Bind Me Close: 3 (Knights in Black Leather) by Cerise DeLand Read Free Book Online Page B

brother spurned her. Well, actually, they did that before she
married them.”
    Willow had to let the intriguing issue of Fancy marrying two
men go for the moment. She was more fascinated by the attitudes of the family
toward Fancy and her son. “Blade was lonely growing up. He says in his journal
that he had two good friends here in Bravado.”
    “One was his cousin, Beau, my grandfather,” Wade said, “the
son of Reg Saxon and Marguerite Turner. The other was Luke MacRae, Blade’s half
brother and the ancestor of Jed, Will and Harry. Luke and Beau said Blade was whip-smart
and honest to a fault.”
    Gratified by that description Willow nodded. “He wrote that
he was grateful to have friends when so few would even speak to him.”
    “My great-grandfather told his sons they must judge a man by
his deeds, not by his skin.”
    “He was ahead of his time,” she said.
    “Reg’s family owned slaves. He hated how his father had
whipped and beaten them.”
    She took a sip of her cocktail, realizing that the two of
them stood alone. Cara, Will and Jed had drifted off to do their hosting. What could
she say to Wade now? Keep him talking about his ancestors? That was fine with
her, if she didn’t wear out the subject and bore him to death.
    He downed his beer and set the bottle on a nearby table,
jamming his hands in his pockets. “Do you ride a horse?”
    “A little. I’m more of a city slicker. Horses tend to run
away with me.”
    He gave her one of his half-grins. “You have to show them
who’s boss.”
    “That skill escapes me, I’m afraid.”
    “I’ll teach you.”
    The offer made her smile. “Want to feel superior to the rude
Boston lady?”
    “No. I want to be helpful. You’re here only for a short time
so I thought perhaps you’d like to see where the old Comanche camp grounds
were.”
    “Oh.” She practically gushed in her enthusiasm. “You can
locate that?”
    “Part of one sits on my land. But you need to ride to get
there. If you come out to the house tomorrow, I’ll take you. Say seven?”
    “In the morning?”
    He tipped his head, a smile playing at his lips. “If we
don’t do it early then we’ll melt like butter all over the Texas hills.”
    “Right. Well, then. The ungodly hour of seven it is.”
    “You don’t like early mornings, I gather.”
    “Not when I don’t have to love them. But I’m looking forward
to this. Oh, wait!” She raised a finger. “I can’t.”
    “Why not?”
    She brushed a hand down her torso. “No clothes.”
    “Come on out. I’ve got some duds I can give you for the
day.”
    “Yours?” Horrified whenever any man thought her so big that
she’d fit into his clothes, she balked.
    “God, no. You’d swim in mine. But you can wear an old shirt
and jeans of my daughter’s.”
    “Oh. Great.”
    “So we’re set?”
    “We are.” We’re also out of topics.
    “How you doing on your drink?”
    “Fine.”
    “I need another beer.”
    “Right. Go ahead. Get one.” She shooed him along. “I’m good
here.”
    “Tomorrow.”
    “At seven.”
    “Don’t be late.”
    “Wouldn’t dream of it. You’re doing me a favor and—”
    “And you’re on a tight schedule, I know. I got it. I’m
helping.”
    “I’m grateful.”
    He nodded, leaving her alone to watch him go. His broad
shoulders and his nice tight ass were a scrumptious sight for her hungry eyes.
Relief washing through her that he had left, she yearned for less tension
between them. Almost kissing him twice had electrified their relationship,
taking it from attraction to obsession. At least for her it had, damn it.
    “Hi, Willow.” Giles Benedict appeared before her. With large
hazel eyes and soft, brown hair, he was built lean and tight as a baseball
player. So different from the big-bear physique of Sheriff Wade Saxon, he was
only an inch taller than she. “I hear you had your car stolen out near Boerne
today.”
    “I did. Right from under my nose. Or rather while I was
powdering it in