few minutes, if you don’t mind,” Leslie said. “It’s been a long, tiring drive.” She paused in front of Dawson and smiled up at him seductively. “I might even soak in the hot tub for a little while. If you’d like to wash my back, you’re welcome,” she added teasingly.
Dawson didn’t reply. He just smiled.
Leslie glowered at him, glanced at Barrie irritably and followed an impatient Corlie up the staircase.
Barrie moved closer to him. “Do we have hot water, or is it still subject to fits of temperament in the spring?”
“We have bucketsful of hot water,” he replied. “And a whirlpool bath in every bathroom.” He looked down at her. “One of them holds two people.”
She had mental images of being naked in it with Dawson, and her face paled. She withdrew from him without making a single move.
He tilted her chin up to his eyes. “I’m sorry. That could have been less crude.”
She sighed. “It’s early days yet,” she said apologetically.
“Very early days.” He pushed back her long, soft hair. “You let me kiss you,” he added quietly. “Was it all an act, for her benefit?” He jerked his head toward the staircase.
“I don’t act that well.”
“Neither do I.” His gaze fell to her mouth. “If we make haste slowly, we may discover that things fall into place.”
“Things?”
He touched the very tip of her nose with his forefinger. “We might get rid of our scars.”
She was worried, and looked it. “I don’t know if I can—” she began uncertainly.
“That makes two of us,” he said interrupting her.
She grimaced. “Sorry.”
His chest rose and fell heavily. “One day at a time.”
“Okay.”
* * *
They took Leslie Holton riding that afternoon. She was surprisingly good on a horse, lithe and totally without fear. She seemed right at home on the ranch. If only she hadn’t been making eyes at Dawson, Barrie could have enjoyed her company.
But Leslie Holton wanted Dawson, and she was working on ways to get him. The sudden engagement was very strange and she knew for a fact that Dawson had a reputation for avoiding women altogether. She thought Barrie was helping him put on an act, and if it took her every minute of her time here, she was going to unmask them. If Dawson really was cold, Leslie was going to find out why before she left.
Five
U NAWARE of Leslie Holton’s plotting, Barrie was trying to concentrate on what Dawson was telling them about the history of the area they were riding through. But her eyes kept straying to the tall, proud way he rode, as if he were part of the horse. He looked good on horseback.
He looked good any way at all.
He caught her staring and smiled gently. Her heart skipped beats. He’d never been this way with her in all the time they’d known each other, and she couldn’t believe he was faking it. There was a new tenderness in his eyes. He didn’t talk to her in the old, mocking way. If she was different, so was he.
And through it all, there was an attraction that had its roots in the past. But Barrie was still afraid of intimacy with him. It was one thing to kiss him and hold hands with him. It was quite another to think of him in bed with her, demanding, insistent, totally out of control, hurting her…!
He glanced at her and saw that flash of fear, understood it without a word being spoken.
As Leslie rode ahead, he fell back beside Barrie. “Don’t brood on it,” he said seriously. “There’s no rush. Give it time.”
She sighed as she glanced toward him. “Reading my mind?”
“It isn’t that difficult,” he told her.
She toyed with the reins. “Time won’t help,” she said miserably. “I’m still afraid.”
“My God, what is there to be afraid of?” he asked shortly. “Didn’t you hear what I told you? I meant it. I can’t, Barrie. I can’t!”
She searched his eyes slowly. “You can’t with other women,” she corrected.
“I can’t with you, either,” he muttered. “Hell, don’t
Dawson didn’t reply. He just smiled.
Leslie glowered at him, glanced at Barrie irritably and followed an impatient Corlie up the staircase.
Barrie moved closer to him. “Do we have hot water, or is it still subject to fits of temperament in the spring?”
“We have bucketsful of hot water,” he replied. “And a whirlpool bath in every bathroom.” He looked down at her. “One of them holds two people.”
She had mental images of being naked in it with Dawson, and her face paled. She withdrew from him without making a single move.
He tilted her chin up to his eyes. “I’m sorry. That could have been less crude.”
She sighed. “It’s early days yet,” she said apologetically.
“Very early days.” He pushed back her long, soft hair. “You let me kiss you,” he added quietly. “Was it all an act, for her benefit?” He jerked his head toward the staircase.
“I don’t act that well.”
“Neither do I.” His gaze fell to her mouth. “If we make haste slowly, we may discover that things fall into place.”
“Things?”
He touched the very tip of her nose with his forefinger. “We might get rid of our scars.”
She was worried, and looked it. “I don’t know if I can—” she began uncertainly.
“That makes two of us,” he said interrupting her.
She grimaced. “Sorry.”
His chest rose and fell heavily. “One day at a time.”
“Okay.”
* * *
They took Leslie Holton riding that afternoon. She was surprisingly good on a horse, lithe and totally without fear. She seemed right at home on the ranch. If only she hadn’t been making eyes at Dawson, Barrie could have enjoyed her company.
But Leslie Holton wanted Dawson, and she was working on ways to get him. The sudden engagement was very strange and she knew for a fact that Dawson had a reputation for avoiding women altogether. She thought Barrie was helping him put on an act, and if it took her every minute of her time here, she was going to unmask them. If Dawson really was cold, Leslie was going to find out why before she left.
Five
U NAWARE of Leslie Holton’s plotting, Barrie was trying to concentrate on what Dawson was telling them about the history of the area they were riding through. But her eyes kept straying to the tall, proud way he rode, as if he were part of the horse. He looked good on horseback.
He looked good any way at all.
He caught her staring and smiled gently. Her heart skipped beats. He’d never been this way with her in all the time they’d known each other, and she couldn’t believe he was faking it. There was a new tenderness in his eyes. He didn’t talk to her in the old, mocking way. If she was different, so was he.
And through it all, there was an attraction that had its roots in the past. But Barrie was still afraid of intimacy with him. It was one thing to kiss him and hold hands with him. It was quite another to think of him in bed with her, demanding, insistent, totally out of control, hurting her…!
He glanced at her and saw that flash of fear, understood it without a word being spoken.
As Leslie rode ahead, he fell back beside Barrie. “Don’t brood on it,” he said seriously. “There’s no rush. Give it time.”
She sighed as she glanced toward him. “Reading my mind?”
“It isn’t that difficult,” he told her.
She toyed with the reins. “Time won’t help,” she said miserably. “I’m still afraid.”
“My God, what is there to be afraid of?” he asked shortly. “Didn’t you hear what I told you? I meant it. I can’t, Barrie. I can’t!”
She searched his eyes slowly. “You can’t with other women,” she corrected.
“I can’t with you, either,” he muttered. “Hell, don’t
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