Expressions hopeful, Smokey and Topaz left their beds.
“All right, you know you can go out anytime you need to.” They had a doggy door to the run, but apparently they were after more than a brief outing. She patted them both as she got to her feet. “Sorry, no walks in the middle of the night.”
Looking at her empty bed, she knew exactly what was wrong with her. She hadn’t gotten as lucky as one of the broodmares in her barn for nearly a year. The moment she’d discovered Jack’s infidelity, she’d kicked him out of her bed, and no man had replaced him. Yet. Every time she bred one of the mares, she wondered when it would be her turn to feel a man over her and inside her.
Only, not Jack.
She hadn’t been able to imagine with whom until now.
Aidan’s chiseled features suddenly filled her mind. This would never do. She had to get the Irishman out of her thoughts. She couldn’t have fantasies of her business partner or she would never be able to work with him.
Leaving her bedroom, dogs at her heels, Cat walked through the dark house to the back door.
“Your run is that way.” She pointed and the dogs reluctantly headed for the doggie door.
Her eyes adjusted quickly once outside, the dusk-to-dawn light on the exterior of the barn was her only illumination now. The moon remained hidden by storm clouds. A gust of wind tore at her nightshirt so that it billowed around her like a sail. The air that sneaked under the material was chilly and humid, heavy with unshed rain. She gladly escaped it as she ran into the barn.
Leaving lights on all night would mess with the normal reproductive patterns of the mares, so the barn was dark.
Since she was only checking on Fairy Tail and Mac, and not wanting to disturb the others who should be sleeping, she took one of the combination flashlight/lanterns from a hook near the door and used it to guide her to the aisle housing the Hill mares. Whenever she entered the barn at night after a mare was covered, Cat always tried to be as quiet and unobtrusive as possible so as not to awaken more of the horses than she needed to.
But tonight, a low nicker from one side of the barn and the sound of hooves clicking against the stall boards on the other made her stop short. She listened intently, but heard nothing that should disturb the horses.
So why were they awake?
She could hear sounds in every direction as horses moved around their stalls. At three o’clock in the morning. Daylight was still two hours away.
What had happened to agitate them?
For a moment, Cat had the distinct feeling she wasn’t alone, that someone else was in the barn with her.
At three in the morning!
Heart drumming in her ears, she listened past the thrum of her own pulse speeding up, searched for another presence.
Was that a footstep she heard? A human breath?
“Is someone in here?” she called out.
No answer.
“Raul?” Her mouth went dry. She held her breath and concentrated on picking up the slightest sound. “Bernie?”
A little freaked, she told herself she was imagining things. No one else was anywhere around. No human anyway. The horses quieted down, a single nicker from across the barn the only sound of disturbance.
With no other apparent reason, Cat put their restless behavior to the coming storm. Wind unsettled horses and made them more likely to spook at any little rustle, because pinpointing the source was nearly impossible. Horses were flight rather than fight animals. Any strange sound could mean a predator approaching, which would kick up their nerves.
Just then the wind whistled into the barn and up the aisle and the restlessness around her increased once more.
The coming storm. That had to be it.
Relaxing, she took a deep breath and moved down the aisle, stopping only when she reached Fairy Tail’s stall. She switched her flashlight to lantern mode so that it would give the area a soft glow and not bother the horse’s eyes.
Seeing that the mare stood away from the door, Cat wondered why she didn’t step forward as she usually did. Fairy Tail normally loved the attention Cat gave her.
“Hey, girl, how are you doing?” Cat called softly.
The mare backed up into the farthest corner, pulled her head high and snorted. Cat could see the mare’s dark eyes staring at her. That and the snort translated into the mare worrying about some hidden danger.
“It’s me, sweetheart. I’m not going to hurt you.”
Cat clipped the lantern to a jeans loop and freed her hands, and as she slowly moved forward, held out one of her hands in a nonthreatening way. The mare was so spooked by the wind that she didn’t trust her. Cat kept talking nonsense in a soft voice, anything to soothe the mare. Her being so stressed wasn’t good, and Cat feared that it would interfere with her conceiving.
“Relax, girl, that’s it,” Cat murmured as the mare finally lowered her head and stretched out her neck so Cat could touch her. “Yes, you know me. You know there’s no reason to be afraid.”
But as she ran a hand along the mare’s neck, her horseflesh quivered. Fairy Tail was afraid of something. And the wind wasn’t even whipping through the barn now.
Had Fairy Tail been hurt by the stallion’s cover that morning?
Had she missed something in checking over the mare?
Continuing her soothing chatter, Cat rechecked every inch of the mare’s body for scratches or bites she might have gotten from False Promise, but she found nothing. Fairy Tail was physically fine as far as she could see. And given Cat’s continued attention, she finally settled. So the mare wasn’t hurt, just frightened.
“You are a scaredy mare,” Cat whispered, kissing the velvety soft nose. A rush of warm breath on her cheek in return made her smile and pat the mare’s neck. “Are you going to be okay now if I leave you?”
Fairy Tail pushed at her in response, making Cat laugh.
“That’s my girl.”
