Daredevil's Mistress

Chapter 12

His sudden deep chuckle resonated through her aroused body. The hearty sound amplified her fervent ardor, tenfold. Moisture pooled between her legs, slicked her folds with furtive desire. Samantha’s body heated. Every fiber burned with a zealous potency she had no idea how to douse. Unbelievable. Could this man she’d come to passionately despise really stimulate such wanton feelings.

Riveted, she stared as he threw back his head with a euphoric laugh, planted his feet firmly, and dared the stallion to stomp him. Incensed, the horse lashed out with a deadly kick, but Cody ducked out of the way at the very last second, further aggravating the animal.

His infectious laughter, filled with pure joy made her smile without thought. It lent his face an incredibly boyish quality. A beautiful sight touched her without any physical contact. From the tip of her toes to the roots of her hair, her blood ran hot and emitted a fiery flush to her skin.

The enraged horse reared up once again, with a thunderous snort, and descended to the ground hitting nothing but air. “No need to challenge me, boy. I wanna be your friend,” Cody whispered. “C’mon, you and me, friends forever?” His voice filled with an enchanting, almost drug-like lure.

“Yes, friends,” Samantha unconsciously responded.

He peered at her over his shoulder. One cheek dipped in an attractive dimple and offered a resist-it-if- you-can smile. And resist it, she tried. Flip flop; her heartbeat skidded out of control. I’m sure he didn’t hear me over the horse’s snort.

The horse, equally entranced by his mesmeric voice, calmed down. Cody let go of the rope. “Wanna ride the plains with me?” He neared the horse.

Samantha bit nervously on her lower lip and clutched the rail in fear, waiting for the animal to strike at any moment. She flinched as the horse snorted once, twice, and then calmly nuzzled Cody’s extended hand to accept a block of sugar as a truce. He stroked the horse’s flank, talking softly, the battle between them forgotten, as though it hadn’t happened. Giving the horse a final treat, he wandered to where she stood.

A vain attempt to ignore the adrenalin rush his nearness induced, she said the first thing that popped into her head, “Wow, absolutely awesome.” Then silently cursed herself for such a lame response. Admittedly, a fact she couldn’t reject.

Cody planted one brown booted foot on the lower rail, crossed his arms on the top one, and tipped his hat back a fraction. A gorgeous smile pasted on his handsome face. “Thank you, nothing to it. It takes years of practice and a much tamer horse than Daredevil over there.” He pointed to his black stallion in the other corral.

Despite the corral fence between them, her body sweltered. Her senses keenly aware of every manly inch as her gaze followed the direction of his finger. “Honestly, I’ve never seen anything so exciting before…well maybe in movies.”

“City life is pretty dull. Out here in the country is where the action’s at. It took almost two days before Daredevil allowed me in the same corral. Now, he’s as tame as a pussycat,” he said, his drawl heightened by a throaty laugh. “Ever ridden?”

“Yes. Not at a ranch but the city equestrian since age five actually.” Samantha laughed, and Cody did the same. “I love horses, but Daredevil’s still daunting though.”

“Oh, he sure is, never doubt it. He allows no one to ride him except me. Get on him and he throws you off.” He looked at the tall black stallion in admiration.

“Oh, I’m pretty sure he’d allow me to ride him.” She gazed at the horse with equal awe.

Cody tossed his head back and laughed. “You?” One brow lifted in silent mockery. “You, Lady, will never last a second on Daredevil let alone get on.”

And that put a profound end to their congenial harmony.

Samantha’s head snapped back in his direction, her body stiff in anger. “What is it with you and women? Did some clever woman wise up to your banal arrogance and dump you?” Her insides churned. She couldn’t believe she said that with such intensity. By the look on his face, Cody couldn’t either.

The laughter in his eyes died instantly replaced by stanch iciness. “For what it’s worth, women are just trouble.” His face cloaked by a deep scowl, he spun on his heels and stomped toward the horse in the middle of the corral, ending their conversation.

Tired and infuriated, she refused to back down. Samantha lashed out and yelled at his back, “You’re an overbearing, egotistical, rude, self-righteous man who knows nothing about women except what you’ve seen in the sack. Typical.” Livid, she spun on her heels and stalked off. Did the man not know what it was to be civil?

Samantha didn’t know how, but she suddenly found Cody towering above her. His hands at the small of her back forced her against him. Shaky at the sudden contact with his body, she put her fists up to fend him off. He merely glared at her then gripped her hips and tightened the gap between them.

“I reckon you put on quite a convincing act, Lady. But as intelligent as you may seem, you should know pretense could land you in more trouble than it’s worth. You don’t know anything about me, let alone any man. I reckon you don’t have a clue what to do with a man like me, even if you got one.” His anger was surely ego induced.

Humiliated beyond belief, Samantha sputtered helplessly, “We…well, I don’t have you, and I never said I wanted you or any man for that matter.” The intimacy scared her senses into overdrive. She struggled to breathe.

“Deny it all you want, Lady, but I reckon this body of yours says otherwise,” he taunted.

Maybe he wanted revenge for her insults — perhaps more male pride than anything. Bruised, Samantha lashed out with her palm, aiming for his face. He intercepted the movement with a firm grip on her wrist while the other hand placed at the small of her back, yanked her forward. It was futile, yet she continued struggling. Her heart thumped hard against her ribs. He wouldn’t dare.

Her eyes widened in shock as his head lowered.

His mouth claimed hers in a bruising kiss and muffled her surprised gasp.