LITMIR.BIZ

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muscular, easy to anger,” she said. “Sounds like you.”

      Suddenly he wanted to smile, too, and he would have if he hadn’t still been worried about her safety.

      “I mean it, Ivy. Bruiser isn’t just any horse.”

      “I know,” she said sadly, tracing a scar that ran down Bruiser’s back. “He’s been hurt.” Her voice nearly broke, but as she ran her hand over the animal, Bruiser whickered softly. He turned his head toward her and nudged her shoulder. Gently. He shivered again, and now Noah could see that Bruiser’s expression was anything but angry. That shiver hadn’t been nerves. He liked having Ivy pet him.

      “You sly devil,” Noah said to the animal. “What do you know about that? It seems that my unpredictable, angry horse likes you, Ivy.” He’s got something in common with Brody, Noah thought.

      “He just likes someone who understands and trusts him.” She stared at him with those big, innocent-looking blue eyes that weren’t innocent at all. She was trying to school him, and her point was clear.

      Now Noah couldn’t keep from smiling. “I don’t distrust you.” It was more like himself he didn’t trust. Around her. She was far too attractive, and he was not a man who could afford to be attracted indiscriminately anymore. Still, he couldn’t stop smiling at her attitude.

      “You don’t distrust me, but you’re not hiring me,” she pointed out.

      “Yes, I am.”

      “You are?” Her voice was so hopeful and—She obviously pushed hard against Bruiser, who whickered and sidestepped.

      “Dammit, Ivy, get out of there.”

      “I told you…he won’t—”

      “I know what you told me, but I want you out of there.”

      She raised her chin. Tall as she was, Bruiser dwarfed her height. Noah almost said “Please.” That wouldn’t be smart under the circumstances. A boss didn’t plead with his employees.

      “Are you working for me or not?” he asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

      “Yes.” And giving Bruiser a hug—a hug, for heaven’s sake!—she climbed over the fence and dropped lightly to the ground beside Noah. “I’m working for you. What do you want me to do first?”

      Her vault over the fence had left her standing mere inches from him, so close that if he leaned forward he could place his lips against her forehead, tangle himself in that tawny hair.

      What do I want you to do? Let me touch you or…no…I want you to step away, dammit! he thought. He almost stepped back himself, fearful that he might put thoughts to deeds and actually touch her. Instead, he cleared his throat. “Tomorrow will be soon enough to start work. For now I’ll introduce you to everyone.”

      “I’ve met Brody.” Oh, yeah, he definitely knew that. Brody was going to be laughing…when he wasn’t drooling. Noah was going to have to make some rules about how Ivy was to be treated. By all of them.

      He introduced her to Darrell.

      “Delighted, Ivy,” Darrell said with a smile that Noah thought was much too wide.

      “Come on,” Noah said, barely giving Ivy time to answer. “Let’s go to the house.”

      Ivy stopped in her tracks. “Oh. No.”

      Did she think…surely she didn’t think…“We won’t be alone,” he explained.

      She blinked and tilted her head back to look into his eyes. “I didn’t think that. I just…your family will be there.”

      “There’s just me and my daughter, Lily, and my housekeeper and babysitter, Marta. You’ll be in contact with them if you’re working here.”

      She blanched. “I…my father never had any workers. I hadn’t thought…I thought I would just work outside with the men. I don’t need to meet your daughter.”

      Something hard and flinty took shape within Noah. Pamala had not wanted children. She’d hated everything associated with her pregnancy and she’d barely looked at Lily after she’d been born. Within days, Pamala had gone. Off to California looking for something better. For the limelight. Away from her baby.

      “You don’t like children.” He couldn’t keep the edge from his voice.

      But when she looked up this time, her eyes were so…anguished was the first word that came to mind.

      “I don’t dislike children,” she whispered. “I need to go home now. I’ll be back bright and early tomorrow. To work. Outside.”

      Then she fled.

      Noah stood there wondering what he had done, what he had gotten all of them into. For sure it wasn’t anything good.

      In the middle of the night he woke from a dream. He’d been plunging his fingers into Ivy’s hair, framing her face with his hands, kissing her and staring into those blue eyes.

      This time they hadn’t been anguished. They’d been filled with passion.

      But none of that was real. The reality was that Ivy Seacrest didn’t want to be near his Lily.

      Finding out why would involve getting to know Ivy better, and he didn’t intend to do that. Just as soon as Ed was able to get around without crutches, he’d pay her off handsomely and send her on her way.

      No more night dreams of her. He hoped.

      Chapter Three

      IVY IMMERSED HERSELF IN ranch work as if she really enjoyed it. She drove herself relentlessly. By the end of the first morning the pretty, crisp scarf she’d been unable to resist fastening at her neck was wilted. She was muddy and worn and she had a long scratch on her hand, the result of catching her glove on barbed wire, which tore it off and bit into her skin. Still, there was a sense that she was accomplishing something, closer to her goal of paying her debts, leaving her past and Tallula behind and getting on with her life.

      That was a good thing. Of course, she knew darn well that good things didn’t last forever, and sure enough, right when she had just got knocked on her butt by a cow and had landed in a pile of muck, she looked up to find herself staring into Noah’s amber eyes.

      “Need a hand?” he asked, reaching out.

      She stared at his big, manly hand and knew that touching him would be a mistake. She’d already realized that he was just too potent for her. But she was his employee. He was just offering what he would offer to Brody or Darrell if either of them had landed on their backsides. Saying no to a gesture of goodwill would make something more of this than the situation merited.

      She reached out, felt his hand close around hers, big and strong. She felt the kick of awareness, the heat that pooled in her body.

      “Thank you,” she somehow managed to say once she was on her feet and, once again, standing much too close to the man. What was wrong with her lately, anyway? It must just be the effect of being back in a place she’d thought she had left behind long ago. She was ten years older, but nothing had changed.

      Except Noah is much more potent than I remember. Ivy wanted to scream at the thought. Instead, she backed off a step and put her shaking hands behind her back.

      “You okay?” he asked. “I didn’t think she nudged you that hard, but you’re pretty slight. Easily hurt.”

      Ivy chuckled. “Still trying to talk me out of working for you? Too late. You’ve given me a job, and I’m not going to lose it.”

      “I saw what you were doing, trying to convince that stubborn cow to accept her calf. She’s not too thrilled that you’re trying to turn her into a mama.”

      “Poor little thing. Every time he gets close, she kicks

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