Arizona Temptress

by Smith, Bobbi

“No, I don’t think so.” She started to walk away, but his hand snaked out and grasped her upper arm in a formidable grip.

  “Jennie, I don’t ask nicely twice. Let’s go. Unless, of course, you want to make a scene right here?”

  “All right,” she consented quickly, angry at having been blackmailed into agreeing.

  “If you’d always been this compliant, we wouldn’t have had our misunderstandings,” he told her cryptically as he led her slightly away from the others. “Jennie.”

  “What do you want?” she demanded sharply, glaring up at him.

  “I noticed that you seemed concerned about my speaking with Todd and—”

  “I’m not in the least concerned with anything you do,” Jennie told him loftily.

  “Then you wouldn’t care if I told Todd about our more intimate moments together?” He had wanted to be patient with her, but her hardened, indifferent attitude was grating on him.

  “You wouldn’t dare!” she gasped at his emotional blackmail.

  “Jennie, my love,” he began slowly. “You above all people should know how much I’d dare.” Rick watched as all the color drained from her face, and he felt a sickening lurch in his vitals as he realized that she really did care for Todd.

  “You,” she hissed, barely able to control her rage. What game was he playing? Why was he tormenting her this way? Surely he didn’t want her anymore? He’d made that perfectly clear long ago. Tears stung her eyes, and she blinked them back with an effort.

  Rick noted her distress and was suddenly contrite for having cause her so much pain. “You’ve no need to worry, love. I may not have been the perfect gentleman while we were with Malo, but contrary to what you may think, I do know how to treat a lady. What happened between us was very personal, and it will remain that way.”

  Jennie knew she should be pleased by his discretion, but for some reason his whole attitude enraged her even more. How dare he play the perfect gentleman with her after all that had happened! What a mockery this entire scene was! She knew what he was really like. Suddenly, Jennie wanted to strike back at him, to dent that calm, civilized veneer he was now presenting to the world.

  “Thank you,” she replied with cool disdain. Keeping her expression critically dispassionate, she looked him up and down before managing a semblance of a sweet smile. “I do appreciate it. I find it’s always best not to dwell on past errors in judgment and to learn from one’s mistakes so they aren’t repeated.”

  Then without another word, Jennie turned on her heel and left him standing there, staring after her. The only sign of Rick’s inner torment was a slight tensing of his jaw as he watched her take Todd’s arm and smile up at him beguilingly before leading him away in her father’s direction.

  Juan let his gaze sweep nervously over the craggy hills that surrounded them.

  “We’d better start on back right away,” Juan said to Mac just as Jennie and Todd joined them. “It’s still light yet so we should be able to cover some miles before sundown.”

  “Are you up to it?” Mac asked, knowing how rough the past few days had been on him.

  “All I want to do is leave these mountains. I won’t rest easy until we’re back out on the desert.” He spoke so earnestly that the others were startled.

  “But why?” Mac wondered at his anxiety.

  “Jake didn’t tell you the whole story?”

  “He told us about your kidnapping. Is there more?” Todd questioned.

  Juan ran a weary hand over his eyes, as if to block out the memory. “It was long ago, yet it seems like only yesterday.” He sighed deeply before he went on. “I discovered the gold mine myself in my younger years, but I only made occasional trips because of the danger. The area that the mine is in, you see, is sacred ground to the Apache.” Juan sounded exhausted as he continued to explain. “But then, when we had suffered a few setbacks on the ranch, my sons Rodrigo and Antonio—Ricardo’s father and uncle—led an expedition to the mine to get more gold. They took many workers with them and mules to pack the ore out. And from what Ricardo told me, they did well.”

  “Rick went with them?” Jennie couldn’t stop the question.

  “Yes, he was young then and eager for the excitement.” Juan’s eyes were burning with emotion as he met Jennie’s currious gaze.

  “What happened?”

  “The Apache attacked them just as they left the mountains. Ricardo was the lone survivor of the massacre.”

