Taming a Texas Devil - Katie Lane Page 0,36

toasty warm. The warmth seemed to seep right inside her and take away the shakes. When they were gone, a tingle of awareness took their place. Awareness that she was being held by a naked man. A hard, naked man. And not just the chest she rested against, but every part of Lincoln was hard.

Including the hard length that pressed into the zipper of her jeans.

She should’ve felt victory at his obvious desire for her, but all she felt was need. A need to feel that part of him deep inside her. She slid her hands from his waist down to the firm muscles of his butt. His breath hissed out from between his teeth and he started to push her away, but she held him firmly in place as she pressed her lips to one hard pectoral muscle.

“You want me,” she breathed against his hot skin. “Don’t try to deny it.”

He burrowed his fingers into her hair and pulled her mouth from him. “No, I don’t.”

She looked into his brown eyes that were dark with desire. “Yes, you do.”

He paused for one breath before his hands fisted in her hair and he jerked her up to meet his lips. He kissed her like she knew he would kiss, rough and thorough. His lips took what they wanted and his tongue went where it would. Dixie was completely obliterated beneath the onslaught. All she could do was stand there in his arms and hope he never stopped.

Unfortunately, that was when a drooling hound dog decided it was time to make his appearance. With welcoming barks, Boomer raced out of nowhere and jumped up on Lincoln, pushing him away from Dixie. Lincoln looked as dazed as Dixie felt as Boomer bounced around his legs in tag-wagging excitement. But after only a moment, he snapped out of it and had the audacity to thank the dog.

“Good boy, Boomer.” He scratched the dog’s ears. “Good boy.” Then he took his collar and led him back to the clearing.

Dixie remained behind, mentally cussing out fate for interrupting the best kiss she’d ever had. When she finally got over her little temper tantrum and walked into the clearing, Lincoln was dressed and holding Boomer’s bone.

“Saved by a dog,” she said.

Instead of replying, he held out the large bone. “Where did Boomer get this?”

“I don’t know. He had it when I saw him on the road.” She hadn’t paid that much attention to the bone earlier. She had just thought it was some antelope or cow bone the dog had dug up. But as she took a closer look, she realized the bone was too long to be either. In fact, it looked just like a bone she had studied in a forensic anthropology class she’d taken in college.

“Oh, my God!” she said. “That’s a human femur bone.”

Chapter Ten

“You still sit a saddle good, boy.” Chester glanced over at Lincoln with a look of pride in his eyes. “I thought after spending all your time being a lawman, you’d have lost the cowboy in you.”

Lincoln adjusted the reins in his hands and patted Doris on the withers. “I guess it’s like riding a bike. Once you learn, you never forget.” He stared out at the land that seemed to stretch for miles and miles. Land that had been a refuge to him for one entire summer. Now somewhere on this land were the remains of a body.

According to forensics, the bone Boomer had found was human. While the femur bone could turn out to belong to some pioneer, Native American, or cowboy who had died over a hundred years ago, Lincoln had a gut feeling that wouldn’t be the case. It looked like he was never going to get rid of Sam Sweeney. The man would continue to follow him—even from the grave.

Before he’d sent the bone to forensics, he’d called Major Macky and asked to be put on the case since he was already in Simple. He couldn’t leave it to someone else. Not when Sam’s body was possibly on Double Diamond land and Chester and Lucas—or even one of the boys—could be under suspicion.

And if Lincoln’s past ever came out, he’d be top on that list.

“So you want tell me what has you looking so worried?” Chester asked. “It wouldn’t have something to do with that pretty little deputy, would it? Gossip around town is that you two have something going. Which surprises me. I got the feeling when she stopped by the ranch