Travis eyed her strangely, for he found many interpretations in her words. Nathan handed him the medicine bundle suddenly and Travis’s attention was momentarily diverted from Rana, who was able to recover her poise. “Pass me that canteen, Nate. Rana’s hand needs a good washing so I can see what I’m doing.” He looked overhead and added, “It’s getting late; we might as well camp here for the night. Why don’t you start us some supper while I tend to Rana; then we can turn in early. I think we’re all tired and jumpy. When I finish, I’ll scout around. Maybe I should take your granddaughter with me; she’s a fearless warrior and a skilled hunter. If I come across another bushwhacker or get dizzy from this injury, I might need her protection or help.”
Rana watched Travis closely and it did not appear to her that he was making a jest. His smoldering gaze inflamed her all over and his voice was as effective as a passionate caress. She was surprised he did not seem irritated at having been rescued by a woman, as she had feared. She watched him tend her fingers so lovingly, so gently. Every so often as he doctored and wrapped each finger separately, he would look up at her to ask if he was hurting her or if a bandage was too tight. His eyes twinkled with merriment as he began to massage her sore arm, then shifted behind her to move onward to her shoulders, neck, and back. She tried to tell him she was fine, but he insisted on continuing his stimulating actions, and she had to admit they felt wonderful and relaxing.
When Nathan walked off to search for wood, Travis leaned forward to murmur, “You should get out of those wet clothes and shoes, Rana. If the night air becomes chilly, you might catch cold. Besides, I’m sure they’re uncomfortable. I’ll stand guard while you change,” he offered politely.
When she turned to respond, her shoulder brushed against his. Their bodies seemed so close and their gazes locked. Travis’s right hand slipped behind her head and drew it close to his so he could fuse their lips in a much-needed kiss. When they parted, his eyes helplessly roamed her lovely features. He kissed hers shut to halt their magical, hypnotic pull. “Thanks for saving my miserable life, Rana. Go change clothes before I forget we aren’t alone and I have your grandfather wanting to kill me.
Rana opened her eyes to gaze at him. She smiled and replied, “I wish we were alone, mihigna; then you could thank me better.” She stood up, ignoring how the wet garment clung to her blazing body. She went to her pack of possessions, removed dry clothing, and headed into the trees to find a place to change. She could feel his hungry gaze feasting ravenously on her body, and she thrilled to the sensations he inspired.
Travis glanced in the direction Nathan had taken to search for firewood. He scolded himself for thinking even briefly about following Rana and making her words— “my husband"—a blissful reality. With Nathan around, they lacked the necessary time and privacy for another joining of bodies, a joining that was certain to happen again soon, for the bond between them was getting stronger each day. He went to his horse to retrieve his own dry clothing, then sought one other source of comfort. Withdrawing a bottle of whiskey from his saddlebag, he took a long swig from it. After replacing it, he gazed longingly at the area into which Rana had vanished, then cursed his bad timing as he changed clothes.
After they had eaten, an exhausted Nathan drank freely from the whiskey bottle to release his own tensions and worries, finally draining it under Travis’s watchful eye. The older man then reclined on his bedroll and was soon sleeping deeply. When Travis glanced at Rana, her keen gaze was leaving Nathan’s slumbering body to look at him. Their eyes met and spoke messages of intense longing.
Travis’s gaze roved her enticing features and he warned himself to curb his perilous thoughts, for her expression told him she was thinking along the very same lines. He glanced at Nathan again and was assured the man would not awaken until morning. Even with him lying there, they seemed enveloped in a smoldering solitude. He went to kneel beside Rana to whisper, “I need to scout the area before we turn in. Besides, I need some fresh air and exercise or we’re in trouble,” he teased in a mellow voice, his green eyes twinkling.
