by Conn, Phoebe
Eheasant her way. "Good. When you finish eating your reakfast, prepare the bird while I gather the wood to roast it."
The sunshine bathed the clearing in a charming golden glow, but Erica saw only the neat hole Viper's arrow had drilled through the pheasant's breast, ana feeling chilled clear through, rubbed her arms briskly.
"Are you cold?" Viper thought it unlikely, since the day was a warm one, but he knew she was far more delicate than he and undoubtedly more sensitive to both heat and cold. He had no shirt, but since he seldom wore one in summer, he did not miss it.
Erica shook her head, then brushed her still dripping curls off her shoulders as she thought of a fact she was certain he had not considered. "My father is a wealthy man. You would be wise to ask for a ransom for me and find yourself an Indian girl to do your chores."
Clearly the defiant blonde still thought herself too good for him, and Viper rebelled instantly at that insult. His expression grew stem, and his gaze turned cold as he replied, "It is not money I want, nor another woman. You are the only prize I am after."
"Prize?" Erica asked incredulously, not about to be considered part of the spoils of the uprising. "The Sioux may have won a battle or two. Viper, but the army will soon send soldiers from Fort Snelling to defeat you rogues soundly, and then you'll suffer for kidnapping me."
"Your words are very brave this morning," Viper replied with an arrogant sneer. "But do you really thmk the army has enough soldiers to send some to look for you?"
"YesI" Erica responded without a moment's hesitation, her deep blue eyes blazing with indignation. "They will
chop down all the trees in this forest if they must, but they will find every single captive the Sioux have taken."
Having no wish to argue what he considered a ridiculous point, Viper drew his knife and handed it to her handle first. "Take the bird to the stream and clean it there. I will build a fire."
Astonished that he would trust her with a weapon. Erica stared at him wide-eyed. The young man had superb coordination. All his actions were characterized by a fluid grace. Could she move fast enough to plunge the blade between his ribs before he could block the blow?
Viper saw that murderous thought cross Erica's mind as a frown furrowed her brow. "I would break your wrist before that blade touched my skin. Do not take that risk. Not ever," he warned sternly. He rose to his feet, and turning his back on her, walked out of the clearing to begin fetching wood.
"You arrogant bastardl" the irate blonde muttered under her breath. Her appetite suddenly gone, she scattered the remaining berries with a broad sweep of her hand. She then picked up the pheasant and rose gracefully to her feet as though she were holding a bouquet of flowers rather than a dead bird. She was certain Viper was only trying to fool her by bragging that he prized her more highly than a handsome ransom, and she vowed to bring up the subject as often as necessary to convince him to think otherwise and set her free.
Vip>er was pleased to see Erica's health greatly improved after a night's rest, but he was still angry that she did not appreciate the reasons he had taken her away from New Ulm before it had become overrun by Sioux warriors. He had spared her the sight of much death and suffering. He had also saved her the humiliation of being tadcen captive. Why had that consideration not impressed her?
She had said her father had money. From what he had seen of her clothes he believed she was speaking the truth. Porhaps in her home servants saw to her every need. She had not refused to clean the bird, though, and that was to her credit. Still, her surly mood was making things far more difficult than he had expected. For the hunckedth time Viper cursed his own ignorance where women were concerned, but he doubted experience with any other women, Indian or white, could ever have prepared him to
deal with Erica.
The Indian's scowl did not lift as he built a fire. As he had told her, Sioux maidens were raised to be modest, and when they became wives they served their husband's every need graciously. What sort of wife had he exp>ected Erica to make? Had the memory of the luscious taste of her kisses and the charms of her graceful body clouded his mind so greatly that he had not considered the differences between mem to be any greater than those between any man and woman?
When Erica returned with the pheasant. Viper had buried the ends of two sturdy branches on opposite sides of the fire to hold a third branch he meant to suspend between them as a spit. He offered no criticism nor praise for the way she had dressed the pheasant, but simply threaded it upon the spit and placed it over the fire to roast. "My knife," he stated then, his softly spoken words a demand for the weapon's return.
Wary of him. Erica gripp>ed the knife tightly, reluctant to surrender it. She knew damn little about the Indian, except for the fact that he was clearly strong enough to force himself upon her whenever he chose. Did he plan to wait until he had a full stomach to do so?
Viper turned to face Erica, his light eyes filled with a smoky haze that mirrored her confusion. "I will loan you the knife whenever you have need of it, but it is mine." He held out his hand, confident that if she tried to plunge the blade through his palm, his reflexes were sufficiently quick to spare him that injury.
Erica saw not only Viper's disappointment that she had not returned the knife without his having to ask for it, she also felt the heady current of tension that had, on all but a few brief instances, always flowed between them. She felt as though they were at opposite ends of an invisible cord stretched nearly to the breaking point. He was the most fascinating individual she had ever met. He was a handsome man, yet undoubtedly capable of the most hideous sort of violence. His name fit him well, she finally realized. He was as hypnotically compelling as a viper and twice as deadly, and she was his prisoner. With a thoroughly disgusted glance, she placed the knife across his outstretched palm and turned away.
