by Linda Turner
“C’mon, darlin’,” he drawled, pretending her words struck him right in the heart and pained him. “Don’t be that way. I know you’re crazy about me.”
If any other man had said such a thing, he would have sounded ridiculously conceited, but Steve had that damn spark of mischief in his gray eyes that poked fun not only at her, but at himself. And suddenly, it was all she could do not to smile.
“Yeah, right.” She snorted, struggling to hold on to her frown. Damn him, why did he always have to make her laugh? “If you believe that, you’re worse off than I thought. Cookie, I think you’d better stop and fix him an ice pack. He must be suffering from heatstroke.”
Everyone laughed, but Lise saw the look that Tuck and Cookie exchanged, and she could hear the gossip already. Lise and the Yank are sweet on each other. You should have seen them in the truck. They couldn’t stop teasing each other.
Swallowing a groan at the thought, she opened her mouth to set the record straight, only to close it with a snap. No, she thought, gritting her teeth on the words before they could escape. If she did that, she would only protest too much and stir up more speculation. She’d do better to keep her mouth shut and let the rumors die a natural death.
When she turned her attention to the road in front of them and refused to let him goad her into saying another word, Steve knew exactly what she was doing. It was, however, too little, too late. Tuck and Cookie had already summed up their relationship and come to their own conclusions. By the time they set up camp for the evening, every cowboy on the station would know about the sparks flying between him and Lise.
And that would only make his job easier, Steve thought in satisfaction. He knew cowboys, and down deep, they were romantics. Once they knew he and Lise were interested in each other, they’d take every chance to throw the two of them together. That would give him plenty of opportunities to seduce Lise and find out more about her father.
Then there was the guardian Steve suspected Simon had planted at the station to watch over Lise. He still didn’t have proof that the man actually existed, but he knew he hadn’t imagined the floor creaking outside the study the night of Lise’s birthday. Someone had been trying to listen through the door, the same person he was sure was reporting to Simon everything that was going on at the station. Simon wasn’t a man who left anything to chance. He paid attention to the smallest detail, which was why he’d been able to avoid capture for so long. He wouldn’t leave the station—or Lise—unprotected from his enemies. He wasn’t that careless.
So he had his own man planted among the cowboys. The question was, which one was he? They all appeared to be extremely loyal to Lise, but no one knew better than Steve just how deceptive looks could be. He himself was not who he appeared to be. So who did he have to watch out for? Tuck was big and strong and, as Lise’s right-hand man, the logical choice for the job, but he was far too obvious to be Simon’s man. Which meant it could be any one of the others.
Whoever he was, there wasn’t a doubt in Steve’s mind that he would get in touch with Simon as soon as the word got out that Steve was giving Lise the rush. After all, Simon’s man, too, probably had a phone that could call anywhere in the world. Steve didn’t care how he contacted his boss—he was more concerned with how Simon reacted to the news that his only daughter was being pursued by a man Simon believed was involved in Simon’s illegal activities. If the bastard had an ounce of feelings for her at all, it just might bring him running in concern. And that’s when Steve would have him.
If Simon cared enough about Lise to make sure she was okay, Steve reminded himself grimly. From what Steve had heard of the terrorist, he didn’t care about anyone but himself. If he didn’t show, that didn’t mean, however, that Steve’s mission would be a total washout. There was still Lise. She was a sharp woman who missed little. She had to know more about her father’s activities than she was letting on. He had to find a way to gain her trust so she’d drop her guard and talk about it.
That would take time, and he appeared to have plenty of that. They drove for hours, stopping only to unload the horses so they could feed, water and exercise them before they loaded them back in the trailers and resumed their trek north. And the farther they drove, the hotter it got and the more barren the landscape became.
Steve should have hated it. They seemed to be a thousand miles from nowhere when they reached the far northern boundary of the station and finally stopped to set up camp for the coming night. And in every direction, as far as the eye could see, there was nothing but red sandy dirt covered by thin clumps of grass and spindly shrubs with little color.
