Taken unprepared for her action, his senses whirled madly as she greedily kissed and embraced him. His arms pulled her tightly against him and he seared his lips over hers. As his body flamed and tensed with desire, his tongue danced with hers and his fingers relished the feel of her thick hair. His lips moved over her face and he enjoyed its softness and sweet smell. He inhaled the freshness of her hair, then nibbled at her ear before his lips hungrily sought her mouth again. For a time, he was lost in the wonder of this newly discovered creature and ensnared by her potent magic.
“A storm is coming, my husband. We must return to camp and wait for it to pass,” she suggested as loud thunder filled her ears and passion’s flames licked at her body. It was no secret that she wanted this man as much as he wanted her. It was past time for them to taste the sweet pleasures of bodies joining in blissful rapture. Surely the fierce storm that was building within their bodies was as powerful as the one nature was threatening to unleash on the land. What better way to spend such an afternoon than in her husband’s arms?
Her words enabled Travis to partially clear his wits. When he leaned back, both were flushed and breathless. His gaze locked with hers. “I see a wahoo can have precious treasures as well as prickly thorns,” he murmured huskily as his thumb caressed her lips and his fingers gently held her chin. “Perhaps a few pricks and pains are worth enduring to pluck such lovely flowers and delicious fruits.”
She hinted boldly, “Let us return to my brother’s tepee before he has need of it after his joining. The storm will surround us soon.”
Travis glanced above them, then twisted to check the sky in each direction. He frowned, for many reasons. He was sitting here dallying with a ravishing woman who believed she was his wife and was eagerly offering herself to him, while dangers from foes and nature were closing in on them. This wit-stealing vixen was far too tempting to be ignored and nearly impossible to resist, Travis mused silently. He wanted her with every burning inch and tingling nerve of his susceptible body, yet he was going to have to refuse her, though it was as clear to him as a June day that if she were not Nathan Crandall’s granddaughter, he would have unrolled his sleeping bag and taken her then and there. Travis was vexed for allowing himself to be talked into this false marriage with a wife who desired him and expected him to make love to her, a wife who would not understand his constant rejection of her many charms. He almost wished she had retained her fury and resistance, for her willingness to surrender to him was making it painfully hard to reject her. Of course, he admitted, her show of fiery passion could have been a cunning trick to captivate him in order to get her way. Whichever, there was only one way to cool her spirit and take the heat off him.
“Sorry, woman, but. we have to ride, storm or no storm. You wasted too much time this morning with your silly games. Have you forgotten that you hate me and will never yield to me? Do not use your body and a false surrender to keep us from leaving today. A husband, not his wife, chooses when and where to unroll the sleeping mat, and I do not choose this time or place.” Travis knew his words came out too harshly, punishingly, and he was instantly sorry, but he dared not apologize or explain. He had tried to come up with a clever reply that would keep her from tempting him again, for he doubted he could resist her time after time. It would not be wise for them to get too close this soon. When they reached Texas, she would have to be protected from the Caldwells and he would have to continue his fake attraction to Clarissa. Travis realized he should stop calling Rana his wife, for where they were heading, she would not be considered so. He would have to keep her away from him, even if he had to be cruel and deceitful to accomplish it.
Rana’s cheeks glowed, this time with anger and humiliation. “You offer truce and friendship, then cruelly insult me,” she scolded him defensively. “It is not wrong to wish to see my brother joined to my best friend. I know what I must do. I agreed to our joining to help my people and I will honor the terms of your bargain with my brother. I was not teasing you with a false surrender. My kiss was to thank you for your kindness and your vow of protection, and to seal our truce. You pretended to desire me, to choose this time and place. I did not resist your hunger, for you are my husband and I promised not to fight you again. Blame White Eagle for misleading Wild Wind with his false kisses and touches. Wild Wind will be happy if he never mates with her. But do not call her to you, then scold her for coming when it is her duty!”
