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He wet his throat again Beer had never tasted so good, nor could he re so quickly parched “So you own one of those huge stations that take up half the grazing area of Western Australia?”

“It’s just a bit of brick and tile and land” She shrugged “You said I owe you a dance You going to ood on the claim?”

“When I’ve aentirely truthful Because if she kept her hand on his leg, he was going to slaht there, until Elle had to shoot hione mad with the heat

Setting down the beer, he rose, shrugged his shirt back on but left it open Then he put both hands to her waist to lift her off the stool She’dthe ainst him as she stood, he didn’t mind the contact, but slid an arm low around her hips to move with her to the open floor near the jukebox

As they reached it, he took a quick glance to ht

“Afraid I’ you over here to have my men take your treasures?” she observed

“There’s only one thing going to be taken tonight, love” He couldn’t help the underlying demand to the tone, or how it deepened as her blue eyes sparked in reaction “You want to keep it safe, you’d best take yourself off soon” She turned on the ball of her foot, ht hold of her ar one way, her the other, but such that when she tilted her face up to his, there were only inches between them

He wasn’t one of those dickheads ouldn’t take no for an answer He’d been without for quite a while, but he’d cut off his own balls before forcing a woman, no matter how loose she was But it was as if her proxier body, and he was having a hard ti as proper behavior He didn’t want to chase her off, despite his challenge, but it was only with considerable effort he was able to keep his grip fir

When she looked at his hand and then back up at his face, he saw sooaded by his unplanned and possessive act

“I’ll be right back,” she said softly “I promise”

He let her go with reluctance She did return a blink later with the rag from the bar, despite Elle’s unfriendly look Lady Daniela lifted it, thata allits beauty

“You warned et dirty Thought I’d take care of soan to rub slow circles Daers buried in the rag as she passed over it His hand flexed convulsively at his side “Plus I thought this cool cloth ood to you” It did, priine feeling the sa it over him like she would a dirty table Of course, he’d never seen Elle wipe down a table the way this one did, following every contour of him intimately

“God, you are soered over the ses of his sectioned abdo shape because of the life he led, but having her appreciate it so openly, in such a tactile way, th now Put her under his and plow her like a wheat field

“Don’t have call to see ive ain” She chuckled, and the sound was like a kitten purring, inviting his touch As she , he put his ar theher closer to hi in another step, he rested his free hand on her shoulder, his thu the base of her delicate neck She didn’t stop hi hiine how he’d fit with all the expensive and breakable things she’d likely keep there

Her gaze wandered over the ridged circular scars on his chest again Then she touched him there, the slow examination almost more than he could take and re on a nearby table at last, before she could ask the inevitable question, he took her daers “Let’s dance”

True to his barter, he closed the last gap between theainst her pelvis “Oh, my,” she murmured “Is that all you?”

Lord, he isted enough to enjoy the paradox of her, a fine lady behaving like a wanton It was like walking into ahis balls draw up as though to prove he was still alive “I suppose that’s e’re going to find out, hmm?”

Her hand drifted down his back, as welcome as only the caress of a woman’s hand could be, no metaphor needed to enhance the siers into the loose fabric of his open shirt “Not in ame with charm?”