Read Online Under Pressure by Rhonda Lee Carver - Free Book Online

sending tendrils of hair falling around her cheeks. “Not sure where your thoughts are, but I’m talking about your legs—the scabs.” Did her bottom lip quiver? “The salve will help. It’ll also keep your jeans from chafing the skin.” She dipped her fingers into the clear ointment and wiped it across his shin. “So you knew who I was before Two Step? As far as I know, you and I have never met. And why didn’t you call me out?”
    He relaxed back into the chair , liking the way her fingers moved on his legs. Watching her slender fingers on his skin left him in a trance. “When I came here the first time to meet with your dad, I saw you outside. Only a glimpse, but I remembered.” She brought her chin up for a mere second. He swallowed, realizing she probably caught the catch in his tone. “When I saw you at the bar, I guess I wanted to see what you were up to. I thought you were testing me as a new employee, and now that I’ve said it aloud, it sounds ignorant on my part.”
    “ That would be a very unfair way of testing employees. Most men will cave under a woman’s attention.”
    “I sense a bit of bitterness in that statement. I’m going to go out on a limb here, but I believe your vindication for your sister was more for your own personal gain.” He knew he walked a thin line, but he’d never been good at sugar coating anything.
    “Oh, what makes you say that?” She applied more salve.
    “Because your sister seems more than capable of taking care of herself. And you reacted emotionally, not logically.”
    She squinted. “You’re wrong.”
    “Am I? If you had probed deeper into the pieces of the story, you wouldn’t have felt as if you needed revenge. Instead, you jumped to conclusions, something we do when we’re reeling from an emotional catastrophe.”
    “Do you have any clue what an emotional catastrophe feels like?” She glared at him.
    “Losing a sister in a car accident is considered a catastrophe, right?”
    She moistened her lips. “You lost your sister?”
    “Ten years ago. But damn did I do some crazy things after that. I joined the rodeo circuit and almost got myself killed—not once or twice, but a helluva lot more.”
    “I’m sorry for your loss, Spark.” Sincerity turned her gaze soft.”
    “I’m an innocent man, Jewels, but I think because I’m a man that instantly makes me guilty of something in your book.”
    “ Good theory you have.” She stood up straight and held his gaze. “But you are right about one thing. You are guilty of something.”
    “Is that right?” H e scrubbed his jaw and the raspy sound of hair growth reminded him that he didn’t even take the time to shave this morning. By afternoon, he’d sport a halfway decent beard. “Please enlighten me.”
    “You should have told me you knew who I was.”
    “And I’m to blame ? You should have been honest and told me upfront who you were. Instead, you lied.”
    Her mouth thinned. “T here’s only so many times you can run me over the coals.”
    “And I believe under the circumstances, I have a lot more times to go before you’re even close to being acquitted.”
    “I think you’re getting some weird delight out of torturing me.”
    “Probably about the same pleasure you got in torturing me.”
    Soft foo tsteps sounded on the floor, and before he could move a muscle, they had company. The dark headed woman stopped dead in her tracks. She looked like Jewels, except for the olive complexion and her eyes were darker. Great, another Stone he had to face. The surprise on the woman’s face almost made him laugh, but he bit it back.
    “Holy Moses! I didn’t know you had company.” She brought her hand up to her chest as if to stop her racing heart.
    “Another sister?” Spark asked Jewels.
    “ Pearl. The middle one,” Jewels answered then turned to Pearl. “Not what you think, sis. This is Spark, the new ranch hand.”
    “Oh.” Pearl’s thin brows lifted over curious eyes. “Is this a new