rump. The stallion had been itching to run, just as Sam had. "Sam?" Her soft voice questioned him. "I won't endanger you." He tossed the saddle and blanket atop the saddle rail and led the horse back to its stall. She sighed impatiently behind him. "Sam, you can't go out alone. You know that. Did you forget what happened the last time you did that?" His fists clenched as he locked the stall door. "Yeah, Heather," he bit out, turning to her slowly. "Something real fucking easy to forget..." The scene surged through his mind, but it wasn't Tate, it was Marcelle. Blood colored his vision as violence surged through his body for one hard, long second. He could feel his muscles tightening, his fists clenching as though to defend himself against the fury of a memory that never fully revealed itself. "I'm sorry, Sam." She dismounted, her face pale, her eyes wounded as she watched him. "I'll find someone else to ride with you..." He stopped her. Before he realized it he had gripped her arm, pulling her around until he had her pressed against the stall divider, her slender wrists shackled by his hands and stretched above her head. He stared down at her, breathing roughly, rage and desire burning through his body in equal measure. "You don't understand," he growled roughly. "Listen to me, Heather. For God's sake, for my sake, listen to me. Stay the fuck away from me. Please. I don't want to hurt you, I don't want to be the cause of your pain." She wiggled against him, her hips pressing closer, her stomach cushioning the hard-on raging behind the material of his jeans. He fought for his control, his muscles tensing, bunching as she watched him from those knowing, though innocent, eyes. "How much longer are you going to wallow in self-pity, Sam?" she finally asked him, and the very gentleness of her voice was like acid on an already burning wound. "How much longer will you let him destroy your life?" He stared down at her unblinking, fighting the overwhelming anger that made him want to hurt, to control. "As long as it takes, Heather, for the smell of blood and semen mixing to get out of my fucking head," he finally bit out. "Take that away, baby, and then we'll talk about it."