The peak, according to the brochure, was only accessible by hiking and backpacking, and had ruggedly spectacular scenery, with high meadows and deep canyons. Because of weather extremes, the back country was considered dangerous for the inexperienced hiker and camper.
Kylie had questioned her decision to continue on to Pine Springs. Ultimately, she’d decided to take her chances in an area where she had a chance to live her life without being hauled off to prison, even if she fell into a canyon or died from exposure.
Seeing the faint glow of lights and a sign about an RV park, she felt herself come more awake. She pressed off the radio and raised her window, the chill making her shiver now.
Shit, she so needed a shower and another change of clothes. She’d managed to wash up once at a roadside stop. After unpacking a pair of her most comfortable jeans and a lightweight sweatshirt, she’d changed clothes inside her car, then quickly driven away when two semi trucks rolled off the highway toward her.
Slowing down, Kylie’s attention was drawn to a gas station that looked like it was straight out of the sixties, and was similar to one she’d grown up with in her small town. The difference, though, this station gleamed invitingly.
The pumps were mirror-shiny chrome, and she could see several people gassing their expensive cars, acting friendly with each other. Might as well fill up, since her car neared empty again. Afterwards, she could check around for a place to park for the rest of the night.
“Wow.” Kylie stared at four enormous pickup trucks parked in front of a restaurant attached to the gas station. They glistened as if just waxed and were all painted with a camouflage design. Plus, they were sleeker in appearance than any pickups she’d ever seen.
Cruising toward an available pump, she stopped beside it, then automatically hid the small bag she kept some of her cash in. The people she’d seen, a woman in a sexy red dress and two rugged cowboy types, gabbed inside the station as they stood around a low counter.
After observing them through the oblong window for a few moments, Kylie shut off her car. Their expensive sports cars still sat at the pumps. One of them looked like a Ferrari. It crossed her mind to wonder where the RVs were. Sheesh, who drove a sports car into Guadalupe Park?
Chapter Six
Tall in the Saddle
The moment Kylie stepped out of the car, the odor of bacon and eggs, of frying potatoes and onions tantalized her nostrils. Clutching her keys tightly, she locked the door. Her mouth watered and her stomach growled as she headed inside to pay first. God, hopefully, no one would give her any real notice.
Longingly, she gazed at the restaurant. Did she dare go inside for something to eat? Of course, if the women were dressed like the full-figured woman in red, she wouldn’t fit in with her rumpled jeans and sweatshirt.
On alert, Kylie swung the door open, moving inside the clean but cluttered station. A fresh scent filled her nostrils. She couldn’t identify it, however the minimal gasoline and oil odors from outside had been eliminated.
“Can I help you, miss?”
The man’s friendly twangy voice had her pivoting in his direction. From behind a tall counter loaded with snack foods, a nice-looking red-haired man smiled at her. There was a register close at hand and shelves of car products in back of him.
“Just need to pay for gas,” Kylie answered. “You do take cash, don’t you?”
“Sure do. It’s a dollar a gallon.”
Kylie gaped as she approached. “Are you sure?” The words fell from her mouth of their own volition. Still, she reached in her jeans pocket for the twenty-dollar bill she kept there.
A speculative glint shone in his gaze before he grinned and accepted the bill. “You just fill up, and I’ll bring out your change. Or gather up whatever you want in here. Then we’ll settle up outside. How’s that?”
Kylie nodded. “Do you have any local maps of Guadalupe Park?”
“Sorry, miss, we sold out of ’em yesterday. But I can give you directions. My name is Craig.”
Kylie wondered at the extra gleam in his eye as he offered his hand. Did he think she was available for some good-time sex? Hesitantly, she took hold of his hand.
There was nothing in the way he shook her hand, though, that suggested he wanted inside her panties. Relaxing some, she smiled. “I’m Kylie. Yeah, I’ll just look around, then gas up.”
Craig nodded. “Anything you need just holler. I have to get some items from the back room.” He spun around and strode toward a pair of white swinging doors, his step hurried.
Restless, and needing to stretch her legs, Kylie walked up and down the aisles while keeping one ear trained on the three people still standing at the low counter. So far, she hadn’t heard anything except their bantering tone.
