He chuckled. "Yes. I'm president and executive director of the board that consists of my brother and sister. We've hired several others to work with us who are just as determined as we are to relocate as many horses as we can. We also want to educate the public to the plight of the wild horses," Clint said.

She nodded. "I guess all three of you love horses."

He grinned. "With a pa.s.sion, and speaking of horses, I want you to have all your work done by three o'clock today."

She lifted a brow. "Why?"

"Because you and I are going riding," he said.

She frowned. "If you recall, I told you I'd rather not get on a horse," Alyssa said.

"I recall, but riding a horse is just like riding a bike. If you take a fall you get back on and try again."

"Even if you break your arm in the fall?"

"Yes, even if you broke your arm. How old were you when it happened?"

"Ten," she said.

"Ten? Then it's definitely about time we do something about conquering your fear about riding. So, do we have a date at three?"

"Yes, we have a date," she said with a smile.

Twelve.

A lyssa took a deep breath as she stepped out on the front porch. Like the day before, Clint was in the yard waiting for her. This time he wasn't leaning against his truck. Today he was sitting on the back of what Alyssa perceived as the largest horse she'd ever seen. The big black stallion was beautiful, although he looked very mean. lyssa took a deep breath as she stepped out on the front porch. Like the day before, Clint was in the yard waiting for her. This time he wasn't leaning against his truck. Today he was sitting on the back of what Alyssa perceived as the largest horse she'd ever seen. The big black stallion was beautiful, although he looked very mean.

"He won't bite," Clint said.

She glanced up at Clint, not at all certain. "Are you sure about that?"

"Positive. I wouldn't let anything harm a hair on your head. I thought I'd start you off easy. Today you'll ride with me. Royal can handle the both of us."

"Royal?"

"Yes. He was the first stallion we brought from Nevada last year. He was very wild and unruly," he explained.

She grinned. "And of course you tamed him."

"I did. And he's been my horse ever since," Clint added with pride.

She looked at the fierce-looking animal and then back at Clint. "Evidently you're good at what you do."

"I'm not perfect. I make my share of mistakes, but thanks," he said. "Now come closer so I can lift you up."

Ignoring the way the horse was looking at her, she went closer so that Clint could hoist her up onto the horse's back. He effortlessly pulled her up to sit behind him. She gripped her arms tightly around his waist.

He glanced over his shoulder at her. "Ready?"

"As much as I'll ever be. And you promise I won't fall off?"

He smiled. "I promise," he said.

Satisfied with his answer, she rested her chest against his back. "Then, yes, I'm ready," she said, trying to sound brave.

And she held on as Clint trotted for a few moments around the yard. And then when they reached the wide, open plain, he took off and she held on to him for dear life.

Clint liked the feel of Alyssa holding on to him as they continued their ride. He knew where he was taking her. Clint had a special spot on his ranch and he wanted to share it with Alyssa.

"You okay back there?" he asked her. She hadn't said much since they had left the ranch.

Instead of answering right away, she tightened her arms around him and snuggled even closer. He could feel the hardened tips of her b.r.e.a.s.t.s against his back. He could tell she wasn't wearing a bra and it felt good. And the way her thighs were squeezing him as she tried to grip the horse's sides turned him on.

"Yes, I'm fine," she finally said. "Where are we going?"

"You'll see," he said over his shoulder. "We'll be there in a minute."

As if satisfied with his response, she continued to hold on and together they rode against the wind.

It didn't take them long to get to the south-ridge pasture and he brought Royal to a stop near a thicket of oak trees. Dismounting, he took the horse's reins and securely tied them to a tree. He then glanced up at Alyssa, who was sitting demurely on the animal's back, and thought she looked totally incredible. Thick desire flowed through his bloodstream as he looked at her.

He walked back over to the horse and lifted his arms to help her dismount. The moment their bodies touched, fire blazed his loins and more than anything, he wanted to kiss her right there, under the beautiful blue sky.

