Read Online Samantha James by Outlaw Heart - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Outlaw Heart
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it was then that the craziest notion spun through her mind … If Kane helped her find Dillon, they might be alone for days on end … somehow she had to protect herself.
“Well?” His voice was rough with demand. His lips twisted into a sneer. “I admit, I’m curious now. What the hell is so goddamned special about your precious Dillon? What’s he got that every other man doesn’t have?”
Abby’s heart was thudding with thick, heavy strokes. She felt her lips move, though she’d have sworn she spoke not a word.
“He’s my husband,” she blurted.
Chapter 4
H er husband. Her husband . Kane stared at her, stunned, dumbfounded and then deeply, furiously angry, not only with himself but with her.
His blistering curse scalded her ears and made her jump. She struggled to free herself. He let her go only to snatch back her left hand at the last instant. “Where’s your ring?”
Abby prayed he wouldn’t feel her quaking. As a child, she’d discovered she was a horrible liar. When Pa and Dillon had laughed at her display of the bonnet Emily Dawson had given her, she’d promptly thrown it into the horse trough. When Pa found it, she’d lied and told him she didn’t know how it got there. Pa hadn’t scolded or thrashed her, but Abby was aware that he knew she’d lied. She’d felt so utterly guilty that she’d never lied to him again.
But Kane wasn’t Pa. If his forbidding expression were anything to go by, bodily harm was a definite possibility.
“I—I had to get you out of the Silver Spur somehow. I didn’t think you’d go upstairs with me if you knew I was married. I took it off last night so you wouldn’t see it!” Her cry was wild. She tugged furiously at her hand.
He let her go so suddenly that she stumbled and fell to her knees. “You scheming little bitch,” he said through clenched teeth. Her half-shy, tentative manner last night—it was all an act! Fire blazed within him. What a fool he’d been! He’d actually believed the story she’d concocted—that her father had died and she was alone in the world, with no one to turn to, nowhere to go. He had believed and sympathized. He was convinced she was an innocent—a virgin!—brought low by life’s vengeance.
Two long strides took him past her into the stall. He spared her no glance as he heaved his saddle onto Midnight’s back.
Abby lurched to her feet. “Kane! Wh—what are you doing? Where are you going?”
“Ought to be pretty damn obvious, even to you, Abigail . I’m leaving, something I should have done the minute I set eyes on you.”
His tone was icily distant. She interpreted all too accurately the iron cast of his profile, the rigid set of his shoulders.
Inwardly Abby was devastated; outwardly she was as determined as ever. “You can’t!” She clutched at his arm, as if that alone could keep him there.
He shook her off easily, pausing only to slant her an infuriatingly superior smile. “Lady,” he drawled, “you can’t stop me.”
Later she would wonder what possessed her. Later she was aghast at her own daring. But one second her hand trembled slightly at the waist of her riding skirt. The next her delicate little chin came up … and so did the barrel of his Colt.
“That’s where you’re wrong, Kane.” She raised the gun praying he wouldn’t test her. He might be an outlaw—he might be the scum of the earth!—but God alone knew she couldn’t shoot him in cold blood.
He half-turned. The flicker in his eyes told her he’d spotted the gun but his arrogant smile never wavered. “Go ahead, sweetheart. If you’re so god-damned anxious to show me how well you shoot, here’s your chance.”
Grabbing Midnight’s reins, he jammed his hat on his head and walked past her, bold as you please.
It was a moment before Abby’s sagging jaw clamped shut. She followed him outside where dawn’s shimmering sunshine heralded another glorious day. Abby alternately cursed and prayed as Kane mounted his horse
“Well?” His voice was rough with demand. His lips twisted into a sneer. “I admit, I’m curious now. What the hell is so goddamned special about your precious Dillon? What’s he got that every other man doesn’t have?”
Abby’s heart was thudding with thick, heavy strokes. She felt her lips move, though she’d have sworn she spoke not a word.
“He’s my husband,” she blurted.
Chapter 4
H er husband. Her husband . Kane stared at her, stunned, dumbfounded and then deeply, furiously angry, not only with himself but with her.
His blistering curse scalded her ears and made her jump. She struggled to free herself. He let her go only to snatch back her left hand at the last instant. “Where’s your ring?”
Abby prayed he wouldn’t feel her quaking. As a child, she’d discovered she was a horrible liar. When Pa and Dillon had laughed at her display of the bonnet Emily Dawson had given her, she’d promptly thrown it into the horse trough. When Pa found it, she’d lied and told him she didn’t know how it got there. Pa hadn’t scolded or thrashed her, but Abby was aware that he knew she’d lied. She’d felt so utterly guilty that she’d never lied to him again.
But Kane wasn’t Pa. If his forbidding expression were anything to go by, bodily harm was a definite possibility.
“I—I had to get you out of the Silver Spur somehow. I didn’t think you’d go upstairs with me if you knew I was married. I took it off last night so you wouldn’t see it!” Her cry was wild. She tugged furiously at her hand.
He let her go so suddenly that she stumbled and fell to her knees. “You scheming little bitch,” he said through clenched teeth. Her half-shy, tentative manner last night—it was all an act! Fire blazed within him. What a fool he’d been! He’d actually believed the story she’d concocted—that her father had died and she was alone in the world, with no one to turn to, nowhere to go. He had believed and sympathized. He was convinced she was an innocent—a virgin!—brought low by life’s vengeance.
Two long strides took him past her into the stall. He spared her no glance as he heaved his saddle onto Midnight’s back.
Abby lurched to her feet. “Kane! Wh—what are you doing? Where are you going?”
“Ought to be pretty damn obvious, even to you, Abigail . I’m leaving, something I should have done the minute I set eyes on you.”
His tone was icily distant. She interpreted all too accurately the iron cast of his profile, the rigid set of his shoulders.
Inwardly Abby was devastated; outwardly she was as determined as ever. “You can’t!” She clutched at his arm, as if that alone could keep him there.
He shook her off easily, pausing only to slant her an infuriatingly superior smile. “Lady,” he drawled, “you can’t stop me.”
Later she would wonder what possessed her. Later she was aghast at her own daring. But one second her hand trembled slightly at the waist of her riding skirt. The next her delicate little chin came up … and so did the barrel of his Colt.
“That’s where you’re wrong, Kane.” She raised the gun praying he wouldn’t test her. He might be an outlaw—he might be the scum of the earth!—but God alone knew she couldn’t shoot him in cold blood.
He half-turned. The flicker in his eyes told her he’d spotted the gun but his arrogant smile never wavered. “Go ahead, sweetheart. If you’re so god-damned anxious to show me how well you shoot, here’s your chance.”
Grabbing Midnight’s reins, he jammed his hat on his head and walked past her, bold as you please.
It was a moment before Abby’s sagging jaw clamped shut. She followed him outside where dawn’s shimmering sunshine heralded another glorious day. Abby alternately cursed and prayed as Kane mounted his horse
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