Free Trail of Lust by Em Petrova Page A

then setting her back a couple of inches so their bodies no longer touched. In a short time, she'd consumed him just as his first wife had. He prayed things ended better this time around.
    He wanted the lifelong connection his parents, aunts, and uncles had. Even his cousin Xander had found a female to settle down with and a man who shared their bed too. Now Graham held the fragile string of a new relationship, but until he knew no one could snap that string, he'd never rest. Never truly be happy.
    He sighed. With a nudge on her spine, he sent her away. She carried her boots again so the thump of the heels didn't sound on the wood floors once she was inside. Tripping barefoot across the turf, she sent a longing look over her shoulder that made his throat clench.
    She turned again, her hair fanning in an arc around her narrow shoulders. If he lived to be a hundred, he'd never forget this moment. Or this night.
    All the way home, his thoughts were filled with her. Heaviness throbbed in his groin as the memories of their lovemaking tormented him. When would he next hold her in his arms? He longed to get her into his own bed.
    By the time he reached the Hollis lands, the sun had risen fully into the sky. He paused on the rocky ridge to stare across the valley. From here, he had a view of the entire ranch. Four curls of smoke from four chimneys crawled into the sky. On the flat of the hill above, a little log cabin nestled, belonging to Xander.
    Graham's stomach rumbled. His ma would have a stack of pancakes for him, if he was lucky.
    Spurring on Old Gray, he dashed down the steep slope and raced across the valley, imagining how it would feel to ride into the yard with Kathleen in front of him. Introducing her to the family would be harrowing, to say the least. His brothers and cousins could take their teasing too far. He could almost hear them now—the “dark horse” among them, Graham, had taken a wife? And in secret, what else?
    He was a dead man. No Hollis could get away with it, and Graham would be battered with questions about his motives for keeping Kathleen a secret. Suddenly, if Graham were hemmed in by Wabash and his family, he'd rather go up against Wabash. Right now, it seemed the easier way out.
    As he reached the house, the clatter of wagon wheels echoed through the valley. Drawing up short, he looked up to find a wagon full of Hollises bouncing toward him. He smiled to see the familiar blue hat of Xander's wife, Annabelle—a woman who looked so much like Bella it had nearly put a rift between him and Xander when Graham had insisted on claiming her.
    He shook his head, still filled with guilt by his actions. Of course, he'd made amends, but he always approached the woman with a certain amount of caution when Xander or James, her other lover, were around. The men were possessive about their woman.
    Graham swallowed hard. What would Kathleen be doing right now? Fixing breakfast for her pa and the hired man, no doubt. A frisson of unease wove through him. Something about that ranch hand unsettled Graham. The man hadn't lifted a finger to help with the calf pulling. In fact, he'd been nonexistent until after the work was done.
    "Ho!” Xander's command for the horses to stop boomed out.
    Graham dismounted and strode to meet the wagon. James and Annabelle were in the back with the baby. Little Sadie was snuggled in the crook of James's arm, sleeping like an angel, her rosebud lips pursed and dark lashes casting shadows on her baby cheeks.
    For the first time ever, Graham's heart turned over at the sight of a child. Visions of an auburn-haired, pink-cheeked baby flitted into his head.
    He stuck out his hand for Annabelle to take and pulled her to her feet, but she remained in the wagon. “A mighty cozy family you have here, men."
    Xander twisted on the wagon seat and flashed a smile. His hat was pulled low against the glare of the sun, but it didn't hide his happiness.
    Soon I'll have that too . “What brings you