The Satin Sash

His sudden, startling encouragement made her balk. “But what if I—”

“I’ll kick the shit out of him.”

The men were smiling now, sharing looks only they could understand. Toni wasn’t smiling at all. She was rooted to the spot, debating whether to rush for cover and admit her cowardice or engage in a decent display of bravery and meet her maker.

The wind whipped her hair around her. It got curlier at the beach—it got impossible, frankly—and as she contemplated her dilemma, she got sick of it. She gathered it in one hand, twisted it into a rope, and tied it in a loose bun at her nape, leaving a few strands still flying across her eyes as she raised her face to Heath’s.

“If I want to get down . . . ?”

He inclined his head in agreement, and she could tell he was making an effort not to smile. “I promise you.”

Before she could screw up her courage, Grey caught her hips and boosted her up. “Up we go, pretty lady. She gets the stirrups,” he told Heath.

“Of course.”

Grey unbuckled the straps and then pulled the leather up three holes from its former setting. “Heath,” he warned when he was done.

“I got it, Grey.” Heath deftly steered the horse around. “We’ll walk around for a bit, and then we’ll trot,” he told her once they were on their way.

Her nails dug in to the pommel of the saddle. “First we walk, Heath.”

“Whatever you say, Cat. And you could ride this baby from here to Alaska.All you need is your thighs to hang on. If you let the animal know you’re afraid, it senses it.”

“I’m terrified.”

“You need a new experience, that’s all.”

Just talking about trotting had her stomach in a grip. She gazed out at the sea and tried to think of something relaxing. “Around March, you can see humpback whales here.They swim back north with their babes, and they’re so close to shore you can spot them from here sometimes. Especially when they jump. Once, Grey and I took a boat up to see them, and they were so close I dipped my fingers in the water and touched one.The skin was so smooth, with little calluses formed by the . . .” Realizing he probably wasn’t really interested in whales, she promptly shut up.“Did I put you to sleep? Hello? Heath?”

His forearm was a hairsbreadth under her breasts, where he held her secure, and his hold strengthened when he said, with unmistakable annoyance, “Why in the hell do you want to set me up?”

She was startled by the genuine outrage in his voice. Her mouth opened, but no reply came forth.

“I’m fucking you. That you’re going around matching me with someone else ticks the hell out of me.”

She went completely stiff. She’d never expected this attack, but perhaps she deserved it.“I didn’t mean to offend you,” she admitted tightly. “I’m sorry if I’m overstepping.”

“I’m not going on a date with anybody, all right?”

“May I know why?”

“I suck at them. I suck at small talk.”

“You do not; we’re talking fine just now. I think my friends would love you. If you’d only tell me what you look for when you meet someone . . .”

Heath kept walking the horse, making soft clucking noises that caused the little hairs on her arms to rise to attention like the horse’s ears. His sullen silence lasted until he said,“All right. I’ll tell you what I like. Pretty eyes. Pretty smile. Pretty lips. Pretty—”

“Yes, I think I get it, Heath.”

“Well, good for you,” he said good-naturedly.

Her eyes fell on the vast, endless expanse of white sand before them. “And how am I supposed to know what pretty is to you?”

“Pink is pretty.” In a move too slow not to be sensually deliberate, he traced the shell of her earlobe between his lips. “Did you know you’re pink all over, Toni?” She caught her breath when a moist flick of his tongue teased the area behind her ear. “Your lips are rosy as your nipples, and down there, you’re bright and moist. So damned pretty my eyes hurt.”

She wanted to close her eyes and swim in his words; then she wanted to wail in frustration when he stopped weaving his magic on her foolish, susceptible self. He straightened behind her, and getting down to matters, said, “I want a good woman.With a good heart and feelings. Someone who enjoys life and who enjoys the things I’d like to do to her . . .”

“You’re deliberately making this complicated, aren’t you?”