The Mercenary And The Marriage Vow

by Doreen Roberts

  His lips touched the curve of her breasts, while his hand slid inside the opened front of her shirt and moved to her back.

  With an expert flick of his fingers he unsnapped her bra.

  No. She couldn’t do this. It was no good, she just couldn’t. She should never have let him get this far—

  “What’s the matter?”

  She pulled away from him, clutching the edges of her shirt together in front of her. “I’m sorry. I just don’t think we should be doing this.”

  “Valeri, I have protection, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

  “It isn’t that. I’m sorry.” She was perilously close to tears. She scrambled to her feet, fastening her bra as she did so. “I didn’t mean to let you think—”

  “What did you mean?” His breathing was harsh, his voice brittle.

  “I’m sorry, you don’t understand....”

  “Try me.”

  She turned her back on him, blinking back tears. How could she explain to him something she didn’t understand herself? This wasn’t Dan, with his clumsy attempts to get her aroused. This man was everything she’d ever fantasized about...experienced, gentle and considerate.

  Why couldn’t she go through with something that promised to be the most incredible experience of her life? Why did she have to let that wonderful feeling get lost in a stupid maze of panic and guilt? It wasn’t fair. It just wasn’t damn fair.

  “Valeri, if it was something I did....”

  Her embarrassment and frustration got the better of her. Her tone was clipped when she said, “Forget it, Nat. I just can’t sleep with a man I’m not ready to trust. That’s all.”

  The pause seemed to go on and on, while she listened to the steady thump of her heart.

  Then Nat said steadily, “I see. My mistake. I apologize for misreading the signals.”

  She pressed her lips together so hard they felt numb. She wanted to tell him that it wasn’t his fault. That he was the most exciting man she’d ever met. That his touch could set her soul on fire, and his kiss could make the world and everything that was wrong in it disappear.

  She wanted to tell him that she hated herself for not being able to respond the way she wanted to, for not being the woman he thought she was. She might have even found the courage to tell him, if he hadn’t chosen that moment to say, a little stiffly, “Let’s get some sleep. We both need some rest. You can lie down here. I won’t touch you again. That’s a promise.”

  She started to say awkwardly, “I’m sorry—”

  He cut her off. “You don’t have to apologize. It was my fault. I should have known better. Now get some sleep.”

  The moment had passed, and it was too late to say anything now. In a way, she was glad she hadn’t tried to explain. Now he would never have to know that she was frigid.

  She slept little that night, torn between worrying about her father, and wondering how she was going to face Nat in the morning. She was conscious of his warm body next to hers, alert to every movement that he made.

  A dozen times she silently berated herself for letting things go too far before she called a halt. The problem was, Nat could do things to her that just blew her mind, making her forget everything except sheer pleasure.

  She knew she’d wounded his pride. That hurt her more than anything. It was the last thing she had intended to do. Until now, she hadn’t thought it was possible to get through that thick hide of his. But in one area at least, like most men, Nathan Thorne was vulnerable. He would probably never forgive her.

  She finally drifted off to sleep, and awoke sometime later to find Nat shaking her gently on the shoulder.

  “It’s almost light,” he said when she opened her eyes. “I’d like to get off the road and out of sight before the sun gets too high.”

  She groaned as her sore muscles reminded her of yesterday’s hike. “We’re not going mountain climbing again, are we?”

  “No, we’ll stick close to the road. It’s only a couple of miles, and we should be in town before Sabhad’s men can wipe the sleep from their eyes.”

  He turned his back on her and went to the window, rubbing at the dusty pane before peering through. He wore the clothes he’d bought at the store: a yellow T-shirt that stretched tight across his shoulders, and black jeans. “It’s all clear to use the bathroom before we leave—if you want to go first.” He sounded brusque, the way he had the first day he’d forced her into his car.

  Miserably, she busied herself with the task of gathering up the clothes. She reached for her chinos, and as she did so something caught her eye.