Relieved, she left the stall and got that weird feeling of not being alone again. But though she stopped and waited and listened for something that would indicate another human presence, nothing seemed out of place. It was more an itchy feeling of something being wrong.
Not wanting to stay in the barn any longer than necessary, Cat headed for the center aisle and Mac Finnian’s stall. The colt was acting nearly as weird as Fairy Tail. But like the mare, he quickly settled under her soothing hands. Other than the tension that rippled through the barn, he seemed just fine.
A rumble of thunder followed by a flash of light through the open doors set off the horses once more. They began to shift and nicker.
What a night—she’d never seen them all so edgy.
She’d never felt so edgy being in the barn alone.
It was almost as if something horrible was about to happen here.
Then the tap-tap of rain hitting the roof made Cat groan. The storm had started in earnest.
Deciding to get to the house before the sky opened and the drizzle turned into a downpour, she left the flashlight on its hook and made a run for it. The rain beat down on her harder than she expected. She tucked her chin to her chest and ran blindly toward the house.
The wet ground beneath her feet made going treacherous, and halfway there, she slipped, slid and caught herself only to ram into another body. Arms wrapped tight around her.
Instinct made her fight and start to scream until a hand whipped over her mouth to hush her.
* * *
CERTAIN THAT SHE’D LEFT THE BARN, he left the shadows where he’d been hiding. She’d passed right by him without even knowing he was there.
What the hell had she been doing out here anyway?
Five minutes earlier and she would have caught them. She could still catch them. They weren’t by any means done with their work.
He considered the risk.
Considered the reward.
Considered what would have to be done if one night Cat entered the barn at the wrong time.
He decided he cou
ldn’t let it matter—the risk was worth whatever they had to do.
They’d gotten rid of one obstacle.
Cat was equally disposable.
Chapter Six
Cat bit down on the hand covering her mouth—hard!—until he let her go.
“What the—”
“Aidan?”
His name came out a screech that attacked his ears.
“Aye,” he growled in return.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
“Trying to be a gentleman, is all. If I hadn’t caught you, you would be butt-down in the mud now.”
She gaped at him as if trying to come up with some stinging retort.
The rain was coming down harder. Aidan had no patience for her temper, especially since she’d felt so good up against him. The dream hovered in his mind…he’d had no release and he was fighting to ignore his continued arousal. He pressed a hand against her arm to get her moving toward the house again.
A moment later, they were inside, dripping water and leaving blobs of mud in their path along the kitchen floor.
“How long were you out there?” she demanded to know. “Were you in the barn when I called out?”
His gut tightened. “Someone was in the barn?”
“I thought so…but probably not. The storm had the horses worked up. My imagination, too.”
Staring at her worked up his imagination. Brought to mind the dreams he’d had of her. She looked like a beautiful water sprite, wet ringlets around her face, the filmy thing she wore soaking wet and clinging to her breasts, outlining nipples that begged for his personal attention.
If his dreams were truthful, he knew exactly what she liked.
“See something you like?” she asked.
Aidan jerked up his head, but there was nothing he could do about his lower parts. She was staring at him wide-eyed. He could see a fast pulse beating in her throat. Her mind was on the same track as his. Raw desire cut through him. He waited for her to say something, to dispel the heat that was building in him to a point of discomfort.
He fought his instincts, fought the dreams. Still…
Unable to help himself, he stepped closer, just to test her. So close that her breasts, now mere centimeters from his chest, seemed to strain against the thin cloth to reach out and touch him.
He said, “I heard you go out to the barn quite a while ago.”
He lifted a strand of her wet hair and curled it around his finger. Waited for her to move. To say something. She did neither.
“I waited for you to return, Cat.”
He could hear her breath. Uneven. Her trying to control it. Him trying to control himself in response.
“But you didn’t.”
Still she didn’t say anything. Stared into his eyes. Licked her lips and left them parted. Tempting him. On purpose? Could he really resist?
“You were gone so long I thought something was wrong. I was a bit worried, thought I ought to check on you, to make sure you were safe.”
He had her backed up against the sink now, his erection lightly brushing the V at her upper thighs. Sliding his hands around her hips, he pulled her against him so that she could feel his need.
And then she kissed him.
Her mouth opened to him, invited him, greedily took his tongue. The kiss was deep and hard and hot. He slid his hands up to her breasts, plucked the turgid nipples through the thin material. She moaned into his mouth. And she began to move against him, Pressing. Rocking. Bringing him nearly to the brink fully clothed.
He imagined her taking him in her mouth…opening her thighs…letting him do anything and everything to her…
A crack of thunder startled him into ending the kiss.
Lightning lit the room. Lit her. Wanton features. Ripe breasts barely hidden by fabric that made them even more tempting.
He’d been ready to take her right there, to rip off her clothes, heft her onto the sink and take her.
The dreams…
He remembered his vow.
Getting a grip on himself, he stepped back. What in the world had he been thinking?
Well, that was the problem, then—he hadn’t been thinking at all.
He had to get hold of himself, not let nature’s instincts lead him into making another huge mistake.
He had to say something to make things right.
