Free Whispers of the Heart by Barbara Woster

breathing stopped.
    “You won’t be going anywhere, Kat,” Dalian whispered softly, “until I release you.”
    Kat’s mind took his words and twisted them about, leaving her feeling even more breathless and less than steady on her legs. When he reached for the rope, her eyes widened again and then she felt the lasso loosen. He hadn’t even touched her. Suddenly she felt foolish. Of course, he meant to release her from her lasso. Certainly not what her mind conjured at his words. Still, his parting gaze left her feeling doubtful.
    He tossed the rope over the fence post, tossed Kat a look that promised their conversation wasn’t over, and then turned and headed toward the house; Marsha trailing behind trying desperately to get his attention.
    “So, what was that all about?” Chloe asked as soon as they were alone. She leaned against the railing with her arms crossed over her chest.
    “Just a little roping disability,” Kat said softly, and then turned and started toward the house.
    “Roping disability, my eye,” Chloe called after her. “You promised to give me a heads up, Kat.”
    “And I will, Chloe,” Kat called over her shoulder.
    “When,” Chloe said, running to catch up, “ after you’ve slept with him?”
    Kat stopped dead in her tracks and turned sharply, “Your claws are showing, Chloe,” she said softly.
    “With reason. Now why should I sheath them instead of clawing your eyes out?” Chloe said, equally soft.
    “I’m not interested.”
    “But he is.”
    “And that isn’t my fault in the slightest.” Kat closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She released it slowly before opening her eyes again. “Whether Dalian is interested in me or not, I can only assure you that I haven’t done anything knowingly to encourage it.”
    Chloe sighed and when she looked back up at Kat, the reserved woman was back. She grinned. “Sometimes you don’t have to. You know what; I don’t think I stand a snowball’s chance in hell with our foxy Mr. Rivers.”
    “And as far as I’m concerned, he doesn’t stand a chance in hell with me. So what now?”
    “I guess I should shift directions and you watch out for little Miss Marsha,” Chloe said, starting toward the house again.
    “What do you mean?”
    “You don’t have too much in the way of experience with men, do you, Kat?”
    “I was married you know.”
    “To your high school sweetheart, I’d wager.”
    “My college sweetheart, actually.”
    “Didn’t date much?”
    “Didn’t need to, but what’s my dating history have to do with Marsha?”
    “She seems to have her sights set on our Mr. Rivers, and she’s been after him a sight bit longer than I have, if I’m any judge.”
    “So?”
    “So, it’s obvious she hasn’t caught him and that, my dear Kat, makes her a desperate woman. And when a woman gets desperate for a man, they get stupid.”
    “And they tend to do stupid things?”
    “Not necessarily stupid, but mean.”
    “You sound as if you speak from experience.”
    “Firsthand.”
    “Why didn’t she come after you then? You were actually chasing her interest,” Kat countered.
    “Because she knows, just like I do now, that Dalian isn’t the least bit interested in me, which is why I didn’t claw her eyes out. However, she probably has figured out that he’s definitely interested in you.”
    “Well, hopefully, Dalian will catch the hint that I’m not interested and leave me be, then I won’t have to worry about Marsha, or any other woman who takes a shine to him. And if the need arises, I’ll simply let her know that I’ll be leaving in less than two month’s time. Then she can continue her pursuit unfettered.”
    “Good luck. Wanna grab something to eat? And I’m not talking about our host.”
    “Funny, Chloe. Real funny.”
    “I thought so,” Chloe laughed. “Come on. We better hurry before the men gobble everything up.”

CHAPTER TWELVE
    “Before we settle down to eat,” Dalian announced the following