Joshua and the Cowgirl Read Online Free PDF

masculine possession.
    Then she slugged him.

Chapter Three
    J oshua had never been more startled in his life. His jaw stung from the impact of Garrett’s well-aimed blow. Watching as acute embarrassment edged out fury in her eyes, he began to chuckle. It had been years since anyone had caught him off guard like that. He gave her an admiring glance.
    “Nice shot,” he observed, rubbing his still-smarting flesh.
    “I’m sorry,” she stammered, poking her hands into her pockets and staring at the ground.
    “Are you really?”
    At his doubtful tone, her chin rose a defiant notch and her eyes clashed with his. “No,” she admitted. “You deserved it.”
    “For kissing you?” he wondered. “Or because I made you want me?”
    He was certain that not all of the sudden color in her cheeks could be attributed to the night air. “Don’t flatter yourself,” she snapped, but her heart obviously wasn’t in it. They both knew she had wanted that kiss just as much as he had, and had probably been wondering about it every bit as long as he had.
    He reached over and gently tapped her nose. “Remember the story of Pinnochio—terrible things happen to people who fib, especially when they lie to themselves.”
    Before she could respond, he turned and left. “Pleasant dreams,” he called over his shoulder. He was all the way back at the main house before he heard the emphatic slam of her front door. He was laughing as he went inside.
    By morning, he regretted being quite so cavalier. Nor was he quite as sure who’d had the last laugh. Overnight he had found himself giving the intriguing Traci Maureen Garrett considerable thought.
    At midnight, he’d advised himself to cut his losses and ignore her.
    At 1:00 a.m., he’d acknowledged that was impossible. He told himself she was like a burr that clung and irritated, then admitted she was more like pure temptation. The sweet hunger she’d tried so hard to hide was enough to lure a man to hell and hold him there.
    By 3:00 a.m., he’d decided to take the first flight back to Florida, only to decide an hour later that he would not take the coward’s way out. He’d left once before, when he should have stayed.
    At five, he’d decided to spend the next few weeks pursuing her with every bit of all-out fervor at his command. The wickedly devilish scheme, admittedly, was dangerous. It was also the only plan likely to get her out of his system once and for all. Garrett was, no doubt, not the sort of woman who would wear well. He’d tire of her feisty, independent streak in no time. It never occurred to him to wonder what would happen if he didn’t.
    The decision rationally considered and made, he fell asleep at six, only to have her pester him relentlessly in his dreams. If her seductive behavior in that lone hour of sleep was any indication, he was about to embark on a suicide mission. Even so, he set out to find her first thing in the morning.
    Seated in the parlor with Mrs. Mac, Garrett’s cheeks were still pink from the wind and cold. Strands of golden hair had been tugged free from her braid to curl rebelliously about her face. She looked softer and more accessible than he’d ever seen her. Then she caught sight of him and that icy disdain that she used to distance herself wiped the smile from her lips.
    “Good morning,” Joshua said cheerfully, pointedly choosing the place next to her on the old love seat. Crowded beside her, he saw to it that their thighs brushed. Garrett’s whole body stiffened, but she managed to resist her apparent desire to move away from his deliberate provocation.
    Mrs. McDonald observed the subtle byplay closely, then beamed at him. “Good morning, young man. If you’ve decided to stay with us, you really must get warmer clothes. That shirt might do very nicely for an office in Florida, but out here you’ll have pneumonia by the end of a week.” She turned to Garrett. “Dear?”
    Garrett blinked, as if her attention had been very far