Lone Star Lover by Debbi Rawlins Page A

blood.
    “Hey.” Damn, what an insensitive bastard he was being. What the hell was wrong with him? “Stop.” He brushed the pad of his thumb across her lip. “It doesn’t matter. I’m sorry.”
    “I haven’t brought a man upstairs yet,” she murmured, moving her head back enough to break contact. He got the message and lowered his hand. “Kitty makes sure of it. She sends me to help Doc Davis.” She blinked. “But soon the railroad men are coming and the whole town will be busy and she doesn’t know if—” She shrugged her slim shoulders.
    Anger erupted hotly inside him. “You never have to bring a man up here. Do you understand?”
    “But the Rangers said—”
    “I don’t give a damn what they said.”
    She shrank back, her unblinking eyes round and wary.
    “I’m not yelling at you. I’m just frustrated. I want to help you, but right now I don’t see how.” Damn, that was hard for him to admit. Maybe learning humility was supposed to be his lesson in this journey. He hoped not. He didn’t do humility well. “You said something about the Rangers having work for me.”
    Rebecca stepped further back, adamantly shaking her head, her face flushed with a fierce protectiveness that startled him. “Jake, no.”
    Had he heard her use his name before? He didn’t think so. “I know you don’t like the idea,” he said, moving closer and running his palm up her arm. “I don’t either, but the truth is, without money and a horse, I can’t help get you out of here.”
    “You want to help me?” she whispered.
    “Of course I do. This is no place for you.” He kept rubbing her arm, pleased that she hadn’t withdrawn from him.
    “I don’t know.” She looked torn. Hope lit her eyes, but only for a second before fear extinguished it. “I want to leave. I do. But these are very bad men.”
    “I promise you, I can take care of myself.” Hell, with his bruised ribs still healing, he was going to have to watch his temper and not get into a brawl. He wasn’t hotheaded like he’d been when he was younger. Ironically, being a Ranger had knocked some of the arrogance out of him. The behavior wasn’t tolerated. But this was a different time, and he suspected posturing and fists were often used in place of reasoning.
    She shook her head. “They could hurt you if you get in their way.”
    “Or worse, they’ll hurt you, and I can’t stand by and watch that happen.” Jake opened his arms to her. She had to come to him this time, of her own free will, showing she trusted him.
    Rebecca’s chin quivered. She looked as if she desperately wanted to believe he’d help her, but she couldn’t quite make that leap. He was about to drop his arms to his side, when she rushed toward him, throwing her arms around his middle.
    He gritted his teeth against the sudden pain. She’d obviously forgotten about his ribs, and no way would he let on that she’d nearly made him cry like a damn baby. He hugged her to his chest, and her arms lowered to his waist where they did less damage.
    She tilted her head back to gaze at him with glassy eyes. “I’ll bring you trouble,” she said softly. “Once you leave this room, you have to stay far away from me.”
    He touched her cheek. “That’s not going to happen.”
    “Please, Jake.” She pressed against him, her shoulder digging in right where it hurt.
    He must have reacted without realizing it, because she gasped and abruptly drew back with a look of horror.
    “I’m sorry.”
    “No,” he said, “don’t.” He caught her around her waist and brought her back to him, but this time slowly and carefully. “I like feeling you close to me.”
    “Your side…”
    “Just don’t whack me.”
    She smiled a little, and then sighed. “I like feeling you close to me, too.”
    Jake kissed the top of her head, and then the tip of her nose. Both very chaste kisses, neither of which, along with the residual throb at his side, stopped him from getting hard. He hoped she