Rana smiled and caressed his cheek. She was delighted when he bent forward and kissed her hastily before leaving the clearing. She looked at the slumbering Nathan again, then toward the forest. Could she brazenly seduce him? She grinned. After a short time, she lifted her blanket and walked to the edge of their camp. She boldly removed her shirt and dangled it invitingly over a bush. A few feet away, she removed one boot and discarded it, then another as she moved along the path. Next, she left her pants and, lastly, her bloomers hanging on bushes to create a provocative trail to her. She spread the blanket and lay down on it, awaiting his arrival and his reaction. The night air wafted over her naked body, but it failed to cool its heat. She closed her eyes in anticipation.
“Do you know how dangerous this is?” Travis murmured as he joined her, having collected her belongings and deposited them nearby with his own. He knew this was the meaning of the message that had passed between them, and he could not resist challenging any evil or peril to have her.
“There is danger in all things, but reward in few,” she replied, pulling his head down to fuse their lips.
Travis’s mouth explored hers in a long, stimulating kiss. Her arms encircled his neck as his kisses seemingly branded her mouth, face, and throat as skillfully as he might brand a newborn calf or colt. Gradually all restraint left them and they clung together, quivering in each other’s embrace. Each could feel the other’s naked body pressing closer and closer until no space was left between them. His arms tightened around her possessively as their mouths meshed.
Travis leaned away from her to stare into her compelling eyes. Leisurely his gaze roamed her face and he marveled at her beauty, becoming inflamed at the glaze of passion in her eyes. His hand drifted into her hair, enjoying how it felt surrounding his fingers. He knew their time was limited, but, for now, all he wanted and needed was to look at her, to touch her, to feel her next to him, to absorb her surrender. He knew she was here in his arms willingly and trustingly, and that knowledge caused his spirit to soar and his heart to beat swiftly. His mouth came down on hers again, tasting her sweet desire and eagerly seeking her unbridled response. He claimed her with skill and resolve.
Rana was dazed with love and hunger for Travis. He caused her to flame and quiver all over, and she reveled in these feelings. He took control over her life, her will, her emotions. His hands moved over her flesh, tantalizing her to heightened desire. Her body seemed to urge her talented lover to invade and conquer it. So many wonderful sensations attacked her simultaneously. Her hands began to travel up and down his back and she writhed on the blanket, revealing her rising need for him.
Slowly, dreamily, Rana’s fingers drifted over his sleek flesh and increased his yearning for her. Muscles bulged here and there to tempt her hands to explore them, for they revealed such strength and beauty. She felt his respiration quicken and his body shudder. She loved the feel of his flesh against hers. Hunger stormed her body and demanded feeding. Pressing closer to him, she moaned softly.
Her responses caused him to become bolder with his actions. He was sensitive and vulnerable to her every movement. His whole body burned and pleaded to fuse with hers, but he would not rush their joining. He wanted to invade her very soul and claim it as his own. The first night they had relented to passion’s calling and it had been wondrous; tonight their lovemaking was sheer bliss. His hand traveled down her flat stomach and teased along her silky thighs, using long, gentle strokes, each one coming closer to her womanhood. Finally he touched that secret place, sending her world spinning with pleasure. It was ecstasy; it was rapturous torment. He wanted her to enjoy this experience to the fullest. His hands and tongue prepared her and tempted her to take him greedily and without reserve.
When he had stimulated her to the point where her body was pleading feverishly for appeasement, he slipped between her thighs and eased within her, where she greeted him with urgency and delight. He moved
slowly and seductively within her receptive body, rhythmically creating a wildfire that threatened to consume them. Her breathing became erratic and her head thrashed from side to side as he brought her to the edge of conquest, then lovingly held her there to savor the wild and wonderful pleasure before carrying her over the peak.
Rana took him within her with an intensity and hunger that was exciting and stirring, and soon she had created a turbulent, wild fervor that could not be contained. As his thrusts increased in speed and purpose, she titillated him with caresses and responses that heightened his fiery desires. Their bodies were working as one, taking and giving and sharing sweet bliss.
Travis placed lingering kisses on her face and throat and shoulders, each one more possessive and tender than the last. His shaft was like a flaming torch that cried out for a merciful dousing, mercy he did not truly wish or allow. He drove into her time and time again, each stroke a blend of ecstasy and torment. She was responding to him instinctively, fiercely. When her legs draped over his and she matched his pace and urgency, he feared his control was in danger.
