Arizona Temptress

by Smith, Bobbi

  “I know.”

  “Good. I’ll be right there, whenever you need me,” he quietly assured her.

  “I’ll tell him as soon as I can, but I can’t be cruel about it.”

  “I wouldn’t expect that from you. I like Todd, too, but not enough to let him have you.” Rick grinned.

  They moved together, holding each other in a cherishing embrace as the strength of their love surrounded them and bound them together for all time.

  “We’d better be getting back,” Rick finally told her, regretfully. “I’ll try to stay away from you until you can get this all straightened out with Todd, but I don’t guarantee that I’ll be successful.”

  “I wouldn’t want you to be too successful!” She kissed him quickly and then stepped away from the circle of his arms.

  Leaving their protective hideaway, they started back to the camp to face their future together.

  Carrie tossed restlessly on her blanket. Try as she might she had not been able to fall asleep, and she was growing more and more frustrated by the minute. It had been bad enough to have to sit back and watch as Jennie and Todd had disappeared into the night for some time alone, but ever since, her mind had refused to cooperate with her heart and had been conjuring up the image of the two of them making love.

  Shifting uncomfortably again, she stared off into the darkness and was delighted to see that Todd was returning. She watched him as he quickly went to his bedroll, lovingly admiring the strength of his big body and remembering all too well how perfectly they had fitted together when they’d made love.

  Carrie stifled a groan as she thought of his big hands exploring her body, and heat flushed through her at the remembrance of his touch. How exquisite it had been to be possessed by him. Her nipples hardened in longing, and a throbbing ache grew between her thighs.

  Rolling over, she closed her eyes, trying to force all thoughts of Todd’s tender lovemaking from her mind, and it was then that she realized that Jennie had not returned with him from their tryst. Why had Jennie remained behind, alone, in the darkness? Had she and Todd shared such a passionate embrace that she’d had to have time to pull herself together before coming back to camp? That possibility irritated Carrie greatly, and she turned to face Jennie’s bedroll, waiting to see how long it was before she returned.

  It was a long time later when Jennie finally appeared within the circle of the campfire’s light, and Carrie watched with avid interest as she went straight to her bedroll. She would have thought nothing of the length of time her sister had supposedly been alone if Rick hadn’t followed her into camp from the same direction a short time later.

  So, Jennie had been alone in the dark with Rick Peralta, had she? All her earlier suspicions about their relationship flared back to life, and Carrie couldn’t suppress the excitement she felt at the possibility that there was something going on between them. Anxious for morning to come so she could find out more of what was going on, she closed her eyes and courted the sleep that had eluded her for so long.

  Chapter Twenty-five

  The Apache had moved swiftly and silently in their pursuit of the white men, and as darkness fell across the land they chose their position carefully to allow them the best advantage from which to keep watch. They waited through the night; their anticipation growing at the thought of all the horses and guns they could claim when they defeated these hated intruders. Though the hours passed slowly, their patience never wavered, and as the sun began to rise, they readied themselves to persevere in their quest.

  Having elected to take the last watch, Todd stood alone now, rifle in hand, at his vantage point high above the canyon floor. The hours he’d just spent on guard duty had been long and tedious, and he was glad that it was almost daylight so they could start on their way home again.

  Glancing toward the place in camp where Jennie lay sleeping, he reflected on the few minutes of privacy they’d shared the night before. Though she was a beautiful, responsive woman and he cared a great deal about her, he knew now that something was missing in their relationship. Had he never tasted the joys of love with Carrie, he probably would have gone through his life blissfully ignorant of the fact that there could be more, but since he’d touched her and loved her, things would never be the same for him.

  No matter how hard he pretended that everything was fine, it wasn’t. It was Carrie he wanted; Carrie he needed with an undying passion, and yet, he was caught in the awkward position of being engaged to marry her sister. It was an engagement he could hardly break. Jennie had just been through so much. How could he leave her if she needed him?

  Todd cursed himself for having allowed the situation to come to this, but Jennie had been so vulnerable when they’d been together that first night back that it had been impossible for him to recant his proposal. So, now they were engaged, and he knew he would have to make the best of it. Todd only hoped that he would be able to keep his desire for Carrie under control.

  Carrie stirred and came awake just as the sky brightened from black to a deep shade of purple. Her rest had been fitful all night, filled with dreams of Todd and Jennie, and she was glad that dawn was near to put an end to the misery of her mind’s disquieting fantasies.

  Though no one else was up and about, Carrie could lie still no longer. It was then, when she started to rise, that she noticed that Todd was not asleep in camp. Looking nervously around, she finally spotted him up at the lookout point, taking his turn at sentry duty. Thrilled at the possibility of having a few moments alone with him, she slipped quietly from her bed to make her way quickly up the narrow trail.

  Todd saw her leave the campsite, and he hoped that she wouldn’t come to him. Though they had continued their relationship under the guise of their old friendship, he knew now that things had been too drastically altered between them to keep up the farce for long. How could he continue to hold a tight rein on his emotions when she was always near? He couldn’t wait until they got back to the ranch for maybe then the tension he was feeling would ease.

