“We will rest here for a while, and for once you will listen to me.”
“All right, but will you take me out again tomorrow?” she asked eagerly.
“You need to give your foot proper time to heal.”
“My foot is fine,” she argued. “Look, I want to experience these mountains while I have the chance. Today has been wonderful, and I don’t want to just sit around that cabin all day. It’s boring.”
Daniel shook his head. “You are a stubborn woman.”
“Damn right I am.” She grinned. After a moment’s silence, she asked hopefully, “will you take me to a geyser basin tomorrow?”
“What is a guy soor basin?” Daniel’s perpetual frown deepened.
Oops, big slip up. Too late, Aimee realized that the term geyser had definitely not been in use in this time to describe the geothermal water features of this area.
“You know, the places where the water shoots out of the earth. And the hot pools and mud.”
“How do you know of these things?” His eyes narrowed.
“I’ve seen a few before my accident, and I would like to see some more,” Aimee quickly said. It’s not really a lie. I have seen the geysers before now! She wished she could tell Daniel the other truth. All of it. Then he would really think she was lying.
“It’s a wonder you didn’t fall into one and burn to death,” he scoffed.
“Well, will you show me?” she asked again, ignoring his little dig.
Daniel met her eyes for a moment. “I will give you my answer tomorrow.”
Well, that’s better than a no. Besides, if she wanted to, she could find her own way to the lower geyser basins. All she had to do was follow the Firehole River.
Daniel reached into his traveling pouch, then held his hand out to her.
“What’s this?” she asked, examining what looked like a piece of black rubber.
“It’s called pemmican. Eat.”
She had heard of pemmican. It was a mountain man staple – ground up meat and lard mixed with berries, or something like that. Kind of like a power bar. It didn’t look very appetizing. She sniffed it, then took a tentative nibble.
“Yuck! That is disgusting.” She spit it out, making a face. Daniel took a big bite out of a piece he was holding.
“It’s nourishment.”
“Well, I’m not eating that.” She handed her piece back to him.
“Another lesson about the wilderness.” He gave her a hard look. “Never refuse food or water when it is offered, because you don’t know when you will get another chance.”
“I’ll whip something up when we get back to the cabin.” She stood. “Speaking of which, let’s go. I know we’ve been heading in that direction for some time now.”
Daniel grinned. She was not easily fooled, he realized. One more reason he wanted her. He’d been more than surprised today. He had assumed the little gediki would last a few hours on the trail with him. However, she had shown remarkable endurance. Her knowledge of some things and her ignorance in others added to the mysteries about her that he found intriguing. Whatever she was hiding, he was sure he’d find out in time.
By late morning, he had noticed her limping visibly. Without telling her, he’d chosen a route that would lead back to the cabin. He knew without a doubt that if he told her they were heading back so early, she would have tried to talk him out of it. Damn, she was stubborn. Her foot obviously still caused her pain, but why she wouldn’t acknowledge that fact made no sense. Several times he had offered to stop and rest. And she had refused each time.
The feel of her soft curves pressed against him when he’d caught her around the waist to keep her from falling into the river had sent fire through his veins. He had told himself he should release her. He’d resisted the urge to sweep some loose tendrils of hair out of her face. He hadn’t been able to keep his eyes off her, taking in the softness of her skin, the slight flush of heat on her cheeks, and the healing cuts that crisscrossed her delicate features. It had taken all his willpower to stay composed when all he’d wanted to do at that moment was wrap her in his arms and find out if her lips tasted as luscious as they looked.
His respect and admiration for her had grown all day, if that was even possible. He followed as Aimee walked on ahead after their short rest, noticing her determination not to show the pain she was in, and enjoying the view of her backside. He liked those britches she wore more and more.
*****
Aimee sighed and deposited her backpack on the table. No way would she admit to Daniel that she had probably walked too far today. It didn’t matter. It had been a wonderful day. She was confident her foot would be fine again tomorrow.