There was, however, a wild beauty to the place that appealed to Steve in a way he couldn’t explain. With nothing to stop the wind, it swept across the desert with a low moan that seemed to call to his very soul.
Climbing out of the truck to stand beside him, Lise watched him size up his surroundings and assumed he saw little there to like. “You’ll get used to it after a while. It’s not all bad. The nights are incredible. You can see every star in the sky.”
“The days look like they’re pretty incredible, too,” he said huskily, gazing at the clouds that feathered the sky on the western horizon. “I can’t wait to see the sunset.”
“You’re serious!”
He smiled at her surprise. “I like wide-open spaces.”
He was, in fact, looking forward to exploring, but there wasn’t time for that now. There was a temporary corral to be erected for the horses, tents to be put up, dinner to make and serve, all before nightfall. They’d have to hustle to get it all done before dark.
Without anyone having to be told what to do, they all went to work. The horses were the number one priority, so they were dealt with first. While some of the men helped unload them from their trailers, Steve, Tuck and Nate quickly began constructing the corral. The sun had already begun to drop in the west, but it was still hotter than hell. And Steve loved it. Civilization was a million miles away—there wasn’t so much as a telephone pole anywhere in sight—and all too easily, he could imagine how the first English settlers must have felt when they explored this part of Australia. A lot of them would have hated it, but there were others who stayed and flourished here. Had he been among them, he would have been one of the ones who stayed.
There was something about the place that called to him. He couldn’t say why. It was nothing like the farm he’d grown up on—it was far too primitive and desolate. So what was the attraction? he wondered. Maybe it was because he’d become so dissatisfied with his work lately. He’d become an agent because he thought he could make a difference in the war of good vs. evil, because the challenge of that—and the adventure—appealed to him. But lately, one mission ran into another. The adventure was running thin, and the bad guys always seemed to be winning. And he’d only just begun to realize that even when his missions were successful, there always seemed to be something missing. His work took him all over the world, but he never felt at home anywhere.
Until today. Until he stepped out of the truck and heard the wind as it swept across the bush, calling his name.
You’re losing it, man, a voice said dryly in his head. Where’s your hat? Maybe you have been out in the sun too long.
Grinning ruefully, he adjusted his cowboy hat on his head and knew he was thinking just fine. Whatever was going on in his head, it had nothing to do with the sun. The changes were within himself, and sooner or later, he was going to have to deal with that. For now, though, this was where he was, where he belonged. Nothing else mattered.
The corral was assembled in record time, and the horses were let loose in it, then watered and fed. Watching them, feeling like he’d somehow stepped back in time to the Old West, Steve never noticed that the sun was sinking lower in the sky until he heard the clang of tent poles as the other men began erecting the tents. Tearing his gaze from the horses, which reminded Steve of the wild mustangs he’d once seen run free across a Montana plain, Steve wasn’t surprise
d to see Lise right in the middle of the tent builders, directing everyone where to set up their tents.
Unable to take his eyes from her, he wondered if she knew how completely she belonged here. From the first moment they’d met, he’d realized she wasn’t one of those hothouse flowers that wilted under the heat of the sun. Oh, no, not Lise. Strong and proud and in her element, she was like a sunflower that took whatever nature threw at it and still lifted its face to the sun. And she didn’t have a clue how attractive that was—how attractive she was. Just looking at her, he ached to kiss her again. Promising himself he would soon—and not because of his job, dammit!—he started toward her. He could tell by the nervous look on her face that she saw the glint in his eye.
“You can set your tent up over by Frankie’s,” she told him, nodding toward the far side of the circle of tents where the big, balding cowboy was pounding spikes into the sunbaked ground. “You’ll find everything over in the truck by the chuck wagon.”
If she expected an argument, she would be disappointed. Without a word, he strode over to the truck for his tent, ropes and stakes. From the corner of his eye, he saw her sigh in relief, and he couldn’t help but grin. He just loved it when she tried to boss him.
