Love and Honor: The Coltrane Saga, Book 7

by Patricia Hagan

  “So what’s she doing here dressed up like a man?” The officer frowned. “Something funny is going on, but we’ll worry about that later. She’s awfully sick right now.”

  Norman thought for a moment. “Mr. Tanner—the man who checked the horse in—said it was his. I thought it odd at the time, being as he belonged to Miss Coltrane on the trip over. She sure was fond of that horse, too. I can’t imagine her selling him to anybody. Let me go get Mr. Tanner and see if he knows what this is all about.”

  “You do that,” the officer said grimly. “But my guess is she’s a stowaway, for whatever reason. Why else would she be dressed like this? We’d better not move her until the doc looks her over. I’ll get him while you fetch Tanner.”

  Kit did not try to speak to them. It was so much easier to sink into the quicksand of oblivion.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Kit opened her eyes with great effort. She felt utterly drained both physically and emotionally. Trying to focus despite a throbbing headache, her eyes were drawn to the only source of light in the dark room—a round window. Then she realized that it was a porthole, which meant she was on a ship. As she lifted her head from the pillow, her vision became clearer. She saw a small sofa, a chair, a table, and a desk. She was lying on a large bed. There were paintings on the walls, a rug on the floor. What was she doing in a suite! Kit tried unsuccessfully to sit up. The blanket fell away, and she saw that she was wearing an unfamiliar shirt. Whose shirt was it? Who had put it on her? And how had she gotten there?

  Too weak to get up, Kit could only fall back and lie there, overcome by a feeling of terror. The last thing she remembered was being in the stall and feeling sick. A wave of hysteria swept over her. Then she heard a scraping sound and saw the doorknob slowly turning, able only to await helplessly whatever fate had in store.

  Kurt Tanner walked into the room.

  “You!”

  “Welcome back. You had me worried for a while there.”

  Her parched lips moved wordlessly, and Kurt poured her a cup of water from the pitcher on the table. Then he gently lifted her head so she could drink slowly. Kit loathed his touch, but she desperately wanted the water.

  “Do you feel like eating? I can have the galley send up some soup. Your fever broke during the night. The doctor said the worst seemed to be over, but you’ll be weak for a while.” He gently lowered her head to the pillow once more, concern etched on his face.

  Kit shook her head in amazement. “How…” she began in a tremulous voice. “How did you find me?”

  Kurt laughed softly, sitting down on the side of the bed. “I didn’t. The kennel boy did. Thatcher, I think his name is. He called an officer. They thought you were a stowaway.”

  “Then how—”

  “How did I get involved?” he finished for her. “Well, after Thatcher got a good look at you, he recognized you from the last voyage. He also remembered that you were the one who brought Pegasus over, and wondered why I was the one who’d brought him on board this time. He came to ask me if I knew what was going on. I didn’t, but I made up my own story to cover for you.”

  Kit frowned. He was obviously enjoying himself, trying to make her feel forever indebted to him. Well, he needn’t waste his breath, she fumed inwardly, her resentment giving her strength. “You had no right to meddle. Why didn’t you just mind your own business?”

  Kurt raised an eyebrow and chuckled. “If I had, you’d be in a place I don’t think you’d like very much—the ship’s jail.”

  “That’s ridiculous,” Kit protested. “You just said Norman Thatcher recognized me, and—”

  “Doesn’t matter. He might be able to eventually confirm that you are a member of the prestigious Coltrane family, but as far as the captain was concerned, for the moment you were just a stowaway. It’s obvious that you weren’t merely out for a stroll and got lost in the kennels. Especially,” he reminded her, “since you weren’t listed on the passenger roster.”

  “So what am I doing here?” she asked weakly.

  “Recovering from a fever that nearly did you in. You’ve been unconscious for nearly two days.”

  “Two days?” Kit echoed dizzily. “I don’t believe it. I remember falling asleep because I was so tired, but that couldn’t have been two days ago!”

  “Thatcher found you when he went to take care of the animals. I had you brought here. That was the night before last.”

  Kit watched him silently. There was still one question he had not answered. Clenching her fists, she demanded, “I asked you why I am here, in your stateroom! And who’s been dressing me?”