She poured the berries into a wooden bowl, sprinkled sugar over the top of them, and let them sit while she made a pastry crust using lard and flour. She realized this would not be a true pie since she only had a dutch oven to cook in. She would improvise the best she could, but her sweet tooth had to be satisfied. She definitely did miss her double fudge chocolate ice cream.
Low on firewood, she stepped outside the cabin to bring in more. Her eyes scanned the meadow, and her gaze fell towards the river. Daniel stood waist deep in the water with some sort of fishing line. He wore no shirt. Aimee stared. He wasn’t completely naked, was he? She couldn’t remember ever feeling such undeniable physical attraction for a man. But it was more than that. She enjoyed being in his company and spending time with him. She was convinced that somewhere under that serious, scowly exterior was a fun-loving, easy-going guy. She had seen that sexy grin of his more than once now.
She couldn’t help but wonder what his thoughts were of her. He obviously had strong convictions that a white woman didn’t belong in these mountains, but she was determined to prove to him that she wasn’t incompetent. The looks of contempt she had seen on his face that first day were gone. Maybe she had just misinterpreted his dark and hateful expressions. What reason would he have to hate her? At times, she saw him looking at her with that intense stare of his, and she didn’t know if it meant he was annoyed, or attracted to her.
She couldn’t have misread the raw desire she had seen in his eyes after her innocent peck on the cheek this morning. How long had Daniel been without the company of a woman? Perhaps an extended abstinence had caused such a reaction in him. There was no way a man like him would be leading a celibate life. Surely there were plenty of Indian women who would happily hop into bed with him.
Aimee walked toward the river. Reaching the bank, she sat down quietly and removed her moccasins, wiggling her toes in the cool grass. Silently, she watched him wade through the water, casting his line, almost like a fly-fisherman. A swim would be really refreshing right now to wash some of the trail dust off, but she thought better of it. She was reasonably sure Daniel wouldn’t force himself on her, but she didn’t want to test that theory, either. She should feel a lot more vulnerable, she reasoned. She was here all alone with this man, and no one would come to her rescue if he decided to have his way with her. However, she had felt nothing but safe and secure in his presence so far.
Then again, what would it be like with a man like him? A little voice inside her head nagged at her. She smiled at the direction her thoughts were heading.
Her sexual experience was limited to Brad. She had always thought she’d save herself for her wedding night, but Brad had shattered that aspiration rather quickly. He had wormed his way into her bed early in their relationship. To add to her disappointment, she couldn’t help but find Brad’s lovemaking rather unexciting. Sex with him was – as it always was with Brad – more about him, and less about satisfying her. Consequently, she had made more excuses than not to stay out of his bed.
And yet, here she was finding her thoughts straying to Daniel, and what it might be like with a man like him. Would he be gentle and considerate, or wild and fierce? Somehow she couldn’t picture him as anything less than a perfect lover. Oh, God, Aimee, get a grip! She mentally smacked herself. This is absolu
tely crazy!
She jumped in surprise, jolted out of her sensual daydreams. Something wet and cold fell into her lap. She stared as a large trout flopped up and down on her legs. She looked towards the river. Daniel had a wolfish grin on his face.
“You threw a fish at me?” she shouted in false anger. “I can’t believe you threw a fish at me!” In truth, it was hard to believe. Mr. Tall, Dark, and Scowly had actually done something funny. Imagine that.
She bent down in pretense of picking up the wiggling fish, and gathered a handful of river mud from the bank, squeezing it into a ball. As Daniel slowly waded towards her, still grinning from ear to ear, she aimed and threw the mud, hitting him in the shoulder.
“Hah! Take that!”
Daniel’s grin faded quickly.
“Two can play at that game,” Aimee kept taunting him, her hands on her hips.
Daniel emerged from the river, and she swallowed hard. Her eyes roamed over his glistening wet body as he advanced. His feral virility stunned her. Several large jagged scars on his chest stood out against his olive skin. She wondered why she hadn’t noticed them the day before. She swallowed nervously as her gaze traveled lower, and sighed involuntarily in relief. He wasn’t completely nude. He wore a breechcloth, but it didn’t leave much to the imagination as to what it covered, and only served to accentuate his flat, rippled stomach and muscular thighs. The smoldering look he gave her as he kept advancing sent her a few steps backwards, and the smile on her face faded.
