Quicksilver Passion (52 page)

She leaned back in the seat, totally drained and exhausted.
I never dreamed you intended murder and robbery.”

That’s why I didn’t tell you. At heart, you’re a good person, Silver. You would have tried to stop me.”

She closed her eyes and wept softly.

Don’t, Silver,” Al whispered,
it’s all right now. You don’t ever have to let a man put his hands on you again. If I get to see you every day, that’ll be enough for me.”

Days later, they stepped off a stagecoach in the town Al had chosen—a raw boomtown in the Rockies. Al bought a saloon and put it in her name. At first she expected to see the law turn up on the doorstep. But months passed and nothing happened. She was safe finally—Al’s shotgun saw to that.

She opened her eyes slowly. Her shoulder felt as if it were on fire.
Where was she?
This wasn’t her room at the Nugget, it was a log cabin.
What was she doing here?
The last thing she remembered was riding across that gully and the sound of thunder before pain flashed through her body and she fell from her saddle.

Silver, are you awake?”

She looked up into the dark, rugged face of Cherokee Evans.
What . . . what happened? Where is everyone?”

His big fingers touched her face ever so gently.
You’ve been shot. My pards have gone for help.”

Panic welled up in her.
We’re—we’re here alone?”

Alone,” he nodded.

She had not been so afraid since the night Al had killed Brett. She saw that look in Cherokee’s eyes. He wanted her body as Bart Brett had wanted it. She wasn’t safe anymore!

Silver stared up at him, a little delirious. She had never felt so hot before. Maybe she was having a nightmare. Or maybe she’d died and ended up in hell. She would close her eyes and wish it all away. When she opened them again, she would be safe in her bed at the Nugget with the door double-locked and the light burning by her bedside.

She was afraid of that big half-breed; that was why he had come into her nightmare. The way he had looked at her in the Nugget let her know what he wanted from her—as all men did. Only he looked bigger and more virile than the others, so he would hurt her more. Somewhere, she heard the wind howling. It sounded lonely and cold.
Then why was she so hot?

She managed to run the tip of her tongue along her dry lips.
Hot ...” she murmured.
So very hot.”

A man’s voice said,
Would snow taste good?”

Snow.
So many memories about snow. She was a little girl laughing and playing in the snow with her daddy—her
real
daddy. They made snow ice cream, all frosty and sweet on the tongue while Ma complained about them wasting the precious sugar. He pulled her on a sled and they laughed and made angels by lying on their backs and moving their arms up and down.

Snow,” she whispered,
yes, snow.”

And miracle of miracles, there it was on her lips and tongue, so cold and good, melting and trickling into her mouth. But her body was still hot. She squirmed in misery, remembering the hard work in the broiling heat of the farm.
Hot,” she said again.

She must be in bed; someone was pulling back the covers. Then there was cool water on her feverish skin and she smiled in her sleep.

Feel good?” a man asked.

She didn’t open her eyes; she was afraid of what she would see. She dreamed she was swimming naked in the cool creek that ran through the farm. It felt so good and it was so naughty. Ma told her it was. When she caught her at it, Ma whipped her and whipped her with a peach tree switch, leaving little red welts all over her small bottom.

She would not think about that now. She would enjoy swimming in the cool water that felt so good on her feverish skin until Ma came to scold her.

Cherokee paused in sponging the girl’s feverish body. She was smiling in her unconscious state. Her fever had risen and he didn’t know what to do except put bits of snow between her lips and sponge her naked body down with cool water.

Be careful what you wish for, you might get it
. He smiled ruefully, remembering something his friend Shawn had said one time. Cherokee had the girl in his power, all right, just like he had dreamed of. That was as far as it went. He wasn’t enough of a monster to rape an unconscious girl, and more than that, he was worried about the fever that made her skin shine with perspiration.

What a beauty she was! He studied her closely as he sponged her skin all over, feeling a little guilty that she was helpless to escape his eyes—but not guilty enough not to look at her as he wrung the cloth out and began at her breasts and worked his way down her body to her toes all over again.

He’d bet she didn’t weigh more than a hundred pounds. Maybe not even that. He had the most uncontrollable urge to kiss her belly, her mound, and the deep cleft between her breasts, but he didn’t. She might wake up and she’d be terrified.
Why was he feeling so protective of her?
A white woman had stolen his father and made his Indian mother weep. An elegant pale-skinned beauty with yellow hair had caused Cherokee to betray the best friend a man ever had. They were all alike, these white women. No matter what they appeared to be, they were all whores at heart.

It was a long night and he never left Silver’s side. Cherokee’s back ached from leaning over her, sponging her endlessly. At last the fever seemed to fade and she slept peacefully. He’d had no sleep at all and his head hurt.

One of her small hands was out from under the covers. He took it in his and kissed the palm, the way his Cherokee grandmother used to when he was a frightened little boy after the soldiers had taken his mother away.
Here’s a treasure to keep,” he whispered and folded her fingers over her palm.
Take it out when you need it and know I love you.”

She slept all morning, but he never closed his eyes. Cherokee stayed by her bed, afraid she might wake up and need something, or be frightened and he wanted to reassure her that everything was all right. Finally he couldn’t help sitting on the floor by her bed, laying his head against the blanket and dozing off.

Silver came awake with a start.
Where was she?
Who was that with his face next to her hand? She felt so weak, she wasn’t sure she could move.
What . . . happened?”