Free Silk and Spurs by Cheyenne McCray Page A

you doing?” he asked, wondering at the odd look on her face as well as her actions. “I want to see the rest of them.”
    “That’s ok,” Jessie said. “Why don’t we eat?”
    “It’s not ready yet,” he said. “Let’s look.”
    Jessie bit the inside of her lip.
    “What’s wrong?” he asked.
    She looked concerned. “I wasn’t going to show you these but I guess you have the right to know.”
    He frowned, wondering what it was that made Jessie so hesitant. “Show me.”
    She opened the laptop and the screen came back up with the photograph of Phoebe’s place. He was quiet as she went through the pictures until she came to one with Phoebe kissing another man.
    Zane went rigid as he studied the picture.
    “This was taken the day I arrived.” Jessie glanced over her shoulder at Zane. “Before you broke it off with her.”
    “Is there more?” His throat was tight as he asked the question.
    She nodded and brought up each picture on the screen that she had of Phoebe and the man. “It doesn’t look innocent.”
    “It sure as hell doesn’t,” Zane said, then was surprised that he no longer cared.
    “Who is that man?” she asked.
    “I don’t know,” Zane said, “and I don’t really give a damn.”
    “I’m sorry,” she said.
    “Don’t be.” He stared at the screen. “Just emphasizes what I already knew… Phoebe was a mistake. I am done thinking about her.”
    He brought his gaze to hers and he saw something in her eyes that concerned him. “There’s something else. Tell me what it is.”
    Jessie cleared her throat. “I saw Phoebe at the general store in Sonoita this morning.”
    He narrowed his gaze.
    “She said it’s my fault you broke it off with her,” Jessie said. “And she threatened me. She said she was going to make me pay.”
    Anger burned through Zane. “What else did she say?”
    “That was it. She left after she threatened me.”
    “I suppose you could say that Phoebe really showed her true colors. What she said to you was out of line and obnoxious.” He forced his anger back down. “Don’t worry about her empty threats. She may be an angry woman but she’s harmless.”
    “That’s what I thought.” Jessie attempted a smile. “Let’s talk about something a little more interesting.”
    When they finished eating and put the dishes into the dishwasher, he took her by the shoulders and kissed her.
    Her lips were soft and warm and she tasted of iced tea. He breathed in her scent. It filled him, traveling through his system like some kind of aphrodisiac.
    She slid her arms around his neck and returned his kiss. Her kiss was sweet and heady and it made him want her even more.
    He drew away and studied her gaze before giving her another hard kiss and then he released her. He picked up his hat and gave her one last look before turning and heading out of the kitchen and to the front door.
    As he walked away, Zane thought about how badly it had shaken him that Jessie had been so close to getting hurt in the barn. It had shaken him right down to his boots.

Chapter 10
     
     
    Fully dressed, Zane eased onto the bed so that he was lying alongside Jessie. Muted sunlight teased the red in her messy hair and he brushed it out of her face. She looked beautiful in his bed.
    “Hungry?” he murmured.
    “Oh, yes.” She snuggled closer, her eyes still closed, and pressed her thigh against his cock.
    His cock hardened but he gave a low laugh. “That wasn’t exactly what I’d meant but if you want to go another round, I’m game.”
    She opened one eye “You smell like fresh air. Already get the morning chores done?”
    He ran his finger down the bridge of her nose and she opened her other eye. “While you lay here, sleeping beauty.”
    A yawn had her covering her mouth with her hand. “What time is it?”
    “Seven-thirty.” He eased back up and sat on the edge of the bed “Time for breakfast.”
    “I could go for some coffee.” She scooted up so that her back was to the