Alex looked at him steadily. He was offering her nearly a million dollars for only the logging rights to a piece of steep, forested land. Brian Ridgeway met her gaze evenly and smiled. He didn't seem to be pulling one over on her. And Jesus, with that kind of money, she would have her retirement sealed. After all, she wouldn't lose her riding privileges.

Alex thought about the huge trees that she had stumbled open while she was hiking, how she had been both awestruck and enchanted. Those giant old-growth virgin trees were definitely worth a pretty penny, and Ridgeway knew it. But were they really worth that much?

She narrowed her eyes. "Well, I'd want at least three thousand an acre. But that's not an offer yet. I have to think about it."

Ridgeway's smile broadened. "Three thousand is high, but it's a start anyway. Talking with Mr. Wilkens always proved to be infinitely... difficult."

Alex surprised herself with a laugh. "That's Ezra."

"Nice animal, by the way."

Turning, she remembered that she had left her most recent purchase standing in the cross-ties she had rigged up in the aisle way. Bold Venture was a chestnut Quarterhorse stallion with excellent bloodlines and an impressive show record to back him up. He had cost her a tidy sum of twenty-five thousand dollars. The ironically fitting name was just a bonus. She hoped to make her investment back with his first few crops of foals.

"He's quiet," Ridgeway added.

"He has great manners for a stallion. He's just a big teddy bear. The next step is to find a couple of suitable broodmares," she explained at his continued perusal.

"Well, if you need money to invest in your establishment, you know who to call." He handed her his card with a wink, which she stuck in her pocket without looking at it.

He smiled smoothly, but it didn't reach his eyes at all.

"Good day, Ms. Winters." With the unemotional smile still intact, he departed.

Shaking her head, Alex returned Bold Venture to his newly made stall, vowing to repair enough of the fencing by Saturday so that the stallion could get out and kick up his heels a little. A large male equine's good temperament only lasted so long in cramped quarters.

She spent the remainder of the afternoon cleaning out the barn, sweeping cobwebs from the upper beams, measuring, rigging up saddle racks and repairing damaged stall boards. By the time she finished, and emerged into the sunny, late afternoon sky, she was covered from head to toe in dust and grime.

Alex knew at that moment what a horse felt like after rolling itself in a patch of warm, flaky soil- like every little itch had been thoroughly scratched. She felt glorious and... capable.

Putting her tools away, (tools!- would you believe, an honest-to-goodness set consisting of a hammer and nails, screwdrivers, drills, bits and saws), which she had used successfully, she then made a bee-line for the shower.

The house itself was another whole project. Its redecorating and repair had fallen far by the wayside, for she had made the decision to get the business end up and running before she could dedicate time for refurbishing.

Alex had cleaned up her bedroom and the upstairs bathroom, bringing in a new bed, dresser, and nightstand ensemble, plus a few other odds and ends. She had decided to keep the old claw foot tub. It was an antique and still in excellent condition.

The downstairs was yet another matter. She'd had the gumption to box up Ezra's remaining odds and ends, but not much more. The ancient-looking television set still worked somewhat, but it didn't really matter because she had no cable line at the house anyway. She needed to call about that.

Sometime in the future, she would rip out the old carpet, and refinish the hardwood flooring. Then she could replace the wallpaper with a warm coat of paint and bring in some furniture that was a little more contemporary and to her taste.

Her shower was just the right medicine to revive her, and give her a healthy second wind. Alex whistled her way into the kitchen and popped the top on a Diet Coke. She bent further into the fridge, looking for some of the goodies that remained from Diana Sheldon's visit.

Clip, clang, clip. Alex cocked her head, listening. It was definitely the sound of aluminum horse shoes on the recently-laid gravel in her driveway. Could Bold Venture have broken out of his stall already? She envisioned the twenty-five thousand dollar check that she had written only that morning, and a rush of adrenaline sent her bolting through the living room and literally flying out the front door.

