Diane R. Jewkes (6 page)

Hawke glared at him. He too had been wondering about the mysterious Kara. He caught himself scanning the room for a large, strong woman.

He couldn’t keep from noticing the two women busy helping the guests with their plates.

The petite, pretty blonde reminded him of the debutantes in London. He couldn’t see the face of the other woman, but admired the slender line of her back, trim waist, gently flared hips, and her thick dark hair. He couldn’t tell if it was a deep brown, or black, but a stray thought of how it would look unpinned and spread out around her flitted through his mind.

Case walked up to the two women, putting his hands on their shoulders, catching their attention. Hawke heard the blonde’s soft gasp as she got her first look at Alec. The other woman had turned towards Case, bringing her profile into his view.

A beauty. He smiled. He hoped she didn’t live too far away. It might be worth it to get to know this woman better.

“Gentlemen.” Case looked at his guests. “I have the pleasure of introducing you to Miss Alicia Roberts.” He indicated the blonde on his right. Both men bowed slightly and Alicia executed a small curtsy and smiled shyly at Alec.

“And this,” he hugged the other woman to his side, turning her to face the two men, a wide grin on his face, “is my daughter, Kara. Ladies, may I present Lord Stoneham and Lord Peyton.”

Hawke could hear Alec sputtering behind him as they both got their first look at the woman they had been told worked as hard as any man. He couldn’t stop watching the play of emotions across one of the loveliest faces he’d ever seen. The shock he felt was reflected in her eyes. Her eyes trailed up his length and he wasn’t sure if he should feel flattered by it, or feel like a stud being inspected for flaws, until her eyes met his. He looked into the darkest blue eyes he had ever seen. He locked gazes with her and felt like he was falling into the depths of a Ceylonese sapphire.

“This is your daughter?” Alec choked out. He stepped forward.

“You are certainly a surprise, Miss Jonston,” he said as he took her hand and lifted it to his lips. “Most assuredly a surprise.”

• • •

Kara had dismissed Alicia’s gasp assuming it was caused by her seeing Lord Peyton up close. Then she had looked at Lord Stoneham.

Nothing could have prepared her for the man standing there. Not the foppish, citified dude she had tried to convince herself he would be. Not some soft dandy who’d never worked a day in his life. She had thought her father tall, then seeing MacCairn, thought him large, but this man … this man was huge. He must be close to six and a half feet tall. Her stunned brain tried to comprehend. No matter how far up she looked, she still didn’t seem to get to the top of his head. Her eyes traveled up past thickly muscled legs, trim waist, a wide expanse of chest, and massive shoulders until her gaze settled on his face.

His face. Suddenly she wished she hadn’t wondered where this man ended. She felt like the world had tilted on its axis. Light-headedness and an unaccustomed fluttering filled her insides.

My God.

Heat suffused her body; her heart raced madly out of control. No man should be so handsome. She took in the high, strong brow topped with light brown hair, square jaw leading to a strong chin with a small cleft. His slightly arched nose only added to the strength of his face. But what stopped her dead were his eyes. The color of storm clouds, just before the sun broke through; dark gray with a bright silver band around the outer edge. He smiled, and she saw full lips tipped up at the corners and two disarming dimples. She couldn’t breathe, like she’d been kicked in the stomach by a horse. Dragging her eyes from his mouth, she mentally berated herself and fought to gain control of her wayward thoughts.

This is the man who is taking half of my home. How can I possibly be so shallow and silly, letting good looks, all right, amazing looks, let me forget something so important?

Confused by Lord Peyton’s comment and bemused by his kissing her hand, she was about to ask for a clarification when she heard muffled laughter from her father. Looking over her shoulder, she saw his eyes brimming with tears of laughter, his shoulders shaking. She turned back to ask Mr. MacCairn to explain himself, but he was already exerting all his charm and attention on Alicia, who he escorted away from the table.

“Don’t let Alec’s loutish behavior make you think badly of us, Miss Jonston.”

Her head snapped around at the sound of Stoneham’s voice. The deep timber and soft burr sent a shiver dancing down her spine. It was like dark smoke, she mused, enveloping her senses, caressing her skin. Breaking from her wayward thoughts, she realized she hadn’t heard a word he had said. Hawke waited politely for her to answer his question.