  Jennie could not stifle the gasp that escaped her. Suddenly, his tense moods and uncomfortable silences made sense to her. It had been a living hell for him to return here, and she had caused him nothing but trouble the entire time.

  “They are near—even now—watching,” Juan said looking up once again at the jagged peaks. “We would do well to leave here as soon as possible.”

  “You don’t want to go back to the mine?” Mac asked.

  “Never! It has been a curse on my family and the cause of nothing but death and destruction,” he stated vehemently.

  “Then let’s ride,” Mac ordered. “How close are we to the next watering hole?”

  “I’m not sure,” Juan answered. “But Ricardo will know. He learned these mountains well. Ricardo!”

  As much as Rick wanted to stay away from Jennie, Juan’s call forced him to join in the conversation.

  “How far are we from the nearest water?” Mac questioned, knowing that their supply was running a little low.

  “We’re about a half day’s ride from the next basin. We should make it by noon tomorrow.”

  “Good.” Mac was pleased with the news. “Do you know of a better location to camp tonight? I thought we could get a few more hours of traveling in.”

  Rick glanced up at the sun to judge the lateness of the hour. “There’s about four hours of daylight left, so I think we’d better head for higher ground. Some place that would be easier to defend just in case there is any trouble.”

  “Then let’s go back out the way we came in and see what kind of campsite we can find,” Mac said and, giving the order to the men to get ready to move out, they headed for their horses.

  The ranch hands were all eager to be home, and there were no complaints as they swung back into the saddle after an already arduous day. Chica and Lucia were mounted on Luis’s and Ramon’s horses, and they began the long, return trek to the M Circle C.

  Malo was very cautious as he made his way down the canyon. He knew how lucky he was to still be alive, and he was not about to take any chances when he was so outnumbered. He would wait until the odds were more in his favor.

  Malo had no trouble catching up with the posse and, unobserved, he worked his way up the slope to near its crest, seeking a secluded spot from which to survey their movements. It pleased him to see that Juan Peralta was still alive, for as long as he was healthy there was a chance for his plan to succeed.

  As he studied the people below, Malo was shocked to see that Cazador was moving freely about in their midst. How could that be? He was the one responsible for Jennie McCaine’s kidnapping in the first place. Why would the men who’d rescued her befriend Cazador?

  Confused, he searched anxiously for some sign that Luis or Ramon had survived the assault, but when he saw Lucia and Chica mount up on their horses, he knew that they’d met their end. Only Pablo had been taken alive, and he was under heavy guard. Angry over the frustrating situation he found himself in, Malo sank back out of sight, cursing the fate that had brought Jennie McCaine into his camp.

  Knowing that he would have to bide his time and wait for the right opportunity to make his move did not sit well with Malo. He wanted the gold and he wanted it now. He was glad when the posse began to move out on their way back up the canyon, and he determined that he would stay with them all the way, for there was no doubt in his mind that they would now be heading for the gold mine.

  Again Malo waited until they were out of sight before venturing forth from his hiding place. Pacing himself, he followed them at a saf
e distance, taking great care to stay just out of sight and all the while wondering at Cazador’s connection with the McCaines.

  The campsite they picked that night was near the top of a ridge and well protected on two sides by massive rock formations. Though the men of the M Circle C did not expect any more trouble from Malo, the ever present threat of a possible Indian attack prompted them to post a watch. The darkness had fallen like a comforting blanket of peace, and since it was no longer imperative that they conceal themselves completely, they took the luxury of building a small fire.

  The evening passed in a celebration of sorts for the posse because they had accomplished their goal in rescuing Jennie. Bottles of whiskey, hoarded until now, were passed around, and their mood was generally light.

  Standing with Jake a short distance away from the camp, Rick was tense and on edge.

  “Here.” Jake thrust a bottle of whiskey at him. “You look like you could use a drink.”

  “Thanks,” he replied gratefully, drinking deeply of the potent liquor.

  “Is your head hurting?”

