Echoes of the Heart (14 page)

“No, not
often.
 
I gave up ranching a few years
ago.”
 
He rolled the reins between his
fingers.
 
“Now there are just a few dozen
head and a small string of horses.
 
Slim,
my foreman, keeps the place.”

“Why did you give
up ranching?
 
Did the urge to be a lawman
lure you away?”
 
Her first impression
faded when she realized he actually had a place to call home.
 
What
kind of man is he to leave his ranch to serve others?

She saw his jaw
tighten and his shoulders become rigid.
 
“Let’s just say I needed a change.”

When she turned to
face him, she somehow knew the conversation ended but the lust in his eyes
frightened her.
 
Remembering the tryst in
the back room, she wondered if he would dare molest her out here.
 
Being in the middle of nowhere, no one would
notice.

Cash sullen and
Raeden baffled, they mounted their horses continuing the trek, silence thick in
the air.
 
On occasion Raeden glanced in
his direction to find him staring.
 
His
unrelenting gaze made her edgy.
 
She felt
she might jump out of her skin.
 
She
could almost feel his hands upon her body and the memories of the morning
caused gooseflesh to rise on her arms.

           
It
seemed to take forever to get back, the deep tension making her uneasy.

When they neared
the house, Cash broke the weighty silence.
 
“Why don’t you go change?
 
I’ll be
by later to pick you up for dinner, say around eight.”

Before she could
decline, he rode away.
 
The setting sun
reflected a confident horseman.
 
When she
turned toward home, thoughts clouded her mind of his lips on her own, demanding
surrender.

Fourteen

           
After
a bath, Raeden stood checking her wardrobe.
 
She chose a lavender dress with a low cut neckline and narrow puffed
sleeves draping off the shoulders then prepared for her engagement wondering
what had gotten into Cash to ask her to dinner.
 
Well, he did not actually ask.
 
It
had been more like a demand.

Turning in front
of the mirror, she smoothed her hands over the snug fit of her narrow waist
then arranged the folds of her dress falling provocatively over the curve of
her hips.
 
Satisfied with her reflection,
she reached in her jewel case for the lavender jade pendant to settle just
above her cleavage and matching earrings

At the sound
voices downstairs, she inhaled a deep breath, almost afraid to face him.
 
She considered the vivid pictures in her mind
and the thoughts of his hands roaming over her burning flesh and the effect of
his kisses, vanquishing her resolve to remain chaste.

           
A
white shawl draped over one arm, she entered the study.
 
Both men stood at her entrance, Cash’s hat in
his hand.
 
She stood under the gaze of
approving eyes, making her flush.
 
When
he looked at her that way, she did not know what to think.
 
Nothing had ever caused such disquiet.
 
She had men gape at her in the past when they
thought she could not see them, but no one had ever made her skin burn with
fever or cause her to desire advances no lady would permit.
 

Dressed in black,
he appeared more like a bandit with rakish good looks and his low-slung gun
belt and self-assured stride.

           
Her
uncle stepped forward.
 
“Rae, you look
stunning.”
           
Diane rose from the sofa and
spoke in a lighthearted manner.
 
“I hear
you will not be here for supper tonight.”
 
She smiled and gave her a light peck on the cheek.
 
“You two have a good time.
 
We won’t wait up.”

           
Still
silent, Cash adjusted his hat over his thick mane of jet-black hair.
 
He reached for her wrap placing it over her
shoulders and extended an elbow for Raeden to grasp.
 
The air around him held the scent of soap
mingled with his masculine essence.
 
His
lips curved into a smile.
 
His mild
manner confused her and she wondered where the sarcastic rogue hid while he
escorted her to the waiting buckboard outside.

           
Hard
muscled arms lifted her into the seat.
 
The mere touch of his hands made her quiver.
 
Jumping in the seat, he grabbed the reins and
urged the horses into a canter.
 
She
watched his skillful maneuvers before deciding to break the silence.
 
“Where will we be going?”

           
“Since
you didn’t eat your meal this afternoon, I supposed you might like to give the
hotel another try.
 
Besides it is the
only place to eat this time of night, unless you want beans at the saloon”

           
Raeden
chuckled.
 
“The hotel sounds
perfect.”
 
Her eyes roamed over the taut
muscles of his long legs outlined through the snug trousers and she forced
herself to look away.

           
An
autumn moon, an ethereal globe reflected evening stars, cast soft shadows.
 
The cool air brushed past her cheeks.
 
“The sky seems so endless out here.
 
It is beautiful country.”
           
Gazing at her, his face
relaxed, his dark eyes seemed softer in the glow of the moon’s rays. “Most
people feel the same way once they have been here awhile.
 
As a youngster I ran with the Cheyenne
and covered a lot of territory which seems infinite as well.”

           
The
picture of Cash running half-naked with Natives gave her another facet of the
intricate man sitting at her side.
 
Why
on earth would he want to spend time with a bunch of savages?

           
Her
eyes opened wide and she shifted in her seat to look into the dark eyes holding
her gaze.
 
“You just ran off with a bunch
of Indians?
 
What did your parents have
to say?”

