dismounted,
tying their horses to the rail and loosening the cinches. Trace
slapped his mount on the rump and walked over to her, eying her
suspiciously.
''Going to stay on the horse all day?"
"I thought I would," she said, slumping a
little.
"Tired?" He rested his hand on her thigh.
Kalli felt it like a brand. She stared at his
tanned skin, the long fingers, the strong wrist. The heat from his
palm seared her. She flicked a look into his eyes and thought she
detected a glimpse of sympathy.
"Actually, I thought I'd ride over and get a
better look at the mountains. Maybe see how high the horse could
climb-"
She gave a shout as he reached up and pulled
her down.
"Trace!"
Once on the ground she sagged against him,
her legs like rubber. He held her easily, turning to call to
Josh.
"Come get her horse and turn him loose after
you unsaddle him. She's not riding any more today." He leaned over
a bit and swept her up into his arms.
“ Trace, put me down." But
her arms encircled his neck and she held on for dear life. Fighting
the urge to lay her head against his shoulder and close her eyes,
she glared at him instead as he marched determinedly across the
yard toward the back door.
"I thought you said you'd been riding since
you learned about inheriting the ranch," he said.
She was impressed he could carry her so
easily, talk in a normal tone and not be out of breath.
"I did. But only a couple of hours a week. In
a ring. How do you do it day after day?"
"Practice. We've been riding since we were
kids. And this is an easy day. Some times during roundup or bad
weather, we're twelve, eighteen hours in the saddle."
He opened the screen door and set her on her
feet. "Can you manage a bath and then bed, Boss Lady?" he asked,
his hands still on her shoulders, giving her support.
"Let's get one thing straight here, Trace. My
name is Kalli. Calling me Boss Lady won't cut it. We both know I
haven't called a single shot since I arrived. “Fix me something to
eat, let's go riding, go do the accounts!” You're the real boss of
the Triple T, and until I learn lots more I guess it’s going to
stay that way."
He smiled into her glaring eyes. "Yeah, I
guess it is."
His eyes warmed and the rough planes of his
face softened just a little with the smile. And Kalli lost her
train of thought. He was the sexiest thing she'd ever seen, and her
heart began pumping hot blood through her veins. She stared,
mesmerized, longing for more, knowing he had to get back to work.
Knowing she was probably no more than an amusing incident to him.
But it didn't matter. Her gaze dropped to his lips and her body
shivered traitorously. She wanted--
As if he could read her mind, his mouth
covered hers in a hot kiss. His lips moved persuasively over hers
until she opened at his silent command and welcomed him. His tongue
slipped in, tracing her teeth, moving beyond to tease then dance
with her tongue.
Blood roared in her ears, and her breathing
became labored. Kalli pressed closer, feeling weak and feminine and
invincible and desirable. Her hands gripped his arms, holding on
lest she float away in a cloud of sweet delight.
He pulled back and stared at her, gently
wiping her lips with his thumb, the hard calluses lending an erotic
roughness to his touch. Again he traced her lower lip, his thumb
exquisitely gentle.
"Soak your muscles and then take a nap.
You'll feel better in a day or two. In the meantime, get to work on
those accounts," he ordered.
"Yes, sir, boss," she whispered, her eyes
clinging to his.
"Hell, Kalli, don't look at me like that
unless you want to start more than I think you do."
She remembered he'd told her he wanted her.
It would be unfair to continue if she wasn't ready to take the next
step. And she wasn't. She'd just met the man. It didn't matter that
he attracted her more than anyone she'd ever met before. It didn't
matter that she felt special beyond imagination when she was with
him. It did matter, however, that he didn't seem
tying their horses to the rail and loosening the cinches. Trace
slapped his mount on the rump and walked over to her, eying her
suspiciously.
''Going to stay on the horse all day?"
"I thought I would," she said, slumping a
little.
"Tired?" He rested his hand on her thigh.
Kalli felt it like a brand. She stared at his
tanned skin, the long fingers, the strong wrist. The heat from his
palm seared her. She flicked a look into his eyes and thought she
detected a glimpse of sympathy.
"Actually, I thought I'd ride over and get a
better look at the mountains. Maybe see how high the horse could
climb-"
She gave a shout as he reached up and pulled
her down.
"Trace!"
Once on the ground she sagged against him,
her legs like rubber. He held her easily, turning to call to
Josh.
"Come get her horse and turn him loose after
you unsaddle him. She's not riding any more today." He leaned over
a bit and swept her up into his arms.
“ Trace, put me down." But
her arms encircled his neck and she held on for dear life. Fighting
the urge to lay her head against his shoulder and close her eyes,
she glared at him instead as he marched determinedly across the
yard toward the back door.
"I thought you said you'd been riding since
you learned about inheriting the ranch," he said.
She was impressed he could carry her so
easily, talk in a normal tone and not be out of breath.
"I did. But only a couple of hours a week. In
a ring. How do you do it day after day?"
"Practice. We've been riding since we were
kids. And this is an easy day. Some times during roundup or bad
weather, we're twelve, eighteen hours in the saddle."
He opened the screen door and set her on her
feet. "Can you manage a bath and then bed, Boss Lady?" he asked,
his hands still on her shoulders, giving her support.
"Let's get one thing straight here, Trace. My
name is Kalli. Calling me Boss Lady won't cut it. We both know I
haven't called a single shot since I arrived. “Fix me something to
eat, let's go riding, go do the accounts!” You're the real boss of
the Triple T, and until I learn lots more I guess it’s going to
stay that way."
He smiled into her glaring eyes. "Yeah, I
guess it is."
His eyes warmed and the rough planes of his
face softened just a little with the smile. And Kalli lost her
train of thought. He was the sexiest thing she'd ever seen, and her
heart began pumping hot blood through her veins. She stared,
mesmerized, longing for more, knowing he had to get back to work.
Knowing she was probably no more than an amusing incident to him.
But it didn't matter. Her gaze dropped to his lips and her body
shivered traitorously. She wanted--
As if he could read her mind, his mouth
covered hers in a hot kiss. His lips moved persuasively over hers
until she opened at his silent command and welcomed him. His tongue
slipped in, tracing her teeth, moving beyond to tease then dance
with her tongue.
Blood roared in her ears, and her breathing
became labored. Kalli pressed closer, feeling weak and feminine and
invincible and desirable. Her hands gripped his arms, holding on
lest she float away in a cloud of sweet delight.
He pulled back and stared at her, gently
wiping her lips with his thumb, the hard calluses lending an erotic
roughness to his touch. Again he traced her lower lip, his thumb
exquisitely gentle.
"Soak your muscles and then take a nap.
You'll feel better in a day or two. In the meantime, get to work on
those accounts," he ordered.
"Yes, sir, boss," she whispered, her eyes
clinging to his.
"Hell, Kalli, don't look at me like that
unless you want to start more than I think you do."
She remembered he'd told her he wanted her.
It would be unfair to continue if she wasn't ready to take the next
step. And she wasn't. She'd just met the man. It didn't matter that
he attracted her more than anyone she'd ever met before. It didn't
matter that she felt special beyond imagination when she was with
him. It did matter, however, that he didn't seem
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