Texas Proud (Vincente 2)

by Constance O'Banyon

  Noble turned the chair around, slowly and deliberately. He then sat down and crossed his long legs. "I'm Noble Vincente. Mr. Vincente to you."

  The deputy gawked at Noble for a moment, immediately recognizing the name. He hooked his hands about his waist because his trousers were beginning to slip down his slender hips again. His tone was surly when he spoke. "You're one of the Vincentes that own Casa del Sol. I've heard of you didn't know you'd come home, though." His eyes gleamed like polished copper. "I've just been here for seven months, but I recall hearing talk that you was suspected of killing a man some years back."

  Noble stood, towering over the man. "Be warned, Deputy, that I've had a bad morning, and I don't intend to waste time on an imbecil."

  Harvey looked blank. "I don't speak Mexican. What's that im Uh, whatever you said?"

  Noble decided that there was some doubt that the deputy spoke English. "Let's just say the term means less than brilliant."

  Harvey's face colored with indignation. "You can't say that to me! Just who do you think you are?"

  Noble took a step forward, and the deputy took a step back. "Is Crenshaw still the sheriff?"

  Harvey saw danger in Noble Vincente's swirling dark eyes. He swallowed several times before he said, "Y-yep. But he's getting on in years. I `spect I'll be the sheriff soon enough."

  "God help us if that happens," Noble murmured under his breath. "Tell Sheriff Crenshaw that I stopped by and I'd like to see him at his convenience."

  Harvey followed Noble outside, watching him cross the street and mount his horse. Jess McVee joined Harvey and they stood silently watching Noble disappear in the distance.

  "He won't find any friends in this town," Jess stated flatly. "Sam Rutledge was well respected 'round here, and there are those of us who still think Noble Vincente back-shot him. Did it, and got away with it."

  "I didn't know Mr. Rutledge, but I surely like that pretty daughter of his. I'm kinda sweet on Rachel Rutledge, but I ain't told her yet. It's not right that some rich bastard got away with killing her pa.

  Jess glanced at the deputy in astonishment. Did the man really think that Rachel would be interested in the likes of him? He grinned, trying not to laugh. "Rachel would probably look kindly on the man who puts her pa's killer away." He was baiting Harvey, whom he'd never credited with having much gumption. "'Course, Sheriff Crenshaw never believed that Noble killed Sam. At the time, he said there wasn't enough evidence to take to court. The circuit judge agreed with him. I figure if you'd been sheriff at the time, things woulda been different." He continued to bolster the deputy's ego while planting numerous seeds of ideas, wondering if they'd take root inside Harvey's simple mind. "I always wondered how much Don Reinaldo paid the judge to get him to let his son go free."

  Harvey felt a stirring of excitement as he thought what it would mean to his standing in the county if he got rid of that Spanish bastard. "There's other ways to give justice a little push." Cunning brightened his eyes. "Sometimes you just have to step outside the law."

  The heat beat down with punishing force as Noble rode toward home. He clenched his jaw, still angered by what had happened in town. He should have been prepared for the hostile attitudes today but he hadn't been. Damn them all! Why should it matter what they thought of him?

  But strangely enough, it did.

  He detoured around the main gate to Casa del Sol and guided his horse toward the river. When he got there, he dismounted and walked to the water's edge, staring into the muddy depths. He'd always loved the Brazos, which snaked its way through hundreds of miles of Texas. It was here, beneath this very cottonwood tree, that he had fished many times with his father, here that he'd learned to swim and dive off the high banks. But boyhood memories brought no comfort to him today; they were part of a past that was dead and gone.

  "It's been a hell of a day," he observed aloud. He picked up a stone and skipped it across the water, watching it sink into the murky depths. "And worst yet, I'm beginning to talk to myself."

  On a sudden impulse he unbuckled his gun belt and draped it across his saddle. He then pro ceeded to remove his boots, and stripped off the rest of his clothes, dropping them into a careless heap. Naked as the day he was born, he took a deep breath and plunged into the river.

