Reckless Heart by Barbara McMahon Read Free Book Online Page B

wash. She could smell horses and dust and male sweat. Her heart kicked into high gear at Josh’s scent. Strong, masculine, enticing, it kept her attention focused on him even when he was absent.
    Frowning, she picked up the pile of jeans and headed downstairs. The washer and dryer were off the kitchen. She’d start the load, and begin to clean the living room.
    Just maybe this job wasn’t the perfect one to enable her to write, Molly admitted as she stood out of the way of the lunch stampede. She'd made thick roast beef sandwiches for the men, three large ones each. A huge fruit salad, which had taken every bit of fruit she’d bought just yesterday, and three bags of chips, graced the table, as well. She poured hot coffee as they began to eat.
    Josh arrived a couple of minutes after the rest of them and flicked a glance to Molly as she scanned the table to make sure she’d prepared enough food this time.
    “Coffee?” she asked as he sat at the head.
    “Yes.”
    Josh sipped the hot beverage and stared at her over the rim of the cup. Flushed from the heat in the kitchen, Molly met his gaze, her eyes locked with his and she smiled before turning away.
    He watched her cross the room, his gaze drifting down to the tight jeans that hugged her hips. He set his cup down with a thunk and glanced around at the men eating. Lance met his eye, looked back at Molly. Josh frowned—he didn’t need any of the men getting distracted by Molly. He stared at Lance until the foreman met his gaze again and grinned.
    Josh didn’t need the distraction himself. Molly was his housekeeper until the agency sent another. Why they’d sent her in the first place was beyond him. And he didn’t like it one bit. He wanted someone more suitable to ranch life.
    When Molly sat down beside him and reached for a sandwich, he couldn’t help noticing how gracefully she moved, how her hair gleamed in the kitchen light with threads of gold mingled with the brown. How her gaze moved shyly around the rough cowboys, and how easily she replied to their remarks.
    For a moment, the old anger surfaced. Jeannie had charmed everyone, flirted with everyone until he’d almost exploded. When he called her on it, she’d act all hurt and upset. It had all been a game to her. One with disastrous consequences.
    He studied Molly, annoyed to find her attitude more friendly than flirtatious. Her wide-eyed curiosity about ranch life appealed to the men and they were knocking themselves out to explain everything to her.
    Molly felt Josh’s eyes on her but ignored him. She gave every appearance of listening to what Pete told her about shoeing horses on the range. But her attention split, only one part really listened, the other tried to figure out her reaction to Josh Hart every time he came near her.
    It was odd, but she felt somehow attuned to him. She knew when he watched her, could feel the attention like a touch. She wished she dare turn and meet his gaze, hold it until he looked away first.
    An imp of mischief took hold. Maybe she’d have to prove to him that she wasn’t interested in him. Maybe playing up to one of the cowboys—
    Lance caught her eye, his studying her. He flicked a quick glance to Josh, back to Molly, a slow grin starting. Molly flushed. Had he read her mind? When he winked at her, she looked away. Too bad she didn’t feel the same attraction to Lance. He was handsome, tough with the men, yet had a sensitivity about him that she found immensely appealing. However, no attraction simmered between them, not like she felt with—
    “If you’d like, you can come with me this afternoon,” Lance said easily. “I can show you some more of the ranch.”
    “She has work to do here,” Josh growled, frowning at his foreman. “I pay her for housework, not to keep you company while you work.”
    Lance grinned and shrugged. “Sure thing, boss. I just thought Molly might like to see some of the ranch, that’s all. You know, have her get to know the place