And so he did.

He took her mouth with a hunger that always astounded him, and when she offered him her tongue, he greedily devoured her. The sounds of her moans ignited his cells. She continued to kiss him back and every stroke of her tongue was sure, refined and totally into what she was doing.

He pulled back. It was either that or else be tempted to take the kiss all the way. He hadn't brought her here for that. He had wanted to show her something, share something with her. "Come here," he said, grabbing hold of her hand and leading her toward the edge that looked down into a valley.

She followed his gaze and he knew she saw what he was seeing. Down in the valley there were thousands of wild horses running free. "Clint, this is truly magnificent," she said.

He glanced over at her, continued to hold her hand. "That night while you slept and I was on the computer, I looked up several other foundations that are similar to the one we started for Uncle Sid. Others have made it their business to save the horses, too."

A sound below caught their attention and they glanced down to see two horses that seemed to be at war with each other. "Stallions constantly struggle for dominance of their herd," Clint explained as they watched what was happening below. Two stallions were fighting it out, rearing up, biting and kicking each other. "Stallions go about gathering breeding mares into a band that they consider theirs," Clint said.

He chuckled. "Sort of like a harem, so to speak. And then they have the job of defending their band from other stallions who try to steal their mares. That's when there's fighting. The stallions are merely trying to hold on to what they consider theirs."

"So a herd only consists of a stallion and their mares?" Alyssa asked, seemingly fascinated by the information he was sharing.

"Eventually," Clint responded. "Once the mares give birth then the young foals stay with the band. However, once those young foals grow up and become young stallions they are chased away from the herd by the leader of the pack."

"What happens to them? The young stallions?"

"Usually young stallions gather together in their own herd-a bachelor band," he said and smiled. "They are fine until horniness sets in and then they go out looking for an available mare-which usually is in a band belonging to another stallion, and that's when more fighting takes place," he said.

"I understand horniness can be just plain awful," Alyssa said, smiling up at Clint.

"Yes," he agreed, returning her smile, knowing she was trying to tempt him. It was working. He pulled her to him, wanting her to feel just how much he desired her. "How about another game of Playing with Fire in my office later tonight?" he asked throatily.

She smiled up at him. "I wouldn't miss it."

When they returned to the ranch they were met by one of Clint's men, who said one of the wranglers had been thrown and was being rushed to the emergency room. Clint immediately went into action. Telling Alyssa that he would call her later, he got into his truck and took off.

While waiting for him to return, Alyssa tried to do some work. She made notes on the proposal she would present to Clint and his siblings on the Web site design for the foundation.

Hours later, she stood and stretched her body. It was almost nine in the evening and Clint still hadn't returned. Nor had he called. Chester had a.s.sured her the young man had only broken a few bones and should be okay. Alyssa truly hoped he would be.

She almost jumped when she heard the sound of her cell phone ringing. Picking it up, she smiled when she saw it was her aunt Claudine. She was glad it wasn't Kim calling to hara.s.s her again. Her cousin hadn't bothered calling her back after that night.

"Aunt Claudine? How are you?"

She hadn't spoken to her aunt in a couple days so they spent the next hour or so catching up. When they finally ended their call, Alyssa decided to take a long and leisurely bubble bath.

A short while later after slipping into a T-shirt, she couldn't help but recall the words Clint had spoken to her a week or so before.

I know the terms of the agreement and the only person who can renege on them is you. And if you ever decide to do so, you're fully aware of where my bedroom is located. You are more than welcome to join me there at any time.

He had issued the invitation and now she intended to accept it. Walking out of her bedroom, she headed down the long hallway that led to the wing where Clint's personal domain was located.

When he came home tonight she would there, waiting for him.

