advice and sell your cows in Texas.”
“Are you afraid of the Talbots?” Chloe challenged.
He gave a derisive snort. “Me? Not on your life. But you should be.”
“I’m not afraid of them,” Chloe said defiantly. “Besides, I’m paying you to see that my herd reaches the railhead safely.”
Desperado said nothing. What could he say when he and Chloe were on opposite sides, working against one another?
“Is that all you wanted, Mr. Jones?”
“Are you dismissing me?”
She rose and so did he. “I’m sure you have better things to do than to try to convince me to sell my herd in Texas for the ridiculous price of five dollars a head. Shouldn’t you be patrolling the area or something?”
She moved toward the door and he trailed behind, his gaze following the enticing sway of her hips with avid appreciation. Few women could wear trousers and carry it off the way she did. She opened the door, but he was so engrossed in tracing the curves of her sweet little body that he plowed into her. His arms came around her and his body reacted so violently he couldn’t suppress the groan that slipped past his lips.
Turning in his arms, Chloe brought her hands up to push against his chest. “Remove your arms, Mr. Jones.”
Her face was so close to his that the urgent need to taste those luscious red lips became a physical ache. His head dipped and his mouth closed over hers. She whimpered a protest, moaned a denial, but Desperado was too aroused by her taste and scent to stop now. His tongue gently prodded the seam of her lips, and to his astonishment she opened her mouth. He was unaware that her intention had been to scream a protest. His tongue swept inside. His passion was so quick to ignite that he scarcely felt her struggle.
He belatedly realized she wasn’t a willing participant when he felt cold steel digging into his belly. With great reluctance he broke off the kiss and backed away.
Chloe looked into Desperado’s fierce gaze and saw within his eyes the feral heat of an animal deprived of its right to mate. Anger warred with desire inside her. Fury with pleasure. She’d never felt desire before, and no man had ever given her pleasure. It was humiliating to know that a half-breed gunslinger could spark these incendiary emotions in her.
Her first instinct had been to melt into his arms. Her second had been to draw her gun and stop this sidewinder from working his wiles on her. Her second instinct had won out. Though her body wanted his kisses to go on forever, her mind knew better than to allow a man, any man, to manipulate her through seduction.
“You pulled a gun on me,” Desperado rasped, pushing her away as if she had bitten him. “I warned you once about that.”
“And I warned you about taking liberties with my body. I hired you for one purpose, Mr. Jones. All I require of you is that you perform the job you’re being paid for. If I suddenly find myself in need of a man, I’ll find someone whose reputation isn’t quite so unsavory.”
The sound Desperado made was more of a growl than a word as he grasped her wrist and removed the gun from her hand with so little effort she wondered why she had bothered to threaten him with it. She had known he was strong, but the ease with which he had disarmed her utterly dismayed her. She was still gaping at him when he thrust her gun back in her holster.
“I strongly advise you to keep your gun in the holster where it belongs, Miss Sommers,” he drawled, “and leave the shooting to me. Keep that in mind the next time I kiss you.”
“There won’t be a next time!” Chloe called after him as he turned and strode through the door.
Desperado smiled to himself as he walked to the still-smoldering barn to see what could be salvaged. Chloe Sommers didn’t know it, but she was ripe for bedding. Desperado strongly suspected that Tate Talbot had bedded Chloe. Maybe he still did. But Desperado was experienced enough to know that Talbot must have been a
“Are you afraid of the Talbots?” Chloe challenged.
He gave a derisive snort. “Me? Not on your life. But you should be.”
“I’m not afraid of them,” Chloe said defiantly. “Besides, I’m paying you to see that my herd reaches the railhead safely.”
Desperado said nothing. What could he say when he and Chloe were on opposite sides, working against one another?
“Is that all you wanted, Mr. Jones?”
“Are you dismissing me?”
She rose and so did he. “I’m sure you have better things to do than to try to convince me to sell my herd in Texas for the ridiculous price of five dollars a head. Shouldn’t you be patrolling the area or something?”
She moved toward the door and he trailed behind, his gaze following the enticing sway of her hips with avid appreciation. Few women could wear trousers and carry it off the way she did. She opened the door, but he was so engrossed in tracing the curves of her sweet little body that he plowed into her. His arms came around her and his body reacted so violently he couldn’t suppress the groan that slipped past his lips.
Turning in his arms, Chloe brought her hands up to push against his chest. “Remove your arms, Mr. Jones.”
Her face was so close to his that the urgent need to taste those luscious red lips became a physical ache. His head dipped and his mouth closed over hers. She whimpered a protest, moaned a denial, but Desperado was too aroused by her taste and scent to stop now. His tongue gently prodded the seam of her lips, and to his astonishment she opened her mouth. He was unaware that her intention had been to scream a protest. His tongue swept inside. His passion was so quick to ignite that he scarcely felt her struggle.
He belatedly realized she wasn’t a willing participant when he felt cold steel digging into his belly. With great reluctance he broke off the kiss and backed away.
Chloe looked into Desperado’s fierce gaze and saw within his eyes the feral heat of an animal deprived of its right to mate. Anger warred with desire inside her. Fury with pleasure. She’d never felt desire before, and no man had ever given her pleasure. It was humiliating to know that a half-breed gunslinger could spark these incendiary emotions in her.
Her first instinct had been to melt into his arms. Her second had been to draw her gun and stop this sidewinder from working his wiles on her. Her second instinct had won out. Though her body wanted his kisses to go on forever, her mind knew better than to allow a man, any man, to manipulate her through seduction.
“You pulled a gun on me,” Desperado rasped, pushing her away as if she had bitten him. “I warned you once about that.”
“And I warned you about taking liberties with my body. I hired you for one purpose, Mr. Jones. All I require of you is that you perform the job you’re being paid for. If I suddenly find myself in need of a man, I’ll find someone whose reputation isn’t quite so unsavory.”
The sound Desperado made was more of a growl than a word as he grasped her wrist and removed the gun from her hand with so little effort she wondered why she had bothered to threaten him with it. She had known he was strong, but the ease with which he had disarmed her utterly dismayed her. She was still gaping at him when he thrust her gun back in her holster.
“I strongly advise you to keep your gun in the holster where it belongs, Miss Sommers,” he drawled, “and leave the shooting to me. Keep that in mind the next time I kiss you.”
“There won’t be a next time!” Chloe called after him as he turned and strode through the door.
Desperado smiled to himself as he walked to the still-smoldering barn to see what could be salvaged. Chloe Sommers didn’t know it, but she was ripe for bedding. Desperado strongly suspected that Tate Talbot had bedded Chloe. Maybe he still did. But Desperado was experienced enough to know that Talbot must have been a
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