Taming the Heart (Crimson Ridge #3)

by Elliott Rose

“Out here being a thundercloud ready to rain on anyone who dares think about having fun. The kind you wouldn’t recognize if it jumped up and slapped you in the face.” She darts her tongue out to wet those enticing lips. Leaning closer, I press one forearm high above her head. Sage is all spitfire and teasing words, with a shimmer to her eyes that I’m losing the willpower to not outright stare at. My eyes roam her face, tracing the delicate curve of her cheekbones, down to the cupid’s bow sitting right above that pretty as sin mouth of hers. “I might be a little out of practice now, but in another lifetime, I would have been able to show you the ride of your goddamn life.” The words roll like the first rumble of thunder between us. “In another life, huh?” As Sage says the words, I see her mouth tip up at the corners. Ever so pleased with herself for loosening the knot keeping my self-restraint in place. I’ve officially lost hold of my damn rope as I lower my head and allow the tip of my nose to skim her jaw. “There wouldn’t be any other ride you’d need.” I mean every single fucking word. “Where has this big game suddenly come from, cowboy?” Sage doesn’t move. I’m not even sure she’s breathing. It’s like she’s just as painfully aware as I am that we can’t be this near, we can’t be like this. Despite that, for whatever reason, she’s allowing me to get oh, so perilously close, while still maintaining a fraying thread of separation. “I said I was a bit out of practice, baby. No...