Come To Me Freely

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An Excerpt From: COME TO ME FREELY

Copyright ? BETH KERY, 2008

All Rights Reserved, Ellora's Cave Publishing,
Inc.

When she saw the older model, dented sports car in Tre?s driveway, some of her tension eased. Tre wasn?t alone. She knew instinctively that it wasn?t
one of his vehicles. Tre was meticulous about the
upkeep of his personal cars, just as he was about his horses, his home, his
trucks and his farm equipment. When Leigh had first met him she?d assumed
that his neatness was a result of his military training. But Sarah, Jeff
and Jim had since told her that Tre had always
been fastidious, even as a child. With his belongings and work habits
anyway. When it came to his person Tre was
insouciant.

Not that he needed to be concerned about his looks.
Little imperfections like a long overdue haircut, a five o?clock shadow or
dirty work boots and jeans only maximized his masculine appeal, never detracted
from it.

As Leigh slid a casserole dish out of the bed of the
truck she realized that Tre had made vast
improvements on the old farmhouse since the last time she?d seen it. The
dark green shutters on every window were freshly painted, as was the white
wood siding. He?d even restored and painted the huge porch swing on the
wraparound veranda. Leigh acknowledged for the first time that it was a
beautiful old home, a genuine slice of Americana.

Even though she stood at the forest green front door for
a full twenty seconds when she did finally knock it was with a firm
briskness. After almost two minutes and several attempts she finally heard
an inside deadbolt sliding open.

She took an unsteady breath and braced herself to see Tre.

Instead she found herself facing a half-naked young
woman. Leigh blinked. Her brain scrambled to interpret the image of this
attractively mussed stranger who appeared to be dressed only in one of Tre?s shirts. It fell on her somewhere in the middle of
bare, firm thighs. Her breasts swelled generously above the mere three
buttons that had been fastened.

?Oh?good morning,? Leigh finally managed when she
realized that the woman was eyeing her with sleepy, suspicious brown eyes.

?Yeah, I guess so. What time is it anyway??

?It?s about seven. Is Tre
around??

?Sure. He?s in bed.? The look that the woman gave Leigh
let her know that Tre was where most sane people
were at this hour of the morning.

?Oh, I?m sorry. He?s usually an early riser. His mother
and I just assumed??

?Most nights he probably doesn?t put away close to a
full bottle of bourbon,? the woman interrupted with a harsh bark of
laughter.

?Who is it??

Leigh stilled at the sound of the deep, sleep-roughened
voice. The woman who had answered the door glanced over to the right and
shrugged.

?Hell if I know, Tre.?

Leigh noticed that her voice had gone from bordering on
rudeness to a sultry drawl in a split second. Her spine straightened
indignantly.

?Sarah asked me bring some things over, Tre,? Leigh stated with a matter-of-factness she was
far from feeling. She didn?t hear him approach but abruptly the dark green
door swung back.

She held up her chin as she stared into Tre McNeal?s piercing blue eyes.

?What are you doing here??

?Well good morning to you too. Didn?t your mother tell
you I was coming for the funeral??

?Yeah. I never expected that you?d be coming over here
though.?

Leigh swallowed. His face had been cold and
expressionless when he said it. Still Leigh knew. He was referring to the
last time she?d been to the farmhouse. He was subtly telling her that he
knew how she?d been carefully avoiding him since then.

?Sarah asked me to bring over food to put in your
refrigerator. Hers is packed and she needs the food for after the funeral,?
she explained evenly. For a few seconds Tre just
stared at her, unmoving. ?Tre, can I please come
in? It?s freezing out here.?

He moved back slightly, signaling permission if not a
welcome. Leigh rushed past him. The sooner she got this over with the
better. She noticed that Tre?s formerly sleepy
bedmate looked alert now and completely irritated by Leigh?s intrusion.
Leigh met her stare, daring her to say something, especially when Leigh was
on such a righteous mission.

She didn?t need to look up to know that Tre had followed her into the kitchen. Leigh didn?t
want to admit that she was afraid to look at him. His sole concession to
clothing consisted of a pair of faded, partially fastened jeans. Leigh knew
for a fact that he?d just pulled them on before he came to the door and
that he wasn?t wearing a damn thing beneath them but warm, smooth male
skin.

It was bad enough that she avoided his person. She
couldn?t refuse to look at him indefinitely as well. Her voice sounded
brisk and matter-of-fact when she spoke.

?Are you going to help me or not??

Leigh?s heart drummed uncomfortably in her ears in the
ensuing silence. Her eyes were drawn to him against her will.

She went completely still. Maybe she should
consider not looking at him indefinitely. Especially now?in his present
state of undress.

Leigh had never understood how God had seen fit to gift Tre with such a disproportionate amount of pure male
sexuality. Technically Jim had been the more classically handsome of the
two brothers. Her husband?s features had been more regular, more harmonious
in their arrangement. Tre?s face was harder than
Jim?s. And the last word that came to Leigh?s mind when she sought to
define Tre?s expression as he studied her from
beneath raven black brows was ?harmonious?.

?Is there a lot more??

?Yes, the bed is full of food that people have been
bringing over.?

Despite her request, the only movement Tre made as he leaned indifferently against the
countertop was the stirring of his thumb. The idle gesture brought Leigh?s
eyes downward. His arms were crossed loosely over his chest and his right
hand circled a steely, work-hewn biceps. The thumb fluttered less than an
inch away from an erect dark brown nipple.

?Just forget it,? she muttered as fury unexpectedly
bubbled to the surface. ?I can see that you?re otherwise occupied.? Her
eyes sliced over to the woman who had just entered the kitchen. She stormed
past him toward the front door.

Tre?s arm snaked out and
grabbed her wrist with lightening speed. He jerked her body against him.

?I know the horse is damn high but do you think you
could manage to get off it without breaking your pretty ass, Leigh??

?