Purebred (5 page)

Chapter Six

Cat bit down on the hand covering her mouth—hard!—until he let her go.

“What the—”

“Aidan?”

His name came out a screech that attacked his ears.

“Aye,” he growled in return.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

“Trying to be a gentleman, is all. If I hadn’t caught you, you would be butt-down in the mud now.”

She gaped at him as if trying to come up with some stinging retort.

The rain was coming down harder. Aidan had no patience for her temper, especially since she’d felt so good up against him. The dream hovered in his mind…he’d had no release and he was fighting to ignore his continued arousal. He pressed a hand against her arm to get her moving toward the house again.

A moment later, they were inside, dripping water and leaving blobs of mud in their path along the kitchen floor.

“How long were you out there?” she demanded to know. “Were you in the barn when I called out?”

His gut tightened. “Someone was in the barn?”

“I thought so…but probably not. The storm had the horses worked up. My imagination, too.”

Staring at her worked up
his
imagination. Brought to mind the dreams he’d had of her. She looked like a beautiful water sprite, wet ringlets around her face, the filmy thing she wore soaking wet and clinging to her breasts, outlining nipples that begged for his personal attention.

If his dreams were truthful, he knew exactly what she liked.

“See something you like?” she asked.

Aidan jerked up his head, but there was nothing he could do about his lower parts. She was staring at him wide-eyed. He could see a fast pulse beating in her throat. Her mind was on the same track as his. Raw desire cut through him. He waited for her to say something, to dispel the heat that was building in him to a point of discomfort.

He fought his instincts, fought the dreams. Still…

Unable to help himself, he stepped closer, just to test her. So close that her breasts, now mere centimeters from his chest, seemed to strain against the thin cloth to reach out and touch him.

He said, “I heard you go out to the barn quite a while ago.”

He lifted a strand of her wet hair and curled it around his finger. Waited for her to move. To say something. She did neither.

“I waited for you to return, Cat.”

He could hear her breath. Uneven. Her trying to control it. Him trying to control himself in response.

“But you didn’t.”

Still she didn’t say anything. Stared into his eyes. Licked her lips and left them parted. Tempting him. On purpose? Could he really resist?

“You were gone so long I thought something was wrong. I was a bit worried, thought I ought to check on you, to make sure you were safe.”

He had her backed up against the sink now, his erection lightly brushing the V at her upper thighs. Sliding his hands around her hips, he pulled her against him so that she could feel his need.

And then she kissed him.

Her mouth opened to him, invited him, greedily took his tongue. The kiss was deep and hard and hot. He slid his hands up to her breasts, plucked the turgid nipples through the thin material. She moaned into his mouth. And she began to move against him, Pressing. Rocking. Bringing him nearly to the brink fully clothed.

He imagined her taking him in her mouth…opening her thighs…letting him do anything and everything to her…

A crack of thunder startled him into ending the kiss.

Lightning lit the room. Lit her. Wanton features. Ripe breasts barely hidden by fabric that made them even more tempting.

He’d been ready to take her right there, to rip off her clothes, heft her onto the sink and take her.

The dreams…

He remembered his vow.

Getting a grip on himself, he stepped back. What in the world had he been thinking?

Well, that was the problem, then—he hadn’t been thinking at all.

He had to get hold of himself, not let nature’s instincts lead him into making another huge mistake.

He had to say something to make things right.

Seeing her face, he let his apology freeze on his tongue.

No anger there. No regret. Her expression told him she was intrigued.

And yet she was able to pull away, saying, “I’m going back to bed now.”

In the doorway, she looked over her shoulder once, as if to see what he would do about that. When he didn’t follow, she left the kitchen.

Wanting in the worst way to follow, to take her up on her unasked invitation, he watched her go with great regret.

When he was able to walk again, he took himself back downstairs.

The in-law apartment was two rooms and a bath. He walked through the living area with its upholstered sofa and chair, a small galley kitchen and a table, and into the bedroom. Throwing himself in bed, he waited for sleep…and the dream…to reclaim him.

* * *

T
HE
DOGS
’
BARKING
confused him.

Where was she?

They weren’t friendly barks. Nor barks of warning.

Something pitiful vibrated through their voices and one of them began to howl. The other was digging desperately, and his stomach knotted as he waited to see what was buried beneath the earth… .

Only, his eyes flashed open too soon.

A nightmare.

His heart pounded, and blood coursed through him.

He’d gone to bed expecting to be sexually satisfied, at least in his dream, and instead a nightmare left a taste of dread that kept him awake the rest of the night.

* * *

I
T
ALL
SEEMED
UNREAL
to Cat when she woke at daybreak. Though he hadn’t followed her into her bed and she’d had to take care of the potential frustration herself, she’d dreamed of Aidan. Of everything he could do to her and she could do to him. Just thinking about it now made her edgy. The bed was too empty, so she left it and jumped in the shower.

One thing she wasn’t was shy about sex. How could she be, considering her profession? She’d had a mind-bending sex life with Jack…well, until she hadn’t. He’d had her believing so many lies that once she learned the truth anything between them sexual or otherwise had been over. A year of celibacy was enough. She was open to having another man in her bed.

She decided there was no need to be embarrassed because Aidan had changed his mind. Undoubtedly, he’d simply thought twice about the implications of their sleeping together while working together.

Then again, perhaps he’d remembered she was the person in the partnership who had the money.

