Savage storm

by Conn, Phoebe

  Jason tried unsuccessfully to concentrate upon what Gabrielle said rather than the halting way she was saying it. Apparently she'd wanted the same sympathetic understanding she'd gotten from Beau and he hadn't given it. He looked away, sorry that she'd compare him to the man who'd captured her heart and who would never surrender that prize.

  "Gabrielle, I am not Beau, nor do I even want to be. Will you try to leave history out of this and just tell me what is upsetting you so badly."

  The hot sting of tears blurred Gabrielle's vision at that unexpected rebuke, but she blinked them away, unwilling to let him see how greatly he had hurt her. She had not realized until that precise instant that although his features were handsome, his expression could be very cruel. "You don't want a woman for a friend, is that it? You wanted only a convenient mistress for a few months, and when our trip is over you'll pretend we are little more than strangers? Is that what you plan to do? Am I supposed to pretend we're strangers when I see you on the street in Oregon City?"

  Jason nodded, at last understanding what it was she wanted. "Now I see what you're getting at, you want to know how you are to regard what happened between us?" He'd wanted her to forget Beau, but the man might as well have been sitting right there between them, his presence was still so real to her. "I told you, I'm always on the move. I've learned to live a solitary life and I enjoy it. I made you only one promise and it was one you seemed to delight in throwing back in my face. What is it you want from me now, my assurance that what has happened between us will remain a secret? If that's all that's worrying

  you, then forget it. The closeness of our relationship is not something I'd share with anyone." He was angry now. As always she had seemed to see his actions in the worst possible light. He wanted far more than her respect, but he had not even earned that.

  Jason was not making it easy for Gabrielle. On the contrary, she blamed herself for not having anticipated that he would prove to be so difficult. It wasn't silence she wanted from him but devotion—some hope that they could have a life together. "In a few days the journey will end. There are twenty-one bachelors expecting their brides to arrive in Oregon City, but I now have mixed feelings about being among them. In many ways I am not the same woman who left Kansas City, and I do not want to enter into a marriage I may regret for the rest of my life. I thought perhaps you would have something you wished to say to me, but I see I was foolish to expect such a courtesy."

  As Gabrielle made the first move to rise, Jason reached out to stop her. "Wait a minute. I don't want you to worry about what you'll find in Oregon City until you get there. That's simply borrowing trouble. I think you're fretting needlessly. There are undoubtedly many things I should say to you, but I'll say only this: because what we had was a fleeting alliance doesn't mean my feelings for you aren't deep or that I'll forget you, ever. I would never presume to call a woman as fine as you my mistress and I suggest you don't think of yourself in that way either. It just demeans us both."

  Gabrielle took a deep breath then let it out slowly: She had wanted to provide him with the opportunity to propose, but it was obvious he was never going to do so. Their brief affair was over as far as he was concerned, but she didn't want it ever to end. Her future was no less uncertain for having spoken with him, yet she wanted to seize this last opportunity to share the beauty they could create together. Rather than moving away she leaned closer, her lips nearly brushing his as she whispered, "Would you please kiss me goodbye?"

  Her request was such a simple one, but to tell her goodbye

  was unthinkable, not a prospect Jason could even bear to consider. He gathered her into his arms, his hunger for her too great to be satisfied with a single kiss. He pressed her supple body to his as he stretched out upon the grass, holding her tightly as though he feared she might elude his grasp. Now, after having grabbed for the sweet surrender she'd offered, he wanted to savor it for as long as she would willingly remain in his arms. He moved his fingertips slowly down her spine, cradling her tenderly as he deepened his kiss. She showed not the slightest reluctance to accept his affection, and as her hands moved slowly down the contours of his muscular body, her touch was so tantalizing he could think of nothing but the lavish affection she'd always given him. Her fingertips moved deftly over his belt buckle, freeing that constraint so she could slip her hand beneath his buckskin trousers. Her caress was honey smooth yet demanding. It drove all thought of caution from his mind. He knew he had only to wait for her passion to match his, but restraint did not come easily with so teasing a companion. When he sat up to pull off his shirt, she yanked it from his hands and, tossing it upon the grass, spread eager kisses across his bare chest.

