grasped the reins and struggled to pull on them. “What are you doing?”
“You’re only going to confuse the horse,” he pointed out.
“I demand that you turn around at once,” she said firmly, but she released the reins.
“Sorry, my dear, I’ve made up my mind.”
“Go back if you want to. I’m not going with you.” She pulled away from him, and in her struggle, came perilously close to slipping from the horse’s side. Thomas’s arm swooped around her waist. She struggled against his hold, but he pulled her up and locked her arms at her sides with one arm. With the other hand, he guided the horse.
“Don’t make me tie you up.”
“You wouldn’t dare.”
Thomas could tell by the outrage in her voice that no one else ever had dared.
“I would dare,” he warned. “Keep yourself still and your butt on the horse.”
Her body relaxed against his chest, putting him on alert. He suspected her easy compliance. What did she plan?
“What are you thinking of?” he asked
She turned her head, and her lips parted. She jerked her head back around. “Nothing.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“Believe me or not. I’m merely being acquiescent.”
“That’s what bothers me,” he said. Suddenly consumed with an overwhelming inclination, he reached around and grabbed her chin, making her face him again. He tilted her head an inch, bent toward her, and brought his lips to hers, kissing her with tenderness. The urge to overpower her fled him, replaced by a need to coddle and protect.
Protect. That sent a shudder of fright through him. He wanted to protect her from himself.
****
Alexandra dug her hands into the saddle blanket. Her senses flooded with sensation. Her mouth tingled beneath the rough onslaught of his day-old growth of beard. She forgot her surroundings. Time ceased to exist. He caressed the back of her head, his fingers sliding through her hair at a snail’s pace in contrast to the rapid beating of her heart. He groaned and pulled her against him. His heartbeat echoed her own. A thrill spiraled the length of her.
He released her lips but not his hold on her. They sat there on the walking horse, and she took a breath, collecting her thoughts. His surliness. His demands. His insistence that he take her home. She knew not how long they had traveled before she remembered they were going in the wrong direction. His kissing her didn’t change her mind. If he thought he could just sweep her off her feet and get her to do whatever he wanted, he was sadly mistaken.
****
The man sat crouched before the dying embers of his campfire in a forest clearing and brushed the sleeve of his tattered gray uniform…
The bitch would pay. Even in the silence of solitude, the jeers echoed through his head. Oftentimes he wished he hadn’t recovered at all. The hatred had built in him—growing until he nearly burst from it. Little Miss High and Mighty hadn’t seen the last of him.
Chapter Nine
Her head cleared as they entered an area dense with trees. She could disappear and head north.
She muttered over her shoulder, “Allow me a moment of privacy.”
Thomas pulled the horse to a stop and held her arms as she slid to the ground. She inched forth a few feet, pushing branches aside.
Home free.
Suddenly, someone swept her up and plopped her onto his shoulder. She screamed, pounding his back with her fists.
“It’s me, Alexandra. Stop screaming,” Thomas said.
“Put me down.”
He took her by the waist and lowered her. Her feet hit the ground with a thump. “Sit.”
“Here?” she asked.
“Sit,” he said again. “It’s time we had a talk.”
She knelt on the dirt, watching him through narrowed eyes.
Groaning, he sat down and pulled her onto his lap. Her heartbeat shot out of control.
“What are you doing?” She pulled away, struggling to stand.
“Keeping your clothing clean. Stop wiggling.”
She stilled, her muscles poised to fight if need be.
“Now, tell me why it’s so
“You’re only going to confuse the horse,” he pointed out.
“I demand that you turn around at once,” she said firmly, but she released the reins.
“Sorry, my dear, I’ve made up my mind.”
“Go back if you want to. I’m not going with you.” She pulled away from him, and in her struggle, came perilously close to slipping from the horse’s side. Thomas’s arm swooped around her waist. She struggled against his hold, but he pulled her up and locked her arms at her sides with one arm. With the other hand, he guided the horse.
“Don’t make me tie you up.”
“You wouldn’t dare.”
Thomas could tell by the outrage in her voice that no one else ever had dared.
“I would dare,” he warned. “Keep yourself still and your butt on the horse.”
Her body relaxed against his chest, putting him on alert. He suspected her easy compliance. What did she plan?
“What are you thinking of?” he asked
She turned her head, and her lips parted. She jerked her head back around. “Nothing.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“Believe me or not. I’m merely being acquiescent.”
“That’s what bothers me,” he said. Suddenly consumed with an overwhelming inclination, he reached around and grabbed her chin, making her face him again. He tilted her head an inch, bent toward her, and brought his lips to hers, kissing her with tenderness. The urge to overpower her fled him, replaced by a need to coddle and protect.
Protect. That sent a shudder of fright through him. He wanted to protect her from himself.
****
Alexandra dug her hands into the saddle blanket. Her senses flooded with sensation. Her mouth tingled beneath the rough onslaught of his day-old growth of beard. She forgot her surroundings. Time ceased to exist. He caressed the back of her head, his fingers sliding through her hair at a snail’s pace in contrast to the rapid beating of her heart. He groaned and pulled her against him. His heartbeat echoed her own. A thrill spiraled the length of her.
He released her lips but not his hold on her. They sat there on the walking horse, and she took a breath, collecting her thoughts. His surliness. His demands. His insistence that he take her home. She knew not how long they had traveled before she remembered they were going in the wrong direction. His kissing her didn’t change her mind. If he thought he could just sweep her off her feet and get her to do whatever he wanted, he was sadly mistaken.
****
The man sat crouched before the dying embers of his campfire in a forest clearing and brushed the sleeve of his tattered gray uniform…
The bitch would pay. Even in the silence of solitude, the jeers echoed through his head. Oftentimes he wished he hadn’t recovered at all. The hatred had built in him—growing until he nearly burst from it. Little Miss High and Mighty hadn’t seen the last of him.
Chapter Nine
Her head cleared as they entered an area dense with trees. She could disappear and head north.
She muttered over her shoulder, “Allow me a moment of privacy.”
Thomas pulled the horse to a stop and held her arms as she slid to the ground. She inched forth a few feet, pushing branches aside.
Home free.
Suddenly, someone swept her up and plopped her onto his shoulder. She screamed, pounding his back with her fists.
“It’s me, Alexandra. Stop screaming,” Thomas said.
“Put me down.”
He took her by the waist and lowered her. Her feet hit the ground with a thump. “Sit.”
“Here?” she asked.
“Sit,” he said again. “It’s time we had a talk.”
She knelt on the dirt, watching him through narrowed eyes.
Groaning, he sat down and pulled her onto his lap. Her heartbeat shot out of control.
“What are you doing?” She pulled away, struggling to stand.
“Keeping your clothing clean. Stop wiggling.”
She stilled, her muscles poised to fight if need be.
“Now, tell me why it’s so
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