The stable door banged open. The woman stiffened in his arms.
“Hello? Somebody in here?”
It was the foreman. Lucas tried to draw the woman deeper into the shadows but she shook her head, made a whimper of distress against his lips.
“Don’t listen,” Lucas whispered. “Don’t answer.”
“Hey!” The faint scuff of boots, then the foreman called out again. “Who’s there?”
Her hands came up, slammed against Lucas’s chest. “Let go,” she whispered.
“That isn’t what you wanted a minute ago.”
“It was. Of course it—”
Lucas kissed her again. Her mouth softened, clung to his for a second before her sharp little teeth sank into his bottom lip.
He thrust her from him, dug in his pocket for a handkerchief that he pressed to his mouth. He looked at the scarlet drops of blood that stained the fine white linen, then at her.
“Reckless with men as well as with horses,” he said coldly. “Dangerous behavior for a woman, amada.”
Her eyes blazed into his. “You were right when you said there was nothing you would want here. Do yourself a favor, Your Highness. Go back to a world you understand.”
“With pleasure—as soon as I’ve met with your employer.”
“That’s not going to happen.”
“Whatever I wish to happen will happen,” Lucas said harshly. “The sooner you get that through your head, the better.”
He thought she was going to answer but maybe she’d finally figured out that arguing with him was pointless because, instead, she dug a key from her pocket and flipped it at him.
“There’s a station wagon parked in back. It’s old and it’s not all gussied up so you won’t like it very much, but it’ll get you to Dallas.”
Lucas let the key fall at his feet.
“Shall I tell you what you need, señorita? Better still, shall I show you?”
“Okay,” the foreman growled. “Whoever’s in here, you better show yourself.”
The woman’s eyes blazed into Lucas’s one last time. Then she swiveled on her heel and walked away.
“George,” he heard her say brightly, “why don’t we go to the office and look at that catalog you mentioned yesterday?”
Her voice faded. Lucas’s anger didn’t.
Did she really think he would tuck his tail between his legs and run? It would have taken a Texas twister to move him now.
He had come here to meet with Aloysius McDonough and that was what he would do. He owed that to his grandfather.
As for what he owed the woman…A muscle bunched in his jaw.
He would deal with her, too.
She didn’t know how to handle a horse or a potential client, if there had actually been a mare worth buying in this desolate place.
She sure as hell didn’t know how to handle a man.
Perhaps McDonough liked being toyed with. Lucas didn’t.