The Wagonmaster

“Damnation, woman! What happened?”

Tears threatened, but she clenched her jaw and answered, “I’ve stepped on something.”

He squatted beside her and grasped the foot she held off the ground. Addie placed her hands on his shoulders to steady herself. “I’m pretty sure it’s still in there. Can you remove it?” The initial shock of the injury began to recede, but she still couldn’t seem to catch her breath. His rough hand slid down her bare calf to cup her heel.

“That’s some splinter you got there. Hold still.”

Hold still? How could she possibly move? She tilted her head back and sucked in a strangled breath. The man’s hands sent a new kind of shiver through her.

He pulled the offending sliver of wood from the tender sole of her foot. “There.” His voice sounded strained, and she looked down into his dark brown eyes. The look they held both frightened and intrigued her. Her heart leapt as his hand glided back up her calf. He stood slowly, his hand continuing higher over her thinly covered thigh and hip. His palm settled in the small of her back. Her eyes never left his. She simply couldn’t look away.

“Woman, I warned you not to tempt me again.” He pressed her against his hard, warm body. She tried to speak, but her voice just wouldn’t work.

Any attempt to talk would have been futile anyway. His head lowered, and his lips slammed down on hers. This was no tender kiss like the one before. Her senses spun with the intensity of it. The pressure eased ever so slightly, and his tongue touched the seam of her lips. She stiffened at the unfamiliar act, and Reynolds’ fingers tangled in her hair and gave a sharp yank.

Addie gasped, allowing that sinful tongue to sneak into her mouth. And all thought vanished. She moaned, surrendering to the passion that gripped her. He answered with a groan. The sound sent a wave of heat through her. His tongue caressed hers, and she melted, seemingly boneless into his arms, the sensation exquisite. Never had she imagined such pleasure. His hands slid down her back to grasp her hips and pull them against his. The hard ridge of his arousal nudged her belly, but she couldn’t push him away. She had no desire to do so. She wanted to remain right here in his arms, pressed against his incredibly fascinating body. She wanted….