His gray eyes twinkling, he ignored where Frankie labored on the opposite side of the campground and marched to the spot right next to where Lise intended to erect her tent. “Actually, I like it over here better,” he told her with a mocking grin. “You don’t have any objections, do you?”
When she gave him a look that could have killed at sixty paces, it was all Steve could do not to laugh. The lady objected, all right. Her eyes met his, and all too easily, he could see that she was remembering that kiss they’d shared the night of her birthday, and she was determined to keep him at a distance. And they both knew why. Because she was as attracted to him as he was to her. That, however, wasn’t something she was about to admit, especially when every one of her cowboys was within listening distance.
Instead, she shrugged. “Why would I?”
“You know,” he teased, “I was just asking myself the same thing. And I couldn’t come up with a single reason you wouldn’t want me next door. After all, I asked myself, what’s not to like?” His eyes dancing with mischief, he teasingly counted off his attributes. “I’m clean and friendly, you can take me just about anywhere and I know how to behave. I’m conscientious, dependable and a good worker. And,” he added modestly, “I’ve been told I’m a damn good kisser. What do you think? Want to kiss me and find out?”
Since she knew just exactly how good a kisser he was, she could only suppose he was asking so the others wouldn’t suspect he’d already kissed her. And yes, she thought with a groan, she did want to kiss him again, and it was driving her crazy. No one had ever made her feel this way before, and she didn’t know what to do about it. He was playing with her and loving every minute of it, and she would have liked nothing more than to give him a taste of his own medicine. And she would—just as soon as she figured out how to do that.
“No, thank you,” she said, frowning in disapproval. “I think you’ve forgotten who you’re talking to, Mr. Trace. Or did I misunderstand?”
Undaunted, he only grinned. “I’ll behave, ma’am. I promise.”
He would do nothing of the kind, but Lise had come to expect nothing less from him. And if the truth were told, deep down inside, she wanted him to tease and flirt with her. But that was something she had no intention of telling him. Struggling to hold onto a frown, she said coolly, “See that you do.”
Grinning, he saluted her. “Yes, ma’am. Anything you say, ma’am, if it means I can sleep next to you. Do you snore?”
The other cowboys burst out laughing at that, and Lise found it impossible to hang on to her frown. Her lips twitching, she chuckled. “I guess that’s something you’re just going to have to find out for yourself, Yank. In the meantime, neither one of us is going to be able to sleep tonight if we don’t get these tents up.”
She didn’t have to tell him twice. The second she moved to erect her tent, he was there to help her, then he started on his own. Lise told herself that the only reason she returned the favor and helped him was common courtesy, but she knew it wasn’t true. No one had ever made her laugh the way he did or feel quite so alive. When he set out to be charming, he was impossible to resist. Later that would bother her, but for now, she couldn’t worry about that. Drawn to him like a moth to a flame, she enjoyed the moment.
By the time camp was set up for the night, sunset was still half an hour away, and dinner was cooking on the huge gas-powered grill that was built into the chuck wagon. Cookie had steaks sizzling, and the tantalizing scent of the grilling meat permeated the camp. Lunch had been nothing but sandwiches wolfed down during a short break, and everyone was starving.
Hot and dusty and sweaty, Lise was as hungry as the men, but she was more concerned with taking a bath than eating. Grit seemed to cover her from head to toe, and all she wanted to do was wash her hair and put on something cool and clean. She could eat later.
The decision made, she stepped into her tent and zipped open her duffel bag. Pulling out her lightest khaki pants and a white cotton blouse, she added underwear and a towel, then grabbed her toiletries bag. Imagining the water of the nearby springs cooling her skin, she hurried outside and didn’t even see Steve until she slammed into him and everything went flying out of her arms.
“Whoa, girl! Are you okay?”
Hot color flooding her cheeks at the sight of her bra and panties at his feet, she leaned down and snatched them up, then hurriedly reached for her other things. “I’m sorry. That was my fault. I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going.”