Oh God! Is he really this angry because I threw some mud at him?
In one lightning fast predatory move, Daniel grabbed her up and flung her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, and turned back to the water.
“What are you doing? Put me down!” Aimee shrieked. Her fists pounded his hard back, her feet kicking uselessly in the air. He waded into the water a few feet, and unceremoniously threw her into the river. Before she hit the water, her thought was one of disbelief that he carried the game this far. It seemed so uncharacteristic of him.
“You slimeball,” she yelled as her head emerged from the water. She was actually pleasantly surprised at this new, playful side of him. At least it solved her dilemma of wanting to go for a swim earlier.
“How dare you!” she squealed in mock anger. Daniel dove into the river after her and came up inches from her face. She splashed water at him to ward him off. Daniel’s hands shot up and encircled her wrists.
Flashing a devilish grin, he asked, “What is a slimeball?”
She couldn’t keep up her false anger any more. “A slippery snake,” she laughed. “Like you, who preys on helpless women.”
Daniel’s eyebrows shot up. “I thought you said you weren’t helpless.”
“You’re right, I’m not helpless,” she confirmed, flapping like a fish to try and free herself from his iron grip. Daniel released her wrists, but snaked his arms around her waist and reeled her in close to him, while the slow current carried them downriver. She braced her palms against his chest, and a jolt of electricity seared up her arms at the contact with his warm skin.
“I thought you told me not to go in the river again.” Her voice was slightly breathless. Daniel’s expression changed. His eyes darkened and any hint of a smile faded. Once again, intense desire registered in his dark eyes. Her heart rate accelerated, and she struggled to breathe. This game, she realized, was taking a turn in a very dangerous direction.
“Don’t go in the river unless I’m here to fish you out.” Daniel’s voice was low and husky. His hand came out of the water and wiped a strand of hair away from her face. His deep brown eyes fixed on hers. His fingers lingered, caressing her cheek. Aimee’s stomach tightened, and she groaned inwardly at the pure pleasure of that simple touch. His thumb traced along her cheek, and he cradled her face in his hand, his fingers raking through her hair.
Slowly, he lowered his face to hers. She swallowed nervously. Her thoughts earlier might have strayed in this direction, but this is not right, she reasoned. I can’t get involved with him. I’m not going to be here for long. It would do no good to give in to this temptation.
*****
Daniel heard her whispered, “don’t,” just as he felt the stiffening in her body, and her hands push against his chest. Coming to his senses, he pulled his head back and released his tight hold on her. Cursing silently for what he’d almost done, he moved them both closer to shore. What the hell had gotten into him? He wanted her like he had never wanted a woman. But he knew he couldn’t have her. Not only did she belong to some other man, she shouldn’t be here in the first place. He still had to figure out how to get her out of his mountains and back to civilization.
He released her at the bank, and Aimee heaved herself out of the water, weighted down by her dripping wet clothes.
“Thanks for the swim,” she mumbled hastily, then turned. Shivering from the cool late afternoon air, she walked briskly back to the cabin. Daniel watched her stride off, noticing how her wet clothing clung to every one of her feminine curves like a second skin.
“Damn.” He punched the water with his fists. Blinding need as he’s never experienced before had driven him. He lost all reason when he was around her. He tore his eyes off her retreating form, and pulled himself out of the water to retrieve the fish he had caught earlier, including the one he had thrown at Aimee. He picked up her discarded moccasins in the grass and headed for the cabin.
