to read my mind , I thought, but
I can feel his passion .
As soon as
Russ had finished his food and sat back with a sigh of contentment, I stood. It
might have been rude, but I didn’t offer to help clean the kitchen again.
Instead, I gazed steadily at Russ until he looked up at me. I jerked my head in
the direction of the library, and walked out of the kitchen expecting him to
follow. I seated myself in a chair that would allow me to sit without
slouching, because I needed all the authority my five-foot three frame could
muster.
Feet planted
on the floor, sitting tall with my spine straight and my most severe face, I
waited. Russ strode in only a moment later, glanced at me and sat down
opposite, his legs splayed and hands clasped between them with his elbows on
his knees.
“Kitten, I owe
you an explanation.”
“Indeed you
do. Talk.” It was terse, I knew, but I was fed up with all this mystery, and
wanted him to know that I wouldn’t be put off again.
“I don’t know
where to start, so I guess I’ll start with an apology. I should have told you
the truth from the start, and I’m sorry I didn’t.” His frank blue gaze was
distracting me, but I wasn’t ready yet to accept an apology, especially one
that merely told me he had lied. That I already knew. It wasn’t enough.
“What truth?
And why didn’t you?” I spoke calmly, though my pulse was racing. Now that it
was about to be revealed, I wasn’t sure I wanted to know the truth, but I had
to.
“I guess
you’ve figured out that I own this ranch.”
Shock flooded
me. No, I hadn’t figured that out, only that Russ might possibly be the son of
the owner. I leapt to my feet, tears starting in my eyes. Janet had told me I
was wearing the owner’s wife’s clothes. What had I done? I’d slept in the
woman’s bed, bathed in her tub, worn her clothes and had sex with her
husband . With no thought of where I might be going, I ran back through the
kitchen, past a startled Janet, and out into the cold wind.
“Charity!” his
voice behind me only made me run faster, the snow on the ground falling into my
shoes and turning my feet to ice within yards. Then he had me. Why I thought I
could outrun him I couldn’t have said, but I was furious when he caught me. I
turned and began pummeling his chest with my fists.
“You lying,
cheating son of a bitch!” I screamed. “You had sex with me in your own wife’s
bed, how could you?”
Shouting above
the wind and my tirade, Russ cried, “You don’t understand. Stop it, come back
in the house.” Then he gathered me, still struggling, into his arms and carried
me back, staggering against the wind and my struggles. As soon as we got back
into the house, he set me down on my feet, but kept me wrapped up in his arms,
heedless of the open-mouthed Janet looking on.
“Charity, it
isn’t what it looks like. Come back in by the fire and get warm, and I’ll
explain everything.” It appeared I had no choice, so I sullenly walked with him
back into the warm room, where he tucked me under a brightly-colored crocheted
afghan and sat beside me. He reached under the coverlet to remove my shoes and
began to chafe my feet to warm them.
“I swear,
woman, you seem determined to freeze to death. Stay here, I’m going to get you
something hot to drink.” No sooner had he said it than Janet appeared in the
doorway with a tray bearing two mugs of hot chocolate, the aroma hinting of
that unknown scent I’d detected on Russ’s breath at the cabin.
“Everything
okay in here, Boss?” she asked. All her curious glances, her hesitation in
answering my questions and her fascination with my background suddenly made
sense, or I thought so. Obviously, she was a loyal employee, maybe even had
some fondness for her boss, I thought, remembering the motherly look last
night. She must be worried to death that he had dragged home another woman
while his wife was gone. What must she think of me? I refused to meet her eyes
as she bent
I can feel his passion .
As soon as
Russ had finished his food and sat back with a sigh of contentment, I stood. It
might have been rude, but I didn’t offer to help clean the kitchen again.
Instead, I gazed steadily at Russ until he looked up at me. I jerked my head in
the direction of the library, and walked out of the kitchen expecting him to
follow. I seated myself in a chair that would allow me to sit without
slouching, because I needed all the authority my five-foot three frame could
muster.
Feet planted
on the floor, sitting tall with my spine straight and my most severe face, I
waited. Russ strode in only a moment later, glanced at me and sat down
opposite, his legs splayed and hands clasped between them with his elbows on
his knees.
“Kitten, I owe
you an explanation.”
“Indeed you
do. Talk.” It was terse, I knew, but I was fed up with all this mystery, and
wanted him to know that I wouldn’t be put off again.
“I don’t know
where to start, so I guess I’ll start with an apology. I should have told you
the truth from the start, and I’m sorry I didn’t.” His frank blue gaze was
distracting me, but I wasn’t ready yet to accept an apology, especially one
that merely told me he had lied. That I already knew. It wasn’t enough.
“What truth?
And why didn’t you?” I spoke calmly, though my pulse was racing. Now that it
was about to be revealed, I wasn’t sure I wanted to know the truth, but I had
to.
“I guess
you’ve figured out that I own this ranch.”
Shock flooded
me. No, I hadn’t figured that out, only that Russ might possibly be the son of
the owner. I leapt to my feet, tears starting in my eyes. Janet had told me I
was wearing the owner’s wife’s clothes. What had I done? I’d slept in the
woman’s bed, bathed in her tub, worn her clothes and had sex with her
husband . With no thought of where I might be going, I ran back through the
kitchen, past a startled Janet, and out into the cold wind.
“Charity!” his
voice behind me only made me run faster, the snow on the ground falling into my
shoes and turning my feet to ice within yards. Then he had me. Why I thought I
could outrun him I couldn’t have said, but I was furious when he caught me. I
turned and began pummeling his chest with my fists.
“You lying,
cheating son of a bitch!” I screamed. “You had sex with me in your own wife’s
bed, how could you?”
Shouting above
the wind and my tirade, Russ cried, “You don’t understand. Stop it, come back
in the house.” Then he gathered me, still struggling, into his arms and carried
me back, staggering against the wind and my struggles. As soon as we got back
into the house, he set me down on my feet, but kept me wrapped up in his arms,
heedless of the open-mouthed Janet looking on.
“Charity, it
isn’t what it looks like. Come back in by the fire and get warm, and I’ll
explain everything.” It appeared I had no choice, so I sullenly walked with him
back into the warm room, where he tucked me under a brightly-colored crocheted
afghan and sat beside me. He reached under the coverlet to remove my shoes and
began to chafe my feet to warm them.
“I swear,
woman, you seem determined to freeze to death. Stay here, I’m going to get you
something hot to drink.” No sooner had he said it than Janet appeared in the
doorway with a tray bearing two mugs of hot chocolate, the aroma hinting of
that unknown scent I’d detected on Russ’s breath at the cabin.
“Everything
okay in here, Boss?” she asked. All her curious glances, her hesitation in
answering my questions and her fascination with my background suddenly made
sense, or I thought so. Obviously, she was a loyal employee, maybe even had
some fondness for her boss, I thought, remembering the motherly look last
night. She must be worried to death that he had dragged home another woman
while his wife was gone. What must she think of me? I refused to meet her eyes
as she bent
Similar Books
