Unsmiling, Cade walked on by to take her inside the cave and drop her unceremoniously onto the buffalo skin. With a flashing glare of warning to let her know she'd better stay right where she was, he left her.
Sam was too worried over the sudden change of events to rail after him. What did the arrival of the others mean? Dear Lord, when was she going to find out what they planned to do with her? The anger was worsened by not being able to communicate with them.
Then she thought of her purse. Obviously robbery was not among their motives, or they would have already taken it from her. Still, she grabbed it and hid it in a crevice in the dirt wall.
Back outside, Cade greeted Bold Eagle in exasperation. "I'm glad you're here. Maybe Sun Bird can make her see she's not going to be harmed."
He nodded to the girl and was not surprised to see that she was defiant as well as reluctant to bring any kind of comfort to this white woman, who was pledged to marry the man who had denied justice for those responsible for raping Little Fawn. It had been Sun Bird's brother who was married to Little Fawn, and well she knew how he had anguished over the tragedy.
Bold Eagle was also aware of Sun Bird's resentment, but he assured Wild Spirit, "She has agreed to do what she can."
"Anything to make the white demon suffer," Sun Bird said with vehemence.
Cade saw that she was carrying a bundle of clothes. He had ordered the Indians just to grab Celeste de Manca and get off the train. There was no time to get her luggage. He doubted she would like buckskin but had no choice unless she could stand wearing what she had on, without change, in the coming weeks, which he doubted. Despite her ability to hurl oaths and obscenities like a guttersnipe, it was obvious she took pride in her appearance. "Just let her know she's not going to be harmed, Sun Bird. That's very important."
Sun Bird picked her way through the maze of roots. Reaching the hollowed-out cave, she saw that the girl appeared more angry than anything else. She dropped the clothes at her feet and stood back.
"What's this?" Sam unrolled the bundle. There was a dress, which appeared to be made of some kind of animal skin. Nonetheless, it was soft and looked as though it would be comfortable. There were beads sewn across the bodice, and the artistry of the handwork was exquisite. And there were shoes, also decorated prettily with beads and fringe.
Sam raised questioning eyes. "You want me to put these on?" Then, assuming the girl was equally as uncommunicative as the others, she said defiantly, "Well, I won't. I've no intention of looking like you people." She tossed everything aside and lay back, folding her arms behind her head. She was starting to feel a bit more confident since the big Indian hadn't punished her for trying to escape, so she wasn't worried about this puny female harming her. No doubt she carried a knife, but Sam would give her a good fight if she attacked and watched her out of the corner of her eye for any sign of threat.
"You can glare at me all you want to, I'm not scared of you. Now why don't you get out of here and leave me alone? The soldiers are going to come soon, and then you'll all be sorry you ever did such a stupid thing."
Sun Bird stooped to pick up the clothes, then threw them in Sam's face.
Sam bolted upright. "I told you, dammit, I'm not wearing your clothes. I'd rather wear what I've got on, even if it is dirty. Now get out of here."
"Perhaps you like dirty clothes to go with your dirty mouth."
Sam gasped. "You speak English."
"I went to a settlement school, not that it is any of your concern. Where did you go to school to learn such ugly words?"
Despite her situation, Sam could not help feeling embarrassed. Normally she did not curse, and the times she had were during her street days, when it was sometimes necessary to show that she had no fear and could match anything others threw at her. She lifted her chin imperiously, not about to be chastised or intimidated by the current enemy. "I demand to know why I was abducted and why I am being held prisoner."
Sun Bird matched her arrogance and declared frostily, "It is not for you to know. But you need not be afraid. No harm will come to you if you do not make trouble. Now I have brought this for you to wear. It is clean. But if you want to wear that dirty rag"—she paused to grimace in distaste—"then so be it."
Sam looked down at her dress. Twice she had been in the river, and now it was muddy, filthy. One sleeve was nearly ripped off after the scraping on the bottom of the stream, and the skirt was torn in several places. She had to look a sight but wondered dismally what difference it made. Still, pride dictated cleanliness. "All right. I'll put it on. But why can't you at least tell me the reason I am here?"
Sun Bird merely stared at her.