  The water felt cool and soothing as it closed over him. It was peaceful and serene, so he plunged deeper until he reached the riverbed. He allowed the swift current to carry him downstream without ever coming up for air. He wondered what it would feel like never to come up. His chest felt tight and his lungs begged for air. Above him was the real world awash in sunlight and pain-here, there was silence, forgetfulness.

  Then, uninvited and unwelcome, a pair of green eyes invaded his sanctuary eyes that had once danced with laughter, but now reflected cold hatred. He shot upward toward the light and, gasping, dragged air into his starving lungs. His first breath was painful and he quickly took another, and another. When he was breathing normally, he looked around him, determining that he'd been swept some distance from where he'd left his clothing. With strong strokes, he swam against the current until he rounded a bend in the river.

  As if his thinking about her made her appear, Rachel sat upon the bank, her trouser-clad legs stretched out before her. Her red-gold hair shimmered like fire in the sun, and her slender form was outlined by the green shirt she wore. She balanced his pistol in her hand, casually spinning the cylinder.

  Noble treaded water, trying to stay in place because the current was pulling him downstream. "Hello, Green Eyes. You'll excuse me if I'm less than formally dressed. You see, I wasn't expecting a visitor."

  Rachel glanced down at Noble's clothing. "So I see." She hoped her presence made him feel uneasy. She certainly felt tense knowing that he was naked, but she chose not to show it. Without meeting his eyes, she said, "Nice gun ivory and gold handle. Hmm, England-made by WevleyFosbery." She whistled through her teeth as if impressed, then spun the cylinder. "Smooth. Certainly not a gun of the line." She ran her finger down the polished barrel. "A specially made instrument of death."

  "It was my grandfather's."

  She met his gaze. Again she spun the cylinder. "I never did understand why a man would carry such an ornate weapon. Of course, myself, I prefer a rifle. I can shoot a silver dollar out of the air before it hits the ground did you know that?"

  He was growing fatigued. His legs and arms ached from the constant paddling against the current. "If you'll turn your head so I can come out and get dressed, we'll discuss my gun and your marksmanship at length."

  She slowly shook her head. "I like it this way." She leveled his gun at him. "Good balance. Most definitely a gentleman's weapon." She pulled the trigger and it clicked on an empty chamber.

  Noble didn't blink. In fact, he stared boldly back at her without showing any emotion or any sign of fear when she cocked the hammer and pressed the trigger once more. Again it clicked on an empty chamber, and she pressed the trigger again and again, until the cylinder had advanced six times.

  She opened her other hand, displaying the bullets she'd removed earlier. "You are trusting. You couldn't have known I unloaded the gun. I'll say this for you you've got grit."

  While his tone was cool, his voice was somewhat breathless because of his constant paddling. "Rachel, you're the damnedest woman I've ever met."

  She arched an inquiring eyebrow at him. "How did you know I wouldn't shoot you?"

  "I reasoned that you wouldn't kill me while I'm undressed." Humor crept into his voice. "How would you ever explain my naked body to the voters who are considering your brother-in-law for governor?"

  Rachel slowly, deliberately, loaded the gun and turned her attention back to Noble. "You place your faith in such a thin hope." She pulled back the trigger. "It's loaded this time. And I don't give a damn if my brother-in-law ever becomes governor of Texas."

  Noble merely stared back at her. He wondered how much longer he could keep his head above water. His arms and legs were throbb
ing and ach ing. "You're doing all the talking and you're holding the gun. Why don't you fire?"

  And she did. Rachel fired six times in succession, hitting a branch that was suspended just above his head.

  He didn't flinch.

  "I like a man who doesn't scare easily," she purred. Grudgingly, she felt respect for his steady nerve. Would such a man shoot someone in the back? she wondered. She nodded to herself this man would, and had.

  "I know your game now," he said laughingly, seemingly unruffled by her exhibition. "You intend to stay here until I am too tired to tread water, and then you'll watch me drown."

  "What an appealing notion." Rachel slipped his gun back into its leather holster. "How long do you think you could stay afloat before the current drags you under?"

