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She was leaving. Now all she had to do was get her mind off Egan and find some way of not thinking
about him for the rest of her life. Facing Ada was going to be hard. Living with her would be sheer
torture. She knew she'd die every time Ada mentioned her brother.
The plane was running now, and she knew it wouldn't be long until takeoff. She was just starting to
fasten her seat belt when she heard a commotion in the back of the plane.
A sheepskin coat came suddenly into view, with a hard, furious face above it.
While she was getting over the shock, Egan reached down, unfastened her seat belt and scooped her
up in his hard arms, purse and all.
"You can't do this!" she burst out, oblivious to the amused eyes of the other passengers.
"Like hell I can't," he replied curtly and carried her off the plane.
"Oh Egan, let me go!" she wailed as he walked back toward the terminal, burying her embarrassed
face in his warm collar.
"I can't," he whispered huskily, and his arms tightened around her.
Tears rolled down her cheeks. He wanted her, that was all, but she didn't have the strength to walk
away again, even if he'd let her. So she lay in his arms, crying softly, and let him carry her all the way
to his pickup truck.
He put her in and got in beside her, picking up the radio mike as he started the truck. He gave his call
letters and told somebody he was on bis way back with Kati and signed off.
"My bag," she began.
"I hope it has a nice trip," he said curtly, glaring at her as he pulled out into the road. "I told you to
stay put."
"I couldn't," she muttered miserably, staring into her lap. "I was too embarrassed."
"Best-selling author," he scoffed, glaring toward her. "The sensual mistress of the ages. And you can't
tell a man you love him without blushing all over?"
"I've never done it before!" she burst out, glaring back at him.
His silver eyes gleamed. "You're doing a lot of firsts with me, aren't you, city girl? And the biggest
and best is still to come."
"I won't sleep with you, Egan," she said angrily.
"Won't you?" He lit a cigarette and smoked it with a smile so arrogant she wanted to hit him.
"I want to go home!"
"You are home, honey," he replied. "Because that's what White Lodge is going to be from now on."
"Do be reasonable," she pleaded, turning toward
him. "You're asking me to give up everything I believe in!"
"That's where you're wrong, Kati. I'm not asking."
"I'll scream," she threatened.
He gave her a wicked smile. "Yes, you probably will," he murmured softly.
"Oh, damn," she wailed.
"Now just calm down, honey," he told her. "When we get back to the ranch, I'll explain it all to you.
Right now, you'd better let me keep my mind on the road. I don't want to spend the rest of the day
sitting in a ditch."
She sighed. "How's Al?" she asked dully, remembering the phone call.
' 'On his way home. He called to get one of the boys to drive him. Now hush."
She folded her arms across her chest, feeling miserable and cold and helpless. He was taking the
choice away from her, and she didn't know what to do. Didn't he realize what he was forcing on her?
She wouldn't be able to go on living afterward, because the memory of him would burn into her like a
brand and she'd never be free again. How could he be so cruel?
It seemed to take much less time getting back to White Lodge than it had leaving it. Egan pulled up at
the steps and cut off the engine.
"I won't go in," she muttered.
"I figured you were going to be unpleasant about it," he said on a sigh. He got out, lifted her from the
cab of the truck and carried her into the house.
"Dessie, take the phone off the hook," he told the
amused housekeeper. "I've got a lot of explaining to do, and I don't want to be interrupted."
"Just keep in mind I'll be out here with my frying pan," Dessie told him, winking at Kati. "And
keeping the coffee hot."
He laughed under his breath, carrying Kati into his study. He slammed the door behind him and put
her down so that he could lock it.
She retreated to the fireplace, where a fire was crackling merrily, and glanced down at the bearskin
rug. She quickly moved away, and Egan watched her as he took off his hat and coat, his eyes
sparkling with amusement.
"It wasn't that bad, was it?" he asked, nodding toward the rug. "I thought you enjoyed what I did to
you on that."
"Don't you have work to do?" she asked, moving behind his desk.
"Afraid of me, Kati?" he asked softly, moving toward her.
He looked devastating. All lean grace and muscle. His dark hair was mussed, and his eyes were
sensual.
"Egan, let me go to New York," she said unsteadily, backing up until the wall stopped her.
He moved toward her relentlessly, until she was trapped between the hard wall and his taut body. He
put his hands deliberately beside her head, the way he had in the kitchen that morning, and she
trembled with the hunger to feel that hard body crushing down on hers.
"Now we talk," he said softly, watching the emo-
tions play on her face. "You told me you loved me. How? Is it just a physical thing, or is it more?"
Her lips parted on a rush of bream and her body ached for him. He poised there, taunting her; and,
involuntarily, she moved against the wall.
"Tell me," he whispered, "and I'll do what you want me to do."
She swallowed, so weak with love that she couldn't even protest that arrogance. "I love you in every
way there is," she told him. "Every single way."
"I've got a nasty temper," he reminded her quietly. "I like my own way. And I've lived alone for a
long time. It won't be easy. There are going to be times when you'll wish I hadn't carried you off that
plane."
Her body felt like jelly as she looked up at him. "I love you," she whispered. "I love you!"
He eased down over her, letting her feel the full, devastating effect the words had on him, and he
smiled at the mingled hunger and embarrassment in her face.
"I'll want a son," he murmured, watching the effect of that soft statement. ' 'Maybe three or four of
them."
She smiled slowly, wonderingly. "I'd like that, too," she said, trembling as she realized what he was
saying.
"No big wedding, though," he added under his breath as his body began to move slowly, sensuously,
against hers. "Just the minister and some of the boys and Ada."
"Yes," she whispered, lifting her mouth, pleading for his.
' 'And if a word of what I'm about to do to you gets
into print," he threatened with his mouth poised just above hers,' 'I'll chase you to Jackson with the
truck."
"Yes, darling," she whispered back, standing on tiptoe to reach his open mouth with hers. "Egan, what
are you going to do to me?"
"Come here and I'll tell you," he murmured on a soft laugh.
She felt his fingers taking away the sweater and opening the blouse, but she was too busy unbuttoning
bis shirt to care. Seconds later, hard, hair-roughened muscle pressed against soft, bare breasts; and
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