Mail-order bridegroom (11 page)

'Where's Ladyfinger?' he asked, freeing his fence tool from its holster.

She spared him a quick look. * Broke the reins and took off. I guess she figured that Dreamseeker meant business and didn't want to get between him and whatever that business might be/

He made a sound of impatience. 'You'll have to ride with me. Once we're done here, we'll head on in.'

'Right.' She didn't dare say more, not until he'd had a chance to cool off. He joined her at the fence, helping to string wire and reinforce the posts. They worked side by side for several minutes before Leah thought to ask, 'What do we do about that mare?'

'We aren't going to do anything. When she isn't such a bone of contention I'll cut her loose and return her to the Circle P.'

Leah paused in her efforts. 'What about Bull Jones?'

To her surprise a slight smile touched Hunter's mouth. 'I'll send him a bill for stud service.' He strung the final line of wire and glanced at her. 'Is that stallion saddle-broken?'

She shook her head. 'Not yet, but '

'He's wild?' Hunter didn't wait for her confirmation. 'He goes.'

She straightened, wiping perspiration from her brow. 'You can't be serious!'

Tm dead serious. He's dangerous and I won't risk your safety on a dangerous animal.'

'Then you'll have to get rid of the bulls, the cows and every other critter around here,' she retorted in exas-

peration. 'Because in the right circumstances any one of them could be considered dangerous, too/

Tm not changing my mind/ he stated unequivocally, stamping the ground around a listing post.

How could she explain Dreamseeker's importance? Hunter would never understand. She wasn't sure she understood. All she knew was that the stallion touched a need, fulfilled a fantasy of being unfettered and without responsibilities. Though part of her hoped some day to tame the wild beast, another part longed to allow the stallion his freedom—just as she longed to experience a similar freedom. It was an unrealistic dream, but she didn't care.

Looking Hunter straight in the eye, Leah said, 'Don't do it. Please don't get rid of him. He means the world to me.'

His expression turned grim and remote. 'Another hard luck case?'

'In a way,' she admitted. 'I took him in when others might have put him down. I suspect he's been abused in the past, which would explain his skittishness.'

Hunter leaned his forearms across the post, his plaid shirt pulled tight across his broad chest. A fine sheen of perspiration glinted in the hollow of his throat, and his thick ebony hair clung to his brow—a brow furrowed in displeasure. 'You're doing a poor job persuading me to let him stay. If anything, you've convinced me he's too dangerous. Besides, you used up all your favors yesterday, remember?'

'I remember.' Having him give her employees a chance was still more important to her than any other consideration—even saving Dreamseeker. 'I'm not asking for another favor. I promised I wouldn't, and I won't.' She offered a crooked smile. 'But I'm willing to compromise.'

'You're pushing it.'

She nodded. 'I know. But it's important to me/

He frowned, and she could sense his struggle between what common sense told him to do and granting her plea. Finally he nodded. 'One month. If I can break him, or at least put some manners on him, he can stay. But you keep clear in the meantime. Agreed?'

Her smile widened. 'Agreed.'

'That's the last time, Leah,' he warned. 'You've pushed me to the limit. Now, mount up.'

'My horse...?' she reminded him.

'I haven't forgotten. We'll ride double.'

He crossed to his buckskin and untied the reins from the fence. Looking from Hunter to the horse, Leah caught her breath in dismay. With her clinging to his back like a limpet, dipping and swaying, rubbing and bumping all the way to the ranch, it would be a long ride home. She shivered.

Real long.

Leah began to ease from the bed the next day, as she had each of the other two mornings, but then remembered her promise to stay. With a tiny sigh she lay down again, and yanked the ?heet to her chin. Instantly Hunter caught hold of her, ripped the sheet free and tumbled her into a warm embrace.

'Good morning, wife,' he muttered close to her ear.

'Good morning,' she responded cautiously, waiting for him to pounce, to force himself on her. Considering her forty-eight-hour deadline had expired last night, he'd be well within his rights. Instead he enclosed her hair in a possessive fist and, dropping an arm across her waist, shut his eyes. His breathing deepened and she frowned. 'The sun's up,' she prompted, fighting nervous anticipation.

'Uh-huh.'

