A Tradition of Pride by Janet Dailey Read Free Book Online Page B

was slightly increased, fingers digging into the delicate bones of her wrist, forcing Lara to lean forward to lessen the sharp pain.
    "Wouldn't I?" Rans murmured softly.
    In that split second, Lara realized that there was very little this arrogant, dominating man wouldn't dare. And she just might have goaded him into proving it. There was no way she was going to suffer that kind of humiliation at his hands.
    With a quick downward twist of her wrists, she tried to surprise him and pull free, without success, but that was only the beginning of the struggle. Kicking and twisting and clawing the air around his face, Lara fought to get loose. He held her easily, amused by her vigorous efforts.
    Two of the pins fell out of her hair, tousled waves Of shimmering red gold curved around her cheek only partially held back by the remaining pins. Her heart was racing madly, the exertion of her struggles coloring her cheeks. Green eyes blazed with the light of battle, refusing to submit to superior strength.
    Summoning what remained of her own strength, Lara stiffened her arms, straining her wrists against the overlapping of fingers and thumbs. With a quick twist, Rans curved them behind her back, imprisoning her against the solid wall of his chest.
    Her hipbones were forced against the bruising hardness of his thighs. Breathing heavily, her energy nearly spent, Lara kicked weakly at his shins with the toes of her riding boots. After a series of harmless, glancing blows, a toe accurately found its target, drawing a stifled curse near her ear.
    With punishing cruelty, Rans twisted her arms higher up the curve of her spine, arching her more firmly against him. "You damned little hellcat!" He muttered savagely.
    Reacting to the shooting pains in her arms, Lara jerked her head back and up. Her parted lips accidentally came in contact with his mouth. Instantly she was paralyzed, totally incapable of any movement. The scent of him enveloped her in an invisible, musky cloud. She was suddenly conscious of his shirt buttons biting into her breasts.
    The same stillness gripped Rans. Less than a feather separated their lips, yet neither moved. No longer blinded by her temper, Lara couldn't ignore her vulnerability to a male assault. Frightened, her rounded eyes gazed helplessly into the brown depths of his, veiled by thick, spiky lashes. Her pulse quickened, drumming loudly in her ears. His attention seemed to be focused on the flaming disarray of her hair, then his gaze moved with unnerving slowness to look into her eyes.
    For ticking seconds they were locked together, lips touching without kissing. There was no one to hear her if she screamed. She was at his mercy and Lara doubted if he possessed any. But she wouldn't beg for it, not from him or any man.
    When the seconds had stretched to a fever pitch, his grip shifted on her wrists, releasing one as he spun her away with the other. Before Lara could draw a shaky breath of relief, pressure was applied to the still captured wrist, bending her down toward the ground.
    "Pick up the key," Rans growled thickly.
    She had completely forgotten the cause that had precipitated her struggles moments before and stared at the ground blankly. The plowed earth bore imprints of their scuffle and the key was nowhere to be seen.
    "I can't see it." Her voice trembled in humiliating betrayal.
    Rans forced Lara to her knees, then joined her, raking the dirt with his fingers and uncovering the key. He picked it up himself and pulled her to her feet, his eyes glittering with a dark light. Reluctant curiosity flickered across her face as she wondered why he hadn't made her pick up the key.
    "I couldn't have the chatelaine of the castle getting dirt beneath her fingernails, could I?" His mouth crooked derisively as he answered her unspoken question. There was no change in his expression when he let go of her wrist. "Unless you want to walk home, Mrs. Cochran, I suggest you go catch your horse."
    Lara averted her head at