Unforgettable Heroes Boxed Set

by James, Maddie

  Kim threw a blank look his direction before recalling his pre-trip instructions about not altering the environment in any way. The proper way to latrine. To clean the dishes. Take care of the garbage. To bathe. “Yes. I remember.” She had no desire to spoil the pristine beauty of the land surrounding her.

  “Good. There’s an extra basin in the supply box over there. You know where the stream is. Take as long as you wish. No one will bother you.”

  There was an awkward, tentative crackle in the air about them as Kim met his eyes, nodded, and retreated from under the dining fly. No one will bother you. His words rang loud and true in her ear.

  The thing was, she wasn’t entirely sure she wanted to be left alone.

  Chapter Ten

  Thad worked around the kitchen tent for a while, avoiding looking in the direction of Kim’s tent. He didn’t want to imagine her there, preparing for her bath. And when he heard her walk past, heading toward the stream, he purposely pointed his gaze toward the basin full of suds and dirty dishes so he could keep his mind on his task. But when he’d figured she’d just about reached the area where a stand of trees bordering the stream would cut off his view of her, he tipped his head up to stare across the horizon after her.

  He caught just a glimpse of her golden-blonde head and her back as she disappeared through the trees, a towel thrown over her shoulder.

  Why had he acted the way he had earlier? What had possessed him to literally tease and flirt, when the night before he’d practically told her he wanted nothing to do with her? Did he want a reaction out of her? Did he want her to banter back and forth with him? Did he want her to come to him, to make love with him? Was that what he was intimating when he’d made the comment about them being alone?

  Probably, you loco SOB. You want time alone with her; you want to get to know her better. And not just her body. Intrigued as he’d been by her pert beauty, it was true that he was also fascinated with the woman herself. And the feelings he had for her were going a lot deeper than he really wanted.

  The next thirty minutes or so he tried to erase those thoughts from his brain and busied himself with feeding and moving the picketed horses, packing up a few unnecessary items, and burning some of their refuse. He tried like hell to obliterate any and all images of what might be happening on the other side of that stand of pines out of his mind.

  Impossible.

  Straightening his body from where he’d just compiled two boxes of food into one, Thad let his gaze rest on the area where he knew Kim was bathing. His eyes closed and he inhaled deeply, imaging the scent of floral-essenced shampoo penetrating his nostrils, and the feel of water-softened skin under his palms.

  He imagined Kim standing naked on the stream bank, her body and hair slick with water and soap as she poured a basin-full over her head, letting the crystal clear water sluice over her skin. Glistening in the sunlight, her hands raised to her face where she pushed tiny droplets out of her eyes with her fingers, then threaded them straight back over her head, squeezing the excess water from her hair. Her breasts, peaked and raised toward the sun seemed to jut out into the Rocky Mountain atmosphere like they belonged there, a part of the natural surroundings. In his mind, Thad reached out. Touched her.

  A tremor ran through his body.

  Shaking his head, the image disappeared. For a second. At the realization he was fantasizing, he also grasped the fact that there was a growing hardness developing just south of his belt. Desire for Kim coursed through him. Because of his thoughts and dreams of her the past few days, these feelings—this passion, obsession, he felt toward her—could no longer be ignored. He was going to have to do something about her. One way or another.

  ****

  Kim was in heaven.

  Immediately upon shedding her clothing, she’d waded in and sank to her neck in the water, letting the cool mountain stream slide over her body. With her arms draped over two nearby boulders, she leaned into the rocks and settled herself quite comfortably between them, letting her head fall back and her eyes close.

  The water was cool, almost cold at times, but she didn’t care. The longer she stayed in, she got used to it and it felt wonderful. The grime, dust, and smoke seemed to ooze out of her pores. It was the most relaxing thing she’d experienced during the entire trip. Blue sky above. Small wispy clouds. Only the sound of the rushing water at ear-level.

  The days of hell she’d endured prior to this moment were almost worth getting to experience this small piece of heaven now. She’d almost, almost, do it again.