He nuzzled her cheek and she drew back. 'This is our time together, remember?'

'I remember.'

'Well?' She could hear the strain in her voice, but couldn't help it. She wanted to get whatever he had planned over and done with. 'You said this time together would make a difference. The only difference I've noticed is that I'm late starting my chores/

He sighed, opening one eye. 'The chores can wait. Relax. You're stiff as a board/ He slid an arm around her hips and tucked her back against his chest, spoon-fashion. Resting his chin on top of her head, he said, 'Now just relax and talk to me/

'Talk/ This wasn't quite what she'd expected when he'd made his demand. She'd suspected that he intended to... to do a whole lot more than talk. 'What should I talk about?'

'Anything. Everything. Whatever comes to mind/

'Okay,' she agreed, knowing she sounded stilted and uncomfortable. 'What are your plans for this morning?'

'I'll start by working with Dreamseeker/

'And.. .and the fence-line? The one that runs alongside of the Circle P?'

'It gets fixed today/

'You'll be careful?' She hesitated to mention her fears, but couldn't help herself. 'I don't trust Bull/

'I'll take care of it/

'It's just ' He brushed a length of hair from her

brow and she realized that at some point during their conversation she'd rolled over to face him. And with the realization her words died away, and her earlier nervousness returned.

He noticed. She suspected that his sharp, black-eyed gaze noticed everything. Gently, he cupped her cheek, his callused thumb stroking the corner of her mouth.

TU take care of it,' he repeated, and kissed her warmly, deeply, sparking an instant response.

She didn't reply—couldn't, in fact. He seemed to sense that, for he pressed his advantage, his kiss becoming more intense, more urgent. Sensing her capitulation, he pressed her into the mattress. Instantly her body reacted, softening as his hardened, moving in concert with his, shifting to accommodate his size and weight.

Her nightgown provided no barrier at all. He unbuttoned the small pearl buttons that ran from neck to waist and swept the cotton from her shoulders. Drawing back, he gazed down at her, the early morning light playing across the taut, drawn lines of his face. Kneeling above her, he seemed like some bold conqueror of old, a bronzed warrior poised to take what he willed, and giving no quarter. Slowly, he reached for her, his black eyes burning like twin flames. His fists closed around her nightgown, and in one swift move he stripped it from her.

Reacting instinctively, she fought to cover herself, the expression on his face frightening her. She shouldn't struggle. She knew she shouldn't, but sudden blind panic overrode all other thought and emotion.

'No!' The tiny urgent whisper escaped before she could prevent it.

* Don't fight me,' he demanded, trapping her beneath him and staring down with intense, passion-filled eyes. 'I won't hurt you. Dammit, Leah! You know how good it was between us, how good it can be again.'

'I know, I know,' she moaned, a sob catching in her throat. 'I can't help it. It's not the same any more. I can't make myself feel what I did before just because we're married now... just because it's what you want.'

'And you don't?' he bit out. His hand swept across the rigid peak of her breast. 'You're only fooling yourself

if that's what you think. You can't deny your body's response to me.'

'No, I can't.' The confession, raw and painful, was torn from her. How she wished she could open herself to his embrace and enjoy the momentary pleasure he offered, regardless of the consequences. But something instinctively held her back, making the gesture impossible. He'd taken so much already. She didn't dare allow him to take more. Not yet.

'Give yourself to me, Leah.' His words were raspy, heavy with desire. 'You want to. Stop resisting.'

Urgently, she shook her head. 'I won't be a pawn in your game of revenge. You have the ranch. You can't have me. Not this easily. And not with such casual disregard.'

'You call this casual?' He gripped her hand, drawing it to his body, encouraging the hesitant stroke of her fingers against his heated skin. 'Touch me and then try and call what I feel casual.'

Unable to resist, her hand followed the sinewy contours from chest to abdomen. 'If you feel something, then say the words,' she pleaded. 'Tell me our love-making isn't just sex. Tell me honestly that there isn't some deep, secret part of you settling an old score.' Tears filled her eyes. 'Tell me that, Hunter, so I don't feel used.'

