Come Back

by Melissa Maygrove

  “Was,” Seth muttered. “You said he was your intended. Don’t you mean is?”

  Becca lowered her head with a sardonic smile only the ground saw. “Let me ask you something.” She faced him again. “What if the woman you planned to marry was left behind? What would you do?”

  His brow darkened. “I’d do whatever it took to find her.”

  Exactly.

  Her point made, Becca left for the cave.

  Seth rose and caught hold of her arm. He stepped in front of her and his gaze locked with hers—irises dark and turbulent. “He doesn’t deserve you.”

  Her grip on her emotions slipped with a sharp intake of breath.

  Seth slid his arm around her waist, drawing her flush against his large, taut frame as he cradled her jaw in his hand and tilted her face up to meet his. His breath feathered over her mouth, and his lips touched hers with a softness that surprised her. He lingered there, then slowly lifted his head.

  Becca stood speechless as his eyes searched hers. A flock of sparrows took flight from a nearby tree. The brisk beat of their wings matched the flutter of her heart.

  He’d given her a kiss. Her first kiss.

  A small crease appeared between Seth’s brows. He released her waist as the hand on her face fell away.

  A big brown nose came out of nowhere, bumping his shoulder and knocking him sideways. With an angry snort, Cyrus wedged himself between them and glared at his owner.

  Seth glared back. “What in the—”

  Cyrus snorted again and stomped his hoof.

  Becca patted her champion’s broad neck. “It’s okay, boy. He wasn’t trying to hurt me.” Cheeks heating, she eased around Cyrus, avoiding Seth’s gaze. “I’ll go start lunch.”

  Seth handed Rebecca his empty plate. “Thank you. Breakfast was very good.”

  Her smile did little to allay the uneasiness that both weighted and electrified the air. She hadn’t gone back to flinching when he entered a room, but renewed awkwardness marked every interaction they’d had since he kissed her in the field the day before.

  When he’d learned she was betrothed to someone on the train and the gutless fool hadn’t moved heaven and earth to retrieve her, he’d been so consumed with rage he was ready to track the cretin down and beat some honor into him. Worse, his insides twisted in knots at the thought of her with another man. As if he had any claim.

  Stupid. In a fit of jealousy and lust, he’d done something stupid. And crossing that line had set things back between Rebecca and him. Not only had he started something he had no hope to ever finish, she apparently didn’t appreciate his advance. She’d stared at him in shock and fled at the first opportunity. Even Cyrus knew he was out of line.

  From that moment on, he’d taken care to be as mannerly as possible and filled the uncomfortable silence by talking to her about returning with him to civilization. She listened, but she wasn’t saying much, leaving him to ponder the direction of her mind.

  “Rebecca?”

  She stopped picking at the food on her plate and looked up at him, warily.

  “Have you given any more thought to what I said yesterday?”

  She swallowed and set down her fork. “Yes. Some.”

  “And?” He tried not to sound as insistent as he felt.

  Her gaze wavered. “I’m not sure what you want me to say.”

  He rested his elbows on his knees and turned out his hands. “I want to you tell me where you want to go, and I want you to say you’ll come with me.”

  She stared at her plate and didn’t answer, but her posture and her silence spoke volumes.

  Seth rubbed the back of his neck. “Look. If you’re worried about what happened yesterday, don’t be. When I said you’re safe with me, I meant it. That kiss—” The kiss that still heated his blood. “I made a mistake. It won’t happen again.”

  Her shoulders wilted and her gaze returned to her lap.

  Shit. What did he have to do to convince her? She knew these hills like she knew her own mind. If she decided to hide from him again...

  To hell with his pride.

  Seth knelt in front of her. He took the plate from her lap and set it aside, and then he gathered both her hands in his. Her whole body stiffened, but he didn’t let go. “I’ll take you anywhere you want to go, anywhere at all, but I can’t wait much longer for you to make up your mind. Winter’s coming and we’re running out of time.” His heart ached as he stared into her eyes. “I’m afraid you’re going to hide from me again, and I couldn’t live with that, with leaving you here alone—leaving you to die. What do I have to do to convince you to come with me? Tell me, Becca, please.”