  “Good morning,” Carrie greeted him, her voice still husky from sleep, and Todd reluctantly turned to face her.

  His eyes devoured her as a wave of longing washed over him: her sleep-flushed cheeks, the shining paleness of her hair, the curve of her hips beneath the clinging, tight pants. He wanted her badly and, he acknowledged to himself, he loved her. No other woman had ever had the power to arouse him the way Carrie did.

  “Good morning, Carrie.” He tried to sound pleasant yet casual. “You’re up early.”

  Her heart was pounding, and all she could think of was throwing herself in his arms. Suddenly tired of constantly hiding her love for him, Carrie wondered what he would say or do if she just came right out and told him how she felt.

  “I didn’t sleep well last night.” She looked up at him, her gaze tracing his rugged yet endearing features.

  “Why did you have trouble sleeping? It was safe. We had guards posted all night. Were you worrying about something?” he asked, noticing how perfectly her mouth was formed and remembering how it tasted beneath his. Shaking himself mentally, he tried to concentrate on what she was saying.

  “Yes, I was.—” Quickly, impulsively, she made her decision. “I was thinking about you and remembering—”

  “Remembering?”

  “Todd—” Carrie paused briefly over her next words. “Todd, I really do love you. That short time I spent with you in the mine was the most beautiful experience of my life. I just can’t go on this way any longer—pretending that what I feel doesn’t really exist.”

  She was instantly frightened by what she’d blurted out, but she hoped that he would understand. Taking a deep breath, she looked up, meeting his eyes unflinchingly. She was not ashamed of her emotion. Far from it. She wanted him to know that.

  Todd was stunned by her declaration, and he stood rooted in place as her eyes blazed into his. She loved him! His soul filled with happiness at the thought. He wanted to pull her into his arms and kis
s her senseless, but a fleeting thought of Jennie held him immobile.

  “Carrie—I—” he stammered, wanting to tell her his most heartfelt sentiments yet fearful of the repercussions.

  Realizing that she’d put Todd in an awkward position by being so open with him about her feelings, Carrie was contrite. She hadn’t wanted to embarrass him.

  “Look, I’ve embarrassed you and I’m sorry. I love you too much to ever want to make things difficult for you. I just wanted you to know how I felt, that’s all. And, maybe if things ever change between you and Jennie—” She hurried to go before she made the mistake of saying any more.

  The sight of her leaving him spurred him to action.

  “Carrie.”

  The deep sound of his voice stopped her flight, and before she knew it Todd was there, beside her, taking her by the shoulders and turning her to face him. Without speaking, he drew her closer, crushing her to the hardness of his chest.

  “Ah—Carrie.” His words sounded tortured to her, but she lost track of the thought as his mouth found hers with unerring accuracy.

  Of their own volition, her arms looped around his neck, and she held on tightly to him, never wanting to let him go. Their coming together was explosive, and their passions flared in a fury of ecstasy.

  Todd was out of control from the moment her lips touched his. How could he have denied his love for her? She was the woman he wanted, the woman he needed. His hands skimmed over her, splaying across her buttocks and pulling her hips more tightly to his so she could feel the affect she had upon him.

  “Please Todd,” she whispered, eager for the thrill of his hands upon her.

  “What the hell is going on here?” Mac’s low, violent curse shattered the glory of the moment for the lovers, and they both looked up guiltily as their passion drained sickeningly from them.

  “Mac—” Todd was having trouble speaking.

  Mac had been coming up to relieve Todd as lookout, and he had been totally unprepared for the sight that had greeted him. If it had been Jennie in Todd’s arms, he would have delicately made his excuses and left them alone for a while, but when he’d recognized Carrie in Todd’s arms, he’d been livid. How could he have been so stupid to think that the girl might have changed? She had always been the cause of trouble, and he’d been a fool to forget that. He should never have trusted her or even given her the benefit of the doubt.

  She is just like her mother! Mac thought, his expression thunderous. All the more gentle feelings he’d been developing for her died, buried beneath the smothering weight of his bitterness against a wrong long ago committed.

  Carrie wanted to plead her case, to explain to him that she loved Todd, but Mac’s well-remembered condemning glare choked off her words before she could utter them.

  “Have you no pride?” he said. “What kind of a game are you playing?”

  “I can explain everything, if you’ll—”

  “You can’t possibly justify what I just witnessed!” he coldly interrupted.

  “Mac—” Todd began, but Carrie cut him off.

  “No, it’s all right, Todd. I’ll go.” Quickly, she hurried away, shaking with the force of the emotions that assailed her.

  “Carrie! Wait!” Todd called, wanting to soothe her and to tell her he loved her.

  “You had better just make certain that Jennie doesn’t find out about this indiscretion of yours! I don’t want her hurt! She’s been through enough.” Mac gave Todd a withering look before he turned to stalk away.

  Not wanting to lose track of the posse, Malo roused himself from his fitful sleep at first light. He was certain that today they would be going to the gold mine, and he would be dogging their trail the entire way! Excited at the prospect, he edged cautiously from his hiding place to see what was going on in their camp, and he noted with pleasure that they were just preparing to move out. Wanting to be ready to ride when they did, Malo saddled his horse and mounted up.

