While I prepare my soon-to-be-published book cover, please enjoy Chapters 3 and 4 of my romantic intrigue novel entitled Secret Heart.
Secret Heart is going online in the next couple of weeks, and will only be available on Amazon Kindle at the moment. At a later point, I may opt to put out a hard copy of the book.
Please remember, this is a romantic intrigue with some spicy language at some points, so I would suggest keeping the age at no younger than 18 years old to be on the safe side.
If you like romance and intrigue, feel free to try out this blog and the two before it to see if you might be interested in my book.
Also, you might want to remember to check out the Widget in the left-hand corner drop down lines, where you can find a link to Amazon’s Kindle Fire, 6-inch, glare-free e-reader. I love my 6-inch Fire, except for it’s an older model and isn’t glare-free. I highly recommend it.
Enjoy reading.
Chapter 3
From her seat, Ashleigh watched Luke hurry through the large, arched doorway. Framed by the arch were a king-sized, four-poster bed and two nightstands, each one containing a wooden bed lamp with a pleated shade. He strode to one stand and picked up the handset of the dark brown phone. After pushing two buttons, he summoned for an ice pack and ordered his Jeep brought to his private entrance. Finally, he punched eight buttons and waited, bouncing his knee while he gazed at Ashleigh, his face masked in anxiety.
When he spoke again, his voice so frantic she could hardly believe it was the same man who had injured her. “Rita? Luke. Is Dave there? … Tell him to meet me in emergency. I’m coming in with a broken arm. Bye.”
“May I please use your bathroom?” Ashleigh asked as he hung up. “I don’t feel very well.”
Before she was erect, Luke was at her side. With his right arm around her shoulders and his left hand holding her injured arm just below the elbow, he guided her through his bedroom. Again his embrace sent desire raging through her. Why was she so attracted to a man with such a volatile temperament? Was it true that many women were attracted to “bad boys” and that she could be one of them? When they reached the door, she looked up to thank him, but was stunned to silence when she saw his distraught expression.
“Call if you need me.” After a brief pause, he continued in a low voice. “I’ll take care of you, Ashleigh. I promise.”
***
Pacing the emergency room, Luke waited for his oldest brother to return. What was taking so long? Didn’t Dave realize he needed to hear a diagnosis?
“Luke?” Dave’s cheerful voice announced his arrival, and Luke spun to face his shorter look-alike. “You were right. Her arm’s broken. I thought I’d let you know while she’s waiting for her x-rays. By the way, where did you meet Lenore? She didn’t say.”
“Lenore?” Luke repeated. Oh, yeah, she must have introduced herself using her pseudonym. In retrospect, Dave arriving at the hospital after them was probably for the best. He wouldn’t have thought to use Lenore when he introduced them. Then he would have blown her cover, whatever it was for, by mentioning her name. Knowing Dave would press until he got answers, Luke decided to tell him everything he could about Ashleigh—which was almost nothing. “She’s living in my cabin.”
“Well, you should have made sure she could ride before you saddled a horse for her.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. She’s an excellent horsewoman.”
“Then how did she fall off?”
Luke stared at him in shock. “Is that what she told you? If it is, she was covering for me—although I don’t know why. I sure don’t deserve it.”
“I had a feeling she was hiding something. Let me guess. You didn’t know she was in your cabin and lost your temper again.” When Luke bowed his head in shame, Dave said, “Damn it, Luke, when are you going to learn? Didn’t that night in jail for assault and battery teach you anything?”
“I guess not.” Luke gazed at his brother unfalteringly. “But I’ve learned now, Dave. Honest. This was an accident. I didn’t mean to hurt her. I swear it. I didn’t even know she was a lady.”
“Don’t you understand that it doesn’t matter if she’s a woman or a man? You’re supposed to be an adult now. You can’t go around beating the tar out of people no matter what gender they are. When the hell are you going to grow up?”
“I think I did, Dave—tonight—in that first second when I saw that she was a lady. I terrified her and now, even if it takes the rest of my life, I have to make it up to her.”
