Texas Proud (Vincente 2)

by Constance O'Banyon

  "No." She lowered her gaze because she could no longer look into his eyes, thinking how unbelievable her account sounded. "Someone locked the barn from the outside and set it on fire."

  She could feel his chest expand when he took a deep breath. "Who was home at the time?"

  "If you're thinking any of my men set fire to the barn, you're wrong. They had driven my herd to Tascosa Springs." She stared at her hands and trembled at the memory of that day in the barn. "I was fortunate that Winna Mae saw the smoke. And luckily, all the animals were saved. I was worried about Faro, but she's fine."

  Noble knew that Rachel was not a woman given to exaggeration if anything, she'd smoothed over the truth. If she said she'd been deliberately locked in, then that was exactly what had happened. "What other disasters have befallen you, Rachel?"

  "I..." Her eyes grew frightened. "I found a diamondback coiled on my bed. When I discovered the hideous thing, it was right at my hand."

  His arms tightened about her as if he could hold her fear at bay. "Your bedroom is on the second floor, isn't it?"

  "Yes."

  "I see."

  She thought about the night Whit came into her room and tried to force himself on her. That incident she would never tell Noble. She stole a peek at him, and he was staring at the flickering flames that danced in the hearth. Did he think she was just a hysterical woman who saw trouble where there was none?

  Noble already knew about the snake; Zeb had told him. But it was best to keep this knowledge to himself. Someone wanted Rachel dead but who? His mind went back to the day she'd been shot. He'd always supposed the bullet had been meant for him. Now he wasn't so sure.

  "Rachel, if you had an enemy, who would it be?"

  "You."

  His gaze dipped to her face. "I don't think you believe that."

  Her lashes swept across her eyes as shame tinged her cheeks. All he had ever tried to do was to help her. "No. I don't think you would harm me. But I don't need your help, Noble."

  He laughed and stood up to carry her to the bed, where he deposited her beneath the blanket. "Lord knows, you aren't doing very well on your own, Rachel. As I told you before, someone has to look after you."

  She leaned on her elbow and gave him an impassioned glance. "And you think you are that someone?"

  He watched her for so long and with such a soul-stirring expression that she wondered what thoughts were hidden behind those dark eyes.

  "If not me, then who, Rachel?"

  "You paid the taxes on the Broken Spur, didn't you?

  "Why would I do that?"

  She got to her knees, her glorious red hair swirling out about her. "Dammit, Noble stop answering my questions with questions! Did you or didn't you pay the taxes on the Broken Spur?"

  He turned away and moved back to the warmth of the fireplace. "If I did, Rachel, we could call it a loan if it will make you feel better."

  She slid out of bed and went to him. "I could never repay that kind of money." Her breasts rose and fell with each breath. "Did it ever occur to you that I don't want your help?"

  "It occurred to me."

  She felt suddenly dizzy and the room began to spin, so she reached out to steady herself against his arm. "Noble, who gave you the right to interfere in my life?"

  He saw her turn pale, and in a move that surprised her, he lifted her in his arms and carried her back to the bed. "What's wrong, Rachel?" he asked gently, going down on his knees beside her. "Are you in pain?"

  She pressed her hand over her eyes and licked her lips, while clutching the blanket so tightly in her fists that her knuckles whitened. "No. No pain. I... feel dizzy," she admitted.

  His arm slid across her shoulder. "Why do you think you have to fight the whole world alone, Rachel? You are just one small woman. Let me take care of you."

  She nodded. "You can start by lying beside me to make the room stop spinning."

  He laughed and eased his weight down beside her, pulling her body against his. "Never was I issued an order so easy to carry out."

  Although the blanket was between them, she could still feel the heat of his body. It didn't matter. She felt safe, and the room had almost stopped spinning now. She closed her eyes, her head falling against his shoulder.

  "Sleep, Green Eyes. I'll battle all your demons for you."

  She snuggled against him and closed her eyes, feeling safe and oh, so weary.

