Free Wild Texas Rose by Christina Dodd

suspicion, but unable to quiet it, she rose, peeked around the corner — and saw him. He was fully dressed, his guns strapped on, his hat pulled over his eyes, and he was leading his horse away.
    Away ! After what had happened, after the pleasures of the night and the promises of the morning, he was leaving!
    She collected her carbine from behind the bed, swiftly reloaded it, and set it into her shoulder. Stepping out into the sunshine, she caught him as he fitted his boot into the stirrup.
    “This time, you bastard” — she cocked the lever — “I really am going to kill you.”
     
     
     
    CHAPTER TEN
     
     
    Jumping Jehoshaphat, Rose was nude! Not a stitch on! Bare-beamed and buck-naked ! In the open, in full daylight, without a shred of self-consciousness or guilt .
    Thorn gulped. What a woman. What … a … woman.
    Was that a rifle she was holding?
    Oh God, it was.
    She had her Winchester, and her hands were mighty steady. And she’d called him a bastard — the first curse word he’d ever heard her use. Deep in his gut, he had the ugly suspicion she would, without remorse, shoot him through the heart.
    He’d better think fast.
    But she was naked ! Nothing on but skin and hair !
    And she was magnificent. The sun shone full on her flesh, lighting every curve, every muscle, every part that had never seen the sun before. It shone on the hair of her head, creating a glossy halo.
    God, how he loved her.
    Unfortunately, that same sunshine shone on the carbine — on the black, well-greased barrel, on the warm brown stock, on the cold, empty mouth that would spit death at him.
    Too bad he didn’t have the brains to be scared, but all his sense seemed lodged in his pants.
    She spoke, and he almost couldn’t hear her for the pounding of his heart.
    “Get away from the horse,” she commanded. “I wouldn’t want him hurt if the bullet goes all the way through your nonexistent heart.”
    “Now, Rose.” Thorn tried to free his boot from the stirrup, and found his coordination had disappeared with his eloquence. Maybe it was the fact he couldn’t take his gaze off of her. “Now, honey…”
    She gestured with the barrel. “Get away from the horse.”
    “Yes, ma’am.” With a series of hops, Thorn managed to extricate himself, although he behaved so oddly even his stallion turned his head and watched him in amazement. “But before you kill me, I think there’s something you should know.”
    The blank eye of the barrel followed him as he moved carefully away from the horse and toward a boulder. He thought he might be able to leap behind it — if she shot before he explained. The location placed the sun up and behind him, so it might mess up her aim — if she shot before he explained. Most important, it kept the light full on her, so his last sight on this earth would be Rose — if she shot before he explained.
    Might as well die happy.
    “There’s a reasonable explanation for what I’ve done,” he said.
    “Yeah, and I bet you’re trying to think of it right now.”
    Tilting her head, closing one eye, she sighted down the barrel. She looked as ruthless as any killer he’d ever faced, and twice as mad. Her anger inspired him to say the right thing … just as the sweetest couple of teacups he’d ever seen on a woman inspired him to stay alive. “You know, your daddy always warned you your temper would get you in trouble.”
    Her knuckles tightened on the rifle.
    He thought he was dead for sure.
    Then she lifted her head. “So?”
    “You’re not thinking straight. You’re thinking I’m abandoning you when that’s the farthest thing from my mind.”
    Her gaze cut to his saddled, travel-ready horse, then back.
    He waved his hands in what he hoped would appear to be innocence. “Now, now — there’s a reason. A really good reason, and if you’ll let me—”
    He reached for his jeans pocket.
    Every one of the muscles in her body tensed. She looked like a woman facing death.
    He froze.
    She