Makenzie tried to slow her thundering heart. Her life had flashed before her eyes as she dangled helplessly from that damn tree and it hadn't been notable. In fact, she was ashamed to say, there wasn't one damn thing in it she could say she was proud of.

Raised by two parents too wrapped up in the party, free love lifestyle to pay any attention to their daughter, she'd been dropped off at any available doorstep until at the age of sixteen she walked away and never looked back. After years of scraping by and taking dead end jobs, she managed to scrounge enough money together to buy her first camera and a beat-up old Jeep Cherokee. Behind the lens she could be whoever she wanted to be and she went whatever direction the images took her.

Traveling across the country from state to state without any strings to tie her down sounded amazing when she was younger and daydreaming of escape. But actually living it, wasn't as romantic as it had looked in her head. Never in her childish fantasies had she considered how difficult it would really be. Freezing to death in the winter and huddled under threadbare blankets while trying to sleep in the back of her car when she couldn't afford a room. Missing meals for days because she didn't have a few bucks to buy food. Having to find public restrooms to clean herself up in or swim in freezing cold water if she wanted to wash her hair. Taking God awful jobs just so she could afford her next tank of gas. She hadn't imagined any of those things.

Neither had she fantasized about the loneliness which ate at her night after night. Starving for affection makes a person desperate and forces them to lose a whole lot of their self-respect. Mackenzie sighed. It was that lonely desperation which drove her into Justin's arms and eventually brought her here to Rapture, Colorado.

"Hey, you didn't fall asleep did you, darlin'?" A low sexy voice jerked her out her reverie.

Snapping her eyes open, they collided with a pair of stark blue ones. Biting her bottom lip to keep from sighing at the handsome face before her, she stared at her rescuer. He truly was a work of art and she itched to dig her camera out of her backpack to snap a few shots. It should be illegal for men to have eyelashes like that, she thought distractedly. He smiled at her and she felt the Earth move.

That got her attention fully. It wasn't the Earth, it was him jostling her in his arms. Oh crap! She was wound around him like a wet blanket, she realized to her embarrassment. Feeling her face turn several shades of red, she slowly removed her arms from around his thick neck and slid her legs down from around his lean waist. Gulping at the feel of his hands on her hips, she stepped back and adjusted her clothes. His touch almost made her melt into the ground with the effect it had on her composure.

"Um...sorry," she said shyly, looking up at him. He was a mammoth of a man. Broad shoulders, wide chest, muscular and hair so blonde it made you think of sunshine and daisies.

"No problem, darlin'." He flashed her a bad boy grin, making her knees go weak as he walked over to pick up a straw cowboy hat.

The image of the way those Wranglers fit when he bent down was seared into her memory. Hopefully forever. He brushed off his hat and she admired his short, blond hair. It was thick and wavy, lighter in the front, darker in the back where it was cut short. Mackenzie had the sudden urge to run her hands through it to see if it was as soft as it looked.

Turning, he placed his hat back on his head, adjusting it in the way cowboys did which made them look intimidating and hot. The shade from the brim, barely shadowed his bright blue eyes as he smirked at her. His masculine jaw was sporting signs of a five o'clock shadow and she suddenly wondered what it would feel like to have him run his chin up the inside of her thighs.

Oh good Lord, she shivered. Between those smiles, those looks and his deep voice she could feel her panties getting damp. He was her rescuer and here she was lusting after him like some kind of teenage fangirl. Okay, so he was a very sexy, very attractive cowboy rescuer, but still she was in no position to be having these kinds of thoughts. Not when she was dating somebody else.

"I should...probably get going," she stammered, jerking her thumb over her shoulder in the direction she hoped was the river.

"Aren't you missing something?" he asked, cocking his head at her and glancing down at her feet.

The twinkling in his baby blues, distracted her. "What?"

"You're missing a shoe, Cinderella." A devilish grin played across his lips. Lips Mackenzie knew would be soft and demanding in their kisses.

Good gravy! What was the matter with her? Must be too much fresh air, she thought as she shook her head and looked down. Sure enough, she was missing one hiking boot and great...her sock had a hole in the toe. Curling the offending toes, she put her hands on her hips and looked up at the sky. Wishing it would just send down a tornado and suck her up into oblivion.

"I just bought these shoes last week at Second Time Around," she whispered to the clouds. She'd spent a good portion of the money she squirreled away on the used boots which were a size too big, but she thought if she wore thick enough socks, it wouldn't matter. Apparently it did when you are running for your life by some crazed cow. Or bull, she corrected bitterly.

A heavy hand reached out and touched her shoulder, bringing her attention back to Earth. He looked down into her eyes, giving her a little grin which had her heart doing backflips.

"Come on, I think I can help." He grabbed her hand and walked her over to where a beautiful buckskin horse stood. The dappled, golden coat glittered in the bright sun and Mackenzie couldn't stop herself from reaching out to touch it. "His name is Rio," the cowboy said, as he unbuckled a saddle bag.

"He's gorgeous," she said in awe as her hand stroked the rippling muscled neck. The horse bent his head and nudged her hand until she was petting its soft muzzle. Mackenzie laughed as the horse shoved his head against her chest and started rubbing his white blazed forehead roughly against her shirt.

"He's a glutton for attention." The cowboy laughed, giving Rio a sound pat on the shoulder.

