“I won’t. Just know that you’re going to have the best trained bunch of horses in the county. I’ll ride them all before I’m done.”

  “Pride goeth—”

  “I know the rest of it,” she said sharply. “And it isn’t pride that drives me. I know what I can do, and so do you, or you wouldn’t have pushed my father for this.”

  James grinned at her, a sudden switch of mood that threw her off balance. “All right, sweetheart. Strut your stuff. We’ll start with the pinto mare. She’s not as big as some of the others.”

  It was a long day. They broke for dinner at noon and then went back to the corral, where several of the hands happened to meander past, their eyes watchful as Alexis grew familiar with each horse she handled.

  “Who’s been in charge of these?” James asked. “Who worked with them before I got here?”

  “Slim, mostly,” Alexis told him. “He’s about the best on the place.”

  James shook his head, a silent rebuttal of her words. “No, sweetheart. That’s where you’re wrong. You’re the best on the place.”

  Her heart soared with the words of praise. So easily he could brush aside her barriers and set her heart beating double-time. Between his Irish blue eyes and the shock of black hair that begged for her touch, he was a man she was finding it hard to resist. In fact, she wondered some days and nights why she bothered. She was past the age of girlhood, she was a mature woman, and if she chose to know James Webster on a deeper level, it was no one’s business but her own. But not for the world would she let him know how readily he affected her.

  He paused beside her and touched her elbow, his gaze seeming to look past the facade of nonchalance she offered. “I’m going to turn you into the top trainer in the county,” he told her. “And it won’t take much on my part to do it. You’re already well on your way, Alex.”

  “Got a charley-horse?” James asked. Breakfast was a thing of the past, and he’d waited impatiently for Alexis to join him. Now he watched her walk toward him across the yard, and when she neared, he shot her a quick grin. “I’ll bet it kept you up last night, didn’t it?”

  “Does it show?” Alexis walked as if she had a decided cramp in her calf, and he could almost envision himself scooping her up from the ground if it should give way beneath her.

  “You betcha it shows,” he said with a chuckle. “I noticed when you came down for breakfast that you were favoring it. Kinda goes with the territory, sweetheart. Come on in the barn and I’ll massage it for you.”

  She lifted a brow and hesitated. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea, boss.”

  “Strictly a professional gesture,” he told her, motioning to the door of the tack room. She entered, James behind her, and when she sat on a chair, he squatted in front of her. His hands worked her boot off and then slid up her calf, his fingers seeking out the muscle that had tightened even more when she sat down.

  “While you keep walking on it, it’ll behave. But sit down and it tightens up and pulls from your heel. Nasty business.” His fingers were digging deeply into the clenched muscle, working out the knot, even as he kept an eye on her face.

  She winced, jerked once as he touched on the core of the spasm and he muttered a quick word of apology. Unless he missed his guess, she was struggling against tears, and the thought of her pain made him angry.

  “Are you sure this is a good idea?” he asked. “You don’t have to work so hard at this, you know.”

  “I don’t work any harder than you do. I don’t expect to be pampered. I’m here to do a job. And if I can’t do it well, you’ll have Slim all over you like greased lightning. He’s got a short nose as it is, what with my doing the job he’s thought of as his for a long time.”

  “I know all that,” he said, sighing in exasperation as he felt the muscle softening a bit. His hands fit around her calf and he applied pressure where he knew it hurt the worst. He’d had his share in the past years. Charley-horses were part of the job. Especially when beginning a new phase of training or when a man was new to the job. In this case, a woman was involved, and James felt responsible for her pain.

  “Forget about Slim. If you can’t do the job well, he can fill in. But for now, you’re doing just fine and Slim has enough to keep him busy.” He looked down at her leg and his mouth flattened over his teeth.

  “If you were a man, I’d have you out of those britches so I could handle this better,” he told her. And then, almost as an afterthought, he tossed her a quick grin. “But, to tell the truth, I’m awfully glad you’re not a man, sweetheart.”

