Read Online Sacrifice of Passion (Deadly Legends) by Melissa Bourbon Ramirez - Free Book Online
Authors: Melissa Bourbon Ramirez
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around to face him as he dropped to his knees beside her. “What are you doing here?”
“Does it matter?” He slid his hand into the birth canal, up the foal’s leg.
His shoulder brushed hers. The touch sent memories curling through her, memories she didn’t have time for. But it was more than the feel of his skin against hers that sent her reeling back in time. It was the way he smelled. So damn good.
A wave of dizziness passed through her and for a moment all she wanted to do was fall into his arms, to tell him what the curandera had said, and to have him comfort and reassure her that it hadn’t been a huge mistake to come back to San Julio. That everything would be okay.
She shook herself out of it. She was here to save a mare and foal.
“You don’t need to be here,” she said, denying her instinctive reaction and burying any thought of trusting Vic. She couldn’t think about how he used to make her feel. How he still made her feel. This wasn’t the time.
He looked at her, long and hard. “You need help.”
She opened her mouth, ready to argue, but he was right. Nothing but Jasper’s mare mattered right now. She nodded tightly and focused on the top leg. “We’ll turn counter-clockwise,” she said, visualizing the foal’s position again.
Beside her, Vic grunted an agreement. His shoulder wedged against hers as they both reached deeper into the mare, trying to get a better grip on the foal in the pelvic cavity. “Ready?”
She braced her feet against the ground. “On three,” she said. “One. Two. Three.” They bent together, Vic using his weight to turn the foal’s right leg while Delaney gently guided the leg she held over the muzzle. They worked slowly, applying pressure, rotating the foal’s body in the tight space.
“Almost there,” Vic said, his voice low, and she felt his breath on her neck, hyperaware of how close he was to her.
Delaney’s hand slipped, and the mare kicked again. She lurched back, falling on her behind to avoid a sharp hoof, and her body rammed against Vic’s side.
Their hands still gripping the foal, he helped her back to a kneeling position by leaning his thigh against her and pushing her up. “You okay?”
She could hardly breathe, her mind caught between focusing on the mare, all the old anger she’d been holding onto, and the array of sensations careening through her at being so close to Vic. “Yeah,” she finally managed to say, her voice strangled.
His breath was steady on her neck, his leg pressed against hers. He didn’t move a muscle. Didn’t look away from the mare. God, she wanted to know what he was thinking. What he felt being this close to her when he wasn’t trying to seduce her.
The pastor came into her peripheral vision. He swung the heavy bucket he was carrying away from his body, sloshing water as he set it down. “Vic. That your boy in your truck?”
Vic nodded. “He changed his mind about seeing the birth.”
“Smart kid,” the pastor said. He stood stone still for a moment and Delaney could feel his eyes on their backs as he tried to get a glimpse of the foal. “That’s a lot of blood. Probably don’t want him in here.”
The mare shifted again. The foal was almost in position. Thank God.
“Ready?” Vic asked her.
She nodded. “One. Two. Three.” They gripped and turned until finally the foal was in the correct position. Delaney released her hold on the foal’s leg and scooted back, watching as the mare strained to give birth. Vic held the foal’s muzzle as Delaney moved around to the back of the horse and stroked her stomach. “Good girl,” she cooed, watching in awe as the baby finally slipped free.
The placenta followed, and as Delaney dealt with it, Vic’s gaze rose, met hers, and for a moment she felt like she’d been the one to give birth and that there was nothing in the world except her and Vic.
The mare snuffled at her foal, and Delaney turned to watch, her heart tugging at the sight.
She
“Does it matter?” He slid his hand into the birth canal, up the foal’s leg.
His shoulder brushed hers. The touch sent memories curling through her, memories she didn’t have time for. But it was more than the feel of his skin against hers that sent her reeling back in time. It was the way he smelled. So damn good.
A wave of dizziness passed through her and for a moment all she wanted to do was fall into his arms, to tell him what the curandera had said, and to have him comfort and reassure her that it hadn’t been a huge mistake to come back to San Julio. That everything would be okay.
She shook herself out of it. She was here to save a mare and foal.
“You don’t need to be here,” she said, denying her instinctive reaction and burying any thought of trusting Vic. She couldn’t think about how he used to make her feel. How he still made her feel. This wasn’t the time.
He looked at her, long and hard. “You need help.”
She opened her mouth, ready to argue, but he was right. Nothing but Jasper’s mare mattered right now. She nodded tightly and focused on the top leg. “We’ll turn counter-clockwise,” she said, visualizing the foal’s position again.
Beside her, Vic grunted an agreement. His shoulder wedged against hers as they both reached deeper into the mare, trying to get a better grip on the foal in the pelvic cavity. “Ready?”
She braced her feet against the ground. “On three,” she said. “One. Two. Three.” They bent together, Vic using his weight to turn the foal’s right leg while Delaney gently guided the leg she held over the muzzle. They worked slowly, applying pressure, rotating the foal’s body in the tight space.
“Almost there,” Vic said, his voice low, and she felt his breath on her neck, hyperaware of how close he was to her.
Delaney’s hand slipped, and the mare kicked again. She lurched back, falling on her behind to avoid a sharp hoof, and her body rammed against Vic’s side.
Their hands still gripping the foal, he helped her back to a kneeling position by leaning his thigh against her and pushing her up. “You okay?”
She could hardly breathe, her mind caught between focusing on the mare, all the old anger she’d been holding onto, and the array of sensations careening through her at being so close to Vic. “Yeah,” she finally managed to say, her voice strangled.
His breath was steady on her neck, his leg pressed against hers. He didn’t move a muscle. Didn’t look away from the mare. God, she wanted to know what he was thinking. What he felt being this close to her when he wasn’t trying to seduce her.
The pastor came into her peripheral vision. He swung the heavy bucket he was carrying away from his body, sloshing water as he set it down. “Vic. That your boy in your truck?”
Vic nodded. “He changed his mind about seeing the birth.”
“Smart kid,” the pastor said. He stood stone still for a moment and Delaney could feel his eyes on their backs as he tried to get a glimpse of the foal. “That’s a lot of blood. Probably don’t want him in here.”
The mare shifted again. The foal was almost in position. Thank God.
“Ready?” Vic asked her.
She nodded. “One. Two. Three.” They gripped and turned until finally the foal was in the correct position. Delaney released her hold on the foal’s leg and scooted back, watching as the mare strained to give birth. Vic held the foal’s muzzle as Delaney moved around to the back of the horse and stroked her stomach. “Good girl,” she cooed, watching in awe as the baby finally slipped free.
The placenta followed, and as Delaney dealt with it, Vic’s gaze rose, met hers, and for a moment she felt like she’d been the one to give birth and that there was nothing in the world except her and Vic.
The mare snuffled at her foal, and Delaney turned to watch, her heart tugging at the sight.
She
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