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her body could feel his hard muscles, to learn what it was like to touch him and feel him against her body.
    A horse neighing loudly in the next stall jerked her backwards. She looked up at Marcus, shocked at what she’d just done. She’d kissed the man! How could she have kissed him? What was she thinking?
    “Um…,” she muttered, still confused and dazed. A part of her wanted to grab his jacket and pull him closer again, to do that all over but this time, with more thought to it. She’d been too caught up in the kiss to really enjoy it.
    When she realized what she was thinking, she backed up again. “I’m going back to the house,” she announced, her voice breaking up. She couldn’t look at him, too ashamed of how she had kissed him so passionately. So wantonly! Goodness, he must think she was a hussy!
    “Juliette, wait,” he called out to her. “Let me lock up the stalls and I’ll walk you back up.” Marcus stepped out of the stall, giving Brutus another pat. But Juliette was running out of the stable, her hair flying out behind her. The rain was pelting down around her and he cursed as he finished locking the stalls and the stable doors.
    He wasn’t positive, but he was relatively sure that it actually started raining harder when he stepped out. Juliette was nowhere to be seen and he turned on his flashlight, trying to find her path. She damn well better not have tripped on the way up to the house. Not that there was a lot to trip over, but the tree roots, grass and fallen leaves could be slippery in this kind of weather.
    “Damn!” he snapped when he finally reached the house. There was a light on in the kitchen but Juliette wasn’t there. “Juliette!” he called out.
    “I’m fine. Thank you for your help tonight,” she called right back.
    Marcus heard the bedroom door slam closed and he sighed, rubbing his forehead again. The woman was driving him nuts!
    So why was he kissing her? Why hadn’t he just kept his hands off of her? And why the hell had he gotten so furious when he’d thought she was in the stall with another man? He had no right to control her. Nor did he want that control.
    Or did he?
    Marcus shook his head and walked into the office. The horses were tucked in for the night, Juliette was upstairs doing…well, whatever the hell she did…
    And why didn’t he know what she did all day long?
    He looked around at his father’s desk. It was covered with papers, he realized with frustration. Normally, Linda, his assistant, kept him better organized. But because he’d agreed when his father had asked him to help out while they were gone, he was losing his mind.
    After that last kiss, he didn’t really care all that much though.

Chapter 3

    The following evening, his phone rang and he looked down at the caller ID before answering. “I’m not talking to you,” Marcus said, rubbing his forehead.
    Antonio chuckled. Just like Dylan the previous call, Antonio was immune to his older brother’s jibes. Antonio was the youngest of all five, but still just as big and just as annoying. Probably more annoying than the others because he had more years to learn at the hands of his older siblings. “Sure you are, big brother. Why on earth would you want to ignore me?”
    “Because you’re going to tell me that Mom asked you to call and check in on me.”
    “Of course she did. Now why would Mom think you were being rude and inconsiderate?” Antonio asked.
    Marcus leaned back in the enormous leather chair and propped his feet up on the desk. “Possibly because I’m a rude and inconsiderate ass and she knows it.” He watched as Juliette paused as she walked by the office doorway. It was only a momentary pause but he’d caught it. And smiled at it.
    “Well, yes. There is that. But Dylan mentioned it could have something to do with a lovely house guest that you also might need rescuing from. If she’s half as pretty as what Dylan was implying, I’ll be there in a half hour.”
    Marcus’