Texas Proud and Circle of Gold (Long, Tall Texans #52) - Diana Palmer Page 0,60
up around his neck, her mouth answering his with the same hungry passion that he was showing her.
He groaned and his hands ran up and down her sides, his thumbs pressing under her breasts.
“Ahem.”
Mikey lifted his head and stared at Bernie blankly. “What did you say?”
“I didn’t say anything,” she began.
“Ahem.” It came again. Mikey frowned and felt around his lapel. There was a device that had been placed there in San Antonio. He glowered at it.
“Yes?” Mikey asked abruptly.
“I have a bead on you and quite frankly if you don’t break that up, I’m going to have to leave you defenseless and go get several drinks of hard liquor.”
Mikey’s teeth ground together. “Damn it, Billings,” he muttered.
“A lot of drinks,” Billings continued. “Maybe a whole damned fifth. It’s been a long dry spell and I have to watch you. Get it? Watch you.”
Mikey drew a long breath and stared at Bernie with amused regret. “Okay. We’ll go look at the horses.”
“Good idea. Blakely’s in there. You can drive him nuts!” There was a click and the device went silent.
Bernie was flushed and embarrassed.
“Hey,” Mikey said, pushing back the unruly long, blond hair from her face. “Billings is right. This isn’t the time or place.”
“Did he hear all we said?” she worried.
“Not likely. He doesn’t eavesdrop. I guess we were getting pretty heated, huh?” He laughed. “Okay. Let’s behave.” He caught her fingers and entangled them with his. “Let’s go look at the pretty horses.”
She laughed. Life was sweet. He didn’t mind her past. She didn’t mind his. This was a relationship with a future. She’d never been so certain of anything.
* * *
They wandered through the stables. There was a man in charge of the thoroughbreds. He explained them to Bernie.
“They’re descended from three stallions imported into England in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, the beginning of their line. We won the Kentucky Derby with this fellow,” he said, smiling as he approached the big stall where the racehorse lived. “He has his own pasture and he’s at stud. We get fabulous amounts of money from his colts. He’s a grand old fellow.”
Bernie looked at him with awe. He was grand, elegant and handsome, and he knew it, too. “He’s gorgeous,” she said.
The stable manager chuckled. “We think so, too. He has a colt that was born just two months ago. It’s down here.”
He led them down the paved aisle to another stall, where a handsome young thoroughbred was playing with a big ball.
“Horses play?” Bernie exclaimed.
The manager laughed. “Of course. They’re like puppies or toddlers at this age. When they hit adolescence, or the horse equivalent, that’s when the problems start. Right now, they’re just children and it’s a whole new world for them.”
Bernie just watched the colt play, fascinated. “I’ve never been around horses much,” she confessed. “We had a small ranch in Floresville where my people had a few head of beef cattle. There were a few horses for the cowboys, but I never rode one. I was afraid of them.”
“Never let a horse know that,” the manager told her. “They’ll take advantage.”
“I’m not likely to be put on a horse anytime soon,” she assured him.
“If you ever did want to ride, we have a fifteen-year-old gelding, very gentle, who would be perfect for you. If you ever did,” he added.
Mikey chuckled and pressed her fingers with his. “There may come a day,” he said with a gentle smile at Bernie, who returned it.
“There may,” she said.
* * *
They went back to the house.
“You’re back soon,” Sari commented.
“Yeah,” Mikey said with a rueful smile. “Billings is a wet blanket.”
“Chet Billings? You saw him?” she asked.
“No. We heard him. He’s got this device on me,” he added, indicating the electronic thing on his lapel.
“Oh. He talked to you?”
“He threatened to get drunk is what he did.” Mikey looked at Bernie and sighed. “I guess there’s no real privacy left on earth.”
“Yes, there is. The conservatory is very nice, very quiet and it has a door. However,” she added mischievously, “not being stupid, I’ll call you when supper is ready and I’ll probably open the door to do it.”
Mikey sighed. “Speak loudly, okay?” he teased.
Sari laughed. “Very loudly.” She gave them a knowing look and went back into the kitchen, where she and Mandy were sharing coffee. “Do you want coffee?” she called over her shoulder.
“Later,” Mikey said. “When supper’s ready. Thanks, Sari,” he added.
“I wasn’t always married,” Sari replied, and grinned.