Free Taken By Storm by Donna Fletcher

if they were careful.
    He baffled her, this American who had entered her life so chaotically and continued to cause anarchy. Yet she could not help but respect him and admire his courage.
    She watched him walk off to wait for her beneath the tree. After she told him she would speak with William and Philip privately before they left, he insisted he’d wait to help her get to her quarters.
    She hadn’t argued with him, perhaps because she felt it more sensible not to irritate her injured arm, or had she liked the comfort of his arms?
    Storm was shocked by her own thoughts and shook the nonsense from her head. Wherever had that idea come from? She had known the man barely two days and he had annoyed her more than not.
    It had to have been the kiss, she reasoned, returning to the campfire. It reminded her of bittersweet memories, memories she thought she kept tucked away. It had been three long years since her husband had last kissed her, held her, made love to her.
    She shivered and hugged herself tightly. She missed the warmth of Daniel’s arms, his body next to hers at night. They would cuddle in each other’s arms and fall asleep content. She hadn’t been able to sleep for weeks after his death. She had felt a constant chill without him beside her.
    It had taken time to cope with his death, to make sense of it, accept it.
    She shook her head. She really had done neither. His death made no sense and she had never truly accepted his demise, she had simply learned how to live with his absence.
    Now this brash American appeared and stirred long-buried emotions that she preferred remain buried. She didn’t want to be reminded and feel the dreadful pain of losing Daniel yet again.
    “You’re cold.”
    Storm jumped and glared at Burke as he dropped to his knee and added more wood to the dwindling fire.
    “You must stop sneaking up on people,” she admonished, holding her hands out to the rekindled flames to warm her hands.
    “I wasn’t sneaking, and besides, you looked deep in thought and I didn’t wish to disturb you.” He sat on the log beside her. “Is something troubling you?”
    You.
    She shook her head. She had no time to let nonsense interfere with her mission. No time for a man and no desire to love again. She had sworn over her husband’s body never to let another suffer so senselessly, and she would spend the rest of her life fulfilling that oath.
    “Are you sure?”
    She appeased him with an answer. “I have much on my mind and it sometimes overwhelms.”
    “The way of a leader. That is why a leader should have a diversion now and again.”
    “And what do you do for a diversion?” she asked, curious.
    “I ride across my ranch, sometimes for two or three days. Its vast, raw beauty puts everything into a clearer prospective. What once overwhelmed then seems inconsequential, and I return a much more satisfied man.”
    “That sounds appealing. Unfortunately, I don’t have the luxury of time. A moment by the creek, a brief glance from the tree house, or catching the flight of a soaring hawk are my diversions on occasion. Minute ones, though I do cherish them.”
    “Do you ever rest?”
    “You sound as if you accuse me of a crime,” she said and was suddenly caught in the depths of his rich brown eyes. They explored her face with an intensity that made her wonder what he searched for. That he had many questions was obvious. That he asked few disturbed her. He was patient in his exploration, which meant he was determined.
    “A good leader knows rest is essential to performance and accuracy.”
    “A good leader knows she will be called on to perform and make decisions, whether rested or not,” she recounted. “Why do you try so hard to get me into bed, Mr. Longton?”
    A wicked grin spread across his face, and she laughed at her ill-chosen words.
    He leaned in closer to her. “Given the opportunity, I don’t think it would be hard for us to fall into bed together.”
    “Confident in your prowess,