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powerfully
built body.
    “I had a message on my answering machine
about James. Seems he’s got a virus or something. Puking his guts
out according to his wife.” He paused long enough for her to absorb
the ramifications of his statement. “I’ll take care of his chores
the next few days until he’s back on his feet.”
    “That won’t be necessary.” Paige could
certainly handle things if Robert’s ranch manager couldn’t work for
a couple of days. “I can do whatever needs to be done myself.”
    “I have a feeling you don’t know what you’re
getting yourself into,” he said flatly.
    “I said I’d do it myself.”
    “There’s a lot more to it—”
    “What’s wrong with you, Blackrope?” she cut
him off. “Don’t you understand English?” She’d had it with his
arrogant, self-assuming attitude. Paige didn’t want him taking care
of her.
    “I understand completely. I’m just not so
sure you do.”
    “I spent every summer of my life on this
ranch until college. I think I have a pretty good idea of what has
to be done.”
    “I thought maybe you’d forgotten about those
summers.”
    “I only forgot the parts I wanted to forget.”
She didn’t miss the flicker of hurt in his dark eyes. The hurt
reverted to contempt so quickly, she wondered if she’d imagined
it.
    “All right, then.” His lips eased back into a
firm, thin line. “If you decide you need help with anything, let me
know.” He turned and started down the steps.
    Paige shook her head. That was a low blow and
she knew it. “I’m sorry, Nathan. I do appreciate your offer to
help.” She wanted to wring his neck, not hurt his feelings. She
didn’t hate him…that much. No matter what he had done in the past,
he didn’t deserve that.
    He hesitated and then looked back over his
shoulder, his profile harsh and flinty. “Don’t thank me, Paige. I’m
not doing it for you. I’m doing it for Robert.”
    Paige slammed the door shut in response to
his stinging rebuke. She felt the tears well in her eyes. She
wouldn’t cry. She had cried over Nathan Blackrope the last time she
ever intended to. She closed her eyes and allowed the image of
Jesse to envelope her. She’d never have put herself in this
position if it weren’t for Jesse. Any other time she would’ve
turned Robert’s invitation to come to Trinity down flat. But fate
had forced Paige to see that she had no choice. So here she was in
Trinity to try and settle the past with a man who didn’t know the
meaning of compromise.
    Despite everything she had told herself, it
only took one kiss for her to know that her feelings were still way
to strong for Nathan. No matter. She and Nathan were over. She
would never forgive him for what he’d done. Even if he got down on
his arrogant Apache knees and begged her to forgive him for being
the jerk he was—which he would never do—Paige would not forgive
him.
     
    ~*~
     
    Nathan braced himself against the truck. He
closed his eyes and tried to still the emotions raging inside him.
He concentrated with all his might to erase from his mind the
picture of Paige standing there in that skimpy undershirt, her face
still flushed with sleep. Blue eyes clear and bright. Soft, blond
hair flowing over her shoulders. Slender curves and long, shapely
legs that could drive a man crazy. Just looking at her had awakened
the long-buried hunger he’d never felt for anyone else.
    Why in the hell didn’t Robert tell him she
would be here? Paige Weston was the last person on earth Nathan
wanted to see. He didn’t like being reminded of the past. Robert,
the old fox, had pulled one over on both of them. She had been just
as shocked to see him as he was to see her.
    The way his body reacted to hers tonight
proved beyond a doubt that he would never get over her, not even if
he lived a dozen lifetimes. He’d tried every way known to man to
forget Paige, but he couldn’t. She was part of him. She had been
since the first time he’d seen her.
    Nathan