“Looking at it like a lawman”—she gulped—“if it weren’t for the blizzard, the sheriff might’ve been ready to arrest me.”
Jared shook his head. “He didn’t sound like it to me. When I talked to him, I told him I was only investigating because the family was angry and upset over their son’s death. He maintained it was unlikely you had anything to do with Ojeda killing your husband.”
She let out a ragged sigh of relief. “You frightened me. For a moment, I was ready to make a run for Texas myself.” While frontier justice was usually just, it wasn’t always. Hanging a woman wasn’t unheard of. Certainly not a frequent happenstance, but still… Her hand went to her throat.
“Already feeling the noose stretching your pretty little neck?” He chuckled.
“That’s not even remotely humorous, Jared.”
“Sorry, darlin’. Don’t worry. You won’t have to leave your land and hightail it to Mexico. If you want me to, I’ll find Ojeda if I have to follow him to the ends of the earth.”
“While I find your zeal immensely reassuring, I’d rather you not leave me.”
“I don’t want to leave you, Talia. Not ever.” He put his hand to the back of her neck and pulled her down for a long and tender kiss.
Elation filled her heart. Her throat swelled with an unfamiliar emotion. Tears stung her eyes.
“What? What’s wrong?” he asked her so tenderly she couldn’t hold back the tears now coursing down her cheeks.
Shaking her head, she gazed down at him , unable to speak. Inhaling deeply, she composed herself enough to say, “I don’t think I could bear it if you did.”
“Then I won’t.”
“And tomorrow? You’re still going to town?”
“Let’s wait and see how the weather does.”
She smiled, pleased that he’d put the decision off for another day. “If you go tomorrow, will you stop at Sarita’s cabin and see if she made it home and if she and Pedro are all right? Their cabin is right off the trail to town, but still on the hacienda.”
He nodded. “I will.”
She laid her hand on his forehead. Beads of perspiration were just beginning to form. “Your fever is coming down,” she said, then started to rise.
He clasped her wrist with his strong hand, forcing her to remain seated. “Don’t go. Take a siesta with me.”
“A siesta?” she said with a laugh. “What do you know about such things?”
“I know we could both use one.”
“I know you need one, but I have other tasks to occupy my time.”
“You don’t have to see to the animals. I already did that.”
“Sí, but I have to see to the house.”
“Expecting company, are you?”
“You never know. In spite of your best efforts, my kitchen is in a sad state of affairs. What will Sarita say when she returns and sees the results of our, uh, cooking?”
His wide grin and the merry glint in his eyes sped up her heart. “By cooking, you mean the fact we just made love on the kitchen table?”
“Dios! She must never know.” Natalia felt her neck and cheeks heat up hotter than the cookstove at dinnertime. “I must go.”
Jared roared with laughter, but as soon as he stopped, his eyelids drooped with fatigue. “Whatever you say.”
Placing a kiss on his forehead, she rose and rushed from the room. “Sleep, mi amado.”
If she hadn’t left the room when she did and allowed Jared to sleep off his fever, she would’ve lain beside him and run the risk of making his fever even worse.
Putting on an apron, she surveyed the remains of her kitchen. True, dishes were stacked neatly on the table by the sink, but there were fragments of broken crockery crunching beneath her boots. She and Jared had been so hot for each other that they’d swept everything off the table and hadn’t even realized it.
Sarita would be appalled, even as she would be pleased Natalia had been so well loved. Tomorrow, if the weather allowed, she would remind Jared about checking on Sarita. Perhaps they would agree to shelter for the rest for the winter with her and Jared. Assuming, of course, Jared kept his word and didn’t leave.
She set about restoring order to her kitchen, sweeping up the shards of crockery. After a futile attempt at using the water pump, she sighed. Still frozen. More snow would have to be brought in and heated to wash the remaining dishes and pans. Still, she couldn’t help but be thankful for the storm that had marooned them together.