  Rachel awoke quickly, sat up and listened, her heart beating with fear. The wind howled and she could hear sleet hitting the window. The cabin was completely dark now and she felt her fear intensify.

  "Noble!" she cried, reaching into the dark void. "Where are you?"

  A firm hand took hers. "I'm here, Rachel. I just went outside to get more wood. Wait until I build a fire and I'll be with you."

  His hand slid away from hers and he disappeared into the darkness. She could hear him laying the wood, and she held her breath until she saw a small flame ignite.

  Noble was nothing more than a shadow that re flected bigger than life on the cabin wall. "There," he said at last, when he was satisfied that the fire would take hold. "The cabin should be warm before long." He moved back to her. "I fell asleep and allowed the fire to go out," he told her. "Are you all right?"

  She saw him shiver, and realized he was cold. "You must be so tired, Noble. Come under the covers with me," she said, not thinking past giving him some of her warmth. After all, he had seen to her comfort, without any thought for his own.

  He stepped back. "I don't know if that's a good idea."

  The room was now softly illuminated by the flickering flames. "Don't be silly. You'll catch your death, if you don't get warm. Besides, it makes sense that we share the bed. You can't very well sit up all night."

  He looked hesitant, then sat down on the edge of the bed and removed his boots.

  "Just the boots," she said quickly. "You must sleep in your clothing."

  He said nothing as he slid under the covers with her, but Rachel noticed that he kept to the edge of the bed. Even so, the mattress was small, and he was a tall man, so he couldn't avoid body contact with her.

  "You have taken care of me, Noble. Move over by me and let me get you warm. We're both grown people."

  He drew in his breath. "That would be the problem, wouldn't it?"

  She laughed softly. "Are you afraid of little of me?"

  Without hesitation he said, "Terrified."

  Noble finally moved closer, she suspected to keep from falling off the bed. Rachel slid her arm around him, lending him her warmth.

  "Are you really afraid of me, Noble?"

  "I am. Did I not hear you say that you can shoot a silver dollar out of the air before it hits the ground?" he said, repeating the words she'd uttered that day at the Brazos when she'd pointed his own gun at him.

  He turned to face her and found her smiling.

  "I was awful that day, wasn't I, Noble?"

  "You scared the hell out of me."

  "You didn't seem to be afraid."

  He chuckled. "For that matter, you scared the hell out of Harvey and his friends in Tascosa Springs that day you held your rifle on them."

  "Go to sleep, Noble. Ill battle all your demons for you," she said, throwing his words back at him.

  Noble watched the way the firelight played across her flaming hair. "There is no woman to match you, Rachel Rutledge. My life was so uncomplicated when I had only the Yankees to fight. Then I came home and met with a much superior force."

  "Little of me?"

  "Uh-huh."

  "Good night, Noble."

  Even though they were both dressed, he could feel her soft body against his. "How can I sleep when..." He moved away from her just a bit.

  He could feel her body shaking and he realized that she was laughing.

  "Good night, Green Eyes."

  Rachel awoke sometime later to find that the logs had burned low. She felt Noble beside her, his arm resting around her waist. The clouds had
drifted away and bright moonlight streamed through the window, while the persistent wind howled outside the cabin and the branch of a tree scraped against the roof.

  Glancing down at Noble, she saw that he slept. The moonlight fell upon him and she could see the tired lines etched on his face. Her heart swelled with love for him. Once again he had saved her life. He could so easily have been lost in the blizzard himself. But that hadn't kept him from searching for her.

  She wanted to touch his face, to kiss those lips, to - What was she doing? Suddenly she knew she had to put some distance between them. She didn't like the way her mind was beginning to work.

  She shook him gently. "Wake up, Noble. The fire's about to go out again."

  He stirred and opened those wonderful dark eyes, staring at her for a long moment. Then a slow smile touched his mouth and he pulled her closer to him. "Who needs a fire when they have you?

  "If you don't lay more wood on the fire, we'll both freeze to death. I don't want your death to be on my conscience," she said bitingly to cover up her true feelings.