Rana could no longer deny her body what it craved, no matter how much she wanted to continue savoring these sensations, and she lacked the knowledge to control and pace her passions. She clung to him and kissed him savagely as her body seemed to explode into many flames and overwhelming feelings. She stiffened slightly and hugged him tightly to her.
Travis knew her release was devouring her and he unleashed his restraint to join her, allowing them to experience the sheer delight of each other and indescribable pleasure together. They rode the stallion of rapture locked in each other’s arms until the wild beast was tamed and exhausted. Moisture covered their bodies and their breathing was labored. Hearts beating as one, they remained entwined until all sensation had been drained.
A tranquil afterglow surrounded and relaxed them. They snuggled together, silent for a time as the reality and meaning of this union washed over them, cooling their sated passions and sealing their bond.
Rana shifted her head to gaze into his placid expression. “I hope you are not angry with me for tempting you again. My hunger for you was so great I could not master it.”
Travis responded huskily in the Lakota tongue, “I have chosen you to share my life-circle. I am your protection. I am your provider. You are mine, and I will be all things to you, as you must be all things to me. My word of honor is yours until death.”
Rana’s eyes misted as he tenderly repeated the stirring words from their joining ceremony, repeated them as if he truly meant them this time. Her heart overflowed with joy and love. “You are all things to me, and I am yours until death. You are the one true man who can tame the wild wind, for I do not wish to battle you or resist you.”
“When we reach home, there are many things to be settled between us, Rana. I need you and I want you, but I have important matters to handle first. Trust me and wait for me,” he entreated.
“Do what you must until you can come to me with an open heart.”
It was very late, but they made love a second time with a tenderness and passion that entwined their hearts and sealed their destinies as one. Afterward, Travis suggested they freshen up and return to camp. They shared a quick bath and slipped back to the dying campfire, sleeping on separate sides of it to resist further temptation. From all appearances, Nathan had not stirred during their absence.
On the Circle C Ranch outside of Fort Worth, Clarissa Caldwell stared across the table at Mary Beth Sims, whose father, Clifford, owned a large hotel and fancy restaurant in town. Clifford Sims was one of the many men who owed her father heavily for several favors. Clarissa accurately suspected that her father had been discussing more than legal problems with their male guest, for this was the third time recently that Mary Beth and Clifford had been entertained in their home. It was not like her father to invite wives or children to his special dinners unless he had a lucrative purpose in mind. Clarissa knew that her father had been visiting and eating at Clifford’s hotel regularly during the past few weeks, and by now she could tell that Harrison Caldwell was making crafty plans to obtain something he wanted. She recognized that covetous gleam in his eye and his anticipatory tone of voice.
Clarissa smiled deceptively as she scrutinized this woman who had obviously caught her father’s attention, for he had been suspiciously secretive about his stealthy pursuit. He had not mentioned his plans for Mary Beth to her and had pretended that these dinners were part business and part social. She was certain they were not, at least not in the sense he had insinuated. She tingled with alarm and raged at his guile. Mary Beth Sims was not the kind of woman to become a man’s mistress, not even a rich, powerful man like her father. Something was going on inside her father’s head, something she did not like.
The green-eyed brunette was a pretty girl of eighteen who had a very shapely figure, one which her father had been eyeing furtively all evening. Harrison had been laughing and joking while the best foods and drinks were being served. He had slyly mentioned the many times he had saved Clifford’s business and how he had been instrumental in getting Clifford elected to the town council. Clearly her father was preparing to call in those debts, and Mary Beth was intimately concerned.
From what she could see and hear as she observed the two men, Clarissa realized that Clifford was eager to please her father. Sims was smiling and joking easily, and cooperating fully with her father’s desires. Evidently the manner of repayment was most agreeable to him. Perhaps the man had created a larger debt to Harrison than that of which she was aware, or he soon planned to increase that debt. Considering their positions and how much time and attention her father had given this girl lately, she concluded that his actions could be leading in only one direction: marriage.