She connected solidly with another body, and would have fallen in a heap at its feet, but for the strong hands that gripped her above her elbows, pulling her upright. Alex squinted upwards, but her eyes must have been slightly crossed, for everything was blurry. She really hit hard.

"Wow. What a sweet welcome, Lovey! Except for the bruising."

Alex groaned, recognizing the voice immediately. "Oh, Christ, I should have known it was you." She rubbed her forehead and managed a glare in the general direction of Jamie Sheldon's face, but when her vision cleared, she found herself glowering at a dapple-gray horse face. The mare's ears were pricked forward curiously and she blew softly through her nostrils.

"It takes a lot to spook Lilah," Jamie murmured. "Although something that fierce of a she-glare just might do it."

"I was aiming for you, James," Alex sputtered, "but you knocked my balance off."

"Can you stand on your own now, perhaps?"

With a flush of embarrassment, Alex realized she was hanging on him heavily. She pushed herself backward, slapping at the hands that were now resting casually on her hips. "Don't tell me this is just a neighborly visit," she grumbled irritably.

The events of the previous Friday, of her stupid, imbecilic reactions washed over her then, and stuck like a bramble vine. Her flush deepened.

Jamie cleared his throat. "I heard through the grapevine that you were entering the horse business. Seeing as we are, in fact, neighbors, I was wondering if I could get your professional opinion of my mare here."

Horses were her weakness. Turning her eyes to the animal, Alex surveyed her carefully, walking a full circle around the quietly waiting creature. It gave her a moment to compose herself. "She's a nicely built Quarterhorse. Does she have papers?"

"Yes. She's out of the Doc Bar line."

"Oh, that's excellent." She knelt, examining the animal's legs and hooves for any defects. Finding none, she rose and nodded. "Nice animal. She's a bit long in the back, but that's no big deal. What's her training background?"

"Not a whole lot of any one thing. I use her mostly for riding trail. She's capable of a whole lot more, though. I don't have the kind of time for her that I would like to."

"Very few horses reach even half of their potential. That's a fact of life."

"Just like people, wouldn't you say?"

Alex looked at him sharply, and then willed her body to relax. "Yes, you're exactly right," she replied casually. He was standing there with his thumbs in his belt loops, regarding her with a lazy smile and those steady, baby blues. For an instant, he reminded her of the stallion in the barn, hard, lean, and full of an easy self-confidence.

Oh, Jesus Christ, Alex. You're losing it, here. She broke her gaze away from his person, and noticed that Lilah was carrying a matching pair of large saddlebags. "Going on an overnight, James?" she questioned.

"I'm Jamie to my friends and neighbors, by the way. And no, those bags are simply full of good food. I'm looking for some company, actually. I'm in the mood for a picnic."

He chuckled at her bewildered look. "It was my mother's idea, but what the hell. She's a great cook."

The words *I'm busy' formed on her lips, but Bold Venture whinnied from within the confines of his stall before she could utter them. It had been so long since she had ridden freely, and the mellow skies promised a beautiful evening ahead. She sighed. "I think Bold Venture has answered for me."

"Bold Venture?"

"He's a stallion I just acquired for the farm."

"Which you've named Eden Ranch?" Jamie had obviously noticed the newly installed sign post at the entrance to her long driveway.

Alex broke into a hesitant smile. "Yeah. It's a long story how that came about. I'll explain it to you on the way."

"Ok, I'm all ears." He grinned back at her.

Alex looked at him with new interest. He was so different from Richard, or from any other man or woman she had known. In younger years, her only opportunities for trail riding had been in scattered wood lots and remaining open fields of the suburbs. This would be a new experience for certain.

Jamie followed Alexandra into the barn, and watched in comfortable silence while she saddled Bold Venture quickly and efficiently. The stallion fidgeted with restless anticipation, goaded on by the feel of the saddle on his back and the scent of the warm gray mare in his nostrils.