Viper slid the razor-sharp weapon into the beaded
sheath at his beh, not understanding why he felt as though he had just lost an argument when clearly he had won. He was too hungry to dwell on the willful blonde's belligerent attitude, however. The pheasant cooked quickly, and he hoped she would enjoy it as greatly as he was certain he would. Since he knew food would improve his mood, he hoped it would also better hers.
When Viper carried the pheasant over to where she sat to carve it. Erica found it impossible to ignore the flavorful essence borne upon the steam that escaped the crisply browned bird. Her mind insisted stubbornly that she shouldn't eat a scrap of food he provided, but her body swiftly betrayed her and her mouth watered hungrily. Since they had no dishes of any kind, he laid the bird upon the grass and quartered it neatly. Erica managed to hold her tongue until she had taken several bites of the succulent breast he had handed her, but then she could no longer keep still.
"This is delicious, but we cannot live here in the forest like—" she was about to say gypsies when she realized he would probably not know what they were, but before she could think of a suitable substitute, he supplied an appropriate word.
"Indians?" he inquired with a sly chuckle, which grew swiftly into outright laughter, he was so deeply amused by her comment.
"What do you find so funny?" Erica took another bite, still too hun£;ry to throw the half-eaten breast into his face, which was what she felt he deserved. "You can't expect me CO live like this," she scoffed, her anger at his mocking laughter making her bold. "My dress is filthy. I had to sleep on the ground. I would rather have stayed in New Ulm and taken my chances with the others. You have done me no favors by bringing me here!"
Viper did not reply until he had finished the first piece of pheasant and laid the bones aside. "Wash your dress in the stream, and I will cut some branches to make you a bed. I am not used to having a wife. If there is something you need, all you need do is tell me."
"I am not your wifel" The absurdity of their situation proved too much for Erica, and she reached for a plump leg, wrenched it from the pheasant's carcass, and went to sit on the opposite side of the clearing
to eat it by herself.
Not about to allow her to turn her back on him again. Viper picked up what was left of the bird and rejoined her. "The forest will provide for all our needs. When winter comes I will build you a house."
That the man would make such an outlandish promise infuriated Erica all the more. "I want to go back to New Ulm. I will see you receive a generous reward for taking me back. I promise I will."
The young woman was impossibly stubborn, in Viper's view. "I brought you here so you would be safe. I have no more need for reward now than I did when I found your letter."
He had received a reward, though, Erica recalled with chagrin. He had claimed a kiss, a long, slow, and delicious kiss. Feeling very uncomfortable with him seated so near that his bare shoulder brushed hers each time he took a bite, she finished the last bit of meat on the leg she'd taken and laid the bones aside. As she wiped her fingers on the grass to clean her hands she thought that it had been the most delicious pheasant she had ever tasted, but the meal, while most welcome, had not changed her feelings about going her own way. "I must go back to New Ulm, Viper. I simpJIy must."
Viper's gray eyes narrowed slightly as he shot her a menacing glance. "What if your white lover does not want you now that you have been with me?"
"But I have not been with you!" Erica protested angrily, but she looked away quickly as she realized how swiftly he could make his statement true. "Mark would love me still," she insisted in a hoarse whisper, more to reassure herself than to convince him. Dear God in heaven, she thought. What would Mark say when he found out she had been kidnapped by an Indian brave? He would be horrified, of course. But would his opinion change if he discovered she had known the man, met him in the woods on more than one occasion, and even kissed him? Would he blame her then for having thoughtlessly encouraged the attentions of the savage who had abducted her? She could scarcely draw a breath she was so frightened at the realization that she would have no way to counter such a damaging accusation. What decent man would want a wife who chased an Indian through the woods until he caught her?
Mark prided himself upon being a gentleman. He would stand by her no matter what ghastly thing happened to her. Erica knew he would consider such loyalty his duty. She also knew her flirtation with Viper and its disastrous results would cause him a great deal of anguish. He would blame not only Viper, but her, as well. Perhaps the savage was ri^ht and her fate was already sealed. She had sf)ent the night with an Indian, and who would ever believe she had not been raped, even if she denied it vehemently? She would never be believed, even if she had a doctor's word she was a vir^n still. She hugged her knees tightly as her eyes filled with tears that swiftly spilled down her cheeks. Viper was right. Her reputation was already ruined beyond repair. She had h^un the damage herself when she had made the mistake of watching him bathe in the river rather than fleeing before he had seen her. She had caused her own downfall, and now she somehow would have to find the courage to survive the humiliation that would surely follow.
Viper stared at the slender blonde, astonished by her sudden flood of tears. He had meant to curb her defiance with his question, but not so totally as this. It disgusted him to think she considered being with him so degrading that she was reduced to tears. "Go and wash your dress while there is still enough sun to dry it," he ordered gruffly. Not wanting to attract scavengers to their camp, he gathered up the scraps and bones left from their meal and rose to his feet. "Well, go on, hurry."
Erica was immensely relieved that he had not been waiting for a full stomach to ravish her, but that was scant consolation in her mood. Viper's long ebony hair caught the sunlight as he walked away, and she wondered how he planned to occupy himself while she did her laundry. He was not the type to hide in the bushes and spy upon her, but she was certain he would cut enough branches to create a bed before she could wash and dry her garments. Since he was right about the need for haste, she brushed away the last of her tears and hurried to the stream, again glancing back over her shoulder frequently to make certain she had not been followed.