  Hell? Was that what this was?

  Eyes closed, she reminisced the events of the past three days. The trail ride was a disaster. The breakfast at the Flying W was even worse. The first day of riding she’d been so damned saddle sore she thought it would be better to die. And then, to fall into her sleeping bag and into Thad Winchester’s arms was almost more than she could stand.

  Shaking herself, she opened her eyes to stare into the sky above her. Even in the cold water, her body was becoming aroused at the thought of her and Thad sharing the same sleeping bag.

  And his kisses. Oh, she’d felt lost when he’d kissed her. Her body had responded with unabashed passion. She’d wanted him to stay. Wanted him to come to her later that night.

  And didn’t want him at the same time.

  There could be no future between her and a Colorado cowboy. There was nothing to ever come between the two of them and she really wasn’t the kind for a vacation romance. She couldn’t wait to get back to Kentucky. To the security of her own little world. Where she was safe.

  Safe? From a man whom she obviously had feelings for and who apparently had some kind of feelings for her.

  So why was she laying here, fantasizing about how good his arms felt around her and what his kisses did to her insides, thinking about escaping to her safe little life back in Kentucky?

  She didn’t know.

  It was hell. A hell of her own making.

  But the thought kept nagging. What would be the problem if she and Thad entered into some kind of relationship? The problem, she deduced, was that their two worlds just would not mesh. Rather, they would collide, and it would be an ugly collision.

  She’d worked hard to earn her counseling degree and it was the one thing she felt proud of, the one thing that excited her about getting up in the morning. Her students were important to her, they depended on her, and she on them, sometimes probably too much, to make her life seem worthwhile.

  What would be here for her in this mountain wilderness? Ranch life? Heck, she could barely ride old Sunshine, what kind of a ranch wife would she be?

  She startled herself at that thought. Wife? Why would she even think that? There was nothing between her and Thad but some overactive hormonal activity. In fact, maybe if they just went on and got it out of their systems, then all the agonizing would be over with and they could enjoy the rest of the trip. Perhaps....

  No, even if that thought brought enticing images to her mind, she couldn’t let that happen. Could she?

  After a half an hour or so, Kim rose from the stream, not really wanting to lather up and rinse on the bank as Thad had instructed before they’d left the Flying W. She recalled his instructions to the letter. “Soap is soap, no matter how biodegradable,” he’d told them. “We don’t want to spoil the natural environment so we take pains not to. By soaping and rinsing on the bank, we can avoid directly putting the detergents into the clean mountain water, letting the soil naturally filter any pollutants.”

  As much concerned about the environment as the next person, she’d always taken care to buy products which would not hurt the environment, such as biodegradable soaps and detergents. She recycled her newspapers and soda cans, and took care to conserve her water. And glancing around her, she hated to think of anyone spoiling this beauty with trash and chemicals.

  But oh, wouldn’t it feel so damn good to actually bathe in this cool, meandering stream?

  Begrudgingly, she ro
se from the water and approached the bank. After retrieving the wash basin, she dipped it into the stream and filled it with water, then carried it up the bank. There she quickly soaped her body then splashed and poured water from the basin over her to rinse. Now for her hair, she thought, which felt incredibly gritty and oily.

  Picking up her shampoo, she stared at the bottle and longed to plunge her head and body into the stream and wash and rinse until the last bit of grime was lifted from her scalp and washed away. How was she going to get her hair really clean, lathering and rinsing up here on the bank?

  She bit her lip and stared toward the camp.

  No. She wouldn’t.

  She peered down at the shampoo bottle. Nature’s Essence. Rose petal scent. Made from natural herbs and plants. Turning the bottle over, her gaze trailed down to the ingredients list at the bottom. She grinned. Certainly a shampoo composed of all natural plant materials and dyes could do no damage to the environment, could it?

  Absolutely not.