"This is going to make his day," Alex murmured with a chuckle, as she slipped the bit into his mouth and fastened the throatlatch and noseband with deft fingers. "Mine too, actually. I'd all but forgotten what this feels like."

"I take it you didn't get much riding in, down in D.C.?"

"None, really. It's been... years actually."

"Well, there's nothing like the forests on horseback."

She glanced out of the open barn doors at the brilliance of the waiting spring day and nodded. "I have a feeling you're right about that, Jamie."

He raised his eyebrows in mock amazement. "Alexandra Aimee Winters is in agreement with her arch nemesis? That's definitely cause for celebration."

Shaking her head in amusement, she led her dancing mount out of the barn and swung up onto his back. "Don't push your luck." Alex settled down into her saddle with a happy sigh. "Aah. He fits me like an orthopedic shoe."

Jamie eyed the long, slender thighs that gripped the stallion's sides with ease. Her bottom fit into the small, English saddle perfectly. She had a body that was graceful in its curves, but firm and lithe, what he would consider ideally built for the sport of riding. It was no stretch of imagination to picture those supple legs wrapping around his waist as well.

Jamie broke that train of thought self-consciously, when he realized she was waiting for him, and the stallion's patience was disintegrating rapidly. Alex handled him well, with quiet expertise that quickly took the edge off the stallion's nervous energy.

"Any ideas where you want to ride?" Jamie questioned.

"Not really. You can lead the way, since you know these parts, I assume."

"Well, to be honest, in all the years I've lived here, I haven't been over much of this property. Should we investigate what you've purchased here?"

Alex grinned, and her sudden flush of excitement was transmitted to the stallion beneath her. He started to prance again, lifting his tail so that the golden strands streamed behind him like a silky banner. "You're on."

Waiting for Eden ~*~*~*~*~*~.

Chapter 8.

Marcus Allen leaned back in the leather swivel chair, and pushed himself away from the massive mahogany desktop. His head ached, due mainly to the fact that he'd been on either the computer or the telephone for the last two days straight. He needed a good martini and a three hour nap before he'd be in top condition again.

Bracing his long fingers across the nape of his neck, he focused on relaxing his rigid frame, but his mind continued to whirl at superhuman speed, investigating, cataloging, turning the little puzzle pieces of his newest game over and over again, searching for the right course of action. Eventually, his tightly coiled body came to follow a similar path, rising and pacing the large room with cat-like grace.

As he passed the desk a second time, he lifted the photograph he had downloaded from his computer and enlarged hours earlier. It had been sent to him by a contact in Pennsylvania.

Mrs. Alexandra Winters. Correction, Miss. He rolled the name on his tongue, tasting the bittersweet quality of it. "A lovely little lady," he murmured. "And so very, very busy now."

The photograph had been taken in some po-dunk grocery store parking lot. Blue jeans actually suited her, he noted. Her brunette hair flowed down her back, slightly wavy and shimmering with golden highlights. She walked with her chin lifted; her sinuous curves natural and lithe. There was nothing small-town about this woman.

She looked completely different than the tight-assed yuppie bitch from an earlier photo he had acquired, shot while she worked within the hallowed halls of Wycoff and Winters. His lips curled up at the corners, for he liked the change in her, physically anyway. Quite a bit actually.

What was happening in her vapid, female brain was another matter altogether. Refusing to double her investment in a shitty, rundown property? Her life was about money.

No matter, he would figure her out before long, Marcus Allen always did. They were all conniving whores at heart, whores for money, for jewelry, an outfit, a single, pathetic complement. Why wouldn't she accept Ridgeway's overly accommodating offer?

The old Wilkens woman a Marta, was it? - had been a cunt too, and an overly wrinkled one. Tough as the old tree bark in the mountains beyond. Refused to speak at all. Her belligerent silence had worked him into such a frenzy of anger that he wanted to beat her with the iron poker that he threatened her with, but marking her that way was not in his marching orders.