Seeing her face, he let his apology freeze on his tongue.
No anger there. No regret. Her expression told him she was intrigued.
And yet she was able to pull away, saying, “I’m going back to bed now.”
In the doorway, she looked over her shoulder once, as if to see what he would do about that. When he didn’t follow, she left the kitchen.
Wanting in the worst way to follow, to take her up on her unasked invitation, he watched her go with great regret.
When he was able to walk again, he took himself back downstairs.
The in-law apartment was two rooms and a bath. He walked through the living area with its upholstered sofa and chair, a small galley kitchen and a table, and into the bedroom. Throwing himself in bed, he waited for sleep…and the dream…to reclaim him.
* * *
THE DOGS’ BARKING confused him.
Where was she?
They weren’t friendly barks. Nor barks of warning.
Something pitiful vibrated through their voices and one of them began to howl. The other was digging desperately, and his stomach knotted as he waited to see what was buried beneath the earth… .
Only, his eyes flashed open too soon.
A nightmare.
His heart pounded, and blood coursed through him.
He’d gone to bed expecting to be sexually satisfied, at least in his dream, and instead a nightmare left a taste of dread that kept him awake the rest of the night.
* * *
IT ALL SEEMED UNREAL to Cat when she woke at daybreak. Though he hadn’t followed her into her bed and she’d had to take care of the potential frustration herself, she’d dreamed of Aidan. Of everything he could do to her and she could do to him. Just thinking about it now made her edgy. The bed was too empty, so she left it and jumped in the shower.
One thing she wasn’t was shy about sex. How could she be, considering her profession? She’d had a mind-bending sex life with Jack…well, until she hadn’t. He’d had her believing so many lies that once she learned the truth anything between them sexual or otherwise had been over. A year of celibacy was enough. She was open to having another man in her bed.
She decided there was no need to be embarrassed because Aidan had changed his mind. Undoubtedly, he’d simply thought twice about the implications of their sleeping together while working together.
Then again, perhaps he’d remembered she was the person in the partnership who had the money.
Even if it wasn’t literally true, even if she’d had to borrow the money to bring Mac Finnian from Ireland, the thought hit too close to home, reminded her of her relationship with Jack. When she’d met her ex-husband, he’d been charming and sexy and broke. She’d been susceptible both emotionally and physically and therefore had made the biggest mistake of her life. She didn’t need another situation like that with a man, so perhaps things had turned out for the best.
After a quick breakfast, Cat fed the dogs and took them out with her when she left the house. They wanted to follow her into the barn, which was fine with her horses, but she wasn’t certain about Hill’s or the other four.
“No.” She pointed to an empty pasture. “Over there. Go!”
Topaz looked doubtful, but when Smokey took off, she followed. The dogs had roaming privileges on her property; an electric fence kept them from straying elsewhere.
Cat entered the barn. Raul and Bernie were already inside, mucking out stalls. After checking to make sure Fairy Tail had gotten over whatever had been freaking her out in the middle of the night, Cat made for Mac’s stall. To her surprise, it was empty.
“McKenna took
his colt outside to work him.”
She turned around to find Bernie behind her. “Thanks. I was a little surprised. He certainly got out here early enough.”
“He was already checking over the colt when I came in. That horse looks like a powerhouse to me. Great investment.”
“From your lips, Bernie.” Everything counted on her being right about Mac. “We could use an infusion of money. Hopefully I’ll be able to give you and Raul a raise before summer is out.”
“I know I’d appreciate one.”
In his early twenties, Bernie Hansen was tall and broad and strong as an ox, which made him perfect for this work despite his college degree. Still she couldn’t help but be curious as to why he hadn’t gotten a job in his field. Tricked out in a suit and tie, he was more than presentable with a neat haircut and a smile that crinkled the corners of his brown eyes.
Maybe there simply weren’t any available jobs and he took this one because it was familiar work—he’d been raised on a farm. He hadn’t quite worked for her long enough for her to be comfortable probing into his personal life.
Thinking about her middle-of-the-night scare, Cat asked, “Bernie, were you in the barn last night?”
He started. “Me? When?”
Caught by the tension he suddenly exuded, Cat frowned. She’d simply hoped he would put her mind at ease. “About three in the morning.”
“Nope, not me, Miss Clarke. I was in bed by eleven. I need my beauty rest,” he joked.
Either he’d relaxed or was doing a good job of covering his nerves.
“Okay, just wondering.”
“Why? Is something wrong?”
“I hope not.” Not wanting to give Bernie the opportunity to probe further, she said, “I think I’ll go out and see how it’s going with Mac.”
“Yes, ma’am. And I’ll get at the colt’s stall so it’s done before McKenna’s finished with him.”
Though his initial reaction still bothered her, Cat told herself to forget it. Bernie had probably been afraid she’d thought he’d done something wrong.
Out back, Aidan and Mac were in the round pen. On foot, Mac moved in a smooth circle. It wasn’t until she got to the fence and stepped up on the lower board that she had a clear view of owner and horse turning together as a team. Aidan stayed slightly behind Mac’s shoulder, and when he turned in the opposite direction, so did Mac.
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