Dave’s eyes narrowed in suspicion as he studied his brother. Luke knew what was in Dave’s mind—that must be thinking, that he’d never seen Luke show such a sorrowful expression. But Luke didn’t know what to say, either. Something had happened to him that evening, something he couldn’t comprehend.
***
Ashleigh waited for her turn with the x-ray technician. Across the waiting area, a blonde woman sat in a wheelchair with her right leg elevated. Although Ashleigh felt she should say something to be polite, she didn’t. She didn’t like the look of intense curiosity in the other woman’s eyes.
Then the woman released the brake on her wheelchair and rolled herself over to sit beside Ashleigh. Even before the blonde spoke, Ashleigh could smell the strong odor of liquor on her.
“I saw you come in with that big hunk of a man,” the blonde said in a conspiratorial tone as she leaned toward Ashleigh. “You didn’t see me, of course. You were too busy watching him—not that I blame you.”
“What are you trying to say?” Ashleigh asked, unsure how to respond.
“Just that he’s good looking. I heard your doctor introduce him to one of the orderlies. Luke Bradford. That’s a good, strong name—just like he is.” The woman leaned even closer, until her arm slipped off the wheelchair armrest. Giggling, she sat up again. “Too much booze. So, are you his girlfriend?”
“We only met recently,” Ashleigh admitted, not wanting to divulge any information to this inebriated woman.
“Are you kidding? From the way he looked at you, I would’ve thought you’d been going together for years.”
“Nonsense. He doesn’t even know me.”
“So what? A man doesn’t have to know a woman to be infatuated with her.” She leaned closer to Ashleigh again and lowered her voice. “Or to lust after her.”
In a desperate attempt to direct the conversation away from Luke, Ashleigh asked, “What happened to you?”
“I was out dancing and kind of missed a beat because of all my cheap birthday champagne. The doctor thinks it’s just a sprain, but he wants to be sure. That’s why the x-rays. I guess it’s standard procedure.” Without even a slight pause to indicate that she was returning to the original topic, the blonde said, “You’re really lucky.”
“Lucky?”
“Yeah. Luke. I’ll bet he’s never disappointed a woman. I know if he ever invited me out, I’d tell him to skip the preliminaries. I’d be in his bed in a second.”
Ashleigh stared at the woman in mute shock for several seconds. How could this woman speak about Luke in such a demeaning manner? And her blatant opinion of how she would react to a date with him was outrageous. He wasn’t a horse being put up for stud. He was a man with emotions so deep that Ashleigh suspected he didn’t even know they were there. And they were so varied! In the short time she’d known him, he’d exhibited rage, concern, remorse, and desire.
It had taken William three months to show her desire, two years to demonstrate true concern. As for remorse, William probably didn’t even know what the word meant. And she doubted that he would ever show rage because of his genteel breeding. That was how William was, and that was exactly the kind of man she liked.
So why was she so upset by this woman talking about Luke like that? Why did she have an almost overwhelming urge to defend him? The blonde had insulted his masculinity by implying that he was little more than a sex machine. Maybe he was good in bed, but Ashleigh was more concerned with other aspects of Luke Bradford. Despite his rough treatment, he’d been a gentleman since he’d discovered she was a woman. Because of that, she owed him at least a verbal defense.
“That was a crude and cruel statement,” Ashleigh said with no intonation in her voice.
“He must be pretty good if you’re so defensive. I’ll bet he satisfies you every time.”
Unable to control her irritation, Ashleigh responded icily. “I don’t discuss things like that.”
“That’s probably a good idea as far as Luke goes. Another woman might steal him away.”
At that moment, a man asked which one of them was Lenore Ogden. Ashleigh responded quickly, anxious to get away from the blonde. What an irritating woman! Ashleigh thought as the technician positioned her next to the table. For the first time in her life, she actually hated somebody. That blonde had made terrible insinuations, drawn erroneous conclusions, concerning a man Ashleigh didn’t even know, but Ashleigh didn’t care that she didn’t know him.
