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  His arm slid the few inches separating them, his hand went around her narrow waist and he was beyond the point of no return. Her skin was silky, pale and smooth. Drops of water sparkled on her long lashes, and her full red lips were so temptingly close! And that scrap of a swimsuit covered damn little of her. Every luscious curve was there for him to see, to remember, to desire.

  The instant he touched her, he started shaking, and it took every ounce of control to keep from yanking her into his arms and holding her as tightly as possible.

  “Jonah!” she gasped. Her cry was a protest, but her voice was laced with blatant longing.

  He slid his arm farther around her bare middle. She was warm and wet and almost naked.

  “Dammit, Kate,” he said, his voice a husky rasp.

  “Don’t…” she whispered, but then he drew her close and their bodies pressed together, their bare legs tangling. He was aroused, hot, consumed by desire for her.

  She bit off her words, her eyes going wide as she looked up at him, and he saw the flames in the depths of her hazel eyes. Her expression changed from surprise and wariness to a sensual heat. Her lips parted slightly; her breathing was fast and shallow. When her slender hands slid along his arms, he remembered how sexy and provocative she could be.

  He didn’t want to be attracted to her, to still love her, yet at this moment in time he had to hold her and kiss her. It was as if his life were at risk if he didn’t get her into his embrace. Beyond measure, he wanted her, and though somewhere inside him an opposing emotion warred, desire won.

  His head dipped down, his mouth covered hers and he drowned in the softness of her lips, tasting her. One kiss, a kiss to die for…

  Kate slipped her hands up his strong arms, feeling his hard shoulders, relishing how solid and muscular he was. Fire licked along her veins and she was shaken by his kiss, which stormed her senses and awakened long-dormant desires. Her breasts tingled, her insides heated, and she might as well have been in a free fall, plummeting into passion. She ached for him. All the pent-up craving of five years poured into her kiss as her tongue clashed with his.

  His kisses set her ablaze with need for more, for all of him, for his hands and his mouth everywhere. Giving vent to the yearning that had torn her apart these past five years, she responded with a vengeance.

  As if a dam had burst, sensations flooded her, and his reaction was just as intense. Giving and taking, they kissed eagerly.

  What was she doing? Had she lost all common sense? Yet while her heart pounded, she kissed him passionately, held him tightly and wanted him desperately.

  She moaned, trembling, her fingers tangling in his wet hair, exploring the strong, warm column of his neck. His manhood pressed against her and she knew he was aroused, desiring her just as she desired him. Yet what enormous barriers stood between them!

  For a few more minutes she was going to ignore those warnings going off in her head. Relishing the flat, hard planes of his body, she pressed against Jonah.

  His hand slipped down her bare back, over the scrap of wet swimsuit. How right it seemed to be in his arms, and how many nights she had dreamed of this! Too many hours she had lost sleep, while memories of his kisses tormented her. Yet with every second that she stayed here, holding him, she was losing her defenses and making herself vulnerable to the searing pain of separation she had gone through before.

  Knowing she had to stop, she pushed against his chest. “No!” she whispered.

  He faced her, desire blazing in his dark eyes, his jaw set. “I told you this wouldn’t happen again, but when you get close to me…”

  “We shouldn’t swim together,” she whispered, and turned, dipping under the water and streaking away from him as if she really were being chased by something terrifying. What she was trying to escape from was her own consuming hunger for Jonah, she knew.

  Frantically, she climbed out of the pool, yanked up her towel and rushed into the house, hurrying up to her room, breathing as if she had run a mile race. In her bathroom, she stripped off her suit and showered, washing her hair and drying it. She pulled on a nightgown, then went to the balcony to look down at the pool. Jonah was nowhere to be seen.

  They couldn’t fight the physical attraction, but neither of them wanted a relationship. She didn’t care to be involved with him again, and she knew he didn’t want to be involved with her. Even when he kissed her, his anger still smoldered, held in check, yet there. She switched off the lights and went outside on her balcony again. It wasn’t attached to his, thank heavens. She had never seen him outside, but she turned a chair so it faced away from his room, and she sat in the darkness, wishing her body would cool.