"Well, what about last night?" Sam said, exasperated. "You tell me not to be scared, but one of your friends was about to scalp me."
"He was only after a piece of your hair. But do not worry. The one who guards you now will not touch you. He finds you are disgusting." Sun Bird had been in love with Wild Spirit for as long as she could remember and knew him to have great resolve. He had said the white woman would not be touched, and she knew he would keep his word.
"That one?" Sam yelped to think of the blue-eyed Indian. Dear Lord, he was the last person she wanted around her, especially when he seemed to be able to read her mind and anticipated her every move. "I don't want to be near him. Send someone else."
Sun Bird sneered. "You have no say. Just do as you're told, and when the time is right, you will go free. On this, you have my word."
Now Sam was truly baffled. "Do as I'm told? You are the first person who has spoken to me in a language I understand, so how am I to know what's expected of me when everyone else speaks in gibberish?"
"It does not matter, because I will be coming every day to talk with you and find out if there is anything you need. I will go now and bring you food while you change."
Food. Sam's stomach growled. "I haven't eaten since yesterday."
"You were not offered anything last night?" Sun Bird saw the food bag and looked inside. The pemmican and buffalo meat Wild Spirit had taken from camp was still there. "Why did you not eat this?" She took it out.
Sam's nose wrinkled at the sight of the brown, stringy things the girl pulled out of the bag. The gooey seed concoction balled in her hand was even less appetizing.
Sun Bird threw the sack at her feet. "You will eat if you get hungry enough. And you will not be catered to. Understand..." she took a step forward to point a finger in warning. "I do not like your people. I do not like you. And you would be wise to give me no trouble as you have given Wild Spirit. He is reluctant to thrash a woman. I have no such hesitation." Head high, Sun Bird walked out.
Sam made a face at her back. True, she had lived a life of gentility and luxury the past few years and no longer considered herself a street scrapper. And she had come to enjoy the good life and behaving, and being treated, like a lady. But if that girl tried anything, Sam vowed she would quickly discover she had a fight on her hands.
And so would Wild Spirit, as she had learned he was called. But at least she felt a bit better after hearing the promise of no mistreatment and eventual freedom. All she had to worry about was whether or not the girl kept her word and whether Wild Spirit went along with it.
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Page forward for an excerpt from
Patricia Hagan's award-winning
Simply Heaven
Excerpt from
Simply Heaven
by
Patricia Hagan
Steve angrily shoved his way back through the bushes.
Raven heard him but pretended not to, quickly buttoning her shirt. She was almost done when she felt his hands fasten on her shoulders to spin her about
. Adrenaline surged as she prepared to defend herself, for this was the moment she had been waiting for—to make him want her beyond all reason and then humiliate him by overpowering him.
Now, however, as she stared up at him, caught in his burning gaze, she trembled not from fear that he could harm her physically but rather the betrayal of her own body. His eyes had captured hers to imprison them in a building fever of shared desire, and she was powerless to pull away.
Steve could see how unnerved she was and found himself wondering whether she had deliberately made him want her or if she actually was so naive as not to comprehend the effect she had upon him now that she no longer had to pretend to be anything other than what she was.
He could see her pulse beating in her throat, heard the quick, ragged breaths she drew, and saw how her breasts rose and fell as he held her tight against him. He fought against smiling to realize that she was shaken by his nearness, and the angry clutching of his fingers melted into a gentle caress.
"Damn you," he whispered huskily, hoarsely, as he drew her against him. "Damn you for making me do this, Raven." His mouth closed over hers.
The kiss ran passionate and deep, and, despite herself, Raven could not fight it. Her lips parted beneath his gentle assault, and she could only yield to the delicious wonder of his exploring tongue. His hands moved to her back, trailing up and down her curves, pressing her yet closer, until they seemed molded together. Through the haze of desire that had entrapped her, she was startled to feel his hardness against her. It was the clarity of desire she had sought to create, but in so doing she had unwittingly caused her own. And now she melted against him in submission as his touch fed the flames within, making them leap higher and higher till she was consumed, devoured, and ready to yield to his every wish.