  Seconds ticked by as a new emotion wrestled with her wary detachment. Was it guilt? She wet her lips, and her chest rose and fell with several breaths.

  “Please.” He rubbed his thumb across the back of her hand. “I’ll take you anywhere. Just promise me you’ll come.”

  Her lashes lowered and she nodded. “Okay.”

  Her cheek didn’t twitch, but he needed to be sure. “Promise me you won’t hide from me this time.”

  Her lashes lifted again, and she looked him in the eye. “I promise.”

  Relief flooded him as a sigh deflated his lungs. “Good. Where do you want me to take you?”

  “It doesn’t matter,” she said softly. “Whatever inconveniences you the least.”

  “You’re not an inconvenience, Rebecca. Far from it.” He released her hands and returned to his seat on the crate. “Do you want to go to California?”

  She shook her head.

  “Are you sure? We could find your parents and find out what happened?”

  She flattened a pale hand against her stomach. “I know what happened. They knowingly left me here.”

  “You could be wrong.”

  “I’m not. I didn’t find any evidence of an attack on the train—did you?” Her question held a flicker of double-edged hope.

  He snuffed it with a reluctant shake of his head. He’d scouted well west and south of Becca’s location. If there had been an incident severe enough to keep them from her, he’d have come across the remains of it.

  Her chest rose and fell with a shaky breath. “Going to the stream alone ruined my reputation. It’s the only feasible explanation.”

  “But you had a promise of marriage. Even if they suspected that Nathan went with you, he was already planning to marry you.”

  “Yes, but he didn’t go with me. His time was likely accounted for.” Becca looked up at him, an eddy of pain swirling in her dove-gray eyes. “If they thought someone other than Nathan was involved, it would explain why no one came back for me, not even him.”

  Seth’s face went slack with understanding. By the time he recovered enough to convey his compassion, she had already looked away.

  “What about Missouri? You said you had a brother there.”

  She fingered the cuff of her sleeve. “Traveling north this late in the year wouldn’t be easy.”

  “No, it wouldn’t. But I’ll do it if that’s where you want to go.”

  She looked up, her expression as tired and bleak as he felt. “Do you need an answer right away?”

  Seth scrubbed a hand over his jaw. No matter where they went, they would have to go to the outpost and buy supplies. He wouldn’t need to know their destination until then. “I can give you two days.”

  Becca nodded. She rose to her feet, and he did the same. She was too quiet. That bothered him. But she had a lot on her mind, and he was partly to blame.

  He’d give her some time alone.

  Seth went to his room and packed by the light of a candle. Becca hadn’t decided where she wanted to go, but she’d warmed up to him over the course of the day. And she’d agreed to leave in the morning and travel with him to the outpost, which was a deal breaker for him. No way would he leave her here unprotected.

  On his way back to the main room, something caught his eye. A small leather-bound book lay open on her vanity.
It looked like a diary. He glanced around the corner. She was clearing the dishes from supper, so he ducked into her room and picked it up. He despised himself for what he was about to do, but he was desperate to know what she was thinking.

  ‘October 14th

  He kissed me today. It was a simple kiss, just a brush of his lips, but it blazed through me like a grass fire on a windy day. My heart pounded and my knees gave way. If he hadn’t held me up, I would have crumpled to the ground.

  How is it that such a simple thing can feel so wonderful? I have touched people before and been touched, shaking hands... caring for the sick... a goodbye kiss for my grandmother, but none of that ever felt like this. Every place he touches me tingles with a strange heat that makes my insides shiver and my heart long for more.

  I know it is terribly wanton of me to say, but I want more.’

  Seth swallowed. His pulse sped and his hands trembled as he turned the page.