The x-ray machine whirred, and the technician came out of his booth to reposition her arm. Wincing in pain, her sanity returned. Luke was a man just like all the other men. Correction, he was worse. No man had ever physically hurt her before; and, she vowed, no man would ever hurt her emotionally again. She would enclose herself in an invisible suit of armor and defy any man to break it away.
As soon as the x-rays were done, Ashleigh was taken back to the privacy of the examination room. Alone with her thoughts, she reconsidered her conversation with the blonde. Even though Luke had injured her in a fit of anger, she’d defended him. How could that woman practically accuse him of using women then suggest she would do exactly that to him if she had the chance? Just the idea of another woman thinking of him that way infuriated Ashleigh. Not only was it demeaning to his masculinity, it insulted his sensitivity. As a woman, the blonde should have understood how her words would affect Luke—even if she was drunk.
Worse than that the woman should have considered her feelings concerning their topic of conversation. Stunned by the thought, she tried to analyze it. Exactly how did she feel? Undoubtedly angry. But what else? Humiliation in part, not for herself but for Luke, and she hated the thought of another woman being in his arms.
Her eyes widened in shock. That could mean only one thing—she was jealous, an emotion she’d never before experienced. It was also an emotion that could rust her armor and give a man a weak spot where he could break through. Well, she wouldn’t let that happen with Luke. She would be distant and cold-hearted and never let him, or any other man, find any rust. She would keep that armor as shiny as a knight would.
“I’m sorry I startled you,” Dave said from behind her.
Glancing upward, she saw his reflection in the chrome-plated paper towel holder above the sink as he rounded the examination table. “You didn’t. I was just thinking.”
The nurse entered with a basin and rolls of coated gauze. While Ashleigh watched silently, she drew warm water and prepared to apply a cast.
“I’ll handle this myself, Georgia,” Dave offered. “I’d like to talk to my brother’s friend privately.”
Once she was alone with Dave, Ashleigh summoned up the courage to question him. “He was right, wasn’t he? It is broken.”
“Luke? Of course, he’s right. He probably knows as much as a specialist about broken bones. Shoot, he’s had enough of them.” Before beginning his task, he warned, “This might cause you some discomfort, Lenore. Now why don’t you tell me your reason for lying about what happened?”
“How did you know that I lied?” she asked in surprise.
“Luke told me. He’s torturing himself over this. I have a feeling he was trying to cleanse his soul by admitting the truth, but it didn’t work.”
“He didn’t know that I’m a lady.”
“So he said. Let me explain a few things about my brother while I patch you up.”
***
Luke straightened up from the water fountain at the sound of Paul’s voice. “Thank God, I found you before you started home. Rita told me you broke another bone.”
“Yeah,” Luke replied flatly. “Two of them.”
“Shouldn’t you be in the examining room?”
“Dave wouldn’t let me. You see, they weren’t my bones that I broke.” Leading his brother to the chairs, Luke collapsed wearily onto one. “She said you put her up in my cabin. Why didn’t you tell me?”
Paul sank onto the next chair with a groan. “I’m not sure I want to hear this, but are those broken bones Lenore’s?”
Combing his fingers through his thick hair, Luke turned his pained gaze toward Paul and nodded. “Both of them are in her arm, just above her wrist. If only you’d let me know she was there.”
“You weren’t home, remember? Besides, I couldn’t turn her down. I told her you wouldn’t like it. I warned her that you’d be mad if you found out before I had a chance to tell you. But all she had to do was look at me and say please, and it was all over. I didn’t have a prayer.”
“You could have left me a note. Where did you find her?”
“Didn’t she tell you?” Paul asked in astonishment.
“I didn’t think to ask.”
“She’s Rex’s cousin. She just showed up on his doorstep one night and wanted a place to hide out from her old boyfriend. For the life of me, though, I can’t figure out why she’d come all the way to Oklahoma just to hide from an ex-fiancé.” That was a lie, at least partially. He’d reported the news story of a missing woman only three days earlier. He just didn’t have proof to substantiate his suspicions that Lenore Ogden and Ashleigh Prescott were the same person.
