Free Whispering Hills of Love (American Wilderness Series Romance Book 3) by Dorothy Wiley Page A

found herself drawn to him in a completely new way. A deeper connection seemed to form between them and it had caused her heart to pound in her chest with the fury of a growing storm. And then, from nowhere, she’d suddenly become frightened. He had given her no reason to fear him. Yet she did. The lightning bolts of desire that had exploded within her had terrified her. Such longings seemed perilous—fraught with hidden danger—and her first impulse was to throttle those strange feelings. Her second instinct was to run from them. And run she did.
    But she could not outrun her heart.
    Even now, she felt the dull ache of that same desire at the thought of him, but her familiar fears were also there, lurking just below the surface.
    Was she feeling fear because she was starting to have real feelings for William? Was that yearning burning inside her because she wanted him? Had she reached the point where she had to admit how she truly felt about him?
    She’d recently begun to recognize her own needs and couldn’t deny the strong passion within her that called for release. She wanted to love someone. Not just emotionally…but physically.
    The notion shocked her. Yet it felt real and honest.
    After several hours, her drifting thoughts drew together and something clicked in her mind. The awakening left her reeling. That’s what it was. She couldn’t deny it any longer. The thought of a man intimately touching her again filled her with overwhelming dread. But, in order to love William, she would have to yield to thepassion growing stronger within her. She would have to join with him, and do…that.
    It had been easy to deny her fears when there was no reason to confront them. But now, those same fears demanded recognition—acknowledgment that they were real. William was no longer only a hero she admired. No longer just the object of a simple girl’s infatuation. Now she wanted him. As a woman.
    She felt momentary panic as her mind grasped the realization. But this time, she refused to give in to her anxiety. She forced herself to breathe deeply, to listen to her heart. After considering the thought of making love with him for a few moments, she was more thrilled than frightened at the prospect. She allowed her fear to surface only long enough to recognize the absurdity of it. She had nothing to fear from a man who cared for her! William was nothing like those men—he was far different—and joining with him was bound to be vastly different too.
    She saw that clearly now and gave free rein to her feelings for him.
    She resolved to never let her fear win again. Without a doubt, it would surface again, but she would never let it win again. She could get stronger now. And she would, by God. Starting tonight. She’d successfully pulled all the pieces together and the relief she felt was intense. She felt more like herself than she had in weeks.
    Suddenly, she desperately wanted to get back to William so she could let him know what she finally understood. She wanted to tell him she was no longer afraid. She could now love someone. She hoped it could be him. But she still had serious doubts about whether he would ever consider marrying her. Maybe, just maybe, he would.
    She clung to that thought with all her heart.
    A deep feeling of peace settled over her as she decided to return to Boonesborough at dawn’s first light.
    “What’s a pretty young woman like you doing awake in the middle of the night out here?” a man asked in a low buttery voice from behind her.
    Kelly startled and hit her head against the boulder she leaned on. Alarm entwined with the emotions still smoldering inside her. Frightened, she grabbed for the pistol in her lap.
    “Don’t wrap your little hand around that handle,” the voice said. “I have a gun pointed at your lovely blonde head of hair. Toss that weapon off to your right. The rifle too.”
    His voice was chilling and dread rose in her chest.
    “If you scream for that man over there, I’ll