“I wish it was different with us, but it isn’t.”

“That’s how it has to be.”

“No way.”

She looked up at him, saw the passion stirring in his eyes and felt a trembling deep within her. The world seemed to shrink. Mingled fragrances of dry earth, bleached grass and blossoming Queen Anne’s lace didn’t diffuse the scents of leather, soap and aftershave that clung to him, nor did the coming twilight dim his blatant sexuality.

What was wrong with her? Why would she fall for his lines all over again? What kind of fool was she?

She only hoped that he would leave soon and she would be away from him and would no longer notice the hard angle of his jaw, the dark secrets in his eyes or the way his jeans hung so low on his hips.

He was, after all, just a man.

But the only man who had ever been able to turn her head around and get under her skin.

Well, that had happened years before; a lifetime ago, it seemed. This time around, she was older and hopefully wiser.

He reached forward and she thought—hoped—that he would pull her into his embrace. Instead, he brushed a lock of hair from her cheek. At the feel of his fingertip, she trembled. Quicksilver images of his body, naked and hard, glimmering with sweat as he’d made love to her, flitted through her mind.

“Take a ride with me,” he suggested.

“A ride?”

“To Cougar Creek. Come on, Bliss. What have you got to lose?”

Just my heart. She swallowed hard. “Nothing.”

Didn’t he know how dangerous being alone together would be? Didn’t he care?

“Good.” He stuffed his hands into the back pockets of his jeans. “We can take us a thermos of coffee, or a bottle of wine.”

“Could we?” she teased, warming to the idea.

His grin was infectious. “You know,” he added, “I thought I recognized Lucifer in the south pasture. I suppose he’s still a mean son of a gun.”

“The meanest. Dad says Lucifer’s still a handful but not as young or as full of the devil as he once was.”

“None of us are.”

She noticed a shadow chase through his eyes, as if he, too, was remembering the fleeting past they’d shared so many years before. Suddenly she was leery. Being alone with him was tantalizing, but oh, so perilous.

“I—I don’t know. It’s been a long day and—”

“Coward.”

“I’m not—”

“So you still remember how to ride, city girl?” His voice was teasing, but deeper-sounding than usual.

The air between them grew thick. “I think I can manage.” “Good.” His smile was positively evil. “Then what are we waiting for?”

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Twelve