Page 38 of Taming the Wild Cowboy

“You know I do.”

But she didn’t move. Instead, she let out a breath, softly audible and deeply sensual. Then, when Trev continued to hold his ground, wondering which of them would make the first move, Maclyn put her hands on his cheeks and gently tilted his head down. “Thank you for hiring me.”

His grip tightened on her shoulders as she lightly kissed him, her lips soft beneath his.

“I like the way you say thank you.”

Her eyebrows lifted. “How do you say you’re welcome?”

“With great vigor.”

She couldn’t stop the laugh.

“Was it something I said?”

She half turned from him, taking a deep breath to regain her composure. “Sorry. It’s been a tense week. I … I’m—”

“Ready to go to work?”

“Yes. Very much so.”

He stared down at her, feeling a wave of protectiveness mixed with desire smacking into him. And then he brought his mouth down to meet hers.

It was not a brushing of the lips, or a teasing touch. It was an I-want-you kiss that went on longer than Trev had intended. When he pulled back, a small moan escaped Maclyn’s lips and then she pushed her fingers into his hair, angling his head for another round.

They were both breathing heavily when Trev leaned his forehead against hers. “I owe you for that,” he murmured. Maclyn’s shoulders began to shake with quiet laughter, and he smiled down at her. “Shall we find some steers?”

“I’d like that.”

He stepped back, even though he wanted to move closer again. “Wish granted.”

*

The air was misty, the ground was slick, and Maclyn was glad to be able to focus on the ride rather than Trev. It’d been weeks since she’d been horseback. She’d saddled Danny, her trusty gelding who’d seen her through many a troublesome trail ride with guests, both humble and entitled, while Trev had decided to once again ride Spot, the big Appaloosa.

When they reached the stretched wire, he’d simply pulled fencing pliers out of his deep coat pocket, dismounted and cut. Mac helped him secure the wires out of the way so that the steers didn’t catch a foot and either destroy more fence or do themselves bodily harm.

It had looked as if the weather was clearing as they’d started across the pastures twenty minutes ago, but now the wind was picking up and a bank of blue-gray clouds were moving over the mountain. A gust caught Mac’s hood, blowing it back as she remounted. Trev clamped a hand on his hat, then motioned for her to follow him as he maneuvered Spot onto a trail that disappeared into a gully, following the obvious signs of cattle moving downhill. Mac watched Trev’s back as the Appaloosa picked his way through the trickier parts of the rocky path. What was it about a guy on horseback?

Or was it this particular guy on horseback?

He had given her a gift that day—a place to stay, a place to work while she made plans and applied for jobs instead of throwing magic darts at the listings.

“There.”

Trev’s sudden announcement startled her. She squinted in the direction he was pointing and eventually spotted a black body in the deep brush. And another close by. She maneuvered Danny up to Spot’s side, the toe of her boot brushing against Trev’s stirrup.

“What do you want me to do?”

He pointed up the hill. “I’m heading up and around. Stay here and hold these guys.” He shot her a quick look. “Can you do that?”

“I helped with the guest cattle drives. Danny and I can hold the cows.”

He answered her with a smile, then turned the Appaloosa’s head and started up the hill, circling wide around the steers that they could see.

After Trev had disappeared into the trees, Maclyn moved Danny up the opposing hillside a few yards, out of the natural trail formed by the gully. She could hear the Appaloosa moving up the hill, the nervous stirrings of the steers in the trees, and then a great crashing of brush that startled Danny. He sprang sideways, nearly coming out from under her, but Maclyn stayed aboard, quickly regaining her balance.

She reined the gelding around, blocking the steers that emerged from the trees, thus keeping them from charging up the hill. After a few clever moves on Danny’s part—Danny hated cattle—the steers began moving up the gully toward the opening in the fence half a mile away. Trev appeared at the top of the gully, pushing twenty more steer in front of him. He didn’t slow as he passed Maclyn, but he lifted his chin to indicate that she should continue side-hilling to flank them.