Page 14 of Wyoming Cowboy Undercover

Part of Mercy had agreed to delay her sojourn because she was a good, devoted child. But the other part of her simply had nobody on the outside to rely on for assistance.

Until now.

He stared at Rocco’s reflection in the windowpane. Watched him put a comforting hand to the small of her back. Witnessed his daughter’s response. The sharp intake of breath, the flush to her cheeks, the way she looked at him. He saw every unnerving, nauseating detail.

The sexual tension between them was nuclear.

Marshall spun on his heel, facing them. “Have you lain with this man?” he asked, pouring all his concern rather than reproach into his voice.

Is that what was really going on during her one-on-one sessions?

“Wh-what?” she stuttered, the color in her cheeks deepening.

The cowboy didn’t flinch. Didn’t even bat a lash.

“No.” Mercy crossed the space separating them. “Father, I swear it. Not that it would be any of your business if I had. You conveniently didn’t make any rules about chastity.”

Rocco arched an eyebrow and gave a pleased-looking nod, which Marshall also caught. Maybe it was time he made such a rule.

He didn’t want his people acting like free-loving hippies with no sense of self-control or decorum. Still, he didn’t preach celibacy. Only celebrated monogamy. He permitted unions, often arranging them himself, formed matches and blessed marriages. Seldom was he without a carefully picked partner himself. Currently he was sleeping with the nubile Sophia, who worked in the garden, and things had become serious between them despite his daughter’s reservations.

“You were raised to treat your body as a temple.” Marshall cupped her arms. “Not to violate my trust by sullying yourself with someone who is unworthy because he has not accepted the Light.”

She narrowed her eyes. “I’ve done no such thing. I promise you.”

Exhaling a soft breath of relief, Marshall forced a smile. “I needed to be sure of the purity of your intention in bringing him here.” He had no choice but to take her word for it. Even if she was telling the truth, her attraction to him, her desire to lie with him was obvious. “I love you,” he said, hugging her, “and only want the best for you.” Which didn’t include her new friend.

This man, who wrestled between the darkness and the light, would take her from him as surely as the sun rose in the east and set in the west. Unless he put a stop to it.

“I know you do,” she said, pulling away and stepping back.

“You are welcome here,” he said to Rocco. “To stay. To learn. To grow in the Light.”

The corner of Rocco’s mouth inched up in a grin just shy of cocky. Marshall wanted to slap it off his face.

“Thank you, sir.”

“You’ll need to hand over your cell phone,” Marshall said. “Most here are not allowed to have them, not even Mercy. It is a distraction from growth.”

“Your daughter told me. I left mine in the car. Along with the keys.”

“Good.” Marshall nodded and turned back to his daughter. “Mercy, I will only ask one small thing in return for my generosity.”

She stiffened. “What is it?”

“We’ll discuss it at dinner.” If he could not get her alone, then he would continue this discussion in front of the entire flock where she would not dare cause a scene. “Why don’t you go get cleaned up and changed? I’ll show Rocco into the dining hall and introduce him to the community, where we’ll wait for you.”

“Thank you.” She rose on the balls of her feet and kissed his cheek. On her way out, she grazed Rocco’s arm and gave him a reassuring smile.

The sweetness of it sickened him.

Marshall needed to act quickly. “Would you like to wash up before dinner?” he asked Rocco.

“Yes, thank you.”

“We passed the restroom in the hall. It’ll be the first on your left.”

With a nod, he exited the office. Once Rocco was out of earshot, Marshall snapped his fingers and beckoned Alex.

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