Trail of Lust by Em Petrova Page A

He'd suspected she'd question it sooner or later. Sure, he was a little worried about bringing her into a clan full of brothers and cousins who couldn't keep their mouths shut. When he did decide to bring her home, he'd have to threaten Clay with a broken rib or two if he didn't curb himself.
    Graham shook his head, and his nose brushed hers. “That's not the reason, Kathleen. I'm very honored that you've agreed to be my wife."
    "Then you really are afraid someone would try to...harm me?"
    "I can't take the chance. It won't be for long. I promise.” Even as he said this, he wondered how long it would be. After all, no one knew about her. If Wabash happened upon the Allen residence, he could burn the place, shoot Silas, and rape Kathleen, even not knowing she and Graham were linked.
    Maybe he needed to send a few rumors out there to draw the evil man in right where he wanted him. Each night, his brothers relayed more facts about Wabash's whereabouts. He was closing the gap, and it was time to do some hunting—Hollis style. A single word would rally his family around him, and the search would be on.
    She shivered, and he wrapped her closer. “Will you promise me something else?” she whispered.
    "What is it, darlin'?"
    "That you'll take me over a hay bale in the future."
    His placed his mouth over hers, letting his smile spread over hers. They shared a hiccup of laughter before starting all over again. Touching, stroking, caressing. He couldn't get enough of her, even though she was now firmly implanted in his heart.
    Kathleen paced the confines of her father's bedroom. She rounded the bed and stubbed her bare toe on the metal frame. Pain shot up her foot and ankle. She doubled over, grasping her toe and tamping down the howl of agony that bubbled in her throat.
    Her father was still sleeping. Still gray. Still breathing shallowly. Yesterday, when she'd gone into town for an elixir, the new doctor had told her to come fetch him if her father didn't improve by the next day.
    She stared at Pa's sleeping face. A tuft of white hair stuck up at an odd angle, making him look as if, rather than aging, he'd gone backward to childhood. After she fed him the elixir, he'd stopped throwing up. But he wasn't well either.
    She rubbed her hands together. Could she face another ride to town with Jenkins? Alone?
    He hadn't exactly crossed any more boundaries with her, but he'd leered at her plenty. A sick knot formed in her belly each time she thought of his gaze on her. She'd wanted to yell that he had no right to take this liberty—she was a married woman!
    But she wasn't allowed to divulge the information, and that stung.
    Pressing her lips into a fine line, she continued to stare at her father. For him, she must face the trail with Jenkins. She'd insist they ride separately again, and maybe she could outstrip him, reaching town before he did. She was a confident rider. It was possible.
    Within minutes, she'd run Jenkins to earth and was seated atop her mare. She'd taken a mere moment to slip on boots, a bonnet, and tidy her hair. At the last moment, she'd realized the string she wore around her throat had worked its way out of her bodice, and the ring was dangling between her breasts. She hastily stuffed it back in before Jenkins noticed.
    "Ready, Miss Kathleen?"
    She shuddered. What was it about his voice that edged under her skin? Avoiding his gaze, she said, “Yes.” Without waiting for him to take the lead, she set her boot heels into her horse's sides and took off across the field.
    Her heart drummed in time to the hoofbeats. After several minutes of galloping, she started to relax. She couldn't shake the memories of last night's encounter with Graham. Each kiss, each release, was emblazoned on her soul. His care for her touched her heart. It had taken all of a day before she realized her emotions for him ran deeper than physical lust. The wisps of love had risen up that first night when he'd come to find her sitting under the