each other so evident and unaffected. He watched as Miss Jonston’s long black lashes, framing incredible eyes, swept down, softly touching finely chiseled cheeks. Lush lips and a stubborn chin promised a strong nature under her delicate appearance and beauty. Her skin, almost golden in tone, made him want to reach out and feel the soft warmth promised. His fingers ached to stroke her skin to see the flush of desire on her cheeks. Looking at the delicate girl in front of him, and trying to visualize what Case said of her work on the ranch, he shook his head.
“I can’t believe such a slip of a girl is capable of all you say.” Glancing back at Case, he tried not to show how much that slip of a girl was affecting him.
Kara looked at her father, then back at Hawke. “Excuse me! Did I just hear what I thought I heard? Did you just refer to me as a ‘slip of a girl,’ and dare to imply I was incapable of contributing to the running of this ranch?” She tipped her head back, glaring at him. “You have a lot of nerve, Mr. Pryce. You’ve been here all of what? Half a day, haven’t even seen the operation, haven’t spoken to me about what I do or do not do on this ranch, but,” her volume increased, causing many of the guests to turn to watch, “apparently, you have only spoken about me with others, and you have the gall to assume you know what I’m capable of … . Of all the idiotic, arrogant — How dare you?”
And with that, she spun away, storming from the room dragging her friend with her.
• • •
Slamming her bedroom door, she threw herself on the bed. She needed to vent her anger and calm down before she went back out there with a rifle and showed that overbearing aristocrat just exactly what she was capable of.
“Can you believe what he said? I’ve never been so insulted in all my life.” Looking up, she saw Alicia on the balcony looking wistfully down at the guests, trying to spot Lord Peyton. “Would you please get back in here and help me? What am I going to do about that insufferable man? Alicia!” Exasperation and a wounded ego warred with one another. “I need you to listen to me, not get all calf-eyed over his friend MacCairn.”
Alicia returned reluctantly into the room and sat on the bed, taking Kara’s hand in hers, a dreamy look in her eyes.
“Isn’t Mr. MacCairn divine? I could have talked to him all night. Oh, Kara, isn’t it so exciting!” she exclaimed. “Both of them are so handsome, and my God, have you ever seen such large men. It makes me all weak in the knees just looking at those shoulders … . ”
Kara sat silently, fuming.
“Come on, Kara, it can’t be that bad … . It’s complimentary you know,” Alicia said. “He probably thought what every other man who doesn’t know you thinks … you’re some Amazon with the face of a mule and a personality to match. I don’t see why you are so upset. Until he said anything, I got the feeling you were maybe a little attracted to Lord Stoneham. Am I right?”
Standing up and pacing the room, Kara thought about it. “I don’t know, I guess I was just reacting to seeing him for the first time.” Looking at Alicia, she tried to deny the attraction. “I expected some soft ‘dude,’ not a walking mountain. I was just thrown off balance for a moment … . I’m not attracted to him. And even if I had been, after his last remark, I guarantee the only thing I want to see of Lord Stoneham is his back riding away from the ranch.”
• • •
Case looked up at the balcony of Kara’s bedroom, then back at Hawke.
“I should have warned you.” He turned towards Hawke. “Kara has a hair-trigger temper, and has never taken kindly to anyone questioning her ability. She always felt she had to prove herself over and over. Needless to say, our partnership has put a bit of a burr under her saddle.”
“So it seems. It appears I may have started out on the wrong foot with your daughter, Case, but I will endeavor to
“I can’t believe such a slip of a girl is capable of all you say.” Glancing back at Case, he tried not to show how much that slip of a girl was affecting him.
Kara looked at her father, then back at Hawke. “Excuse me! Did I just hear what I thought I heard? Did you just refer to me as a ‘slip of a girl,’ and dare to imply I was incapable of contributing to the running of this ranch?” She tipped her head back, glaring at him. “You have a lot of nerve, Mr. Pryce. You’ve been here all of what? Half a day, haven’t even seen the operation, haven’t spoken to me about what I do or do not do on this ranch, but,” her volume increased, causing many of the guests to turn to watch, “apparently, you have only spoken about me with others, and you have the gall to assume you know what I’m capable of … . Of all the idiotic, arrogant — How dare you?”
And with that, she spun away, storming from the room dragging her friend with her.
• • •
Slamming her bedroom door, she threw herself on the bed. She needed to vent her anger and calm down before she went back out there with a rifle and showed that overbearing aristocrat just exactly what she was capable of.
“Can you believe what he said? I’ve never been so insulted in all my life.” Looking up, she saw Alicia on the balcony looking wistfully down at the guests, trying to spot Lord Peyton. “Would you please get back in here and help me? What am I going to do about that insufferable man? Alicia!” Exasperation and a wounded ego warred with one another. “I need you to listen to me, not get all calf-eyed over his friend MacCairn.”
Alicia returned reluctantly into the room and sat on the bed, taking Kara’s hand in hers, a dreamy look in her eyes.
“Isn’t Mr. MacCairn divine? I could have talked to him all night. Oh, Kara, isn’t it so exciting!” she exclaimed. “Both of them are so handsome, and my God, have you ever seen such large men. It makes me all weak in the knees just looking at those shoulders … . ”
Kara sat silently, fuming.
“Come on, Kara, it can’t be that bad … . It’s complimentary you know,” Alicia said. “He probably thought what every other man who doesn’t know you thinks … you’re some Amazon with the face of a mule and a personality to match. I don’t see why you are so upset. Until he said anything, I got the feeling you were maybe a little attracted to Lord Stoneham. Am I right?”
Standing up and pacing the room, Kara thought about it. “I don’t know, I guess I was just reacting to seeing him for the first time.” Looking at Alicia, she tried to deny the attraction. “I expected some soft ‘dude,’ not a walking mountain. I was just thrown off balance for a moment … . I’m not attracted to him. And even if I had been, after his last remark, I guarantee the only thing I want to see of Lord Stoneham is his back riding away from the ranch.”
• • •
Case looked up at the balcony of Kara’s bedroom, then back at Hawke.
“I should have warned you.” He turned towards Hawke. “Kara has a hair-trigger temper, and has never taken kindly to anyone questioning her ability. She always felt she had to prove herself over and over. Needless to say, our partnership has put a bit of a burr under her saddle.”
“So it seems. It appears I may have started out on the wrong foot with your daughter, Case, but I will endeavor to
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