Travis cursed softly through clenched teeth. He seemed to be doing everything wrong where she was concerned, and he was taking too much time trying to climb out of this bottomless pit he had dug for himself. He mumbled in English, “Hellfire, Rana, I can’t tell you why I can’t make love to you. It isn’t right for me to touch you, and I was a damn fool to do so. Lordy, I hope you don’t tempt me like that again. You don’t know the truth about us.”
He looked at her downcast head and sighed heavily. “Hear me, Rana,” he said in Oglala. “I expect only friendship and obedience and respect from you. I will not… call you to me again.”
She lifted her head and stared into his troubled gaze. “I do not understand, Travis Kincade. You do not want Wild… Rana to be your wife? You wish Rana to live as… as a sister to Travis?”
“Yes, I need you to behave like my sister,” he agreed defensively, although his entreating gaze belied his stinging words. A sisterly relationship was the last thing he wanted, but it offered some measure of safety until such time as he could reveal the truth. “Truce?” he coaxed hoarsely.
“If you will trust me to ride on Cloud,” she responded softly.
After giving her a long, searching look, he spurred his horse forward and they joined the curious and worried Nathan. Travis told the man he would explain matters later. Right now, he needed to put distance between his and Rana’s responsive bodies. “Swear you will not try anything foolish,” he demanded of her. “Promise you will obey me.”
“White Eagle traded for Wild Wind. She belongs to him. She will become Rana. Rana will obey the orders of Travis Kincade.” She watched the effect of her words on him, carefully concealing her emotions. As Travis spoke with Nathan, Rana mentally questioned his strange English words and his curious sadness, and his denial of their blazing passion. From what she could see and hear, a sister was not what he wanted her to be. She would not tell him she could speak and understand English, for she could learn more about him this way…
Chapter Six
“I hear congratulations are in order, Papa,” Clarissa Caldwell stated sweetly as she entered her father’s office. “It seems you finally squeezed out Mister McFarland. Now you own every spread that surrounds the Rocking C Ranch. Once you take it from Nathan, we’ll have the largest cattle empire that ever existed. Isn’t it exciting? How do you plan to root out old Crandall? He seems dug in for life.”
Harrison Caldwell looked at his nefarious daughter. He admitted that Clarissa was a beautiful and seductive woman, but he knew she was also selfish and vain, and often too wild and reckless. The greedy Clarissa did not care about their ranch or property, except for the prestige, power, and wealth they represented. She did not concern herself with how her father made money, as long as she had plenty to spend. She rarely inquired about the methods her father used to deal with people, but she made certain that no one doubted or challenged the power and influence that spilled over from him to her. He wondered if Clarissa ever worried about her advancing age, for she was still unwed at twenty-eight. His gaze traveled over her ebony hair, dusky complexion, and deep brown eyes. Several times he had instructed her to use her seductive talents or devious skills to aid his plots against his enemies, or to entangle those who stood in the way of his having what he wanted. Clarissa had always enjoyed those little “assignments.” She had done everything he had asked of her, except win Travis Kincade over to their side, or make Caldwell a proud father. No, he could never love or be proud of this conniving and lecherous little bitch. No doubt she would slit his throat if it suited her purposes!
he mused in disgust. It was a shame a man could not trust his own child, and she could not trust him…
“Papa, are you listening?” she inquired, peeved at his lack of attention and affection. No matter what she did to please him or to win his approval, or what she did to annoy or to punish him, she could not elicit the desired response from this man who had sired her.
“I was thinking about roots, Clarissa. We both know Nate’s going to hand his ranch over to Travis. If you would put down a few roots with Kincade, I could kill Nathan and be done with all these tricky games and dangerous gunslingers. I want you to keep an eye on those last two Silas hired; they could be trouble if not handled properly.”
