As he approached her, he slowed his gelding. He really shouldn’t stop. It could only cause problems. But at that moment his horse’s shoe struck a stone and she turned.

When she recognized him, a shy, fleeting smile crossed her face, before she quickly turned away again to face the crumbling wall. Her hand brushed its surface as though by doing so she could read the story it had to tell.

He pulled his chestnut to a stop behind her. “Howdy.”

Tomasita pivoted slowly, her eyes lowered so that lush black lashes lay in crescents along the milky white skin of her cheeks. Her hands were clasped together in front of her, and her voice was breathless when she responded, “Buenos días, Señor Summers.”

Luke dismounted in a single graceful movement that left him standing a foot in front of her. “Call me Luke.”

Tomasita glanced quickly at Josefa only to discover that the old woman had followed the children around the corner to the back of the mission. She was alone.

Flustered, she could only think to say, “All right… Luke.”

Her eyelids flew open when she felt the knuckles of his hand brush her face. His hand cupped her cheek, and he lifted her chin. She felt herself begin to tremble even before he spoke.

“I like the way you say my name.”

Tomasita cleared her throat but couldn’t seem to form any words. She kept her eyes lowered so all she could see was his strong, masculine forearm, covered in a light dusting of sun-bleached hair. She wanted to reach up and touch it to see how it felt. Appalled at her thoughts, her eyes flew to his face to see if he had realized what she was thinking.

“You’re a very beautiful woman, Tomasita. Your skin is as soft as a wild rose petal.” He smiled and added, “And, right now, just as pink.” He lowered his hand. “Am I embarrassing you?”

She stared back at him, seeing eyes that were warm and alive with innuendo. Frightened by his intent gaze, not quite understanding what she saw in his eyes, she lowered her head again. “Yes. No. I do not know. Holy Mary…”

Luke’s gentle laugh brought her blue eyes up to meet his golden hazel ones. There was something in his eyes, something that called to her, asking her to trust him.

“I am not used to a gentleman speaking his mind so honestly,” she admitted with a tremulous smile. “I thank you for the compliment.”

“No thanks are necessary. Unless you’d like to thank me by going for a walk along the river with me this Saturday.”

“Oh, but I could not!”

“Why not?” he asked, a lazy grin on his face. “I’m sure we’d have a good time.”

Tomasita felt her heart beating nearly out of her skin. “I mean, maybe I could, but I cannot accept such an invitation.”

“Why not?” he persisted.

“Don Cruz would never allow it.” She saw that Luke was ready to continue his persuasion, so she explained, “I have only my good name to offer a husband. If I met you at the river…”

Tomasita’s blush, which had almost receded, rose again when her tongue tied at the thought of the discussion they were having.

Luke bit his tongue. He could not say that if she joined him, she would leave the river no different than she had come. It was more than likely he would take at least a kiss… and maybe more.

He wanted her-in a way he had never wanted another woman. There was something about her that shook him up inside. It might have been her innocence.

In all the years Luke Summers had taken what he wanted from women, he had never taken a woman’s virginity. This woman was obviously untouched.

Yet he wanted her. He didn’t understand it. He was a little awed by it. But not enough to leave her be and go about his business.

“So, has Cruz already picked out a rich ranchero to be your husband?”

Unable to tell Luke of her betrothal to Don Cruz, Tomasita hedged, “I do not know.”

“And don’t care?”

Luke seemed upset, but Tomasita didn’t know why. “Of course I care! But it would not be proper for a woman to choose her own husband. There are things which must be considered.”

“Such as?”

“A man’s family, for one thing.”

As soon as she had spoken, she knew she had said something dreadfully wrong, for Luke’s eyes turned from gold to green and his full lips flattened into a thin line.

“What else?” he demanded.

“His ability to provide a home for his wife and their children.”

“Anything else?”

Tomasita licked her lips nervously before adding, “I… I suppose there are other things. I cannot think of them right now.” She couldn’t think because Luke’s whole body radiated anger.

“What about love? What about a man who would care for you?” Luke asked, his voice soft, his tone taunting.

“Love will come with time. And surely my husband will learn to care for me. I will be obedient-”

Luke’s cynical laugh cut her off. “Obedient. Yes, I’m sure you’d be that. If I ask something of you, Tomasita, will you obey me?”

“It… it would depend on what you asked,” she said, her voice a mere whisper. What had happened to the charming young man who had first greeted her?

Luke leaned toward her until she could feel his breath against her ear. His intense voice was low and husky and sent shivers down her spine. “Tell me what you want, Tomasita. That’s all. Just tell me what you want from the man you marry.”

“I… I…”

“Do you want a man who’ll make fire race in your veins?”

Tomasita held her breath as Luke’s lips caressed her temple, then followed the shell of her ear and trailed down to her neck. She shivered from feelings that were new and breathtakingly exciting. She closed her eyes and tilted her head slightly to offer her neck for further adoration.

His fingers thrust into her silky black hair and captured her head between his hands. “Look at me,” he commanded.

Tomasita raised her eyes to his face and found all the desire a woman could want blazing in his eyes. “What do you want, Tomasita?”

“Aiii! Señor! What are you doing? Take your hands off her. Pobrecita! Mi niña!”

Tomasita whirled to find Josefa barreling toward her on the run, her apron waving like a sheet on laundry day. Tomasita tried to step back from Luke, only belatedly realizing that he had kept his hold on her.

He pulled her into his arms and gave her a quick hard kiss. Then he whispered in her ear, “I’ll meet you on Saturday at dusk, by the river.” He treated her to another of his roguish grins before he lithely mounted his horse and escaped.

“You had better run away, señor,” Josefa shouted after him, her breath coming in outraged spurts. “You do not belong here. When Don Cruz hears what you have done-”

“That is enough, Josefa,” Tomasita said, attempting to calm the heavyset woman, whose face was streaming with sweat from her exertion. “No harm has been done. I see no reason to say anything of this to Don Cruz or Doña Lucia.”

“But that man-”

“Did nothing!”

“I saw him-”

“You saw him do what? Kiss me? And where will you tell Doña Lucia you were when this man kissed me? How will you explain that you were acting as my duenna yet could not forestall the señor?”

Tomasita saw the exact moment when it dawned on Josefa that if she told Don Cruz and Doña Lucia what Luke had done, she would also have to admit that she had let Tomasita out of her sight. She would be as much at fault as Tomasita, and they would likely both be punished.

“I will say nothing of this,” Josefa agreed at last. “But I will be watching you from now on, like the cat watches a mouse, waiting to pounce.”

Her tirade was interrupted by Cisco and Betsy, who had run up to show off a musketball they had found.

Tomasita’s mind was only half on their excited child-talk. The other half was on Luke Summers. His lips had caressed her temple, her ear, her throat. He had even kissed her on the mouth! And she had enjoyed it. Holy Mary, she had wanted more of it! What kind of woman was she to let him take such liberties?

But it had seemed so right at the moment. She touched her lips. They were still wet, and a little swollen. Did she dare try to sneak away to see him on Saturday, knowing that if he tried to kiss her again she would let him do it? How could she even think such a thing when she was betrothed to Don Cruz?

“Tomasita, do you like it?”

She looked down to see Cisco holding up the rusty musketball.