  His dark eyes danced mischievously. “Why, your faithful and loving husband has been dressing you, Mrs. Tanner, and caring for you, and bathing you to bring down your fever. And, I might add,” he said winking, “enjoying every minute of it.” Unable to help himself, he threw back his head and laughed at her incredulous indignation.

  “Bastard!” she cried, wishing she had the strength to slap his smug face. “How dare you? You had no right—”

  “I had no choice,” he replied with a shrug. “I knew what you were up to—running away, back to Spain, so I decided to help you out. I made up a quick story about how we had been married in New York and were on our honeymoon. I played the role of the relieved husband—explained that we’d had a little argument, as newlyweds sometimes do. You were dressed in men’s clothing because you happened to be naked when you lost your temper.” He paused, flashing a teasing grin. “You must have snatched up some of my things in the dark when you stormed out. When they asked why your name wasn’t on the roster, I said we eloped, and I’d already booked in my name, planning to pay your passage later. I gave the money to the purser and they were satisfied. Frankly, I don’t know if they believed me or not. They probably just figured it was the easy way out of a sticky situation for everybody concerned.

  “So,” he finished with a dramatic wave of his arms, “I brought you here, to our honeymoon suite. It isn’t the luxury you’re accustomed to, I know, but I did book late, and this was all that was available. Now would you like that soup?”

  “I won’t stay here!” Kit cried furiously.

  “You don’t have any choice.” He laughed. “You can’t go back to the stalls.”

  “I’d rather go to jail.”

  “That’s your privilege.”

  “Do you honestly think I’m going to share this cabin with you for the rest of the trip?”

  “It’s my cabin,” he reminded her. “Do you expect me to move out? The ship is full, and I’ll be damned if I’m going to sleep in a deck chair just to please you. It’s been pretty uncomfortable sleeping on the floor the past two nights.

  “And don’t get any ideas about making a wager for this cabin,” he warned her. “I’ve learned my lesson about betting with you, little one.”

  She stared up at him with hate in her eyes. “You think that if you can keep me here, you’ll be able to seduce me and add me to your list of conquests, but you’re wrong, Kurt Tanner!”

  He grinned insolently, saying nothing.

  “Well, it won’t happen! You’ve got my horse, but you’ll never have me. If you’ll be good enough to ask the ship’s purser to visit me, I’ll make other lodging arrangements, and get out of your way.”

  Kit turned her face to the wall. Kurt continued to sit there and look down at her. Despite her pallor and shadows beneath her lavender eyes, she was still the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. She was like a hunger in his blood, an addiction he could not give up. He had to admit that when he’d bathed her, touching her incredibly soft skin, tracing the sculptured perfection of her body, it had been only with great self-control that he’d not taken her then and there. In a tight voice, he now said, “That won’t be necessary. I’ll make other arrangements.”

  Kit did not reply, but he could see the trace of a triumphant smile on her lips.

  “I’ll send someone with your soup. You need to start eating.”

/>   “Thank you.”

  Silence hung heavily between them as Kurt continued to stare at her thoughtfully. Then he felt compelled to ask, “Since I’ve stuck my neck out for you, paying your passage and giving you my room, I think I have a right to know what the hell you were doing down there.”

  “My grandmother died.”

  “I’m sorry,” he said sincerely, “but that still doesn’t tell me why you were running away.”

  “My life got turned upside down all of a sudden. Thanks to your telling my father about how I got Pegasus, he decided I was totally incorrigible. He wanted to send me away to school in Switzerland, and my mother agreed with him.”

  “Kit, I’m genuinely sorry,” Kurt said again. “I never meant for things to turn out like that.”

  “I had no choice but to run away. It’s what my grandmother would have wanted me to do…”

  Kurt’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully. He knew that she wasn’t going to like what he was about to say. “Well, Kit, the thing for you to do when we get to Cherbourg is to rejoin your family. I’ll be glad to buy the ranch from you, even give you a tidy profit.”

  Kit bolted upright, despite her weakness. “Go back? Sell you my ranch? Are you out of your mind? I’ll see you in hell first!” Her face was red with rage.