  ‘October 15th

  I lay awake last night, thinking of him, his golden hair and his vivid blue eyes that seem to see straight to my soul. I can’t get him or his kiss out of my mind. It consumes me hour by hour. The mere thought of him stirs me deep inside, and not only in my heart. It stirs me in places I cannot talk about... dare even think about.

  I know there is more that goes on between men and women than the caress of a face or the brush of lips, and I know it is wrong, but I want him to do more, to teach me more. If I don’t quench this longing, I will surely go mad.’

  Seth’s throat went dry. He practically shook with desire as he turned the page.

  Blank.

  He laid the book aside and closed his eyes, and then he gritted his teeth and clenched his fists in a tenuous bid for control. He’d never wanted a woman so badly in his life, and now, to know she wanted him just as much—damnation! It was more than he could take. It was all he could do not to run and bury himself in her body.

  Becca’s confession had stolen what little doubt he had left about her feelings for him.

  He prayed it hadn’t stolen his decency right along with it.

  Becca added two more logs to the dwindling fire, and then she stepped back and fanned the coals. Maybe Seth would sit and visit with her a while. It was getting late, but she didn’t want to say goodnight. Not yet. She wanted to spend as much time with him as she could before they went their separate ways.

  His admission that kissing her was a mistake tore a chunk from her heart, but the pleading look in his eyes when he begged her to come with him had mended it some. He truly cared what happened to her, and he was a good man. She’d be wrong to deceive him again.

  And she hadn’t. Not really.

  What she said wasn’t a lie. She would go with him to the outpost. But then she’d send him on his way and return to her cave. She would have the supplies she needed to survive, and he would no longer be burdened with her care.

  Her pulse quickened at the scuff of his boots approaching. His steps paused, then continued until he was standing right behind her.

  Becca turned around to Seth peering down at her with the same turbulent eyes he’d had in the field. Before she could speak, he cupped her face with his hands, and his gaze slid to her lips. He leaned his face closer, but stopped before their lips touched. Her skin tingled with anticipation and burned from the heat pouring off his. What was he waiting for?

  Hesitantly, she lifted her chin until her mouth reached his.

  He kissed her firmly then, covering her lips with his and nibbling the tender skin. A strong arm snaked around her waist while a hand smoothed her hair and cradled her nape. His tongue swept over the seam of her lips. Her knees went weak and her lungs cried out for air. When she opened her mouth to take a breath, his tongue slipped in, startling her and thrilling her all the same. She froze at first, not knowing what to do, but then she gripped his shoulders and imitated his movements.

  Seth pressed her to him, his body taut as sundried leather and twice as hard. He kissed her hungrily, and then he tore his lips away, leaning his forehead against hers and breathing in ragged heaves.

  She trembled in his embrace, her chest rising and her heart pounding in time with his. The torrent of sensations he’d unleashed left her reeling.

  He’d promised not to kiss her again. What changed his mind?

  “Ah, Becca,” came a husky utterance. “You tempt me so.”

  Maybe that’s all she was to him. A fleshly temptation. Her aunt had warned her to avoid close proximity with men; that familiarity led to sin. It seemed she was right.

  Seth rested his cheek against her temple. “Are you upset with me for kissing you?”

  She released her grip his shoulders. Her hands slid down and flattened against his chest. “No. I...” Dare she admit? “I like it when you kiss me,” she whispered. His arms tightened around her in a comforting hug, and she wished she could stay there forever.

  He planted a kiss on her forehead. “I should go check on Cyrus.” He loosened his hold, but his voice sounded as unenthusiastic about the parting as she felt.

  Reluctantly, she turned out of his embrace and knelt in front of the flames. As she poked the glowing logs, Seth’s presence behind her was palpable. She couldn’t see him, but she knew he was standing there, watching her.

  Long minutes later, he knelt down, his thighs flanking hers and his chest so close to her back she could feel the warmth of his body. He eased his left arm around her waist and drew her against him. His arm shielded her from the fire’s heat, but it had a heat all its own.