Luke smiled as his brother revealed a bit more about Ashleigh. “I thought I detected an accent once. Where’s she from?”
“Sounds like she’s from Nebraska or some outlandish place like that.”
Luke chuckled, forcing deep dimples into his cheeks. “And Oklahoma isn’t outlandish? Tell me everything you know about her. She wouldn’t tell me anything but her name and that you brought her to the cabin.”
“I just told you everything I know.” That was another probable lie perpetrated by a pair of sea-blue eyes. “I’m surprised you didn’t ask for more information yourself.”
“All I could think of was getting her arm set. I still can’t believe I attacked a lady.”
“Lady?” Paul repeated. “Not woman?”
“If I ever met a real lady,” Luke admitted with a note of pride in his voice, “it’s Ashleigh Ogden.”
Somehow Paul managed to hold back his excitement. Without realizing it, Luke knew at least part of of her real name. His brother’s knowledge also explained Rex’s mysterious reaction when Paul asked him about the story. Although the possibility was remote, questioning Luke a little further might give him a better insight into his report. “I thought her name was Lenore.”
“I don’t know; maybe it is. She signed all her sketches Ashleigh, and she admitted it was her first name when I pressed her. Looking back on it, though, she was pretty scared. She might have admitted anything to keep me from getting mad again. I like it better than Lenore, anyway. Ashleigh has a high-class ring to it, kind of regal. The Countess Ashleigh Ogden. See what I mean?”
“Yeah,” Paul agreed, struggling to remain calm in the knowledge that more and more of his suspicions were becoming fact. “You going to let her stay at the cabin?”
“It’s the least I can do, but there was really never any doubt. The second I looked into her eyes I knew she could stay as long as she wanted. I was as powerless as you were. In fact, my mind went blank for a few seconds. I’d ask her to stay in the house, but I doubt she’d agree. I assaulted her, Paul. She’s got to be afraid of me. And I really wanted to kiss her, even though she didn’t know so much as my name. I’ve never treated a woman like that before. I’ve always been gentle because of my size.”
With a sigh, Luke bowed his head and traced the bite-like bruise on the back of his left hand. “She’s a lady with class, but she can fight back like a wildcat, too. Tried to bite a hunk of flesh from my hand when I stopped her from running off.” He returned his sorrowful gaze to Paul. “I hadn’t untied her hands yet, and I didn’t want her to hurt herself. How could I have been so foolish with Ashleigh, Paul? I didn’t even give her a chance to explain before I roped her like a lousy calf.”
“I don’t know, Luke. Maybe it was the circumstances that led to your meeting. Or maybe …” Paul paused when he noticed Luke’s expression. His brother’s reaction to what he was about to say was something he had to consider. Luke was obviously distressed, and Paul knew that he had to be very careful choosing his words.
“Or maybe what?” Luke urged.
“Or maybe your self-confirmed bachelorhood isn’t so confirmed after all.” Paul nodded once toward the door leading to the examination rooms. “Now hush. Here she comes.”
When Luke looked up, his eyes narrowed with anger. Dave’s arm was around Ashleigh’s shoulders. Rising, he strode to replace Dave’s arm with his own then drew her against him.
Ashleigh stared up at Luke as he glared at his brother. She may be groggy because of that painkiller Dave had given her, but she could still tell that Luke was furious. Why? What could Dave have done to antagonize Luke so? Even his voice was sharp when he spoke.
“How is she?” Luke asked.
“She’ll be fine in a few weeks,” Dave said as he handed Luke a piece of paper. “Stop at an all-night pharmacy on your way out of town, and fill this prescription. And make sure she takes it regularly. She doesn’t have a very high tolerance for pain, so I already gave her one pill. Not that she complained, because she didn’t, but I could still tell she was suffering. She said on a scale of one to ten, the pain was about an eight. And stay with her tonight—to make sure she keeps that arm elevated.”
