but after a moment he shook his head.
    “I mean we might have a few minutes before the weather turns bad,” he said. “But why do you want to stay? We should head back.”
    It may not have been the best time, but I decided I was going to ask him about his past. It was on the tip of my tongue anyway and I figured I might as well just let it out.
    “Connor, there’s something I need to talk to you about...”
    As soon as the words came out of my mouth, I regretted ever bringing them up. Connor cocked his head to the side and asked, “What is it, Emily?”
    Though when I opened my mouth to speak, a giant bolt of lightning struck a tree nearby, lighting up the air in purple, and the subsequent peal of thunder sending a shockwave of energy through both of us.
    BAM!!!
    “Shit!” I cried.
    Connor grabbed my hand. We ran to the horses and quickly untied them from the tree. Then we both jumped up into our saddles and grabbed the reins. “We have to hurry,” Connor shouted, over the sound of rumbling thunder. “It’s about to get really bad up here.”
    Adrenaline pumped into my blood as the ground shook from more thunder overhead. Connor whistled loudly and started riding hard down the trail. Nelson followed closely behind. The wind continued to pick up and then the rain came. We made our way down the rocky trail as fast as we could manage, each step bringing us closer to safety.
    The storm stayed on our tail the whole time. Once we were off of the steep trail, we picked up speed. We ran full gallop, wherein I hung on for dear life and let Nelson have his head, until the farmhouse was in sight. I glanced behind us, where the dark clouds hung over the hills, devouring everything with their lightning.
    “Oh, my God. That was way too close,” I whispered.
    Then I faced forward once again and followed Connor the rest of the way to the barn. I couldn’t wait to get back to safety so that I could remind myself to breathe again.

Chapter 17
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    O nce we put the horses away in the barn, we quickly made our way into the house. It was such a relief to be home safe. My hands were still shaking from the adrenaline rush, but I was finally able to catch my breath.
    “That was a close call,” I said as we stepped into the house.
    Connor took off his cowboy hat and tossed it onto a table near the front door.
    “Yea, it was,” he muttered. “I’m sorry about that. These summer storms can get out of control. I’m just glad we got out of there when we did.”
    “Me too,” I responded. “I don’t think I’ve ever been that close to lightning before.”
    Connor’s eyes moved down my body as I spoke.
    “Looks like we both got kind of wet out there,” he commented, innocently.
    I hadn’t even realized it because of the adrenaline, but my clothes had gotten soaked in the rain.
    “I have a change of clothes in my car,” I said.
    Then I turned around and looked out the window, where the rain had turned fierce. It was a total downpour.
    “I don’t think either of us are going out in that,” Connor said. “Just give me your clothes and I’ll throw them in the dryer.”
    As he spoke, Connor slipped off his shirt and bundled it up in his hands. His skin was shining, reflecting the light and accentuating the muscles of his chest and abs. My eyes moved downward, where the lines of his hips disappeared into the waist of his jeans. My lips