Taming a Dark Horse

It wasn’t that he disliked the opposite sex. To Linc, women were pretty much like the horses he tended. Most of them were very beautiful, but they were also high-strung and unpredictable. If he ever let his guard down around one, even the sweet-natured ones, he was taking a big risk of getting hurt, and hurt badly. So he stayed alert and safe around his horses and the women he happened to come in contact with.

The front door opened and closed for a second time and he realized Nevada had already returned to the house. He quickly left the kitchen and walked out to the living room to see her hefting three more bags.

“If you’ll show me where I’ll be sleeping, I’ll get these things out of the way,” she told him.

As he walked across the long room to join her, he thought about having her sleep in the small upstairs bedroom. The farther he could put her away from him, the better he’d feel. And the room did have a pretty view and a nice set of oak bedroom furniture. But it would be mean of him to make her climb the stairs with all those things. So he motioned for her to follow him down a long wide hall that was covered with more tile.

Halfway down the corridor, he motioned to their left. “There’s two rooms here that are pretty much the same. Take your pick. It doesn’t matter to me,” he lied.

Her gaze went from one door to the other, then across the hall to where two more doors were located. “Where is your room?” she asked.

Frowning, he asked, “Is that really important?”

She made a face of disbelief. “You are my patient. I need to be as close as possible. It will make things easier for me and you both.”

“I don’t need help getting to bed.”

Dropping the bags, she turned a disgusted look on him. “Really? You can unbutton your jeans and shirt? You can pull back the covers?”

Dear Lord, he was going crazy. Of course he couldn’t do those things. But how in hell could he let this woman undress him? To have her pretty brown hands touching him in such a way would be downright decadent.

“Well, I can manage somehow. There’s no need—”

“Look, Linc Ketchum, this is no time to be bashful or modest. I’m a nurse. I know all about men’s anatomies. Helping you out of your jeans won’t turn me three shades of red or make me want to attack you with lust in my eyes.”

She was so cute and sassy and reasonable that it made him furious. But he tried his best to bite it all back and behave as the cool cowboy he’d always believed himself to be.

“Miss Ortiz, you’ve just relieved all my worries,” he said curtly.

She studied his face, the faint grin on her lips coming and going along with the dimples in her cheeks. Linc forced himself to stay put even though her nearness was affecting him the way the scent of a wild deer excites a docile horse.

“I’m glad we got all that straight,” she said. “It would be awkward if we rubbed each other the wrong way right from the start.”

As far as Linc was concerned it would be awkward if they rubbed each other any way. But then he couldn’t rub her even if he wanted to. Not with hands that resembled two white clubs.

Trying not to look petulant, he jerked his head toward the door behind him. “That’s my room. So this one—” he motioned to the door behind her shoulder. “Would be the closest to mine.”

“Okay.”

She turned and opened the door and Linc felt compelled to follow her into the bedroom.

“Oh! This is lovely, too. Goodness, Victoria must have sent an army of maids up here. Everything looks so beautiful and it smells like wood polish.”

She walked over and trailed her fingers over the fat carved end post of the bed. Linc was surprised that she was so impressed with the house and its furnishings. He expected that as a nurse she made a very nice salary. Victoria wanted the best in her clinic, and he knew she would be willing to pay far more than hospital wages to this woman. But apparently she wasn’t used to expensive surroundings.

“Then I take it that the room is okay with you?” he asked.

She glanced around the room which had a small alcove that held a desk, chair and a graceful floor lamp.

“It’s more than okay. It’s just great,” she murmured as she ran fingers along the silky comforter on the bed. Turning to him, she smiled. “I’ve never lived anywhere this nice before. I’m not going to know how to feel,” she said, then laughing, she bounced on the edge of the mattress. “No broken springs or sags in the middle.”

“I’m sure your apartment is very nice,” he said as he stood watching her playful antics and wondering how it must feel to be that young and carefree. It had been so long, years and years, since he’d raced over the ranch yard with Ross and Seth and yelled at the top of his lungs with the pure joy of being alive and happy.

Seeing the sober look on his face took away some of the pleasure Nevada was feeling and the smile faded from her face. “It is nice for what I can afford. It takes a lot of money for rent and everything else that goes with making a living. Especially when you’re trying to save, too.”

Linc suddenly felt a little ashamed of himself. He’d never had to worry about money. His father had left him a fairly large inheritance and since then he’d earned plenty by managing the horse-breeding program for the ranch. In fact, money was something Linc rarely thought about. His home was on the ranch and he didn’t want for many material things. But apparently Nevada didn’t have it so easy.

“What are you saving for?”

She appeared surprised that he asked the question and frankly, he’d surprised himself. It was none of his business what she did with herself or her money. But something seemed to have happened to his common sense since Nevada Ortiz stepped out of her dusty little car.

She shrugged. “Oh, well, you know, the normal things. Mainly the future. For a family.”

His brows slowly lifted as he watched her wavy black hair slide over one pert little breast. “You have someone you’re planning to make a family with?”

Laughing softly, she rose from the mattress. “Goodness no! I have plenty of boyfriends, but none of them are husband material.”

His frown was tinged with disgust. “If they’re not husband material, then what are they?”

“Well, I’m sure you have girlfriends. It’s the same thing. They’re just companions, guys that I enjoy doing things with.”

Linc wanted to kick himself for suddenly feeling so disillusioned. Just what was he expecting from this woman? he asked himself. She was young and beautiful. No doubt she had plenty of men friends she enjoyed herself with. To her they were probably nothing more than toys.

Ignoring the part about the girlfriends, he said, “If that’s the case, then what do you call husband material?”

Pursing her lips with displeasure she shook her head. “I’m not really thinking about that now. I’m only twenty-five. I’m not ready to settle down. In fact, I’m not sure that I ever want to get married.”

“You just said you wanted a family,” he reminded her.

Her expression went stone-sober as she walked past him and picked up one of the cases she’d left in the doorway.

“I do. I just can’t figure out how to have one without having a man in the house with me. Unfortunately you need one to produce children.” Sighing, she placed the duffel bag upon the bed and began to pull out a stack of blue jeans. “But I keep hoping that someday I’ll meet a man who will change my mind about love.”

Love. Now that was a word he never spoke, didn’t believe in, or want it discussed in his presence. It made him feel very squeamish.

Realizing it was long past time he left the room, Linc turned toward the door only to have her call after him.

“Where are you going?”

Without looking at her, he said, “To call down to the ranch to see if they can round you up a television from the big house. You’re going to need something to keep you busy.”

Her tinkling laugh filled the bedroom. “I don’t need a television. I’ve got you to keep me busy.”

Like hell, Linc thought.

Chapter Three

More than an hour passed before Nevada finished unpacking her things and arranging them just as she wanted in the big bedroom. The dresser and chest were massive, along with the walk-in closet. She could have brought every piece of clothing and toiletries she owned and they wouldn’t have filled half the available space.