Clint entered his house thinking hospital chairs were murder on a person's body. But at least Frankie would be okay. The kid was tough. He had a broken rib and collarbone to prove it. While at the hospital when he'd been trying so hard not to worry about Frankie, he allowed his mind to think about Alyssa. Clint hoped she hadn't been waiting for him in his office as he had asked her. He glanced at the large shopping bag that he was carrying. A display at one of the hospital's gift shops had reminded him that tomorrow was Valentine's Day. It seemed like years since he had purchased a card or candy for a woman, but tonight he had bought something for Alyssa.

Deciding the first thing he needed to do was take a shower, he entered his bedroom. The moment he opened the door, he picked up Alyssa's scent. A small table lamp provided a faint glow in the room and he quickly scanned the area. His breath caught in his chest when he saw Alyssa curled up in his bed.

He placed the gift bag in a chair and then went into the bathroom and closed the door to take a shower. She needed as much sleep as she could get now, because he fully intended to keep her awake for the rest of the night.

Alyssa was dreaming. Clint was in bed with her, caressing her stomach with his fingertips at the same time he was kissing her awake. But she refused to wake up for fear her fantasy dream would end.

"Alyssa."

She heard his voice and smiled dreamily at the way he said her name. Dreams could seem so real at times, she thought....

"Wake up, sweetheart. I want you."

And then she realized it wasn't a dream. Alyssa felt Clint's very real, hot breath caress the words against her lips. She forced her eyes open and found his eyes holding hers. She was immediately pulled into their dark depths.

"You're home," she whispered sleepily.

"Yes, I'm home," he said.

And then he was kissing her with an intensity that shook her to the core, made her wet between the legs, filling her with a physical hunger that was just as intense as it had been the previous night. She became warm and tingly all over and she felt she was under some sort of sensual torture.

And then he pulled back from her lips and began using his tongue like he had last night-causing tiny little quivers to invade her body every place it traveled. First, he caressed her in the hollow of her collarbone, and then lower to her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. When he moved his mouth even lower, she gritted her teeth, refusing to scream out like she had last night. The effort was useless. When the tip of his tongue began greedily lapping the essence of her femininity, she lifted her hips off the mattress at the same time his name was ripped from her throat.

"Clint!"

And then she felt her thighs being nudged farther apart as he settled the weight of his body between them, and just seconds before her body exploded into a shattering climax, he entered her in one deep thrust.

She screamed again and arched her body as he continued to thrust powerfully into her, without any signs of letting up. Each stroke was with relentless precision that suddenly brought her to another climax. It was as if he couldn't get enough of her and the greedier he became, the more shamelessly she welcomed him, encouraging him to penetrate deeper.

Her nails raked his back and she bit him several times on the shoulder, but he refused to let up. A primitive need was driving him. The same need that was taking over her.

And then he shouted her name at the same time she felt the sensational buildup of his body coming apart on top of her. Together they shuddered as pleasure ripped through her in a way she felt all the way to her bones.

And while the last of the tremors vibrated through their bodies, he pulled her closer into his arms and kissed her tenderly. She knew how it felt to be consumed in pa.s.sion, gripped in the clutches of desire and then to glory in the aftermath of fulfillment. The experience was simply priceless and she knew in her heart she would only be able to reach that level of satisfaction with him.

It was close to nine the next morning before Alyssa came awake to find she had spent the night in Clint's bed. A smile touched her lips when she remembered their night together. It was as if a searing need had taken over them and they had filled that need the only way they knew how. Sensations flooded her just thinking about it. Luckily for her, he'd been prepared and had used a condom. Birth control had been the last thing on her mind. They had made love several times, all through the night, and each time she reached an o.r.g.a.s.m, he had been right there with her.

She lay on her back a moment thinking Clint would have had breakfast already and left the ranch, which meant she wouldn't get the chance to see him until later. She had a number of things to do today to stay busy. She slid out of bed thinking it was time to return to her own room when she noticed the huge red gift bag sitting on Clint's dresser with her name on it. She quickly crossed the room and pulled off the card.

Her heart caught at the single question on the card.

Will you be my Valentine?