“How close do you want me to watch them, Papa?” she asked with deceptive calm. Carrying out his little deceits meant nothing to her, but she hated him for uncaringly asking her to whore for him. If he were truly so strong and smart, he wouldn’t need her! The only reasons she had done such things for him had been to exercise her power over men and to prove she could outwit them. Each assignment had taught her more about men and her father, lessons she needed in order to learn to compete in this “man’s world.” One day, she vowed coldly, he would pay for his vile treatment and lack of love.
“Close enough to make sure they don’t interfere with our plans, girl. As soon as we’re done with Crandall, we’ll have everything we want. I’m going to strangle him out before winter.”
Yes, Clarissa thought dreamily, she would have everything she wanted by winter. As soon as her despicable father created one of the most powerful and lucrative spreads in the West, she would get rid of the old bastard, take over the Caldwell empire, and marry Travis Kincade. This was everything she had dreamed of, and she would do anything necessary to make it a reality. She knew her father’s evil secrets, past and present, for she had spied on him since the age of eight. If she had desired, she could have destroyed him with the truth, but that would have cost her her dream. She also knew Marissa’s dark secrets, all of them, even one that neither of their fathers knew: the secret that Raymond had used against her dead friend…
A knock sounded on the door. Wes Monroe and Jackson Hayes were invited inside and Clarissa was dismissed. Harrison shook each man’s hand, slapped each on the back, and complimented them on their defeat of James McFarland. “You boys did a fine job of running him out. Now, the Flying M Ranch is mine. The timing was perfect; nobody around to outbid me for it. I’ve got you boys a little bonus for working so fast and without any trouble. I like a good, clean job.” He handed each man a packet of money. He had been careful to be very generous, to retain their loyalty and interest. “I want you boys to hang low for awhile. Make sure you stay out of trouble. I got one more matter for you to take care of for me; I want you to run out Nathan Crandall as soon as he gits back from some secret trip he’s making.” While he was speaking, Harrison tried to remind himself not to use language that might be over the heads of these crude men, for he had found that educated speech often caused envy and dislike. He knew it was better to stay close to their level of understanding or education to avoid resentment; “working in the gully,” as he called it.
“I’ll pay you ten times what’s in them packets,” he offered, planning to get rid of these dangerous men as soon as Nathan and Travis were dead. “Just make sure you don’t catch the sheriff’s or U.S. Marshal’s eye. I don’t want anybody connecting you boys to these crimes, since you work for me. I want this matter to look real legal.”
“Whatever you say, Mr. Caldwell,” Wes Monroe remarked genially. “Me and Jack could use us a little rest and fun. McFarland was harder to discourage than we thought. We was trying not to damage property which would soon belong to our boss. Hell, we didn’t have to kill more’n three men and forty steers. All you have to do is scare women and kids, and their men are forced to move on. When a rancher ain’t got no hands, he can’t run his ranch.”
After the meeting, as Wes and Jackson were leaning against the hitching post outside Harrison Caldwell’s office, Wes Monroe scoffed, “That old coot didn’t even ask how we scared them women and kids and got their men to running off like crazy. I ain’t had me that much fun since we rode with Cap’n Quantrill.”
Jackson Hayes teased, “Stop bulling, Wes, you just like to rape and kill. If’n I knows you, you got plans for robbin’ Caldwell and poking that bitch of a daughter. What’chu waitin’ on?”
“This plan he’s got going for Nathan Crandall. He’ll have lots of money in his safe to buy off that ranch after he does in Crandall. We’ll let him get his money together, then we’ll relieve him of it. He thinks he’s so damn smart and walking high over us. He’s mine, Jack. I’m gonna peel him like a juicy apple, and take ever’thing he’s got.”
“What about that gal of his’n? Can I have her afore we move on?” his partner wheedled, for West was the brains of their outfit.
“Just make sure you leave me a little piece this time.”
“I’ll try, Wes. I just get so excited, I lose control.”
“I know, Jack. I’ve had to clean up some of your bloody messes. Just give me a spit of time with her before you have your fun. I been watching them skirttails swish for weeks while she’s walking away from me. That little bitch is coming down a few notches afore we leave.”
