Back in the Saddle by Desiree Holt Page B

marred the smooth, tanned skin of her slim forearm. As unglamorous as a woman could look, yet somehow, she was more tempting than if she’d been wearing a slinky dress and high heels.
    Zane had to resist the urge to stare at her breasts, outlined by the soft T-shirt material. Mature Jamie Randall’s breasts were making his mouth water and his palms itch. But they also made his dick want to stand at attention again so he shut down his mind. All he needed was an erection right now. Then again, maybe that was exactly what he needed. “Nice language you’ve learned since you’ve been gone.”
    “That’s not all I’ve learned.” Her blue eyes, the color deepening to navy, flashed. The thick lashes framing them only enhanced the intensity of her fury. She was like a time bomb set to go off. “Anyway, pardon my lack of social graces, but I’m not in a very good mood right now. I don’t have the patience to take crap from anyone, so what is it you want?”
    “I came to find out why you’re here in this, let’s see, what did you call it?” He frowned. “Oh, yeah. ‘Godforsaken town you’d never spit on again.’” His pent-up anger, stored away all these years, wanted to rise up and overtake him.
    “Well, we can’t all make the choices we’d like to.” Jamie’s gaze swept over his face, studying him. “So. I’ll ask you again. Why are you really here? You trying to run me out of town, Sheriff?” She spat out the last word as if it had a bad taste to it.
    “Seems to me the last time you and I had a conversation, I distinctly remember you saying you wouldn’t come back to Amen unless hell froze over.” His eyes never wavered from hers. “Must be mighty cold down there right about now.”
    And that’s how cold it would be before she threw her lot in with him, she’d told him. Twelve years ago he was just the half-breed son of a man always in trouble. She’d been willing to fuck him all right—fuck the half-breed with the legendary dick—but then it was adios.
    He waited for her to comment, but she stood there, silent, vibrating with anger. Her nipples pushed stiffly against the thin fabric of her T-shirt, and a pulse beat heavily at her throat. Sex and anger. Two sides of the same coin. He had to suppress an urge to rip off her clothes and run his hands over that now-adult body. Time hadn’t diminished one bit of the lust he felt for her. Damn it.
    At last she shook her head and took a step back. “If you came for all the sordid details of my fall from grace, you wasted your time. Read the newspapers. They had plenty to say. So is that it? Are we done?”
    “Not by half.” He moved closer to her. “You’re damn straight I want to know why you’re here and when you’re leaving. I can’t believe this is some big homecoming for you.”
    Yes, when will you get out of my life again and leave me to my accustomed misery?
    “Well.” Her voice was bitter. “You don’t mince any words, do you?”
    More silence. He forced himself to outwait her.
    “Why the hell do you think I’m here? I guess I’m lucky my drunk of a father got himself killed and left me this worthless piece of property. Which is a damn good thing since, at the moment, it seems I have no place else to go.” She stuck out her chin in defiance. “Why? Are you planning to run me off?”
    Yes, if I could. But first I’m going to fuck your brains out the way I’ve wanted to do all these years since you ran from me. This time you’ll take more than a little taste of the half-breed Zane Cameron with you.
    He shifted his weight. “Just trying to keep up with what’s going on in my little corner of the world. I heard you were living in some fancy condo in Florida.”
    “Why, Sheriff,” she drawled. “I didn’t know you kept up with my activities.”
    Gritting his teeth, he barely held onto his temper. “We have a newspaper here in Amen, in case you forgot. And surprise, surprise. I have a computer and know how to use