  Wanting the same privilege, he whispered hoarsely, **Your dress is in my way, take it off quickly!" He had enjoyed undressing her with a slow sensuous touch, but he wanted her too badly now to indulge in such lazy play. Fearing he would simply rip her clothing to shreds in his haste, he insisted she disrobe by herself.

  Gabrielle's slender fingers trembled as she tried to slip off the layers of garments which separated them: buttons, hooks, ribbons. There seemed to be far too much to do and all the while Jason's hands were moving over her. His touch was light, teasing the firm flesh of her thighs, but she could not concentrate on her task when he provided such a compelling distraction. Finally she cast aside the last of her lingerie and he drew her back into an eager embrace his mouth covering hers in a savage kiss which left her gasping for breath when at last he

  drew away. She had known him as a tender lover whose caress gave the most splendid of pleasures, but he showed no such patience with her now. His fiery kiss burned her flesh as his mouth moved to the fullness of her breast with a haste which seemed borne of desperation, and she drew his mouth back to hers, weaving her fingers in his jet black curls to draw him down upon her. She wanted to set him free from the torment which consumed him but rather than satisfying his desires her graceful invitation inflamed them both. His powerful body conquered hers swiftly then, dominating her gentle sweetness with a strength which left her trembling in his embrace. She could do no more than cling to him as the force of his ecstasy swept through her in a torrent of unleashed passion. Drenched in sunlight, she felt as though she were drowning in the ocean's depths, all life drained from her by a lover who had chosen to tell her goodbye with such intensity. She was too weak to do more than look up at him when at last, his demons subdued, his kiss grew tender once again.

  Jason did not draw away, but shifted his weight to spare Gabrielle the burden of it as he gazed fondly at her delicate features. He still thought her the loveliest creature ever born. Her fair skin was lightly tanned by the many weeks sheM spent in the sun, but no less beautiful for its golden color. The blue of her eyes was bright, sparklingly clear, and the thick fringe of dark lashes which framed them seemed too long to be natural. He thought the deep glossy red of her hair marvelous and now preferred that unique shade to all others. She was an exquisite beauty, and while he would never tire of the enchanting sight of her loveliness he was saddened to think he'd given her no pleasure this time but had only taken his own. He lay quite still within her, meaning the joy to be mutual when he took her again. He kissed her cheeks playfully, nibbling her earlobes before he risked asking a question.

  "I have never been closer to any woman than I am to you; are we not friends after all?"

  Gabrielle raised her fingertips to his cheek. She felt that

  question was too dangerous to answer truthfully for she knew were he truly her friend he would not now abandon her to the whim of fortune but would make her his wife. "You are such a handsome man, but I think even more so without a beard." She purred softly, her husky voice a most seductive one.

  "Yet when I grew one you said you liked it," Jason pointed out quickly. "Is it just that you like me no matter whether I choose to be clean shaven or bearded?"

  "This is true," Gabrielle whispered and she lifted her arms to encircle his neck, to draw his mouth agai
n to hers. She did not want the warmth which filled her to end, ever, for to think they would never again share this same sweet intimacy was too sad a prospect to accept. The tip of her tongue traced the outline of his smiling lips before invading his mouth and his response was immediate. This time, however, he moved with a deliberate slowness, gently arousing her passions to a fevered peak before he satisfied his own undiminished craving for her. Despite the wonder of their pleasure there was a bittersweet sadness to their embrace, that of a longing shared but still not fulfilled. Neither wanted to let go, for each knew what they'd found together would never again be recaptured once they parted. A long while passed before they left the sunlit clearing that morning, and neither had spoken the word goodbye.

