Six White Horses by Janet Dailey Read Free Book Online Page A

he took farther into the room prompted Patty to take an immediate step backward. Her complete concentration on his presence blocked out the memory of how close she was to the bed. She backed into it, lost her balance, and started to fall onto its softness.
    Morgan's reflexes were swifter. With lithe coordination, a saving arm was circled around her waist while his other hand removed the spilling cup of hot coffee from hers.
    The next breath she took, she found herself being held closely against his chest, the towel around her wet hair brushing his tanned cheek. The rough denim material of his Levi's was rubbing against her thighs while one of her hands clutched the cotton material of his shirt and the other had a death grip on the towel.
    Drawing a shaky breath, Patty tilted her head back to meet the amused glitter shining through the smoky veil of his half-closed lashes. The pressure of the hand against the small of her back increased to arch her closer. Her coffee cup was now sitting on the shelf near her bed and his free hand moved slowly up her arm to caress a smooth white shoulder.
    Her heart gave a frightened leap as she noticed the deliberately slow descent of his mouth. Twisting her head out of its path, she gasped at the provocative touch of his lips along her neck. Flames of sensuous delight licked her skin, emanating from the sensitive area he was exploring.
    "Let me go," she breathed erratically, afraid to struggle too vigorously and loosen the precarious hold on her bath towel.  
    "Kissing you seems to have become a habit with me lately," he murmured against her neck.
    "It's a bad habit," Patty answered in an angry whisper, fighting the involuntary shudders quaking to her toes.
    Her head was twisted as far to the side as it could go, but his slowly searching mouth was making its way surely to hers. She tried to elude him by turning her face to the opposite side, an action Morgan had anticipated. His hand was thereto halt her chin so the drugging warmness of his mouth could find hers.
    The possessive firmness of his kiss acted like a hallucinogen as a psychedelic display of rainbow colors exploded in her mind. Patty resisted the fascinating pull of the whirling display just as she resisted the pressure of his hands and the expert persuasion of his mouth.
    The awkwardness of maintaining her scanty attire kept her attempts weak and unsuccessful. Only when Morgan chose to end the embrace was she allowed to pull free.
    Wide, accusing eyes snapped their displeasure as she put a hasty step between them. The direction of the movement was toward the hallway door so she could escape should he try to approach her again. Her jerky, uncoordinated move had loosened the tuck she had made to keep the towel around her. When she tried to refasten it and watch Morgan at the same time, her fingers turned into thumbs of awkwardness.
    "Here, kid, let me do that for you," Morgan said grinning.
    "Don't you come near me!" she warned in a husky voice, clutching the loosened towel with both hands.
    But he took a step toward her anyway, catching her by the waist with a second step when she turned to run down the hallway. She twisted and wiggled to be free, kicking at him with her bare feet and encountering only the hard leather of his cowboy boots.
    "If you don't stop it," a gleam of amused indulgence glittered in his face despite the firmness in his voice, "I'm going to throw you on that bed. Now, stand still."
    Patty started to ignore his command and continue her struggles, until she felt his hands on her waist and her feet being lifted from the floor.
    "All right!" she said, gasping out her agreement in a panicked voice.
    Morgan set her on the floor. "You're the hardest person in the world to help." His large hands retained their grip on her waist as he expected her to start fighting him again.
    "Nobody likes to accept help from people they don't like," Patty jeered. "And if you were truly interested in helping me and not embarrassing