Stacey Kayne Read online

  “Oh, it’s been lived in,” Rachell corrected. The narrow bed pushed against the right wall had certainly had its share of occupants. The telltale signs of past winter residents were scattered across the floor and the small table at the center of the dingy room.

  “Rachell, I’ve already seen you cuddle up to a snake. If it’s snakes we’re rooming with, we won’t have to worry about the rodents.”

  She glanced up to tell Jed she found no humor in his comment, only to see that he hadn’t intended any. His expression was as rigid as the sheer cliffs surrounding them.

  Something had been bothering him long before they’d reached the cabin. He’d not said but a few words to her since they’d ridden into the canyons. The supplies Jed had retrieved from Gran’s cellar had been a cold reminder of why they’d traveled to these mountains. She’d been stunned by the number of boxes of ammunition and the crate of guns Jed had strapped to their pack horse when she’d followed him outside. He had enough weapons to outfit a small army.

  The reality of facing Maxwell Sumner had paralyzed her with fear. Jed had been quick to assure her that they were safe and that he was only taking extra precautions. Yet once they’d ridden into these rock canyons, the tension she’d seen in Jed had been anything but reassuring as solemn silence grew between them.

  “You actually lived in this?” she asked, glancing back at the filthy ruin he expected them to stay in for the next few days, which didn’t bother her nearly as much as the cold void in Jed’s eyes.

  “Not this one. But ours wasn’t much different, structure wise.”

  “Ours?”

  “Mm-hmm.”

  Rachell’s skin prickled. “Yours and Malika’s?”

  “Yeah.”

  That single word hit Rachell with a force that sent the air rushing from her lungs. No wonder he had stoned over when they rode into these canyons. “Malika was killed in Shadow Canyon.”

  “She was,” Jed answered in a neutral tone as he turned and strode across the small yard, toward the horses.

  “Jed?” Rachell called, following after him.

  Jed looked back, figuring Rachell must think he’d just assigned her to the same fate as the woman he’d failed to protect over eighteen years ago. “This situation is completely different, Rachell. I know Sumner’s coming. I’ll be ready for him. You’ll be safe.”

  “I don’t doubt that,” she said, seeming surprised he would believe otherwise. “I’ve never felt more secure in my life than I have these past few weeks with you. I’m only sorry I’ve brought you to a place that causes you to feel pain from your past.”

  He’d roamed these hills and canyons countless times since Malika’s death. So why was this time so different? Why was the sound of gunfire echoing off the canyon walls and ringing in his ears?

  Perhaps because he was again responsible for the safety of a woman he cared for.

  A few weeks ago it had seemed a logical course of action to lead his adversary to isolated, familiar terrain. But now that he was here, the familiarity was all too real.

  This time is different. He’d have the upper hand. When Sumner arrived, Jed would be ready.

  “Jed,” Rachell said in a hushed voice. “I see the pain in your eyes. I hate knowing that it’s because of me.”

  She stepped forward, wrapped her arms around his waist and laid her head against his chest, embracing him so sweetly he couldn’t help but fold his arms around her. He must be slipping if this woman could see so clearly into his soul.

  “You know, you’re as sweet as you are pretty, and packed with enough stubbornness to fill three women your size.”

  “That’s what I love about your compliments,” she said, laughter trickling from her throat. “They’re sweet enough to lift my spirits, yet honest enough to keep my feet on the ground.”

  Jed wrapped his arm around her shoulders as he led her back toward the cabin. “I aim to please. Right now, we both have work to do. I’ll unload the horses then take them down to the meadow before I head out to scout the surrounding canyons.”

  “I’m not going with you?”

  “You, pretty lady, are going to have your hands full cleaning up that cabin.”

  Rachell grimaced. “You expect me to gut that cabin alone?”

  “I have complete faith in you.” He stopped in the open doorway and smiled down at her. “There’s got to be a domestic bone somewhere in that dainty body.”

  Rachell jabbed her elbow into Jed’s ribs. “Scraping the grime from this log enclosure won’t prove my possession of domestic attributes. More likely, the qualifications of a lumber-jack.”

