Page 41 of Lawbreaker

“There are no cool spaces,” she groaned, wiping a hand over her forehead.

“There might be one or two up in Iceland,” he sighed.

She glanced at him and laughed. “Poor Ben! He really hates flies, doesn’t he?” she asked with twinkling blue eyes.

She was a picture. He hated her for the beauty that was making him miserable, for that exquisite body that haunted his dreams. “He’s a city boy,” he said.

“But he likes Mercedes,” she laughed. “And she’s not a city girl.”

He turned and glared at her, out of sorts because he was more attracted to her than ever and he was fighting it tooth and nail. “Maybe so, but he’s not the sort of man to settle for life in the sticks any more than I am.”

“I was just making a comment...”

His black eyes narrowed. “And if you think wearing pretty clothes and flirting will get you anywhere with me, think again.”

Her temper flared. “Oh, how will I go on?” she said with mock sorrow. “As if what I wear has anything to do with you!”

He smiled coldly. “Don’t you think it shows, Texas cowgirl?” he asked in a slow, sensuous tone, his eyes eating her from head to foot, so that she was almost shaking with hunger. “You’d die to have me.”

“I wish I had a rope!” she said, infuriated. “I’d tie you to a tree and let the coyotes eat you, you, you, you hoodlum!” She threw the words back at him with smarting pride. She hadn’t even deliberately tried to entice him!

She turned and stomped off the trail toward the ranch house.

“Stop!” he said tersely.

She did, because he’d never spoken to her in that tone of voice before, and she knew it had nothing to do with their argument.

“Stand still. Close your eyes.” He was giving orders very quietly. “Don’t jump when you hear the shot. Do you understand? Nod, don’t speak.”

She swallowed, hard, and nodded, even as she heard the telltale sound of frying bacon near her feet. She knew what would happen next if he missed. Cowboys died from rattlesnake bites, even in modern times. And even if she lived, it would mean the hospital and days of agony, perhaps loss of muscle tissue or even a limb. The venom was potent.

She waited for the shot. When it came, she only flinched a little. Two shots, one after another, quick and loud, so close together that they merged.

“He’s dead,” he said.

She opened her eyes. Shaking, she turned and ran into Tony’s arms, pressing hard against him, shaking all over. She couldn’t stop. All her life she’d been terrified of rattlesnakes. One had lived with them in Texas, because they were part of the landscape. That didn’t make it easy.

Tears rolled down her cheeks as he held her close, so close, as if he could only breathe through her.

His face was buried in the hair at her throat. She felt it there, felt his lips against her.

“God, that was close!” he groaned.

“I’m...so...scared of them,” she whispered, even her voice shaking. “Thank you. Thank you...!” She held him even closer.

He didn’t protest, and he should have. The floral scent of her worked its way into his nostrils while he fought the most intense desire he’d ever felt for a woman.

“It didn’t strike you?” he asked urgently.

“It didn’t have time.” She was still shaking. She couldn’t stop. But she felt Tony’s quick heartbeat under her ear, smelled the clean scent of him, overlain with spicy cologne. She felt his body hard and powerful against her own and felt safe, as she’d never felt safe before. She wanted to stay there forever. She wanted him to bend and take her mouth under his, to feel those chiseled lips pushing hers apart, devouring and insistent against her own. It was ridiculous. He didn’t want her. He’d said so, often. But hope died hard. Very hard.

He felt himself weakening. He’d been terrified that he wouldn’t shoot in time, that the snake would strike before he could pull the trigger. She might have been dead, mutilated, horribly mangled. He was so relieved that he’d forgotten all the reasons why he should never touch her. In fact, he wanted to touch her. Now, more than ever. His hands moved on her back, slowly pulling her even closer.

But before he could follow up on that involuntary movement, Cole and Ben were headed toward them. Cole, on horseback, reached them first as Ben ran up the hill more slowly.

“What happened?” Cole asked after he’d flown off the horse.

Tony nodded toward the snake, a long way from where they were standing.

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