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wondered.
    The innocence of her question, the pure, untainted honesty of it, touched his heart. Where indeed? he queried. “Well, certainly not near this beast,” Reese retorted, glancing at Satan. The horse snorted once, indignantly, its dark eyes absorbing the moonlight but giving nothing back but blackness. “What in heaven’s name were you thinking climbing over the gate into his pen?
    Don’t you know he could have trampled you?”
    “It’s chilly,” she replied. “I was going to put this blanket on him.” She held up a worn cover.
    Reese’s gaze shifted from the blanket clutched in her delicate hands to her eyes. “He has never worn a blanket at night. He won’t let anyone close enough to put one on.”
    “You can hardly blame him after the whipping the groom gave him.”
    “He wouldn’t need a whipping if he were not so uncontrollable.”
    “You don’t tame an animal by whipping it and bullying it into subservience.”
    She was gazing at the wretched beast with admiration. A slow, soft smile curved Reese’s lips as he stared down at the woman in his arms. He still held her close, his arm wrapped around her waist, his hand splayed against her flat stomach. Was he gazing at her with as much admiration as she was bestowing on the horse? Then he shook himself, and resolve sealed off the fracture she had begun to create in the stone wall he had built around his heart.
    “He needs to be loved,” she added softly.
    The words pried the fracture open wider. He knew the woman he held in his arms was unlike any he had known before. Brave and kind and beautiful. And thrust upon him by evil coercion. The thought that she had somehow worked her way into his mind, infiltrated his body like an invader, angered him. “Stay away from him,” Reese growled. “He’ll cause you nothing but misery.”
    Jayce turned her eyes to his. Again, he felt that wash of affection overtake him and race through his veins, filling his very blood with the spirit of her being. Her eyes were large and trusting, her nose pert and turned up just a bit, her cheekbones high and well-defined. But it was her lips that attracted his attention. They were red and full and parted. Wisps of her hair curled forward, framing her face. A lovelier portrait of a woman could never be painted. Reese found himself lowering his head to hers, moving his own lips closer to hers, as if caught in some kind of magical bliss.
    Satan pawed the ground, snorting, white puffs of steam erupting from his nostrils. The spell broken, Reese jerked back from Jayce, startling his horse, who lurched forward, slamming Jayce against his body.
    Was that disappointment that filled her eyes? Or relief?
    “I’ll take you back to the castle,” he said, and spurred the horse on.
    But Jayce slipped from his grasp and his fingers brushed her breasts, sending a jolt of desire flaming through his body. She landed smoothly on the ground. “I have to put the blanket on Satan,” she insisted.
    Her determination made Reese furious. Hadn’t he just told her the creature wouldn’t let anyone near it? Didn’t he just tell her it was dangerous? Reese quickly dismounted and stormed over to her, ripping the blanket from her hands. “You will stay away from that monster,” he commanded. He put his hand on the top rail and easily hurdled the fence, cursing silently as he landed just inside the pen.
    How had he gotten himself into this position? He gritted his teeth as the warhorse turned surprised eyes to him.
    “Come here, you damned beast,” he snarled, unfurling the blanket before him.
    “No,” Jayce urged from behind him. “Speak softly to him. As if he were a friend.”
    “I would speak softly to no friend of mine,” he growled, approaching the horse. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her pulling herself onto the gate. “All right!” Reese called, holding his hand out to stop her. He locked gazes with Satan. “Wretched beast,” he grumbled. He cleared his throat.