  She moved closer, her pulse quickening as she read the letters scrawled on the wall. It had been too dark to see them last night, but with the first rays of the sun already creeping through the window, the inscription jumped out at her.

  Forgetting the tension between them, she turned to Nat. “Look what I’ve found.”

  He gave her a cursory glance, as if reluctant to look at her. She pointed to the wall, and waited while he peered closer to study the scratches.

  In a puzzled voice, he read the words out loud: “Tinkerbell. Gone into town for POP.”’ He looked back at Valeri. “So?”

  Valeri smiled. “Tinkerbell is what Alex used to call me before he left us. He used to read Peter Pan to me every night.”

  Nat raised his eyebrows and looked back at the wall. “Look at the word POP. It’s spelled out in capitals. It’s what I call him, sometimes.”

  Nat’s gaze came back to her face. Her smile faded at the cool expression in his eyes. “It looks like our search is almost over. All we have to hope now is that he waited long enough in Sylvan Springs for you to catch up with him.”

  There was such a sense of finality in that flat statement that she felt like crying. She scolded herself as she visited the bathroom. Nat was the kind of man who would never belong to any woman. She couldn’t lose something she’d never had. Even so, she knew it would take her a very long time to get Nathan Thorne out of her system. Maybe forever.

  Chapter 9

  He had no idea why Valeri was sending him mixed signals, Nat mused, as he led the way across the rough, dry ground with one eye on the distant road. He must be losing his touch. It had been a long time, sure, but there was no way he could have mistaken that look in her eyes. He’d seen it too often.

  What had she called him? An itinerant. The word had a sordid ring to it.

  One thing was for sure. It would be a cold night in hell before he tried anything like that again. There were too many women around to waste regrets on one who didn’t know what she wanted. She could send him all the hot looks she liked. She wasn’t going to burnim again.

  He looked back at the road, squinting against the shimmering haze of sunlight. They were skirting the highway by about half a mile, but the flat, bare terrain made them easy to spot if anyone cared to look hard enough. He knew, full well, that if Sabhad’s men came charging at them across the desert in their big machines, he and Valeri wouldn’t stand a chance. There was just nowhere to run.

  In the distance he could see the sun glinting on low-lying buildings. Sylvan Springs was a very small town—which again would make them easy to find. Actually, it also would make Alex Forrester easy to find. Nat felt surprised that Sabhad hadn’t picked him up already.

  Or maybe he had. That could be why he’d not seen any sign of Sabhad’s men since yesterday morning. He glanced over his shoulder at Valeri, who trudged a little way behind him in the hot sun, her face flushed and grim.

  He paused, waiting for her to draw level with him. “Not long now,” he told her, nodding at the glimmering buildings. “Think you’ll make it?”

  She flicked a glance at him, then away. “I’ll make it.”

  He felt sorry for her. She obviously wasn’t used to this kind of trekking over rough ground. It had to be telling on her. She was limping slightly, and he didn’t know if it was from the car wreck yesterday, or if the ridiculous canvas shoes she wore had rubbed a bl
ister in her heel.

  Either way, there wasn’t much either of them could do about it until they reached town. She’d probably be thankful to see the last of him.

  Even so, he intended to stick with her until she found her father and got this mess straightened out....He was the one who’d screwed things up for her. If he hadn’t stepped in and whisked her off in his car, she might have been reunited with her father days ago. Now it was up to him to see that they got back together again.

  After that, once he knew where Sabhad figured in this, he’d chalk it all up to experience and be on his way. One thing he was pretty sure about: Sabhad wasn’t going to pay him for taking off with his bait. Not that he cared if he ever saw that bastard again. All he wanted now was to satisfy himself that he’d done everything he could. Then he could leave and forget the whole damn thing.

  He could forget most of it, anyway. Once more he glanced at the slender woman struggling along gamely by his side. Something told him it would take longer than he cared to think about to forget Valeri Richmond.

