{Review} The Cowboy and the Angel by T.J. Kline (with Excerpt and Giveaway)

“Silvie sent me out to find you and let you know dinner will be ready in about fifteen minutes.”

“How did she know I was out here?”

A wry smile slipped to his lips. “She’s raised me and Scott. If we couldn’t sneak past her, there’s no way you’ll be able to.” He shrugged. “There isn’t much that goes on in this house she doesn’t know about.”

He was teasing, but his words hit too close to the truth. “I wasn’t sneaking anywhere. I was simply going for a walk.” She turned back to the animals in the stall, dismissing him.

“I see.”

Instead of leaving, he bumped her hip with his and mimicked her stance at the stall door, looking inside as well. She was puzzled by his playfulness but wondered if Mike hadn’t had a hand in his change of heart regarding her presence.

“See that little colt?” he jerked his chin at the baby trying to eat its mother’s grain from the bucket. “He’s our last foal out of Sydney’s stud horse.”

She wasn’t sure what he expected in response so she remained silent. He cocked his head sideways and looked at her, his chin still on his forearms. His baseball cap on backward made his jaw look even more chiseled, and she felt her heart trip in her chest as his eyes locked with hers. “He’s going to be part of the foundation of our breeding program.”

“Sydney, your sister-in-law?” She edged away from him, giving herself a few more inches of space between them, trying to catch her breath and calm the nervous skipping of her heart.

He turned and faced her, standing upright, so she did the same. He took a step toward her, closing what little distance she’d created between them, and she felt his breath fan against her cheeks. She looked up at him. He was close enough that, had he wanted to, he could kiss her. Her heart lodged in her throat and her breath came in shallow gasps. She felt surrounded by him as he blocked her view of anything else. The scent of him, like leather and horses with a touch of cinnamon, heated her senses. She forced herself to stand her ground when everything in her warned her to back up and move away. She’d never allowed a man to have the upper hand before, and she didn’t want to start now with this cowboy.

Several moments passed and he hadn’t moved or touched her. He stood inches from her with his hands loose at his sides, staring down at her, waiting. She met his gaze and held her breath as his eyes darkened, becoming almost black, and she wondered if he might kiss her. She found herself wavering between wanting to press herself against him, feeling his fingers buried in her hair with his lips against hers, and running back to her car, returning to her apartment, and forgetting she’d ever met him.

“Why are you really here?” His voice was husky but gentle, coaxing the truth from her.

“I don’t know what you mean.” She resisted, barely able to put words together, let alone think of a logical explanation. Her heart pounded heavily against her ribs.

“I can’t let you ruin our business. I won’t let you destroy what Mike and my parents built.” His words should have sounded like a threat, but his voice was seductive, belying the warning. “You have to know that.”

“I don’t want to destroy anything,” she whispered, unable to tear her eyes from his mouth. She dug her nails into her palms, trying to refocus her attention on the pain instead of the desire swirling within, igniting dormant emotions.

“Why can’t I seem to stay away from you?” he growled quietly. Derek took a step toward her, pressing her back against the wall of the barn, his hand slipped up to cup her jaw.

She barely heard his question as blood rushed through her veins, shooting flames of desire through her limbs, burning through her clothing. She curled her fingers against his chest, feeling the muscles tense under her fingers, and wondered why she didn’t push him away. She could feel every inch of his hard frame pressed against her, holding her upright against the wall. His thumb brushed over her cheekbone, lighting a fire that spread over her skin. She could see the day-old beard growth dusting his jaw and imagined how that rasp would feel against her skin. A shiver of anticipation coursed through her as she met his hooded gaze. He leaned down toward her and she closed her eyes, expecting the touch of his lips on hers.

“Damn it,” he cursed and she opened her eyes. Derek pushed himself away from her, and cold air filled the space between them. “I can’t do this.”

Disappointment flooded her, permeating the lonely places she tried to hide behind her work and caring for her father’s needs. She’d never wanted a relationship with anyone before, never needed a man for anything, so why this one? She obviously wasn’t his type any more than he was hers. They had nothing in common, especially considering she was likely to destroy everything he held dear. She covered up the dull ache of dejection with sarcasm, refusing to let him see how his rejection hurt.

“Just like a cowboy,” she scoffed, “eight seconds and you’re done.” She shot him a disdainful glance as she pushed herself from the wall. “I’ll remember to keep my interview with you short and sweet.”

Angela brushed past him and flipped her hair from her shoulder, refusing to acknowledge how her skin still tingled from his touch or how her heart continued to race the entire way back into the house.