blinked, noticing his dimple deepen as he tried not to smile. She tried to speak, but he carried on, “But I appreciate you have a history and lots of baggage. I’m trying to give you a chance by not hassling you.” His eyes never left her as she lifted her hand up to push a stray strand of hair behind her ear.
Her hand shook, her cheeks filled with heat, and it didn’t seem to worry him one jot that he made her nervous. He touched her knee to keep her attention on him, the heat of his hand soaking through her jeans. She wriggled with embarrassment, but still he continued.
“Lydia, I will get you naked, and I may be patient at the moment, but that’s not going to last much longer.”
Panicked, she glanced around nervously.
“I’m not sure you should be talking to me like that.” Her voice was weak and breathless as her gaze flicked toward her children to make sure they were out of earshot. He had the gall to grin up at her. Dimples cutting through his cheeks. A tremble of excitement skittered through her veins.
“Sure I should. I like to talk straight. Then you know where I stand. Now are you going to get on this horse, or are we going to hang around shooting the breeze all day?”
Before he could say any more, she slipped off the fence and walked around to the side of the horse as he directed. She placed her foot in the stirrup and pulled herself up. She felt his warm hands encircle her waist as he gave her a boost up into the saddle. He seemed reluctant to break contact, and his hand moved down her thigh and rested on her knee until she peered down into his face. He held her eyes with his own, taking a deep breath as though making a decision to continue.
“One more thing before we move on. You need to know I have never mistreated a woman in my life, either physically or mentally. I have no intention of starting now, so you can relax.” He moved to the horse’s head and started to lead her round the corral.
* * * *
Lydia had pondered his words all day, so that by the time she’d put the children to bed, she’d worked herself up into a lather. He’d said he wanted her, and that had scared her. He’d said he would never hurt her, and that terrified her. It meant that he knew. He knew someone had hurt her.
She couldn’t believe that Kate would have said anything to Sam, but she may have told Jack. Jack always treated her gently, never raised his voice to her or the children. Come to think of it, she’d never heard him raise his voice to anyone, so perhaps it ran in the family. She couldn’t help it, though, if she was wary of men. It wasn’t something she could control.
Sam wanted her.
She felt a thrill race through her body at the thought. He wanted her. He was gorgeous and sexy and interested. She’d not had a man pay attention to her for years. She’d never invited any attention, never noticed if someone had a passing fancy for her. Now this handsome cowboy was full-on, in her face, coming on to her. She put her hands over her cheeks and shuddered with excitement.
What was she going to do?
She stood in the middle of her bedroom, breathing slow and deep as her brain engaged and she thought things through.
He knew something, but he didn’t know it all. If he did, there was no way he would pursue her. After all, who in his right mind would want anything to do with her if he knew what she had done? So, he couldn’t know very much at all.
As thrilled as she was at the thought that Sam wanted her, she didn’t think she was being fair to him.
It hadn’t taken long after she was married to Greg for him to start telling her she was pathetic in bed. She’d thought she was quite good, willing to try most things, provided they weren’t what she considered perverted. That’s where their problems had started. Problems that escalated with Greg’s consumption of alcohol and drugs.
Sam might want her now, but he wouldn’t soon. When he realized just how bad she was. She paced back and forth
Her hand shook, her cheeks filled with heat, and it didn’t seem to worry him one jot that he made her nervous. He touched her knee to keep her attention on him, the heat of his hand soaking through her jeans. She wriggled with embarrassment, but still he continued.
“Lydia, I will get you naked, and I may be patient at the moment, but that’s not going to last much longer.”
Panicked, she glanced around nervously.
“I’m not sure you should be talking to me like that.” Her voice was weak and breathless as her gaze flicked toward her children to make sure they were out of earshot. He had the gall to grin up at her. Dimples cutting through his cheeks. A tremble of excitement skittered through her veins.
“Sure I should. I like to talk straight. Then you know where I stand. Now are you going to get on this horse, or are we going to hang around shooting the breeze all day?”
Before he could say any more, she slipped off the fence and walked around to the side of the horse as he directed. She placed her foot in the stirrup and pulled herself up. She felt his warm hands encircle her waist as he gave her a boost up into the saddle. He seemed reluctant to break contact, and his hand moved down her thigh and rested on her knee until she peered down into his face. He held her eyes with his own, taking a deep breath as though making a decision to continue.
“One more thing before we move on. You need to know I have never mistreated a woman in my life, either physically or mentally. I have no intention of starting now, so you can relax.” He moved to the horse’s head and started to lead her round the corral.
* * * *
Lydia had pondered his words all day, so that by the time she’d put the children to bed, she’d worked herself up into a lather. He’d said he wanted her, and that had scared her. He’d said he would never hurt her, and that terrified her. It meant that he knew. He knew someone had hurt her.
She couldn’t believe that Kate would have said anything to Sam, but she may have told Jack. Jack always treated her gently, never raised his voice to her or the children. Come to think of it, she’d never heard him raise his voice to anyone, so perhaps it ran in the family. She couldn’t help it, though, if she was wary of men. It wasn’t something she could control.
Sam wanted her.
She felt a thrill race through her body at the thought. He wanted her. He was gorgeous and sexy and interested. She’d not had a man pay attention to her for years. She’d never invited any attention, never noticed if someone had a passing fancy for her. Now this handsome cowboy was full-on, in her face, coming on to her. She put her hands over her cheeks and shuddered with excitement.
What was she going to do?
She stood in the middle of her bedroom, breathing slow and deep as her brain engaged and she thought things through.
He knew something, but he didn’t know it all. If he did, there was no way he would pursue her. After all, who in his right mind would want anything to do with her if he knew what she had done? So, he couldn’t know very much at all.
As thrilled as she was at the thought that Sam wanted her, she didn’t think she was being fair to him.
It hadn’t taken long after she was married to Greg for him to start telling her she was pathetic in bed. She’d thought she was quite good, willing to try most things, provided they weren’t what she considered perverted. That’s where their problems had started. Problems that escalated with Greg’s consumption of alcohol and drugs.
Sam might want her now, but he wouldn’t soon. When he realized just how bad she was. She paced back and forth
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