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“You interrupted something, horse whisperer, so you have to finish it.”
Only a man as beautiful, as indulged, and as broken inside, Rose’s sixth sense insisted, could say a thing like that. Instead of antagonizing her, Dante had only made her more determined to know what made him tick.
“I think we’ve been here before,” she said mildly.
“Aren’t you the cool little thing?” he murmured.
Rose’s thoughts were divided. She could save her job by walking away, or she could stand up to Dante. He might be broken, but it wasn’t in her nature to stand mutely by while he rode roughshod over every woman on the ranch. That wasn’t a stark choice; that was no choice.
“If it’s an emergency, I’m sure you can sort yourself out.”
His expression turned cold.
Cue: exit, Rose decided. She glanced back as she walked away. His harsh expression had softened into speculation. There was even the hint of that smile on his mouth. It was the smile that reminded her that Dante wasn’t all bad. He was just accustomed to women fawning over him and accommodating his smallest whim. And she’d never been good in a crowd.
“Unfinished business, Rose,” he called after her.
“Only as far as the ponies are concerned—”
She held her ground when he came to tower over her, though her knuckles were white on the handle of the tack room door.
“Is that so?” he murmured.
“Yes.” She stared boldly up at him, but he was such a potent force, it was a battle not to tremble with awareness. His voice was dark chocolate with a hot chili twist, and that faint smile could reduce her to a puddle of lust in an instant.
Which made it all the more crucial to keep moving and get out of there.
“Where are you going, Delaney?”
“About my business, Senor Formosa. Forgive me, but I’m a country girl with country manners, and this episode has shaken me up.”
“You’re also a hopeless liar,” Dante countered. “I can smell the pheromones from here.”
Firming her jaw, she tried to ignore him, though her body was running riot. She made a point of stopping by each of the pony stalls, spending as much time as she needed to make sure the storm hadn’t frightened them and they had everything they required. No way was she going to be chased away from her work by Dante Formosa.
“Has Lucifer bitten you yet?”
She hadn’t realized Dante was right behind her, and jumped. “No. Why would he? Lucifer’s an angel, aren’t you, baby?” she murmured as she fondled the chestnut’s velvety
ears.
“A dark angel,” Dante commented dryly.
“Misunderstood,” Rose insisted.
Like his master?
Lucifer nickered in agreement.
Having checked the big chestnut’s legs, she straightened up to find herself toe to toe with Dante. “You’re an excellent trainer,” he conceded. “Some people might say almost as good as me.”
“Would that someone be you?”
When he smiled his lazy smile, it drew her attention to his mouth… His hard, sexy mouth. “Lucifer obeys my smallest command. Will you do the same for me?”
Breath locked in her lungs as Dante stared down at her, but this was the man speaking, not her boss, and she quickly recovered. “Nothing on God’s good earth could persuade me to obey you, unless your instruction is connected to my work.”
“In which case, you’d do anything I ask?” Dante pressed.
