Read Online Heartland by Sara Walter Ellwood - Free Book Online Page B

the tabloids could be trusted, had introduced her to the drugs.
    She nodded. “I never handled my fame well. I love my fans, but now I miss being…”
    As her quiet voice trailed away, something in her tone had him reaching for her hand. She snapped her gaze to his, and he squeezed her cold fingers. “You want to be normal.”
    “More than anyone can guess. Singing was--is--my dream, but sometimes I wish I’d listened to my dad and waited until I was older. Being famous at such a young age wasn’t easy.”
    He swallowed and leaned forward. “You know in a weird way, we have something in common. I wasn’t a teenager, but I remember my first firefight, and I wasn’t ready for it. I had graduated college and deployed to the Middle East. ISIS was making a mess of things, and I was part of an intelligence mission sent to find out their next target.” As the memories of his first battle flooded him, he shook his head and closed his eyes to make the images stop. Despite his best intentions, he relived the moment he fired his M16 and watched the bullet as it hit the first man he’d ever shot. For years, he heard the cries of the two wounded soldiers in his unit before they died. What had possessed him to bring up his Army days? Fearing for his life and killing other humans was nothing like her life of fame and wealth.
    At her gentle touch on his hand, he opened his eyes and met her haunted gaze. “I remember hearing about that fight. I was afraid for you.”
    Her quiet voice vibrated through him. At most, she’d been fifteen years old back then. “But that was about the same time your first record came out.”
    She smiled and nodded as her eyes took on a heavy-lidded look which couldn’t be anything except desire. “You were my friend and I worried about you.”
    He’d never wanted anything as much as he wanted to kiss her right now.
    Rory brought their burgers, breaking the sudden trance pulling him under.
    Emily let go of his hand and straightened in her seat. “These look delicious. Thank you, Rory.”
    While EJ sat for a moment in a daze, Emily picked up a French fry and popped it in her mouth as she watched him. He had to get away from her before he did something extremely stupid.
    She sipped her tea. “What time do you get off duty?”
    “Four.” His voice sounded rough even to his ears. “Why?”
    “Would you like to join me for a ride through the pasture?”
    His heart sped up at the invitation. “Sounds fun.”
    She smiled, and this time, it lit up her eyes. “Good.”
    So much for staying the hell away from her.
     

Chapter 7
     
    When they reached the riverbank, Emily pulled up and turned in her saddle as EJ came up beside her. Looking sexier than any man had the right to in a plaid western shirt and faded jeans, he leaned over his saddle. He patted the neck of the big gray gelding he’d borrowed from his brother Vince.
    “I haven’t been out here in years.” EJ swung out of the saddle, his feet hitting the dirt with a thud.
    “Me either.” She moved to dismount her horse.
    “Wait. I’ll help you out of the saddle.” He came up beside Tinkerbell and put his hands on her waist.
    “I can get off a horse by myself.” The heat of his touch warmed her up faster than the ninety degree temperature of the afternoon had.
    His eyes darkened under the brim of his hat as he looked up at her. “I don’t want you to fall.”
    Before she could protest, he lifted her out of the saddle. She slid down the length of his hard body and gasped when her feet finally hit the ground at the erotic sensations tingling over her. They stood touching from chest to thighs and staring into each other’s eyes for what seemed like forever before he let her go. As he took a deep breath, he turned away, but she noticed the telltale bulge in his jeans.
    Dear God, he was as turned on as she was.
    She gulped in air and shook herself, then moved away from the horses to watch the orange light of the late afternoon sun skip