  Feeling a little daunted himself, Jed strode into the cabin. “A bucket of water, some spit and polish, and it’ll be livable.”

  “Water?” Rachell called from the doorway, not taking so much as a step inside. “That will only turn the floor to mud. I need a shovel, a gallon of kerosene and a match.”

  “A little sunlight will help.” Jed pushed aside the gray window covering to open the shutter. As he pushed the fabric aside, the thin wooden dowel holding it up snapped and the curtain dropped from the window, landing on top of his boots.

  He could hear Rachell groaning in the doorway behind him as he unlatched the wooden shutters and pushed them open. Sunlight streamed across the center of the cabin, lighting up the network of silken fibers strung throughout the dust-coated room.

  “That should ward off the bats,” Rachell said in a more cheerful tone, “but what about the ones living in the stove-pipe?”

  Jed removed the window covering from his boots, tossed it onto the table then strode toward the stove. He regarded the heavy cast-iron stove and the long pipe leading up to the ceiling. He rapped his knuckles against the dust-covered pipe, giving it a swift tap. It knocked him smack on the forehead as it dropped from its fitting, spraying black soot all over Jed and everything around him.

  Buried in a thick cloud of darkness, and swearing a blue streak despite the bitter taste of soot invading his mouth and likely coating his lungs, Jed refitted the stove pipe. Fanning at the heavy gray film lingering in the stagnant air, he made his way toward the door.

  Just outside, Rachell was laughing so hard she was holding her sides. Jed had never heard anything half as beautiful as Rachell’s laughter. He stopped just past the doorway, his gaze transfixed on Rachell’s rosy cheeks, wide grin and sparkling eyes.

  The burning he felt deep in his chest had nothing to do with breathing the blackened air. The layer of dust and soot covering his head and shoulders was all that kept him from pulling her into arms and kissing her senseless.

  Senseless.

  Apparently he’d achieved that state of mind without the benefit of kissing. “Stove pipe’s all clear,” he announced with a tight smile as he dusted an inch of soot off his shoulders. “Grab me a clean shirt, would you, honey?” he asked as he walked past her, toward the makeshift stable, hoping to find something that would hold water. The flimsy shed was big enough to shelter a mule or two from the elements. If his pulse didn’t slow down soon, he’d end up being such a mule. He sure as hell wouldn’t stand a chance cooped up with Rachell and her laughter inside that tiny cabin.

  He saw Rachell tugging a shirt from his saddlebag as he emerged from the shed with a wooden wash basin. “Bring one of those canteens too,” he called over as he set the basin before the water pump just outside the cabin. “I’ll need it to prime the pump.”

  Rachell found all she needed. She handed Jed the canteen, and soon a wide, steady stream of water was filling the wash-basin. Jed peeled off his shirt then dropped to his knees beside the full tub and dunked his whole head into the water.

  Rachell watched the muscles of his arms bunch and flex as he vigorously scrubbed the dust and dirt from his hair. Water splashed onto his shoulders and back, glistening over the long thin scars crisscrossing his bronze skin.

  Jed brought his head up, his hair whipping cold water across the sky, and all over Rachell as he sat back on his
heels.

  “Thanks for sharing,” she said with a laugh as she handed him one of the rags she’d brought for him.

  As he dried his face, Rachell dipped another cloth into the tub and swabbed it across his shoulders and down the corded lines on his back. Jed froze at her touch. He gripped the wooden basin as though he’d lost his balance, his muscles tensing beneath her hands.

  “Rachell, I can—”

  She pressed her lips to one of the scars that topped his broad shoulder, ending Jed’s words in a groan. He trembled as she trailed her fingers across his strong back. Loving the feel of his warm skin, she discovered the salty taste of him was as intoxicating as his kiss.

  Jed drew a ragged breath, dizzied by a rush of exquisite sensations. “Rachell—” His voice ended in another groan as she began to feather kisses down his back, her hands heedlessly rubbing against his sides.

  “I hope the vile cretin who gave you these marks received a just punishment.”