  She rubbed her forehead, knowing she had to avoid Jonah. Their being together made for a combustible mix, a compelling attraction that neither of them could resist. Yet how could she avoid him when she lived in the same house and had to share Henry with him?

  Why couldn’t she forget Jonah? Get over him and not have her pulse race every time he came into the room?

  She knew she would have to keep busy, spend as much time as she could away from him and practice more control when he was near.

  And how was she going to sleep at night? So far at the ranch she had slept fitfully and only a few hours at a time. Maybe they could make a swimming schedule. She suspected he would laugh at that and not bother to remember the rules. Knowing Jonah, he would swim in his pool when he wanted, whether he was scheduled to or not.

  The rest of the week Kate was busy at work, throwing herself into the job to keep her mind off Jonah. At night, she was careful to avoid being alone with him, and she suspected that he was trying just as hard to avoid her. As soon as one of them put Henry to bed, Jonah disappeared, and she didn’t see any more of him.

  On Friday evening, his parents and Boone Devlin were due to arrive at six o’clock, and the rest of the guests at seven. Feeling nervous, Kate slipped on a bright blue sundress that had a splash of roses embroidered across the skirt, with more roses along the square neckline. She wore bangles, dangling golden earrings, and had her hair caught up in a clip on one side of her head.

  Slipping on tan sandals, she went to get Henry dressed. She found him in the upstairs family room and discovered that Jonah had already seen to Henry’s bath and had dressed him.

  “Don’t you look super!” she exclaimed.

  The boy smiled. “Look at my new boots,” he declared happily, holding out a foot to show her classic hand-tooled cowboy footwear.

  “They’re great, Henry,” she said, eyeing his blue knit shirt and new jeans. “You look so cute.”

  When he grinned and ran off, she turned to go downstairs. She walked through the kitchen, bustling with busy caterers. Outside, trays of colorful, tempting food covered tables set with bouquets of riotous red and yellow lilies, making the terrace look festive. On this cool summer evening, with the sun still above the horizon, the crystal-blue swimming pool made a vivid backdrop for the party.

  The moment she stepped outside, Kate spotted Jonah talking to the cook. The men stood beside a large portable cooker where the ribs were grilling. A plume of smoke spiraled away from the black iron cooker, and the mouthwatering odor of ribs filled the air.

  Kate barely noticed anything except Jonah, who looked incredibly handsome in a navy long-sleeved Western shirt, jeans and black boots. The moment she saw him, an electrical current surged in her. After their last passionate kisses in the pool, she was more susceptible to his appeal than ever, she knew.

  When his dark eyes trailed down to her feet and back up in a quick glance, she tingled as if his fingers had skimmed over her. A moment later he left the cook and sauntered toward her, and to her chagrin, her pulse speeded up even more. They had been married for four years when they got divorced, yet she was reacting to Jonah now as she had all during their marriage and the months before.

  “You look great,” Jonah said impassively. There was a shuttered look to his expression, and she couldn’t guess what
he was feeling or thinking.

  “Thank you,” she said, pleased, yet remembering other parties when Jonah’s voice had been filled with warmth. She recalled, too, how she had always been more aware of Jonah than anyone else at the party. And afterward…

  She tried to tear her thoughts from those taunting memories. “You look handsome, and the house and terrace are gussied up like we’re ready for a party. Henry is delighted with his new boots.”

  “Yeah. He likes them. I got him a hat today, too. You’ll have to get him to show it to you.”

  “I’m sure he will,” she said, excitement bubbling in her. All she wanted to do was stand and talk to Jonah, but she knew she couldn’t.

  “Boone called today and asked if he could bring a friend. I told him it was fine.”

  “Boone always has a friend,” she said lightly.

  “He likes the ladies and they like him.” Jonah glanced beyond her. “Here they are.”

  Kate turned and crossed the terrace with Jonah to greet his parents. They had brought one of the other grandsons, Trent, and already Henry and Trent were talking. Trent was about an inch taller than Henry and had the same coal-black hair, though Trent’s was long and shaggy.

  “Hi, Kate,” Boone said coolly. “This is a friend of mine, Lissa Anthony. Lissa, this is Kate Whitewolf, and this is the man I’ve told you about, Jonah.”