  “Seth?”

  “Shhh.” His arm slid higher until his hand cupped the curve of her ribs. His breath caressed her neck, and then the fingers of his other hand brushed stray strands of hair aside as his lips pressed a kiss behind her ear.

  A soft sigh escaped as her eyes drifted shut. She should be frightened, but she wasn’t. All she could think about was the tingle skimming over the surface of her skin and the weighty, liquid heat pooling low—a desperate longing.

  He nibbled down the column of her neck until he reached the curve of her shoulder. “Mmm. You smell so good.” He nipped the skin with his teeth, then retraced his trail with kisses, ending with the lobe of her ear. “Watching you care for me and go about your chores every day; being surrounded by your scent. I can barely keep my mind off you.”

  His body was like a rock behind her, tense and solid. He drew a deep breath and blew it out slowly with a groan.

  Kiss me again. I know it’s wrong, but do it anyway.

  As if he’d read her mind, Seth pressed his lips to her neck again and drew on the sensitive flesh. Now she was the one breathing hard. Her body needed something—needed him—but it needed more. That was all she knew. She needed more.

  ‘He always leaves me wanting more... If I don’t quench this longing, I will surely go mad.’

  Now she understood.

  The hand cupping her ribs slid higher, grazing the underside of her breast. His thumb brushed across her nipple, sending a jolt of pleasure straight to her core.

  She bit back a moan... was barely aware when his other hand tugged her skirts from under her knee, until he touched her thigh.

  Her spine stiffened and she grabbed his wrist.

  “Let me, Becca. Let me teach you what you want to know.”

  She wanted to know, but...

  “Becca.” The breathy word was as much admonished as asked.

  Lord, forgive me.

  Becca closed her eyes and released her grip. When Seth’s lips pressed another kiss to her neck, she relaxed into his solid embrace. And when his hand dipped under her skirts once more, she let him pull her knee aside, separating it from the other.

  They had no future, no forever, but she didn’t care. Her questions would be answered, and the memory of Seth’s touch would sustain her through a life of solitude, however long or short that might be.

  His large, callused hand felt surprisingly soft as it traveled up her thigh. Only the thin fabric o
f her drawers separated his flesh from hers, but her skin was so alive, she hardly felt the barrier. His touch tingled. It burned. It affected more than the narrow trail his fingers traced. It was as if he was caressing her everywhere, all at once. But not like an actual touch, like a longing for that touch.

  His fingers reached the top and he paused. Just as with the kiss, he lingered there as if to ask, ‘Are you sure?’

  Yes. She was sure.

  She rolled her head to the side and rested it against his shoulder.

  Seth planted a kiss on her neck as he slipped his hand inside the split seam of her drawers. His fingers brushed against her curls and she jumped. “Easy, Becca.” He touched her again and eased a finger in between her folds. “Just this... Only this.”

  His warm, tremulous breath grazed her cheek as his fingers reached the place that ached for his touch. Air hissed in through her teeth and came back out as a guttural moan. Ever so slowly, his fingers moved in gentle circles that made her melt.

  Her blood thickened in her veins and her heart raced, pushing it through her body like a raging river after a spring rain. Her limbs hummed and her ears rang with the force. As the pressure and the speed of his movements increased, the world around her shrunk. One by one, everything disappeared—her only awareness was him; the place where he touched. Sweet yearning grew and grew until she thought she’d explode if it grew anymore. Her legs tensed and trembled, and her hands grasped helplessly at her skirts.

  Seth didn’t stop. He held her tighter and increased his tempo even more. “That’s it, Becca. Don’t fight it. Hold on to me if you need to.”

  She grabbed his thighs and dug her fingers in. Every muscle clenched and every nerve throbbed. Her body pressed against him and her hips began to rise.

  He held her tighter.

  Time slowed to a stop. Heat sped through her veins. The curl of tension in her belly was all she knew, and finding release all she craved. If she could just... just...