possibility any thought at all. 'Do you want children?' she asked uncertainly.
He cocked his head to one side, eyeing her with an uncomfortable intensity. 'Do you? Or, should I say, do you want my children?'
'Once, that was all I dreamed about,' she confessed in a low voice.
'And now?'
She looked at him, fighting her nervousness. 'Yes, I want children.'
'You won't get them if I agree to your condition. Cross it off your list, Leah. It's not a negotiable point.'
She didn't want to concede defeat, didn't want to agree to give herself to him without love, without commitment. But he'd left her without choice. 'Hunter, please...'
He closed the distance between them. Cupping her head, he tilted her face up to his. 'We'll make love, you and I, and we'll have children. Plenty of them. Though chances are they won't be blue-eyed blondes. Can you live with that?'
'I'm not my father. I know you don't believe it, but it's true. Do you really think I could love my child less because he's dark...' she dared to feather her fingers through his hair '... instead of fair?'
He caught her hand and drew it to his scarred arm, her pale skin standing out starkly against his sun-bronzed tan. 'It matters to some.'
'Not to me. It never mattered to me.'
He nodded, apparently accepting her words at face value. 'Any more conditions?' he asked, flicking her list with a finger.
'No,' she admitted. 'But you'd better know up-front— I can't promise I won't argue with you. I love this ranch And I'll do all I can to protect the people on it.'
He shook his head. 'That's my job now.'
'That doesn't mean I won't worry.'
'Worrying is also my job,' he informed her gravely.
She nodded. That left only one last decision to be made. 'About the wedding...'
'I want to marry by the end of the week. Tell me where and when and I'll be there. Just make sure it's no later than Saturday.'
'So soon?' she asked in dismay. 'That's less than a week.'
'Are you having second thoughts?'
'Constantly. But it won't change anything. I won't sell and I can't save the ranch unless I marry you. But a wedding... There's a lot to be done and not much time to do it in.'
'Find the time.' He tugged her more fully into his arms. 'I have to go,' he said, and kissed her.
His touch drove out all thought and reason, banishing the ghosts that lingered from that other time and place. And no matter how hard she wanted to oppose him, to keep a small piece of herself safe and protected, he stripped her of all resistance with consummate ease. Deepening the kiss, he cupped her breast, teasing the tender peak through the thin cotton. And she let him... let him touch her as he wished, let him explore where he willed, let him drive her toward that sweet crest she'd once shared exclusively with him.
For a moment Leah was able to pretend that she meant something to him again, that he really cared for her more than he cared for her ranch. But as hard as she tried to lose herself in his embrace, the knowledge that this was in all probability a game of revenge intruded, and finally drove her from his arms.
He released her without protest. 'Call me with the details,' he instructed, and headed for the door. 'We'll need to get the license as soon as possible.'
'There's one last thing,' she suddenly remembered. He paused, waiting for her to continue and, almost stumbling over the words, she said, 'Conrad.. .Conrad Michaels. He retired.' Hunter didn't say anything,
prompting her to state her concerns more openly. 'Are you responsible for his retirement?'
'Yes.'
She'd suspected as much, but it still shocked her to hear him admit it. l WhyV He didn't reply. Instead he walked outside, forcing her to give chase. Without breaking stride, he gathered up his buckskin's reins and mounted. She clung to his saddle-skirt, hindering his departure, desperate for an answer. 'Hunter, please. Tell me why. Why did you force Conrad to retire?'
After a momentary hesitation he leaned across the horn, fixing
He cocked his head to one side, eyeing her with an uncomfortable intensity. 'Do you? Or, should I say, do you want my children?'
'Once, that was all I dreamed about,' she confessed in a low voice.
'And now?'
She looked at him, fighting her nervousness. 'Yes, I want children.'
'You won't get them if I agree to your condition. Cross it off your list, Leah. It's not a negotiable point.'
She didn't want to concede defeat, didn't want to agree to give herself to him without love, without commitment. But he'd left her without choice. 'Hunter, please...'
He closed the distance between them. Cupping her head, he tilted her face up to his. 'We'll make love, you and I, and we'll have children. Plenty of them. Though chances are they won't be blue-eyed blondes. Can you live with that?'
'I'm not my father. I know you don't believe it, but it's true. Do you really think I could love my child less because he's dark...' she dared to feather her fingers through his hair '... instead of fair?'
He caught her hand and drew it to his scarred arm, her pale skin standing out starkly against his sun-bronzed tan. 'It matters to some.'
'Not to me. It never mattered to me.'
He nodded, apparently accepting her words at face value. 'Any more conditions?' he asked, flicking her list with a finger.
'No,' she admitted. 'But you'd better know up-front— I can't promise I won't argue with you. I love this ranch And I'll do all I can to protect the people on it.'
He shook his head. 'That's my job now.'
'That doesn't mean I won't worry.'
'Worrying is also my job,' he informed her gravely.
She nodded. That left only one last decision to be made. 'About the wedding...'
'I want to marry by the end of the week. Tell me where and when and I'll be there. Just make sure it's no later than Saturday.'
'So soon?' she asked in dismay. 'That's less than a week.'
'Are you having second thoughts?'
'Constantly. But it won't change anything. I won't sell and I can't save the ranch unless I marry you. But a wedding... There's a lot to be done and not much time to do it in.'
'Find the time.' He tugged her more fully into his arms. 'I have to go,' he said, and kissed her.
His touch drove out all thought and reason, banishing the ghosts that lingered from that other time and place. And no matter how hard she wanted to oppose him, to keep a small piece of herself safe and protected, he stripped her of all resistance with consummate ease. Deepening the kiss, he cupped her breast, teasing the tender peak through the thin cotton. And she let him... let him touch her as he wished, let him explore where he willed, let him drive her toward that sweet crest she'd once shared exclusively with him.
For a moment Leah was able to pretend that she meant something to him again, that he really cared for her more than he cared for her ranch. But as hard as she tried to lose herself in his embrace, the knowledge that this was in all probability a game of revenge intruded, and finally drove her from his arms.
He released her without protest. 'Call me with the details,' he instructed, and headed for the door. 'We'll need to get the license as soon as possible.'
'There's one last thing,' she suddenly remembered. He paused, waiting for her to continue and, almost stumbling over the words, she said, 'Conrad.. .Conrad Michaels. He retired.' Hunter didn't say anything,
prompting her to state her concerns more openly. 'Are you responsible for his retirement?'
'Yes.'
She'd suspected as much, but it still shocked her to hear him admit it. l WhyV He didn't reply. Instead he walked outside, forcing her to give chase. Without breaking stride, he gathered up his buckskin's reins and mounted. She clung to his saddle-skirt, hindering his departure, desperate for an answer. 'Hunter, please. Tell me why. Why did you force Conrad to retire?'
After a momentary hesitation he leaned across the horn, fixing
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