amazement. He surely didn't intend to put her afoot so far from home. But he came back to where he had left her, the stallion friskily anxious to get home and jerking at the bit while Miguel reached down a hand.
'Come,' he told her, and Kirstie stared at him. 'You'll have to ride pillion, that girth isn't safe until it's been fixed, and you've surely ridden double before.'
For several seconds she hesitated, her distrust of him refusing to accept the intimacy of riding behind him, while her emotions stirred to almost fever pitch at the thought of being in close proximity to that exciting virile body. His patience growing thin, Miguel thrust the proffered hand under her nose and frowned, and she suddenly saw little point in refusing. The mare was his and he was, she believed, perfectly capable of making her walk home.
Grasping her hand, he swung her up behind him and it was automatic to put her arms around him as he jabbed the stalHon into action, the sudden forward motion throwing her against him. They rode in silence, but Kirstie's brain whirled with a thousand different reactions and emotions, and she wasn't sure whether it was relief or regret that she felt when the little white barraca eventually dame into view.
Miguel dismounted almost before the animal had stopped, and he reached up his hands for her, clasping them strongly around her waist and taking her weight easily. But when she stood on her own feet he still kept a hold on her and she looked up swiftly, then as quickly looked away from that disturbingly steady gaze of his.
Til see that a new buckle is fitted as soon as possible,' he told her, and she flushed anew when she recalled her self-pitying remarks regarding having it mended herself when she could afford it. 'In the meantime you'll have to do without your rides, I'm afraid.'
'But if I fixed the buckle the way you did just now—'
'No!' He cut her short and his hands pressed hard into her back. 'You won't take chances like that again; it isn't worth risking injury just to be stubborn.'
'I could ride bareback; I have done.' ,
Heaven knew what made her go on, but there was something about him that made a challenge irresistible, and he looked down at her for a moment in silence, the ghttering darkness of his eyes shivering through her like ice and fire. 'Don't challenge me, Kirstie,' he said softly. 'Whatever your opinion may be, I don't enjoy dealing harshly with women, and especially such a very young woman, but if you goad me too far you may find me more ruthless than even you think.'
Kirstie said nothing, for there was an air about him that suggested he meant exactly what he said. It was completely unexpected when he took her hand in his and raised it to his lips as he had on another occasion lately, and the touch of his mouth was warm and light.
lingering slightly, so that her fingers curled automatically in response.
For a moment the deep dark eyes looked directly into hers. 'A girl like you should be married,' he said.
Kirstie's eyes widened and blinked rapidly, for she could hardly believe it of her grandfather that he had confided that preposterous idea to Miguel, and yet it was too much to believe in coincidence. 'If my grandfather said anything to you about that ' Her voice
trailed off, because it occurred to her suddenly that she couldn't possibly go on working for the Montanes if they knew about her grandfather's hopes of marrying her to one of them.
'So we're of the same mind, are we?' Miguel said, and scanned her flushed face for a moment with speculative eyes. 'Who does he have in mind, Kirstie—my youngest brother? You'd make a handsome pair, I agree.'
'I don't even know your brother and neither does he,' Kirstie insisted breathlessly. 'And I don't intend getting married to anyone at the moment!'
'You should consider it,' Miguel urged, and he placed his hands on her arms, drawing her towards him slowly so that she instinctively looked up at him.
Her mouth was soft and
'Come,' he told her, and Kirstie stared at him. 'You'll have to ride pillion, that girth isn't safe until it's been fixed, and you've surely ridden double before.'
For several seconds she hesitated, her distrust of him refusing to accept the intimacy of riding behind him, while her emotions stirred to almost fever pitch at the thought of being in close proximity to that exciting virile body. His patience growing thin, Miguel thrust the proffered hand under her nose and frowned, and she suddenly saw little point in refusing. The mare was his and he was, she believed, perfectly capable of making her walk home.
Grasping her hand, he swung her up behind him and it was automatic to put her arms around him as he jabbed the stalHon into action, the sudden forward motion throwing her against him. They rode in silence, but Kirstie's brain whirled with a thousand different reactions and emotions, and she wasn't sure whether it was relief or regret that she felt when the little white barraca eventually dame into view.
Miguel dismounted almost before the animal had stopped, and he reached up his hands for her, clasping them strongly around her waist and taking her weight easily. But when she stood on her own feet he still kept a hold on her and she looked up swiftly, then as quickly looked away from that disturbingly steady gaze of his.
Til see that a new buckle is fitted as soon as possible,' he told her, and she flushed anew when she recalled her self-pitying remarks regarding having it mended herself when she could afford it. 'In the meantime you'll have to do without your rides, I'm afraid.'
'But if I fixed the buckle the way you did just now—'
'No!' He cut her short and his hands pressed hard into her back. 'You won't take chances like that again; it isn't worth risking injury just to be stubborn.'
'I could ride bareback; I have done.' ,
Heaven knew what made her go on, but there was something about him that made a challenge irresistible, and he looked down at her for a moment in silence, the ghttering darkness of his eyes shivering through her like ice and fire. 'Don't challenge me, Kirstie,' he said softly. 'Whatever your opinion may be, I don't enjoy dealing harshly with women, and especially such a very young woman, but if you goad me too far you may find me more ruthless than even you think.'
Kirstie said nothing, for there was an air about him that suggested he meant exactly what he said. It was completely unexpected when he took her hand in his and raised it to his lips as he had on another occasion lately, and the touch of his mouth was warm and light.
lingering slightly, so that her fingers curled automatically in response.
For a moment the deep dark eyes looked directly into hers. 'A girl like you should be married,' he said.
Kirstie's eyes widened and blinked rapidly, for she could hardly believe it of her grandfather that he had confided that preposterous idea to Miguel, and yet it was too much to believe in coincidence. 'If my grandfather said anything to you about that ' Her voice
trailed off, because it occurred to her suddenly that she couldn't possibly go on working for the Montanes if they knew about her grandfather's hopes of marrying her to one of them.
'So we're of the same mind, are we?' Miguel said, and scanned her flushed face for a moment with speculative eyes. 'Who does he have in mind, Kirstie—my youngest brother? You'd make a handsome pair, I agree.'
'I don't even know your brother and neither does he,' Kirstie insisted breathlessly. 'And I don't intend getting married to anyone at the moment!'
'You should consider it,' Miguel urged, and he placed his hands on her arms, drawing her towards him slowly so that she instinctively looked up at him.
Her mouth was soft and
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