Something Wild by Patti Berg Page B

whisper sweet nothings in her ear and she’d fall into their arms and then their beds or even the back seat of their cars.
    She’d never succumbed before because those men had left her cold. But Mike made her feel awfully weak in the knees. He came darn close to hypnotizing her, made her think that he could persuade her to do just about anything.
    Of all the men she’d ever met, he should know better.
    She took another deep breath, tried to remember what he’d asked her, and finally answered his question. “I came here to help you look for Satan.” Her eyes trailed to his lips, to her fingers, which were just a fraction of an inch from his mouth. “I hope you don’t think I’m here for... any other reason.”
    His brow rose in question. “Such as?”
    “I don’t know. Sex, maybe?”
    He frowned. “What makes you think that?”
    “The way you’re about to kiss my fingers. The way you unbuttoned my coat and took off my gloves. Then there’s the way you’ve been all nice and sweet to me, as if you want something in return.”
    He dropped her hands all too suddenly and plowed his fingers through his hair. “Have you been in Vegas so long that you’ve forgotten what polite, well-bred men do? Have you forgotten what lending a helping hand is all about? Does everything in your life revolve around sex?”
    That did it. She popped up from the arm of the sofa and faced him almost eye to eye. “Is that what you think of me? Do you think the words sex and showgirl are synonymous?”
    “I never gave it any thought until you got all hot and bothered about me rubbing your fingers to get some warmth back into them. Should I let you get frostbite? Was I supposed to let you lie on the ground last night and freeze, or let you walk back to the ranch on a bum ankle?”
    “You might have been better off if you had.”
    “Yeah, and you would have been dead. Coyotes get hungry this time of year, and they’re always on the lookout for a wounded animal. Mountain lions look, too; and I’ve seen their tracks lately. You couldn’t have outrun either of them.”
    “I could outrun you,” she said, realizing the stupidity of her statement, how childish their bickering had become.
    “Maybe so,” Mike said, “but I’m not on the chase.”
    His eyes were hot. The heat from his body was hotter. He glared down at her and she glared right back. It was an absolutely ridiculous standoff, and she’d been completely responsible for all of it.
    She blew out a deep breath, skirted around him, and went to the fireplace, sticking her hands close to the fire in the immense rock hearth. She heard him walk across the room, saw through the corner of her eye that he’d leaned a shoulder against the wall and watched her just as curiously as she’d watched him.
    She tilted her head away from the fire and smiled at him. A slight smile, but it was all she had left in her at the moment. The rest of her was consumed by the embarrassment she felt for having thought that he might be on the make. “Thanks for letting me get that off my chest.”
    “Anything else you want to unload? I’ve been trained to listen.”
    “You weren’t listening a minute ago. You were arguing.”
    “I’m human.”
    She’d noticed. All too human.
    She shrugged out of her coat and tossed it onto the couch, getting ready to explain why she’d come unglued. “Most of the men I meet think sex and showgirl are synonymous. They think I’m an easy lay.” She looked at his face for some sign of shock, for disgust, but saw only more questions. “I’m not,” she tossed out, “just in case you’re curious.”
    “I never thought you were.”
    He shoved away from the wall, moving close again. Real close. “You sure you want to go out with me to find Satan?”
    “I’d rather help you find the mares. As for Satan, you should leave him alone.”
    He grinned. “The horse expert returns?”
    “I don’t claim to be a horse expert, but I do know wild animals shouldn’t