Deceptive Truth: Cowboy Justice Association (Serials and Stalkers Book 4) by Olivia Jaymes (reading women .txt) 📕

been in love. Perhaps he had been but he'd been so young then. He hadn't really known what it meant. He was older, hopefully more mature, and love meant a shitload more now than it did then.

I might just be in love. Why aren't I scared? Why haven't I run?

Because I don't want to.

It was a sobering realization. He'd been avoiding "feelings" for a damn long time. He'd become a master at it. In and out of relationships without a second thought. He was always up front with the female about avoiding commitments - and he'd told Jenna the same - but now he wasn't trying to dodge anything. It had all happened while he was paying attention elsewhere, sneaking up on him from behind. Jenna was important to him. How much he couldn't say, but there was something there. He couldn't walk away from it, or from her.

His stomach growled with hunger, reminding him that he'd walked out on dinner before it had even been put on the table. He needed food and to apologize. He wasn't a man that enjoyed apologizing all that much. In fact, he kind of hated it, admitting that he was wrong. But it had to be done. He might as well cowboy up and do it. Then he and Jenna could move forward. If she still wanted to.

Taking a deep breath, he went downstairs and into the kitchen, following his nose. The delicious aroma of tomatoes and garlic filled the air making his stomach growl even louder than before. He found Jenna in the kitchen, sitting at the island with a plate of food in front of her. She turned when she heard him walk in.

"Are you done pouting?"

Inwardly, he chuckled at her greeting. She wasn't going to take any shit from him. Good for her. He liked that she didn't back down from a challenge.

"Yes, I am. I came down here to apologize and then hope that you'd take pity on me and feed me. I'm sorry about how I acted earlier."

No sense beating around the bush. Get that apology right out there first thing.

She was surprised. He could tell by the way her brows went up and her eyes went round. But then she tried to cover it up, acting all cool as if she'd expected him to apologize the entire time.

"Apology accepted. And yes, there's plenty of dinner. I can fill you a plate."

There was already a second plate on the counter and he assumed it was for him.

"I've got it. You go ahead and keep eating."

Knox made his plate and sat next to Jenna, both of them eating silently until their bellies were full and their plates were empty. She set her fork on the edge of hers and dabbed at the corners of her mouth with a napkin.

"Just a quick question. What exactly are you apologizing for? Kissing me? Or walking out when I asked you a question? Not that it matters because I've accepted the apology already."

"I am not apologizing for kissing you. I don't want to take that back. I am sorry that I acted like an ass afterwards. You were right. I made the rules and I was the first to break them."

"They were dumb rules," she replied with a roll of her eyes. "We both knew we were going to break them eventually. Or we should have known."

"I can't argue that fact. I'm sorry that I put us both in that position. Let's just say I was still angry about what you did."

She turned in her chair so they were eye to eye. "Are you mad now?"

"Only at myself. I get it. I really do. I see why you misled me."

She gave him a sideways look. "And you're not going to throw this back in my face down the road when we argue about something?"

"Are we going to fight?"

"Probably," she sighed. "We're both hard-headed and convinced we're right. And you're stubborn as hell."

"Pot...this is kettle..."

"Okay, I'm stubborn too. What I'm saying here is that I think we're going to butt heads from time to time."

He waggled his eyebrows. "Can we kiss when we make up afterward?"

A smile tugged at her lips. "Yes, but that's not always going to get around me. Sometimes, I'm going to be mad because you deserve it."

"Can we kiss and make up right now? We did have an argument, after all."

Knox had leaned closer so that their breath mingled together. He didn't want to fight the urge inside of him that was screaming to kiss this woman.

"I suppose a kiss wouldn't hurt."

It would feel amazing. He already knew how good it could be and he was going to get to experience it again and again.

The first touch of their lips was tentative but it didn't stay that way for long. He slid out of his chair, pressing their bodies together and feeling the heat of her skin through his clothes. Her lips parted sweetly and he deepened the kiss, the heat in his body building along with the tempo of his heart. His fingers tangled in her honey-colored locks, loving the silky feel between his fingers. Her palms skimmed down his spine and it was all he could do not to sweep her up into his arms and carry her upstairs to ravish her some more.

We're in her family's home. This is not the time or place.

Reluctantly, he pulled away watching as her eyelids fluttered open. Her pupils were blown wide and he was relieved to see that she was as affected as he was. The desire and passion was mutual.

"I'm going