  Lissa flashed a dimpled smile at Jonah, while Kate turned to hug his mother and say hello to his father.

  Maggie hugged Kate in return, and then Neighbor hugged her lightly. Kate wondered who Jonah took after, because he had none of the thickness of Neighbor’s chest and shoulders, yet he was far taller than Maggie. Dressed in a red silk blouse and red slacks, Maggie looked her usual commanding self, while Neighbor, with his Hawaiian shirt and wide grin, looked as lovable as a puppy.

  As they stood talking, Mike Remington and his wife arrived. Kate hadn’t seen Mike since the divorce, but he seemed his same friendly self, which was a relief to her. His wife, Savannah, was amiable, and Kate held the little girl they had adopted.

  “She’s a beautiful baby,” Kate said, looking at the child whose former room Henry now occupied. “It’s wonderful that you two adopted her.”

  “Jessie is precious,” Savannah replied. “We both adore her.”

  “Kate, where’s this son that Jonah can’t stop telling me about?” Mike asked, looking around. Kate called to Henry and Trent.

  “I can tell which one is yours,” Mike said dryly as the boys came running. “He looks exactly like a little Jonah.”

  “Yes, he does,” Jonah’s mother said, and within seconds Kate was introducing the children.

  Soon Gabe and Ashley Brant arrived with their son, Julian, and their little girl, Ella. Julian immediately disappeared with Henry and Trent, while Ashley held Ella as introductions were made. Kate smiled when she greeted the black-haired, pleasant-looking woman. Gabe Brant was handsome, with the tanned skin of a cowboy. His brown eyes and welcoming expression made Kate feel at ease.

  “Gabe is a neighbor,” Jonah explained. “From one of the old families who originally settled this region.”

  “Glad to have you living in these parts,” Gabe said. “You’ll like it here, I think. In spite of the rustlers.”

  “Hopefully, they’ll be caught before they do any more damage. Come in and get what you’d like to drink,” Jonah told the Brants. “Both of you know everyone better than we do, with the exception of a couple of my friends and my parents. I’ll introduce you to them.”

  They moved across the terrace, while Kate stayed near the door to greet other arrivals. Jonah had invited couples from nearby ranches, and children had been included in the invitations, so the noise level rose.

  When Duane Talmadge and his wife, Hazel, arrived, Kate was the first to greet them. She held out her hand. “I’m Kate Whitewolf, Jonah’s ex-wife,” she said, shaking hands lightly with each of them. Tall and brown-haired, Duane had a scar that ran across his square jaw. He had the tanned, leathery look of a cowman who’d spent most of his life outdoors. His wife’s auburn hair was graying, and she wore several large diamonds on different fingers.

  Jonah appeared at Kate’s side to meet them. “I’ve heard that you and John Frates were best friends,” he said to Duane.

  “We were close through high school and college. Then he went on in the oil business, and I stayed on the ranch. He thought the world of you guys who saved him,” the older man said.

  “Come on in and help yourself to drinks and hors d’oeuvres,” Jonah urged them.

  “Thanks, Mr. Whitewolf.”

  “It’s Jonah,” he said simply, looking into the man’s pale blue eyes.

  As they told Kate they would see her later, and moved on with Jonah, another guest entered. Kate looked at a tall, rugged man with thick black hair. She smiled, greeted him and held out her hand, to have it shaken in a firm grasp.

  “I’m Dakota Gallen,” he said in a mellow bass voice that was deeper than most men’s.

  “I’m Kate Whitewolf. It’s nice to meet you. I’ve heard Jonah mention you. You’re the sheriff of Piedras County, aren’t you?”

  “Yes. And I’m sorry your arrival in the county has been marred by the incident last night.”

  “I’m sure you’d like to forget about it for a little while,” Kate said, smiling at him. “Come with me and I’ll introduce you to the few people here you don’t know.”

  As she moved away from the door, Dakota Gallen walked beside her, telling her about the history of the ranch while they crossed the terrace.

  “Do you know the Stallion Pass legend?” he asked, and she smiled but shook her head.