“All right. Thanks a lot, Dave.” He glanced down at Ashleigh as she continued to stare up at him. He stared back and shook his head. “Come on, milady. I’ll take you back to my place. Good night, brothers.”
***
By the time they reached the ranch over an hour later, Ashleigh was already asleep. Rather than disturb her, Luke carried her up the stairs of his private entrance. After putting her in his bed, he sat down to relax in his attached sitting room.
***
“How could you do this to me, William?” she demanded as she confronted him in his apartment. “I thought you loved me.”
“I do, sweetheart,” the tall, classically handsome man replied. “That’s the reason I can’t understand why you’re making such an awful accusation.”
“This is nothing compared to the humiliation I went through when Colonel Leighton questioned me. He insinuated that I slept with you to get classified information. But we both know how I came to post those envelopes, don’t we.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m a baronet, my dear. I don’t want to be involved with the likes of Martin. I may not be nobility like you, but I still carry a title. I’m not going to jeopardize my social standing by associating with Martin or his kind.”
“And I won’t jeopardize my future by staying engaged to you.” Sliding the pear-shaped diamond ring off her finger, she raced into the bathroom. Before William could stop her, she threw the ring into the commode and flushed the toilet. Together they watched the ring disappear into the sewer system. “If you want it back, you can find it yourself. As for what happened, I didn’t say anything to Colonel Leighton because I have no proof. Good-bye, William.”
As she spun away, love drained from her heart, gushing out in the opposite manner that it had grown over the years. With his pleas echoing in her ears, she slammed his apartment door on her way out and ran down the corridor.
Suddenly, someone with darkened features was chasing her. She ran as fast as possible but couldn’t escape. The figure was coming closer and closer; despite her speed, she was going nowhere. Her feet moved swiftly but were anchored in place. Something was wrong; she needed help to move. But there was none, and the figure was almost to her. Why wouldn’t that person just leave her alone? What would happen to her? What ghastly thing would he try to do? Would he catch her? There—in the distance—a rider on a horse. Her rescuer! At last she was free. At last … The figure following her grabbed her arm.
“Luke!” Stunned by her scream, he stared at the woman in his bed. When she cried out a second time, he rushed to her side. “Help!”
Gently lifting her into his arms, Luke held her securely as he sat on the king-sized bed. “It’s okay, Ashleigh. I’m here. Nothing’s going to happen to you. I won’t let it.”
At last Luke reached her, and the figure fled into the dark. At last Luke was there to protect her, to hold her, to whisper reassurances in her ear. If only he would do that forever! If only he could protect her until there was no more need for it.
“Luke?” she asked. “Hold me?”
Determined to make amends for his behavior, he smoothed her soft hair several times in an attempt to ease her trembling. That must have been some nightmare! He’d never before seen a woman so frightened by a dream or heard such terror in a woman’s voice. And he desperately prayed that his violence hadn’t caused it.
Vowing to hold her as long as she wanted, he laid her on her right side then stripped down to his undershorts. After turning off the light in the lounge, he crawled under the covers. He slid his left arm under her neck, laid her left hand on his chest to elevate it, and then kissed her hair lightly. The only question in his mind? How would she react to this in the morning?
Chapter 4
Sleeping in a man’s arms was comfortable, despite her belief that men only wanted one thing from a woman in bed. With a contented moan, Ashleigh trailed her cast-covered hand across the furry chest beneath it. When the arm around her shoulders tightened and the man rolled toward her, she snuggled closer. His other hand came to rest on her hip, squeezing her gently. Then it slid upward over her shirt to her back with a caress so tender that she sighed in pleasure.
This was by far the most blissful dream she’d ever had. The sensation of his fingertips brushing away the hair on her neck was exquisite, but the feel of his thumb tracing her slightly parted lips was indescribable. His thumb? Luke! This wasn’t a dream; she was awake and in the arms of the man who had hurt her. Shocked by her behavior, she scrambled from his embrace while he sat upright, staring at her in astonishment.