  Rick looked up questioningly. “No, why?”

  “I just thought that might be the reason why you’re being so quiet tonight.”

  “No, I guess I’m just anxious to be out of here.” He rubbed tiredly at the tense muscles of his neck as he glanced in Jennie’s direction.

  He loved her, yet after the harsh words they’d exchanged that afternoon, he wondered if there was any hope for him to win her. She had acted almost as if she hated him. But no matter what Jennie might say, Rick could not forget the way she responded to him when they’d make love. Try as she might to deny the attraction, they shared a very powerful physical bond.

  When he heard Jennie laugh at something Todd said, Rick looked quickly in her direction and then scowled blackly. Somehow he had to win her trust and her love. He couldn’t bear the thought of another man touching her or holding her.

  Unable to stand there and watch anymore, he started to walk away into the night. “I need to walk around a little bit. I’ll talk to you later.”

  Jake was surprised by his abrupt departure. “Sure.” And it wasn’t until later that he realized that Rick had taken the bottle with him when he’d gone.

  “Walk with me, Jennie?” Todd asked as he gazed down at her in the flickering light of the fire.

  He had been sitting between Carrie and Jennie all evening and the strain was getting to him. He knew he had to get away from Carrie’s magnetic sensuality or go crazy. Damn! he thought with a vengeance. He should never have touched her, never have surrendered to his desire to have her.

  “Of course,” Jennie said, and Todd breathed an inward sigh of relief as he hoped that Jennie’s kisses would drive the memory of Carrie’s torrid loving from his mind.

  As Carrie watched them go, she was barely able to keep up her pretense of nonchalance. All night she had stayed by Todd’s side, engaging in light conversation with him and Jennie while subtly trying to remind him of their time together. In frustration, she realized that it hadn’t worked. He seemed friendly enough but had not responded to any of her ploys.

  The thought that he really might not care frightened her. How could she go on living if he married Jennie? Determination rose anew within her. She could not, would not give up. She loved Todd and she would do everything she could to get him.

  Walking together from the camp, Todd glanced down at Jennie. “Has something been troubling you? You’ve been quiet tonight.”

  “No, not really. I guess I’m just a little tired.”

  “It was an exciting day, but I am just really glad that it’s all behind us now, so we can get on with our lives.” He stopped once they were out of sight and pulled her into his arms.

  Jennie’s smile was soft as she looked up at him. “I know. It seems like I’ve been living in some sort of limbo.”

  “Well, that’s all about to end,” he told her just as his mouth claimed hers.

  Todd wanted their embrace to be passionate. He wanted to feel the flames of desire for Jennie. He wanted to lose himself in her love. But the kiss they shared was only pleasant. There was no heightening of his senses as he held her tightly to him.

  Jennie wanted Todd’s touch to ignite her desires, just as Rick’s had, but it did not happen. She got angry with herself then for even thinking of him while she was in Todd’s arms. It seemed a betrayal of his goodness, and guilt washed over her in heavy, choking waves.

  Jennie knew that she had to stop dwelling on the past and concentrate on her future happiness. Todd was her future, not Rick. Throwing herself into the kiss with increasing gusto, she gave up her dreams of Rick’s lovemaking and sought only to please Todd.

  “Rick?” Lucia called out softly. She had been watching him all evening and waiting for a time when she could find him alone.

  Rick had walked some distance from the campsite in hopes of being alone for a while, and he wondered in irritation how she’d managed to find him.

  “I’m over here, Lucia,” he called out into the darkness.

  “I’ve been looking for you.” Her tone was sultry.

  “Why?” He chose to ignore the suggestiveness in her voice.

  “Why do you think?” she taunted, coming to stand before him.

  “Lucia,” he began, wanting to discourage her once and for all, but she was not about to be discouraged easily.

  “I want you, Rick,” she told him throatily. “I have since the first time I saw you in Malo’s camp.”

