Page 16 of Texas Kissing

My groin ached with the remembered stretch of that first penetration, his cock thickly hard. I could still feel the heat of him inside me.

I groaned and sat upright. I had a horrible feeling that—yep, I’d been drooling.

I stumbled to the mirror. I had a Department of Homeland Security hologram stuck to my forehead. The tamperproof kind, where it leaves a mess behind when you peel it off.Great.

What thehellhad all that been about?

Me, in the old west? Why was I calledMary?Why was I a schoolmarm, in some kind of domestic bliss? That wasn’t me!

All that was avoiding the main issue, though. I’d dreamt of him. I could feel my face reddening, hologram and all. I’d never dreamed about a guybefore. I mean, movie stars occasionally but not arealguy. Not someone I knew.

And in the dream, I’d wanted him. Wanted him so hard that I’d let him take me even though it was inappropriate and bad timing andwrong.

I leaned against the kitchen counter and stared out at the night. This was getting completely out of control.

15

Antonio

Erico was playing golf. That meant he was in a shitty mood, but then he was in a shitty mood most days, since the rumors of the trial started. When he saw that I’d arrived, he slapped the guy he was playing against on the shoulder and told him to go ahead without him. We walked out of earshot and then stood pretending to watch as the guy teed off or teed up or whatever the fuck it is you do in golf.

“I got a job for you,” said Erico. “I want you to find Tessa.”

I blinked and fought the urge to saywhat?because that’s one of the many things that annoys Erico. “How?” I said at last.

“I don’t care how. Just find her. I got the FB-fucking-I crawling up my ass. The house is probably bugged. The trial isn’t just a rumor, any more. I got word this morning—it’s happening.”

My chest tightened. If the Feds were really going to move against Erico, I was probably on the list, too. “Ilooked for her when she left,” I reminded him gently. “We couldn’t find her then.”

“Well, try fucking harder. You want the Feds to find her first?”

I thought back to the little bitch’s friend, the one we’d suicided. “No.”

“Then get to work.”

16

Bull

She was beautiful—long legs, gorgeous dark eyes. Getting on top of her was going to be amazing.

I spoke right into her ear. “Now I know you don’t know me,” I told her. “But all your friends do. You ask any of them and they’ll tell you. I’m real gentle, ‘long as you behave yourself.”

She gave me an uncertain look. Her eyes grew even bigger when she saw what I had in my hands.

“Don’t you worry about the rope,” I said. “That’s only there if we need it. But we don’t need it, do we? You’re going to be real sweet with me, aren’t you?” I ran my hand over her neck. “Don’t be scared,” I said. “I’ve done this with all your friends.”

And I mounted her.

For a moment, I thought I’d judged it right because she was passive and willing under me. But then I was flying through the air, barely hanging onto my hat as I cleared the fence and landed, sprawling, in the hay.

“Wellgoddamn,”I said mildly. “I thought we had aconnection.”

The horse put her nose through the fence and snorted disparagingly at me. I clambered to my feet to try again.

I know where I am, with animals. Always have. Animals are simple creatures and I don’t say that in the sense of looking down at them.I’ma simple creature. That’s why we get on so well.

Animals are driven by instincts and needs: food, shelter, safety. People, though—they’re just a mess of contradictions and women are the worst of all. Trying to work out what a woman’s going to do next is like trying to predict the path of a paper dart in a tornado.