  “Kit, be reasonable.” He stood up. “A woman hasn’t got any business trying to run a ranch by herself. It’s rugged land, and a rugged life. It would be dangerous. Besides, I’m sure Colt Coltrane is not going to be sending you an allowance every month, so how are you going to live? If you had the money, you wouldn’t have been hiding in a horse stall, for God’s sake!” He looked down at her incredulously. “I think you’re the one who’s crazy, Kit, for doing something so dumb, and—”

  Suddenly Kit began to look around the room frantically. “My bag! Where’s my bag?”

  Kurt shook his head, bewildered by her outburst. “What bag? You didn’t have a purse.”

  “Not a purse!” She swung her legs over the side of the bed and tried to stand, but swayed dizzily. He caught her and tried to ease her back down, but she hit at him with weak, flailing fists. “No. I have to find my bag! There was a water jug, and food, and…” She paused as she saw the curious way he was looking at her. Forcing herself to be calm, she said, “Please, I need that bag.”

  Kurt thought for a minute. “Maybe it’s with your clothes. I remember telling the cabin steward to bundle everything up and put it in my foot locker. Let me see.” He opened his small trunk and began to rummage about.

  Kit held her breath. The money Kitty had given her was in a drawstring pouch at the bottom of the bag. If it was lost, then so was she.

  At last Kurt held up her bag. He took it to her. Kit grabbed it and clutched it to her chest, watching him fearfully.

  “You’ve got money hidden in there, don’t you? Well, don’t worry, I’m not going to take it. I only want what’s mine in life.” He could not resist alluding to their past differences.

  “My grandmother gave it to me, so I’d have some security until I get things going the way I want—not that it’s any of your business.”

  Kurt nodded slowly, a smile of contempt on his face. “As conniving as you are, Kit Coltrane, I don’t think you’ll have any problem at all, having things your way.” He walked to the door. “I’ll go see about having some soup sent up, and try to find a place to sleep for the rest of the voyage.” With a last glance in her direction, he left the suite.

  Kit did not have to look inside to know that the money was still there. Kurt wouldn’t steal from her or anybody else. She wondered suddenly if maybe she had stolen something from him by “winning” Pegasus. At the time, she’d considered herself shrewd, but hadn’t she done the same thing Galen Esmond had done when he tricked the vaqueros into racing him? She’d cheated him again when she’d hidden the ranch’s “For Sale” sign.

  Weakness was creeping over her like a thick, warm blanket, and Kit felt herself slipping away. She surrendered gratefully, eager to escape the unpleasant realization that she had wronged a man who had saved her from great embarrassment and harm.

  The smell of warm vegetable soup made her stomach rumble. Kit opened her eyes and saw the cabin boy place a tray on the table beside her bed. There was also a plate of ham-and-cheese sandwiches, and a huge mug of steaming coffee. Never had food looked so good; never had she been so hungry.

  The boy asked if she needed anything else, and Kit responded promptly, “Yes. A bath.” He told her he’d send a maidservant to help her.

  Kit had barely finished eating when the young girl arrived to draw her bath and help her wash her hair. Kit found Kurt’s blue cashmere robe hanging on a wall hook and put it on. She could not help reveling in the lingering spicy scent of him. Wrapping herself in the soft robe, she returned to bed and immediately fell asleep again.

  A metallic scraping sound woke her with a start, and she sat up to see Kurt rummaging in his trunk. Without looking at her, he said, “Sorry to wake you, but I need to get a few of my things.”

  She asked hesitantly, “Where are you going?”

  He raised his head and looked at her with an expression of bitter amusement. “To the kennel. I told Thatcher it looked like we had an argument that wasn’t going to be resolved, and we’d probably be getting a divorce. He said I could sleep with Pegasus. Even the crew is doubling up, the ship is so full.”

  Feeling a stab of guilt, Kit protested, “You can’t sleep there—that’s not fair. After all, it’s your cabin.”

  “I’ve slept in worse places in my day,” he informed her humorlessly. “Didn’t bother me then, won’t bother me now.”

