Her hand gripped the reins more forcefully. He hadn’t suggested it. He’d flat out told her she was going with him. Just as he’d simply taken her away from her cabin without asking her consent. What was it about that infuriating man that melted her heart? He was nothing but a domineering lout.
He’s also tender, brave, and would lay down his life to protect you.
He was the only man, other than her father, who had ever protected her, truly protected her from the world. Her young girl’s infatuation with Timothy, the first man to notice her as a female, couldn’t even come close to the feelings Lucas brought to life in her. Tori inhaled a deep breath and pulled back slightly on the reins to keep the gelding at an even pace. The horse seemed to be eager to return home.
Tori wiped fresh tears from her eyes. She was no longer the naive girl she’d been in St. Louis. Conjuring Timothy’s image from a woman’s eye, the honest truth was that he hadn’t ignited her heart to beat wildly in her chest, or made her want for more when he’d kissed her awkwardly, not even when she allowed him to take her innocence. He was a mistake, one that would haunt her for the rest of her life.
Lucas Walker was as wild and rugged as these mountains she’d come to love, sinfully handsome, and sparked a thirst for adventure in her that not even she had realized burned inside her.
He’s also the most infuriating and bossy man you’ve ever had the misfortune of meeting.
One moment he spoke words that left her gasping for air with disbelief and made her heart melt, and at other times he was as thick-headed as ten mules put together.
She shook her head. This was crazy. It wouldn’t do to give in to her feelings for Lucas, no matter how much she wanted to. No matter what she might feel for him, he couldn’t save her from hanging any more than her father had. She’d resigned herself to a life of hiding out where no one else would find her. She could never ask another person to share such a life. Imposing her troubles on Lucas was out of the question.
Despite her misgivings, a slow smile spread across her face. Lucas’ roguish grin, the one she’d found both exasperating and endearing, along with his blue eyes that sparkled with mischief one moment and intense desire for her the next, had haunted her throughout the night at the Bannock camp. Even while they were on the run from Black Sparrow, Lucas’ presence had given her comfort and courage.
“Tori.” Lucas’ loud call behind her jolted her heart up into her throat. She raked her teeth over her lower lip in an effort to dispel the tingle that was still present in the aftermath of his kiss.
Seconds later, Lucas’ horse inched up next to hers, matching the young gelding’s strides. The animal pinned its ears at the other horse, and Tori couldn’t help but smile. Lucas was as ornery as his human namesake.
“Pull up, Tori. We need to talk.” Lucas leaned over his mount’s neck, and reached for the reins to her horse. Before he had a chance to grab hold of the leather, Tori reined the animal to the right and toward a row of cottonwoods that gave shade to one of the first outbuildings at the homestead.
“Dammit, Tori. Pull up,” Lucas called after her. She glanced over her shoulder and shot him a haughty look. Lucas Walker needed to learn that she wasn’t simply going to do his bidding whenever he made demands. Once she reached the trees, she eased the mount to a stop. She jumped from the gelding’s back moments before Lucas reined his own horse to a stop.
Tori raised her chin and stood her ground when he leapt from the saddle and advanced on her. She inhaled a deep breath, her face flushed, and her heart pounded fiercely.
“Haven’t you ever learned that when you want someone to do your bidding, you should ask rather than make demands?” She narrowed her eyes to cover the turmoil raging inside her.
“I told Joseph to ride on ahead. We hadn’t finished our talk when he showed up.” Lucas motioned with his chin over his shoulder. He apparently chose to ignore her comment.
“Finish?” Tori’s forehead creased. What was there to finish?
“Yeah. There’s things we need to work out before I bring you to my folks.”
Tori swallowed back the growing lump in her throat. The determined stare in Lucas’ eyes as he advanced on her caused her to take a shaky step backward. He didn’t stop. She backed up some more, and nearly tripped on the uneven ground. Her back bumped into the trunk of the closest tree, and still he advanced. Before she had time to react, his hands cupped both sides of her face, and he drew her to him. He leaned over her and his lips gently touched hers.
