Page 29 of Falling for the Cowgirl

At a nearby shout, he sat up straighter. The others were coming, having heard his gunshot and narrowing down where it came from.

A strange jealousy prodded him. He didn’t want anyone else to see Ivy in her underdrawers. “Everyone will be here soon. You need to get your skirt back on. Now.” He started to set her onto the ground beside him, but she didn’t release her hold around his neck.

“I’m covered in mud. They ain’t gonna see much.” She kept her head on his shoulder.

He reached for her arms and began prying them loose. “I can see plenty. Now get dressed.”

She stretched her legs out. “Didn’t think you were looking at me that way, Jericho.”

“I’m not.” He finished unhitching her arms and jumped to his feet, trying to find something to focus on besides her beautiful legs. His gaze landed upon the pile of her discarded garments and shoes. He grabbed them and then thrust them at her, keeping his face averted.

She didn’t move.

“Take them.” He dropped them onto her lap.

“Why are you always stumbling upon me when I’m indecent?” Her question held a note of humor.

“Oh, I don’t know.” He spoke irritably to keep his longing at bay. “Maybe it has something to do with the fact that you can’t keep your clothes on.”

She laughed lightly and ignored the clothing. Instead, she wiggled one of her feet as though to tempt him.

And tempt him she did. He couldn’t keep himself from taking his fill of the length of her leg to the very tips of her toes.

She laughed again, and this time the sound was sultrier, as if she realized the effect she had on him and liked it.

“Blazing smoke, Ivy. Quit teasing me.”

“So youarelooking at me that way.”

“What way?”

“Like maybe you think I’m pretty.”

“Of course I think you’re pretty.”

“You do?” Her eyes darted to his and rounded. In the flicker of lantern light, the brown was rich and dark and her lashes seemed even longer. If he waded in, he was liable to get stuck there every bit as much as in the bog.

In fact, he had to backtrack. Fast. “All the McQuaid women are sweet and pretty.”

She stuck her bottom lip out in a pout, one that only drew his attention to her mouth. What would it be like to kiss her?

Before he could reprimand himself for the wayward thought, voices came from behind them. The jealousy needled him again. “Hurry up and get dressed.”

As horses and riders appeared over the hill, Jericho stepped in front of Ivy with his back facing her and braced his feet apart to shield her indecency.

“She alright?” Flynn was at the forefront, his lantern held high, illuminating the anxiety in his face.

“I’m fine.” Ivy was standing now directly behind Jericho, peeking out and so close he could almost feel her pressing into his back. “Just got stuck in the bog is all.”

Flynn reined in and hopped down. Wyatt was right behind him. Several others halted a short distance away but didn’t dismount. Thankfully. Since Ivy still wasn’t dressed.

Flynn strode right toward Ivy. As he took in her state of undress, his expression went from worried to irate in an instant. “Thunderation, Ivy! What’s going on?”

“I just wanted to save Greta and Astrid a heap of laundry by not dirtying up my clothes.”

“I don’t care if you wanted to save them a month of washings. You oughta know better than to strip down.”

“You would’ve done the same thing—”