Whirlwind (The Champions 1)

“Not if that woman was you. And I’ve already said as much to Brock.”

“I’ll accept that for now.” Lexie took a deep breath and plunged ahead. “What about sabotage?”

“Sabotage?” His cocksure mask slipped out of place. “What are you talking about?”

She sat up, facing him. “Threats against the ranch. A note on my windshield. A gate opened in the night, and our best two-year-old bull dead. How’s that for starters?”

He shook his head. “Lexie, I don’t know what to say. This is the first I’ve heard of your trouble. But I had nothing to do with any of it—I swear to God.”

“And what about Brock?”

“Why would he do something like that?”

“You can’t be that naïve. If Brock can wear us down with dirty tricks, get our backs to the wall, we might be forced to sell him Whirlwind.”

“That doesn’t make sense. I know Brock. He can be ruthless when he wants something. But threatening notes and property damage—those things aren’t his style.”

“Aren’t they?” Lexie demanded. “Oh, I know he never dirties his hands. But he has the means to hire people, maybe somebody from the res, who could sneak onto the property and disappear without a trace. I don’t trust him. And I’m not sure I should trust you, either.”

“I wouldn’t blame you if you didn’t.” Shane swung his legs off the bed. “I’ll be seeing Brock tomorrow. I’ll let him know what’s going on. I still can’t believe he’s involved, but he might know something.”

“Or he might just lie through his teeth.”

“That’s a chance we’ll have to take, isn’t it?” He stood, found his boots on the floor, and carried them over to the chair.

Only as he sat and started to pull his boots on did she realize how far she’d pushed him. Maybe she’d gone too far. She wouldn’t blame him if he walked out and left her to spend the rest of the night alone in this place.

“Are you leaving?” she asked, hoping she was wrong.

“Not until it’s light outside—unless you want me to go now.”

Lexie shook her head. “Don’t go unless you need to. I know I haven’t been a barrel of laughs. But I do appreciate your putting up with me—maybe even saving my life. You didn’t have to do this.”

“I know.” He rose, walked back to the bed, and sat down on the edge, facing her. “But there’s no way I would have left you to stay here alone.”

“Thank you,” she murmured, drawn by the warm intensity in his eyes. She felt as if she could float into their coppery depths.

Leaning toward her, he hooked her chin with his thumb and raised her face to his. Lexie could tell that he meant to kiss her and, against her better judgment, she wanted it to happen. A secret part of her had wanted it to happen from the first moment she’d laid eyes on him.

Her pulse surged as his lips settled on hers with gentle sureness

and lingered in a long, easy kiss. She closed her eyes, letting her mouth soften, feeling the silkiness of his inner bottom lip, his warm breath on her face, the roughness of stubble against her skin. He smelled of expensive soap, fresh hay, man sweat, and the pungent odor of bulls—a blended aroma that was strangely arousing.

That he didn’t touch her body or even use his tongue only heightened the kiss’s dizzying impact. Heat coursed downward through her body, triggering subtle tugs and tightenings. By the time he eased away from her, Lexie was damp and breathless.

Speechless for the moment, she fell back, gazing up at him. His grin reminded her of a little boy who’d just stolen a handful of cookies and made a clean getaway. The rascal had known exactly what he was doing. He had played her again, and she had let him. Worse, she’d enjoyed every pulse-pounding second of it.

She opened her mouth to speak, but he touched a finger to her lips. “Shhh,” he said. “We can pick up where we left off later. But only if you decide it’s what you want. For now, give yourself time. Close your eyes and get some real sleep. You’ve got a big day coming up. It’ll be here before you know it.”

He was right, Lexie realized. She was tired—too tired to argue or even talk about what had just happened. With the big rodeo coming up tomorrow, she’d be wise to get some rest while she could.

“Don’t worry, I’m right here.” He had left her and walked back to the chair. Rolling onto her side, with her back toward him, Lexie closed her eyes and allowed herself to drift. The last thing she remembered was the distant wail of a police siren, fading away in the night.

* * *

The cacophony of morning traffic woke Lexie from a deep sleep. Light was pouring through the blinds into the room. Blinking and rubbing her eyes, she sat up.

Shane was nowhere to be seen. Had he gone out for coffee or simply left? Either way, for whatever reason, he had chosen not to wake her.