  Jed’s control withered and died in the fire of Rachell’s words and touch. He reached around and grabbed her by the waist as he turned and sat down. Leaning back against the basin, he pulled her into his arms. Her knees slid astride his hips as she collided with his chest, adding to the overwhelming torrent of desire ripping through him.

  Seeing excitement light her eyes, he gathered she had just gotten the response she’d hoped for. Her gaze moved down his bare chest, stopping on his most recent battle scar.

  “You removed your stitches. Your side must be feeling better.”

  “Lady, if I knew we were safe, I’d demonstrate just how much better I’m feeling at the moment.”

  Rachell coiled her arms around his neck and nipped at his chin. “Excuses, excuses,” she purred, those impish eyes shining, her perfect lips smiling.

  Dear God, when had she learned how to be so damned seductive? “Rachell, you’d better be careful. I’m giving you fair warning right now. I’ve never wanted a woman the way I want you.”

  Her eyes brightened. “Really? I’ve never wanted a man, period. Until you. You’re very handsome, did you know that?” She sat back, raking her fingers across his chest. Her eyes followed her hands, glowing with catlike curiosity as she explored every inch of his chest and abdomen, touching each scar, before slowly pushing her hands back up to his shoulders.

  Forcing his body to remain reclined against the washtub with the heat of her body pressed against him was no small effort. Her light exploration was the most erotic sensual play Jed had ever experienced, and he’d experienced plenty. Every fiber in his body screamed to roll her over onto the short grass and bury himself inside her sweet heat.

  “Rachell—” he rasped.

  His heart kicked hard against his chest as she lifted against him and pressed her mouth to his. She surprised him again by taking his mouth with smooth deft strokes of her tongue. Jed returned the passionate kiss, losing himself in the velvet and satin paradise of her mouth.

  A nagging voice in the back of his mind reminded him that Sumner could be nearby. “Rachell, we have to stop.”

  Rachell eased back, her brow puckered in clear annoyance. “You don’t like kissing me?”

  “Of course I do! But I know my limit. Much more of this and I won’t be able to stop at kisses.”

  “I don’t want you to stop.”

  Jed closed his eyes as she smoothed her hands across his chest. His shudder shook both of them.

  “Don’t you want more?” she asked, her alluring tone clawing at his flesh.

  “Hell yes!” he barked out, struggling to gather the remains of his lost control. Opening his eyes was a big mistake. Her frank desire to welcome him into her body was eating him alive. “I want it all,” he admitted. “But I don’t think that would be a wise decision.”

  “Why? I won’t protest the annulment, if that’s what worries you.”

  “That’s only part of it. You’re also young, proper, and Buck’s sister-in-law.”

  Her blatant disappointment both amused and flattered him. Jed kissed her sweet nose. “That’s just my mind’s opinion. My body says we’re both adults, quite capable of having an affair. Is that what you want, Rachell?”

  “I ache for you. I only feel better when you’re holding me.”

  Jed hadn’t thought he could be any more aroused, but as she trembled against him, kissing him with the promise of all the pleasure their coupling would bring, his body continued to tighten with unbearable need. His desire to make love to her was about to drive him mad. But he couldn’t, not yet, not until he’d checked the canyons for signs of Sumner. He wouldn’t let his lust compromise Rachell’s safety.

  Despite his body’s painful protest, he tore his mouth away from her and eased Rachell off his lap until she sat on the ground in front of him. She gave a frustrated sigh as she leaned back, planting her hands on the ground behind her.

  “Jed, I want you to—”

  He reached out, placing a finger over her lips. “I know what you want. If I was certain Sumner wasn’t lurking somewhere nearby, I’d give it to you. Sugar, don’t smile at me like that,” he said in a pleading tone, again closing his eyes, knowing he couldn’t look into her sparkling green eyes for another moment without taking her. “I have…to go check…the canyons,” he said, the words sounding forced, punctuated by his heavy breathing.

  Rachell kissed his finger and wrapped his hand in hers, amazed by the effect she could have on his powerful body. She could hardly believe she had evoked such a response. The realization that he wanted her as intensely as she wanted him was empowering. She released his hand, contentedly watching him as he leaned forward, propping his elbows on his knees, digging his hand into his hair—slowly regaining his control.

