Texas Hold Him Read Online Free PDF Page B

“Come on.”
    “Where are we going?” she asked, hurrying to keep up with his pace.
    “You’re going to wash that paint off your face and change back into your clothes.” Stopping suddenly, he frowned down at her.
     “Where are they?”
    She dug in her heels and pulled her hand free. She didn’t know who he thought he was, but she didn’t need or want a caretaker,
     and his sudden concern for her well-being wasn’t appreciated.
    “I’m not going anywhere. I have money to earn.” She handed him his jacket and spun around to return to the gaming room.
    “Like hell.”
    His statement hung in the night air, managing to raise every hair on the back of her neck as it did. She stopped in her tracks
     and slowly turned back to face him.
    He had some nerve. “You, Mr. Straights, are not my father. You have no right to tell me what I can or cannot do.” She took
     a step toward him and poked him in the chest with her finger. “Since you have made it ever so clear that you have no intentions
     of helping me out of my dilemma, you’ve left me no choice but to deal with my situation my own way.”
    She turned to walk away, but only made it two steps before he spun her around and pulled her into his arms. The sudden impact
     of his chest hitting hers brought agasp from her lips as he wrapped his arms around her waist and pressed his hips into hers.
    “You want money?” he asked, lowering his mouth. “I’ll give you money.”
    His mouth slanted across hers before she had a second to think or react. She clutched the front of his shirt in an attempt
     to shove him away, but the movement brought a low moan from him that caused her knees to weaken in response. He moved his
     lips across hers, tasting and tugging at her mouth until her lips parted to allow him deeper access. He swept his tongue inside
     before he pulled his head back to look down at her. His eyes were even darker than usual as he raked his gaze to her lips,
     then down to her breasts where they strained against the neckline of her dress.
    “Well now,” he purred. “Come with me to my cabin for the night, and I promise to pay you well in the morning.”
    Lottie’s jaw dropped. He had just propositioned her like he would a common harlot. She shoved back from him, then soundly
     socked him across the jaw before spinning away.
    Dyer rubbed his face as he watched Miss Mace storm down the deck into the night. She packed quite a wallop, but that didn’t
     surprise him any. Everything about that lady was out of the ordinary. Her right hook shouldn’t be any different.
    He couldn’t help admiring her spunk though. He picked up his jacket from the deck floor and pulled it on, stopping to brush
     off the sleeves before making his way back to the gambling salon. He hoped his insult snapped Miss Mace to her senses and
     made her realize she had nomore business aboard a riverboat than a whore did in Sunday school.
    If you play with fire, you get burned
. He winced at that thought. He’d intended to scare her with his kiss, but instead she’d melted against him like butter. He
     hadn’t expected that either, and like her right hook, both incidents left him more stunned than he cared to admit.
    Lottie picked up the glass of whiskey from the bartender and headed back toward Dyer’s table. It had taken her several minutes
     to regain her composure after their encounter on the deck, but the man had ordered a whiskey, and it was her job, after all,
     to bring it to him.
    Holding her head high, she walked back to his table and stopped beside his chair. “Here is the whiskey you ordered, Mr. Straights.”
    He threw her a sideways glance, then lowered his hand to stroke the back of her silk-covered calf. “I appreciate it, princess.”
    He winked and slid his hand up her leg to her thigh. He stopped just at the top of her garter, where he ran his finger around
     the edge of its lace, challenging her with his eyes. None of the others at the table could see where his