With deliberate slowness, he molded his masculine contours to her feminine counterparts, pressing hairy thighs to her smooth ones, his muscular, flat belly to her softer flesh, his unyielding chest crushing her pliable breasts. Within moments they were stretched across the big bed together.
His hand traveled familiar paths, gently teasing the most sensitive parts of her body. Loren gasped with delight as he stroked her stomach and inner thighs.
"Don't stop—"
"Now, come to me . . ." He pulled her over him, continuing his sensuous persuasion.
Eagerly, responsively, Loren pulled him deeply inside her. She arched to meet his abundant masculinity, utilizing the skills he had taught her for both their ultimate pleasure. Together they reached a frenetic, wild zenith, each grasping for more of the other. They were as one, belonging and cherishing, their wild hunger at last being satisfied.
Finally Loren sank down into the bed, relaxed and satisfied. Occasionally she nibbled the side of his neck near her face. The descent from the heights was a slow, wonderful journey, interspersed by an occasional warm kiss or murmur of love.
"Loren, mi amor, you're amazing." Reid's voice was muffled against her temple.
"Your love is wonderful." She smiled contentedly and kissed his still throbbing neck.
"I can never get enough of you, Loren," he sighed, rolling her into the cradle of his arm.
"Never?" A teasing finger traced his hipline. "What about now . . . again?"
"Okay, maybe later, my sexy senorita!" He laughed from deep within his chest. "First, the Jacuzzi . . . together. Next, dinner. Your man's hungry. Then ..." He smiled wickedly. "Then, mi preciosa, whatever you want."
"Just you." She tweaked his dark hair. “Only you.”
"Promise."
Chapter Nine
Loren's eyelids fluttered with the sudden intrusion of light across her face.
"Wake up, sleepyhead," a low masculine voice muttered. "Do you think you're going to sleep all day? We have things to do, horses to mount, mountains to climb."
"Hmmm . . . what mountains?"
"You do want to climb the Catalinas, don't you? Why, we might even find gold in them thar hills. There are rumors of such."
"Who cares?" She turned over and covered her head with the pillow.
"Come on, mi amor. Lupe has a mountaineer's breakfast on the table, and lunch packed in the saddlebags. We need to get an early start before the heat of the day and the monsoons roll in." He swatted her firmly on the rump and opened the shutters to admit the sun.
"Why didn't you remind me last night that we'd be getting up with the sun?" she groaned.
"Oh, no!" he chuckled. "My thoughts were elsewhere last night. Breakfast is waiting. You don't want to miss this opportunity to ride into the mountains searching for gold, do you? Think of all the exciting tales you can take back to your dull friends in Washington." He closed the door, leaving her to dress alone.
When Loren finally stumbled into the kitchen, Lupe greeted her with a wide smile. "Buenos días, señorita! Coffee?"
"Oh, yes."
"Señor Reid wants to have breakfast on the veranda."
"Thank you, Lupe."
At Reid's urging, Loren ate more than usual for breakfast. Maybe it was the cool, fresh Arizona air that increased her appetite. Or maybe it was the marvelous variety of fresh fruit and delicious breads prepared by Lupe. At any rate, she was only too glad to follow Reid's lead and wolf down their feast. Within the hour they were loaded with lunch, plenty of water, and high spirits for riding into the Catalinas.
"We'll see you sometime this afternoon, Lupe," Reid advised. Then, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder, he added, "I talked with the doctor this morning. Dad had a restful night and seems to be improving. So don't worry about him."
"Si, Señor Reid." Lupe nodded obediently. "Be careful. Don't forget, Señorita Loren is new to this."
"I know," he chuckled. "We'll be back before the monsoons have a chance to blow in."
"Watch the sky." Lupe motioned overhead at the usually solid blue sky. "We already have clouds."
"Don't worry, Lupe." He helped Loren mount her horse.
A misty haze rose over the Catalinas as they rode up the rocky path into the cactus-covered heights. They climbed rapidly above the hacienda and stopped long enough to view the stretch of Oro Valley and the far Tucson Mountains with their pinkish glow.
