Read Sweet Enemy for Free Online Page B

isn't a sign of old age?" she added
mischievously.
    He chuckled softly. "You brat."
    All the years seemed to fall away when he laughed like that, and
he was the Clint of her childhood, the bigger-than-life
creature her dreams were made of, invulnerable and
indestructible.
    "Clint, I am sorry about the bubble bath," she said, "but it did
look so pretty…"
    He tweaked a long strand of her hair. "Brent's a bad influence
on you. And from now on keep your little hands off my jeep."
    "Yes, Clint."
    "So meek!" he drawled. His eyes dropped to her mouth and
lingered there for a long time. Abruptly he caught her tiny waist
with both hands and jerked her up against him, holding her so
tightly that she cried out involuntarily.
    "You beast, will you let me go?" she gasped angrily.
    His breath was warm at her temple. "It's dangerous to stop
fighting me, Irish," he murmured in a stranger's husky voice. "I'm
a man, not a boy like Brent, and I'm not used to limits of any
kind. Are you too innocent to understand that, or do you want me to
spell it out?"
    She felt the lean, hard body against hers go taut as his hands
put her away, and she moved to pick up the sheets of paper and pen
that had fallen to the floor.
    "I seem to remember your telling me that I didn't…appeal to
you
that
way," she said through tight lips, avoiding his
watchful gaze.
    There was a long, static silence between them. "Do you have a
list for Shorty?" he asked after a while, and she heard the click
of his lighter just before a cloud of smoke drifted around her.
"He'll need to get those supplies today so that he can start
cooking early in the morning."
    "I've just about finished it," she replied, sitting back
down. "I thought I'd have him get some paper tablecloths and plates and napkins, too,
and plastic utensils."
    "Thrifty little soul, aren't you?" he asked gruffly. "Am I
supposed to be impressed?"
    "The only thing that might impress you," she returned hotly, "is
a steam roller!"
    "More depressing than impressing, surely," he said with a flash
of a grin.
    She drew a hard sigh. "You are without doubt, the most maddening
human being…!"
    "With your hair loose like that," he murmured, "and your eyes
like green buds in early spring, you're pretty maddening yourself,
honey. Just make sure you don't fling any of that sweet magic in
Brent's direction. I'd hate like hell to have to throw him off the
property."
    "What I do with Brent…!" she began.
    "…Is
my
business as long as you're on
my
ranch,"
he said flatly, his eyes daring her to argue about it. "Don't make the mistake of
underestimating him, either. He's a man, and the kind of teasing
you do with him can be just as inviting as a come-on."
    Her mouth flew open. "Clint, for heaven's sake, I've played at
words with him all my life!"
    "And while you were still eight, and he was ten, it was safe."
His dark green eyes swept over her lithe figure in the soft tan
blouse and slacks. "Baby, you're a hell of a long way past your
eighth birthday. Don't tempt fate."
    "How strange that you should be warning me about Brent,"
she flung at him, "when just the other day he was warning me about
you!"
    One eyebrow went up and she could see the mischief sparkling in
his eyes. "What did he say?" he asked.
    Her mouth opened to say the words just as she realized what they
were and shut it again. Her face burned like fire.
    He laughed softly. "Well?" he prodded. "You know I'm not going
to let that drop until you tell me. What did he say,
Maggie?"
    She shifted uneasily. "He said you were a force to behold," she
said finally.
    "And what else?"
    "That was…all," she faltered. He studied her for a long time,
idly drawing on the cigarette. "I think I can guess," he mused.
"And he's right, up to a point. I can have damned near any woman I
want. But, Maggie," he added, his voice soft now, "I don't rob
cradles." She kept her eyes down, inclined to argue, but too
smart to open that can of worms. "How soon do you need this
list?"
    "In an hour. I've