  He was taking one last glance around the steep canyon walls, when he saw the Indians, crouched among the rocks, watching the posse with avid interest. Malo was so startled by the sight of them that he sat unmoving for a moment, fearful of drawing attention to himself. He knew how vicious the Apache could be, and he had no intention of being anywhere nearby when they attacked the McCaines.

  Malo wheeled his horse around in the opposite direction and fled, all thoughts of the gold forgotten in his determination to save his own life. There were any number of ways he could get money, but riches would do him little good if the Apache got hold of him first.

  Rick’s casual manner as he strode across the camp to where his grandfather was speaking with Jake belied the tension that was building within him. It wasn’t often that he experienced this disquieting sense of forboding, but he knew enough to trust his feelings. Honed to uncanny accuracy during the old days, his instincts had seldom proved wrong, and right now they were telling him that all was not what it seemed to be; that the peace that surrounded them would not last.

  “Something is troubling you, Ricardo?” Juan immediately noticed the grimness in his grandson’s manner.

  “I’m not sure,” he answered, scanning the surrounding hillsides, his hand resting on the butt of his gun.

  “What is it, Rick?”

  “Just a gut feeling. It could be nothing, but—”

  “I learned a long time ago to trust your gut feelings. You think there are Indians around?”

  “I hope to hell not,” he answered. Then, glancing up at the craggy cliffs once more, he asked, “How soon can we start out of here? With any luck and a lot of hard riding, we should be able to get past Weaver’s Needle today and be out of the mountains tomorrow.”

  “I’ll check with Mac,” Juan said as he saw him returning to camp.

  Rick nodded as Juan hurried off to meet with the elder McCaine. Turning to Jake, he said, “Let’s make sure there are no stragglers. If there are Apache out there watching us, they’ll be after our horses, our guns, and our women.”

  “We’d better send out advance riders, too. It never hurts to take extra precautions.”

  “I’ll go,” Rick volunteered. “I know the land—and the Indians.”

  “Then I’ll ride with you.”

  “All right.” Rick was glad for Jake’s company. “And let’s stay together, just in case. It’d be too damned easy to pick us off if we’re out there alone.”

  Saddling their horses, they paused to check their weapons and then mounted.

  “Ricardo! Where are you going?” Juan came back to his side after ending his conversation with Mac.

  “Jake and I are going to ride out ahead to see what we can find. Have everyone follow as soon as you can.”

  “We will. Mac says they’ll be ready to go in ten minutes.”

  “Good, and tell them to keep close together and to keep their rifles ready. If there are Apache out there watching us, they won’t attack as long as they think we’re better armed than they are.”

  “I’ll tell them. Ricardo?”

  “Yes?”

  “Be careful.” His words were solemn as he dreaded an encounter with Indians.

  Flashing him an encouraging smile, he said confidently, “Always.” He started to ride away and then stopped, turning back to meet his grandfather’s gaze unflinchingly. “There will not be another massacre.” Turning to Jake, he asked, “You ready?”

  “Whenever you are.”

  “Let’s go then.” They urged their mounts forward.

  “Rick! Jake!”

  Rick heard Jennie’s call and reined in as he saw her heading toward him. He had been hoping for the opportunity to speak to her before he left, but he knew that he couldn’t approach her. He was glad now that she’d taken the initiative, but she looked so worried that it was all he could do not to dismount and hug her to him.

  “Where are you going?” Her dark eyes were filled with concern as she glanced questioningly from Rick to her brother.

  “We’re go
ing to scout the trail to make sure it’s safe.” Rick tried to sound impersonal, but he was finding it nearly impossible. All he could think of was the night before and how perfect it had been to hold her and caress her.

  “But why? Malo never sent out advance riders.”

  “Malo was a fool,” Rick said derisively.

  “Do you think he’s still around?” She had suspected that the outlaw might be stalking them in hopes of somehow getting Juan back.

  “He could be, but I’m not worried about him right now. It’s the Apache I’m worried about,” he told her honestly. “We’ve been lucky so far not to run into any of them.”

  “I know.” Jennie remembered what Juan had told her about the massacre, and she knew how much courage it was taking for Rick to ride out with Jake.

  “You’ll take care?” She wanted to touch him, but she knew it was impossible just yet.

  “Of course. When you follow us, make sure everyone stays close together.”

  “I will.”

  Then, unable to resist, he leaned nearer, his tone low and urgent. “And talk to Todd!”

  Jennie nodded and then watched as he and Jake rode slowly from the encampment. Staring after him, she was lost in the memory of their lovemaking the night before. She had completely forgotten Juan’s presence until he spoke.

  “So, you love my grandson, do you?”

  His question was so astute that she flushed guiltily. “Is it so obvious?”

  “Only to me. I know Ricardo well and, though he has not yet spoken to me of his feelings for you, I can tell that he does care, deeply.” Juan’s smile was tender as he looked at the beautiful young girl whom he was certain had won Rick’s heart.

  “We haven’t told anyone yet. There are problems.” As she started to confide in him, Mac walked up, interrupting her.