“Oh, well, clearly,” I said, my voice laced with sarcasm.
She had the grace and wisdom to look momentarily embarrassed. But then that little chin came up again and fire danced in her eyes. “We were just having a little fun—not on your time either. It was their lunch break.” She put her hands on her hips.
“It’s my equipment, Kira. If you had gotten hurt, I’d be responsible.” Before she could answer, I looked at José. “And you? What do you have to say for yourself?”
José shrugged his shoulders, but I could see amusement in his expression, despite trying to hide it. “When the missus wants to dance on the back of a tractor, who am I to tell her no? She owns half of this vineyard.”
I stared at him, gritting my teeth. I wasn’t going to go over the exact terms of the prenuptial agreement Kira and I had signed, but in any case, I could see José was thoroughly enjoying himself, so it wouldn’t matter anyway. Traitor. I looked around at the men who were staring at Kira as if she’d hung the moon.
“Get down,” I demanded, recalling that this was the second time in a week I’d had to order my bride off something high and dangerous. “You will no longer climb trees nor dance on tractors at my vineyard.”
She squinted her eyes at me, defiance clear in her expression. She crossed her arms. “And if I do?” she challenged.
“If you do, I’ll show you just how much of a dragon I can really be,” I said with cold calm.
She jumped down in one smooth, elegant maneuver, landing perfectly on her feet and executing another small curtsy. “Maybe,” she said, standing straight and lashing her ribbon through the air, “I should have practiced being a dragon tamer!” Her long, auburn hair swirled around her as she moved, tendrils of heavy silk brushing her cheeks that were flushed a deep pink. I moved in, but she whipped her ribbon back and forth in front of me.
“Drop your weapon, witch,” I growled, hot blood swirling through my veins.
“Or what?” she demanded.
“Or I’ll disarm you myself.” And then I was going to take her over my knee and use that makeshift whip to teach her a lesson.
She lifted her chin and jumped toward me and then away quickly again, taunting me, all agility and elegance. “Oh, I dare you,” she said, something fiery and thrilling flaring in her eyes. “Show me that dragonish side. Do your worst.”
I stepped in immediately to the challenge. “Dragonish? Oh, you haven’t even glimpsed dragonish yet.” I moved in just as she whipped her ribbon toward me, and I felt the hot sting of slicing pain across my jaw. I froze.
She’d whipped me!
The little witch had literally whipped me and…drawn blood! I was momentarily stunned, my hand moving slowly to my jaw, where it came away with a bright red smear. Hot fire ignited in my body as my eyes met Kira’s. She was clearly as stunned as I was. Her wide eyes moved to the thick ribbon in her hand and then back up to my cheek as if she couldn’t compute what had just happened. Her mouth opened, but then she closed it again.
“Run, Mrs. Kira!” I heard Virgil’s voice suddenly call out. I looked back at him and he was wringing his hands, a look of dread on his face as he stared at us.
Kira let out a small squeal, dropping her ribbon/whip, and doing just as Virgil had suggested. I took a moment to glare at each of my men. Kira’s men was probably more accurate.
“It wasn’t really her fault, sir,” José said. “We dared her. It seems neither one of you can resist a good dare.” He was holding back laughter and doing a very poor job of it.
I gave him my very best scathing look. “In the future,” I said, turning in the direction Kira had run, “please abstain from daring my wife to pull dangerous stunts on moving equipment.”
“Yes, sir,” I heard muttered behind me. I picked up my pace, jogging after the insufferable brat.
I saw her pause ahead of me, as if deciding whether to head toward her cottage or the main house. She chose the main house, most likely thinking she’d have some support in Walter and Charlotte. We both knew there was no lock on her cottage.
I had thought she might try to escape out one of the many back doors, but when I entered the house, she was standing in the foyer, looking around as if trying to decide where to go.
The door clicked softly behind me and I used the hem of my T-shirt to wipe at the blood I could feel dripping down my jaw. When I lowered it, I saw that her eyes had been on my bare stomach. I felt myself harden and swell, my blood pumping swiftly. Damn her.
“It was an accident,” she said, glancing up the stairs as if contemplating trying to escape in that direction.
“Why is it you seem more accident prone than most? And, Kira”—I gestured my head behind her—“if I have a mind to catch you, you won’t even make it halfway up that staircase.”
Her eyes widened and determination filled her expression. She faked a right toward the kitchen and then made a sudden lunge left toward the living room instead. I went after her, chasing her exciting all my senses and causing arousal to surge through my body.
Kira ran toward the couch, and I was right behind her as she tried to climb over it. I pulled her down as she shrieked and fought me. “Charlotte!” Kira screamed. “Walter!”
I managed to get her under me and pin her arms, and when I did, gazing in her face triumphantly, she flinched and turned her head as if expecting a blow. I froze, immediately letting go of her.
“Did you think I was going to hit you?” I asked.
She blinked up at me with those gorgeous eyes, suddenly looking uncertain and very young.
Tenderness filled my chest, replacing any anger I’d felt. “I’d never hit you.”
Her eyes darted around. “I…I know,” she said, but the tone of her voice told me she wasn’t completely sure.
“Gray? Kira?” I heard Charlotte from behind me, but I didn’t move and didn’t look up, and Kira didn’t turn her head.
“We’re fine, Charlotte,” I said emphatically.
“I heard—”
“We’re fine, Charlotte,” I repeated. “Give us a minute, please.”
She hesitated for a moment, and then I heard her footsteps moving away.
Kira was still watching me with large, wary eyes. Did she think because I’d been arrested for hitting someone, that I’d strike her? No, she had only ever acted fearlessly with me, never backing down until we were in this particular position.
“Someone hit you before,” I guessed.
Her gaze held contact with mine. “Yes,” she whispered.
I closed my eyes, exhaling a long breath. When I opened my eyes, she was still looking at me, her stare fixed on the cut on my jaw, the one I’d completely forgotten about. In truth, it was barely a flesh wound. That dumb ribbon must have hit me just right—what were the odds of being sliced by a ribbon?
“I hurt you,” she said, her voice full of regret. My body was pressed into hers, her light flowery scent surrounding me, her lips parted just slightly. Her eyes were full of tender concern and so beautiful my heart raced.
I couldn’t stop myself. I lowered my lips to hers. She startled slightly, and after a tense moment where we stared into each other’s open eyes, she relaxed back into the couch and brought her arms up and around my neck, her lids fluttering closed.