  Convinced now, she decided she’d use only a minute amount. Just enough to cleanse her hair and give it some bounce again. And to smell that rose petal scent, well, it might give her just the tiny bit of luxury she needed to get through the rest of the trip.

  She glanced once more at the camp. She couldn’t see on the other side of the pines, but she knew Thad was back there. He’d promised she’d not be bothered. There was no reason why she shouldn’t enjoy a bit of pampering now, was there?

  He would never know.

  Quickly, she turned back toward the stream, shampoo bottle in hand.

  Wading in to deeper water than before, she sat the bottle on a rock. Ducking beneath the surface to wet her hair again, she came up and swiped the excess water out of her eyes before she reached for the shampoo and squeezed a dime-sized mound into her palm.

  Standing, the water moving past at hip level, she raised her hands and gently massaged the shampoo into her hair.

  Luxuriating in the feel of the silky soft bubbles in her hands, rubbing them fully into her scalp, she closed her eyes and sighed as the lather made trails down her shoulders and breasts.

  “Ahhh...” she whispered, “I had no idea how wonderful it would feel to finally be clean all over.”

  The rose scent wafted over her, making her feel both pampered and sexy. She breathed deeply, her fingers delicately massaging her scalp. After a moment, she lowered herself closer to the water, rinsing the bubbles from her shoulders, and running her hands down her body to splash away any excess lather. After that, she fully ducked beneath water’s surface again to rid her hair of the shampoo.

  When she rose from the water, she spied the bottle on the rock. Kim spontaneously stood and reached for it, and without thinking, popped the lid and drizzled the creamy pink lotion over her arms and breasts and belly.

  Suddenly, she felt deliciously wicked and seductive.

  Her movements were slow and methodical. One hand rose to her neck as she lifted her head toward the sky, closed her eyes, and breathed deeply of the crisp mountain air. Her fingers carefully caressed her skin as they trailed closer to her breasts. Upon contact with the slippery shampoo, the pads of her fingers glided over the mound of first one breast then another, her other hand joining in the gentle caress. The lather from the shampoo bubbled through her fingers as she felt her breasts grow taut, her nipples already pebble hard and alert from the cool water.

  As she cupped both breasts, she threw her head back further as the image of Thad burst into her mind. He was standing behind her. She was breathing heavily. And it was his large, rough hands caressing her breasts, pinching her nipples, and causing the desire to race up within her, not hers. A small moan escaped her lips as when in her fantasy, his hands lowered to her belly and massaged the pink shampoo into her skin. He pulled her tight against his hard, unclothed male body, causing tremors to erupt inside her as his fingers snaked lower.

  “Oh, Thad…” she rasped, going fully with the fantasy.

  She slid lower into the water, her knees buckling, imagining Thad lowering her into his sleeping bag. She could feel his lips on the back of her neck.

  Hot. Breathy. Biting.

  “Oh, Thad,” she breathed again.

  “Oh, Thad, what?” came the stern voice from not far away.

  ****

  It was his fantasy come to life.

  At first he’d decided to risk only a glimpse through the pines. But the second he caught sight of her, he couldn’t pull away. No matter how much he wanted to, or how hard he tried. Which anymore, really wasn’t that much.

  He was held spellbound by her beauty. Mesmerized by her delicate features against the harsh, craggy mountains. Entranced by the way her fingers and hands slid over her silky skin. Bewitched by the expression on her face, eyes closed, lips mumbling soft, incoherent words to the sun.

  As he’d stepped through the trees, he knew she could see him, should she decide to open her eyes. He knew he was taking steps which he may not be able to retract. He knew, that one way or another, if she did open her eyes and see him standing there, watching her, that things between them would never be the same.

  He knew there would be no turning back.

  His gaze was drawn to the lather sliding down her body, clinging in luxurious bubbles to her satiny smooth skin. Her fingers caressed and teased her breasts, then slid lower to her belly. Her chin raised to the sky and he watched as her chest lifted in tiny pants and her lips opened slightly, sucking in shallow sips of air.