Her father gazed at her fondly.

“She is one of my best hands. She can throw a rope, handle calves, brand — and she has trained a horse or two.”

She smiled warmly at her father, his pride and love for her wrapping around her like a soft blanket.

• • •

Hawke watched the exchange between Case and his daughter, the love and care they had for each other so evident and unaffected. He watched as Miss Jonston’s long black lashes, framing incredible eyes, swept down, softly touching finely chiseled cheeks. Lush lips and a stubborn chin promised a strong nature under her delicate appearance and beauty. Her skin, almost golden in tone, made him want to reach out and feel the soft warmth promised. His fingers ached to stroke her skin to see the flush of desire on her cheeks. Looking at the delicate girl in front of him, and trying to visualize what Case said of her work on the ranch, he shook his head.

“I can’t believe such a slip of a girl is capable of all you say.” Glancing back at Case, he tried not to show how much that slip of a girl was affecting him.

Kara looked at her father, then back at Hawke. “Excuse me! Did I just hear what I thought I heard? Did you just refer to me as a ‘slip of a girl,’ and dare to imply I was incapable of contributing to the running of this ranch?” She tipped her head back, glaring at him. “You have a lot of nerve, Mr. Pryce. You’ve been here all of what? Half a day, haven’t even seen the operation, haven’t spoken to me about what I do or do not do on this ranch, but,” her volume increased, causing many of the guests to turn to watch, “apparently, you have only spoken about me with others, and you have the gall to assume you know what I’m capable of … . Of all the idiotic, arrogant — How dare you?”

And with that, she spun away, storming from the room dragging her friend with her.

• • •

Slamming her bedroom door, she threw herself on the bed. She needed to vent her anger and calm down before she went back out there with a rifle and showed that overbearing aristocrat just exactly what she
was
capable of.

“Can you believe what he said? I’ve never been so insulted in all my life.” Looking up, she saw Alicia on the balcony looking wistfully down at the guests, trying to spot Lord Peyton. “Would you please get back in here and help me? What am I going to do about that insufferable man? Alicia!” Exasperation and a wounded ego warred with one another. “I need you to listen to me, not get all calf-eyed over his friend MacCairn.”

Alicia returned reluctantly into the room and sat on the bed, taking Kara’s hand in hers, a dreamy look in her eyes.

“Isn’t Mr. MacCairn divine? I could have talked to him all night. Oh, Kara, isn’t it so exciting!” she exclaimed. “Both of them are so handsome, and my God, have you ever seen such large men. It makes me all weak in the knees just looking at those shoulders … . ”

Kara sat silently, fuming.

“Come on, Kara, it can’t be that bad … . It’s complimentary you know,” Alicia said. “He probably thought what every other man who doesn’t know you thinks … you’re some Amazon with the face of a mule and a personality to match. I don’t see why you are so upset. Until he said anything, I got the feeling you were maybe a little attracted to Lord Stoneham. Am I right?”

Standing up and pacing the room, Kara thought about it. “I don’t know, I guess I was just reacting to seeing him for the first time.” Looking at Alicia, she tried to deny the attraction. “I expected some soft ‘dude,’ not a walking mountain. I was just thrown off balance for a moment … . I’m not attracted to him. And even if I had been, after his last remark, I guarantee the only thing I want to see of Lord Stoneham is his back riding away from the ranch.”

• • •

Case looked up at the balcony of Kara’s bedroom, then back at Hawke.

“I should have warned you.” He turned towards Hawke. “Kara has a hair-trigger temper, and has never taken kindly to anyone questioning her ability. She always felt she had to prove herself over and over. Needless to say, our partnership has put a bit of a burr under her saddle.”

“So it seems. It appears I may have started out on the wrong foot with your daughter, Case, but I will endeavor to change her opinion of me.”

“Well, Hawke.” Alec interrupted the two men. “It appears you’ve made quite an impression with your Miss Jonston. You have made her so angry she felt it necessary to drag Miss Roberts from a very pleasant conversation with me.” Turning to Case, he added with a crooked grin. “Fascinating. I don’t think that word begins to describe your daughter, sir.”