The water was not deep enough for true bathing, but once she had removed her shoes, dress, stockings, and slip. Erica decided the only way she could also launder
her chemise and pantaloons was to wade out into the stream while still wearing them. She splashed about, scooping up the sparkling, clear water and rinsing her lingerie as oest she could before attempting to wash her other things. After searching her jxjckets, she put the carving of the cougar Gunter had made for her, along with Viper's claw, into her shoes. She prayed her cousin was still safe in the same breath that she cursed her own folly in keep:(ng the claw, which had brought her nothing but the worst of luck, despite what its owner had promised. With that bitter thought in mind, she scrubbed her things with a vengeance, then laid the wet garments on top of the nearby bushes to dry. Feeling tired, although she had done little that day, she chose the boulder beside the stream most comfortably cushioned with moss and sat down to dangle her feet in the water.
Viper had given her a great deal to consider, but despite the met that she could not predict how she would be received, and feared it would be with contempt, she still wanted to go home. How the Indian could have imagined she would agree to become his wife when she had told him good-bye so emphatically, she could not imagine. Now it seemed impossible to refuse his offer in terms he would not regard as insulting, and she knew insulting a man as proud as Vijjer was a mistake to be avoided at allcosts. Her offer of a ransom had been a sincere one, but even if he continued to refuse money, wasn't it possible there was something else that might tempt him more?
Viper buried the bones some distance from the clearing, then cut enough small branches to form a comfortable mattress for their blanket. He stretched out upon it and propped his hands behind his head. Finding the makeshift bed to his liking, he hoped his companion would approve, since he intended to have her share it. The afternoon was warm, and he dozed off, then awoke abruptly, uncertain how long he had napped. When he saw Erica had not returned to the clearing, he rushed down to the stream to look for her.
Erica was still seated upon the moss-covered boulder, dressed only in her lace-trimmed lingerie. She sat with her arms wrapped around her right leg, her chin resting upon her knee. The sun's rays were filtered through the leaves overhead, imparting a romantic glow to her long, fair
curls and peach-toned skin. Viper found her beauty a dehght to behold and hesitated to disturb her. He waited a moment, expecting her to look up and see him, but her attention was focused upon the oancing waters rushing across her kft foot and she did not notice him for several minutes.
It was the call of a bird that finally caught Erica's attention, but as she glanced overhead her eyes met Viper's and held. The setting was nearly identical to the one in which they had first met, but it was not anger that she saw reflected in his expression this time, but the unmistakable hunger of desire. Knowing if she rose to her feet she would only present him with a better view of her scantily clad figure, she did not stir. She lifted her chin as though she had every right to sit in the sun in her lingerie while the rest of her clothing dried.
Viper went to the bushes where her dress and slips lay and turned them over to place the damp side toward the sun. Her stockings were already dry, and he ran his fingertips over the silk, recalling fondly how the filmy fabric had felt on her legs. When that sensation brought a longing he was not ready to express, he moved to Erica's side, leaned back against the boulder upon which she sat, and folded his arms across his chest. "I will get you a buckskin dress. Then you will not have to do so much laundry," he offered considerately.
"I prefer to wear my own clothes, thank you," Erica insisted. He was again standing so close that their shoulders were touching, but she could not move over without toppling into the stream. His deeply bronzed skin was far warmer than hers, and she could not help but recall how smooth it had felt beneath her fingertips. That her captor was attractive was irrelevant, she told hers
elf; all that mattered was that she convince him to set her free. "If it is not money that you want, then my father will provide whatever it is that you would like for my ransom."
"Unless you have a twin sister, he has nothing I want," Viper countered slyly.
That reply was stated in so taunting yet so emphatic a tone that Erica fell silent. Even when he rested quietly, the man's strength was a physical force she could not ignore. He had every advantage, while she had none, she thoaight dejectedly. As her eyes followed the winding stream, she
suddenly realized it must flow into the Minnesota River. She could follow the stream's path to the river, then follow the river upstream until she came to New Ulml She wasn't lost after alll Now she was sorry she had not put the afternoon to better use and tried to escape him. That was a foolish mistake she would not repeat. The next time he left her alone she would leave him. He appeared so comfortable lounging by her side that she knew such an opportunity would not present itself again that day. As the sun began to dip behind the trees she shivered, fearful of what the night would bring.
Viper could also feel the tension that existed between them, but whether it reflected hatred on her part, rather than desire, he didn't know. He wanted her to again want him as her wanton kisses had once told him she had. That everything had changed between them both confused and depressed him. "You were not afraid of me before. You have no reason to fear me now, Erica," he said.
"No reason?" Erica could not believe he had said that. She opened her mouth to point out how wrong he was in that statement, but then remembered her decision not to deliberately anger him and took a more moderate tone. "My uncle told me how unfairly the Sioux have been treated by the government. But just because the money and food you were owed were late was no reason to start slaughtering settlers when we have done nothing to harm you.^'