The Cutting Edge by Linda Howard Page A

part of him that remained aloof, untouched, some inner core that watched but didn’t become involved. Why did he want so much from her, when he refused to share that part of himself? She didn’t want to hold in her emotions; Tessa was too warmly responsive to constantly rein herself in. She wanted to give him everything that she could, but because of his reserve, she felt wary and uncertain of herself. She didn’t like the feeling. She’d never been the sort of person to be uncertain. She was generally decisive, knowing immediately what she wanted, though she was equally realistic in estimating her chances of getting it.
    She wanted Brett, wanted him with a fierce femaleneed that she’d never before experienced. He’d become as necessary to her as the air she breathed.
    The coffee finished brewing, and as she was pouring herself a cup she heard Brett stirring. Immediately she felt warm all over, and she felt her face flush. Taking a hasty sip of coffee, she burned her tongue, and her hands trembled. She set the cup down before she spilled the coffee all over herself. Stop acting like a teenager! she scolded herself, but not all the scolding in the world could calm her racing heart.
    â€œTessa.”
    His early-morning voice was a raspy grumble, and a shiver of response raced down her spine. Slowly she turned her head and looked at him standing in her kitchen doorway wearing only a pair of dark blue briefs. Fascinated by his hard, tough masculinity, her eyes drifted down his body, examining him from head to toe, and not missing an inch in between. Heat began to color her face, caused by a mixture of excitement and embarrassment.
    He’d been watching her expressive face, seeing the open admiration in the way she looked at him, and her bold innocence made him want to pick her up and take her back to bed. Then, incredibly, she blushed.
    He crossed the floor to her, putting his arms around her and easing her against his chest. “Why the blushes?” he asked gently.
    â€œLast night…I acted so…and the things I said…”
    â€œAnd the things we did,” he finished, smiling a little above her head. “Are you all right?” As much as he wanted to make love to her again, he’d felt the delicacyof her body with its slender, aristocratic bones, and he didn’t want to hurt her.
    â€œYes,” she sighed, leaning her head against him. Her hands slid around his taut waist, then began to search over the heavy muscles of his back. “A little achy, that’s all.”
    He kissed the tumble of curls on her forehead, then brushed them back, schooling himself to patience. He could wait; not easily, but he could wait. Remembering his plans of the night before, he felt a sudden urge to begin putting them in motion. The sooner he could have her installed at the ranch, the better. “Next weekend,” he murmured, “if I can manage to get free, I’ll take you to the ranch.”
    Her head lifted from his chest, and her eyes sparkled with excitement. “The ranch! I’d like that. But why shouldn’t you be able to get free? Even executives usually get an occasional weekend off.”
    â€œUsually,” he agreed, smiling at her impatience. “But this isn’t the usual job—” He broke off, frowning at himself. It wasn’t like him to confide in anyone, especially about sensitive matters, but he’d nearly blurted the whole thing out to her. It was one more measure of how close she’d gotten to him, how deeply she’d embedded herself in his thoughts.
    Attuned to him as she was, Tessa felt his abrupt tension. Her smile faded. “Brett? Is something wrong here?” Alert now, she remembered snatches of gossip about Brett Rutland. His appearance usually meant trouble, not for him, but for the people who had to deal with him. He was called the Ax-Man. He found the root of any trouble, and the people causing it were