Free Pioneer Passion by Therese Kramer Page A

monk?
    When he broke off the mind boggling kiss, he
couldn’t interpret her expression as she glared at him. He wanted
to apologize, but what for? He hadn’t done anything wrong. Rusty
was the one who deceived him. So why did she make him feel lower
than a snake? Standing there like a lost child, he wanted to gather
her in his arms again; she felt perfect in his embrace. Her tall
frame was carved to fit ideally with his.
    When he had wrapped his arms around her
waist, he felt the thick cloth, but he suspected she was
slim-wasted beneath it all. Totally, exasperated, he raked his hand
through his hair, trying to shake his jumbled thoughts from his
head. He cleared his throat, and smiled at her but it was to hide
the annoyance at himself. Guy shook his head in wonder of her. She
had spunk, that one; he had to admire her and grinned. It had taken
all his will power not to skim his thumb across her cute, stubborn
chin and kiss it. Hell, that’s not all he wanted to do.
    “Come on! Let’s get you out of those wet
clothes.” He turned and walked away but Rusty stayed, folding her
arms across her soggy chest. “My spare clothes are still damp from
the morning wash!” she yelled after him. Guy turned and eyed her.
She cringed under his critical stare and dug her booted toe into
the dirt, trying to avoid his gaze. “I don’t have any dry clothes,”
she murmured.
    Guy replied, “It’s okay, you can wear some of
my clothes, although they might be a mite too big. They’ll serve
until we buy you some dresses.”
    “No dresses!” She hissed her words at him
through clenched teeth and walked proudly passed him, keeping her
back ram-rod straight.
    Rusty walked away with all the composure her
wet body could muster and was doing very well until she saw her
home lying torn asunder. It was as if someone took her life and
chopped it into tiny pieces, dropping it cruelly at her soggy
boots. Her pride ebbed from her body seeing her past destroyed
along with her home. There she stood, helplessly lost.
    “Sorry, kid.” She felt his hand on her
shoulder. “I wish I could set your life right again.”
    She turned with renewed rage in her eyes.
“Sorry just isn’t good enough!” Her body trembled, no longer from
the cold, but anger. How much more could she lose? Although,
frustrated beyond tears, she knew if she didn’t keep her temper in
check, she might be sorry afterwards. Like hell I’ll say my peace!
Her head was spinning with so much she wanted to say, but before
she had a chance, Guy grabbed her roughly by her shoulders.
    “Now, hold on!” His grip was firm but not
painful. “I’ve had just about enough of you fighting me on every
turn. Girl, or not… you’re going to know who’s the boss here and
now!” Bending at the waist, so they practically stood nose to nose,
he said, not keeping ire out of his voice, “You, young lady, will
live in my new house! And I don’t want to hear any buts about
it!”
    Seeing his eyes harden to blue ice Rusty
jumped. When he reached out to soothe her with a gentle touch, she
trembled. It was a nice contrast to his harsh voice, but she
overlooked it; she had to. Then she held up her chin in defiance
and with clenched fists, she turned and marched up the hill with
soggy hair sticking to her wet back. Her boots sloshed and she
cursed him for the turmoil in her life. Grumbling her way back to
the house, she opened the front door and entered. She stood
dripping, waiting for the cowboy. It dawned on her that she had no
idea where she was to stay. Guy must have sensed her predicament
when he stood behind her. He said, more gently, “Your room is to
the right, under the staircase. I did it up for a boy not a
girl.”
    Rusty heard his voice tinged with an apology
but the décor didn’t matter, it was the least of her problems. Upon
opening the door, the room was bigger than she expected and when
she
    saw the dark, bulky furniture, she understood
his remark. Her new quarters were definitely