Even if it wasn’t literally true, even if she’d had to borrow the money to bring Mac Finnian from Ireland, the thought hit too close to home, reminded her of her relationship with Jack. When she’d met her ex-husband, he’d been charming and sexy and broke. She’d been susceptible both emotionally and physically and therefore had made the biggest mistake of her life. She didn’t need another situation like that with a man, so perhaps things had turned out for the best.

After a quick breakfast, Cat fed the dogs and took them out with her when she left the house. They wanted to follow her into the barn, which was fine with her horses, but she wasn’t certain about Hill’s or the other four.

“No.” She pointed to an empty pasture. “Over there. Go!”

Topaz looked doubtful, but when Smokey took off, she followed. The dogs had roaming privileges on her property; an electric fence kept them from straying elsewhere.

Cat entered the barn. Raul and Bernie were already inside, mucking out stalls. After checking to make sure Fairy Tail had gotten over whatever had been freaking her out in the middle of the night, Cat made for Mac’s stall. To her surprise, it was empty.

“McKenna took his colt outside to work him.”

She turned around to find Bernie behind her. “Thanks. I was a little surprised. He certainly got out here early enough.”

“He was already checking over the colt when I came in. That horse looks like a powerhouse to me. Great investment.”

“From your lips, Bernie.” Everything counted on her being right about Mac. “We could use an infusion of money. Hopefully I’ll be able to give you and Raul a raise before summer is out.”

“I know I’d appreciate one.”

In his early twenties, Bernie Hansen was tall and broad and strong as an ox, which made him perfect for this work despite his college degree. Still she couldn’t help but be curious as to why he hadn’t gotten a job in his field. Tricked out in a suit and tie, he was more than presentable with a neat haircut and a smile that crinkled the corners of his brown eyes.

Maybe there simply weren’t any available jobs and he took this one because it was familiar work—he’d been raised on a farm. He hadn’t quite worked for her long enough for her to be comfortable probing into his personal life.

Thinking about her middle-of-the-night scare, Cat asked, “Bernie, were you in the barn last night?”

He started. “Me? When?”

Caught by the tension he suddenly exuded, Cat frowned. She’d simply hoped he would put her mind at ease. “About three in the morning.”

“Nope, not me, Miss Clarke. I was in bed by eleven. I need my beauty rest,” he joked.

Either he’d relaxed or was doing a good job of covering his nerves.

“Okay, just wondering.”

“Why? Is something wrong?”

“I hope not.” Not wanting to give Bernie the opportunity to probe further, she said, “I think I’ll go out and see how it’s going with Mac.”

“Yes, ma’am. And I’ll get at the colt’s stall so it’s done before McKenna’s finished with him.”

Though his initial reaction still bothered her, Cat told herself to forget it. Bernie had probably been afraid she’d thought he’d done something wrong.

Out back, Aidan and Mac were in the round pen. On foot, Mac moved in a smooth circle. It wasn’t until she got to the fence and stepped up on the lower board that she had a clear view of owner and horse turning together as a team. Aidan stayed slightly behind Mac’s shoulder, and when he turned in the opposite direction, so did Mac.

Only, Aidan wasn’t using a lunge whip or even a lunge line.

He wasn’t using hand signals.

He wasn’t even using his voice.

The two together were a beautiful thing to watch. Trainer and horse formed a real team, Mac working hard as if to please Aidan. Mac was one of the most magnificent pieces of horseflesh she’d ever had the pleasure of seeing. And Aidan was the most attractive man whose flesh she would like to see.

Shaking away the lascivious thought, Cat reminded herself she’d been through this already. The issue was settled. Wasn’t it? Aidan was simply her business partner. She told herself she didn’t need him to be more than that.

But the magic she was watching felt incredibly seductive to a woman who lived and breathed to make beautiful foals that grew into magnificent horses, while Aidan lived and breathed to train them to be champions.

At that moment, Cat thought she might be just a tiny bit in love with Aidan.

The balletic duo ended too soon. She’d gotten out to the barn too late to see the entire exercise.

Aidan walked over to her, Mac following like his big dark shadow.

“How do you do that?” she asked, noting how Mac caught up to Aidan and swung his head into his trainer’s arm for some personal attention.

Aidan gave him a pat. “What exactly?”

“No lunge line. No voice. It’s as if Mac Finnian anticipated your every move.”

“Exactly.” Mac jostled his arm again, more insistently this time, and Aidan reached into his pocket and pulled out a candy. “We have a special connection. We read each other without words.”

Cat grinned as Aidan unwrapped a striped peppermint. Aidan offered it to Mac, who at the moment made her think of the dogs when they wanted a treat. They would pester her to death until she acquiesced.

Suddenly realizing Aidan’s implication, she said, “Wait. Are you saying you have a
psychic
connection? With a horse?”

“Do you think it impossible?”

“I think it’s a little out there, Aidan, but I’m sure you’ve heard that before.” Something truly special had gone on between the two, but “psychic” was a little over the top. She sighed. “Jack used to talk like that. He told me all kinds of tales to charm me. Maybe he took all the magic out of my life.”

“I’m not trying to charm you, and I’m not your ex-husband.”

He sounded ticked, Cat thought. And he was charming her whether or not he knew it. “Okay, fair enough.” Let him have his fantasy. It didn’t hurt anyone.

“Believe me when I tell you I just know what Mac wants, and he knows what I want from him. I’m a McKenna from a family of McKennas who have…well… certain abilities. My immediate family all have different abilities with horses and other animals.”