Read Online Promises Keep (The Promise Series) by Sarah McCarty - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Sarah McCarty
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face. “Now that’s where you’d be wrong.”
He shifted her weight in his arms so he could reach the door latch. “I’d be heading up the line and putting as much distance between them and me as possible.”
He deposited her in the chair just inside the door. He wasn’t too surprised to see her chin still reaching for the sky or her fists clenched in her lap. The town hadn’t been too open to her arrival on their doorstep. He’d done everything he could to ease her acceptance, but too many people suspected where she’d come from for it to go smoothly.
“Mr. McKinnely, I have a fair idea why you have gone to all this trouble, and,” her eyes met his bravely, “I’m afraid you have been wasting your time. I am not going to fall into your lap like a ripe plum just because you happen to display a shred of human decency.”
Cougar shrugged. “My luck has never been that good.”
“Excuse me?”
“I’ve always had to fight for what I want,” he elaborated on his way to the far wall where Doc had scribbled a message on a slate board. Doc had offices in three towns. A message system was the only way to keep track of him.
She didn’t like the sound of that, Mara decided. She pulled herself upright, ignoring the pain in her head and her ribs. “I’ll thank you not to want me.”
He didn’t even spare her a glance over his shoulder as he calmly stated, “That’d be like telling me not to breathe.”
She swallowed back a gasp. It wasn’t what he said but more the way he said it that started her stomach churning. This wasn’t the first time she’d dealt with a determined male, but this was the first time she’d had to deal with one that made her feel…unsure. Maybe it was the sheer size of him that intimidated her.
He was tall, but also big-boned. The breadth of his shoulders made her heart trip in dismay. If he ever decided he wanted her, there was no way she could escape. Not like when that skinny Orville had presumed too much. A right to the chin combined with a knee to the groin had convinced him he’d been mistaken.
Her fingers tangled in the material of her skirt as McKinnely turned to face her. The determination in his deep gold eyes nearly made her rip open the side seam she’d repaired last night. Word was that once McKinnely decided he wanted something, not even the devil could dissuade him. She’d heard somewhere that he’d spent time as a marshal. She bet he’d been a good one. There was a ruthlessness about him that scared her silly. She absolutely could not have him wanting her.
He took two steps in her direction, and she leapt to her feet. The sudden move made her ribs scream like she wanted to. She put the chair between them, and then laughed out loud at her lunacy. An entire army troop wouldn’t stop this man if he wanted her, let alone the flimsy ladder-back chair she’d chosen as protection.
The feel of a callused palm sliding across the back of her hand choked off the hysterical laughter more effectively than if that hand had slid across her mouth. Paralyzed, she closed her eyes and garnered her courage. I am a Kincaid. I will survive this.
The hand continued its slow glide. Equally callused fingers encircled her wrist and tugged. The floorboards creaked as he took the step necessary to bring him alongside. Despite her best intentions, a gasp escaped as McKinnely surely, inexorably brought her against his belly. His hand cupped the back of her head. She braced herself for the pain that would tear through her scalp when he curled his fingers into her hair and yanked her head back for the descent of his mouth.
Instead, his hand pressed her cheek against his chest. He smelled of soap, tobacco and something else. Something uniquely male. Something uniquely him. Something pleasant. Enticing. Beneath her ear, she heard his heart’s steady rhythm. She heard his breath escape in a long sigh and felt her hair part where that breath blew across her head.
“I’m not going to
He shifted her weight in his arms so he could reach the door latch. “I’d be heading up the line and putting as much distance between them and me as possible.”
He deposited her in the chair just inside the door. He wasn’t too surprised to see her chin still reaching for the sky or her fists clenched in her lap. The town hadn’t been too open to her arrival on their doorstep. He’d done everything he could to ease her acceptance, but too many people suspected where she’d come from for it to go smoothly.
“Mr. McKinnely, I have a fair idea why you have gone to all this trouble, and,” her eyes met his bravely, “I’m afraid you have been wasting your time. I am not going to fall into your lap like a ripe plum just because you happen to display a shred of human decency.”
Cougar shrugged. “My luck has never been that good.”
“Excuse me?”
“I’ve always had to fight for what I want,” he elaborated on his way to the far wall where Doc had scribbled a message on a slate board. Doc had offices in three towns. A message system was the only way to keep track of him.
She didn’t like the sound of that, Mara decided. She pulled herself upright, ignoring the pain in her head and her ribs. “I’ll thank you not to want me.”
He didn’t even spare her a glance over his shoulder as he calmly stated, “That’d be like telling me not to breathe.”
She swallowed back a gasp. It wasn’t what he said but more the way he said it that started her stomach churning. This wasn’t the first time she’d dealt with a determined male, but this was the first time she’d had to deal with one that made her feel…unsure. Maybe it was the sheer size of him that intimidated her.
He was tall, but also big-boned. The breadth of his shoulders made her heart trip in dismay. If he ever decided he wanted her, there was no way she could escape. Not like when that skinny Orville had presumed too much. A right to the chin combined with a knee to the groin had convinced him he’d been mistaken.
Her fingers tangled in the material of her skirt as McKinnely turned to face her. The determination in his deep gold eyes nearly made her rip open the side seam she’d repaired last night. Word was that once McKinnely decided he wanted something, not even the devil could dissuade him. She’d heard somewhere that he’d spent time as a marshal. She bet he’d been a good one. There was a ruthlessness about him that scared her silly. She absolutely could not have him wanting her.
He took two steps in her direction, and she leapt to her feet. The sudden move made her ribs scream like she wanted to. She put the chair between them, and then laughed out loud at her lunacy. An entire army troop wouldn’t stop this man if he wanted her, let alone the flimsy ladder-back chair she’d chosen as protection.
The feel of a callused palm sliding across the back of her hand choked off the hysterical laughter more effectively than if that hand had slid across her mouth. Paralyzed, she closed her eyes and garnered her courage. I am a Kincaid. I will survive this.
The hand continued its slow glide. Equally callused fingers encircled her wrist and tugged. The floorboards creaked as he took the step necessary to bring him alongside. Despite her best intentions, a gasp escaped as McKinnely surely, inexorably brought her against his belly. His hand cupped the back of her head. She braced herself for the pain that would tear through her scalp when he curled his fingers into her hair and yanked her head back for the descent of his mouth.
Instead, his hand pressed her cheek against his chest. He smelled of soap, tobacco and something else. Something uniquely male. Something uniquely him. Something pleasant. Enticing. Beneath her ear, she heard his heart’s steady rhythm. She heard his breath escape in a long sigh and felt her hair part where that breath blew across her head.
“I’m not going to
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