  She bit her lip and was silent, her eyes shiny, perhaps with tears she hoarded to herself, he thought. And then she bent toward him and her mouth touched his forehead. “I’m glad I’m not a man, Jamie. Men are nice people for the most part, but in this case, I’d rather be what I am.”

  “Tempting? A green-eyed witch? A hip-twitching female?” He offered her choices, and she shot him a smug look, blinking back the moisture she had not allowed to fall. Her mouth formed a smile and he thought triumph dwelled there, the exultation of a woman who has gained her man’s attention.

  “You noticed? Especially the hip-twitching part?”

  “How could I help it? You’ve got the sweetest little fanny I’ve ever spent any time watching, ma’am.”

  She ducked her head, as if suddenly unsure of herself. “I think I should be embarrassed, Jamie. At least a bit put out with you, talking to me this way.”

  “I’m only stating facts, Alex. There isn’t a man breathing who wouldn’t watch you if he had a chance. You’re as easy on the eyes as any female I’ve ever known.”

  “Thank you, sir. At least I think that was a compliment.”

  “Bend a little closer and I guarantee you’ll know it was,” he told her, reaching to encircle her waist with his hands, tugging her forward so that she lost her balance and fell against him. He caught her deftly, held her firmly and touched her mouth with his. As kisses went, it wasn’t the best he’d ever aimed at a woman, but the power of their lips meeting in such a fashion shot through him.

  “Jamie, you’re supposed to be taking care of my leg, not kissing me,” she said quietly, her breath sweet against his lips.

  “I’d rather kiss you,” he told her, rising and drawing her up from the chair. “Your leg feel better now?” he asked.

  “Much,” she told him. “Let me get my boot back on, will you?”

  “I’ll put it on for you. In just a minute.”

  She watched him, her cheeks rosy, her eyes glowing as she waited. Her mouth was pink and lush, luring him with its softness, promising pleasure should he accept the silent offering before him.

  “You’re a beauty, Miss Alexis. A man could get lost in your eyes, and lose his head over your lips. You feel like heaven in my arms,” he murmured, wondering at his own fluent compliments. And then he bent to touch her ear with the tip of his tongue, and used his greater strength to ease her against himself, fitting her securely there, even as he acknowledged the thrust of his male member seeking shelter in the notch of her thighs.

  “I think this is getting out of hand,” she said, her palms firm against his chest. “I won’t be treated like a mare in a stall, Jamie.”

  “And I won’t do that to you,” he answered. “When I make love to you, it won’t be in the tack room where anybody could come wandering by. I’ll find a private place where we can be alone, where no one will disturb us.”

  “When you make love to me?” she asked tartly. “What makes you think it’s a foregone conclusion?”

  “Isn’t it?” he asked, smiling at her, knowing his grin was arrogant. His mouth was twisted wryly and she was getting angrier by the second.

  “I don’t think so.”

  Her answer was what he had expected, and he wasn’t long disappointed.

  “I have no intention of performing any intimacies with you, Mr. Webster. I can’t afford to give away what my husband will claim as his own on the day I marry.”

  “I’d say that all depends on who your husband turns out to be,” he told her, his arms tightening around her, one hand lifting her chin, the better to position her for his kiss. No matter that she silently protested, turning her head away, pushing at him with futile strength.

  He was by far the more powerful, his need was great and his aim was true. His mouth took hers with sure, certain touches, his lips forming to hers, the movement of his tongue urging her to open to him. If he was arrogant, so be it, he thought, sensing her ambivalence as she initially fought his arms and finally surrendered to his strength.

  Her mouth opened and he lifted from her a bit. “You taste like honey,” he whispered, “so sweet, I could eat you with a spoon.” And then he altered his words. “On second thought, I don’t think I need a utensil. My mouth will do just fine on its own.”

  She laughed, a chuckle emerging as she gasped for a breath.

  “This is serious stuff,” he told her. “Don’t be laughing at me.”

  “I didn’t know that kissing could be fun,” she told him, her lips brushing against his as she spoke. “I mean, I know it’s supposed to be enjoyable, but—”

  “And how many men have you kissed to gain that opinion?” he asked, lifting his head and eyeing her with open appreciation.