Wes looked down the dirt street and grinned wickedly as he watched Clarissa enter a mercantile store. He was tired of moving from place to place, one hitching post away from the hangman’s noose, with never enough whiskey and money and women to last long. And he was tired of taking orders from arrogant bastards like Harrison Caldwell. And he was tired of being strapped to a stupid partner like Jackson Hayes. He liked this town, and the Circle C Ranch. Maybe he would hang around a long time. Maybe he would kill Caldwell and Jackson, and marry Caldwell’s daughter. Being a rich, powerful rancher with a beautiful, helpless wife sounded mighty fine to him. He had too much on Caldwell and his little brat for her to go screaming to the sheriff. Yep, he decided with a satanic grin, he just might take Caldwell’s place in this area…
Travis, Rana, and Nathan had ridden for hours and had managed to avoid the violent storm that was currently attacking the Oglala camp. Travis kept glancing to their rear, praying that the storm would not shift and head in their direction and force them to halt their journey. He wanted as much distance as possible between them and the approaching Hunkpapa band. With luck, the storm would have delayed the hunting party’s arrival. He could not imagine what would happen if the Oglalas learned the truth about his past, but he knew what the Hunkpapas would do. The sooner they were out of Lakota territory and their reach, the better.
Travis and Nathan were glad that Rana had not given them any trouble so far. Without a cross word or hesitation, she had ridden between them and had kept up with ease, making Travis proud of her. Earlier Travis had cautioned Nathan not to divulge any secrets around Rana, for a person often understood another language even if he could not speak it. He also warned himself to hold silent around her.
Rana had not spoken to either man since beginning the journey. She knew Travis was watching her with eagle eyes, ready to snatch her to his lap the moment she made a false move. She would prove how obedient and intelligent she could be, until it suited her to behave otherwise. She was aware of how often the older man’s gaze slipped to her and of the warmth that filled his eyes. He seemed such a strong, gentle man. Whenever she looked his way, he would smile encouragingly. Perhaps his presence was the reason why her husband refused to touch her. No, she quickly answered herself, her husband was in a hurry. The question was why. She had noticed Travis watching their backs and saw that his body was still tense. There was an air of apprehension and mystery about him; she could sense his deep concern.
Rana did not understand this handsome male, but she knew she was strongly attracted to him, and he to her. Her emotions were in turmoil. One minute she told herself she despised him and would battle him all the way to her new home. The next, she wanted to make love
to him, and was determined to do so or be told the reason why she could not. She did not like the way he could so easily control his emotions and hers. Other men had always found her beautiful and desirable, and had had to struggle inwardly to keep their hands off her; some had found they could not until she prevented them. How strange and infuriating that this half-blooded man had to be the one to stir her passions to life. How strange to want to possess and reject the same man at nearly the same time. Maybe he felt the same way, she ventured. Even if he was her husband, she could not allow him to play games with her feelings. Yet, as they rode swiftly, Rana plotted how to entice Travis while pretending to spurn him.
It was mid-afternoon when they stopped to rest and water the horses. Rana patted Cloud’s forehead, then hugged him. She looked at Travis and said casually, “I will return soon.” She headed into the trees, delighted that he did not stop her or question her.
“You don’t think she’ll try to escape, do you?” Nathan probed anxiously when she was out of hearing range and sight.
Travis removed his hat, wiped the moisture from his forehead, and replaced it. As he began unpacking something for them to eat, he replied in a playful tone, “For some curious reason, Nate, I don’t think she’ll try anything foolish, at least not yet. Right now, she’s more concerned about disappointing her people and shaming herself than she’s scared of us. If we can stay calm and friendly, maybe she will too. At least we’ve gotten her to accept the name Rana.”
Nathan helped Travis with their light meal. “That was a sly trick, son. How long should we wait before telling her the truth? She seems like a smart girl and not one to take kindly to deceit.”
Sweet Savage Heart Page 16