He jerked back and his eyes widened. “Shit! We need to get out of here.” He took her hand and tugged as he ran toward the exit. The late afternoon sun greeted them as they left the cave, and Davis’s boots kicked up dust as he made haste. He picked up Maddie with easy, helping her mount Thunder.
“Calm down, Abram.” It was only a little bobcat. They are notoriously shy animals. It won’t follow us out of its den. They aren’t even that big.”
He threw his leg across Clyde’s saddle, holding the horn to steady his body. “I wouldn’t know because I’ve never gotten close enough to one to find out and I don’t intend to today.”
Maddie laughed and shook her head. “Good gracious.” She flicked her reigns and tapped her heels against her horse’s sides, and the animal began to trot.
“What if it wasn’t a bobcat? It coulda been a mountain lion?”
Maddie pursed her lips as their horses moved in sync. Her expression morphed into a mischievous smirk. “Aren’t pumas extinct in this area?”
“So the experts say, but according to Davis they’re still some around.”
She lifted an eyebrow. “What exactly did he say?”
“Watch out for mountain lions.”
She chuckled. “Well, I guess he knows this land best.”
“He was right about you needing a spanking too.”
“Oh, Abram, don’t tease me.” The grin she flashed his way set his heart pounding faster than the fear of a big cat chasing them down for dinner.
“Don’t tempt me, Maddie Mittens. What if one of us got snake bit in that cave? Did you think about that?”
“I scanned the area. There weren’t any snakes or immediate dangers.”
He lifted his chin and pushed out his chest as he focused on her with unblinking eyes. “Hush your lying mouth. It was pitch dark in there. Ain’t no way you could do a thorough investigation. You’re in the wrong here.”
Nope, I can totally see in the dark. She folded her arms over her chest. “I’m telling the truth.”
He glared at her while wagging his finger in a scolding manner. “Just stop. I’m giving some serious thought to taking you over my knee.” The firmness in his voice rang true.
A jolt of arousal pounced on her pussy, leaving her squirming in her saddle. She bit down on her bottom lip and looked up at him through her eyelashes as her cheeks flushed with heat. He continued to tell her off, but she tuned out his words, focusing only on the steely determination in his expression and the dominance his posture conveyed. Her body warmed as she felt her cat awaken inside her. Something was different. She pictured a puma caged at the zoo, pacing along the boundary of the enclosure, growling and clawing to be let out. Yep, that’s exactly what I’m feeling.
“Maddie?” His raised voice drew her attention.
Her hands trembled. She’d never known her cat to react in such a manner. “Uh…um.” She stammered as a shiver ran up her spine.
“I asked if you understood.”
She wasn’t sure what she was supposed to fathom, but she answered with the response his tone demanded. “Yes, sir.”
He nodded. “Good.”
Oh, God, what’s happening to me?
Chapter Four
After a short ride, Maddie and Abram arrived at the designated camping area. In regards to the terrain, it wasn’t much different than the rest of the land, but a small cabin, where a long-ago relative of the Banks’s had attempted to make a go of a homestead, still stood there. The place wasn’t much to look at, but many years ago, Abram’s grandfather had repaired the roof and installed an antenna. A two-way radio inside was kept in good working order in case of an emergency. The water pump was operational as well, but Maddie wouldn’t trust it for drinking without boiling first.
After she jumped down and tied off Thunder, she rid herself of her pink helmet. While running her fingers through her locks, she scrunched them in her hands. She glanced at Abram and noticed a subtle smile played on his lips as he studied the old building. “Fond memories?”
“Actually, yeah. I don’t remember a lot of the time I spent on the mountain before my dad passed away, but I could never forget the trips up here. My grandfather took me and some of the other grandkids up here for what he called picnic play days.” He dismounted his horse and then held the reigns. “It seems a lot smaller than I recall.”
Maddie laughed. “I imagine so.”
“We use to pretend the cabin was a castle or a jailhouse. You know—whatever the game of the day was.”
“Who was the sheriff and who was the criminal?”
“Are you kidding? Melly was always the one with the badge. She was the baby girl, and as far as granddad was concerned, whatever she said went.”
Maddie rolled her eyes. “Why does that not surprise me?”
He hobbled Clyde. “Why don’t you like my baby cousin?”
“Ha! She’s a grown woman, and you sound as bad as your grandfather.” She tapped his chest with her index finger.
“I reckon I got a soft spot for her, but she’s not as spoiled as you think. She actually gets a lot of crap from Gram that Davis and I would never have to tolerate.”
She stroked a length of her hair. “How do you figure?”
“Gram’s always on her about her appearance or her manners, but I could show up for Sunday dinner rolled in horse munch, and Gram wouldn’t blink. Hell, she’d probably tell me I looked handsome.” He paused as Maddie chuckled and then asked, “So what’s the story?”
She inhaled deeply and gazed at the sky before she blew the air out. “Oh, I guess our similar taste in men started us on the wrong foot. She always flirted with whoever I was
