WM02 - Texas Princess Read Online Free PDF Page A

almost cold. But tonight he’d been drinking, celebrating their upcoming wedding. After he’d disciplined his man, he noticed her watching from the shadows of the veranda and grabbed her as if she were his prize after battle. His kiss, his embrace, had been nothing short of an assault.
    She could hear him moving about the barn, kicking things out of his path. “Come out, pet,” he said in a voice she hardly recognized as his. “I’m sorry if I shocked you, but I’m a soldier and I’m used to taking charge. Once you’re my wife you’l get used to it.
    Even your father admits you need a little taming.”
    Samuel turned up a lantern somewhere and light sliced through the slats in the stal gate. The normal y empty barn came alive with sounds of horses being stabled because of the party that night. Several of the guests planned to stay through to the wedding four days away, leaving Liberty little time to speak to her father alone.
    She mumbled an oath. There would be no wedding. Not if she could stop it. Samuel shifted from being formal one moment to violent the next and she could never live with such a man. She’d loved the facade of him, a handsome army ofcer on his way up, but Liberty knew now that she’d never known or loved the man.
    “Come out, pet, I’m tired of this game.” His voice held an edge.
    Glancing back for an escape route, Liberty froze in surprise. A man, sitting up from his bedrol , watched her as he dug his hand through straight, chestnut brown hair. She opened her mouth to scream, then suddenly realized that the man outside the stal posed far more of a threat than the one she’d obviously awakened.
    She nodded slightly toward him, her nger on her lips.
    The stranger nodded back in understanding.
    Liberty returned to watching her ancé move angrily from stal to stal . It wouldn’t be long before he reached her. If he found her here, with another man, there was no tel ing what he might do. She closed her eyes as a shiver chil ed her al the way to her heart. If he found her alone, he might carry out his whispered promise from minutes ago.
    She could stil feel his words against her ear. He’d grabbed her, kissing her hard before he’d said in a voice so low she wasn’t sure he knew he was passing along his thoughts. “Don’t ever question anything I do, Liberty, or you wil be sorry.” His ngers had bit cruel y into her arms before he shoved her away. She knew, in that instant, she’d just seen Samuel’s true self.
    Liberty heard the slam of the gate three stal s down. The stranger behind her stood. He was tal er than Samuel but she guessed he wouldn’t have a chance. The captain was looking for a ght and this man was at the wrong place at the wrong time, thanks to her.
    Her father had mentioned something about a man bringing in another horse tonight for her to consider. Looking at the stranger’s face, she recognized a younger version of the rancher who’d tried to sel her father a paint. The silent man didn’t appear as cold or hard as the man she guessed was his older brother, but he’d stil leave just as disappointed. She had no intention of riding or even buying a horse. That was Samuel’s plan, not hers.
    “Your name?” she whispered.
    “Tobin McMurray,” he answered as the gate two stal s down slammed.
    “Stay here.” She met his stare and was surprised at the kindness she saw there. He hadn’t said any more, but she knew he was worried—not about himself, but about her.
    She stepped out of the stal . “You’re looking for me, Samuel?” she said in a bored voice.
    The captain looked rst one direction, then another. When he was satised they were alone, he said, “You ran out before I had time to nish our kiss. With only four days to our marriage bed, don’t you think it’s about time you warmed up?”
    She took a step backward, hating herself for being a coward. “I think we are quite
    nished, Samuel.” She wanted to add that she’d