Branded by Scottie Barrett Read Free Book Online

returned immediately to her. Without looking, he plucked the items from the hay bundle. "I've men working here that might take that as an invitation," he said.
    Her breath quickened as his gaze caressed her exposed skin. "I would have torn the seams," she said as she plucked the clothing from his hand. She donned the hat, leaving the ribbon strings untied, and quickly thrust her arms into the jacket sleeves. She took care to button the jacket to the top.
    "Woman," he drawled, "I don't employ saints--far from it."
    A hard lump formed in her throat. "Forgive me, but I have never in my life been this hot ... this dusty ... this bloody uncomfortable." Sweat dampened curls clung to her temple, and she pushed them aside knowing she must be smearing dirt on her face in the process. And it wasn't but a moment later, that his rough thumb was attempting to rub away a mark she'd left on her cheek. In surprising reaction to the intimacy of his touch, her eyes glossed over with tears.
    His thumb moved to catch the tears before they fell from her lashes. "Ah, Lacey...."
    Hearing him say her name so tenderly made her knees weak. With the little resolve she could muster, she pushed his hand away and moved back to Irish's side.
    Standing beside her now, he lifted one of the braids she'd woven into the horse's mane, his mouth crooking into a quizzical half-smile. "Have to admit, I've never seen her look better."
    After straightening the saddle, he gave a strong yank on the strap. Irish reacted by puffing her stomach out again. "C'mon, girl. You can't hold your breath forever." He grabbed the reins and led the horse outside. Lacey followed at his heels. When the animal did finally release its breath with a long, loud exhalation, he cinched her up tight. He gave the horse's neck a vigorous pat.
    "Can I give you a boost?"
    "No, thank you."
    "Suit yourself," he said and stood back to watch.
    She grabbed a handful of mane and the back of the saddle before putting a foot in the stirrup. Her first few attempts fell quite short.
    "It wouldn't be any trouble to give you a leg up."
    "I can do it myself," she said with complete exasperation as she looked over her shoulder at him.
    He motioned toward the horse with a flourish of his hand. "Excuse me. Don't let me get in the way."
    His patronizing tone was the impetus she needed. Scrunching down a bit to give herself some more spring action, she pulled hard on the saddle and hoisted herself up and clear over the horse, landing with a thump and a moan on the hay strewn ground.
    She lifted her head and found Slade peering with interest over the saddle. "Well, Mr. Dalton, what are you looking at?"
    "Just checking. Thought maybe you had a smaller horse parked over there, and you were just goin' over Irish, here, to get to it."
    She flashed him a smile. "I suppose, I used just a little too much push that time."
    "Your push was fine. It's the stopping at the saddle part that you had a little trouble with."
    "Ouch," she said, easing herself to a sitting position. Slade circled the horse and dropped to a crouch beside her. She looked into eyes that were studying her carefully. She watched him tug off his leather glove. His bare fingers tilted her face toward the sun.
    "It appears ...," he concluded after turning her chin this way and that and staring intently into her eyes, "... that you haven't knocked yourself senseless. Not that you had much sense to begin with." One side of his mouth lifted into a crooked grin.
    "Ever charming," she retorted as he pulled her to her feet.
    "Yeah, well I try."
    They both looked down at the fistful of mane she clutched in her other hand.
    She held the loose hair up to Irish's neck. "I don't suppose there's any way to reattach this," she said. A remark that set her to giggling. To her surprise, he laughed, too. A deep, infectious laugh, that actually melted the coldness in his eyes. The thaw, though, proved temporary.
    The man was certainly changeable. One moment he was harsh and,