That slim resemblance to the woman who had helped make his childhood so miserable had kept him running from the one woman he had ever truly loved.

Morganna would die and go to hell before she would ever allow anyone to hurt a child of hers. The thought of children scared the hell out of him, Clint admitted, but he had been a fool to allow the past to mar the feelings he had never been able to truly run from where Morganna was concerned.

As he took the first step upstairs, he heard her in her bedroom. Dresser drawers were slamming and she was muttering angrily to herself. She would be pissed that it had taken him so long to return, but he could handle pissed.

Morganna was like a fire in winter, heated, capable of burning a man clear to his soul even as she renewed the life within him.

He could do this.

He kept his steps silent as he moved to the landing, easing his way toward her bedroom, feeling the fires she lit within his body burning higher with each step he took toward her.

"Kitty Chesney, I've about had it." He rolled his eyes as he heard her talking to what could only be the cat Reno said she had acquired. She would call the damned thing Kitty Chesney. For all her love of the hard-pounding music in the clubs, Morganna still had a soft spot for one particular country artist.

He heard a distinct little meow.

"Stubborn men." Another drawer slammed. "Tell me again why I decided he was worth waiting on. He's not worth kicking anymore."

He could hear the pain in her voice, felt it clenching in his heart as disillusionment colored her tone.

"That's okay. Who the hell needs him?"

He winced at her monologue.

"I can live without him."

His eyes narrowed.

"And the captain was very pleased with how well I handled that assignment. So happy that he gave me my pick of positions."

Her voice was growing angrier.

"Screw him. He's a pain in the ass, arrogant, take-over

male, and I don't need that. Do I? Tell me I don't need that, Kitty."

Meow.

"Exactly."

He could imagine the sharp little toss of her head, the narrowing of her eyes.

"You know, Kitty, the next time I see him, he better be wearing a protective cup."

Meow.

His lips quirked almost in amusement.

"Kitty," Morganna sighed. "He's not coming back, is he?"

His chest tightened at the pain in her voice.

Shaking his head, he moved into the doorway, then came to a cold, hard stop. Sweet merciful heaven grant him strength, because the sight of her took his breath.

She had her back to him, dressed in a black silk thong, her back covered by the long, silken fall of her hair. Rounded smooth buttocks tempted his hands, caused his erection to jerk in sudden, hungry demand.

"Sometimes, he's just a little slow." Clint spoke softly, leaning against the doorjamb, as Morganna whirled around to face him.

Whew. Damn. He was going to keep his head, he promised himself he would, but the small triangle of silk covering her mound and the sheer lace of the bra covering her full, firm breasts were stealing his sanity.