Tori’s limbs went weak, and a warm sensation doused her insides. She couldn’t fight him when he kissed her with such tender passion. She didn’t want to fight him.
You can’t allow this to continue.
Lucas leaned in closer, the length of his hard body pressing her against the back of the tree. He eased his head back slightly, and a slow smile formed on his lips. The admiration and desire in his eyes were unmistakable as he caressed her cheeks with his calloused hands. Tori squeezed her eyes shut.
Just one brief moment. Let yourself feel for just one brief moment.
His lips brushed along her cheek, then tickled the nape of her neck. He knew exactly what he was doing to make her completely compliant.
“Lucas, please . . .” she managed to whisper. If he continued his seduction, she would melt.
“Please what, Tori?” he rasped. His hand slid along her waist, sending shivers of delight along her spine. “Stop running away.”
He touched his lips to hers again, his hand cradling the back of her head, and drew her closer. As if they had a will of their own, her arms reached around his back and she gripped his shoulders.
“Tori,” he murmured against her lips, and pulled her firmly into his embrace, nearly lifting her off her feet. His arms wrapped fully around her, holding her tightly to him for a moment, before he eased away.
Tori drowned in his blue stare. His unwavering gaze reflected what she’d been fighting for days, perhaps even weeks. She’d sensed it in him before, but he hadn’t ever said that he harbored feelings for her that went beyond a simple attraction. His eyes spoke what his words didn’t. They were so full of longing, tenderness, and . . .
“Come with me, Tori. Come with me to Fort Pierre. There’s a chaplain. You and I will get hitched, and--”
Tori pulled out of his embrace as if he’d burned her. Her pulse pounded in her ears in response to his words.
“Hitched? As in married?” Her voice trembled. Lucas wanted to marry her? This was too sudden. As thick-headed as Lucas was, he most definitely wasn’t the type of man to take lightly something so binding as a marriage.
“Yeah.” He grinned, and reached for her hand.
Tori shook her head. His words replayed in her mind. He hadn’t asked. He’d simply told her they’d get married. The fleeting image of another man flashed before her eyes. She clenched her jaw. Another man who demanded that she marry him. Anger, coupled with cold fear at the memory, washed over her. She yanked her hand away, and quickly stepped around him and away from the tree. She needed to put some distance between them. Anger at his overbearing assumption that she’d simply agree to his demand overshadowed the longing in her heart.
“What makes you think I want to marry you, Lucas? I said you and I had to part ways.” Her own voice sounded foreign in her ears.
Lucas’ arm snaked around her waist and pulled her back to him. The smile he wore faded. He ran a hand across his face, and chuckled uneasily. “The way you kissed me, Tori, I thought you’d be agreeable to marrying me.”
Tori’s eyes narrowed. Why was this happening again? Because of the arrogance of one man, Timothy had lost his life, and she was on the run. Now here she was, and another arrogant man made similar demands on her.
“I won’t marry you, Lucas,” she said firmly, her eyes narrowed. Her lips still pulsed in tune to her beating heart, and her skin tingled wherever his hands had touched her. Hastily, she brushed any silly tender feelings for this man aside.
“Why not?” Lucas challenged. His forehead wrinkled. “It’ll solve both of our problems.”
“Problems?”
“Yeah.” He nodded. “As my wife, you’ll be under my protection. After you tell me exactly what happened back in St. Louis, I’ll find a way to clear your name.”
Tori couldn’t make sense of his words. He’d already said he wanted to help her clear her name. Why would that require marriage? It would only put his life in danger, too.
“And what problem do you have that will be solved through marriage?”
“I can’t shake you from my thoughts, Tori.” Lucas moved closer and gripped her upper arms. There was an almost desperate look in his eyes. “I can’t think straight anymore since I met you. Hell, I nearly got us both killed coming out of the high country. I need to be able to think clearly when I’m in the mountains. I don’t know what the hell it is you’re doing to me that’s clouding my judgment.” He released her and turned away, running his hand through his hair. Abruptly, he faced her again. “Getting hitched is the perfect solution.”