Her embarrassment at awaking in his arms—and enjoying it—was so acute that she reacted instinctively rather than rationally. To conceal her feelings, she released a barrage of accusations that she knew in her heart were untrue.
Then, realizing that her shoes, socks and jeans had been removed, she demanded, “What did you do to me? Dave gave me a drug that left me senseless, then you took me to your bed. How could you? Never mind, I know the answer. You could because you knew you could never have me any other way. You’re a brute of the worst kind.”
Luke stared at her in amazement. “Wait a minute. You don’t understand—and neither do I. You seemed to enjoy being in my arms.”
“I thought I was dreaming.” It looked like he wanted to interject something, but she refused to give him the chance. “And quite frankly, I understand very well. You told Dave to drug me. After all, you are brothers.”
“That’s not it at all! In fact, I find it incredible that you would even think such a thing. Even if I did tell him, he’d never do it. He’s a complete professional. Tell you what, I’ll call him so you can talk to him yourself.” While he spoke, he examined her, and she knew exactly what he was looking at. She stood before him wearing only her panties and a shirt which scarcely covered her hips. And the expression in his dark eyes told her more than she wanted to know. He obviously wanted to toss her back into bed and show her how much he wanted her. She was just about to escape the room when he patted the bed beside him, saying, “Sit down, and let me explain what happened after the hospital.”
“Never!” she exclaimed, horrified by his suggestion.
“Then I’ll just have to get out of bed.” Luke paused then continued with a grin that produced dimples she found difficult to resist. “From the way you’re talking, you think I’m naked. Do you really want to find out if I am or not?”
Her mind reeled with indecision. Should she stay where she was and risk him getting out of bed? Or should she sit beside him and endanger her ability to remain aloof? She stared at his long, hard body, nude to the waist, and found herself visualizing how he would look on canvas.
The black hair that covered his chest narrowed into a stripe extending the length of his stomach to disappear beneath the covers. And his muscles were so enticingly prominent! Ashleigh stiffened at the notion. She had to stop thinking like that. He was a man, no matter how good he looked; and men were scum—every last one of them. That was especially true of men like Luke, who had such a volatile temper. Given the alternatives, sitting next to him was definitely preferable to watching him rise from beneath the covers.
She plopped down on the edge of the bed, and he touched her cast before he spoke again. “How’s your arm this morning, milady?”
His concerned attitude and gentle manner were so startling that she couldn’t help catching her breath. But if she looked at him, he would see her amazement. To hide her expressive eyes, she stared at her cast and replied in the most bitter tone she could muster. “Painful. Explain your behavior.”
“You really don’t remember, do you. You called out for me in the middle of the night. You wanted me to hold you, so I did what any gentleman would do. I held you—and that’s all. You didn’t wake up the entire time, and I certainly didn’t do anything to you. Believe me, Ashleigh, I’m really sorry about what I did last night.”
“As well you should be.” Ashleigh forced the angry words from her mouth, determined not to let him smooth-talk his way into her good graces, even more determined not to let him cajole her into his bed. “Besides, I refuse to believe you. The treatment you handed down to me last night was abominable. You’re a cold-hearted, cruel, vicious monster who has no right to be called a human.”
Bowing his head, he mumbled, “I agree.”
Stunned, she shot her startled gaze to his mostly-hidden face. Her heart melted slightly when she saw his sorrow. Obviously, she’d hurt him with her words. But she was still suspicious as she asked, “Did you say that you agree?”
Returning his gaze to meet hers unrelentingly, he replied in his most sincere tone. “Absolutely. Look, Ashleigh, I could never find the right words to express my regret over how I treated you, because there aren’t any strong enough. I should have untied you the second I saw that you were a woman, but I was afraid you would run away—which you did, anyway. When you bit me, I was trying to stop you so you wouldn’t get hurt. I didn’t know that you already were. I know it’s not possible right now, Ashleigh, but I hope that someday you’ll forgive me. Please give me a chance to prove that you can trust me. I promise you won’t regret it.”
