tried to pull free of his hold, but found herself trapped between the door and Trace's hard body. She raised frightened eyes to search his face. A silent plea shimmered in their blue depths. She had left a light burning in the living room, and from the soft glow spilling onto the porch, she could just make out his expression. It held a strange mixture of tenderness and determination, with just a touch of impatience.
"Oh, Katy. How long are you going to ignore it?" he asked softly, his voice edged with exasperation.
The feel of his warm hands on her shoulders was so unnerving that she could barely concentrate on his words. She shook her head as if to clear it and stared at him, transfixed. "Ignore what?"
"This thing there is between us."
Alarm bells began to clang in her head. "I—I don't know what you're talking about."
He gave her a little shake. "Stop it, Katy. You're as aware of me as I am of you. Don'tdeny it." Lifting one hand, he ran his knuckles gently down her cheek. "It started four years ago. I wanted you then, very much, but you were so young and so painfully shy, I knew I had to wait. Then I quarreled with my father. At the time I was grateful nothing had developed between us, because I couldn't stay after that." His voice dropped to a low, husky pitch, while his eyes burned possessively over her frightened face. "When I looked up and saw you at my father's funeral, all those feelings I had four years ago came rushing back, only stronger this time. I'd made up my mind to stay, even before I knew I had inherited the farm. I wasn't going to let you slip through my fingers again."
Wide-eyed, Katy stared at him. She shook her head wordlessly, feeling the familiar, cold fear unfurl itself deep inside her. It was happening all over again. This man wanted her. He admitted it openly. And he seemed to think all he had to do was reach out and take her, that she would accept that, even be pleased. That he could even think such a thing filled her with a deep sense of shame and humiliation. What was there about her that made men think she was theirs for the taking like some pretty toy? It was so unfair! She wanted to cry and rage at the same time.
"You don't know what you're saying!" she cried desperately. "There's nothing between us! There never has been and there never will be! So why don't you just leave me alone?"
"Oh, no, Katy," he said quietly, determinedly. "I'm not going to let you hide behind that pathetic little shell you've built around yourself. I've tried to be patient with you, to let you get used to having me around, and it's gotten me absolutely nowhere. Well, no more." He pulled her close, and Katy's hands came up to push him away, but it was useless. His arms slid around her back and tightened, molding her slender body to his hard one, her soft breasts crushed against the muscular wall of his chest.
Katy's first instinct was to fight. She wanted desperately to lash out and claw and kick, to inflict as much injury as possible, but she had learned, to her sorrow, that that was not the way to handle an explosive situation. Instead, she held herself rigid. Like a tethered animal watching the approach of a hungry predator, she stood perfectly still, her eyes huge in her white face, as Trace's head began its slow, purposeful descent.
"No, please don't," she whispered helplessly, and heard him give a soft laugh an instant before his lips settled over hers.
It was a tantalizing kiss, soft and gentle, and infinitely sensual. He explored her lips with a controlled passion that made no demands, yet established, beyond a doubt, his absolute possession. Katy was stunned by the complete lack of brutality in his lovemaking. It was something she had expected, had braced herself for, and its absence left her confused and disoriented. She felt weak. Boneless.
Trace's mouth moved unhurriedly over her lips, persuasively teasing and nibbling at their trembling softness until they parted without her being aware of it.
"Oh, Katy. How long are you going to ignore it?" he asked softly, his voice edged with exasperation.
The feel of his warm hands on her shoulders was so unnerving that she could barely concentrate on his words. She shook her head as if to clear it and stared at him, transfixed. "Ignore what?"
"This thing there is between us."
Alarm bells began to clang in her head. "I—I don't know what you're talking about."
He gave her a little shake. "Stop it, Katy. You're as aware of me as I am of you. Don'tdeny it." Lifting one hand, he ran his knuckles gently down her cheek. "It started four years ago. I wanted you then, very much, but you were so young and so painfully shy, I knew I had to wait. Then I quarreled with my father. At the time I was grateful nothing had developed between us, because I couldn't stay after that." His voice dropped to a low, husky pitch, while his eyes burned possessively over her frightened face. "When I looked up and saw you at my father's funeral, all those feelings I had four years ago came rushing back, only stronger this time. I'd made up my mind to stay, even before I knew I had inherited the farm. I wasn't going to let you slip through my fingers again."
Wide-eyed, Katy stared at him. She shook her head wordlessly, feeling the familiar, cold fear unfurl itself deep inside her. It was happening all over again. This man wanted her. He admitted it openly. And he seemed to think all he had to do was reach out and take her, that she would accept that, even be pleased. That he could even think such a thing filled her with a deep sense of shame and humiliation. What was there about her that made men think she was theirs for the taking like some pretty toy? It was so unfair! She wanted to cry and rage at the same time.
"You don't know what you're saying!" she cried desperately. "There's nothing between us! There never has been and there never will be! So why don't you just leave me alone?"
"Oh, no, Katy," he said quietly, determinedly. "I'm not going to let you hide behind that pathetic little shell you've built around yourself. I've tried to be patient with you, to let you get used to having me around, and it's gotten me absolutely nowhere. Well, no more." He pulled her close, and Katy's hands came up to push him away, but it was useless. His arms slid around her back and tightened, molding her slender body to his hard one, her soft breasts crushed against the muscular wall of his chest.
Katy's first instinct was to fight. She wanted desperately to lash out and claw and kick, to inflict as much injury as possible, but she had learned, to her sorrow, that that was not the way to handle an explosive situation. Instead, she held herself rigid. Like a tethered animal watching the approach of a hungry predator, she stood perfectly still, her eyes huge in her white face, as Trace's head began its slow, purposeful descent.
"No, please don't," she whispered helplessly, and heard him give a soft laugh an instant before his lips settled over hers.
It was a tantalizing kiss, soft and gentle, and infinitely sensual. He explored her lips with a controlled passion that made no demands, yet established, beyond a doubt, his absolute possession. Katy was stunned by the complete lack of brutality in his lovemaking. It was something she had expected, had braced herself for, and its absence left her confused and disoriented. She felt weak. Boneless.
Trace's mouth moved unhurriedly over her lips, persuasively teasing and nibbling at their trembling softness until they parted without her being aware of it.
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