Tori forced her mouth to remain closed or her jaw might have hit the ground. The nerve of that big-headed man. She was clouding his judgment, and he thought marriage would restore him?
“Perfect solution for what?” she asked incredulously, although she already knew the answer. Those intense looks by the lake, and again the other day told her in no uncertain terms what was going on in his mind. A small part of her gave him credit for not simply demanding to bed her, but that he was willing to marry her first.
Tori nearly laughed, if his words hadn’t made her so furious. She’d even had a glimmer of hope that he harbored feelings for her when he’d told her that she’d been worth the torture he’d endured. What exactly did he mean with those words? He’d made no bones about it that he found her desirable, and that he liked kissing her. Not once had he said he cared more deeply for her. Why did she even think it might be more than mere physical attraction?
Because you feel more than that for him, Tori.
“Marriage won’t solve that you have nothing but straw between your ears, Lucas.” Her voice rose even higher as her anger grew. “When are you going to learn that you can’t just tell everyone what to do, just because you think it suits you? You kidnapped me from my home against my will because you said it was for my own good. Now you’re telling me that I have to marry you in order for you to regain your senses?” She glared at him. The blank stare of disbelief in his eyes would have been amusing if she wasn’t angry enough to strike at something.
“Well, let me tell you something, Lucas Walker.” She leaned forward, and poked her finger into his chest. “You’re nothing but an arrogant oaf who doesn’t have the brains of a two-headed jackass. For weeks, you’ve ordered me around as if you owned me. I won’t stand for it anymore. You hear me? Tomorrow, I am leaving, and there is nothing you, or anyone else can do or say to stop me.”
She turned on her heels, stopped, and faced him again, her hands on her hips. “I’m sure there are plenty of eager women waiting at Fort Pierre or elsewhere who can accommodate you.”
Tori spun around and marched to her horse. Snatching the reins off the ground, she pulled herself up into the saddle, and kicked the animal toward the homestead.
Her face flamed, and she swiped an impatient hand across her cheeks. She couldn’t make sense of his words. A decent man asked for a woman’s hand in marriage because he loved her, or at least had some feelings for her.
When he first uttered the words, a spark had ignited in her chest. The thought that Lucas cared enough that he wanted to marry her had doused her in warmth like nothing ever had. She laughed bitterly. He hadn’t asked. He’d demanded. And it had nothing to do with his feelings for her. His motivation for marriage was for purely selfish reasons.
Renewed anger raced through her. Paul had demanded she marry him because he simply saw her as an acquisition, something to take away from Timothy. Even Black Sparrow had acted that way. Was Lucas no different than either of those men?
It was too late to head back into the mountains today. She had no provisions and no plans on where to go. Tomorrow. It was high time that she put as much distance between herself and Lucas Walker as she could manage. Despite everything he had put her through since she met him, he’d stolen her heart, and she could only hope that someday the gaping wound created by falling in love with a man like him would mend. Right now, she needed to compose herself in order to meet the first white people - other than that . . . that impossible man - she’d seen in nearly two years.
A dark-haired woman emerged from the house when Tori neared the home. Joseph Walker headed toward her from the direction of one of the barns, and pulled her into a loving embrace, then kissed her soundly on the mouth. Tori ground her teeth in an attempt to hold back fresh tears at the open display of affection from this couple. Vague memories entered her mind of these two people at her cabin.
The woman stepped out of Joseph’s embrace, and glanced her way. She waved, and a wide smile lit up her delicately beautiful face. Tori reined the gelding to a walk, and stopped him in front of the couple. Every nerve in her body screamed at her to ride for the hills. She didn’t want to be among these people.
You’ve been alone too long, Tori.
“Hello . . . Vic?” the woman asked cheerfully, and reached her hand up. “I don’t know if you remember me, but you helped save my life a few years ago.”
