The Cowboy

know you think I'm a demanding woman, but I'm not this demanding. Honest."
    "What's that supposed to mean?" Rafe casually closed the file in front of him and dropped it into a drawer.
    "Just that when I said I wanted our relationship to get a little more attention than your work, I didn't mean you had to resort to sneaking around in the middle of the night in order to spend some time on the job. I do understand the realities of normal business, Rafe. I worked in that world for several years, remember?"
    Rafe's mouth curved faintly. "Believe me, Maggie, love, our relationship has had my full attention lately. This—" he gestured at the computer screen "—was just something Hatcher wanted me to look at. I didn't feel like sleeping yet so I thought I'd take care of it tonight." He swung his feet to the floor and punched a couple of keys on the computer. He stood up as the screen went blank. "How did you find me?"
    Margaret smiled into the shadows as he walked toward her. "I refuse to answer that on the grounds that you'll think I'm fast."
    His laugh was soft and sexy in the darkness. "As far as I'm concerned, you could never be too fast for me, lady, not as long as I'm the one you're chasing." He stopped in front of her and drew a finger down the side of her throat to the curve of her shoulder. He smiled knowingly as he felt her answering shiver of awareness. "You went to my bedroom, didn't you?"
    "Uh-huh. You weren't there."
    "So you went looking. Good. That's the way it should be." He kissed her lightly on the tip of her nose and then brushed his mouth across hers. His voice deepened abruptly. "Promise me you'll always come looking for me. No matter what happens. Don't run away from me again, Maggie, love."
    She touched the side of his cheek. "Not even if you send me away?"
    "I was a fool. I won't make that mistake again. I learned my lesson the hard way. Promise me, Maggie. Swear it. Say you won't leave even if things get rough between us again. Fight with me, yell at me, slam a few doors, kick me in the rear, but don't leave."
    She caught her breath and then, in a soft, reckless little rush she gave him the words he wanted to hear. "I won't leave."
    He groaned thickly and gathered her so tightly against him that Maggie could hardly breathe. She didn't mind. She felt his lips in her hair and then his fingers were moving up her back to the nape of her neck and into her loosened hair.
    She wrapped her arms around his waist and inhaled the sensual, masculine scent of him. She kissed his chest where the black shirt was open and felt him shudder.
    "Maggie, love, you feel so good."
    Rafe moved backward a couple of steps and sank down into his chair. He eased Maggie up against the desk in front of him until she could feel the wooden edge along the backs of her thighs. His hands went to her legs.
    "Rafe, wait, we can't. Not here, like this." She stifled a tiny laugh that was part anxiety at the thought of getting caught making love in his study and part joyous arousal.
    "Why not here?"
    "What if someone hears us?"
    "What if they do?" He pushed the gauzy cotton hem of the dress up above her knees. Then he deliberately parted her legs with his hands and kissed the sensitive skin of her upper thigh. "Anyone with half a brain who might happen to overhear us should have enough sense to ignore us."
    "Yes, but." Maggie shivered delicately as she felt his mouth on the inside of her leg. His hands had lifted the skirt of the dress up to her waist. She heard him laugh softly as he realized she was naked under the cotton shift.
    "Ah, Maggie, love, I see you dressed for the occasion."
    "You're a lecherous rake, Rafe Cassidy."
    "No ma'am, just a simple cowboy with simple tastes. There's nothing I like better than taking a moonlight ride with you."
    "A moonlight ride? Is that what you call it?"
    "Yeah. You know something? I like you best when you're stark naked." He leaned forward again in the chair and dipped his tongue into the small depression in her stomach. Then his lips worked their way downward into the tight curls below her waist.
    "Rafe.
Rafe
." Maggie's hands clenched his shoulders. She felt unbelievably wanton and gloriously sexy as she stood there in front of him legs braced apart by his strong hands. Her head was tipped back, her hair cascading behind her. She closed her eyes as his kisses became overwhelmingly intimate.
    "So good. Sweet and sexy and so hot already." Rafe eased a finger into her.
    Margaret tightened