Chapter 12

The Most Infuriating Woman in the World

While Adam made his way home to the Ponderosa, he cooled down considerably. His first beer at the Silver Dollar saloon had merely vaporized, but the second one had gone down at a much more considerate rate. He had ignored the curious looks of the other salon guests, who were wondering what might have driven the normally composed and cool eldest Cartwright son into such a furious state, and had just downed his beer trying to pacify his aggravated nerves and considering what had happened earlier. He still wasn’t over it. And while he rode toward his rustic realm at a moderate pace his ever-analytic mind once more contemplated the morning’s events. What on earth had made him so angry, he pondered. What had made him lose his temper?

The whole ruckus had been totally uncalled for. He had never meant to go at Juliet like that. Sure, he had felt betrayed in his trust, and he was furious about the impending turmoil on the Ponderosa land, but this wouldn’t make him that mad under normal circumstances. But what had made these circumstances not so normal? Had it been Juliet? Well, she had a way of provoking strong emotions in him. And this faked innocence, this show of complete ignorance of his wishes, this impassiveness on behalf of his aggravation had just driven him to anger beyond reason. He had literally seen red. And Juliet hadn’t ducked her head and let him have his will as most women would have done when faced with his wrath, but had paid him back in kind. He had to give her some credit for that. And in the far depths of his mind that he generally didn’t allow to surface, he felt that he somehow had even had enjoyed their encounter.

He was sure he had never met a woman that provoked more converse feelings in him than she had. She was a brilliant writer, smart and dry-witted, and a very entertaining companion. But she was also the most infuriating woman he had ever dealt with: imperious, presumptuous and stubborn. He had wanted to clear that haughty expression from her face, that smug smile and those damnable arrogantly raised eyebrows. And that infuriating tone of—yes, infuriating was definitely the word he associated Juliet with at the moment. Infuriating and—intriguing, too, he had to admit that. Oh, yes, he had been captured by her eyes again. Her stormy eyes that had virtually been shooting sparks at him during their little fight. Like lightning in a thunder storm, Adam thought. It had been her eyes that made him stop the argument. He had felt he could drown in the sea of Juliet’s eyes. He would make sure not to make this mistake again. Well, not during an argument, anyway. Her surrender he had barely registered afterwards.

He huffed and shook his head. What a woman she was. Stormy-eyed lady with a temper. He huffed again. Mylady, really. Surely she had noticed his acidity. What had gotten into him? But, then again, it suited her well. Mylady. He smirked.

He was looking forward to their first riding lesson on Sunday. Well, let’s see how Mylady will behave as a student, he thought.