I couldn’t agree with him more
, Hawke thought to himself. Fascinating.

Sitting just inside the open French doors of his bedroom, smoking a slender cigar, Hawke replayed the evening in his head. After the Misses Jonston and Roberts left, he and Alec continued talking to the guests. He felt very comfortable, and surprised at how quickly they accepted him. No games, no having to prove you were more intelligent or had more money. A refreshing change from the world he had grown up in.

He’d noticed the women returning to the party, but it had been impossible to find a chance to talk to Miss Jonston again. She made it clear she wanted him gone. His eyes were drawn back to her lithe figure time and time again.

Her avoidance was certainly not what he had expected after her magnificent display of temper. He knew at some point he would be raked over the coals by her blistering anger and felt a perverse disappointment he wasn’t treated to a tongue lashing, just so he could observe her up close once again.

The cool evening breeze brought the scents of roses, wisteria, and lilac up from the garden below. The fragrances conjured her face. She was the most unexpected of all. Drawing deeply on the cigar, he watched the smoke drift lazily into the dark, a slow smile playing across his mouth. Yes, she definitely was a surprise. He had never expected to find such a delicate beauty out here. He longed to touch her golden skin and see those sapphire eyes burn with desire for him. He ached at the thought of her lying naked beneath him, eyes dark with desire and body flush with the same burning need he was feeling at this moment.

Shaking his head to dispel the vision in his mind, he stood, leaning one shoulder against the doorframe, one leg crossed over the other
. God, I’ve just met the woman, and already I want her.
The thought stunned.
I’m not some green boy in the throes of his first passion
. He had never been a man to let a physical attraction control his thoughts and his body. Why did this particular woman have him enthralled after just one meeting?
I’d better get control of myself, or I’ll be walking around like some moonstruck lad. I’m certainly not going to chase a woman around.
Warm willing women in his bed had never been a problem in the past, and wouldn’t be a problem in the future, so why worry about this prickly one?

Hearing a noise, he looked and saw one of the French doors open across the patio. He remained still as Kara stepped out on the balcony. Heat fired through him seeing her in only a thin gown, illuminated by the moonlight.

A low groan escaped his lips. The shadows of her narrow waist, trim hips, and long legs made him want to reach across the space separating them to stroke her. She tilted her head to one side, brushing her long hair. The urge to feel the dark silken mass slide over his bare skin was overpowering. He was going to burst with wanting. He felt himself harden with desire to possess this beauty.

• • •

Kara had come outside to cool off. The night had been so disturbing, and her room felt small and stifling.

Gazing at the dark blue velvet sky studded with stars, she idly brushed out her hip-length hair, while reflections on the barbecue ran through her head. The thought of Mr. Pryce brought an uneasy tightening to her belly.

Liquid fire raced up and down her veins, finally pooling deep in her abdomen as she remembered his intense gaze. Even though she had tried her hardest to ignore him, awareness of him watching her throughout the evening jangled her nerves. She didn’t know how to react.

Lord, this man has a bewildering effect on me, but why
? Her reaction confused her. She had met handsome men before, but none had ever caused such an immediate response as this annoying, aggravating … attractive Scotsman. She puzzled at her emotions. Angrily she reminded herself that despite his abundant physical attractiveness and smooth dark voice that seemed to twine itself sensuously around her nerves, this man had not only become her father’s partner, but also had the temerity to insult her. The brush strokes came harder and faster as she thought about the gall of that man.
How dare he question my ability one minute, while making me so intensely aware of him the next? What am I going to do?

Knowing brushing herself bald would not help, she stopped torturing her hair, leaned forward against the railing, tapping her brush against the wood over and over, and contemplated how to handle Mr. Pryce.

• • •

Across the patio, Hawke watched her. The sleeveless shift gaped from her body; only the dimness of the light protected her modesty.

He couldn’t stop looking at her even though he knew it was ungentlemanly to watch her like some Peeping Tom. Seeing the agitated way she brushed her hair, he knew the brush to be a poor substitute for his head.