"Aren't we all," Mackenzie murmured, reaching up and lifting the horse's black forelock out of his eyes.

"Are you?" he asked quietly, his deep voice rumbling over her.

Snapping her head up, she realized the cowboy was standing right beside her. His eyes dark and assessing as he gazed down. "A glutton?" she laughed shakily, trying to pass it off as a joke. "You should see me around a bacon cheeseburger."

He didn't respond. Only kept staring down at her with those unwavering eyes of his. Time skipped by before he finally smiled warmly. Quirking a sexy eyebrow, he held up her missing shoe.

"Oh my God! You found it!" Relief flooded through her as she stretched out to take it, only to have it lifted out of her reach at the last second.

"This shoe is going to cost you, darlin'," he chuckled.

Mackenzie narrowed her eyes. "What's it going to cost me?"

He lifted his index finger and tapped his full lips as if he was deep in thought. "Well, I think a name would be acceptable in exchange for such fine footwear."

"Oh! Sorry...bad manners," She blushed. "I'm Mackenzie Holloway, thank you for rescuing me," she said sheepishly, holding out a hand.

When he took it, she noticed how warm his hand was. He had rough, tanned working man's hands. She felt a little tremor go through her body at his gentle but firm grip. This man set all her senses on fire, in a smoldering good way.

"Nice to meet you Mackenzie. I'm Chase Stark, owner of the tree and the grumpy bull." He winked and tipped his hat at her before handing over her boot.

"Thank you." Was all she could manage. Seriously, screw the warning labels for the bull, the owner needed one posted to his forehead. Caution: Cowboy may cause accelerated heart rates, the ability to lose speech function and gives pantie melting smiles which may cause women to lose their clothes. Mackenzie stifled a giggle as she did the one shoe limp over to a rock and plopped down to put her boot back on.

"Here, let me." Before she could say a word, Chase grabbed her shoe, bent down on one knee and gently slid it on her foot. "Perfect fit, Cinderella," he said roughly, his eyes glittering in the shadow of his hat.

Another rush of wetness soaked her already damp panties. "I'm no Cinderella," she whispered, her mouth suddenly dry as the Sahara.

He shrugged his huge shoulders, tightening the laces on her boots. "Every woman deserves to be a princess," he replied, tying her shoe.

Was he for real? Mackenzie blinked at him in shock. Nobody ever said nice things like that to her and she had to swallow back a small sob as she watched him tighten and tie her other shoe. Not her parents, not the no-account loser she had hitched her wagon to...nobody.

"There you go." He smiled at her as he stood up and brushed off the bits of grass and dirt stuck to his knee. She noticed he wiped his hand off on the side of his jeans before he offered it to her and helped her up. Her legs shook so bad, she was surprised they held her.

"Thank you," she stammered.

"You're welcome, Mackenzie." Her name sounding incredibly sensual coming from his lips in that deep drawl.

She took an unconscious step towards him before she caught herself and broke eye contact. She shouldn't be noticing other men. Nope. She had enough man trouble at home, she didn't need anymore, not even an adorable, gorgeous cowboy with manners who looked at and not through her. She sighed, besides...he was probably just being nice since she about got gored by his bull.

"Well," she looked over in the direction she'd come, "I had better get going. It's a long hike back to my car." She chanced one last look at the handsome cowboy, a sadness pulling at her heart. "It was nice meeting you Chase." Raising a hand to wave goodbye, she turned, adjusted her backpack and started for the river. She got about four steps when she heard him call her back.

"Wait. Let me give you a ride back to your car," he said, jogging up to her.

"That's okay. I'll be fine."

He grinned down at her. "What if you run into another bull?"

She gasped. "There's more of them out there?" She looked wildly round. Normally, Mackenzie loved animals. All kinds of animals, but thanks to Angus over there, she was beginning to think the only cows she wanted to deal with was the kind that ended up on her plate.

Chase looked down at his boots, scuffing up the dirt with the toe of one. "Maybe," he said.

"Is there or isn't there?" she asked, curious about his reaction.

"Why take the chance?" he said nonchalantly.

Something told her he was fibbing, but she was reluctant to gamble it. Lady luck was never on her side. "Okay."

He smiled wider than the Rockies and her heart gave a little jump. "Let me help you get on Rio, then I need to turn Angus loose before we go."

He practically dragged her over to where his horse stood. "You're letting him go?" she asked, fear making her voice come out squeaky.

"Don't worry, darlin'. You'll be safe up on Rio." He wrapped his hands around her waist and tossed her up in the saddle. The heat of his touch, burned through her shirt and made her shiver. She looked down at him from her lofty perch and he winked, tipping his hat before heading off towards Angus.

"Yes, but will I be safe from you," she whispered under her breath as she watched him stride away.

Author's Note:

Hey there! Welcome to Stark Ranch, hopefully you'll kick up your boots and stay awhile. I really hope you enjoy it here in Rapture, Colorado and you'll consider giving it a vote. I can't begin to explain how much I enjoy hearing from you.

If you find any errors along the way, don't be afraid to point them out and I love hearing what you have to say. There is no update schedule for this book, but be patient...it'll come. If you don't see an update here, check out my other stories When Roses Collide, Bending Steele or FANGED.

As always, thank you for taking the time to read my books!