"This is just beautiful, Reid. Now, what monsoon were you and Lupe discussing?" Loren encouraged her horse beside Reid's so they could talk.
"Oh, for several months in the summer we have what everyone calls the monsoon season. Rain, sometimes thunder storms with enough rain to flood the washes, more aptly describes it. It's our rainy season."
"Rain? Out here? Looks like you haven't had rain in months."
"Well, it doesn't rain in the same spot every day. Sometimes the clouds sail right over us. Now, for the last couple of days, you could see the rain falling in the Sonoran Desert. But when it does rain, watch out. It comes hard and fast, creating flash floods and bringing intense lightning."
"Oh." Loren nodded, not really understanding the full impact of what he was saying. To her, rain was rain. It fell frequently in Washington, and it was no big deal.
"As we go farther into the mountains, keep your eyes and ears open for wild critters."
"I thought they were all in the Rockies or Alaska."
"We have cougar and foxes and coyote. Sometimes black bear. Our chance of sighting them will increase at higher elevations. But they usually keep their distance."
Loren noticed that the seemingly barren, lifeless desert was alive with activity. Their horses startled numerous cottontail and jackrabbits while an occasional brazen chipmunk would scurry across their path.
By noon they had traveled to another ecological zone. Plant growth consisted not only of numerous types of cacti, but of various medium-size trees that provided shade. Reid even found a small trickle of a stream, allowing a brief cool respite from the increasing heat of the Arizona sun. Loren again ate as if it were her last meal, savoring the spicy meat on her sandwich. Maybe she was acquiring a taste for the snappy Mexican food, because she thought it was delicious.
She stretched her legs and walked around the small, shaded harbor. "What kind of tree is this, Reid? Its trunk is green and leaves look like tiny lace."
"Palo Verde," he answered. "That's chlorophyll in their bark. Gets them through the dry seasons."
"And those fuzzy-looking cacti?"
"Oh, they aren't fuzzy. They're vicious." he chuckled. "That's a cholla, pronounced cho-ya. It's also called a jumping cactus because if you brush against it, little chunks of it break off and cling to you."
"There are so many different kinds of cacti out here, Reid. I always thought they were all alike."
"No, not at all. You know, there are some plants that grow here and nowhere else on earth. Those giant saguaro, for instance."
She glanced curiously at the tall, spiny plants. "They look like a cowboy being held up with a gun in his back," she mused. "See, his arms are up."
"It takes a hundred years for it to grow one branch, or arm, as you call it."
"A hundred years?" she asked incredulously. "Then most of these were around when the Indians roamed this land."
He nodded with a grin. "The Spaniards, the Indians, the miners—all of them."
"The miners? Did you say earlier there's gold up here?"
"Oh, sure. Somewhere."
"These aren't the famous Superstition Mountains, are they?"
"Oh, no. The Superstitions are farther to the north. But the Catalinas have their own tales of gold too. Many a prospector spent his life—and lost it—searching for gold up here."
Loren's eyes narrowed as she tried to imagine such a life. "It's amazing."
"They say there's still a mine, hidden by time and rocks, that the Jesuit priests used in the seventeenth century. Supposedly they locked it up with an iron door
so no one could get to the gold."
"Oh, Reid, how exciting. Wouldn't it be an experience to search for it?" Her face was alight with the prospect.
"No. Don’t get any ideas, Loren. People have been searching for that thing for years and nobody's found more than a few trickles of placer gold. I doubt that there's even a lode up here."
"Oh, Reid, where's your sense of adventure?" She took his hand and squeezed it.
He kissed her nose. "My sense of adventure wants to guide us to a special field of wild flowers where we might spot a coyote, then back down off this treacherous mountain before these clouds build up any higher."
"Spoilsport." Loren fussed as she mounted her horse and followed Reid up the ever-narrowing trail that led through a dry wash.
They found the field of flowers, but not the coyotes or cougars. Reid was clearly disappointed, but Loren was far more interested in the possibility of gold. She began to look at every granite boulder and pile of sandstone rock with renewed interest.