Once she had the snow melting on the stove, she dried her hands on her apron. Time to check on Jared. Hopefully by now, his fever had broken and he would’ve had a restorative nap. He might even still be asleep, and that suited her just fine, since anytime she was around him, she found herself unable to stay at arm’s length. Indeed, she craved his strong arms around her as well as his masterful touch. It seemed he knew her body so well, what would pleasure her, even better than she. Making love with him was so natural, as if they were made for one another.
She tiptoed down the hall and stopped at the door to her bedroom. Hesitating, she laid her hand against the cool wood of the door. The chill from the surface sent a sensual thrill up her arm and then down to pool in her belly. Beyond this carved mesquite lay her beloved Pinkerton. How had they grown so close in such a short time? Never before would she have believed such a strong connection possible. Indeed, their bond was forged through adversity and shared dangers. But was it a lasting one, and would he truly stay with her after the snow cleared or the spring thaw, whichever came first?
After Reginald’s death, she’d planned a future on her own as an independent woman. Marrying again had never entered her mind, but now, after all they’d been through, she looked forward to risking her heart for a future with Jared.
Fearing she might awaken him, she quietly turned the knob and nudged the door open until she could make out his form, stirring in sleep. Good, he was still resting. Ready to leave him undisturbed, she stepped back from the door but then heard him hoarsely call her name.
She opened the door wider and entered the room. “I thought—” She halted. Jared wasn’t awake after all. He’d thrashed around and kicked off the coverlet. Swiftly, she crossed the room to his side, felt his forehead and found it damp with perspiration. His fever had broken, but why was he so restless?
“Jared,” she murmured. Perhaps he was dreaming.
She started to ease from the room, but again he rasped her name. “Talia. I love you. Don’t leave me.”
Her heart thrilled to hear the words, even if only in his dreams. “I won’t leave you, mi amado.” As if she ever would. Reaching to caress his tanned cheek, she sighed. Love for him overpowered her and filled her with a rush of emotions she’d long thought denied to someone like her—a woman bound in marriage to a man she hated. Her eyes stung with unshed tears.
His lids flickering, he grasped her hand, brought it to his mouth, and pressed light kisses into the palm. “Don’t leave me.”
“Never.”
His eyes widened, his steely gaze locked with hers. “Do you mean that, Talia? Or are you playing with my feelings?” he asked her in a soft, seductive tone.
Assuming an offended expression, she straightened and jerked her hand from his. “You were pretending to be asleep—all this time? Shame on you, Pinkerton.” Then she smiled. “Mayhap you were playing with my feelings instead.”
Cocking a dark brow in her direction, he levered onto one elbow and grinned. “Knowing full well your fiery disposition, would I dare be so rash?”
“Cheeky fellow. I’ll have you know most of the time I’m a very mild-mannered person.” Natalia stood primly with hands folded while she endeavored to keep her expression meek.
“Except—”
“Except when I’m angry…or in bed.”
“Yes.” He nodded, with a smile playing about his tempting mouth. “Those would be the two exceptions I’ve noted.”
“I believe the subject has been changed ever so subtly.
”
“It was a natural progression.”
“I will never leave you, Jared. Can you truly say the same?”
“Back to the topic at hand. When you choose to be, you’re very direct.”
“Sí, it pays to be direct when the stakes are high, Pinkerton. Yet again, you have avoided answering my question.”
“Um, what was the question again?”
“Fine.” Tired of playing Jared’s silly game, she squared her shoulders. Ready to sweep from the room, she stopped only because he snatched her wrist.
“I will never leave you, Talia.” Sitting up, he brought her hand to his heart and met her gaze. “I want to make my life here with you on this beautiful ranch where we’ll have many children. Will you do me the great honor of becoming my wife?”
“Before or after the many children?” she asked, teasing him to cover her shock.
“Before, of course.”
After Reginald was murdered, the last thing she ever wanted was another husband. He’d destroyed all her notions of what marriage should be. In her darkest hours, she’d sworn she’d never bind herself to another man. How things had changed in a few days, and it took only the love and attention of a good man. This good man.