  He rolled some things in a bundle and turned to go. Kit slid off the bed and walked shakily to the door, blocking his way. “Please don’t go. I’ll feel awful if you do.”

  “You will?” he asked, a sardonic glint in his eyes.

  She folded her arms across her chest to hold his huge robe closed. She felt naked before him…then suddenly felt a warm rush at the thought that he had seen her naked, had touched her body. She hoped she was not blushing as she looked up at him and admitted sheepishly, “I’m very grateful for what you did. We’ve had our differences, and you didn’t owe me that. You didn’t owe me anything, and I certainly wouldn’t be showing you much gratitude if I ran you out of your own stateroom to sleep with a horse.”

  Eyeing her warily, Kurt said nothing.

  Sensing his distrust, Kit attempted to convince him. “After all, we are going to be neighbors. It might be nice if we could try to like each other, maybe even be friends.”

  Suddenly he was amused—and pleased. “Oh, I always liked you, little one, even when I wanted to turn you over my knee and spank your pretty bottom. So remember,” he added in a husky whisper, “if I ever do just that, we’re still friends.”

  Kit turned away so he wouldn’t see how shaken she was by his nearness. She went back to the bed and sat down, and he watched her in silence. Kit nervously said, “I wonder what I’m going to do about clothes. I’d planned to sneak off the ship when we reached land and buy a few things, but now I’ve got nothing to wear when we walk off the gangplank as man and wife.” Her attempt at a laugh came out as a silly schoolgirl giggle, and she felt very foolish.

  “Kit.”

  She looked up to see him standing over her. He ran his hands gently over his warm brown eyes filled with desire. “You don’t have to be afraid of me. I’ll never do anything to you that you don’t want me to.”

  Kit could not respond. She met his gaze silently, her own hunger reflected on her face.

  “Yes,” he admitted huskily, with a little crooked smile, “I’ve had a few women, but the truth is, I’ve never given a woman anything she didn’t want. I angered a few along the way, because they had notions about marriage, but I never made any promises in the heat of the moment. I’ve never been dishonest with any woman, if I could help it. And you’re wrong if you think that I’ve been waiting for a chance to se
duce you.

  “What I have been waiting for,” he said as he gently laid her back on the bed, stretching himself out beside her, “is the chance to show you how much I’ve wanted you since the first day I saw you. I want to show you how good I can make you feel…how good we can be together.”

  He drew her close, and Kit could not resist as his lips claimed hers hungrily. The robe fell open, and his hands moved inside, his fingertips dancing gently over her naked skin, igniting a fire of desire that would not be denied. Kit felt as if she were floating on a cloud of supreme happiness. His touch was as warm as the sun, bringing joy to the darkest recesses of her soul. She had no doubts or fears—in fact she had no thoughts at all as she surrendered wholly to the all-consuming passion that was sweeping over her body like wildfire.

  His knee slipped between hers to gently part her thighs. Kit moaned softly as he touched where no man had ever touched her before… He raised his head ever so slightly and whispered, “You’re ready for me, Kit…and I’ve been ready for you for a long, long time…”

  He moved on top of her and lowered his mouth to her breast, sucking gently. She arched her back in exquisite ecstasy as his lips burned a trail of kisses between her breasts down to her stomach. He traced the curve of her hips with his tongue as she clutched his hair in her fingers. Then, suddenly, he was kissing her lips again, his tongue hungrily searching her mouth. Pausing for a moment to look deep into her eyes, he said, “I want you, Kit, more than I’ve wanted any woman. I don’t want to hurt you.”

  “Please,” Kit moaned, “take me…” Gently parting her, Kurt entered her with one thrust, covering her cry with his mouth. Then he began to move, lifting her hips with his hands. Kit was lost in ecstasy, clinging to him fiercely as together they reached new heights of passion. Finally, crying her name, Kurt fell upon her, his head on her shoulder. Basking in a warm glow of happiness, Kit lay there spent, her fingers absently twirling his thick curls. Kurt rolled off her and sat against the headboard, pulling her into his arms. Cradling her gently, he traced her cheekbone with his fingers.