Clarissa fumed as she recalled how her father had warned her to be on her best behavior each time the Simses had visited them. He was always complimenting the girl’s looks and praising her wit, pretending she was the most fascinating creature alive. She wanted to laugh in her father’s face for his ridiculous behavior and plans: a fifty-six-year-old man of his importance marrying a timid eighteen-year-old child! Whatever was the man thinking? she wondered angrily. After all these years of being a widower who came and went as he desired, why marry now and why this little thing? But of course, she decided peevishly, no wife would halt him from doing as he pleased.
Clarissa was aware of other facts that she doubted her father knew: Mary Beth was in love with Cody Slade, who worked for Nathan Crandall on the Rocking C Ranch, and the girl did not like Harrison in the slightest and felt ill at ease around him. Naturally Mary Beth was too much a lady and dutiful daughter to expose such feelings to either man, but Clarissa had seen how Mary Beth had glanced at Harrison when she had thought no one was watching. The girl’s expression had been one of repulsion and fear. Clarissa wondered if Mary Beth was aware of what was going on before her eyes and behind her back. She also wondered if Clifford Sims would force his daughter to marry Harrison Caldwell even if she could not stand him, for evidently she could not. Yet she realized only too well that women naturally had little to say about their fates.
Clarissa lowered her head to smile spitefully as she envisioned this genteel girl refusing Harrison Caldwell’s affection and proposal, as Marissa Crandall had done long ago. She could not help but imagine her father’s rage and embarrassment if he were to learn how she had spied on him and Marissa years ago. The old buzzard had always underestimated her cunning and daring, and her hatred! she reflected angrily.
When she had been a child and he locked her in her room during Marissa’s secret visits to his ranch, she would climb out her window, edge along the narrow balcony to his, and peek inside. Sometimes she had watched and listened for hours as the two had played in her father’s bed. She had been mesmerized by their actions and the intense emotions that had flowed between them. By observing them, she had received vicarious pleasure and happiness and had savored her father’s love. Little
did her father suspect that he and Marissa had been the ones who had taught her all about sex and had inspired her greedy appetite. She could still remember how eager she had been to come of age and to find the courage to begin her own life of splendid enjoyment. Since her father had refused to give her love and attention, she had found plenty of men willing and eager to do so. Unfortunately, however, only Travis Kincade and Nathan Crandall had been man enough to stand against her father, and neither had become enchanted with her. But other men had loved her and desired her and had filled the void in her life, however briefly. As a child she had learned that her father did not love her or want her. She had done everything, anything, to capture his attention. His only reaction had been anger whenever she embarrassed him publicly. Yet he had not minded asking, or ordering, her to whore for him as Raymond had forced Marissa to do. What kind of father was that? she asked herself with a sneer. Her father was to blame for her behavior, for her misery, for her hatred! One day, she vowed, he would be sorry.
As the two men smoked their cigars and sipped their port and Mary Beth excused herself, Clarissa reflected on her father’s past love life. She had to admit he was a handsome man and a superb catch, but she doubted he would be able to ensnare Clifford’s daughter. No doubt Mary Beth would do what Marissa had done: reject her father and run off with another man; in Mary Beth’s case it would probably be Cody Slade. Of course, Marissa’s predicament had been vastly different from this girl’s.
Clarissa knew why the blue-eyed enchantress had married Raymond Michaels: to get far away from this area so that her vile secret could be safeguarded. Poor Marissa had never imagined that a cheap saloon harlot would devastate her life with a favor and a betrayal of that favor. Nor had Marissa imagined she could not bewitch the handsome and charming gambler who had pretended to be madly in love with her in order to wed her for her money and status. Harrison had been away for months when Marissa had discovered she was pregnant; otherwise Marissa doubtlessly would have married him. If she had, the flaming-haired bitch would have fared far better than she had under Raymond’s insidious hands.
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