When Lightning Strikes

She frowned. She hadn't given him all those lines, she was certain of it. She'd given him his size, surely, but not the hard, sinewy leanness that seemed just below the surface. She saw it in his eyes, in the way he moved, in the way he always held his hands near his gun belt.

"Like what you see, lady?"

She bristled at having been caught staring. It was stupid, surely, but a normal human reaction. Everyone knew it was rude to stare ... even, apparently, fictional characters. "As a matter of fact, I don't. I thought you'd be more ..."

"More what?"

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She frowned, unsure exactly. "I don't know. More evil and less ... rude."

He reached up and grabbed her by the wrist, pulling hard. She wobbled and fell, sliding down the bumpy leather side of the saddle. The wooden stirrup conked her in the side of her head. "Ouch ... shit."

"Nice language," he grunted.

"Good elocution," she shot back.

He kept his hold viselike and strode toward a huge tree. She stumbled along beside him, wrenching her hand with every step.

"Damn it, let me go."

At the tree, he came to an abrupt stop and spun her around. The world slid sideways. Lainie literally saw stars before the horizon slowly righted itself. "Goddamn it," she sputtered, bringing her fist up and drawing back to punch him.

He looked at her puny fist and laughed. "Gonna blacken my eye, are you?"

"I just might."

"Believe me, lady, your mouth has already inflicted more damage than your fist ever could."

She pointedly eyed his crotch. "That depends on where I land my punch."

He laughed, and it was a surprisingly rich, compelling sound. "If you touch me there, it won't be to inflict pain."

"Don't flatter yourself. I wouldn't touch you . . . there if it were the last there on earth."

He reached into his breast pocket and pulled out the dirty, balled-up red bandanna he'd worn in the robbery.

She eyed the scrap of fabric suspiciously. "What are you going to do with that?"

He didn't respond, but she saw the answer in his eyes. She drew in a sharp breath. "You wouldn't da?"

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He shoved the rag in her mouth and tied it tightly behind her head.

She glared up at him through narrowed eyes. Fury exploded in her chest. Her heartbeat sped up, her breathing quickened.

He drew back, grinning. "I like you better already."

Lainie punched him, a hard-knuckled jab right in the eye. Then she brought her knee up and rammed it in his crotch.

His breath exhaled in a grunting, cursing rush. He clutched his eye and bent over, gasping.

She felt a blistering sense of vindication. She hoped his eye blackened. And his dick.

That's what you get for comin' after me, pal.

Suddenly he looked at her. His eyes were cold and dark, and filled with a seething power that chilled her to the bone. "So," he hissed softly, "that's the way you want to play this."