However, Reid was intent on the growing dark clouds that blocked the burning sun. Shadows spotted the terrain, and instead of stopping by the stream on their return, they shared a drink from Reid's canteen and kept moving. Suddenly the air was cool and a moist breeze buffeted them from the south. The sky darkened and the temperature dropped noticeably. Reid urged Loren to hurry. As he had suspected, the rains came before they made it home. After trying to continue for a short distance in the cold rain, he finally decided they should take refuge somewhere.
The desert storm became violent quickly, with loud cracking of thunder and brilliant streaks of lightning stretching from black, menacing sky to brown, drenched earth. It was spectacular, but there was no time to enjoy the beauty. Loren wrestled to control her horse, but lost her seat when he bolted wildly.
Reid lunged at the bridle, but the animal reared frantically and broke away down the obscure mountain trail. He turned his attention to Loren, who was slumped in a muddy heap. Dismounting, he quickly tied his horse to a sturdy scrub oak and gathered her in his arms.
"Hey, baby, are you all right?"
"Depends on what you call all right." she snapped. "I'm cold, wet, muddy, and humiliated. Otherwise I'm fine."
"No broken bones? Then come on." Roughly he pulled her to her feet, and they scrambled across a stretch of sodden sandstone until they reached a ledge of limestone. "Under here," he commanded.
The limestone ledge provided limited protection from the rain, although tiny rivulets crept inward to where Reid and Loren huddled. The sudden drop in temperature left its chilling effect.
Loren clung to Reid, seeking a warmth he couldn't provide. "I'm so miserable. This place is awful. Let's get out of here."
He cradled her to his wet shirt. "I know, baby. But we can't leave yet. We're safe under here." His dark eyes watched the transformation of the dry washes to treacherous riverbeds of rushing water. Above them he could hear the crashing of a wall of water in the area they had just traversed. Within minutes that wall rushed past them, clearing out everything in its path. He could only hope that Loren's horse was well out of the way by now. And that his remained tied.
Even after the rain had halted they had to remain in place, waiting for the heavy runoff to subside. There was no leaving their small limestone refuge until the path they must travel was safe. So they lingered, cold and miserable.
Several bone-chilling hours later Reid stirred. "I think we can start to make our way back now. We may have to walk part of the way."
Loren was so cold, she was shaking all over. She moved woodenly, but followed him, knowing there was no other way out. They led Reid's horse as they hiked down the steepest part. Stumbling over the sodden earth, Loren was grateful for her heavy cowboy boots. It didn't matter that mud was caked two inches thick all over them. Thankfully the cacti she brushed against didn't penetrate the heavy leather. She hoped fervently that this was the last time she would ever need those damned boots.
Finally they reached an area where the horse could retain his footing. Reid heaved himself into the saddle and pulled Loren snuggly behind him. She clung limply to his broad, wet back, wishing the time would fly, and they could be home immediately.
"Look, Loren, a rainbow over the Tucson Mountains. Bet you don't often see one that stretches from horizon to horizon."
She looked at the 180-degree arc of colors over the distant mountains and admitted to herself that it was amazing. However, she was in no mood to expound on the beauties of the desert and mumbled a barely audible, "Yeah. Beautiful."
"And that refreshing smell after a rain." Reid heaved a deep breath, inhaling the air satisfyingly. "You don't get that in the city, Loren."
"You're right. I have never gotten this in the city."
"The creosote bush has a special fragrance when it gets wet," he explained.
"Strange, strange place," Loren muttered.
They rode on quietly, two wet, cold people silhouetted against a picturesque pink and orange sunset. At dusk they were received by the welcoming hands and worried prattle of Lupe.
She motioned in the air, angry, yet relieved. "I told you. Monsoons coming. When that horse came back, I knew. I just knew something awful happened. Ayy, Dios mío! Gracias a Dios!" She crossed herself, then continued fussing and gesturing.
Reid interrupted her with tired directives. "Sorry we worried you, Lupe. Would you take care of Loren while I help Raul with the horses and saddles?"
"Sí, claro. Of course. Come with me, pobrecita." Lupe draped Loren's shoulders with a colorful Mexican shawl and helped her discard the leaden boots, then, murmuring words of comfort, led her inside.