  Deliberately, she lifted a shoulder so her blouse slipped down and revealed the swell of one breast. “You want me, too. I tasted it in your kiss that night.”

  Rick had no desire to hurt Lucia, but the last thing he wanted to do was to make love to her. The only reason he had pretended an interest in her in the first place had been because of her threats to expose his relationship with Juan.

  “Lucia.” He started again to tell her the truth as painlessly as possible. But before he could go on, she stepped closer, pressing against him, and then she linked her arms behind his neck.

  “Kiss me, Rick. I want you so.”

  Rick closed his eyes for a brief second, wondering wildly what he would do if it were Jennie saying those words. The reality of the situation had a firm grip on him, however, and he tugged Lucia’s clinging arms away.

  “No, Lucia.”

  “No?” She looked up at him, questioningly. No man had ever turned her down before.

  “I don’t want you, Lucia.”

  “But the other night—” She started to say.

  “There were other circumstances involved in what happened the other night,” he sasid coldly, knowing it would be the only way to stop her passionate pursuit.

  She was stunned by his revelation, and it hurt her to realize that he had only shared her embrace because of her threat. Never one to give up easily, though, she gave him a seductive smile.

  “But, I can make it good for you. I will be your woman now that Jennie—”

  At the mention of Jennie, Rick almost lost his temper. “Lucia. I do not want another woman. That time with Malo is over. You would do well to find yourself a man who could love you.”

  “But you’re the one I want. I could make you love me.”

  “I’m sorry, Lucia.” He shook his head in denial as he spoke.

  “I thought you cared about me.”

  “You showed kindness to my grandfather when he needed it most, and I was grateful to you, but, Lucia, it was never more than that.”

  Lucia bitterly nodded her understanding. Her dreams of having his love and the gold were shattered, and she turned to walk away.

  Chapter Twenty-four

  Tiny pinpricks of heavenly light spangled the night’s ebony face with a magical, mystical twinkling. Jennie stood alone in the darkness, so intent on her troubled thoughts that she did not notice the beauty of the star-dusted sky.

  She had told Todd that she’d needed some time to compose herself,
and she’d remained behind in the privacy of the small clearing long after he had broken off their embrace and returned to join the others. Jennie had needed some time alone to deal with her wayward feelings. While her mind was logically dictating that she marry Todd, her heart was still longing for Rick.

  Though a tear of sadness slipped from the corner of her eye, she didn’t bother to wipe it away. The pain of seeing Rick and being near him was proving almost unbearable. Yet, somehow, someway, Jennie knew she would have to get over him. She had her own life to live, and she couldn’t waste it in mourning for a love that obviously had never existed. Sighing heavily, she finally felt more in control, and she turned to start back to camp.

  After Lucia left him, Rick stayed alone in the darkness, thinking of Jennie and drinking heavily from his bottle of whiskey. He couldn’t get her out of his mind this night. The memory of her wanton response to his lovemaking flowed through him, and with the rememberance came the all too familiar stirring in his loins. God, how he wanted her. He could still remember the taste of her and the silken feel of her satiny flesh beneath his hands.

  Rick wondered at her feelings for Todd Clarke. Did she let him hold her and kiss her? His hands knotted into fists of anger as an image of Jennie in Todd’s arms assailed him, and only the consoling thought that Jennie had give him her greatest gift—the gift of her innocence—soothed Rick. Being the type of woman she was, he was sure that she would never have come to him so willingly in the abandoned mine if she had cared for someone else.

  Rick thought briefly of her sharp words that afternoon and smiled. Try as she might to deny what was between them, Rick knew that the union they’d shared was overpowering and lasting. Draining the last of the liquor from the bottle, he tossed it thoughtlessly aside and started back to the camp, resolving to himself once again that she would be his.

  As he moved quietly through the night, he was startled to come upon Jennie alone in a clearing, staring up at the clear, night sky. Standing a short distance from her, Rick let his hungry gaze sweep over her. She was a beautiful woman, and he knew that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her—loving her.