  "To tell the truth, I'm getting tired already. I'm coming out."

  "I'm not leaving."

  "Suit yourself"

  She watched him swim toward shore, and despite her resolve to stay calm, she scampered to her feet and took several steps backward. "You wouldn't dare come out."

  Noble raised himself half out of the water. "Wouldn't I?"

  Rachel was momentarily mesmerized by the water that streaked down his shoulders to his waist. She noticed that the dark hair on his chest narrowed to a line that ran down his taut stomach in a vee. Although she was trembling inside, she refused to turn away. This time she would be in control she had to be.

  "Come out if you dare," she said with much more bravado than she felt.

  Noble paused with his hands on the bank. "I have a better idea. Why don't you come in?"

  The word never was forming on her lips, but she quickly reconsidered. If she was going to defeat Noble, she must control her emotions, at least make him think she was in control. "Why not?" She wanted to run away, but she planted her booted foot against the ground. With shaking hands, she pulled her shirt free of her trousers and lifted it over her head, hoping that she would find the courage to meet his challenge.

  Noble eased himself back into the water. "Rachel, don't do this. The game is over. Go home."

  Rachel stood before him, naked to the waist, her gaze fixed just above his head, not quite meeting his eyes.

  Noble seemed to have no control over himself. His gaze left her face and fell to her creamy breasts. He sucked in his breath at the rosy circles surrounding her nipples. His hand fisted, and he could almost feel her creamy skin beneath his exploring fingers. He wanted to touch her so badly, and he hated himself for wanting her. A part of him didn't want to admit that she was grown up, while another part of him delighted in her womanhood. He wanted to scold her, to order her to put her shirt back on he wanted her to leave so he could catch his breath.

  But most of all, he wanted to clasp her in his arms and press her against him until his body stopped trembling.

  Heat spiraled through Rachel's body as Noble stared at her with a pained expression. Then his expression changed, and his dark eyes burned into hers. She watched him turn away and she could almost read his mind. He was troubled because she was a woman and not the young girl he'd once known. She heard him exhale abruptly.

  "The game's over, Rachel." His voice was gruff, with an edge to it. "You've won today."

  As Noble turned away, she gazed at his profile, which appeared to be carved of stone. The muscles in his neck were taut because of the tight control he kept over his emotions. She smiled, enjoying his discomfort. It gave her the courage to continue with the charade. "But you invited me to swim with you," she persisted, amazed by her own boldness. "Have you changed your mind, Noble?"

  He still wouldn't look at her. "Let's just say this river isn't big enough for the two of us. Go home."

  She merely tossed her head, acting on a daringness she was far from feeling. She summoned all her courage as she unbuttoned her trousers and pushed them over her shapely hips. "It's a hot day. I'd enjoy a swim."

  Noble's reluctant, hot gaze fastened on her breasts, moving to her narrow waist to the redgold hair nestled between her long, shapely legs. She was the most beautiful creature he'd ever seen. But one thought kept pounding in his headthis wasn't right! She was his Green Eyes.

  Rachel felt his gaze on her, and had the sensation that he'd actually touched her. She went as far as to reach for her shirt to cover her nakedness, paused, and then forced a smile to her lips.

  "Make room. I'm coming in."

  Noble wanted to look away, but he couldn't. He tried to separate the child she'd once been from the daring beauty who stood before him now. Seeing the blush on her cheeks, he knew she was an innocent, and pure, and completely unnerved by her own nudity. His lashes swept over his eyes but he could see her in his mind, beautiful and naked.

  "You don't have to do this, Rachel. It won't prove a thing, and it might complicate matters between us even more."

  He opened his eyes and watched as she poised her body in a graceful arch and plunged into the river, surfacing within inches of him. Water beaded on the tips of her eyelashes and slid down her cheeks. He was relieved that only her bare shoulders were visible above the waterline.

  "All right, Rachel, you've shown me that you are a woman grown. And I will admit that your body is magnificent. I'll just swim downstream now so you can get out and put on your clothing."

