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Page 222

| her hair back from her brow. "You know how Stanford and thatthat kangarooer person named Ajax immediately disliked Lightning. What if one of them abducted and killed her?" |

| "It's a thought, but I don't want to labor over it," Ashton said, his jaw tight. "It's best to think positive, Sasha, than to envision Lightning at the hands of either of those sons of bitches." |

| His gaze raked over her. She wore a fancier dress than seemed necessary for doing chores at the sheep station. The fully gathered yellow dress displayed eyelet trimming on her sleeves and at her lowswept bodice. Her hair was lustrous from a fresh brushing and spilled over her shoulders and tumbled down her graceful back. And there was something about her eyes today. They were luminous, yet vague, as though she were hiding something from him. |

| "You said earlier this morning that you had a lot to keep you busy today, Sasha," Ashton asked. "What might that include?" |

| Sasha grew tense, not wanting him to know that she was going to go and check on Bianca. When she had put on her best dress for her visit with Bianca, she thought that Ashton had left for the pastures and would not return until later in the day. |

| "Why do you ask?" she asked, defying him with a set stare. |

| Again Ashton raked his eyes over her, then challenged her with a stare of his own. "If I didn't know better, I'd think you were dressed up for a gentleman caller," he said. "Sweet darlin', you look damn pretty this morningall fresh and dolled up like something out of a picture book." |

| "Thank you," Sasha said, her lashes casting shad- |

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