lips. “You always come back using Aussie slang.”
He chuckled softly.
Barrie felt the vibration of his laughter all the way to her toes. It was the old magic, without the fear. She loved him. His arms were warm and strong and safe, and her hands clasped together behind his neck. She lifted herself closer to that hard, beautiful mouth and parted her lips.
“No self-preservation left, Barrie?” he whispered huskily. His own lips parted and moved down slowly. “Baby,” he breathed into her mouth. “Baby, baby…!”
The pressure became slow and soft and insistent. It began to deepen and she caught her breath, anticipating the hunger that she could already taste…
“Dawson!”
Their faces jerked apart. Dawson stared at the newcomer just for a moment with eyes that didn’t quite focus. “Leslie,” he said then. “Welcome to White Ridge.” He lowered Barrie gently to her feet and, keeping a possessive arm around her, held his hand out to Leslie.
Mrs. Holton made an indignant sound. “Hello, Dawson,” she said impatiently. “My goodness, isn’t that your stepsister?”
“She was,” Dawson replied coolly. “Yesterday, she became my fiancée. We’re engaged.”
Mrs. Holton was clearly surprised. “But isn’t that against the law?”
“Barrie and I aren’t blood-related in any way,” he said. “My father married her mother.”
“Oh.” Leslie stared at Barrie, who grinned at her. “I’m glad to meet you, Miss Rutherford.”
“Bell,” Barrie corrected her, extending a hand. She was quivering inside, all raw nerves and excitement. “Barrie Bell.”
“I didn’t expect this,” Mrs. Holton said. She eyed Dawson carefully. “Of course, it’s very sudden, isn’t it?” She smiled with feline calculation. “In fact, I seem to remember hearing that the two of you didn’t even speak. When did that change?”
“Yesterday,” Dawson said, unperturbed. He looked down at Barrie. “It was sudden, all right. Like a bolt of lightning.” His eyes fell to her soft mouth as he said it, and she caught her breath at the surge of feeling the stare provoked.
Leslie Holton wasn’t blind, but she was determined.
“You do, uh, still want to discuss my tract of land near Bighorn?” she asked with a calculating smile.
“Of course,” Dawson replied, and he smiled back. “That was the purpose of your visit, wasn’t it?”
She shrugged a thin shoulder. “Well, yes, among other things. I do hope you’re going to show me around the ranch while I’m here. I’m very interested in livestock.”
“Barrie and I will be delighted, won’t we, baby?” he added with a glance at Barrie that made her toes curl.
She pressed close to his side, shocked at her surge of hunger to be near him. It was equally shocking to hear his faint breath and feel his arm tighten around her shoulders.
“Certainly,” she said. She smiled at Mrs. Holton, but she sounded, and felt, breathless.
“Corlie will show you to your room, and Rodge will bring your bags right up,” Dawson said. “I’ll be right back.” He let go of Barrie with a smile and went to call Rodge on the intercom.
“You teach, don’t you?” Mrs. Holton asked Barrie. “You must be on summer vacation.”
“Yes, I am. What do you do?” Barrie shot right back.
“Do? My dear, I’m rich,” Leslie said with hauteur.
“I don’t have to work for a living.” Her eyes narrowed with calculation. “And neither will you after you marry Dawson. Is that why you’re marrying him?”
“Of course,” she murmured wickedly. She glanced at Dawson, who was just coming out of the study again. “Dawson, you do know that I’m only marrying you for your money, don’t you?” she asked, raising her voice.
He chuckled. “Sure.”
Leslie was confused. She looked from one of them to the other. “What a very odd couple you are.”
“You have no idea,” Barrie murmured dryly.
“Amen,” he added.
“Well, I’ll just slip upstairs and rest for a
He chuckled softly.
Barrie felt the vibration of his laughter all the way to her toes. It was the old magic, without the fear. She loved him. His arms were warm and strong and safe, and her hands clasped together behind his neck. She lifted herself closer to that hard, beautiful mouth and parted her lips.
“No self-preservation left, Barrie?” he whispered huskily. His own lips parted and moved down slowly. “Baby,” he breathed into her mouth. “Baby, baby…!”
The pressure became slow and soft and insistent. It began to deepen and she caught her breath, anticipating the hunger that she could already taste…
“Dawson!”
Their faces jerked apart. Dawson stared at the newcomer just for a moment with eyes that didn’t quite focus. “Leslie,” he said then. “Welcome to White Ridge.” He lowered Barrie gently to her feet and, keeping a possessive arm around her, held his hand out to Leslie.
Mrs. Holton made an indignant sound. “Hello, Dawson,” she said impatiently. “My goodness, isn’t that your stepsister?”
“She was,” Dawson replied coolly. “Yesterday, she became my fiancée. We’re engaged.”
Mrs. Holton was clearly surprised. “But isn’t that against the law?”
“Barrie and I aren’t blood-related in any way,” he said. “My father married her mother.”
“Oh.” Leslie stared at Barrie, who grinned at her. “I’m glad to meet you, Miss Rutherford.”
“Bell,” Barrie corrected her, extending a hand. She was quivering inside, all raw nerves and excitement. “Barrie Bell.”
“I didn’t expect this,” Mrs. Holton said. She eyed Dawson carefully. “Of course, it’s very sudden, isn’t it?” She smiled with feline calculation. “In fact, I seem to remember hearing that the two of you didn’t even speak. When did that change?”
“Yesterday,” Dawson said, unperturbed. He looked down at Barrie. “It was sudden, all right. Like a bolt of lightning.” His eyes fell to her soft mouth as he said it, and she caught her breath at the surge of feeling the stare provoked.
Leslie Holton wasn’t blind, but she was determined.
“You do, uh, still want to discuss my tract of land near Bighorn?” she asked with a calculating smile.
“Of course,” Dawson replied, and he smiled back. “That was the purpose of your visit, wasn’t it?”
She shrugged a thin shoulder. “Well, yes, among other things. I do hope you’re going to show me around the ranch while I’m here. I’m very interested in livestock.”
“Barrie and I will be delighted, won’t we, baby?” he added with a glance at Barrie that made her toes curl.
She pressed close to his side, shocked at her surge of hunger to be near him. It was equally shocking to hear his faint breath and feel his arm tighten around her shoulders.
“Certainly,” she said. She smiled at Mrs. Holton, but she sounded, and felt, breathless.
“Corlie will show you to your room, and Rodge will bring your bags right up,” Dawson said. “I’ll be right back.” He let go of Barrie with a smile and went to call Rodge on the intercom.
“You teach, don’t you?” Mrs. Holton asked Barrie. “You must be on summer vacation.”
“Yes, I am. What do you do?” Barrie shot right back.
“Do? My dear, I’m rich,” Leslie said with hauteur.
“I don’t have to work for a living.” Her eyes narrowed with calculation. “And neither will you after you marry Dawson. Is that why you’re marrying him?”
“Of course,” she murmured wickedly. She glanced at Dawson, who was just coming out of the study again. “Dawson, you do know that I’m only marrying you for your money, don’t you?” she asked, raising her voice.
He chuckled. “Sure.”
Leslie was confused. She looked from one of them to the other. “What a very odd couple you are.”
“You have no idea,” Barrie murmured dryly.
“Amen,” he added.
“Well, I’ll just slip upstairs and rest for a
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