Free The Baby Race by Elysa Hendricks

Sue plopped on the bed and tugged at
the covers. "I'm not tired."
    "Why don't you come out to the barn with me
and let your sister sleep awhile longer?" Race stood in the open
doorway. His gaze traveled over Claire leaving a wake of heat that
made the blanket irrelevant. "I'll give you a ride on Thunder."
    "Wow! I'll get my boots." Bobbie Sue bolted
from the room.
    Claire pulled the sheet around her chest,
brushed a tangle of hair from her eyes and sat up, but kept her
head lowered. "Are you sure that's safe?"
    "Thunder is a big softie. He just looks
dangerous because he's big. Besides, I'll be right there with them.
I won't let anything happen to Bobbie Sue."
    "I know." Even though she'd spent most of her
time working on the house, Claire was well aware of how much time
Bobbie Sue spent shadowing Race and how patient he was with her.
The little girl adored him. Claire felt a pang of misgiving. How
would Bobbie Sue feel when they left Race's ranch?
    How would she feel?
    He sat on the edge of the bed and leaned
forward. Her breath froze when his fingers touched the corner of
her suddenly dry mouth. A stray strand of hair trailed across her
cheek. Warmth from his fingers lingered.
    "Did I thank you for everything you did?" he
asked. The sunlight streaming in behind him cast his face into dark
relief hiding his expression.
    "Y-yess," she stammered, her heart racing
from his too casual caress.
    "Good. You've done wonders here, too." He
looked around her now comfortable bedroom, taking in the polished
wooden floor; the colorful woven rugs and bedding; the painted
white furniture and tiny rosebud wallpaper. "This room is a far cry
from the mess it was the day you arrived."
    His approval sent a shiver through her.
    She'd worked hard to create a restful haven
where she could retreat at the end of the day. Now with one visit,
he ravaged the peace of her sanctuary. His presence filled every
corner. The feminine atmosphere underlined his blatant masculinity.
Still, he didn't appear out of place or ill at ease.
    "The whole house looks great. I'll have to
turn you loose in my room next."
    "No," she whispered. Being in his room
conjured images she thought she'd banished.
    "No?" His lips quirked up. "Guess I'll have
to find a way to convince you."
    His gaze locked with hers and his head bent.
Warmth from his body drew her. The covers slid down as she swayed
toward him. Strong fingers wove into her hair and cupped the back
of her head. Like a moist summer's breeze his breath brushed over
her heated cheeks and her eyelids dropped heavily. She lifted her
face to his. A moan of satisfaction slipped from her as he covered
her mouth with his own.
    The clean scent of soap and man filled her
nostrils, then his arms closed around her. Worry and fear, caution
and conscious thought dissolved as she surrendered to the
sensations coursing through her. Crushed against his broad chest,
her breasts swelled. His mouth feasted on hers, evoking feelings
and longings that she'd never even imagined were possible. Like on
a roller coaster ride her stomach rose and fell with every kiss,
leaving her breathless and restless for what might come next.
    An explorer in undiscovered country his mouth
moved down her throat, nuzzling aside her nightgown. Her nipples
grew hard and ached for his touch.
    She ran her hands up his arms and into his
hair. Pulling loose the rawhide tie, she let the black silk strands
flow through her sensitized fingers.
    This was what she'd been searching for.
    This was home.
    "I'm ready."
    Bobbie Sue's voice from the hall acted like a
bucket of cold water on Race. He jerked away from his heated
embrace with Claire.
    What was he thinking? Against her pale face
her lips appeared blood red, her brown eyes wide and full of
distress. Her simple white cotton nightgown fell off one shoulder,
exposing the vulnerable skin of her throat and collarbone, also red
from the scrape of his unshaven jaw.
    He strode over to the open doorway and
blocked the little