Read Online Reckless Destiny by Teresa Southwick - Free Book Online

fool them with charm. Shoulders back, chin up. Confidence. And for God’s sake stop talking to yourself.”
    She walked over to the door and opened it. Kane stood on the wooden walkway under the ramada. He looked so handsome, she was the one dazzled. At the sight of him in his dark blue uniform trimmed with gold, which emphasized his masculine good looks, her heart beat wildly in her chest and she was rendered speechless. Now she was mute as well as one-eyed.
    He looked down at her and almost smiled. “Good evening, Cady.”
    His gaze traveled from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. An expression of what she thought might beapproval creased his eyes and turned up the corners of his mouth.
    “Hello, captain,” she said softly.
    Then his gaze rested on her face and he frowned. It seemed he couldn’t even look at her without getting irritated. Her heart fell and she tried desperately to keep her disappointment from showing.
    He removed his campaign hat and held it in one hand. “How’s the eye?” he asked.
    “It’s fine,” she lied.
    He lifted a dark brow speculatively. “Probably looks worse than it feels.”
    “I hardly know it’s there.”
    “Did you let the doc see it?” He moved closer.
    He was close enough for her to smell the soap he’d used on his square, freshly shaved jaw, near enough to feel the heat of his body. She wondered if he could hear her heart pounding.
    She shook her head. “Completely unnecessary. If you had a black eye would you bother the doctor?” He hesitated. “I didn’t think so. By tomorrow it will be practically good as new.”
    He leaned closer and lifted his hand to touch the corner of her eye. “Are you sure?”
    She’d known the flour covering wouldn’t hold up to intense observation, but she hadn’t expected the inspection to be from Kane. She held her breath as he gently probed the swelling. Her legs trembled and she felt as wobbly as a newborn colt. Stop it! she told herself. Don’t let him do this to you again.
    She ducked away from his big gentle hand and stepped back. “I’m perfectly fine, Kane.”
    He shrugged as if to say it was none of his business. But Cady noticed a look, dark and intense. If she didn’t know better, she’d have thought he was concerned about her.
    “Are you ready to go?” he asked.
    “Yes.”
    In the doorway, he stepped aside to let her pass. When she was outside, beneath the overhang, he pulled the door closed and moved to stand on her other side, between her and the parade ground beyond. When he offered her his arm, she hesitated before putting her shaking hand in the crook of his elbow.
    This was a protective gesture on his part, a gentleman’s action, something she was certain he would have done for any woman. Nevertheless, her pulse raced faster. As angry as she was with him for interfering with her job, she’d have thought his nearness wouldn’t affect her at all. Yet here she was, nervous as a schoolgirl with her first beau.
    “It will go away,” she said under her breath.
    Kane looked down at her. “What?”
    “Nothing.”
    The night was surprisingly pleasant, and she was much more comfortable now that she was out of her quarters. The sun was just going down behind the mountains in the distance, bathing the desert in colors of gold, red, and orange. A breeze, with the barest hint of coolness in it, lifted the hair from her forehead.
    As they strolled toward the mess hall, a dog barked from across the parade ground. Passing the stables, the soft nicker of horses drifted toward them.
    Cady risked a sidelong glance at Kane. His profile could have been carved from the rocks that made up the mountains in the distance. Why had she never noticed the creases that ran from his well-shaped nose to his mouth? Probably because most of the time she was too busy being mad at him. She sensed his tension now and wondered if it had anything to do with being her escort tonight. Just because he always followedorders didn’t