The Cowboy and the Angel by T. J. Kline Page A

car crash when you were very young?” Her voice was soft, almost sympathetic, and she gripped the ring on the chain.
    He noticed her hand trembling and cocked his head to the side. He uncrossed his ankles and reached for the hand at her throat, pulling her between his thighs. “Hey, are you okay?”
    Derek wasn’t sure what was going on in that pretty head of hers, but something about their discussion had upset her. When she didn’t answer him, he pried her fingers from the necklace gently and picked up the ring on the chain, examining it. She gasped as their gazes met. He felt like she’d reached into his chest and squeezed his heart. The raw pain he saw in her eyes made his chest ache. For a moment, he could only think of replacing the hurt in her eyes with something far less agonizing.
    His fingers found her chin and he slid his thumb over her jaw, watching as her anguish was replaced by the hunger he was certain was reflected in his eyes. “You’re going to be my downfall, aren’t you?”
    He didn’t give her a chance to respond as his lips met hers in a feather-light caress. His fingers curled at the back of her head, twining in her hair. Her fingers grasped his t-shirt and he deepened the kiss, his free arm circling around her back and pulling her close. He felt lighting shoot through him, centering in his loins, igniting a fire that would consume them both if he didn’t stop this now. His brain insisted he break the contact, but he’d fantasized about doing this for days. His lips refused to release her, and he licked her lower lip. Her mouth opened with a slight gasp and he slipped his tongue inside, meeting her own and tormenting him with the taste of her. He smiled against her lips, momentarily content in the knowledge that she tasted like the peaches and vanilla that made up her unique scent. Their tongues dueled even as alarms sounded in his brain.
    Ignoring the warning, his hand slid along her spine before his thumb trailed over her ribcage, his other hand settling at her waist. She leaned into him, arching against him, and made a soft whimpering sound, pressing her breasts against his chest. He couldn’t break away from her without one final taste of her honeyed sweetness, and he sucked at her lower lip as he broke the kiss. Derek pressed his forehead against hers and took a deep breath, inhaling the intoxicating scent that had haunted him since their first meeting. Her eyes met his, glimmering with desire that matched his own.
    “It’s a good thing you’re not applying for the position,” he said, grinning down at her.
    He saw the irritation ignite in her eyes, shining from within, and she shoved him away. “Jerk,” she muttered, turning to storm from the barn.
    Derek’s hand snaked out and grabbed her by the wrist, tugging her back toward him. “Wait a second,” he chuckled. “Don’t get all bent out of shape. You were kind of freaking out and I wanted to distract you.”
    “By molesting me?” She jerked her hand away from him.
    “Well, by definition, molestation would be undesired and you didn’t seem to mind at all.”
    He grinned at her and reached for her hand. He wasn’t sure why he had this overwhelming need to touch her again. He’d never felt it with any other woman, but he was quickly realizing Angela wasn’t like any woman he’d ever known. This time she didn’t fight him and his hands settled on her hips. It was a gesture meant to keep her close without seeming too intimate. He didn’t want to risk her running away from him.
    “Will you answer a question for me?” He pulled her with him as he sat back down on the alfalfa, and she stood between his thighs. He hoped that by appearing relaxed, it would make the question seem less threatening.
    “I suppose.” She followed him, her movements jerky and stiff, as if she distrusted his motives.
    We have that in common at least . Neither of us trusts the other.
    “What’s with the necklace?”
    “My necklace?” She