He tensed above her, his hands tightening on her shoulders in automatic reaction. Then his head dropped to her breast, a day's growth of whiskers rasping across her skin, branding her. A tear escaped from the corner of her eye. She had her answer. She'd gambled and lost. His very silence condemned him, told her more clearly than any words that his motivations were far from pure, that his actions weren't inspired by anything as noble as love.

'I could take you by force/ His voice was raw and harsh against her breast.

She prayed that it was only frustration speaking, that his threat was an empty one. 'You once told me force wouldn't be necessary. Have you changed your mind?' She attempted to slip from beneath him, but his hands closed around her shoulders, holding her in place. 'Taking what you want won't help our situation any,' she tried to reason with him.

"The hell it won't! It would help my situation a great deal. And I'd bet my last dollar that it would do a world of good for yours.'

She couldn't deny the truth. She turned her face into the pillow, retreating from the accusation in his eyes. Helpless tears escaped despite her attempts to control them. 'I'm sorry. I wish I could give myself to you and be done with it. But I can't. I can't be that detached about making love.'

'I don't expect you to be detached. I do expect you to resign yourself to the inevitable and face facts.' He threaded his fingers through her hair, forcing her to face him. 'And the fact is, we will be lovers. It will happen whether it's tomorrow or the next day or the one after that. Before long, wife, you'll want my touch. I guarantee it.'

'You're wrong,' she insisted, but they both knew she lied.

With an unexpectedly calming hand he brushed the tears from her cheeks. 'I won't force the issue this time. But understand me; I don't make any promises for the next.'

Then he rolled off her and left the bed... left Leah to her thoughts and to the inescapable knowledge that resisting him would prove futile. Soon her body would betray her and she'd be unable to stop him from com-

pleting what he'd started today. And once that happened, he'd have won it all.

Leah headed for the corral a short time later, to observe Hunter work with Dreamseeker. She wasn't alone. The Arroya children and a number of the employees all found excuses to line up along the fence and watch the coming confrontation. But if they had thought that Hunter would simply climb on to the stallion's back and attempt to bust him, they were mistaken. Instead, he lifted a piece of saddle-blanket from the corral fence and, after letting the horse sniff it, ran it over Dreamseeker's shoulders.

'Easy, boy. Easy.' His deep voice carried on the early morning breeze as he calmed the nervous animal.

Leah watched his hands and listened to his low reassurances, uncomfortably aware that his gentling of the nervous animal was remarkably similar to the way he'd soothed her before leaving their bed. She didn't doubt for a minute who would win this battle of wills... any more than she doubted who would ultimately win the age-old battle waged in their bedroom. It was as inevitable as the changing of the seasons; time was the only variable.

Once done with Dreamseeker, he spent until sundown laboring with the men, starting to set the ranch to rights.

As the days winged by, Leah began to relax. He didn't press her to commit to him physically and, contrary to her earlier fears, he also didn't make any sweeping changes. Instead he did just as he'd promised. He gave her employees a chance.

Or so she thought until Inez came tearing up to the corral fence.

'Senora, come quick! The men, they are fighting.'

Leah leapt from the horse she'd been training and ducked beneath the fence-rails. 'Where?'

4 Behind the barn.'

She ran flat out, skidding to a stop as she came around the corner of the barn. Sprawled in the dust lay one of her more recent hard luck cases; a huge, brawny youngster barely past his teens by the name of Orrie. Above him towered Hunter, his fists cocked, his stance threatening. The rest of the employees stood in a loose circle around the two.

* Hunter!' she called, horrified that he'd actually fight one of her workers, especially one so young.

He spared her a brief glance. 'Stay out of it, Leah,' he warned. 'This doesn't concern you.'

Orrie scrambled to his feet, careful to keep clear of Hunter's reach. 'He fired me, Miz Hampton. He had no call to do that. You have to help me.'

Uncertain, she looked from Orrie to her husband. 'What's this about?'

Hunter's mouth tightened. 'You heard me, Leah. Stay out of it.'

'You have to do something, Miz Hampton,' Orrie insisted, bolting to her side. 'You can't let him get away with it. He's trying to change things.'

'You must be mistaken. He promised to give everyone a fair shot,' she hastened to reassure. 'Do your job and you stay.' She searched the sea of faces for confirmation. 'That was the agreement, right?'