  The rafts were completed rapidly, for the emigrants were so anxious to reach the Willamette Valley they wasted no time in constructing the sturdy vessels. Then wagon wheels were removed to provide flat surfaces so the heavily laden Conestogas would survive the voyage down the swiftly rushing waters of the Columbia without rolling off the floating log platforms. Controlling the rafts by long poles w£is arduous work—they were cumbersome craft—but since they had provided safe transport for thousands of emigrants the members of Jason's wagon train were willing to rely on them. They faced a wild ride through swiftly moving currents and dangerous rapids, but none appeared afraid as the first raft left the riverbank and moved out into the turbulent waters.

  There were Indians about, many hoping to be hired to paddle travelers down the river in their canoes, but Gabrielle was careful not to attract the attention of any braves, handsome or otherwise. She thought the journey down the river would provide more excitement than several of the brides could bear, but the prospect of making the trip in a canoe was terrifying. She stood on the riverbank and watched as Jason supervised the launching of the rafts, giving each a headstart before the next was ordered to shove off. He did not want the rafts themselves to pose an additional hazard along the way. As always he had such confidence that no one questioned his advice, and with a warm handshake and a cheerful promise to see the travelers in Oregon City, he waved them all a hearty farewell.

  Turning away when she was overcome by the sadness of the departures after so many months of shared joy and pain, Gabrielle went to find the Duffys so she might bid them a more thoughtful goodbye. The little girls danced around her happily, while Timothy came forward shyly to give her a kiss upon the cheek. There were tears in Amanda's eyes as she tried to say thank you one last time.

  "I cried when Johanna came to say goodbye earlier this morning and Tm going to do it again. It's silly, I know, when we might find ourselves neighbors once we all reach the Willamette Valley, but I will never forget what you girls did for our family," she said.

  "It was nothing more than you would have done for us," Gabrielle responded with a warm smile. She gave the slender woman a fond embrace, then turned to her husband. "Well, Sam, I do hope Amanda is right for I would love to see all of you frequently. Mr. Home has a home right in Oregon City, and he'll know where all of us have gone so we can keep in touch."

  "You'll not be with Mr. Royal?" Sam was so astonished he did not realize how his question had sounded until Gabrielle turned pale. "I mean, well, I just thought . . ." He grew silent then, knowing he'd already said far too much, but his wife and

  son were giving him such curious glances that he knew he was in real trouble.

  'Tm certain Mr. Royal will know my whereabouts too,'* Gabrielle responded, as though she'd misunderstood his question. With a light kiss, she left Sam staring after her, as dumfounded as he'd been the morning he'd seen her and Jason cavorting playfully in the nude in the pond above Bear Lake.

  Jason had determined the order for launching the rafts and had purposely made Gabrielle's the last since he planned to ride with it. She had shown none of the signs of uneasiness she'd displayed when they were approaching the Platte, but he wanted to take no chance that she might be badly frightened or come to harm. She had not argued with his decision to send Sunrise down the river with Duke on one of the rafts constructed specifically to transport livestock, but he knew she hadn't been pleased that he would not allow her to travel with her beloved horse. He had expected her to fight him on that issue. However, she had seemed satisfied, knowing that such an arrangement was practical for Duke and would be equally satisfactory for her horse. That he could still not accurately predict her reactions pained him, and while he knew no man would ever know the sensual side of her nature as well as he did, he longed to know what secrets she hid behind those haunting blue eyes which always seemed to see to the very bottom of his soul without providing him with the slightest glimpse of hers.

  Paul escorted his charges upon the raft when their turn finally came. He was as eager as they to see the lengthy journey end, but he felt a deep pang of sorrow because the pretty young women he had grown to love would soon be going their separate ways.

  "We'll all get mighty wet, but this part of the trip is like no other. Now we'll nearly fly compared to the way we crept across the desert."

  Grabbing the other long pole, Jason was quick to agree.

