Dancing in the Moonlight - Harlequin.com

160 DANCING IN THE MOONLIGHT
* * *
She had allowed herself to be boxed into a corner
again and she had no one to blame but herself.
As the sun started its long, slow slide behind the
mountains, Maggie was exhausted, achy and beginning
to realize she was in deep trouble.
All day she had worked alongside Jake on the ranch.
She hadn’t found it easy to ignore her awareness of
him. It simmered under her skin, hot and tight, and she
caught herself several times watching him work simply
because she enjoyed the sight. He was a man comfortable
with his body, every movement easy and fluid.
She knew it was dangerous and self-destructive.
Simply watching his muscles ripple as he unloaded hay
from the pickup out in the pasture shouldn’t leave her
stomach twirling, her mouth dry. And she certainly
shouldn’t go breathless at the sight of him leaning down
to pat one of the cow dogs, a smile on his tanned,
handsome features.
It was easier when she could stir up a good mad
toward him, but he had been nothing but quietly helpful
all day. Though she had spent the day right alongside
him as they fed and watered and moved cattle from
pasture to pasture, he had honored his promise and
hadn’t uttered so much as a single chastising word.
She had to admit, she’d even pushed the envelope,
extending herself probably further than she should to
see if she could goad him into breaking his vow.
A few times she thought he would bite through his
tongue with the effort it must have taken him not to say
anything, especially earlier when she went into the