  “An Apache warrior fell in love with a cavalry captain’s daughter. The maiden and the warrior planned to marry, but the night the warrior came to get her, the soldiers killed him. According to legend, his ghost became a white stallion, forever searching for the woman he loved. The stallion roams this area, and according to the story, will bring love to the person who tames him.”

  “I’d think a lot of people would be scouring these hills for a white horse,” she said, and he chuckled.

  “What’s odd is there have been wild white stallions around here off and on, going back to the legend, I guess. One of your guests has one now—Mike Remington.”

  “Mike does?” she asked, startled because she never thought of Mike as a horse person.

  “Yes, he does. Maybe that’s why he fell in love,” Dakota said with a twinkle in his eye.

  Jonah strolled up to join them. “What are you two laughing about?”

  “I told Kate the legend of Stallion Pass.”

  “Mike has a white stallion from here,” she told Jonah. “Did you know that?”

  He laughed and shook his head. “Nope, but you’re not going to get me to believe in that legend.”

  “Then you’re not a romantic, Jonah,” Kate said, gazing at him and knowing that wasn’t true. Jonah used to do things for her that she thought were incredibly romantic. “I guess I have to take that back, though,” she admitted. “You’re a romantic. Just not enough of one to believe the legend.”

  “A horse is a horse,” Jonah declared, “and not the ghost of any warrior. If you’ll excuse us, Kate, I’ll introduce Dakota to my parents.” The two men started to saunter away, but Jonah turned back to her. “And I’ll talk to you later about me not being romantic.”

  “That isn’t what I said,” she said, knowing he was flirting again. “You can be very romantic, but at the moment you have to be the good host.”

  “I’ll show you romance, Kate.”

  She smiled and watched him as he rejoined Dakota and they walked away.

  In the yard to the west of the terrace, Jonah had set up a volleyball net and a tetherball, and kids of various sizes already had games going.

  Soon the party was in full swing, and while Kate was busy talking to the rancher’s wives, she forgot about any hostility from Jonah’s friends.

&
nbsp; As the gathering progressed, Kate tried to pay as little attention to Jonah as she could, yet it was impossible to stop being aware of where he was and what he was doing. Once she turned and he was standing beside her. “Are you enjoying the evening, Kate?”

  “Yes. You have a great bunch of friends.”

  “Boone’s being okay?”

  “Yes. He’s just a little cool.”

  “And Mike?”

  “Mike is Mike, just like he’s always been, except he’s in love. I thought you said he and Savannah had a marriage of convenience,” Kate murmured, watching a breeze tug at locks of Jonah’s thick, black hair.

  “In the beginning, when Mike told me about it, that’s what his marriage was. Savannah’s our attorney, and from that first day, I know he clashed with her. But then they decided to marry and adopt little Jessie. I guess Mike fell in love, which is surprising, because he seemed as much of a confirmed bachelor as Boone.”

  “I’d say he’s in love,” Kate said. “He won’t leave her side, and he can’t stop touching her or looking at her.”

  “I’m glad he’s happy,” Jonah remarked in a level, noncommittal voice. He ran his finger along a thin strap of Kate’s sundress. “Thanks for being my hostess, Kate. You’re friendly with the adults and with the kids. All these kids might bother some women.”

  “I like having them around and I know your parents love it. They’re definitely kid-oriented. And I’m glad to be hostess,” she answered, aware of the faint touch of his finger, of the dark depths of his brown eyes. “It’s a great party.”

  “Yeah,” he said, still watching her, and she wondered what was going through his mind as they stared at each other. Kate didn’t know why he stood immobile, but she was unable to move away.

  “I’ll see about the kids,” she said at last.

  She turned abruptly, annoyed with herself for letting him affect her so intensely. She crossed the lawn to watch the children play, yet as she strolled off, she was certain Jonah watched her.

  By the time everyone was seated at round tables to eat tender ribs covered in barbecue sauce, the sun was setting and shadows stretched across the lawn. The air had cooled and a faint breeze had sprung up, making it a perfect summer evening. Kate sat eating at one of the tables, aware that Jonah was seated at another table with his back to her. He had been friendlier than usual tonight, and she wondered if it was because other people were around.