  “A few,” she said, as if she would not elaborate further.

  “And were they fun to kiss? Did they make you laugh?”

  She looked thoughtful, he decided, as if she must search her recollections for those remembered caresses received from other men. “No one makes me laugh the way you do, Jamie,” she confessed. “I’ve never known anyone like you. And several of the kisses that were forced on me made me gag. Not much fun there.” She took a deep breath and her look was troubled, as if she knew she had revealed more than was wise. “Now that I’ve made you happy, help me put my boots on, mister.”

  His head tilted backward as he thought of her revelation. “I think we’ll talk about your experience with kissing later on, sweetheart. As easily as you respond to me, I find it hard to believe that anyone would turn you off so totally. Unless it was a man who was out to give you grief.” And with that bit of thought, he decided it would be as well if he dropped the matter for now.

  “How come you’ve got a woman doing my job, boss?” Slim stood before him, just inside the barn door, his face stony with anger. Under control, but still apparent.

  “She’s good at what she does,” James said bluntly, “but she’s not strong enough physically to handle some of the work the men do. So I gave her a job she can handle, one she’s capable of. That frees you up for other things.”

  James gave Slim his undivided attention, knowing that his own face was registering his displeasure at the man’s questioning. “On top of that, it was a decision made by Hank and I together, and since we’re the ones running this operation, I can’t see that anyone should have any problem with it. Do I make myself clear?”

  “Yeah. I get the drift of things,” Slim said, his tone taunting.

  “Well, if you’re suggesting that Alexis got the job by persuading me in any way, shape or form, you’re dead wrong, Slim. There’s nothing going on there, and if there ever is, it won’t have anything to do with the running of this ranch.”

  He couldn’t make it any plainer than that, James decided. And if the man wanted to get things in an uproar, he could have at it. But Slim walked away without another word, and James watched him with a frown. The man could cause trouble, split the loyalty of the hands in the bunkhouse, maybe even turn them against Alexis or himself. He’d have to keep a watchful eye on things.

  “I knew this would happen,” Alexis said quietly from behind him.

  He turned to face her, surprised by her presence. “Where did you come from?”

  “I was in the tack room and overheard Slim talking to you. He’s jealous, isn’t he?”

  “Now, that, Alexis, is an understatement if I ever heard one.”

  “Do you want to change your mind about me working with you?”

  James dug in, planting his feet firmly, squaring his shoulders and thrusting his hands deeply into his front pockets. “I don’t bow down to a bit of opposition, ma’am. If Slim wants to run the show, he’ll have to find another ranch to work at. He won’t tell his boss what to do here. We can replace him if we have to, but that isn’t my first choice. Right now, we could use another hand to take up the slack. And I don’t fancy looking for two good men. Though the Double C is probably one of the best places around here.”

  “Which reminds me,” Alexis said, smiling brightly. “I saw the new sign out by the county road. Looks really smart, Mr. Webster. Woody did a nice job on it. I’ll bet the young man who owns this place will be pleased.” She buried her hands in her own pockets, imitating his gesture, and her smile warmed as she watched him.

  “Any chance of the boy coming out here to see the place?” she asked. “I’ve wondered if he might be interested in looking us over.”

  “He no doubt is,” James said with a chuckle. “Stephen is all boy, with a horse and a dog of his own, and a couple of the best folks you’ve ever met as his parents. His daddy is the sheriff in Benning, and I worked for him for a lot of years. He married a pretty lady named Sarah, and Stephen is her nephew.

  “You already know what a nasty fella his blood father was, and all the brothers were cut from the same cloth if you ask me,” James continued. “I don’t know how Stephen turned out so well, but—no, as a matter of fact, I do know. He’s had the influence of his parents and grandparents in his life. They’re all good folks.”

  “It sounds to me like you took a real shine to the boy,” Alexis said.

  “Couldn’t help it. He’s prime stock. And I wouldn’t be surprised to see him here within a couple of years. He’s real curious about this place.”

