Never Let You Down: The Connaghers, Book 4 Read Online Free

conquered the fear. She refused to ever let fear cripple her. As Daddy always said, it was time to saddle up and ride on anyway .
    Dancer snorted and pranced sideways, picking up on her anxiety. He almost tugged the lead out of her hand, but she couldn’t spare a glance at him, not with this danger threatening her. She clutched the crop in her left hand, glad she’d snagged it out of habit. “I told you to get out of my way.”
    “No’m. I’m sorry but I can’t.”
    Ignoring him, she led Dancer forward, planning to use the horse to push him out of the way, but he was on to her and stepped across the aisle, closer to her. She started to turn, swinging Dancer his direction, but her horse was too polite to step on a human, even if the man might cause her harm.
    His fingers closed around hers in a punishing grip, trying to yank Dancer’s rope free.
    Panic flared but her anger burned hotter. None of the help ever laid a hand on her. They were too respectful—and too scared of her Marine father. If she said boo, every man she’d ever met jumped. Even Jebadiah Garrett, the boy she’d watched turn into a man who was too damned polite to even ask her on a date away from their parents. Before she could stop to think, she brought the crop down in a sharp crack on Tyrell’s left shoulder. “Get your filthy hands off me!”
    Instead of letting her go, he clamped his hands on both of her shoulders and hauled her up against the long, lean lines of his body. God, he was so tall, a tower of strength that sent her pulse hammering frantically. She brought the crop down again, swinging awkwardly against his back, but he didn’t let her go. In fact, he bent down and slanted his mouth over hers.
    He was hungry, hard, his lips and mouth melting away the fear into something else that was wild and reckless and still pissed. She swung her arm up toward his head, the crop handle clubbing him against his temple and knocking his hat off. She wrenched out of his grip and stomped away. “Pack your bags and be gone before Daddy gets home or he’ll shoot your rangy hide.”
    She didn’t pause, couldn’t hear his response if he had one, not over the thundering of her pulse. The stable door slammed behind her and she broke into a run. She wasn’t even sure what she was running from. Him? All he’d done was kiss her. Safely away, she could admit that he hadn’t hurt her. The misguided fool had only been trying to protect her. Then she’d beaten him with her crop. Pausing on the wraparound porch, she ducked into the shadows and watched the stable door, but he didn’t attempt to follow. Panting, she leaned her back against the wall of the house and tried to gather her thoughts.
    Why on earth had he kissed her? She’d barely talked to him. Sure, she’d noticed the bright blue of his eyes. She’d caught him staring at her from beneath the shadowed brim of his hat several times. They’d exchanged a few “good morning’s” and pleasant smiles. She’d even tried to take a few bites out of his calm, silent demeanor but he hadn’t risen to the bait. That’s it. Certainly nothing like the years of polite social events she’d attended with Jebadiah. They’d danced together countless times, her hand in his, his other hand on the small of her back. But her pulse hadn’t ever hammered like this, her breathing coming fast and frantic. It hadn’t just been fear. The long lines of his body had been nice. Extremely nice. And his mouth. She’d dreamed about kissing and it’d never been like that. His mustache had poked her lips and tickled her nose and somehow she hadn’t cared one bit.
    She caught herself absently stroking her fingers over her lips while she stared back at the stable. She wanted to go back and give him a piece of her mind. Maybe he’d try to steal another kiss. But was it safe? Perhaps she ought to wait until someone was around to hear her scream. Just in case.
    Fool. The last thing she wanted was to end up hurt and