  She was limping badly by the time they reached the outskirts of town. Nat would have preferred to leave her while he checked out a few places, but he wasn’t sure she’d be any safer there alone. In any case, he was sure she’d refuse to let him go in by himself.

  Now that they were actually in the town, she was in a real hurry to search the place. “He’s probably in a motel,” she said, doing her best to speed up her uneven stride.

  “We have to take it easy,” he told her, understanding her impatience. “First you need to take care of that foot.”

  She scowled down at it. “It’s only a blister. It will heal.”

  “Not for a long time if you don’t get a bandage on it. Look, there’s a drugstore across the street. I’ll get you something.”

  “I have some money left.” She started across the road, and he almost smiled at her. show of independence. Suddenly a black car eased around the corn, and he tensed, ready to dash across the street and throw her to the ground if need be. But he relaxed when he realized the driver was an elderly woman with white hair.

  Valeri disappeared inside the drugstore, and Nat took his time following her. When he got there, he heard her asking a man behind the counter if he’d seen her father.

  The assistant, his deeply grooved face creased in a perpetual frown, listened while she described Alex Forrester.

  “There was a fella in here a couple of nights ago,” he said when she paused for breath. “Could have been your father. Bought some painkillers and a pair of them magnifying glasses, as I recall.”

  Nat watched Valeri’s face light up. “Did he say where he was staying?”

  The man shook his head. “Ain’t that many places to stay around here, anyways. A couple of motels, or a room one of the townsfolk rent out, maybe. That’s about it, I reckon. Don’t get many visitors in these parts. Most folks camp out at one of them campgrounds. Otherwise they’re in Reno, or Tahoe.”

  “Well, thank you, anyway.” Valeri took the small white bag from him and handed over her money.

  “Whereabouts are these motels?” Nat asked pleasantly.

  The man peered at him over rimless glasses. “Well, there’s the Cactus Motel down the road a ways—give you a room real cheap, I reckon. Though if it were me, I’d be inclined to go to the other end of town. The Sunset Inn. Friend of mine runs it. Tell him Jim sent you, he’ll give you a good rate.”

  “That’s very kind of you. Thank you.” Valeri turned to go, but the man stopped her with his next words.

  “Funny thing, someone else was asking about your father a couple of days ago, if that’s the same guy. Sounds like it, from the description.”

  Valeri’s face turned white, and Nat said hurriedly, “Probably friends of ours. We’re all supposed to meet up here for a reunion.”

  “Ah, that explains it.” The man nodded, smiling at Valeri.

  She managed to smile weakly back at him and hurried out of the store.

  Nat lifted his hand in a gesture of thanks, and strolled out after her.

  “It must have been Sabhad’s men,” she said in a low urgent voice when he reached her. “What are we going to do?”

  “Go on looking for him. They didn’t find him or they wouldn’t still be looking for us.”

  “I hope you’re right.” She looked scared and flung a look over her shoulder.

  More to distract her than anything, Nat took the bag out of her hand. “I hope you got some antiseptic for that blister,” he said, opening up the bag to look inside.

  “I did. Now all I need is somewhere I can take off my shoe.”

  “How about there?” Nat nodded at a one-story building with a sign that advertised breakfast for less than five dollars. Faded yellow checked café curtains hung in the murky windows, and the walls were in desperate need of a coat of paint. Cheap and cheerful, Nat thought. As long as it was clean inside, and he could get some hot coffee, he didn’t really care.

  Valeri looked at the building without much enthusiasm. He could tell she’d rather be down the road looking for her father.

  The problem was, he figured the chances of finding Alex Forrester right now were pretty slim. She’d be able to deal with that a lot easier if she had some food inside her.

  “I don’t know about you,” he said, stepping out into the street, “but if I don’t get something in my stomach soon, I’m going to die of malnutrition. I’ll order breakfast while you fix your foot.”

  She followed him with obvious reluctance. “I’m not hungry.”

  “Eat anyway. It could take a while before we find your father.”