Finding some cold-weather wear, she selected an old-style wool hood, a pair of sheepskin gloves and a heavy duty rain poncho. Since all she saw on the tags was a numbered code, Kylie laid them on the counter and figured she’d ask the price after she gassed up, then decide.
Heading outside, she surveyed her surroundings, then moved toward her car. A tall broad-shouldered man in a tan Western suit, complete with bolo, filled up what looked like a Caddy. Sidling in front of her pump, Kylie checked out the directions, then unscrewed her gas cap.
“Need some assistance, ma’am?” the Caddy Cowboy politely asked. He tipped his impressive cream-colored Stetson when Kylie met his gaze. “I can fill ’er up in two shakes of a lamb’s tail.”
Kylie blinked at the old phrase he’d used. “Thanks. I think I can handle it.”
“It’s okay, ma’am. I’m not moving in on another man’s territory. Happily married myself.” He extended his hand flashing a wide gold band on his ring finger. “Mabel wouldn’t be happy if she knew I didn’t give you a hand.”
Kylie knew when she’d been defeated in a good way. She gave a nod and stepped back. “Thanks.” She was about to say her name again but realized she shouldn’t be doing that anymore. In fact, she probably needed to decide on another name and get used to it fast.
With smooth efficiency, he handled the nozzle gassing up her car. “There ya go, little lady. And don’t you worry. You’ll be married in no time.” He screwed her gas cap back on. “Come to Texas from the eastern states?”
Kylie’s brain felt like it whirled. Shit, she might as well have thrown it inside a clothes dryer. Where had that come from? Married in no time. Still, she’d better go with the flow. “I came from the East. Does it show a lot?”
“Yer accent, mostly. But we have a few ladies that make it across the border the way you have, lookin’ for a better life.”
Border? “I am looking for a better way of life.” Kylie unlocked her door and tossed her keys on the seat, then turned back.
Smartly pivoting on his boot heel toward her, he tipped his hat again. “It’s right around the corner I’m bettin’, little lady.”
Kylie shoved her slightly trembling hands inside her back pockets.
Damn, she couldn’t afford to have her nerves act up. “Thanks, again.”
He nodded, moving back to his dark silver Caddy and folding his large frame inside.
Hearing footsteps, Kylie whipped around. Craig held up a bag, a grin in place as he strode toward her. “Here’s what you put on the counter.”
Kylie couldn’t help but notice a large gold band on his ring finger. “How much do I owe you?” She started to reach for another twenty she kept in easy reach beneath her seat pad.
“We’ll call it even, Kylie.” He handed her the bag. “I hope you’ll stop here again when you’re in the area.”
Kylie nodded. “Sure will. Thanks, Craig.”
“And if you need the ladies’ room, it’s right around the corner. I promise we keep it nice and clean.”
Hugging the bag, Kylie nodded again. “Thanks.”
He gave her a little smile, then headed back toward the station at a trot.
Realizing she probably looked scruffy, Kylie knew, at least, s
he didn’t stink, having used her crystal deodorant stick. As she slid into her seat, Kylie tossed the bag into the backseat, then started her car and pulled up to where Craig had indicated.
Yep, she did need the ladies’ room. The Frappuccinos had caught up with her. A discreet well-lit sign on a handsome wooden door let her know she’d found the right place.
What greeted Kylie as she entered made her pause. She had to remind herself to shut and lock the door. The entire room resembled a Victorian parlor, only with plainer furnishings. Astonished, she stared at the delicate hand-painted lamps that emitted a mellow amber light on either side of what looked like a carved wooden toilet.
Still marveling at the room and the comfort of the stool, Kylie moved toward the trunk of her car, having decided to retrieve one of her heavy sweatshirts. No use being cold. She could layer it over her thin sweatshirt, pile the blankets on top of her, and crash on all of her pillows.
With the thought of losing herself to some sleep, Kylie shoved her arms into the sleeves and pulled the sweatshirt over her head. From the corner of her eye, she caught movement, as if something large appeared, then disappeared into the darkness.
Yanking the sweatshirt all the way down, she glanced to the side. A man on a horse rode out of the night’s deep shadow. The sound of the horse’s hooves let her know he stayed on the ground beyond the pavement of the parking lot.