  His laughter filled the cabin. "You have enough fire in those green eyes to keep this cabin warm from now on."

  "Are you going to stoke the fire or not?" she asked, pressing her back to the wall to avoid contact with him. Now she was sony she'd asked him to share the bed with her.

  "Let the fire go out, Rachel. We can keep each other warm with our bodies."

  She knew he was teasing her again. "You have all the heat you are going to get from me. I suggest you put more logs on the fire."

  "There are no more logs unless I chop some, and it's too dark to go outside." He raised her face to him. "Rachel, have no fear that I'm going to ravish you. Do you trust me?"

  She trusted him, but could she trust her own wayward heart, her own passionate longing that plagued her whenever he was near? She nodded, though she still kept her back pressed against the wall.

  With a weary sigh, he turned his back to her, and before long she could hear steady breathing that told her he was asleep. Slowly she reached out and laid her hand against his back and allowed it to move up to his shoulder. This moment belonged to her, and she might never be this near to him again. She dared to move closer to fit her body against his, and the now familiar burning started in the pit of her stomach. She ached for what they had shared together by the river.

  Tensely, almost shyly, she moved her head so her face lay against his back. She planted a small kiss there-he would never know.

  Suddenly he turned over and gripped her chin in a painful clasp. "If you continue to torment me, Rachel, I can't answer for the consequences."

  The tattered cloud moved away from the moon and the cabin was illuminated. Rachel and Noble stared at each other for a long, poignant moment.

  He sucked in his breath. "I said you could trust me, and I'll keep my promise." The words seemed to be torn from his throat. "You almost died out there, Rachel. What kind of beast do you think I am to take advantage of you now?"

  "I'm so frightened," she admitted.

  "Are you frightened of me?"

  "No. Of something-someone. I don't know."

  "With all you've had to face, you sure as hell don't need me complicating your life."

  "I want you to hold me, Noble." Her voice sounded like the cry of a lost child. "Please."

  In a sudden rush, the restraints he'd been exerting on his feelings snapped. With a strangled cry, he pulled her into his arms, his lips moving frantically across her face, kissing her eyelids, her cheek, then settling on her mouth in a kiss that stole her breath.

  "If only I could keep you like this for always and never allow anything to hurt or frighten you again." His arms cradled her gently, lovingly. "But you don't want anyone's help, do you?"

  Without answering, Rachel put her arms around his neck and pressed against him, wanting to feel him inside her, making her feel alive and reborn again.

  "Green Eyes"-he moaned-"why do you torture me so?"

  For her answer, she opened her lips to invite his kiss. His mouth was hot against hers and she welcomed his probing tongue. Her hands frantically unbuttoned his shirt, then moved over the dark hair on his chest.

  "I didn't want this to happen," he said, rolling her over. "I wanted to show you that I could be near you and not..." He pulled away. "I meant it when I said you could trust me." He turned away from her, and his feet hit the floor when her voice stopped him.

  "Make love to me, Noble," she said softly. "I want you to."

  He turned back to her; his hand moved from her shoulder to slide tenderly across her breasts, and she could feel him tremble.

  "Are you sure you want me, Rachel?"

  "Yes. I am sure."

  In a frenzy of passion, they both undressed, and soon their naked bodies were pressed together, fitting like a tight glove. Noble hardened and swelled against her, and Rachel thought she would faint from longing.

  He kissed and caressed her until she was shaking inside. In a bold move that surprised them both, she rolled on top of him, and eased herself down so he slid into her moistness.

  Noble threw his head back, closing his eyes and absorbing her in his mind as she absorbed him into her body. Her silkiness closed around him, and he tried to hold his leashed passion in check. Gripping her hips, he moved her up and down, drawing a trembling gasp from her.

  They were swept away on a tide of sweet breathlessness. He shifted their positions so he was on top, and plunged into her over and over.

