Mckinley's Miracle. Mary Kate Holder

I just said I didn’t ride them.”

      “Well, can you ride?”

      She folded her arms and wondered if she really would have to push him out the door. “No.”

      “Then I’ll give you lessons.”

      Oh, I’ll just bet you could, Clayton McKinley. “What you’ll give me is a mitigating circumstance for homicide,” she said, exasperated and not totally immune to the fact that he was flirting with her. “As for the lessons, I don’t think so. The farther off the ground you are, the more it hurts when you fall off.”

      “What if I promise to catch you?”

      Oh, that was a much better idea. Hitting the ground would be less dangerous. “My answer would be the same.”

      Clayton would have fun changing her mind. “I’d better be going. Thanks for the coffee and cake.”

      “Thank you for the assistance.” Lucy followed him out of the kitchen and through the living room, where he picked up his coat and hat before heading out the door. He turned on the threshold, meeting her gaze. “I’ll see you when you drop the kids off tomorrow.”

      “I have some things to do in the morning. I’ll get Thomas to drive them over.”

      Clayton smiled. “Are you afraid of me?”

      Lucy trembled involuntarily as that low, soft drawl skittered up her spine. With a momentum of its own it radiated to all points of her body. She raised her chin and tried to ignore the sensation, meeting his steady gaze with what she hoped was a withering glare.

      “In your dreams.”

      “You will be,” he replied easily. “I’m going to be seeing a lot more of you, Lucy Warner.” He reached out and soft as a whisper stroked the back of his fingers down her cheek, mesmerized by the softness he met and by the way she became immobile with…what was that in her eyes? Panic? Fear? He pulled his hand away, realizing he would have to go slower with this woman that he ever had in his life. He put his hat on and shrugged into his coat.

      “It doesn’t matter if you hide out here and try to avoid me, Lucy. We’re going to be good together. That is a promise and a McKinley always keeps his promises.”

      Lucy couldn’t look away from him, couldn’t forget the feelings his fingers had elicited. She raised her chin a notch and looked him straight in the eye. “You think I can’t resist you?”

      He tucked his thumbs into the belt hooks of his jeans. “I think I’d like you to try. Sounds like it might be fun.” Then he turned serious. “And one more thing. I would never hurt those kids to get close to you. I plan to do that all by myself.”

      Lucy shivered but it had nothing to do with the night air and everything to do with the man who threatened to thaw her heart with just a sexy smile. He turned and walked down the steps, the porch light illuminating the path to his truck.

      “I’m not getting involved with you.” It had seemed important to get that out in the open so there could be no misunderstandings. But when he turned and looked back at her, one hand on the door of the vehicle, Lucy realized how well this man played the game.

      “I’ll make a bet with you that we’ll be dining over candlelight before next Saturday.”

      Lucy crossed her arms and leaned back on the door-frame, hiding a small smile at his tenacity. “And when you lose that wager, what do I get?”

      He didn’t miss a beat. “If I lose, you’ll get the satisfaction of seeing me fall flat on my backside and an extra pair of hands to help you scrape down this house. But I intend to win, Lucy, and when I do, my payment will be giving you those riding lessons you need…and a kiss.”

      Lucy considered herself unshockable after so many years spent around kids for whom shock value had its own rewards, but his suggestion almost caught her off guard. Kissing Clayton McKinley was not a good idea. Just the touch of his finger on her cheek had almost curled her toes…and her toes didn’t curl for anyone!

      “It’s a deal.”

      He touched the rim of his hat and gave her another one of those dangerous smiles. “Yeah, it’s a deal. But it’s going to be a pleasure, Lucy. You can count on that.”

      She stood there and watched him drive off into the night, waiting until she could no longer see his taillights in the distance.

      Clayton McKinley had stirred her libido to life again as easily as he breathed. And Lucy was scared. Not because of his striking good looks, not even because of his laid-back charm. But because she’d known the man less than two hours and feelings were waking inside her. He’d stroked her cheek and her insides quivered. He smiled and she could almost hear the barricade around her emotions straining under the force of it. She had never felt anything so consuming and that was her fear. How could she protect herself from something she couldn’t control? Lucy had a feeling she’d just let a major complication into her life.

      How much damage he did would be up to her.