Small Treasures by Kathleen Kane (Maureen Child) Page B

saw the glaze of passion cover her eyes, and watched with hunger the rapid rise and fall of her breasts. It was all he could do to keep from tearing her blouse open and burying himself in her soft curves.
    But years of control gave him the strength to set her down on her own feet. She staggered slightly and gripped his forearms for balance. He had to stop now. Before he reached a point when he would never stop.
    "Samuel," she breathed raggedly, "I &mdash"
    "I have to go now, Abby." He turned away, then quickly turned back and grabbed her to him. He simply couldn't help himself. One last time he pressed his lips to hers in a searing kiss that left both of them breathless. Then he turned again and quickly climbed up to the wagon seat. "I gotta go."
    "Be careful, Samuel."
    He waved but didn't look back as the horses leaned into their traces and the wagon began its roll down the mountain.
    Abby took two shaky steps and raised her hand to her mouth. Rubbing her bruised lips, she whispered urgently, "Hurry back."
    # # #
    Abby stepped back and took a long look at her handiwork. Smiling, she put her palms against the small of her back and stretched. Her back hurt like the very devil, but it would be worth it to see Samuel's face when he got home.
    He'd be surprised, she knew. But she owed him a surprise. If she lived to be a hundred, she'd never forget the looks on the other ladies' faces when Samuel stormed into the cabin, ax raised. His fierce expression, his wild hair and beard, and his immense size had given him the look of an ancient warrior that she'd read about once as a girl.
    Chuckling softly, she remembered, too, how stunned he'd been to discover that his only opponents were five women having coffee and cookies!
    Abby sniffed, then sneezed violently. There was something about the smell of fresh paint that had always made her sneeze. But it was worth it. The new coat of paint looked wonderful!
    Picking up her paintbrush once more, she crossed the room and carefully filled in a small space that she'd missed somehow. Abby smiled and turned in a slow circle, getting the full effect of the cabin's new look. For the life of her, she couldn't understand why Minerva had been so stunned when Abby'd picked up the paint that morning at the store. Why, the color was even lovelier than she'd imagined!
    Abby frowned momentarily as she wondered what Samuel would think of the cabin walls being such a bright shade of pink. Then she laughed shortly. If he was like most men, he probably wouldn't even notice, she told herself. But then, she thought dreamily as she stared out the side window, Samuel wasn't like most men.
    A curl of excitement started in the pit of her stomach and spread quickly to her arms and legs. She could still feel his lips on hers. His arms wrapped around her, snuggling her in a warm, protective circle. Abby had never known that a kiss could be so much more than a touch.
    If she'd known what it would be like, she'd have asked him to kiss her days ago!
    Maverick whined and butted against the back of her knees, making her grab at a nearby chair. She looked down at the dog and laughed out loud.
    "You're right, Maverick. Enough of this standing around. Let's get this job finished, shall we?"
    She set her paintbrush down and walked to the table where two more cans of paint stood waiting for her. Wasn't it lucky, she asked herself, that she'd found the paint in the back of Minerva's store practically hidden under some discarded feed sacks?
    Pink was such a nice, cheerful color! It made her think of sunsets and sunrises. Thoughtfully she tapped her index finger against her chin, oblivious to the splotch of pink she left there. Perhaps tomorrow she would take the buggy into Rock Creek again and get enough paint to do the trim in a different color. Abby smiled. Maybe Minerva had a bright, sunny yellow tucked away somewhere…
    A raucous screeching and cackling burst into the stillness. Harry leapt nimbly down from the big bed and