Bowles, Jan - In Debt to the Dom [Guilty Pleasures 1] (Siren Publishing Classic) by Jan Bowles Page B

properly, this is the result.” He sounded irritated as he untied her horse and tethered it to his own.
    “Is it absolutely necessary?”
    “It is. If you pass out on the way back, at least you won’t fall off and hurt yourself.” He scooped her effortlessly into his arms and placed her on the horse. Within seconds, he mounted behind her and wrapped one arm securely around her waist. When he leaned forward and took the reins, his hard body pressed against hers. Over the last few days, he’d dominated her every waking thought. He’d even dominated her dreams. She reveled in his male musky scent as he turned the horse and headed back to the ranch.
    “What’s that place called?” she asked as she leaned back against his torso.
    “Cold Creek Crossing.”
    “I like it there. I’ve gone there every day since I arrived.”
    He wrapped her more firmly in his arms and rested his chin on top of her head. “Yes, it’s one of my favorite places on the ranch, but there are others, too. We’ll have to go for another ride and I can show you them before you leave.”
    “Yes, I’d like that.”
    Their relationship seemed to have shifted slightly. For the first time, she felt that Keaton might actually care for her. Well, at least her health and safety. As he held her in his arms, she felt secure, and she leaned against his muscular torso, enjoying the way his body touched hers from her shoulder blades down to her thighs. It was a perfect fit.
    He guided the stallion back along the track that would eventually lead to the ranch house. The ground was parched, with just the occasional brush and bush breaking the monotony. Tumbleweed rolled past in the warm breeze that blew into their faces.
    “So how come you got into financial difficulty with your house?”
    She sighed. If he wanted to know the details, then she’d tell him. “I had a long-term relationship with a city banker. Last year, he decided that I focused too much on my own career and left.”
    “That’s too bad.”
    “It was my own fault really. I spent too much time on my job and not enough time with him. After he left, I started having difficulty with the payments.”
    “So he didn’t help?”
    “No. He knew how much I loved that house. I think it was payback time for all the missed dinners and late phone calls.”
    “So, in the space of a year, you’ve lost everything.”
    “Yes, thanks for reminding me, Keaton. When I leave, I won’t have anything. Not even my self-respect. Perhaps you could lend me the bus fare out of here.”
    “As bad as that?”
    “Yes, as bad as that.” Her mind focused on her sister, and anger seethed inside her. Her head hurt even more as she tried to figure it all out. It seemed impossible to comprehend that she’d lost everything. Teardrops fell from her eyes, running down her cheeks to converge around her mouth. There was no way she’d let him know she was crying, so she stopped herself from wiping them away.
    It seemed to be getting hotter, and she struggled for breath. The dizziness returned, and as if in slow motion, she felt herself falling, falling. She just hoped it would be a soft landing.

    * * * *

    Without warning, she slumped forwards, and her head touched the neck of their mount, Apollo. Luckily, Keaton had a firm grip around her waist. He pulled her back against him. Holding her in his arms, he removed her hat and looked down into her face. Tears stained her cheeks, yet he hadn’t known she was crying. He guessed she’d deliberately kept it from him. Obviously she didn’t want his sympathy. Or maybe she thought he had none to give.
    He withdrew his cell phone from his jeans and made a call.
    “Helena, it’s Keaton. You’d better get the doctor. Maddie is suffering from heat exhaustion.”
    “I’ll get him straight away, sir.”
    “We’ll be back in ten minutes.”
    He returned the cell phone to his pocket, and urged Apollo into a canter.
    Something didn’t sit right with him. Why had Maddie