The Bridal Path: Sara by Sherryl Woods Page A

to resist. She wasn’t as crazy about that one, but unfortunately it made a lot of sense. All that taunting talk of marriage had finally encouraged her to take matters into her own hands.
    Or maybe she really was naive and foolish enough to figure she could seduce Three-Stars away from him. Stupid, stupid, stupid! There was no getting around it. That was a game she couldn’t possibly win.
    Whichever motive it was, she had clearly wandered onto dangerous turf. While it was true enough that she might hold some power over Jake when it came to sex, she’d also discovered that his hold on her was just as powerful. She didn’t need a map to know that big-time trouble lay at the end of that particular path.
    Since he hadn’t moved in some time, she dared a peek at him. The sight of raw masculinity that greeted her gaze took her breath away. She’d always known he possessed a magnificent body. She’d even seen the rippling muscles in his shoulders and arms before as he worked around the ranch bare chested in the summer heat. But the combined effect of tapered waist, lean hips, muscular legs and stirring arousal slammed through her like a freight train.
    Humiliation and embarrassment be damned! She wanted him again, wanted him with a hunger that stunned her. When had she turned into such a shameless hussy? If she wasn’t careful, she was going to allow this consuming need for Jake Dawson’s body to cloud her thinking. She needed all her wits about her if she was going to hang on to the ranch. That was her number one priority and she couldn’t lose sight of it.
    With careful deliberation, she shimmied out from under him, alert for any sign that he was awake and not just having one heck of a hot dream.
    She was almost free, when his arm snagged her waist and pinned her in place.
    “Going somewhere?” he inquired in a lazy, sexy tone that rippled over her.
    “It’s dawn,” she improvised, feigning a carefree cheerfulness she was far from feeling. “We’ve got work to do.”
    “It can wait,” he insisted, his hand possessively cupping her breast. He skimmed the nipple with his thumb, sending shock waves all the way to her toes.
    “Oh, no,” she insisted breathlessly. “We have to stay on schedule.”
    He regarded her curiously. “Why the sudden worry about deadlines?”
    “I have an appointment with Zeke later today, remember?”
    “How could I forget?” He grinned impudently. “Don’t worry. I can make sure this won’t take long. We’ll get you back in plenty of time.”
    Sara scowled at him. “How romantic of you.”
    His expression turned serious. “Romance has nothing to do with anything happening between us,” he assured her. “We’re talking about steamy, mutually satisfying sex.”
    Sara figured she deserved that. She was the one who’d practically pleaded with him to make love the night before. It was hardly any wonder that he’d gotten the idea that she would go along with a hot, no-strings affair. Still, it hurt hearing him say that it had meant nothing more to him. That was yet another warning that what had happened couldn’t be repeated.
    She forced a nonchalant shrug. “Last night was a mistake. There’s no need to repeat it.”
    Surprisingly, Jake stilled. “A mistake?” he asked, his tone lethal.
    His demeanor radiated a warning, but Sara was too intent on escaping with at least a shred of pride intact to pay any attention to it.
    “Everyone’s entitled to one, right? I’m sorry if you got the wrong idea.” She leapt up and grabbed her clothes. “I’ll be ready to get to work whenever you are.”
    She dashed through the underbrush to the nearby creek and splashed herself thoroughly with very cold water. It chilled her skin, but did nothing at all to cool her temper or her desire.
    Still, by the time she returned to the campfire, she managed to appear outwardly calm. Jake’s grim expression suggested he was in as much turmoil as she was. He gestured toward the pot of