Read At the Cowboy's Mercy for Free Online Page B

She'd only been back in his life for a few days and already he missed the hell out of her. He'd tried to keep his anger at being able to say good-bye to Red between them, but since he'd spent time with her, he had trouble propping up that wall. He found it too easy to remember what he'd loved about her then, and wanted to draw that part of her back to the forefront.
    ***
    Two days later, Luke's heart did something funny in his chest when he walked into the barn and saw Kennedy leaning against the rail, one foot hooked over the lowest bar as a pair of team ropers practiced in front of them. She was laughing, her head bent toward a cowboy who stood beside her--too close--his hat tipped back, his pose mimicking hers.
    Liam.  
    The thing going on in his heart took control of his better judgement and he strode forward. His footsteps must have caught her attention because she turned, and a smile started to curve her lips in greeting. That only made the thing in his chest wilder. He caught Kennedy around the waist and plastered her against him, all in one move, before covering her mouth with his. She made a tiny sound in the back of her throat and pressed her hands, trapped between them, against his chest before curling her fingers in the front of his shirt and angling her head to welcome his kiss.  
    What started as a need to brand her melted into a need for more as she responded, for feeling her body against his, for her taste, her scent, filling his senses. He flattened one palm against the small of her back, pushing her belly against his hips, and curved the other around the back of her neck, stroking the soft skin beneath her ponytail.
    Hoots and whistled echoed through the practice barn as the other cowboys noticed.
    She broke the kiss, bringing her chin down, pressing her hands hard against his chest, and stepped back. The color in her cheeks was heightened, her lashes lowered. He cupped his hand under her chin and lifted her gaze to his. To his surprise, her eyes flashed and her lips pressed together. She wasn't embarrassed--well, not only embarrassed. She was pissed. She shot a glance in Liam's direction, then pivoted and strode away.
    "So you're sleeping with her," Liam said laconically, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. "Or you don't want me to be."
    Luke scowled at his brother.  
    Liam considered the team ropers in the practice arena and nodded. "Did you sleep with her because you wanted to, or so I wouldn't?"
    "You were not in my head in the least."
    "Good. Then maybe it bothers you a little that she's pissed at you?" Liam inclined his head toward the door where she'd disappeared.  
    Luke sighed and straightened. Where was his brain where that woman was concerned? Well, he knew where , but why it chose that location with her.... "Yeah. I'd better go see what that's about."
    ***
    Kennedy marched down the fairway, which was beginning to get busy as showtime neared. She wished she had the money to get on one of the rides and have it spin these thoughts out of her head. What had he been thinking, kissing her like that in front of everyone? No, she knew what he'd been thinking about. He'd wanted to claim her as his. But didn't he know what everyone else would think? Didn't he care how it would make her look?  
    Probably not.
    Worse, it had been a top-shelf kiss, knee-melting and all that. He'd just showered and shaved and tasted of mint toothpaste. His shirt was new and crisp beneath her hands, and the way he'd held her--under any other circumstance she'd have loved every second.
    "Kennedy! Hey, Kennedy, wait up!"
    He was running after her? Oh, for...She turned to face him, and her pulse picked up. He did look so damned good in his black shirt with gold flowered stripes and his black hat on his dark blond hair. His brow furrowed as he stopped in front of her, and he shoved his hands into his front jeans pockets, looking just like the teenager he'd been when they met.  
    "Why'd you run off?"
    God, he