The Mercenary And The Marriage Vow

by Doreen Roberts

  She started walking, not too steadily, into the inky blackness that lay ahead. Keeping her eyes on the narrow white strip to guide her, she concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other. She was dying of thirst. She kept imagining tall frothy glasses of soda, or huge carafes filled with sparkling spring water.

  Her mouth felt so dry she could barely move her tongue. With every step she took she felt as if her feet were sinking into a marshy bog, instead of the hard surface of the road. The heat of the day had vanished, leaving a biting chill behind. She shivered violently as she trudged along, making it even more difficult to stay on her feet.

  When she heard the purr of a car engine behind her, she didn’t even bother to turn around. She didn’t have the energy left.

  She wasn’t really surprised when Nat’s voice asked pleasantly, “Enjoying your walk?”

  She stopped dead, watching the road sway back and forth in front of her. Even if she’d had the strength left to run, there was nowhere to go: She lifted her face to the sky, and watched the carpet of stars tilt crazily, then sweep toward her in a brilliant flash of color.

  Nat swore as Valeri collapsed in a heap on the road. He’d read her wrong. He’d figured on her doubling back up the mountain. Actually he’d figured on her staying in the car. He wouldn’t make that mistake again.

  Worried now that he had a sick woman on his hands, he scrambled out of the car and bent over her. Her pulse was erratic, but strong. Her skin felt cool, though a faint sheen of perspiration covered her face. She must be exhausted. Probably dehydrated. He had to get her back to the motel and get some liquids into her.

  She was like a fragile bird in his arms. Her perfume reminded him of orange blossoms, tangy and exotic. Her head lay back against his arm, exposing the long line of her throat. Mad as he was at her, he wanted to bury his lips in the soft hollow beneath it.

  There was no way to ignore it any longer. He wanted her in the worst way. He had ever since he first set eyes on her in that hospital bed, her enticing body naked except for a flimsy gown that left little to the imagination. He’d wanted to crawl in there with her, and make love to her until she begged him to stop.

  He wanted to saturate himself in her warmth and sensuality, take what she had to offer and give back every atom of his roaring passion until he had finally eased the tormenting ache in his loins.

  What the hell was she doing to him? How could he let her get under his skin like this? The chances were good that she was married, and worse, had abandoned her kids—something he could never forgive.

  Yet he couldn’t seem to get her out of his mind. She was driving him crazy, and the longer she was with him, the worse it was likely to get. How did a woman like this get mixed up with someone like Ahmed Sabhad? Nat shook his head. How the hell had he managed to get himself mixed up in this?

  Now, more than ever, he wanted to get to the bottom of this crooked deal. But first he had to get her back to the motel where she could rest. Gently, he laid her down on the back seat, then headed back down the road, trying to forget how the feel of Valeri Richmond in his arms drove him wild.

  When Valeri opened her eyes, it took her a moment to realize where she was. She’d expected to wake up in her bedroom, not this drab, faded motel room in the middle of nowhere.

  Everything came back in a rush. She’d run away from Nathan Thorne and he’d caught up with her. She’d more or less expected it. Her attempt had been more bravado than anything. If she were honest she’d admit she was actually rather glad to see him. Better him than Ahmed’s thugs.

  At least she was reasonably comfortable now. She was lying on a double bed in the middle of the room, snuggled under a comforter. Her face flamed when she realized she was wearing only a bra and panties. Her entire body reached meltdown when she realized the person who’d removed her clothes must have been Nathan Thorne.

  The sound of a toilet flushing brought her head around. The door on her left opened, and a man’s figure appeared in the doorway.

  “So, you’re awake,” Nat drawled.

  She opened her mouth to speak, but could only manage a dry croak.

  “Wait, you need to drink before you try talking.” He moved over to a table, poured something into a glass clinking with ice, then handed it to her.

  She propped herself up on an elbow and almost snatched it from him. The soda burned her throat, but she didn’t stop drinking until it was all gone.