  She felt perplexed by his sudden detachment. Now that most of her nakedness was covered by water, he was the one in control. She had been so certain he'd found her desirable. If only she were more experienced. Her feminine instincts triumphed and she dipped her head backward, wetting her hair so it would stay out of her face.

  "Isn't it too late for modesty? You have already seen me the way God created me. And I might remind you that this fork of the Brazos River belongs to Broken Spur as much as it does to Casa del Sol. I have as much right to be here as you do."

  He swam a safe distance away from her. "Have it your way, Rachel. But none of this is necessary."

  She lunged toward him, her naked body brushing deliberately against his side. She saw his dark eyes dilate, and delighted in the gasp that escaped his lips.

  "Don't, Rachel," he warned, swimming backward a few strokes in a desperate attempt to escape from her. He was confused by her actions, because the last time they'd met she had wanted to see him dead. He fought the urge to crush her in his arms. He must not think about smothering those sensuous lips beneath his. He doubted that she was aware of the consequences that might come from taunting him. There were already complications between the two of them he didn't need more.

  Rachel gleaned his thoughts. He was dismayed because of his desire for her. This knowledge made her grow even more bold; she would entice him with a promise of what he could never have and then swim away.

  "Do you want me, Noble?"

  He stared past her. "I once desired a whore in New Orleans, but I was able to resist her."

  She smiled, knowing that Noble was insulting her, hoping she would leave. "Are you afraid of me, Noble? I'm not holding a gun on you now."

  His voice deepened, his eyes fastened on her mouth as he stared at her with fervent intensity. "You are far more dangerous now than when you held the gun on me." He searched her eyes. "You have not been with a man, have you, Rachel?"

  She was beginning to enjoy herself because she was making him uncomfortable. "No. I haven't. Do you want to be the first?"

  He groaned. "Hell, yes. And therein lies the trouble, Rachel. You are the kind of girl who should save herself for her husband."

  She lunged forward, taking him by surprise. Their bodies came together, caressed by the soft water. A shock coiled through her, and she was momentarily stunned by the way his body welcomed hers. The hardness of his body held her as if she were bound to him.

  Noble could no longer resist her. His arms went around her and he drew her even closer.

  How foolish she'd been in thinking she could arouse his desire and swim away unaffected. A rush of feelings opened up inside her, and she was too unworldly to resist. He
r skin tingled and she wanted to draw even closer to the forbidden male hardness that pressed between her thighs. Breathless, she felt as if her body were on fire. The hair on Noble's chest tickled her breasts, and she could feel his every intake of breath. She felt the swollen heat against her grow harder, and her body became liquid every fiber of rationality unraveled all resistance gone.

  She was lost.

  Noble's iron control snapped and he was almost beyond reason. In a last attempt at rationality he groaned, "Rachel, you must go while you still can. You don't know what you're doing to me." But he did not push her away; he kept her pressed against him.

  "Yes, I do," she said, as her hand slid up his taut shoulder and rested there while she met his eyes. "I know exactly what I'm doing."

  He was like a man possessed. He could no longer control the rising tide of passion that ripped through his body it was too late to stop now and he knew it. He wanted to drive into her, deeper and deeper, losing himself in her sweetness. To find release within her for his tormented soul. Like a man dying of thirst in the desert, his mouth sought hers and her lips opened to him.

  Noble plunged his tongue deep, and Rachel thought she would faint from longing. She stiffened in surprise, then surrendered against him with a groan. She slid her hands around his shoulders and up his neck, before sliding them through his wet, midnight hair, wanting him to go on kissing her and never stop.

  She was unaware that Noble had guided them to the shallows. His feet were now planted on solid limestone, but she was dangling in his embrace.

  Noble's voice was deep and husky with passion. "I knew you were going to be trouble the minute you came back into my life. I knew it, and I wanted it."

  She threw back her head when he lifted her up, his hand sliding sensuously across her breast. He lifted her higher, and his mouth closed over a nipple, which hardened against his tongue.