Although Ashleigh said nothing, her mind reeled with thoughts. Her trust a man? He must be insane. She could never do something like that, because past experience had proven that men were simply untrustworthy. But she probably could like him—if she gave herself permission. She just wouldn’t trust him. She could do that. Couldn’t she?
“Well, Ashleigh?” he asked, bringing her back from her thoughts. “What do you say? Will you give me a chance? Nobody could ever be sorrier about what he’d done than I am about the way I treated you last night.”
Ashleigh offered him a soft smile. “And I’m sorry I overreacted this morning. What are you going to do with me now? Have me arrested for trespassing?”
Luke flashed a half-grin that Ashleigh found very sexy. “What I’d like to do with you and what I plan to do with you are two entirely different things. But since you asked, I’m going to take you back to the cabin after breakfast and turn the gas on for you. I can’t have a guest freezing to death.”
“A guest?” she repeated, startled. “You’re not going to have me arrested?”
“Absolutely not.”
“Then I’d rather go back before breakfast.” After a brief pause, she added, “I suppose I should thank you for your hospitality instead of unjustly accusing you.”
“You called it the way you saw it, milady. I don’t hold a grudge against you.”
To Ashleigh’s despair, just being in Luke’s room excited her more than she’d been raised to deem appropriate. And sitting beside him on the bed was making her forget all the decorum she’d been taught. She needed to escape this room, where anything could happen, to the safety of the small cabin that had become her home during the past weeks. There the setting was familiar; here she was on ground so alien that she had no idea what would happen next. Commanding herself into action, she rose and suggested that they leave.
Her silence after that stemmed not from finding herself in his arms that morning, but from the realization that she would have enjoyed staying there. Despite his initial reaction to learning that she was in his cabin, he’d been kind and gentle. Maybe that was why she was so attracted to him.
If only she could dwell on the pain in her broken arm. That should remind her of his uncontrollable temper. She had mixed emotions about that hot streak in him, too. While it would be an asset should trouble follow her, it was also a liability, because she already felt drawn to him. Besides, she had no desire for a relationship with a potentially violent man.
While Luke maneuvered the Jeep deftly between major potholes in the dirt road, Ashleigh took the opportunity to examine him. Even his hands showed immense strength as he gripped the steering wheel. Returning her scrutinizing gaze to his arms, she remembered the feeling of safety in them even though he had hurt her. If he would embrace her again, maybe she could … An involuntary shudder of excitement coursed through her at the thought.
“Cold?” Luke asked. To hide her eyes, she stared at her lap and she shook her head. “I’ll have part of my crew come out and fix these pot holes today. Paul said he’s been bringing your supplies, so I offered to do it now. His baby’s due in a couple of weeks, and his wife doesn’t like him making the two-hour trip here and back. If I’m going to be traipsing out here all the time, I don’t want to worry about Ramses breaking a leg. Or my Jeep breaking an axle on one of those holes. I’d sure feel bad if I had to shoot my Jeep.”
Ashleigh kept her gaze fixed on her lap. Beside her, he release a deep, heavy sigh then asked, “Is your arm feeling better?”
Instead of answering, she shrugged.
“You don’t have any objections to me getting you whatever you need, do you?” he asked with a smile. Again she shook her head without a verbal reply. “Oh, all right. If you don’t want to talk, neither will I.”
Stunned by the distress in his deep voice, Ashleigh glanced over at him. When she saw his unhappy expression, a wave of regret swept over her. The feeling was so strong that she found it impossible to remain silent and spoke in a soft, sincere tone. “I’m sorry if I upset you, but I’m not very talkative with strangers—unless I’m angry like I was earlier. It isn’t anything you’ve done.”
“Really?” he asked in a little-boy tone, gazing at her with a smile that brightened his entire face.
“Yes, really,” she replied, unable to restrain a half-smile of her own.
“Terrific! That means there’s still hope that you’ll forgive me for the way I treated you last night. Here we are.”