Tori stared down at the woman. She had the complexion and the looks of an Indian, but she wore a blue cotton dress that complimented her skin tone. Her hair was braided and coiled on top of her head. Hesitantly, Tori leaned over the saddle and shook the offered hand.
“Joseph, why don’t you take her horse, and Miss Williams can come inside.” She favored Lucas’ brother with a soft smile, and stepped away from the horse. To Tori, she said, “I bet you must be hungry and thirsty. You and Lucas are just in time for supper.”
Hesitating, Tori pulled her leg over the gelding’s neck, and hopped to the ground. Her eyes connected with Joseph Walker’s. He was a few years older than Lucas, but they shared the same blue eyes and facial features. While Lucas had raven colored hair, Joseph’s was a touch lighter, and several inches longer.
He studied her with an amused look. “I’ll get him fed and watered.” He reached for the gelding’s reins. “This horse must favor women. You didn’t seem to have any trouble with him.”
“He’s about as mule-headed as your brother,” Tori scoffed.
Joseph’s mouth curved upward, and he laughed. “That’s why I thought the two of them would get along.” He paused, then added, “No doubt that’s why you can handle him so well.”
Before she had a chance to wonder if he was referring to his brother or the horse, Joseph Walker led the animal away. Tori’s eyes darted to the woman who waited quietly by the door to the large home.
“Come inside,” she said again when Tori didn’t move. The clopping of hoof beats behind her prompted her to do the woman’s bidding. Without a backwards glance, she walked briskly into the cabin.
Tori’s eyes widened. She hadn’t expected to step into such a large central room that was probably the size of her cabin. A fire crackled loudly in the massive stone fireplace opposite the door. The wooden floorboards creaked slightly when she stepped further into the room at the woman’s urging. Tori wracked her brain trying to recall her name. Hazy images of a scared and cowering Indian woman came to mind.
“You don’t look like the woman I remember,” she blurted out, then cursed herself for being rude. She bit her lower lip.
The woman laughed. “Speak for yourself,” she answered with a distinct note of confidence in her voice. “You sure had most everyone fooled back then. Men only see what’s right in front of them, don’t they? And sometimes not even then.”
Tori stared at her. “You knew?”
She nodded. “I had to bite my tongue a few times not to call you Victoria.”
“It was a logical guess.” She shrugged. “But I bet you don’t remember me. You were trying so hard to pass yourself off as a boy.” She smiled warmly. “I’m Sophie Walker, otherwise known as Raven, Granddaughter of Two Bears, chief of the Bannock People who call this valley home.”
Tori cocked her head at the woman. She was several inches taller than herself, and the graceful way she moved made her appear almost regal.
“You’re no longer that prissy white girl who looks like an Injun and can’t shoot a rifle.” Tori smirked.
Sophie giggled. “It’s the first thing I made Joseph teach me after we came home.”
“You sure gave it to that bast . . . Sabin.” Tori lowered her gaze, and clenched her jaw. She didn’t want to remember the man who killed her pa. A soft hand rested on her shoulder.
“Are you all right, Victoria?”
Tori stared up into the concerned eyes of Sophie Walker. “He shot my pa,” she whispered.
Sophie led her into an adjoining room that appeared to be the kitchen. A wooden table stood in the center of the room, and the young woman pulled one of the four chairs out from under it. Hesitating briefly, Tori sat. Sophie moved to the hearth, stirring a spoon in the kettle that hung over the fire.
“Supper’s almost ready. We’ll just wait for Joseph and Lucas,” she said with her back turned. Tori stiffened. She clamped her lips tightly together, otherwise she might have cursed out loud at hearing that aggravating man’s name.
Sophie turned to face her. She pulled out another chair, and sat across from her. “I’m afraid my cooking isn’t quite as good as my mother-in-law’s, but she and Joseph’s father left the other day to visit friends to the north.”
“Smells good.” Tori didn’t know what else to say. She certainly had lost her appetite after what had happened a few minutes ago with Lucas. She didn’t want to face him.
Teton Romance Trilogy Bundle: Includes Yellowstone Proposal (Short Story) Page 62