“Sí, mi amado, I will marry you.” Leaning forward, she cradled his face in her hands.
His eyes were warm and soft. “Come here. You’re too far away.” He scooted over and pulled her onto the bed beside him. “Lie with me, Talia.” He gently stroked her cheek. “Let me make love to you for the rest of the night.”
He drew her so close her head rested on his muscled chest, and she could hear the hammering of his heart, even as her own raced along like a runaway horse. “Sí, love me for the rest of the night,” she murmured.
Slowly, he peeled away the flannel shirt, revealing her breasts. The shock of cold air on her skin elicited a gasp. Her nipples tightened and tingled for more of his touch. He brought one of her breasts to his mouth. His tongue swirled languorously; then, centering on her nipple, he sucked. Need arrowed to her lower belly, causing her to whimper like a mewling babe. Never had she been treated so tenderly. Tears sprang to her eyes. She loved this man so. And now that he’d declared his love, he was hers for all time. “Te amo. Te amo. Te amo.” The words rushed from her lips like a sigh.
His rigid cock pressed into her thigh. He wanted her. He needed her as much as she needed him. She fumbled at the waistband of her trousers.
“Let me,” he said. “I’ve had years of experience.”
Nodding her assent, she smiled. “I suppose you have at that.”
He rolled to his side and unbuttoned the fly of her pants, then slid them down her hips to her thighs. From there, she worked them below her knees and kicked them aside.
She gave an involuntary shiver at the room’s cold air. His arms enveloped her as he pulled her to his warm chest. “Mm, better. Your body is warm as if you still have a fever.”
“It’s not the fever. I’m hot for you and your sweet loving.” He pulled her close until her lower body covered his.
His cock jutted against her belly. More than anything, she wanted to take him inside her and love him for as long as she could. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
“You’re going to hurt me if we don’t make love,” she said, emitting ragged breaths.
She started to speak, but he shushed her. “There’s no rush. We have all night.” He cupped her buttocks, pressing his cock against her. She slid her hand between them and grasped him.
He gasped. “Easy, darlin’.”
“I want you now. I don’t want to wait.” Natalia pushed off his chest and sat astride his hips. “Touch me. I’m wet for you. I’m ready.”
He slipped two fingers into her cleft and groaned as her inner walls clenched around them. “If you’re ready, so am I. He raised her hips, and she centered his cock at her entrance.
He tried to thrust home, but she shook her head. He groaned his frustration.
“Slowly, mi amado,” she said, smiling down at him. Deliberately, she allowed his cock to enter an inch, then another, and another. Swirling her hips gently, she pulled away, then repeated the motion over and over until their bodies were straining for more contact. Moaning, he fisted his hands in the sheets as she took her time with their pleasure.
Finally, she took all of him, still squirming her hips to heighten the sensations. Then she began to ride him, at first slowly, then increasing the pace. He cupped her breasts as they bobbed, capturing one nipple between his teeth and raking it, causing curls of pleasure to weave their way through her body.
A rush of heat flooded through her as she rode him. She could never get enough of him…ever. His face flushed, the perspiration beading on his forehead as he strained upward, driving into her core.
Loving him, higher and higher she flew until her world exploded in a kaleidoscope of color. She collapsed in his embrace as he gave one final thrust and groaned.
Limply, her bones molten, she clung to him, gasping for air. “Te amo.” Amazingly she felt him stir within her.
He smiled up at her, his silver gaze blazing with heat. “Again, my love?”
“Sí, again. And again. And again.”
Chapter Eighteen
The next morning, Jared hobbled out to the stables, leaving Talia still asleep in the bed they’d shared. The sun shone brilliantly on a vast expanse of white. Yesterday’s wind had died down, and while the snow had drifted higher in some areas, the sides of the trench were merely knee-high. Finally, he could saddle his horse and forge his way the half mile to the housekeeper and her husband’s cabin, if not all the way to town.