No matter. She'd wet herself when he finally cut into her wrists, yet she hadn't made a sound. The thought that she had been that afraid in the end had given him such sweet satisfaction he had nearly moaned.

It pleasured him now to think of working over the Winters woman. Alexandra. If only Ridgeway would give him full leave to work his magic, she'd break with the first cigarette burn, properly placed on a very tender spot. Or perhaps....hand carved tattoos were a specialty of his, especially on women. So many possibilities.

Although such little games were not exactly in his job itinerary, he was not letting this little peach go without some fun. Marcus had been staring at her picture for days, thinking. His grip tightened, and the edges wrinkled in complaint against the pressure. His dark eyes traveled over the curve of her hips, the up thrust points her breasts made against the soft fabric of her tee-shirt. She truly was a luscious little cunt, one well worth obsessing over.

There were other ways to play with her first. Since Ridgeway held the reins at the moment, such ways would bring him a little pleasure before the business at hand. Ridgeway wanted to move slowly with this. Marcus rarely did a it was just not in his nature.

He lowered the photo and took a deliberate breath, slowing the rapid beat of his heart. He had to be extremely careful. After years on the street, his savage temper was his only remaining fault, and if given free rein, it could overwhelm him. Make him sloppy. But this was an issue that he could not leave to even his best man. This one was personal, and demanded his full attention.

"I can't wait, pretty Alexandra," he muttered. But even dealing with the dumbest of bitches required a little calculation and finesse. Marcus had done his homework and would now proceed slowly. Cautiously, like Ridgeway had requested. And in the end, successfully. Pleasurably.

Glancing at the photograph again, a wry smile tugged at his lips. Such a plus that she was gorgeous. He would have himself a world of fun with Alexandra Winters.

Elation. That was the word she was looking for. Or maybe exuberance... but certainly something along those lines. They had galloped through several fields, allowing the horses to kick up their heels, ridding them of all their equine naughtiness and pent up energy.

Bold Venture had put in a few healthy bucks before settling down like a gentleman. Alex had hunkered down and clung to his back like a burr, although truth be told, it had scared her as it had been quite a few years since she'd handled such a spirited animal. But she could tell that she had impressed Jamie with her skill, and it had filled her with a slow, warm flow of pride.

Ascending into the hulking mountains had filled her with pure fascination. From horseback, one gained an entirely different perspective than when on foot. Alex saw more birdlife than she had known existed, thrushes and warblers, even a massive, pileated woodpecker had swooped across the trail, screeching in consternation at their passing.

There were scores of beautiful wildflowers in bloom, ivory-petaled bloodroot, vibrantly colored trillium, and jack-in-the-pulpits with stiff little hoods scattered in random pockets along the path they had chosen to follow. Jamie seemed to know the given name of everything, from trees to flowers, birds to beasts, and everything in between. She had to admit that his abundant knowledge had impressed her.

"Do you know where we're going?" Alex inquired. She, for one, had no clue.

"Well, no. But we're not lost. I have a good idea of where we are and how to get back down again, without having to retrace our steps."

"I sure hope you can figure it out. I've been lost up here before and it was not fun."

"Really?" he inquired.

"Really. I literally fell down the mountain and stumbled into the Wilkens' backyard. Bloody and bruised. Covered with bugs."

Jamie threw back his head and laughed. "Now why does that not surprise me?"

They came to a sudden fork in the trail, and both paused uncertainly.

Alex cast Jamie a devilish grin. "Ooh, how exciting. Which way shall we go?"

When Alex slanted him a dancing, hazel-eyed glance, Jamie had to smile at her uncharacteristic eagerness. Her eyes were sparkling, and when the light angling through the pines caught them, they reflected a shimmering wealth of green and gold iridescent flecks.

Her cheeks were lightly flushed and her full lips were softly parted as she breathed in the rich, forest air. It was the first time that he had seen her looking contented and... actually radiant. It transformed her.