Cherish Collection January 2014 (Books 1-12). Rebecca Winters

her out of the bar and take her in his truck. He took a deep breath to pull himself under control. “I guess we should sit down now,” he said in a low voice.

      “I guess we should,” she said, looking up at him with wanting for him in her eyes. “But that’s not what I want.”

      “Me neither,” he said. “It stinks.”

      She gave a slow smile that sizzled with sexuality. “Yes, it does,” she said and pulled back.

      Colton prayed that his arousal would calm down. He still wanted her, but his mind knew this wasn’t the place or the time. They returned to the table and he took a drink of his beer while she took a sip of her cocktail.

      She met his gaze with an alluring smile. “This makes me feel young again. Lately, I’ve been feeling kinda old and tired.”

      “You need to give yourself a break. Piper’s got that kick of Fortune Jones in her. She’s going to let you know when she wants something, and she’ll try to make you race to get it for her.”

      Stacey lifted her eyebrows in surprise and took a sip of water. “What makes you say that? Are you implying that she’s spoiled?”

      “Not at all,” Colton said. “I’m just saying she’s—assertive. Isn’t that what everyone is supposed to be these days?”

      Stacey pressed her lips together, then let out a big laugh that filled him all the way up inside. “That sounds mighty close to calling my baby a brat.”

      “She’s not a brat,” Colton said. “Not yet.”

      Her eyebrows flew up to her hairline. “Not yet?” she echoed.

      “Right,” he said. “She’s not even walking. She won’t turn bratty until she’s three.”

      Stacey gave a slow nod. “Good to know.”

      “Do you really disagree?” he asked.

      “I just hope I do this parenting thing right. I don’t want to be too harsh or too permissive. It’s not as easy as it looks,” she said.

      “You’re doing great,” he said, and put his hand over hers.

      “Thanks,” she said, and her smile made his gut do strange things.

      “Well, well,” a male voice said. “A new couple. What would Joe say?”

      Colton glanced up to see Billy Hall, Joe’s best friend, sneering at Stacey and him.

      “Hey, Billy. How are you doing?” Colton asked as politely as he could manage.

      “I’m doing great. I just wonder what Joe would think if he found out one of his groomsmen was kissing his ex,” Billy said.

      “Joe is history,” Stacey said. “He hasn’t been around for over a year.”

      Billy pursed his lips. “Oooh, that’s harsh. He might not like that.”

      “How would you know?” Colton asked.

      “We talk every now and then,” Billy said.

      “You ever tell him what a useless piece he was to leave Stacey and his child?”

      Billy gave an awkward shrug. “Well, no. He’s my friend. I couldn’t call him names.” Billy paused. “But I could tell him his ex was taking revenge on him by getting involved with one of his best friends. How you like those leftovers?”

      Without a pause, Colton rose and shook Billy hard.

      Stunned, Billy stumbled backward. “What the—”

      “Don’t insult Stacey again,” Colton said, clenching and unclenching his fist. “Ever.”

      “Hey, I was just taking up for Joe,” Billy said.

      “He doesn’t need you to take up for him. He’s doing fine,” Colton said. “He isn’t getting up in the middle of the night to take care of a baby. He’s not giving Stacey one dime of support.”

      Billy’s eyes widened, and he lifted his hands. “Okay, okay. I get your message.” He turned toward Stacey. “Sorry,” he said and walked away, wiggling his shoulders as if he were trying to straighten out his spine.

      His heart still slamming against his rib cage, he sat down and took another long sip of beer. “Sorry about that,” he said.

      She pulled his hands into hers. “That was very nice of you. Not necessary, but—”

      “Very necessary,” he said. “You don’t deserve that. Joe’s not here. He hasn’t done anything to redeem himself in this situation.”

      She lifted his hand to her lips and kissed it. “I’m not thinking about Joe anymore.”

      Colton felt a dozen emotions slamming through him, but the way she kissed his fist made his heart turn over like a tumbleweed. “You deserve better.”

      “I’m getting better,” she told him.

      They finished their drinks, and Colton drove Stacey home. What he wanted was to bring her to his bed and make love to her, but that wasn’t going to happen tonight. He stopped the car and she immediately unfastened her seat belt and pulled his face toward hers. She took his mouth in a kiss that blasted through him like a ball of fire. Sweet Stacey had somehow turned into a sexy tigress, and he was reaping the benefit.

      She slid her hands over his chest down to his abdomen and lower. Colton was torn between telling her to stop and begging her to continue. At the same time, his hands moved of their own volition to her breasts. With her coat open, he tugged at her sweater and slid his hands upward.

      She continued kissing him, devouring him with her delicious mouth. She reached to unbuckle his belt at the same time the floodlights spilled over the front yard of her parents’ home.

      “Whoa,” he said, stilling her hands even though he was dying for her to continue. He could just imagine her mother or father coming out for a friendly chat.

      “What? Why?” she asked, looking at him with such a sensual, needy gaze that he could hardly stand it.

      “Lights came on,” he said gently and pulled her into an embrace.

      Stacey gave a low growl of frustration. “This is ridiculous. We’re adults, not teenagers.”

      His heart slamming into his chest at what felt like a hundred miles an hour, he took a deep breath. “I’ll figure something out.”

      She sighed, then leaned her forehead against his chest. “Pretty crazy. Who would have thought I would be taking a cold shower because my best friend’s brother is making me too hot?”

      “You were hot before I came around,” he said.

      “You didn’t notice before,” she reminded him.

      “I wasn’t supposed to notice,” he told her, rubbing her soft cheek with his hand. “You belonged to somebody else,” he said, thinking of Joe. Joe, who hadn’t stood by her when he should have.

      * * *

      After her date with Colton, Stacey felt as if she had a little more bounce in her step. Although she was still juggling her household commitments and taking care of Piper, she was thrilled to book her first tutoring session on Thursday afternoon. A mom with an elementary-school-age boy named Frasier brought her son to the ranch for Stacey to work some magic on him by helping him with math.

      Stacey injected as much enthusiasm into the session as possible, but Frasier seemed quite listless. At one point he even laid his head down on the kitchen table. Concerned that he might be sick, Stacey mentioned the boy’s condition to his mother. She felt a little guilty accepting the money from Frasier’s parent, but made a mental note to perhaps give him an extended or free session in the future.

      As soon as the boy left, Piper awakened from her nap. Stacey changed the baby, then