Dangerous (16 page)

The warm afterglow receded as she stared up at him. “Oh, so because I’m a bounty hunter, you thought I was a loose woman? Because I went after a man with a bounty on his head and wasn’t some trembling sissy woman? And because I didn’t want you to freeze last night, I’m a loose woman?”

Why did people assume a strong woman was an easy woman, when in fact, it was probably the opposite?

“Maybe not loose, but you’re definitely not a typical woman.”

“If you wanted an ordinary woman, then you should never have considered me.”

He rolled over, pinning her to the bed. “This has been building between us since that first kiss. I’ve tried to avoid this collision, but you were the one who wouldn’t let it go. You were the one who wanted me to make love to you.”

And she had wanted him fiercely. Still did. With him lying on top of her, his chest against her own, she wanted nothing more than for him to take her again.

“Well, now you did. How does it feel?”

His hand reached out and stroked her face. “It feels damn good. So damn good I think we should have a second go at it.”

She glanced up at him. “Really?”

Just then, she felt him hardening against her leg. “So for a first-timer, I wasn’t too bad?”

He chuckled. “Oh sugar, I don’t know whether to curse that tornado or thank it. That whirlwind sent you flying into my arms.”

Warmth spread through her, and she gazed up into Beau’s eyes. How could a man who was so kind, so gentle, so rough and tough and fun, swing from a rope? She pushed the vision out of her mind and concentrated on the time she had in his arms.

“Do it again, Beau. Show me again what happens between a man and a woman.”

“With pleasure,” he said and lowered his mouth to hers.

B
eau rose from the bed and pulled on his long johns then his pants. He could feel her eyes on him, watching him. They’d made love not once, but twice. While he’d enjoyed every single second, now he felt this urgent sense to walk away. To put as much distance as he could between him and Annabelle. Because if he didn’t, this woman was going to wrap her tentacles around his heart and ensnare him forever.

Even now, he wanted to do nothing more than crawl back on that mattress and wrap her in his arms again. He didn’t know if he could much longer resist her sweet tempting body and the way she made him feel, but he needed to try. There was no place in his life for a permanent woman or a home or kids or any of the things she longed for.

The afternoon sun was lighting the root cellar, and he glanced around at the shelter that had saved their lives. The small dank room was empty, save for the old bed they’d fallen on.

How did he handle this thing that was exploding between them? How did he tell her this didn’t mean forever? That nothing had changed between them, except now they knew each other a little better?

How could he stop this ache that squeezed his chest and left it feeling hollow and empty?

“I think I’d better go outside and check on the horses. Hopefully, they didn’t wander far,” he said, stuffing his shirt back into his pants and slipping on his boots.

She gazed up at him, her blue eyes sparkling with tears. She knew. Damn, the woman was no fool. She could see that like a coward, he was running.

“You do that,” she said, starting to rise, searching the floor for her clothes.

He handed her dress and pantaloons to her.

“You okay?” he asked tentatively, knowing the answer, but needing to make certain she was okay.

What had he done? He’d gone against all his principles and had sex with her, leaving the possibility of a baby—a child without a father.

Yet, he didn’t regret one minute of laying with Annabelle. Those minutes of being in her arms were some of the most satisfying of his life.

“I’m fine,” she said and pulled her chemise over her head. With a tug, the material uncovered her face, and she gazed at him, her sapphire eyes flashing. “Just because we did this doesn’t mean anything has changed between us. You’re still a wanted man, and I’m still a bounty hunter. You still have a five hundred dollar reward on your head.”

He breathed a sigh of relief, yet a heaviness filled his chest. Things were back to normal. It didn’t appear their love-making had changed her mind. She still wanted him to hang and to collect that reward money. Why did he feel disappointed? She was giving him a way out of a delicate situation, yet he was dissatisfied?

“You know, sugar, I think you’re one money-hungry woman. Five minutes ago you were laying all sweet and cuddly in my arms, and now you’re ready to turn me over to the sheriff.”

She smirked. “You did your part. When I thought we were going to die, you showed me what could happen between a man and a woman. Now, it’s back to business as usual.” Turning her back to him, she pulled on her pantaloons.