  Silently, she held the glass out to him.

  “More?”

  She nodded gratefully, and gulped another half a glass down before pausing to take a breath.

  “Feel better?”

  “A little.” She noticed her clothes lying on a chair next to the TV and snatched her gaze away.

  Nat, as usual, missed nothing. “Since that’s all you’ve got to wear, I figured you wouldn’t want to sleep in them.”

  Not knowing where to look, she said unsteadily, “I need to use the bathroom.”

  He waved his hand at the door. “Be my guest.”

  She measured the distance from the bed to the door. At least ten feet, possibly more.

  “I could carry you, if you wanted.”

  She sent him what she hoped was a look of pure contempt. “Thank you, I’ll manage.” She sat up, taking care to pull the comforter up with her.

  Nat leaned against the wall, watching her as if prepared to enjoy the show.

  She stared at him in disgust. “A gentleman would at least turn his back.”

  “Maybe. But then—I’m no gentleman.”

  Her heart began to pound. He had that hungry look in his eyes again. She was reminded, potently, of the fact that should he make a move, she’d be helpless to stop him. What really worried her, though, was the knowledge that deep down, a small part of her wouldn’t really want to stop him. And that was the part that shocked her more than anything else that had happened so far.

  Chapter 4

  Valeri jumped when Nat let out an exaggerated sigh and turned his back on her. “I don’t know what the hell you’re worrying about,” he muttered. “I’ve already seen what you’re showing, and it isn’t any more than I’ve seen a thousand times at the beach.”

  He was right, she thought as she slipped nervously and not too steadily out of the bed. But being half dressed and alone in a motel room with him was a whole different proposition than being one of many on a crowded beach.

  She made it to the bathroom and, with a sigh of relief, shut the door behind her. At least now she had a few seconds to collect herself and decide what to do next.

  Her body still ached, but the pounding in her head had stopped. If only she could get some food inside her, she thought as she watched warm water run over her hands, she’d feel a good deal better.

  She eyed the miniature shower stall tucked in the corn. That would help. After making quite sure the door was locked, she turned on the faucets and slipped out of her underwear.

  The water felt so good cascading over her body. She washed her hair with the little pouch of cheap but surprisingly fragrant shampoo she’d found, then scrubbed her body until her skin tingled.

  Now she was starving. The thought of a hamburger and a plate of hot fries made her feel faint. Rubbing herself dry with the rough towel provided, she wondered if Nat had already eaten. If so, she was in for a miserable night trying to sleep on an empty stomach.

  Her hands stilled as another thought occurred to her. There was only one bed. It didn’t seem feasible that Nat would leave her alone in the room. Not after she’d already tried to escape.

  That was a mistake. She should have played along with him, led him into a false sense of security. Then the minute he’d turned his back, she could have made a break for it.

  She wound a towel around her hair, and pulled a face at herself in the mirror. And go where? She’d already tried that once. They were miles from any kind of civilization.

  It looked as if she’d just have to tough it out for a while. until she could reme
mber where Alex was. Obviously, Nat knew more than he was telling her. He worked for Sabhad and must know something about what was going on. Yet, he’d helped her escape.

  Nothing made sense, and wouldn’t until Nat told her what he knew. So far, she hadn’t made much headway in that direction.

  Which brought her back to the subject of the bed. Something would have to be arranged, even if she ended up sleeping on the floor. Anything was preferable to spending the night sharing a bed with the devil.

  Reluctant to put her underwear back on, she washed her bra and panties in the sink, then hung them over the towel bar to dry. She was beginning to wish she’d thought twice about the shower. Now she had to get back to the bed dressed only in a towel.

  She wrapped it around her and tucked the ends in firmly before venturing to open the door. Through the narrow gap, she could see Nat pacing up and down in front of the window. Whatever was bothering him, it had to be painful to put that look of agony on his face.

