Part 10 (2/2)
”What about the animals?”
”If they hear us, they'll know we're here and they might come into camp.”
He tried not to smile. ”Animals are also directed by scent.”
”I heard a mountain lion a little while ago.”
”He won't bother you.”
”You're sure?”
”Yes.”
She visibly relaxed and leaned into his side. Her arm rubbed against his when she turned to him again. ”There aren't any stars out tonight.”
”Why did you leave in the middle of the night without telling anyone good-bye? Why were you in such a hurry?”
He already knew the answer, but he was curious to find out if she would tell him the truth. If she did, it would be a novelty, he decided. His frown darkened as he thought about what an adroit liar she was.
His scowl was hot enough to set her hair on fire. Her spine stiffened in reaction. ”I know you're angry, but-”
He cut her off. ”h.e.l.l, yes. I'm angry.”
”Why?”
He shook his head at her. ”Don't you realize what could have happened to you? A beautiful woman like you can't go riding off in the wild without escorts. Do you have some sort of a death wish, Genevieve? Is that it? I know you're smart, but honest to G.o.d, I can't figure out why you would do such a foolish thing. Don't you care about the danger you're in?”
”I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself, and if you came all this way just to give me a piece of your mind, then it was a wasted trip. Go back home.”
She had tried to sound as angry as he had, but she was so rattled at the moment she didn't know if she'd accomplished the feat or not. He thought she was beautiful. The comment, made so matter-of-factly in the middle of his blistering lecture, took her by complete surprise. No one had ever called her beautiful before, and she had certainly never thought of herself that way. She was built all wrong. She was too tall, too thin, and her hair was too short. Yet Adam thought she was beautiful.
He couldn't figure out what had just come over her. She was staring off into s.p.a.ce, a dreamy expression in her eyes. A hint of a smile crossed her face, and if he hadn't known better, he would have thought she was daydreaming.
He heard her sigh. It was long and drawn out, the kind of sigh a woman makes after she's been satisfied. Ah, h.e.l.l, he thought to himself. Now wasn't the time to be thinking about such things.
”You were about to tell me why you left the ranch in the middle of the night without a word,” he reminded her in a voice that sounded like a bear growling.
The reminder jarred her out of the fantasy she was having about living happily ever after.
”It wasn't the middle of the night. It was evening, and I wanted to say good-bye, honestly I did, but I was in a hurry and there wasn't time.”
”Obviously not,” he said. ”Do you want to tell me why you were in such a hurry?”
”No.”
Her abrupt answer didn't please him. He held his patience and said, ”You left something behind.”
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