There was no place in his life for a woman. She would only be a liability that he didn’t need. But why did those moments in her arms feel so right, and now everything seemed so wrong?

#

Annabelle managed to keep the tears at bay, until she heard Beau slip the wooden bar back from across the door and his boots ascend the stairs.

Damn stubborn-headed man. Sure, she had known the situation between them, but still, she’d expected more. Not a confession of love, but what? Regret? Confirmation of feelings? I enjoyed taking your virginity? What?

She’d wanted something more, but as soon as he was satisfied she could feel his itchiness to run. What if they’d created a baby? What would she do?

Tears slipped down her cheeks, and for the first time in a week, she let herself cry. This adventure had not turned out like she’d expected, and right now, she just wanted to go home. She wanted to be around her sisters and gather strength from their support and love.

She needed them near, yet they still hadn’t found her.

And God, she prayed they had not been near the path of that wicked tornado. One more thing for her to worry about.

Dabbing at her eyes, she glanced around the root cellar and shook her head. This was a hell of a place to lose her virginity—a cold, damp cellar with a tornado whirring overhead.

And she’d all but begged the damn man to take her. The dust from the trail must be eating her brain, yet she didn’t regret one minute of being with Beau. Now she had to protect her heart—for he was not the man of her dreams. He was a man without a future.

Wiping her face, she took a deep breath, stood, pulled her shoulders back, and held her head high. She was all right. She could do this. Come hell or high water, the Harris gang or a tornado, she was stronger than all of them.

Climbing the ladder, she crawled out of the root cellar and blinked in amazement. Everything was gone—the dilapidated farmhouse, the barn, the fence, everything. It appeared that Mother Nature had used the swirling winds like a broom and swept the area, taking everything in its path. Even the leaves on the trees that were left standing were stripped bare.

“Oh my,” she said twirling around in a circle. “It’s gone. It’s all gone.”

Beau looked stunned standing there, staring at the scene. “We’d be gone too if we hadn’t found that cellar.”

She nodded and noticed there were fallen trees in a path that headed easterly. “The horses?”

“No sight of them.”

“Our food, everything?” she said with a sudden realization.

He bit his lips and gazed at her, then nodded.

It was all too much. After everything they’d endured for the last four days, it was all just too much. Laughter bubbled up from a place she’d never known, and she shrieked hysterically.

Beau ran to her. “Are you okay?”

Doubling over chuckling, she felt his arms pulling at her. Her body tingled like ants were crawling along her spine, and her stomach clenched. She rose and stared into his worried emerald eyes. Earlier they had gazed at her with such passion and something she’d imagined was love. Now, they stared at her looking for signs of craziness.

And maybe she was losing it—but it wasn’t his concern.

“I’m sorry, but we’ve been running, trying to stay alive and stay hidden from the Harris gang, and Mother Nature just took our defenses away. We’re going to have to walk to the next town. We have no choice,” she said, laughing again.

Beau hung his head. “Yeah, I know. And we’re losing daylight. We better leave, so we can get down the road a ways before nightfall.”

The ground was muddy and puddles were everywhere. When the sun went down, it would be cold, dark and damp.

“Oh, yeah, another night on the trail, and this time we don’t even have a bedroll to share. This time we don’t have a flint to start a fire,” she said, her voice rising in agitation.

He pulled her into his arms and wrapped them around her, soothing her. “It’s okay. We outran a tornado. We’ve survived the Harris gang. A little walk won’t hurt us.”

She pulled back and gazed up at him. “I think the dust is eating your brains too.”

Stepping out of his arms, she realized she needed to put up a defense against this man who had claimed her body, her soul, and was aiming for her heart. “Time’s a wasting. Let’s get going.”

He smiled. “Buttercup, I knew I could count on you to see the bright side of our troubles.”

If she’d been feeling any amount of warmth toward him, he’d just killed that emotion like he’d taken a gun and shot her. “Call me
buttercup
one more time, and you’ll be seeing something bright all right. Now, let’s get a move on before it gets too dark to see.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he said with a smile.

*

They had walked for what seemed like days, but Beau knew it was probably only a couple of hours. The sun was beginning to descend in the sky, and he knew the coming night would be long and cold and miserable.