  Taking a deep breath, she walked out of the bathroom. She saw Nat turn to look at her, raking his gaze over her body from head to toe. She felt hot and cold at the same time. She was actually responding to this obnoxious man. A kind of wild excitement seemed to be thrumming through her.

  It had to be lack of food, she told herself as she walked over to the bed, doing her best to appear indifferent. Either that, or she’d had some interesting experiences in the past six years that she’d forgotten about. Certainly Dan had never made her feel this way.

  Nat’s voice sounded unusually gruff when he spoke. “I take it you feel better.”

  “Much, thank you.” She’d allowed her voice to soften just a tad. If she was going to get the answers she needed from him, she would have to mellow out a little. After all, honey caught more flies than vinegar.

  “Good. Now I guess it’s my turn. But first—”

  Her entire body tensed when he reached for his belt. Her heart began thumping painfully against her ribs as she watched him flip open the buckle and draw the length of wide leather through the tags on his waistband.

  She’d underestimated him, after all. Prepared to fight for her life, she raised her chin and stared defiantly at him.

  He ran the belt slowly through his hands as he walked toward her, his gaze hot and intent on her face.

  She wanted to plead with him, beg him not to hurt her, but she couldn’t say a word. Somewhere deep inside her, something curled into a tight knot. In spite of the towel she felt naked, exposed and scared to death.

  “Get on the bed,” Nat ordered quietly.

  She clamped her lips together. No matter what he did to her, she wouldn’t yell. Something hot and liquid suddenly poured through her veins. Her throat felt tight, her heart hammered so badly she felt dizzy. She was going crazy. The thought of his hands on her sent sizzling streams of excitement all through her body. She had to be out of her mind.

  Very slowly, she sank onto the edge of the bed. She could see a pulse beating furiously just below his left ear. If only he’d say something, anything....

  “Hold out your hands.”

  Trembling, she did as he asked.

  “I’m sorry to have to do this,” Nat murmured thickly, as he wound the end of the belt around her wrists, “but you leave me no choice. I can’t take a chance on you making a break for it again, and I really don’t think you want to get in the shower with me.”

  Stunned, Valeri watched him loop the other end of the belt around the bed rail and fasten the buckle.

  “Not too tight?” He seemed to be having trouble looking at her.

  She shook her head, amazed at her sense of disappointment.

  “Did you leave me a towel in there?”

  She tried to speak, had to clear her throat, and tried again. “There were only two.”

  “Then I guess I’ll need one of yours.”

  Her heart seemed to give up the fight and stop beating. It started up again when he reached for the towel covering her hair and unwound it. “This will have to do, I guess.”

  “Sorry.”

  “Yeah. Me too. Believe me.” He dropped the towel on the floor. Before Valeri realized what he was doing, he tugged the shirt from his jeans and pulled it over his head.

  His body was tanned, smooth and sinewy. Dark hair sprinkled down his chest, stopping above his hard, flat stomach. Obviously Nathan Thorne believed in working out.

  Aware that she was staring, Valeri jerked her gaze to his face.

  He was watching her beneath hooded lids, his hands at the waistband of his jeans.

  For long seconds time stood still in that musty, stark motel room. It was as if she were communicating with him on a level she didn’t understand—mind meeting mind, will contesting will, need sensing need.

  Then, as if surfacing from a deep, deep lake, Nat shuddered and took a long breath. “I’ll be back,” he muttered, and reached for the towel before practically leaping for the bathroom door.

  Only then, after he’d disappeared from view, did she feel anger at the way he’d left her tied up to the bed like a dog. It certainly helped to dispel the erotic sensations she’d been experiencing.

  She tried twisting herself free, but only succeeded in tightening the straps that bound her. Nathan Thorne knew his job. Obviously he’d had plenty of experience.

  She relaxed against the bed rails, trying her best to figure him out. He’d lied about being her neighbor—that much he’d admitted. Apparently Sabhad had hired him to bring her back, telling him she was his wife. But why? The obvious conclusion was that it had something to do with Alex...though she couldn’t imagine why her father would have any dealings at all with a man like Sabhad.