*****
The cabin door creaked open. Aimee turned and gasped in surprise. She quickly tucked the ends of a blanket under her arms. Her wet clothes lay in a pile on the floor beside her. She hadn’t expected Daniel back so soon. After that little game in the river, and the fact that he had almost kissed her, she had realized she needed to draw some boundaries, or this – whatever it was – was going to get out of hand. She was terribly attracted to him, and could see herself in a relationship with him all too easily if circumstances were different. In her own time, this might have been a no-brainer. But nothing could come of this. She couldn’t let herself get involved with someone, knowing it would have to end in a few short months. She didn’t need that kind of complication in her life. And he probably didn’t, either.
As she thought about this on her way back to the cabin, she had realized that her casual, modern day behavior was probably sending him the wrong messages, perhaps even leading him on. She was a woman, all alone out here in this wilderness, and perhaps he thought she would be fair game to take to bed while she was here. Heck, he had already eluded to the fact that he considered her his property, based on Indian customs. She needed to work on her modesty and act more like a proper puritan, she decided. She wasn’t sure she could pull it off, but here was her first opportunity as she saw him standing in the doorway, still wearing nothing but that breechcloth, his smoldering eyes boldly raking over her wrapped in her blanket.
“Daniel!” she gasped. “I . . .I . . . I’m not decent.” She hoped she sounded properly mortified.
“I brought your moccasins.” Daniel stepped into the cabin and held out the shoes, rather than offer an apology. His eyes devoured her exposed shoulders and the swell of her breasts. She swallowed hard. For an instant, she felt like a prey animal, cornered by a predator.
“Daniel, could you please leave the cabin so I can get dressed.” Her voice was demure as she turned her back to him, her head down, and she clutched the blanket to her chest. “Please give me some privacy. This is most improper.” She glanced discreetly back over her shoulder at him, and the sober look on his face told her she had hit the mark. Maybe I should have been an actress instead of a nurse.
Daniel abruptly did an about-face and quickly left the cabin, pulling the door shut behind him.
*****
Outside, Daniel raked his hands through his hair in frustration. For a moment he couldn’t think straight. For a moment all he’d seen was Emma standing there.
Daniel, what are you doing here? Those same words echoed from the past. Emma with her
clothes off, clutching her dress in front of her to cover up, the same horrified look on her face at having been caught in a compromising situation. Only Emma hadn’t been alone …….
She’s not Emma! He released a string of curses. This was not Aimee as he had come to know her. She would have told him to get the hell out of the cabin, maybe even thrown something at him in anger. Any proper lady would be appalled at having been caught in such a compromising state of undress, but he had never seen her act demure and proper before. Again, she was confusing the hell out of him.
“Damn.” What the hell had gotten into him? He had never done anything so impulsive before as when he tossed her in the river. This woman was messing with his mind in ways that he couldn’t comprehend.
Just now, for the first time, she seemed truly afraid of him, and it hit him like an arrow in the gut. He realized he was becoming way too relaxed in her company, and her not-so-subtle reminder was like a dip in a frozen river.
Chapter 9
Aimee dressed quickly after Daniel’s abrupt departure, thankful that she had packed spare clothes and underwear. Three months in the same things would have been rather difficult. She really hoped her little puritan act had set up some boundaries. She would have to be more careful from now on how she behaved around him. What would be considered innocent behavior in her time could definitely be taken as forward and suggestive in this day and age. Thinking about it, kissing a man, even on the cheek, was probably not acceptable behavior. This whole situation was turning out to be far more difficult than she ever imagined.
She checked on her pie in the fire, and judged it to be done. The aroma of cooked berries made her mouth water. “If only we had some ice cream,” she said out loud.
She removed the dutch oven carefully from the coals in the fireplace and set it on the hearth to cool. Spying her wet clothes on the ground, she scooped them up and headed outside.
Daniel squatted by the fire pit, getting ready to skewer several fish on some sticks. He had his leather leggings back on, but no shirt. Her heart beat faster. The memory of what had almost happened in the river played fresh in her mind. Forcing her eyes away, she quickly ducked her head and headed for some trees to hang up her clothes to dry. Get your hormones under control, Aimee. That had never been a problem with Brad.
Yellowstone Heart Song Page 9