“Beau, there’s a single rider and it looks like… Oh God, he has our horses.”

She started running toward the man before he could stop her. “Annabelle, stop.”

What if it was a member of the Harris gang or worse? He watched her, hair flying, skirt raised, her legs scrambling to reach the man.

She never heard him, and he had to run to catch her.

“Stop,” she called as she ran toward the man.

It was then that Beau saw the man fully. The sun bounced off the badge on his chest. Oh God, just what he didn’t need. A run in with a lawman.

The man pulled to a stop. “Hello, what’s wrong?”

“You have our horses,” she said, running up to him, breathing hard.

He looked over at Beau then down at Annabelle. Beau felt his nerves tingling with alarm. What if Annabelle turned him in? Did she want the bounty enough to take him to jail after they’d had sex or did she just want to be rid of him?

If the lawman recognized Beau, he could cause trouble. He’d try to take him in, and Beau wasn’t leaving Annabelle. Not until she turned him in.

“I found these two feeding along the trail,” he said. “How do I know they’re yours?”

“Let go of the reins,” she told him. The man let go and Annabelle whistled. Her horse trotted over to her and nuzzled her with its nose.

The sheriff nodded. “Yes, I’d say he was yours.”

Beau joined the group. “Hello,” he said, trying to catch his breath. He walked over to the man and shook his hand. “Beau Samuel. I see you found our horses.”

“Yes, your wife just showed me they’re yours.”

Beau glanced suspiciously over at Annabelle. Here was her opportunity to turn him in. He tried to act normal, but his heart was racing like a wild mustang sprinting across the prairie. This was her opportunity to garner her reward.

“Yeah, we were in the path of a tornado, and I let the horses go, hoping they’d outrun the twister.”

The man nodded. “That was a bad storm. When I found them, they were grazing. I figured with the saddles, someone was missing their horses.”

“Where are you headed?” Beau asked, thinking maybe he could convince Annabelle to ride off with the man, and he could continue on without risking her life anymore. If she didn’t turn him in first. So far she was keeping her mouth shut, and he hoped that would continue, at least until she was safely headed down the trail with the sheriff.

After this afternoon, the sooner he and Annabelle parted company the better. Before they got even more tangled up together than they already were.

“I’m headed to Zenith,” he said. “I need to speak to the sheriff on official business.”

Annabelle’s head jerked up, and she stared at Beau.

“Would you mind letting my wife ride with you? She has family there and knows the sheriff,” he said. “She could probably help you find your way around town.”

“No,” Annabelle said, her voice firm and her blue eyes flashing. “I’m not leaving you behind, sugar. We need to get to your mother and take care of her.” She turned and glanced at the lawman. “His mother is on her deathbed. So, you finding our horses is such a neighborly thing to do. Thanks so much.”

She put her leg in the stirrups of her horse and climbed on the animal’s back. She looked at Beau, giving him a purposeful stare. “Nice meeting you, Sheriff. You ready, buttercup.”

The woman was a piece of work. She’d out and out lied to the lawman about him having an ailing mother, and she was outright sarcastic when she called him sugar and buttercup.

Well, two could play this game if that’s what she wanted. But still, he had to tread carefully or find himself facing down a lawman.

“Thanks for locating our horses and good luck on your trip to Zenith. Be careful, as there’s a gang of nasty thieves on the road between here and town. Hopefully, you won’t meet up with them,” Beau said.

“Thanks and I hope your mother gets better.” The lawman tipped his hat, spurred his horse, and rode off down the trail.

Beau watched the man disappear and couldn’t decide if he was relieved or furious with Annabelle for rejecting the chance to reach safety—the opportunity for her to return to her normal life and for him to get to the bank money before the Harris gang.

For a moment, he hung his head and tried to control the anger suddenly engulfing him. He clenched his fists, wanting so badly to hit something. This day had been a series of highs and lows, and he was just about at his wit’s end as to how to deal with this woman. She’d crawled under his skin and yanked and tugged on him, leaving him fit to be tied. One moment he wanted to kiss her, and the next he wanted to shoot her. Right now, he wanted to shoot her.