His hands moved to her breasts, to cup and squeeze, and his hardness against her began to throb, ever so gently, and she thrilled to it and unconsciously leaned into it, but at the same time knew she had to pull away lest there be no turning back. It was madness, weakness, and she had prided herself on never being weak.
Her hands had been clutching his shoulders, and it was all she could do to move, for they seemed to have become leaden, refusing to budge.
With all her strength, she was finally able to place them against his chest and make ready to push him away.
But at that precise instant, Steve released her.
She blinked in stunned disbelief to see his mouth spread into a slow, taunting grin and his eyes no longer glazed with rapture but mocking, instead. "This isn't what you had in mind, is it, sweetheart? You weren't supposed to want it too, were you?"
"I... I don't know what you're talking about," she stammered and began backing away from him.
He made no move to stop her. "Sure you do. You've been teasing me so you could laugh in my face, only you didn't figure on catching the fever yourself."
As the distance between them widened, her bravado returned. "You're crazy. I didn't know you were going to spy on me when I took a bath, and I didn't enjoy what you were doing just now. You took me by surprise for a minute, that's all."
"You wanted me to see you bathing."
She shook her head wildly. "That's not true."
"And last night you wanted to make me crazy thinking about you lying there half naked, hoping I'd try to crawl in bed with you so you could scream rape, bring the Hannibals running, and tell them how I forced you to pretend we were married. That would have made me look like a prize fool in front of everybody. Only it didn't work, sweetheart, not there and not here, where you were probably hoping to catch me in a weak moment, bust my head with a rock, and take off. You're quite a little actress, you know that? You pretend to be so shy and innocent, but actually you're a scheming little witch."
Raven could have told him he was wrong. It wasn't to make him look foolish that she had tried to make him want her, it was to get back at him for all those nights she had lain awake wanting him. Only now it didn't matter, because desire had turned to loathing.
"You started all this. You came into my world, I didn't go to yours. And you forced me to come with you, and I told you when you did you'd be sorry. And you will.
"But hear this," she continued furiously. "I didn't want you just now. I could never want a stubborn oaf like you." She finished with a curt nod.
Steve cocked his head to one side. "Now is that a fact? Because I'd have sworn you wanted me just now as bad as I wanted you. Let's find out."
He took a step toward her, but Raven threw up her hands and made ready for combat. She was weak no longer, and anything she had felt for him had dissolved amid humiliation and indignity. "Don't come any closer," she warned.
Steve paused and bit down on his lower lip as it came to him what she had actually been planning. The little vixen probably knew every Indian trick there was and could fight like a warrior. She had no doubt hoped to get him in a vulnerable position and then beat the tar out of him before he knew what happened.
And suddenly it all seemed hilarious, and he threw back his head and laughed long and loud.
"You'll regret treating me this way," Raven warned.
"Well, if kissing me like you just did is a sample of revenge, I'll be looking forward to it. Meanwhile, I suggest a truce so we can get to where we're going." He walked away to leave her standing there glaring after him.
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SIMPLY HEAVEN
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Meet Patricia Hagan and Daisee
Patricia Hagan is the New York Times bestselling author of 42 novels and over 2500 short stories. Her books have been translated into 15 languages, and she has made promotional trips to England, France, Italy, Greece, Norway, Ireland, Spain, Germany, Denmark, and Croatia.
A graduate of the University of Alabama, majoring in English, she has taught creative writing and been a guest speaker at writers' conferences across the U.S. She is also an award-winning former Radio/TV Motorsports journalist, having covered NASCAR stock car racing. She has also traveled extensively as a travel writer, reviewing cruise ships all over the world.
She now resides in South Florida with her best friend Daisee, a wire-haired fox terrier, and is the proud mother of a U.S. Navy SEAL.
Patricia Hagan loves to hear from her readers. You can contact Patricia through her publisher, ePublishing Works!. Send an email to [email protected]
Table of Contents
Cover
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Excerpt from STARLIGHT by Patricia Hagan
Excerpt from SIMPLY HEAVEN by Patricia Hagan
Meet Patricia Hagan
Table of Contents
Cover
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter
11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Excerpt from STARLIGHT by Patricia Hagan
Excerpt from SIMPLY HEAVEN by Patricia Hagan
Meet Patricia Hagan
Say You Love Me Page 30