  “It’s gonna be tough for him to fill your boots when he gets a little older, Jamie. And I sure hope he doesn’t run into any of the clan hereabouts when he arrives. Most all of the menfolk are a bad bunch. In fact, the Clarks have a nasty reputation. Have had for years, I understand.”

  “How many of them are there?”

  “A couple of families, cousins, I think. They were fond of the old man, though I never could figure out why. He was a rascal, my pa always said, and I agree with him on that. Mean is more the word I’d chose to describe him. I didn’t know him for long, or very well, but I can’t say he’s been missed much around here.”

  “Did your father come in when the old man died?” James asked.

  “Before that, when he was pretty sick already. He wrote back and forth to Brace Caulfield before Caulfield kept Dad on here. I think he was sounding him out, trying to get to know him better before he let him run the place. Then the lawyer stopped by and told Dad that he’d advised Sheriff Caulfield to hire his own man and send him here. He told Dad it would give the sheriff a better hold here. I was madder than a wet hen when he gave his opinion, but Dad seemed to understand. That was a while before you arrived.”

  “And how do you feel about me now?” James asked. “You’ve had a good long time to look me over and see me operate. What do you think?”

  “You know what I think,” she said, her cheeks turning a lovely shade of pink, her eyes sparkling with green fire. “You’re the best thing that’s happened here since Dad and I arrived. The men respect you, Dad thinks you’re good at your job and I—”

  She broke off suddenly and James grinned, moving his hands from his pockets to grasp her elbows, drawing her a bit closer. “And you what?” he asked softly. “How do you feel about me, Alexis?”

  She shook her head and tried to move her arms from his grasp. It didn’t work, for he only shifted his hands upward to her shoulders. “I think you’re too close for comfort, Jamie. We’re out in the middle of the barn where anyone could see us, and you’ve got your hands all over me.”

  “Whoa, there, lady. I’ve got them on your shoulders, and that’s a far cry from being where they’d like to be. As far as anyone seeing us, I really don’t give a good gol-durn.”

  She laughed. “That wasn’t the word I’d have thought you’d use,” she said.

  “My mama raised me to be respectful of ladies, and not use bad language around the fairer sex.” He grinned, enjoying the quick smile she gave him, the shimmer of her eyes and the curls that framed her face. And that brought up another thing he’d considered before. “Don’t ever cut your hair, Alexis,” he said quietly. “It’s so pretty, the way it waves and curls.” His hand left her shoulder to brush at the small wisps that fell against her forehead and cheeks. “It makes you seem kin to a princess in a storybook.” He felt a bit foolish at his own words, but finished determinedly in a low, hushed voice. “It looks like spun gold when you stand in the sun.”

  Her brows raised at his words. “You’re quite the eloquent man, Jamie. No one’s ever talked to me the way you do. I guess the best I ever got was when one of the men told me I had a nice headful of hair.” She laughed at that memory and her eyes crinkled a bit, tempting him nearer.

  “I don’t want the men telling you anything,” James said, hearing the harsh note in his own voice and wondering at it.

  “You’re jealous,” she said firmly, and yet her voice lifted in surprise. “I can’t believe you’re jealous.”

  “You’d better believe it, lady. If anyone tells you how pretty you are and looks you over, it better be me. I’m staking a claim, in case you haven’t noticed.”

  “Oh? And have you talked to my father about this?” she asked. “You sound a little like a dog with a bone, Jamie. I’m not sure I like that.”

  “I’d say I sound like a man with his eye on a woman, Alexis. A woman he plans on having for his own. That’s what staking a claim means. One day you’ll be mine.”

  “Really?” She stiffened beneath his touch and stepped backward. He allowed it, sensing her anger and not wanting to rile her further. “When I decide to let you stake a claim on me, I’ll let you know, mister. Till then, keep your hands to yourself.”

  “I’ll give you a long lead line, Alexis. But when I pull you closer, you’ll come, and when I decide my waiting is over, you’ll know it.” He stepped closer to her and lifted one long finger to touch her chin, raising it for his pleasure. “I don’t make threats, sweetheart, only promises.”

 

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