“I need to get him home, and I can’t very well do it myself.” She kicked the dirt again as he turned his horse and walked her back. He stared down at Jade with piercing dark eyes, his jaw still clenched.
“Can you help me get him out of here?” Up close, his muscles were even larger, more defined, than she’d thought. His neck was thicker too. Everything about him exuded masculinity. She crossed her arms to settle her nerves as he waited a beat too long to answer. “Listen, if you can’t—”
“Don’t get your panties in a bunch,” he said, calm and even.
“You don’t have to be rude.”
“I don’t have to help at all,” he said, mimicking her by crossing his arms.
“Fine. You’re right. Sorry. Can you please help me get him out of here? He can’t make it up that hill.”
“Just how do you suppose I do that?” He glanced at the steep drop of the land just twenty feet ahead of them, then back up the ravine at the rocky shoreline. “You shouldn’t have brought him down here. Why are you riding a stallion, anyway? They’re temperamental as hell. What were you thinking? A girl like you can’t handle that horse on this type of terrain.”
“A girl like me? I’ll have you know that I’m a vet, and I’ve worked around horses my whole life.” She felt her cheeks redden and crossed her arms, jutting her hip out in the defiant stance she’d taken throughout her teenage years.
“So I hear.” He lowered his chin and lifted his gaze, looking at her from beneath the shadow of his Stetson. “From the looks of it, all that vet schooling didn’t do you much good, now, did it?”
Ugh! He was maddening. Jade pursed her lips and stalked away in a huff. “Forget it. I can do this by myself.”
“Sure you can,” he mused.
She felt his eyes on her back as she took Flame’s reins and tried to lead him up the steep incline. The enormous horse took only three steps before stopping cold. She grunted and groaned, pleading with the horse to move, but Flame was hurt, and he’d gone stubborn on her. Her face heated to a flush.
“You keep doing what you’re doing. I’ll be back in an hour to get you and that lame horse of yours.”
An hour, great. She was aching to tell him to hurry, but she knew how long it took to hook up the horse trailer, and she had no idea how he’d get it all the way down by the ravine. She watched him ride away, feeling stupid, embarrassed, angry, and insanely attracted to the ornery jerk of a man.
Acknowledgments
Writing erotic romance has been more fun than licking mint chocolate chip ice cream off of my husband’s impeccable abs. Yes, really! You’ll find more sexy romance in Bad Boys After Dark, and I’m thrilled to announce that Nice Girls After Dark will be joining our Wild and Bad boys! Get the cold shower ready, because these books will keep you hot!
If you haven’t read the Love in Bloom series yet, then dive in and read about the hot, sexy, and wickedly naughty characters in the Snow Sisters, The Bradens, The Remingtons, Seaside Summers, and The Ryders. You can also look forward to Harborside Nights, The Steeles, and The Stones. All of my romances are sensual and sexy, but the language in After Dark is a bit naughtier than in the others.
Many thanks to my fans for your constant encouragement and inspiration. I love chatting with you on social media and receiving your emails. To keep up with my writing and to chat about our lovable heroes and sassy heroines, follow me on Facebook: www.Facebook.com/MelissaFosterAuthor. Remember to sign up for my newsletter to keep up-to-date with new releases and special promotions and events: www.MelissaFoster.com/Newsletter.
I am indebted to my amazing team of editors and proofreaders, whose meticulous efforts help bring you the cleanest books possible. Thank you: Kristen Weber, Penina Lopez, Jenna Bagnini, Juliette Hill, Marlene Engel, and Lynn Mullan. Thank you, Elizabeth Mackey, for the gorgeous cover.
Loads of gratitude to my sexy research partner and my very best friend, Les.