           
Cash
let out a laugh.
 
“Not much actually,
once they realized it would do no good.
 
I didn’t exactly allow myself to be easily reared.”

           
“Why
does it not surprise me?”

The saloon roared
with activity and he took notice when they drove past toward the hotel.
 

With a hand
resting on the small of her back he escorted her inside, the warmth of his
touch radiating through the fabric of her dress.

           
He
ordered steak dinners and a bottle of wine.
 
Her appetite hearty from the day’s adventure, she made no objection to
the abundant quantity of food.

           
She
barely made a dent in the huge slab of meat on her plate.
 
The conversation during dinner remained
casual. She spoke of her fledgling enterprise when he inquired, showing genuine
interest as she relayed her plans to dress all the ladies in town with the
latest fashions.

           
He
mentioned the following morning he would come by for supplies to deliver to the
Cheyenne camped in the hills.
 
She did not ask why he would aid their futile
existence, believing them better off under the care of the government.

           
After
the plates were removed from the table, they finished the wine and discussed
the fast growing town.
 
Placed as their
guardian, he considered the people’s safety of utmost importance and she found
his protective nature appealing.

           
When
he announced they should leave, she wanted to stay longer and get to know him
better, if he would allow.
 
She found
everything about him intriguing—his life with the Indians, his family and his
position as marshal.
 
Perhaps her
interest went beyond the physical attraction she knew they both felt.

           
On
the trip back, his manner shifted so abruptly from the man at dinner, laughing
and conversing.
 
At the house, she placed
her hands on his wide shoulders, their eyes met and locked when he grasped her
waist firmly to lower her from the transport.
 
She found his strong possessive hold around her waist alarming as they
walked toward the door and thought of what might happen if she let him take
advantage of the vulnerability that overcame her once before.

           
She
eased from his arm, lowered eyes to avoid his stare, thanked him then turned to
enter the house.
 
His arm flashed across
her, a thud on the doorframe an iron bar blocking her entrance while dark
narrowed eyes penetrated her own.

           
“How
about one of those kisses you seem to like so well?”

           
His
sarcastic arrogance made his motives clear.
 
Raeden’s spine stiffened and blood rushed to her face.
 
All of his false manners during the evening
had been designed only to pull her into his lair.
 
A steel grip snapped to her wrist halting an
attempt to slap him.
 
He pushed her back
to the wall pressing his hardened loins against her while his mouth covered her
lips with a hunger, making her knees weak.

           
After
a moment’s struggle, her mouth opened to receive his demand and her arms moved
to encircle his neck.
 
At this point, his
motives did not matter as she succumbed to the urgent desire welling inside her
core.

           
His
back turned rigid and he abruptly pulled away, a haughty crooked grin on his
face.
 
“That’s more like it.”
 
He sauntered to the wagon.
 
“I would come in and finish this conversation
however, it’s late and I have to get back to town.”

           
He
glanced back.
 
His cocky expression made
her feel foolish.
 
Head held high she
entered the house angry with herself for the vulnerability she had displayed so
openly.
 
She would have to stay out of
his clutches in the future if she wanted to retain any dignity.
 
All these sensations and new feelings would
be her downfall if she did not avoid him.
 
She must muster her defenses and keep him at bay.

***

The smile
dissolved from Cash’s face when he drove away from Raeden, but he managed to
maintain control.
 
His loins ached
changing into a demand, directing him toward the saloon when he reached town,
the need of his body obvious when he entered the bar.
 
Quickly scanning the room he found nothing
suspicious but the absence of Angie tempered his urge.
 

           
He
approached the bar and questioned the barkeep.
 
“Where is Angie, with a customer?”
 

“No, she needed
the night off.
 
She’s not feeling well.”

“Sorry to hear
she’s ill.
 
Give her my best when you see
her.
 
By the way, have you seen those
strangers that arrived a few days ago?”

“They left town
this morning, so I hear.”
 
The bartender
set a glass of whiskey down in front of Cash.

He nursed his
drink, feeling relief the group had gone and sorry for Angie since she didn’t
feel well, but disappointed just the same.

           
Cash
knew another sleepless night faced him when he entered his dark room.
 
Lying in bed he let his mind wander and to
his surprise past visions stayed dormant, replaced with haunting green eyes,
soft chestnut tresses and a warm body yielding under his touch.
 
The unfamiliar feeling of loneliness crept
over him.

Fifteen

           
Dressed
for the day, Cash went to the office for coffee, Raeden the only hunger he
felt.
 
He needed to get her out of his
mind but it did not happen.
 
His weakness
made him angry, a chink in his armor causing a vulnerability he could never
allow.

His desk piled
with papers and dodgers, he sat down to rifle through checking for
announcements possibly describing the three men.
 
Something in their eyes and manner gave him a
feeling of discomfort he had learned from experience not to ignore.

           
Finding
nothing, he studied the wanted posters carefully stamping the impressions
indelibly on the back of his mind.
 
With
the task finished, he put his boots on the desk edge crossed at the ankles,
rolled the chair back on rear legs, folded his hands over his chest then shut
his eyes.