  She closed her eyes and tried to concentrate. She could hear Alex’s voice on the phone, begging her to be careful. What had he said about Sylvan Springs? Campground. That was it. He’d mentioned a campground. It had to be somewhere in Sylvan Springs. Excited to have remembered something important, she frowned at her bound wrists. How was she going to get there?

  Her attention was caught by the sound of rushing water in the bathroom. Nat was taking his shower. She tried not to imagine him standing naked under the flow of water. But it was impossible to concentrate. Every time she tried, the image of him got in the way.

  If only she could tell if he was the enemy or a potential ally. If only she could trust him with what she knew so far. Maybe he would help her. After all, he hadn’t hurt her. He hadn’t touched her...and heaven knows he had had enough opportunity. He’d actually risked his life to save her from Sabhad’s men.

  On the other hand, here she was trussed up like a chicken because he didn’t trust her not to run away. In other words, she was technically his prisoner. He could decide at any time to take her back to Sabhad and hand her over.

  The big question here was, what did Sabhad want with her? Information? What did she know that Sabhad needed? Where did Alex fit in? Who was murdered, and by whom?

  The questions chased around and around in her head until a dull ache began behind her eyes. She was so hungry. If only she could eat she’d be able to think better.

  The water shut off in the bathroom, and gurgled down the drainhole. She heard a lot of splashing in the sink, then Nat emerged wearing only his jeans, his dark hair curling on his head.

  “Hungry?” He leaned down to pick up his shirt from the floor.

  “I was the last time you asked me—hours ago,” Valeri said pointedly.

  “Well, if you hadn’t run off into the desert, we could be eating by now.”

  “What would we be eating? I didn’t see a restaurant around here.”

  “We passed a hamburger joint on the way in. You were on the floor and didn’t see it.”

  “Hamburgers?” Her stomach growled in anticipation.

  “Yeah. I’ll go get us some. Shouldn’t take me longer than twenty minutes or so.”

  She tugged on the belt. “You’re not going to leave me here tied up, are you?”

  �
��Yep.”

  “I promise I won’t run.”

  “Like I’m going to believe you.”

  She lifted her chin. “I don’t break promises. Of course, you wouldn’t understand that, would you.”

  His eyebrows lowered. “I like you a lot better when you’re not snarling at me.”

  “You should have thought about that when you decided to kidnap me and put my life in danger.”

  He gave her a long look. “Take my word for it, had I known what I know now, I’d have stayed a hundred miles away from anywhere you were.”

  Her heart skipped a beat. “What do you know now? What does Sabhad want with me? What did he tell you?” She resisted the urge to ask about Alex. If her father was involved in this mess, the less she appeared to know, the better.

  Not that she was going to get anywhere. Nat wore that closed expression that told her he didn’t intend to answer any of her questions. He really could be infuriatingly stubborn.

  He turned to leave and had his hand on the door handle when she said plaintively, “My wrists are hurting.”

  With a quiet oath he came back to the bed and reached for her wrists. “If you’d quit wriggling around so much, this wouldn’t tighten up on you.” He loosened the strap and stood back. “Now just stay put until I get back. I’ll be bringing back a couple of hamburgers and a bag of fries. I’ll even throw in a milk shake. Now, isn’t that worth hanging around for?”

  She glared at him. “I’d rather have a soda.”

  “All right. I’ll bring you back a soda.” He leaned over and switched on the TV. “That should keep you entertained for a while.”

  “How do I switch channels?”

  He grinned, sending that annoying sizzle of response through her again. “Nice try, sweetheart. You don’t. I guess you have to take what you can get until I get back.”

  She had a strong urge to stick out her tongue at the door closing behind him. Deciding, however, that she might as well make the best of it until he got back with the food, she squirmed under the comforter and stretched out her legs in front of her.