As soon as Luke parked his Jeep in front of the cabin, Ashleigh hurried inside. Clearing the kitchen table, she caught sight of her name on the top sketch as she draped them over her cast. Again memories of Luke’s tenderness raced to the front of her mind as she traced her signature. She had to admit that he’d been very kind, very much a gentleman, once he realized his folly.
“The gas is on, milady,” he said cheerfully as he stood behind her.
Startled by the close proximity of his voice, she gasped and fell back against him. The easiness that engulfed her when his strong hands grasped her upper arms was so powerful that it stunned her. At last, she was where she’d dreamed of being since she woke in his bed less than an hour earlier! When his hands leisurely rubbed her arms, even stronger desires exploded within her.
Careful, Ashleigh, she mentally chastised. This man would make a dangerous playmate. But who cared? The physical attraction was incredible, stronger than any she’d ever felt in her life. If he wanted her even a little bit, she probably wouldn’t be able to resist him.
Squeezing her eyes shut, she battled against the urge to spin around and kiss him. But at the moment, her instincts were mightier than her will. As she began to move, he turned her to face him and spoke unemotionally, despite the concern revealed in his expression.
“I didn’t mean to startle you,” he said. “Are you all right?”
This time her mute nod came from the dread that her voice would be as revealing as his face had been. And if she looked up instead of staring at the buttons on his open-necked shirt, he would see why she was so quiet. Her eyes seemed to have a strange effect on men, an effect over which she apparently had no control. If she gazed up at Luke now, he would know how badly she wanted him to kiss her.
Then he laid his fingertips under her chin and lifted her head. She focused her attention on his Adam’s apple. Concentrating on it was the only way she could think of to clear the lascivious daydreams from her mind.
“Look me in the eye, milady.” In a desperate attempt to rid her mind of all thought, she visualized his Adam’s apple and stared up at him blankly. Frowning, he changed the subject. “Do you have eggs and sausage? I’ll cook breakfast.”
Despite her desire to speak, she could only shake her head for fear that her voice would betray her. To distance herself, Ashleigh retreated into the small bedroom, where she waited for several minutes after she heard the door close. When she passed into the living room again, Luke grabbed her by the arm, spinning her toward him.
Staring down at her, he dragged his thumb across her lips. “I don’t know how, but I’m going to prove last night was just foolish overreaction. I won’t hurt you again, milady. And believe me, I’ll be back with more than just supplies.”
Ashleigh watched him stride out the door, ducking slightly to avoid bumping his head on the threshold. As soon as he closed the door after him, she spoke to the empty room. “What an arrogant man you are! How dare you assume that I would want your company after what you did last night? You’re not only arrogant; you’re ignorant.”
True, he did seem arrogant at the moment; but was he really ignorant? Or did he read something in her eyes that she couldn’t hide?
***
What had he done? Luke wondered as he drove back to the house. The electricity between them was already so strong he felt as though he would be electrocuted if he so much as touched her. Then he’d turned around and grabbed her like that! He was a damned fool, as the tightening in his jeans proved. This was pure physical attraction—lust. He wanted her so badly that he actually hurt. But he couldn’t have her—not yet, anyway. First he had to win her trust, and given everything that had already happened between them, that would be one of the hardest things he would ever do.
Why was she doing this to him? he wondered, recalling their conversation—or lack thereof—in the car. Didn’t she know that her silence hurt worse than any physical pain he’d ever experienced? For the first time since adolescence, he was unable to charm a woman, and that bothered him a lot more than he dared to admit.
As a tall, muscular, fight-prone teenager, the girls he was interested in had seemed to want nothing to do with him. But with his mother’s help, he’d spent hours practicing the finer points of conversing with women. Upon making his first conquest, his reputation of gentility had spread. Any female he had asked eagerly accepted his invitations. Dating had come to him so easily, in fact, that he’d never been so desperate to charm a woman—or so unsuccessful!
Somehow, someday, he thought, I will get her to trust me. Then he sighed dejectedly. I hope.