assaulted her.
Eden didn't know how long she stood there, eyes closed, lips damp, nipples peaked, before she realized Kerrigan had stopped kissing her. Slowly she opened her eyes, appalled at her reaction, afraid she would find him laughing at her again. But his dark eyes were hooded, lambent with need, his nostrils flared for the scent of her, his body riveted by tightly leashed desire. That musky male smell reached her senses again. She recognized it now as man, wanting woman.
Oh, this was dangerous, this kissing. It left her . . . wanting. Was this how her father had enslaved her mother? What on earth had she been thinking to allow Kerrigan such liberties?
It took her a moment to remember why she had permitted Kerrigan to kiss her in the first place. He had wanted to prove how powerful a weapon passion could be. Well, he had made his point. But she would never give him the satisfaction of knowing it.
“I'm afraid you've wasted your time, Mr. Kerrigan,” she said in a hoarse voice, her eyes glazed with desire.
“I have?”
She cleared her throat and said, “Yes. You see, what you've shown me only makes me even more certain I've chosen the right course to follow.”
“How so?” he demanded.
“I'm assuming that if you could make those feelings happen for me, I could make them happen for you. Am I right?”
The gunslinger's body tautened as he thought of the schoolteacher returning his kiss with fervor. He nodded curtly.
“Then I'm sure this war between the spouses will be over soon.”
“Why is that?”
“Because no man is going to choose fighting over feelings like that,” she announced with a smug
The man from Texas stared stunned for a moment before he threw back his head and bellowed with laughter. He tipped his hat to her and said, “I concede the battle, Miss Devlin.” He grinned and added, “But not the war.”
“What is that supposed to mean, Mr. Kerrigan? Do the ranchers still intend to hire you despite this new . . . complication?”
Now was the time to tell her the ranchers intended him to solve this new complication by seducing her. She was the lamb and he was the big, bad wolf sent to devour her. Damn her innocence! He hardened his heart against the soft feelings she raised in him. He couldn't afford to allow those feelings back into his life. This was a cold, cruel world, and the sooner Eden Devlin learned that, the better.
“The Association still wants to find out who's rustling their cattle,” he said brusquely.
Miss Devlin stooped and began gathering up the papers that had gone flying when the gunslinger took her in his arms. “And you think you can succeed where Sheriff Reeves has failed?”
“It's happened before.”
Miss Devlin stopped and stared. Her brow rose in confusion. “I didn't know you'd met Felton before you came to Sweetwater.”
“We've crossed paths” was all he would say.
“Do you have a plan to catch the rustlers?”
“A thief is like a calf. Give him enough rope and he'll tangle himself.”
“I just can't imagine any of the husbands and fathers I know rustling cattle,” Miss Devlin said.
“Then how do you explain the fact that cattle are missing?”
Miss Devlin sat at her desk and began putting the homework papers in some semblance of order. “I don't know. It doesn't make sense.”
“Not any more sense than a woman like you going unkissed for so many years,” he agreed.
Miss Devlin rose abruptly from her chair, alarmed at how quickly Kerrigan had turned the discussion back in a direction she wanted desperately to avoid. Before she could escape, he stepped up onto the platform that held her desk, effectively blocking her exit. She held the papers up in front of her, hoping they would provide a shield.
They didn't.
He took a step toward her.
Maybe being blunt would work. “Stay away from me.”
“I find that impossible. I don't see
Eden didn't know how long she stood there, eyes closed, lips damp, nipples peaked, before she realized Kerrigan had stopped kissing her. Slowly she opened her eyes, appalled at her reaction, afraid she would find him laughing at her again. But his dark eyes were hooded, lambent with need, his nostrils flared for the scent of her, his body riveted by tightly leashed desire. That musky male smell reached her senses again. She recognized it now as man, wanting woman.
Oh, this was dangerous, this kissing. It left her . . . wanting. Was this how her father had enslaved her mother? What on earth had she been thinking to allow Kerrigan such liberties?
It took her a moment to remember why she had permitted Kerrigan to kiss her in the first place. He had wanted to prove how powerful a weapon passion could be. Well, he had made his point. But she would never give him the satisfaction of knowing it.
“I'm afraid you've wasted your time, Mr. Kerrigan,” she said in a hoarse voice, her eyes glazed with desire.
“I have?”
She cleared her throat and said, “Yes. You see, what you've shown me only makes me even more certain I've chosen the right course to follow.”
“How so?” he demanded.
“I'm assuming that if you could make those feelings happen for me, I could make them happen for you. Am I right?”
The gunslinger's body tautened as he thought of the schoolteacher returning his kiss with fervor. He nodded curtly.
“Then I'm sure this war between the spouses will be over soon.”
“Why is that?”
“Because no man is going to choose fighting over feelings like that,” she announced with a smug
The man from Texas stared stunned for a moment before he threw back his head and bellowed with laughter. He tipped his hat to her and said, “I concede the battle, Miss Devlin.” He grinned and added, “But not the war.”
“What is that supposed to mean, Mr. Kerrigan? Do the ranchers still intend to hire you despite this new . . . complication?”
Now was the time to tell her the ranchers intended him to solve this new complication by seducing her. She was the lamb and he was the big, bad wolf sent to devour her. Damn her innocence! He hardened his heart against the soft feelings she raised in him. He couldn't afford to allow those feelings back into his life. This was a cold, cruel world, and the sooner Eden Devlin learned that, the better.
“The Association still wants to find out who's rustling their cattle,” he said brusquely.
Miss Devlin stooped and began gathering up the papers that had gone flying when the gunslinger took her in his arms. “And you think you can succeed where Sheriff Reeves has failed?”
“It's happened before.”
Miss Devlin stopped and stared. Her brow rose in confusion. “I didn't know you'd met Felton before you came to Sweetwater.”
“We've crossed paths” was all he would say.
“Do you have a plan to catch the rustlers?”
“A thief is like a calf. Give him enough rope and he'll tangle himself.”
“I just can't imagine any of the husbands and fathers I know rustling cattle,” Miss Devlin said.
“Then how do you explain the fact that cattle are missing?”
Miss Devlin sat at her desk and began putting the homework papers in some semblance of order. “I don't know. It doesn't make sense.”
“Not any more sense than a woman like you going unkissed for so many years,” he agreed.
Miss Devlin rose abruptly from her chair, alarmed at how quickly Kerrigan had turned the discussion back in a direction she wanted desperately to avoid. Before she could escape, he stepped up onto the platform that held her desk, effectively blocking her exit. She held the papers up in front of her, hoping they would provide a shield.
They didn't.
He took a step toward her.
Maybe being blunt would work. “Stay away from me.”
“I find that impossible. I don't see
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