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«How old were you?»
«Five or six or seven. It was a long, long time ago,» Sha
Whip was shocked, but he didn’t pursue the subject. He wanted to erase the shadows from Sha
«I think she’s ready for a polka,» Whip said, looking over Sha
Immediately the harmonica’s music went from stately to raucous, with rollicking refrains that made Willow laugh out loud and tap her foot to the driving, infectious rhythm.
«Hear the beat?» Whip asked Sha
«I’d have to be dead not to!»
«Or dead drunk,» he said. «I suspect the Germans invented this dance as a way to get thirsty enough to drink beer all night long.»
Whip took Sha
«Ready?» he asked.
«For what?»
«To romp with me like I was Prettyface and we were in a high-mountain meadow with nothing around but wildflowers and the sun.»
The thought of romping like that with Whip charmed Sha
Then laughter fled in a hot rush as Whip put his hands on her hips. His fingers flexed subtly, savoring the feminine flesh just beneath the worn cloth trousers. The smile he gave her was as reckless and sexy as the glittering light in his eyes.
With no more warning than that, Whip began the polka, counting out the measure as he had the waltz. But this time his voice was nearly a shout rather than a murmur. Sha
Soon the two of them were romping and stomping from the living room to the kitchen and down the hall and back again. Every few steps Whip would lift Sha
Cheeks flushed, eyes alight, laughing, Sha
«I know you weren’t flirting with Cal,» Whip said softly. «But if you had smiled like that at me, I’d have wanted to do…this.»
As he spoke, the humor in Whip’s eyes gave way to the passion he no longer could conceal. He bent his head and took Sha
«And then I would have wanted more, so damned much more,» Whip said softly, breathing hard, holding Sha
With a low sound, Whip let Sha
Her breath fragmented over his name.
«Tell Cal and Willy that I went to check on Sugarfoot,» Whip said hoarsely.
The back door banged, leaving Sha
14
The next morning a wind howled down the peaks, herding brief, wild thunderstorms down the long green valley where Caleb and Willow had built their home. As Whip came inside, he held the doorknob carefully, making sure the front door didn’t slip from his grasp and slam shut behind him.
Sha
«Where’s Willy?» Whip asked.
«She’s taking a nap with Ethan.»
Whip smiled almost sheepishly. «Cal told me that we woke Ethan up with our dancing last night.»
Pink brightened Sha
«Ethan wasn’t awake for long,» Sha
«You should hear her sing with Reno and Eve,» Whip said, smiling. «Together they have the kind of harmony that would make angels weep with envy. Christmas was a special time last year, with all of us being together and the carols being so beautifully sung.»
«It must have been wonderful,» Sha
Whip looked at Sha
«You like it here, don’t you?» Whip asked.
«It would be hard not to. Caleb and Willow are generous with their hearts and their home. Seeing them makes me realize how much my parents missed in their marriage.»
«Reno and Eve are the same as Cal and Willy. So are Wolfe and Jessi. Must be something in the western air.»
Sha
But that wouldn’t happen. Sha
So she looked away from what she knew she couldn’t have.
But Sha
Whip glanced quickly at the hallway that led to the bedrooms. The door to the nursery was closed. So was the door to Willow and Caleb’s bedroom.
Knowing he shouldn’t, unable to stop himself, Whip crossed the living room with a few swift strides, took the mending from Sha
«Whip?» Sha
«Don’t fight me. Kiss me and let me kiss you. Let me have you, even if only in this way.»
Sha
Whip pushed deeper and deeper into Sha
With a low cry Whip tore his mouth free of Sha