Excerpt of Knight On The Texas Plains by Linda Broday

Duel lifted his hat from the nail and twisted it around
and around. “Suppose I’d better head for the barn.”

For the space of several heartbeats he stared at her. It
was as if he wanted to say something, but the words
wouldn’t come. Jessie wished for courage to speak her
thoughts—to tell him how she felt—that she’d changed her
mind about their sleeping arrangement.

“Duel, I didn’t thank you properly for the bonnet.” She
strode across the room. “I’ve never seen a lovelier hat.”

Those weren’t the words she wanted to say. That his kiss
stole her breath and melted her inside—that his courting
art touched her in places no one ever had—that she loved
being his wife. Those were things she wished she could
tell him.

“I’m proud you like it, Jess.”

He held her spellbound in his gaze. Time stood still
while the smell of all that was Duel circled her head. An
honest smell of a good man who was willing to work his
fingers to the bone for a woman in trouble.

Before she could back out, she stood on tiptoe to kiss
his deeply lined cheek.

“I’m a very lucky woman.” Her voice came out husky and
soft.

“Shoot, we can do better than that.” He swept her up in
his arms and lowered his head.

A current surged through her when his full, sensual lips
met hers. And when her mouth parted softly in surprise,
his tongue dipped inside.

“Oh, my,” she managed after he let her go. Inside, she
was a red-hot, sizzling mess. When she came to her
senses, she realized she’d shamefully flung her arms
around his neck. Hastily, she dropped them.

“I’m not apologizing for that, Jess.” An obstinate glint
lodged in his stare.

“Not asking you to.” She felt equally determined.

“You’re a beautiful woman and…” He left the rest unsaid
as he reached for the knob.

“Please.” She touched his arm. “Don’t sleep to the barn.”