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topaz eyes silenced any further objections and led to a surprising con-
clusion. His demands weren t mere male dominance, an attempt to
control her, but stemmed from genuine concern. Her heart skipped a
beat. He cared about her. She was sure of it.
So what was she going to do about her discovery?
Delana?
Hmm?
Are you all right?
Of course. She blinked, then lifted her gaze to Blu s face. I was
just thinking.
He nodded slowly. Not about riding into town by yerself.
She rose from the chair. No. I promise I ll leave with you in the
morning. Grabbing one of his forearms, she gave him a tug. Come
with me.
Where? he said, allowing her to pull him to his feet.
The bedroom.
He froze. I told you, I have to leave in a couple of hours and still have
things to do. I don t have time to take a nap, not even for a few
Who said anything about a nap? she said in a husky whisper, giv-
ing him a smoldering glance from beneath partially lowered lashes.
His eyebrows shot up; then a low laugh rumbled in his chest. When
she tugged on his arm again, this time his feet moved.
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Nineteen
Blu whistled while he headed to the barn to saddle Tabby and Mouse.
He couldn t believe how great he felt not at all as if he d missed a
night of sleep. But then, Delana could be credited for his mood.
Remembering how he d spent the past several hours, he shook his
head with disbelief. She d become a demanding partner, pushing him
to new sexual heights he could never have imagined.
If he lived to be a thousand, he never would forget the sight of her
sitting astride his hips. Naked, skin flushed with desire, breasts thrust
forward and back arched, her glorious hair trailing past her waist to
brush his thighs. Just the thought of that incredible sight made his fin-
gers itch to tangle in the silk of all that thick hair and sent a rush of
blood to his groin so powerful he nearly stumbled.
Damn. After his last shattering climax he still couldn t believe
Delana had coaxed him to full arousal a second time he figured his
body would need at least a day to recover enough to make love to her
again. But as he had discovered regarding everything else with Delana,
the throbbing behind the fly of his trousers proved him wrong again.
As he swung Tabby s saddle up onto the mare s back, he winced.
After settling the saddle in place, he rubbed the tender spot on top of
his left shoulder. Not only had Delana become more aggressive in bed,
she d also taken to using her teeth on him. He d found the scrape of
her teeth on some parts of his body exciting, but then she nearly took
a chunk out of his shoulder at a particularly passionate moment.
Remembering how his howl of pain had transformed into another
type of howl as her release had brought on his, he grinned. Who
would ve thought the fancy-clothed lady he d met in Austin would
become such a bewitching hellcat in the bedroom. Not that he minded.
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Holly Harte
Hell, he found her newfound sexual aggression as appealing as every-
thing else about her.
His grin faded, replaced by a tight-lipped scowl. Dropping his hand
from his shoulder, he reached under Tabby s belly to grab the ends of
the saddle s cinch. Once he finished with the mare, he moved to
Mouse s stall, doing each chore with an outward calmness that didn t
reach his mind. Though he should be thinking about winding up his
assignment, his thoughts persisted in dwelling on Delana.
Once again he wondered how the hell he d managed to allow his
life to get so far off track. Not only had he become involved with the
type of woman he d avoided all his adult years, when he knew damn
well he should ve kept his distance, but he d also done the unthink-
able and fallen in love with her. A development he never could have
foreseen.
So what the hell am I gonna do about it? he muttered, leading
Mouse and Tabby out of the barn.
He liked nothing better than a challenge, but this time he d painted
himself into a corner. There simply wasn t a satisfactory solution to his
current situation, unless He stopped so quickly that Mouse s nose
bumped his back.
Sorry, boy, he said, absently turning to run a hand down the blue-
gray muzzle. Looking up at the canopy of stars overhead, he remem-
bered the conversation he d had with Sorley a few nights back. His
previous lighter mood returning, he corrected conversation with Sor-
ley to receiving a lecture from the man. Since that night, Blu hadn t
given much thought to what his friend had told him, but now those
words came back to him and he had to wonder. Was this one of those
times in life that Sorley had mentioned? One that was neither black
nor white but fell in the middle gray area? A time when he should be
willing to take a chance?
He pinched the bridge of his nose, then released a deep breath.
Yeah, it probably would fit Sorley s definition. But damn it, he could-
n t do it. He just couldn t risk taking a chance.
* * *
Ashort time later, Blu and Delana arrived at the crossroads, where
they would have to go their separate ways. The sun had just begun to
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The Ranger
poke its golden head above the eastern horizon, lifting the gray cur-
tain of predawn with bright splashes of pinks and yellows.
Captivated by the glorious sunrise a scene reflecting the exact
opposite of her emotions Delana pulled Tabby to a halt. Her atten-
tion shifting to Blu, she watched him move Mouse closer. Their knees
touching, he leaned toward her. She tried to prepare herself for his
good-bye kiss, but a small sob escaped before she could stop it.
He gave her a lopsided smile, pressed his lips to hers briefly,
fiercely, then touched his fingers to a cheek. Take care of yerself, dar-
lin . I ll be back before ya know it.
She nodded, swallowing hard. You re the one who needs to be
careful.
I already promised I would, so don t go gettin yerself all tied in a
knot worrying about me.
Easy for you to say, she replied, managing a weak smile.
He touched her cheek again, then reined Mouse away from Tabby.
You ll be with Addie and Sorley, so time ll pass quickly.
I hope so.
He glanced over his shoulder at the eastern horizon. I ve gotta get
going.
Her throat tight, she nodded, then watched him wheel Mouse
around. He d moved only a few yards away, when she called to him.
Wait.
He stopped, then turned in his saddle and met her gaze.
Blu, I The rest of her words, a declaration of her love, had
almost slipped out, but at the last minute she decided against reveal-
ing her feelings for him. Not knowing how he d react, she hadn t
wanted to say anything that might distract him when he needed to
focus all his concentration on his job.
What is it, Delana? Both his tone and face reflected a flicker of
irritation at her hesitation.
I I ll miss you.
His expression softened. I ll miss you, too, darlin . He lifted a hand
in a final wave, then shifted to face forward again. At his signal, Mouse
started down the road, the string of stolen horses following behind.
Delana watched until the last horse disappeared from view. Releas-
ing a deep sigh, she turned Tabby toward Brownwood, then urged the
mare into a trot.
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Holly Harte
* * *
Blu didn t want to spend the night on the trail and figured he could
make the trip to San Saba by nightfall, as long as he didn t push Mouse
and the other horses too hard. He kept their pace steady, alternating
between a walk and a trot, and stopped to rest as soon as any of them
showed signs of tiring.
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