Her Forbidden Gunslinger by Harper St. George Page A

Maybe you hate me now and I have no right to do this.” His questioning gaze searched hers until he moved so close, his eyes closed and his lips covered hers. He kissed her with all of the pent-up longing of the past two weeks. The second his tongue brushed her lips, she surrendered to his kiss and the yearning it stirred deep within her. Her arms went around his shoulders, so there wasn’t a breath of space between them from breast to hip. And the kiss evolved into a heated, breathing thing of redemption and desire until he was drinking salvation from her lips. Finally he released her mouth, but still held her close. “Whatever else you think of me, Sophie, know this: I had decided you weren’t marrying Beaudin, no matter what happened today.”
    “When did you decide that?” she breathed against his lips.
    “When I watched you sleep. I knew I needed to keep you safe. When you walked away from me that morning, I hated myself for hurting you. I never want to cause you pain, Sophie, but it’s all I ever seem to do.” He closed his eyes and kissed the corner of her mouth and her brow before letting her go and taking a step back.
    The action sobered her. She felt bereft suddenly without the comfort of his embrace. When he spoke, his voice was still gentle, but his tone was all business. “You should know that your uncle was shot pretty bad, I doubt he’ll make it. And even Beaudin can’t buy himself out of the mess he’s in so he won’t be a problem for you anymore. You’ll be free now.”
    Sophie opened her mouth to say something, but nothing would come out. Her heart dropped to her stomach, not because of what he’d said but because he’d seemed to imply that he wouldn’t be a part of her future. Finally, she managed to voice a portion of what she wanted. “What of you?”
    His eyes opened wide in surprise. “I’ll find Alexandre for you.”
    “And that’s it?” She held her breath locked tight in her throat.
    He was silent, but she saw the struggle behind his eyes, saw his breath become heavy and his jaw tighten. “I don’t know how to not hurt you.” And he fell to his knees before her. “Sophie, I want you but I don’t know how.”
    The breath she was holding came out as a sob and she moved forward to hold him. His face pressed to her stomach and his arms came around her. “I meant it when I said I loved you, Gray. We’ll figure this out.”
    He shook his head against her.
    Her fingers tangled in his hair as she raised his tortured gaze to meet hers. “I love you,
mon coeur.
I’ll always love you.”
    Gray’s arms wrapped tight around her and she squealed as he rose to his feet, holding her above him. “Then you’re mine, Sophie. I won’t let you go.”
    She laughed as she slid down his body until she could kiss him. “Always,
mon amour.
Always.”

Harper St. George was raised in the rural backwoods of Alabama and along the tranquil coast of northwest Florida. It was a setting filled with stories of the old days that instilled in her a love of history, romance and adventure. By high school, she had discovered the historical romance novel, which combined all those elements into one perfect package. She has been hooked ever since.
    She lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with her husband and two young children. Look for her short story in the first Romance Writers of America anthology. She would love to hear from you. Please visit her website at www.harperstgeorge.com .
    Also by Harper St. George
    Harlequin Historical Undone
    His Abductor’s Desire

eISBN: 978-1-4603-3838-4
    HER FORBIDDEN GUNSLINGER
    Copyright © 2014 by Harper McGough Nieh
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