  'That's true, ladies, think of this as a magic carpet ride/' With that teasing remark, he dug the end of the pole into the mud and, with Paul's help, guided the raft out into the current. Damp spray filled their hair and soaked their clothing, hut to Jason's delight Gabrielle's eyes glowed only with excitement and not a trace of fear. That she loved the wild thrill of the rapids as greatly as he came as no surprise. She is still the best of the lot, he thought to himself, the very finest woman I ever hoped to meet. And he kept a close eye on her until their journey upon the river finally came to an end.

  ^na/i/ejo Juj^l/

  When the weary contingent of brides arrived at Clayton Home's Oregon City home, they went straight to bed, and it was long past noon the following day before the first one stirred. The house was a large two-story frame structure, and the second-floor bedrooms had been furnished with all manner of borrowed beds and cots. Still, each young woman had a comfortable place to sleep if not much space in which to move around. Not even Iris complained about the cramped quarters, because the house seemed like a palace compared with the Conestoga wagons they'd shared for nearly five months. The young women were so excited over staying in a real house at last that they thought the accommodations more than satisfactory and thanked Clayton profusely for his hospitality.

  Their luggage littered the hall upstairs, but it was soon sorted into clothing to be kept and garments which had seen such hard use during the trip they were unfit to be more than cleaning rags. The pretty new dress each prospective bride had brought had to be aired or laundered to restore its freshness, and Clayton summoned Jason to help him string more than a dozen clotheslines through his back yard to provide enough line on which to dry the gowns and the young ladies' frilly lingerie. The colorful apparel attracted considerable notice, and within minutes the bachelors who'd waited impatiently

  throughout the long spring and summer began to appear at the front door to inquire if they could be of any assistance to the brides. Their motive in being so helpful was obvious to the young women who peeked through the upstairs windows for glimpses of the men who would soon be their husbands. They were delighted to find they could name each one as he came up the walk, and the boldest girls even called out greetings to their favorites.

  Gabrielle sat on the edge of the double bed she'd shared with Erica and tried to get the vivacious young woman to hold still. She was trying to alter the waistline on Erica's green silk gown for a better fit. Taking another pin, she cautioned her to stop wriggling. "I am going to poke you, and if you bleed all over this beautiful dress, you'll never forgive yourself. Now stop jumping up and down!"

  "I am not jumping! It is just that I am so excited I simply cannot hold still."

  "Well, you must. If you don't I'll make a poor job of this and then you'll be sorry when you must attend tomorrow night's party looking like you're weari
ng a borrowed dress." Gabrielle placed the last pin in the luxurious fabric, then patted Erica on the hip. "There. Now you may take it off, but be careful not to loosen the pins or we'll not know how much to take in at the waist."

  "I'll be extremely careful," Erica promised with exaggerated sincerity, and she slipped the shimmering green gown off over her head without disturbing the pins Gabrielle had placed in the garment with such care. "Who's next? We might as well do a fitting for everyone. Then we can all sit down and sew together. It will be fun, just like a quilting bee."

  Marlene came forward with a pale blue dress which made her fair hair all the more lovely. "Will you help me too, Gabrielle? I tried to do it myself but I couldn't reach the darts in the back."

  "Of course I'll help you. Just turn around and I'll have the

  darts taken in in a minute." Gabrielle had often helped her aunt make dresses, so it was a simple matter to do no more than adjust the fit of these gowns. "We're all quite a bit thinner but a few well-placed tucks should set everything right once again. We'll be the best-dressed women in Oregon City."

  'That's only because there are so few women in Oregon City!" Erica responded with a giggle. She was so delighted to actually be there that she had kept her companions laughing all afternoon with her teasing.

  Finally Margaret spoke up hesitantly. "Aren't any of you as nervous as I am about meeting the men tomorrow night? I can't think of a single thing to say, and I'm afraid no one will even notice me."

  "They will all notice you," Barbara reassured her confidently. "They'll be certain to meet each one of us to be sure they find precisely the woman they want. You can count on it. Or look at it this way, there are exactly the same number of bachelors as there are women so how can any of us be left standing alone?"