  And in his mind he mimicked every movement she made with his own fingers, his own hands. They burned with want of touching her, teasing her. His lips ached to taste, his teeth to nibble.

  Hellfire and damnation.

  What was he doing? Deep inside, every primal urge known to man churned and thrashed. His palms ached to hold her flesh. His fingers craved to rake through her hair, to sluice the last bit of lather from her body. Every corpuscle he possessed had surged to one, throbbing area of his body and his brain had lost all ability to think coherently.

  Thad jerked his gaze away from her body, as painful as it was, and paced several feet to the left. He had to leave. He couldn’t stay one second longer. He had to get a handle on his out-of-control libido.

  His gaze rested again on Kim.

  Lather. Puddles of soap. Floating down the stream.

  She was mumbling. Saying his name?

  He stepped forward, listening, just to be sure. He spied the shampoo bottle on the rock. Damn.

  He needed an excuse. He needed...something. His desire for her was racing out of control.

  Maybe he could channel that desire into something else.

  Anger? What else was new?

  And there was only one thing he could be angry with her about, at this very moment. She had purposely undermined his orders.

  She slid lower into the stream. “Oh, Thad...” she breathed. He didn’t like the passion in her voice. It made him that much more aroused.

  “Oh, Thad, what?”

  Her eyes snapped open. A look of utter horror flashed over her face. And within the matter of about half a second, she plunged beneath the water. The lather lifted from her body and rushed down the stream.

  He waited a second or two longer, and finally, she surfaced. Her head timidly stuck up out of the water.

  “What the hell do you think you’re doing? Get out of there,” he barked.

  “I’m taking a bath. Go away,” she shouted from the stream. “You promised!”

  “You’re finished. Did you forget how I told you to bathe? There was to be no soap in the stream.”

  “I didn’t forget, you moron. It’s all natural. Completely biodegradable. Look.” Kim reached to the rock, grasped the shampoo bottle, and hurled it.

  It hit Thad just above his right knee.

  “Sorry.”

  Thad glared at the soapy ring on his thigh then lifted his stern gaze her way. “You’ve had long enough. Now, get out. You’ve already disobeye
d my orders. I want to make sure you don’t do it again.”

  That word obey just didn’t sit well. Kim took a moment to assess the situation. Her fondling fantasy notwithstanding, she had nothing to be embarrassed about. She’d done nothing wrong. He had no reason to speak to her in such a manner.

  “I’m not finished.” She turned her head and swam a little further out.

  “You are finished.”

  “I don’t think so.”

  “I do think so.”

  “I’ll leave when you leave.”

  “You’ll leave when I tell you.”

  She’d had just about enough of his male macho, caveman antics. “Go to hell,” she tossed back.

  Thad threw up his hands. “I’m already in hell!”

  She giggled under her breath. Thad was obviously as frustrated by the entire situation as she. But the devil in her took over. She could hardly resist teasing him. Tempting him. Forcing his hand on this issue.

  And besides, she might just enjoy teasing him. Baiting him. Tempting him.

  She wanted him to come in after her.

  “It’s only hell if you say so, Thad.” She stood. The water rushed by at her waist, making a trailing vee in the water. She faced him fully. And for once, knew exactly what she was doing. “If you want me out of the water, then come in and get me.”

  Silently, she prayed. If he walked away from her this time, it would be all over. She’d walk back to the damn ranch herself, if she had to, but she’d not stay one moment longer in his presence. Why she was putting herself through this humiliation, she didn’t know. She was working on instinct, here, pure and simple. She had no earthly idea where it would lead.

  Nor did she care.

  His eyes met hers and bore deep. Even though several yards of water and earth separated them, a beacon connected them. She was breathing hard. She knew he was too. Then his chest heaved once more and Kim was sure he’d made a decision.

  He took his hat off and tossed it to the ground.

  Oh God. Lust coursed up within her.

  He stepped forward.