  She sighed. “All right. I guess we would think better on a full stomach.”

  “I do everything better on a full stomach.”

  He hadn’t meant that to sound the way it did. She sent him a look that clearly said she wasn’t interested. As if he didn’t know that already.

  The smell of fried bacon reached his nose the minute they pushed open the door, jangling a bell somewhere in the rear of the dining room. He followed her into the restaurant, his stomach growling in anticipation.

  The place was empty except for a surly-looking man who sat at a table near the window. He looked up as Valeri limped in, then looked her over with an insolence that balled Nat’s hands into fists.

  He fought the urge to shut the man’s eyes with his knuckles. Instead, he deliberately moved between him and Valeri, blocking the man’s view. “Still serving breakfast?” he asked. He’d kept his voice pleasant, but he put all his antagonism into his eyes.

  The man dropped his gaze, shuffled the newspaper he’d been reading into a clumsy pile and got to his feet. “What’ll it be?”

  “Breakfast for two.” Nat glanced at Valeri. “Eggs and bacon all right?”

  She nodded.

  “Pancakes?”

  “No pancakes,” the man muttered. “Just hash browns.”

  “That will do. And coffee.” Nat led the way across the room to a table at the back that still afforded him a view of the street between the bedraggled curtains.

  He pulled out a chair and sat down.

  Valeri hesitated, looking around the room. “Can you see a bathroom anywhere?”

  “It’s probably out back. I’ll ask Sunshine when he comes back.”

  For a minute there, he thought she was going to smile. She sat down, wincing as she settled herself on the chair.

  “Still sore, huh?”

  She flicked her glance across his face. “I’ve collected a few bruises lately.”

  He felt uncomfortable, aware that it was his fault. “You’ll need to soak in a hot tub. Does wonders for sore muscles and bruises.”

  She didn’t answer him.

  Her silence hit a nerve. After all, she’d been the one sending him the wrong signals, dammit. He was only human. Despite all his efforts to keep his thoughts to himself, he said a little testily, “We’re not going to get far if you intend to keep me at arm’s length
with that holier-thanthou attitude. We need to work together on this thing.”

  “I wasn’t aware I had any kind of attitude. I’m worried about my father and I’m anxious to find him, that’s all.”

  He waved his hand in the air in exasperation. “We’ve got to eat. You said yourself that we’d do better on a full stomach.”

  “I know I did. I’m just not sure I can eat.”

  “Well, try.”

  She looked at him the way a schoolteacher looks at a rebellious student. “Do you bully every woman you meet, or are you just trying to be obnoxious because of what happened last night?”

  That hurt. He leaned forward, keeping his voice low. “What happened last night was as much your fault as mine. How was I to know you were going to blow hot and cold? Was it my fault you couldn’t make up your mind what you wanted?”

  A red stain spread over her cheeks. Her magnificent eyes glittered with fire. She lifted her chin and leaned forward until their noses were almost touching. In a low, furious voice, she muttered, “Oh, isn’t that rich. You abduct me on the steps of a hospital, where I wouldn’t have been in the first place if it wasn’t for you. Then you almost get me shot—”

  He opened his mouth to protest, but she gave him no chance to speak.

  “—As if that wasn’t enough, you charge all over the mountains in that pile of junk you have the nerve to call a car until I’m covered in bruises, you tie me up to a bed all night, you nearly kill me when you finally wreck the stupid car—”

  “Wait a minute—”

  “Then you drag me on foot all over another mountain until I’m ready to drop and then—”

  “Hey, I—”

  “And then,” she said fiercely, “you expect me to be panting to make love to you on bare floorboards that haven’t seen a mop since the turn of the century.”

  He was gathering all his forces to deliver a knockout retort when, above his head, someone cleared his throat.

  Nat sat back and met the accusing eyes of their waiter, who stood with a steaming mug of coffee in each hand, obviously having been witness to Valeri’s entire tirade.