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her untouched, he now had a new purpose—seducing this enticing woman. He had the means and the opportunity.
    A steamboat whistle pierced the air, denoting an imminent departure. The noise jolted Simon back to reality.
    Damn!
    Regret washed over him. He had everything but time.
    Fighting for control, he raised his head. Giselle opened her eyes. Looking into stormy, passion-filled depths that were clearly stating she’d give him all he wanted, Simon’s temper ignited. How had this slip of a woman caused him to forget his duty? He’d never been in this situation before and it angered him that the flirtatious Giselle was the reason.
    He tugged her bodice closed. “Cover yourself.”
    His sharp words cracked like a whip. A look of horror moved over her expression.
    She slapped him across the face with a stinging blow. “You , monsieur , are not nice. And that was not a nice thing to do.”
    Stunned, he grabbed her hand and put it behind her back, bringing her close. Then he roughly kissed her again. He raised his lips and said in a terse voice, “Oh no! You can’t put all of that on me. You allowed me to continue, so don’t try and play coy with me now. Play with your other fishes if you must, but never toy with me. You understand?”
    The whistle blew again.
    “Hell, I haven’t got time for this. I’m late.” He let go of her and opened the door, but before he left, he turned back. “And one more thing. Don’t call me monsieur. My name is Simon. I damn well expect you to use it when you kiss me like that.”
    Simon made it to the riverboat dock with only minutes to spare. He stood on the deck and watched the lights of Louisville recede as the steamboat made its way up the river. Closing his eyes, he leaned into the railing, remembering the feel of Giselle’s enticing breasts in his hands. He could still taste her kisses and he yearned for more. God, the woman kissed like a seasoned courtesan, not the innocent he knew she was, and desire for her still hummed throughout his body. He opened his eyes and sighed.
    Suddenly he laughed, the rich sound breaking into the noiseless night as it dawned on him that he’d had a very close call. Kissing Giselle had caused him to lose control and in his thirty years of life, he couldn’t recall it ever happening before.
    The flirtatious coquette already had him forgetting his duty. He’d been damned lucky to get away from her hook unscathed. His resolve strengthened as he turned to go inside. He was damn good at solving his cases. No woman was worth changing and giving all that up, especially a flighty one like Giselle.

     

Chapter 4
    Five Months Later
    The unseasonably warm December sun beat on Giselle’s neck and shoulders. She reached for her handkerchief to wipe the moisture from her forehead as Libby encouraged a frisky young stallion to take a bit with lead into his mouth.
    “You obstinate beast.” Libby frowned, placing her hands on her hips. “You’d think he’d realize after a while that I’m more stubborn than he is and just give in.”
    “I do not know, Libby. He is being mulish.” She chuckled. If Libby couldn’t do it, then it couldn’t be done. She had a special way with horses and Giselle had learned a great deal from her these past months while working on Colin’s—and now Libby’s—stud farm.
    “You think this beautiful weather will hold,” Libby asked.
    “I hope so.” Giselle sighed, her breath coming out in one long puff of air while she stared over the landscape. “I’ll miss being outside when it turns too cold.”
    “ I’m not looking forward to winter.” Libby’s gaze followed Giselle’s toward the track where the two trained Colin’s beauties for racing each morning. “I don’t think Colin was expecting such warm weather for so long. He’s put off his trip to Louisville because of it.”
    “Oh , Libby, I love it here.” Her words rushed out like a waterfall during the spring runoff. “These horses have given me