Dark Secret Read Online Free PDF Page B

altogether true. It was more like every man or woman, every human being on earth, was considered inferior to them.
    Rafael turned his head and looked at her almost as if he could read her thoughts. For a moment she froze, almost afraid to move. She had never seen eyes so hard or cold. If his eyes were a mirror to his soul, this man was truly a monster. He made no move to follow Louise; instead his gaze swept over Colby’s slender figure, his merciless features devoid of expression. “Why do you persist in this nonsense? This is work for a man, not one such as you. It is obvious you have spent most of the afternoon on the ground.”
    “It’s none of your business, De La Cruz.” Colby’s pretense at good manners was thrown to the wind. Colby had no idea why she felt so threatened but she had the impression she was caught in the crosshairs of a powerful scope.
    “I believe that is one of my horses you are breaking. How did you get him?” He asked it softly, as if he could not be bothered becoming disturbed by their disagreement.
    “Like a thief in the night I crept into your corrals and made off with a number of them,” she mocked sarcastically. “Try not to be more of a jerk than you can help. Juan Chevez sent over sixteen head. It must have been a conscience thing.”
    “The Chevez family has suffered greatly over this misunderstanding,” he replied patiently. “They wish for nothing more than to heal the breach in their family. As I consider their family a part of mine and under my protection, it is of equal importance to me.” His black gaze didn’t blink once as it bored into her green eyes. She felt hunted. More than once she’d had to track cougar after her horses, and they had looked at her with just that same focused stare.
    “Go back to Brazil, Mr. De La Cruz, and take your family with you. That will go a long way toward healing the breach.”
    His teeth flashed, very white, his smile wolfish. For no reason at all it made Colby shiver. She went to move away from him, to give herself breathing room, a delicate feminine retreat, but he glided with her like a jungle cat stalking prey. His hand curled around the nape of her neck, his fingers almostgentle, yet she felt his immense strength, knew she couldn’t break his grip, knew he could snap her neck in an instant if he chose. A shiver of apprehension raced down her spine. She stilled beneath his hand, her gaze jumping to his face. His black eyes were suddenly hungry, a dark intense hunger that robbed her of her breath while he stared almost fascinated at her pulse.
    Why had she thought his eyes flat and hard and icy cold? Now they were burning with so much emotion, alive with need and hunger and an intensity that scorched her all the way to her very soul.
    You are not going to get away from me, pequena. No matter how far you run, no matter how much you fight, none of it will matter.
    The words shimmered in her mind, shimmered between them, yet Colby had no idea whether they were real or not. He hadn’t spoken; he was only looking at her with his smoldering black eyes.
    She paled visibly, suddenly very, very afraid. Of herself. Of him. Of the dark promise of passion in his eloquent eyes.
    “You aren’t welcome here, De La Cruz,” Paul burst out, his face bright red beneath his tan. He took a step toward the larger man, his fists clenched, but Ginny caught at his arm and held on to him like a pit bull. “Let go of my sister right now.”
    Rafael swung his head slowly around, his gaze reluctantly leaving Colby’s face so that he could look at Paul. The boy noticed at once that Rafael’s black eyes never blinked. Not once. For a moment Paul couldn’t think or move. He stood frozen in place, his heart pounding. Rafael smiled at him then, no humor, just a flash of white teeth and then he was striding for his pickup truck.
    They watched him move, mesmerized by his fluid grace. No one spoke until the truck had been swallowed up in a cloud of dust, then