The Outlaw (22 page)

He guided them across the creek to the other
side, to a wide-open space with a bank of trees off to one side.
The area was beautiful and peaceful and when Colt stopped,
dismounted, and helped her off her horse, the look in his eyes told
her he was up to something.

Grabbing her hand, he pulled her to a shady
area by the creek, leaving the horses to graze. They sat and Sarah
enjoyed the quiet serenity of their surroundings. When Colt made no
move to speak, she turned to look at him. “Is there a reason we’re
here?”

“Yes.”

When he offered no other comment, Sarah
grinned. “And what would that reason be?”

He picked up her braid and toyed with the
end. “To see how you liked the view.”

She looked back across the valley, saw the
house in the distance, the mountains to the left, their caps snow
covered. The sun was high in the sky, the air brisk. Late blooming
wildflowers dotted the horizon in a sea of green grass. The rushing
of water in the creek, peaceful. “It’s beautiful here.”

“It is.”

He looked to the clearing and nodded to it
with his head. “I thought about putting the house there.” He
pointed to a spot in the distance. “And the barn over there.”

Sarah looked at him and that mischievous look
was still in his eyes. “This is a stunning location for a
house.”

He glanced at her, pulling her head closer by
the braid he still held. “How big of a house do you want,
Sarah?”

Her pulse leaped at his words, even more so
when he kissed her.

“I’m thinking two floors with lots of rooms.
A house big enough to hold all those babies every woman wants. A
porch wrapping around the front for hot summer days where we can
sit out there and watch the sun sink behind the mountains.” He
glanced to the thicket of trees behind them and pointed. “Maybe a
few benches here by the trees and I can clear out this creek bank
and damn half of it up, make us a nice swimming hole.”

Sarah could barely breathe by the time he
told her all his plans. He had it all planned out and why he was
telling her caused nervous butterflies to dance in her stomach.

It had been a week since he’d kidnapped her
from William and she’d been in contact with her father. He was
unpleased with the turn of events and was making his way to Willow
Creek to bring her home. She expected him any day now and dreaded
the meeting. She didn’t want to return with him and spending the
week with Colt and his family, she knew she’d be heartbroken if she
were forced to do so.

Colt hadn’t asked her to marry him but he
told her he loved her. And had proved it every night since. Her
body tingled just thinking of their nights together and spending
her life here with him caused bliss so profound she was loath to
let it go.

He turned to her and dropped her braid. The
smile on his face mischievous. “Of course, living out here by
myself would be boring.”

Sarah smiled, her heart racing. “I’m sure it
would be.” She waited, hoped and prayed he’d say the words she’d
been waiting to hear all week.

When he leaned toward her and placed a soft
kiss to her lips, she closed her eyes, savoring the taste of
him.

“Marry me, Sarah.”

She laughed and launched herself into his
arms, knocking him to the ground. “Yes!”

He grinned up at her and wrapped his arms
around her waist. “And here I thought you’d have reservations about
being married to an outlaw.”

Sarah kissed him and smiled. “Not when that
outlaw is you, Colton Avery. There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for
you.”

“Really?” His eyes sparkled as he flipped her
over onto her back, covering her body with his own. “Let’s test
that theory, here in the yard of our future home.”

When he undressed her, taking his time to
reacquaint himself with every inch of flesh on her body, Sarah
stared into the leafy branches of the trees above them.

Her life wasn’t turning out as she imagined
but she wouldn’t have it any other way. She had a man who loved
her, an outlaw who kidnapped her not once, but twice, and she knew,
the rest of her life with him would be an adventure. One she
couldn’t wait to explore.

The End

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The Gambler

Emmaline Hunt only had one thing she could
call her own. A piece of land that held a secret not even her
drunken stepfather knew about. When he gambles it away in a high
stakes poker game, Emmaline does the only thing she can. She tries
to steal the land deed back.

Tristan Avery has seen his share of bloodshed
while sitting at a gaming table and knows its time to lay low when
he wins a wad of cash and a piece of land. Especially after his
opponent ends up dead at his feet. High tailing it out of town is
his only option but things take a drastic turn when he finds a
woman in his hotel room trying to rob him blind.

The botched robbery attempt is only the start
of his troubles when Tristan finds his new land occupied by the
same girl who tried to rob him. When he realizes he’s left her
homeless, and killed her stepfather, his conscience forces him to
do the right thing. Taking her to his hometown and setting her up
with a new life will make up for all he’s taken from her.

But Emmaline has other plans. She wants her
land, and Tristan’s money, and she’ll do whatever it takes to get
them. All she has to do is convince him she’s there to stay, outwit
him, find a way back home and not let a single soul know she has a
gold mine bursting at the seems with untapped wealth.

To see other books Lily has written, and to find out what’s
coming next, visit her website at
http://lilygraison.com

About the Author:

LILY GRAISON resides in North Carolina, a stones throw away
from the Blue Ridge Mountains and a few hours from the Outer Banks.
First published in 2005, her debut novel won a Reviewers Choice
Award. The author of 11 books, Lily writes mainly in the
contemporary romance genre, and also dabbles in erotica,
paranormals and westerns. When not writing, Lily can be found at
her sewing machine creating 1800’s Period Dresses or curled up in a
chair with a book in her hand.