While Loren stripped off her cold, wet blouse and jeans, Lupe ran hot water in the tub. Gratefully Loren sank into the warm liquid, allowing it to cover her, hoping its warmth would seep into her chilled bones.
By the time she could hear Reid running the shower next door, she was snuggly tucked into bed, sipping hot tea laced with something strong. But Loren was so tired, she didn't even bother to ask Lupe what it was. There was a cup of marvelous soup, which Loren ate quickly, then slumped down in the big bed . . . alone.
What a day this had been. The land had changed so quickly—had actually turned on them. It became their enemy, trying in every way to drive them away, or destroy them. What had started out to be a hot summer day ended up cold and harsh. What began as an adventure for her and Reid resulted in disaster. It was no wonder miners lost their lives hunting the elusive gold. One rainstorm and they could be all swept away. How dangerous.
Loren drifted off to sleep with visions of herself and Reid riding mules into the mountains on an ill-fated search for gold.
Chapter Ten
It wasn't the sunlight that woke her. The room had a grayish tint instead of its usual sunny yellow. One glance at the bedside clock told Loren that she had slept over twelve hours. She lay very still, enjoying her relaxed state, the warmth that permeated her body, the marvelous aroma coming from somewhere else in the hacienda. Maybe that's what had awakened her, she mused as her stomach growled.
With muscle-aching effort, she rolled out of bed, wrapped herself in her blanket, and opened the shutters to look outside. The Catalina Mountains loomed innocently beautiful as low clouds settled around them like plugs of cotton. They appeared innocuous, incapable of abrupt danger. But Loren knew better.
A soft knock at her door was followed by a gentle "Señorita Loren? Are you awake?"
"Yes, Lupe. Come on in." She turned away from the window.
"Oh, Señorita Loren, Señor Reid has a surprise for you." And she slipped back out the door.
“Not another one.” Loren groaned inwardly and pulled the blanket tighter around her flimsy nightgown.
Within another minute Reid was entering the room, clutching a huge tray laden with food and a tall green bottle. He was dressed in casual brown slacks and a dark tan open-collared shirt, which served only to provide a devastating framework for his black hair and ey
es. His skin was as tanned as the shirt, giving him the appearance of being shirtless. Loren looked away, telling herself that his masculine appearance didn't affect her. As if that were possible.
Setting the tray on the bedside table, Reid poured the bubbly liquid into two glasses. He walked over to Loren and stood close. Unable to avert her eyes completely, Loren watched his chest rise and fall behind the glasses. He placed one delicate crystal in her hand. "Salud, mi amor."
She raised her eyes to his dark ones and chafed, "To my health? We're lucky to be alive. We should be toasting the fact that we're not at the bottom of some dry gulch somewhere in Canada del Oro."
Reid's dark eyes flickered with ire, but he managed to retain a cool exterior. Tilting the sparkling glass toward her, he acquiesced. "To our lives, then." He made the effort to click his glass to hers, took a large gulp. Wheeling sharply away, he ordered, "Have some breakfast, Loren. We have a full day ahead if you want to travel to Bisbee and visit with Emmaline Walker. It'll take about two hours to get there." The warm spark was gone from his tone. Loren had doused those embers.
She walked toward him, dragging half the wide-striped Mexican blanket behind her while clutching the other end around bare shoulders. "Yes, I do want to see Emmaline today. I was just . . . checking the weather."
His answer was curt. "It won't matter today, Loren. We'll go in the four-wheel-drive truck."
"It looks like rain."
"The cloud-cover will help hold the temperature down. Rain never bothered you before."
"My life has never been threatened by it before."
If she was waiting for apologies from this arrogant man, Loren could tell that she would have to wait all day . . . and then some.
"That's the way it is out here, Loren. Sometimes survival is a challenge. When my great-grandfather came out here and settled, survival was a way of life, not only from the weather. Indians were a major threat. That's a part of my heritage." Reid shoved a bowl of fruit into her hands, then took his breakfast and settled in the rugged rawhide chair near the window. His ebony eyes raked over her, leaving a chill like the rain of the previous day.
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