  “Come on, honey,” he said, after a few silent minutes of deep steady breaths. He stood in one swift motion, simultaneously bringing her to her feet. “We have work to do. After I unload our supplies, I won’t be back for a while,” he said, turning toward her as he stopped beside Sage. “I hate to leave you here, but I have to check for signs of Sumner. Don’t stray from the cabin. Keep the rifle at your side.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Sassy,” Jed said, shaking his head. His arm snaked out and pulled her against him.

  Rachell reached up, eagerly meeting his kiss. As he straightened, lifting her against his chest, she pulled herself up and wrapped her legs tightly around his waist. Jed groaned against her lips. His hands tenderly caressed her thighs and buttocks, sending sparks of fire streaming through her body.

  “Do what you can with the cabin, but don’t overwork yourself,” he said between kisses. “I doubt I’ll be back before dusk.”

  When his mouth finally broke away, Rachell’s lungs were heaving for a full breath, her body shaking with need.

  “Promise me you won’t come back mad,” she said in a ragged breath. “I won’t be able to stand it if you return with your defenses intact and behave as though nothing has happened between us.”

  His smile sent another burst of heat rippling through her body.

  “Not a chance, Imp. It’s going to be one hell of a long day, knowing I’ll be spending the night with you in that cabin.”

  Rachell glanced over his shoulder, into the cabin. “Why do I feel like I’m getting the raw end of this bargain?”

  “I’ll make it worth your while,” he said in his voice of warm velvet.

  “Do you think I need to be bribed?”

  “Uh-huh,” he said, brushing a light kiss across her lips. “How does a warm bath sound? There’s a hot spring not far from here.”

  “A hot spring?”

  “It’s like bathing in a giant tea cup. I’ll take you there when I get back.”

  “If you’re teasing me, Jed Doulan, I’ll crown you with a frying pan when you return.”

  His laughter vibrated through her. “Honest to God. So, do we have a deal?”

  She smiled. “Kiss me again and I’ll agree to anything.”

  Jed did
n’t hesitate, giving her a thoroughly convincing, deal-binding kiss.

  “Deal,” she gasped, although in the back of her mind, she was wondering how in high heaven she could manage to make that dirt-filled shack livable. But as she gazed into Jed’s warm smiling eyes, she vowed to scrub every nook and cranny spotless or kill herself trying. She would not disappoint him.

  Chapter Sixteen

  “What the hell?” Jed followed the burning scent of smoke back to the cabin. She’d actually torched the place!

  In the last bit of twilight left in the sky, he saw dark billows of smoke rising from the chimney pipe. As he rode closer he could see small tendrils of smoke filtering out from cracks in and around the window and the top of the door. He rode Sage up to the cabin, jumped from his saddle and kicked the door open.

  A thick gray cloud rolled over him, out into the yard. He ducked down, saw the source of the billowing blackness and ran blindly across the room, toward the stove where the large cookpot was smoking like a freight train. He found a hot pad, grabbed the handle and ran the hissing pot out into the yard.

  Jed tossed the black kettle into the dirt then glanced around the small empty clearing. He’d come back to the cabin once to check on Rachell and had been snared by the melodious notes echoing from this canyon. She’d been hanging wet sheets on a rope she’d tied between the cabin and the shed as she sang. He’d stood silently in the meadow, mesmerized. It hurt to look at her when she was singing, her voice nothing short of angelic.

  Looking into direct sunlight can damage the eyes, he told himself, and devastate the soul.

  But her clothesline was now bare, the yard deserted. He called her name as he checked the horse shed. Finding it empty, he shouted for her again, but his own voice was all that echoed back.

  Where the hell is she? He hadn’t found any trace of Sumner arriving in the area. Could he have missed tracks leading toward the cabin?

  Rage roared through his body at the thought of Rachell being taken from him. They’d never make it off the mountain with her and wouldn’t live but a second after he got her back! He ran back to the cabin to search for any signs of a struggle.