respond.
His whole body churned with need of her. Every male instinct he possessed hungered to show her how a man could pleasure a woman and take them both to ecstasy. His need was more than elemental. It went further than that, he realized solemnly. When he’d seen Letty Sue in flames, raw emotion had roiled within him and he couldn’t get to her fast enough.
Walk as one. Stand together. His mother’s words played in his mind like the string on a tightened bow.
But Joellen’s words of trust echoed a moment later.
Abruptly, Chase stood, leaving the heat of her body and turning away from her. He raked both hands through his hair, drawing in a deep breath. Glancing at the broken glass on the carpeted floor, he shookhis head. “Damn it, Letty Sue, you should be more careful!”
She gasped in surprise then, and Chase felt a measure of guilt. It was better this way, he told himself, better to be at odds with her. He couldn’t afford tender feelings.
“Chase?”
He closed his eyes at the pleading note in her voice. “Did you wake up this morning and think today was a good day to die?”
“No, I, uh—”
He turned to see her puzzled expression. Slowly she rose on shaking legs, but managed to straighten to her full height. Her apron was charred, and a few tendrils of smoke still curled upward. He was tempted to reach over and untie her apron, but stood his ground.
“Well, you almost got yourself killed today.” The words came out with a bitter edge.
Her wounded expression changed to anger instantly. She glared at him. “Wouldn’t make you look good in Mama’s eyes if I got hurt, would it, Chase? That’s the only reason you’re upset. Well, I’m just fine, as you can see.”
The prideful tilt of her chin made Chase’s blood boil. He reached for her, grabbing her arms. “Don’t be a fool, Letty Sue. Next time, you might not be so lucky. Why in hell don’t you know…things?”
“I’m trying, Chase Wheeler.” She yanked free of his grasp, rubbing her wrists where he’d held her. He glanced down. “I never wanted to know before.Mama tried teaching me, many times. But I put up such a fuss, only half listened to her instructions. I guess it just became easier for Mama to do everything herself.”
She’d given her mother a difficult time of it. That didn’t surprise him. His assessment of Letty Sue’s qualities hit the mark dead on: she was spoiled and selfish. “And you aim to change that?”
“Yes, I do,” she said resolutely.
“Just be sure all your learning doesn’t blow up the house.”
She folded her arms across her chest, her blue eyes sparking more flames than the fire he’d just put out. “It won’t happen again.”
When Chase let out a vile curse, Letty Sue only raised an eyebrow. He bent down to pick up his hat, brushing away glass particles that coated it like a fine layer of winter snow. “I’ve got to see about replacing this window.”
She nodded. “I would appreciate that.”
Chase jammed his hat on his head. “And toss that apron in the hearth before another fire breaks out.”
He slammed out the door. A crashing sound from behind made him jump. He nearly tripped down the porch steps.
Damn woman. She’d thrown something!
Ah hell, he thought. He should march back in there and turn her over his knee.
But well-honed instincts told him that if he marched back into the house, turning Letty Sue overhis knee to discipline her wouldn’t give him the necessary results.
Lust-filled images immediately came to mind of her body atop his.
He shook them off quickly, but somehow he knew that tonight, when he closed his eyes, that mental picture would plague his sleep.
Letty Sue didn’t try to hide the disgust on her face when she picked up the bloody bird she was about to cook and slapped it down on the tabletop.
“Lordy, Letty Sue, today, one way or another, you’re going to have yourself a delicious meal,” she muttered in the empty kitchen.
Each night she’d
His whole body churned with need of her. Every male instinct he possessed hungered to show her how a man could pleasure a woman and take them both to ecstasy. His need was more than elemental. It went further than that, he realized solemnly. When he’d seen Letty Sue in flames, raw emotion had roiled within him and he couldn’t get to her fast enough.
Walk as one. Stand together. His mother’s words played in his mind like the string on a tightened bow.
But Joellen’s words of trust echoed a moment later.
Abruptly, Chase stood, leaving the heat of her body and turning away from her. He raked both hands through his hair, drawing in a deep breath. Glancing at the broken glass on the carpeted floor, he shookhis head. “Damn it, Letty Sue, you should be more careful!”
She gasped in surprise then, and Chase felt a measure of guilt. It was better this way, he told himself, better to be at odds with her. He couldn’t afford tender feelings.
“Chase?”
He closed his eyes at the pleading note in her voice. “Did you wake up this morning and think today was a good day to die?”
“No, I, uh—”
He turned to see her puzzled expression. Slowly she rose on shaking legs, but managed to straighten to her full height. Her apron was charred, and a few tendrils of smoke still curled upward. He was tempted to reach over and untie her apron, but stood his ground.
“Well, you almost got yourself killed today.” The words came out with a bitter edge.
Her wounded expression changed to anger instantly. She glared at him. “Wouldn’t make you look good in Mama’s eyes if I got hurt, would it, Chase? That’s the only reason you’re upset. Well, I’m just fine, as you can see.”
The prideful tilt of her chin made Chase’s blood boil. He reached for her, grabbing her arms. “Don’t be a fool, Letty Sue. Next time, you might not be so lucky. Why in hell don’t you know…things?”
“I’m trying, Chase Wheeler.” She yanked free of his grasp, rubbing her wrists where he’d held her. He glanced down. “I never wanted to know before.Mama tried teaching me, many times. But I put up such a fuss, only half listened to her instructions. I guess it just became easier for Mama to do everything herself.”
She’d given her mother a difficult time of it. That didn’t surprise him. His assessment of Letty Sue’s qualities hit the mark dead on: she was spoiled and selfish. “And you aim to change that?”
“Yes, I do,” she said resolutely.
“Just be sure all your learning doesn’t blow up the house.”
She folded her arms across her chest, her blue eyes sparking more flames than the fire he’d just put out. “It won’t happen again.”
When Chase let out a vile curse, Letty Sue only raised an eyebrow. He bent down to pick up his hat, brushing away glass particles that coated it like a fine layer of winter snow. “I’ve got to see about replacing this window.”
She nodded. “I would appreciate that.”
Chase jammed his hat on his head. “And toss that apron in the hearth before another fire breaks out.”
He slammed out the door. A crashing sound from behind made him jump. He nearly tripped down the porch steps.
Damn woman. She’d thrown something!
Ah hell, he thought. He should march back in there and turn her over his knee.
But well-honed instincts told him that if he marched back into the house, turning Letty Sue overhis knee to discipline her wouldn’t give him the necessary results.
Lust-filled images immediately came to mind of her body atop his.
He shook them off quickly, but somehow he knew that tonight, when he closed his eyes, that mental picture would plague his sleep.
Letty Sue didn’t try to hide the disgust on her face when she picked up the bloody bird she was about to cook and slapped it down on the tabletop.
“Lordy, Letty Sue, today, one way or another, you’re going to have yourself a delicious meal,” she muttered in the empty kitchen.
Each night she’d
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