  Rachel felt like a flower opening to a brilliant sun. For this moment he was hers. She was a part of him, and he was a part of her. No matter what happened afterward she would have this to remember. She arched her hips to meet his forward thrusts, biting her lip to keep from moaning.

  Again and again her body trembled with sweet eruption, and soon he joined her in climax.

  When their bodies cooled, their need to touch each other was still strong. She nestled in his arms while his hand rested against her stomach. She didn't want to move because it might break the enchantment that held them together. She wondered what he was thinking as his hand moved up to caress her breasts. She closed her eyes and sighed, wishing she could stay in his arms forever.

  Noble stroked her long hair, loving the feel of it sifting through his fingers.

  Her hand slid up his arm and their fingers laced together first one hand, and then the other.

  At last Noble said, "We are good together, Rachel."

  "You have had many women," she said, wishing she had not stated the obvious.

  "Not like this." He raised her chin and stared into her shimmering eyes. "I want you to understand me, Rachel. I have never felt like this with anyone else, and never will."

  She pressed her smooth cheek against his rough one. "And yet this is all we can ever have."

  "You said that before."

  "Fate was kind, giving us this unexpected time together."

  He couldn't find his voice for a moment. "Why, Rachel?"

  "The river between us is too wide."

  "You said that before, and yet you crossed that river."

  Her eyes became sad. "I came not for love, but to tell you to stop interfering in my life. I still feel that way. I suppose I always will."

  Noble pulled back and stared at her, his gaze touching every feature of her face. "If this is to be our last time together, give yourself to me once more." His voice held a tone of uncertainty. "Will you?"

  She moved forward and pressed her lips to his cheek in breathless anticipation. Could any woman resist Noble when he turned those dark eyes on her? She wasn't able to. The rush of tenderness Rachel felt for Noble came as no surprise to her. She offered him her lips, surrendering to him. For a moment Rachel felt like the helpless Samson being pulled toward quicksand. But what a glorious feeling.

  His mouth hovered only a breath away from hers. "I can't seem to get enough of you," he whispered against her lips. "I will always feel this way."

  She swe
pt her fingers through his midnight hair. "I know. I feel that way too."

  The urgency stirred within him, making him quake. "What have you done to me, Green Eyes?" His question needed no answer. Her softness beckoned him, and he sank into her. As ecstasy overtook them he closed his eyes and wondered if paradise felt anything like possessing Rachel.

  "I want you to become my wife," he said, as warmth spread through him.

  "I don't think so, Noble. I can never marry you."

  "If you speak of the river that separates us, we'll build a bridge across it."

  "No, not the river."

  "Delia."

  "Yes."

  He stared at her for a long moment, trying to decide how to answer her. "I assume you haven't spoken to your sister about us."

  "No. I can't seem to talk to her about you and me." She closed her eyes. "I don't really know why."

  Noble brushed a silken curl from her face. "You are afraid of what she will tell you." He placed his hands on each side of her face. "Look at me, Rachel. I never touched your sister. I've never had the desire to. Beyond that, you will have to decide if you believe me or your sister."

  "I can't. Don't ask me to choose. I'll have to choose my sister."

  He sat up and refused to look at her. "So that's your answer?"

  Rachel clamped her hands over her ears. "Don't do this to me, Noble."

  "I'm not doing anything to you. I offered to marry you. I've never asked another woman to be my wife."

  "You feel honor-bound to marry me," she admonished, watching his face carefully. "Well, my answer is no. What happened between us was my fault, and you know it. I absolve you of any blame."

  He shrugged, knowing anything he said at the moment would be misunderstood. "Here's something you need to think about, Rachel. Sooner or later you are going to have to decide if Delia is telling the truth or if I am." His dark gaze hard ened. "Just make certain you choose the right one.

  He slid out of bed and quickly dressed. After he'd slipped into his boots, he stood over her. "I can either take you home now, or I'll go to the Broken Spur and get Zeb or Tanner to come for you. If you ride with me, it'll have to be double. Which do you prefer?"

  "Zeb."