He quickly took care of feeding his restless stallion and Talia’s gentle mare. Milking the cow wasn’t his favorite task, but after last night’s lusty exertions, Talia needed the brief respite from stable chores. He smiled at the memory of their loving. What a lucky bastard he was to have found a woman like Talia. She was his match in every way.
Back inside the ranch house, Jared set down a load of firewood, then grabbed a knife and cut himself a thick slice of bread. Chewing on the yeasty slice, he tiptoed into the bedroom. Talia still slept, her breathing regular and light.
Unwilling to wake her, he retreated to the kitchen, rummaged through the cabinet drawers until he found a pencil and quickly scratched out a note, telling her his plan for the morning. He left the note on the kitchen table where she would spy it. Soon they would know whether Sarita made it home through the storm to her husband.
Talia would be inconsolable if her housekeeper had perished.
He headed back to the stable, this time to saddle up. Today’s temperature seemed mild compared to that of the previous day. Entering the stable, he heard the nickering of the horses. One of them pawed the ground restively. Midnight, no doubt. Yes, Midnight nodded his head excitedly, as if he sensed freedom was at hand.
Jared quickly bridled and saddled his horse, then led him through the stable door. Gritting his teeth against the pain in his injured leg, he set his left foot in the stirrup and carefully swung his bad leg over the horse’s back. He nudged the horse forward with his heels, and soon they were making their way through the snow, around the side of the ranch house until they reached the front.
He could just make out the dip of the road. Midnight’s muscles were tensed, ready to gallop, but the depth of the snow and the unfamiliar terrain kept Jared from allowing the stallion his head.
Still, he was a man with a mission. An uncompleted mission.
Behind him lay the ranch house and the woman he loved. Ahead lay the way back to civilization, if indeed La Mesa, a town of two hundred or so, could be considered civilization.
In spite of the snow, Midnight appeared to relish the freedom, stepping high in order to move along. Jared kept a tight control on the reins. It wouldn’t do any good to risk his mount by rushing along willy-nilly. The night before, Talia had told him where Sarita and her husband’s cabin would be. In the distant northwes
t, he made out the snow-covered Rabbit Ear Mountains. Using those visible landmarks and the position of the sun, he guided his horse in a southwesterly direction.
A quick blast of air chilled his neck. He pulled his Stetson down, hunched his shoulders and continued toward the cabin. He could make out a bit of smoke coming from the chimney. Good. Someone was home…and alive.
As he rode closer to the cabin, he could tell someone had started digging out—just as he and Talia had. The area in front of the door was clear, and a partial trench had been dug. Anxious to reach the cabin, he allowed Midnight to move a little faster.
“That’s far enough,” a man’s voice rang out.
Jared could make out that the cabin door was open, and the barrel of a pistol protruded. He stopped and raised his hands, showing he wasn’t holding a weapon. “Pedro? Señora Montrose sent me. Is your wife with you?”
“Sí. Mi esposa está muy enferma.”
While Jared wasn’t fluent in Spanish, he understood the gist of what Pedro’d said. Sarita was very ill. He pointed at the housekeeper’s husband, then toward the hacienda. “Vamos.”
The pistol was lowered, and the door opened wider. A short, stocky man with a barrel chest stepped outside. “Sí, señor.” He then motioned for Jared to dismount and come inside.
Frowning, Jared nodded. Dismounting was a tricky proposition, since a normal dismount would bring his injured leg down first. Instead, he slipped his left foot from the stirrup, swung his bad leg over the horse’s back, and slid off the horse. Not exactly an elegant maneuver, but at least he ended up with both feet on the ground. He hobbled forward, leading Midnight by the reins.
Too fast for Jared’s limited Spanish, Pedro let fly with a rush of words.
“Hold on, amigo.” Jared shook his head to let Sarita’s husband know he didn’t understand. He tied the horse’s reins to the hitching post, the top of which was barely visible in the packed snow, and stepped into the small area Pedro had already cleared.
Taming Talia Page 16
