it, ready to brood.
The chirps of frogs and birds and the sweet scent of lush grass wove around her as she sat, chin braced upon her raised knees, her arms circling her legs. She turned to the sound of a twig snapping, fearing a bear or a wolf prowling in the shadows before night. The outline of Liam Tallchief’s tall body was unmistakable, but just as predatory. Shivering again with anger, she turned back to study the dark, mystical lake, the waves gently patting the shore. “You’re too much trouble, even for a bet,” she said, meaning it. A second thought had her turning around again, searching the shadows. “You didn’t bring J.T. out here, did you?”
“No. I don’t want him to see the fight we’re about to have, and for once, playing with the Tallchief children, he didn’t care where I was. He knows I’ll be back. I’m always there when he needs me, but he’s too excited with his new friends—what’s this about a bet?”
“I bet Silver that I’d get you here, and I did. That’s all there is to it.” She didn’t want him to know that herefforts were on her own behalf, too, not just to avoid Jasmine’s diapers. She wanted to see him again, amid the family that he obviously belonged within—
“All those dishes and scrubbing for a bet?” he pushed.
“J.T. was worth it. They’re his cousins. They’re a match for coloring and features, and so are you,” she added, and waved her hand airily. “Fight away. It takes two, and I’m done talking with you.”
“My relationship with the Tallchiefs is my business. And the next time you get bored and want to play, pick on someone else.” He snagged her wrist and tugged her to her feet. When she swung her free hand at him, he caught it, holding her immobile. “You’re going to go back there and apologize to that family for disrupting their dinner.”
While she was working up a good scalding brew of what she thought of him, Liam placed both her wrists in one hand and tugged the band binding her braid, tossing it away. Then his fingers were in her hair, working it free of the weave. When she struggled against him, her hair flew out into the slight evening breeze and whirled around her head. He sank his fingers into the freed strands, capturing her as he studied her furious expression. “You always get your way, don’t you? You’re used to plowing right over people to get what you want.”
She tried to toss her head and failed, her hair captured by his fist. “I got you here, didn’t I?”
“I would have come, anyway. Eventually. I like choosing the time and place. I just liked watching those expensively tended hands, decked out in those flashing diamonds, doing J.T.’s and my laundry.”
“You would not have—You haven’t visited with them in six months. Perverse, arrogant—You’re enjoying this, aren’t you? Trapping a poor defenseless woman,out here—Don’t deny it. I see it in your eyes, in that grin. You’re enjoying taunting me—Why?”
“Someone has to. Everyone else just lets you run over them and you’re not defenseless. You’ve got a cutting tongue, lady.” In the evening shadows, with the moon beginning to peek over Tallchief Mountain, Liam’s devastating grin widened.
She stood still and tossed her head, looking away from him. When he tossed that reckless, boyish grin at her, he was too dangerous. She didn’t trust the pitter-pat of her racing heart for one moment. “You’ll get bored, holding me captive. That’s illegal, you know. You’ll—”
“Will I? You want to bet on that, too?” His gray eyes flowed over her hair, a thumb reaching to stroke a strand waving across her hot cheek. Desire poured from him, weaving around her, and, inexperienced with sensual play, Michelle shivered. “You want to slot me into a pigeonhole, to understand something that doesn’t concern you? At the Tallchiefs, Silver said you are divorced. Let’s talk about your ex-husband. He let you walk all over him, didn’t he?
The chirps of frogs and birds and the sweet scent of lush grass wove around her as she sat, chin braced upon her raised knees, her arms circling her legs. She turned to the sound of a twig snapping, fearing a bear or a wolf prowling in the shadows before night. The outline of Liam Tallchief’s tall body was unmistakable, but just as predatory. Shivering again with anger, she turned back to study the dark, mystical lake, the waves gently patting the shore. “You’re too much trouble, even for a bet,” she said, meaning it. A second thought had her turning around again, searching the shadows. “You didn’t bring J.T. out here, did you?”
“No. I don’t want him to see the fight we’re about to have, and for once, playing with the Tallchief children, he didn’t care where I was. He knows I’ll be back. I’m always there when he needs me, but he’s too excited with his new friends—what’s this about a bet?”
“I bet Silver that I’d get you here, and I did. That’s all there is to it.” She didn’t want him to know that herefforts were on her own behalf, too, not just to avoid Jasmine’s diapers. She wanted to see him again, amid the family that he obviously belonged within—
“All those dishes and scrubbing for a bet?” he pushed.
“J.T. was worth it. They’re his cousins. They’re a match for coloring and features, and so are you,” she added, and waved her hand airily. “Fight away. It takes two, and I’m done talking with you.”
“My relationship with the Tallchiefs is my business. And the next time you get bored and want to play, pick on someone else.” He snagged her wrist and tugged her to her feet. When she swung her free hand at him, he caught it, holding her immobile. “You’re going to go back there and apologize to that family for disrupting their dinner.”
While she was working up a good scalding brew of what she thought of him, Liam placed both her wrists in one hand and tugged the band binding her braid, tossing it away. Then his fingers were in her hair, working it free of the weave. When she struggled against him, her hair flew out into the slight evening breeze and whirled around her head. He sank his fingers into the freed strands, capturing her as he studied her furious expression. “You always get your way, don’t you? You’re used to plowing right over people to get what you want.”
She tried to toss her head and failed, her hair captured by his fist. “I got you here, didn’t I?”
“I would have come, anyway. Eventually. I like choosing the time and place. I just liked watching those expensively tended hands, decked out in those flashing diamonds, doing J.T.’s and my laundry.”
“You would not have—You haven’t visited with them in six months. Perverse, arrogant—You’re enjoying this, aren’t you? Trapping a poor defenseless woman,out here—Don’t deny it. I see it in your eyes, in that grin. You’re enjoying taunting me—Why?”
“Someone has to. Everyone else just lets you run over them and you’re not defenseless. You’ve got a cutting tongue, lady.” In the evening shadows, with the moon beginning to peek over Tallchief Mountain, Liam’s devastating grin widened.
She stood still and tossed her head, looking away from him. When he tossed that reckless, boyish grin at her, he was too dangerous. She didn’t trust the pitter-pat of her racing heart for one moment. “You’ll get bored, holding me captive. That’s illegal, you know. You’ll—”
“Will I? You want to bet on that, too?” His gray eyes flowed over her hair, a thumb reaching to stroke a strand waving across her hot cheek. Desire poured from him, weaving around her, and, inexperienced with sensual play, Michelle shivered. “You want to slot me into a pigeonhole, to understand something that doesn’t concern you? At the Tallchiefs, Silver said you are divorced. Let’s talk about your ex-husband. He let you walk all over him, didn’t he?
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