That much, at least, had been obvious, but he was kind enough to keep that thought to himself. Instead, he eyed the towel and clean clothes she clutched like a shield to her breast and arched a brow in surprise. “Where are you off to so fast?”
“A bath. There’s a spring about fifty yards on the other side of the rise,” she said, nodding toward the small hill that bordered the camp to the east. “I can’t even think about eating when I’m this dirty.”
Expecting him to make a teasing, flirty remark, she was surprised when his dark brows snapped together in a frown. “You’re going alone?”
“Well, of course.” She laughed. “I always take a bath alone.”
His frown darkened; he clearly didn’t see anything the least bit amusing about the situation. “You know what I mean, Lise. This looks like it’s pretty wild territory. Do you think it’s safe to go off by yourself?”
“It’s not as if I’m hiking cross-country by myself to Sydney,” she retorted. “I’m just going over the hill. If I get in trouble, all I have to do is scream, and the whole camp’ll come running.”
“That’s true,” he agreed. “If you have time to scream.”
Her eyes searching his, Lise couldn’t believe he was serious, but he was as sober as a judge. She had, in fact, never seen him so somber. He was really worried about her! Amazed, she said, “C’mon, Steve, lighten up. I grew up here, remember? We’ve been coming to this same spring for roundup for as long as I can remember. There’s nothing to worry about. It’s as safe as a church.”
Not convinced, Steve merely looked at her. “I’m going with you.”
“Oh, no, you’re not!”
His chin set stubbornly, he crossed his arms over his chest and looked at her. “Wanna make a bet?”
“Yes, dammit! I’m a big girl—in more ways than one. I don’t need a baby-sitter.”
“Too bad. Like it or not, you’ve got one.”
They glared at each other like two gunfighters facing off in the middle of the street, waiting to see which one would blink first. Fuming, Lise wasn’t sure if she wanted to kill him or scream, but in the end, she did neither. She’d be damned if she’d give him the satisfaction. Instead, she marched past him as if he wasn’t there and headed straight for the spring.
; He followed her, of course, just as she’d known he would, and that only irritated her more. Frustrated, she couldn’t even enjoy the delicate beauty of the spring when they reached it. Untouched by man since she and her drovers had been there this time last year, the water was clear and cool as it bubbled up to form a deep pool in the middle of the desert. Wildlife—and cattle—came to drink at the far end of the large pool where it was more shallow, but it was here, where the water was deeper and the spindly desert trees hung protectively over it, that Lise always preferred to bathe.
When she looked at it now, however, all she saw was red. Whirling to face Steve, she snapped, “All right, Yank, this has gone far enough! I am not taking a bath in front of you, so you can just turn around and head back to camp. I don’t play those kind of games.”
“Neither do I,” he said grimly. “Trust me, sweetheart, the day you’re naked in front of me, I won’t be standing twenty feet away. I just wanted to make sure you’d be safe here.”
All prepared to argue with him, it was several long seconds before Lise heard him. Then his words registered and stole the air right out of her lungs. Gasping softly, she stood there, her hand pressed to her pounding heart, staring at him. “What did you say?”
“You heard me,” he growled. “The day you’re naked in front of me, I won’t be standing twenty feet away. If you’ve got a problem with that, tough. I need to make sure you’re safe.”
How could he be so confident? she wondered wildly. He didn’t say if or maybe someday, as if it was still up for grabs whether anything ever happened between them. Oh, no, he was much more sure of himself than that. He said the day you’re naked in front of me… As if it was a given that that day would somehow, some way, come to be.
And that stunned her. Because with nothing more than those few words, she could see herself in his arms, naked.
Flushed, her blood racing through her veins, she tried to push the image out of her mind, but it remained stubbornly before her, teasing her, pulling at her senses. Sure he must know what she was thinking, she pivoted, hot color staining her cheeks. “All right, Superman,” she said huskily. “You did your duty—as you can see, the place is safe and sound. Now will you leave?”