Holy damn, if he didn’t look like the perfect cowboy in silhouette, including the long duster he wore. Tall in the saddle, he reminded Kylie of the movie star cowboys her mother found irresistible.
From what Kylie could observe, the profile of his face made her believe the Wild West had never died. His horse stepped into a weak pool of illumination, and she glimpsed the pale golden gleam of his long hair where it met his Stetson.
Since he rode past her, Kylie returned her attention to the open trunk and closed it with a loud click. As she pivoted toward her car door, she heard a rotating whoosh. It sliced toward her, a slight whistle in her ear.
Startled, she dropped her keys. Like a white snake, a rope flashed before her gaze. In utter shock, Kylie froze for an instant and felt the thick loop settle around her shoulders, capturing her perfectly. Images of being lassoed like a calf at a rodeo owned her mind’s eye.
Feeling the loop tighten quickly as if a boa constrictor wanted her for dinner, Kylie whirled around. It was the tall-in-the-saddle cowboy.
“No!” Her wild woman took over. Seizing the rope with both hands, she jerked hard.
“Come here, little thang.”
The man’s gravelly croon zinged to her middle. Shit, if he hadn’t been trying to abduct her, then how sexy was his voice? But, he was.
“No. Let go!” Becoming aware of nothing but the taut rope and the man handling her like some sort of runaway calf, Kylie planted her feet and used her body weight to fight.
“Come on over here,” he drawled in a soothing manner she’d heard used on horses.
“Go fuck yourself!”
Pulling with all her might, Kylie yanked every time the rope slackened the tiniest fraction. Nothing much moved, except her toward him, one tiny step at a time.
If only she could loosen the loop long enough, she could slip free, run to her car door. Her thought about screaming her lungs out died as she concentrated on using every ounce of her strength to free herself.
Slowly, but surely he gained the advantage, his stupid horse obviously trained like the ones she’d seen at rodeos. Inch by inch, her unwilling feet continued to move.
He reeled her in like a damn effing trout.
“Fuck, no, let go,” she furiously yelled. Jerking on the rope with a new ferocity, she held her ground for a few moments. “Let go, you son of a bitch. Now!”
When the rope remained taut, but stopped forcing her forward, Kylie had the feeling he was reassessing how to abduct her. “Let go, you bastard. Or I’m going to kill you!”
“Wildcat.” His deep raspy voice seemed to appreciate her battle against him.
Kylie’s loins did a flipflop, liquefying with desire. Stunned by her reaction, her temper flash-fired to red hot. Feeling burned her alive by her own anger, she turned primitive. Mindlessly, she twisted and tugged, aware of nothing but her struggle.
“Hell,” she heard his growl as if it came from on high, “you’re going to hurt yourself. Come here, little wildcat.”
Kylie nearly sprinted forward in an attempt to free herself from the lasso. The problem, she would be running toward him. Still…on impulse she charged, determined to knock her attacker off his horse.
With a scream of rage, she jumped upwards, hurtling her weight at him. The flat of her hands hit his heavily muscled chest, and she shoved. His arm, impossibly strong and large, snaked around her waist.
As if she’d suddenly transformed into feathers, he hauled her before him, crushing her against his massive chest. Shit, how big was he? Kylie did her best to squirm. His virile smell overwhelmed her and had her wanting to fling herself against him.
“Stop,” he ordered. Fuck, if he didn’t sound like a man used to getting his way. “Dang, pretty little thang, you’re going to be a wild ride in bed.”
In bed. Kylie froze.
“That’s better,” he purred like a beast who had gotten his own way. With one skilled hand, he removed the rope from her shoulders.
Kylie tried to rouse herself to action, any action at all. It was a no go. She felt strangely paralyzed. Had he tranquilized her in some way?
“Dillon Zacarius Vega. That’s my handle. What’s your name?”
Her abductor wanted to trade names? If that was even his real name.
“You’ll never know,” she snapped, then lifted her chin defiantly. “Put me down.”
“I’m bettin’ I’m going to know all about you soon enough, little redhead,” he drawled with a confidence that clawed at her insides.
Consuming her totally, her temper rose, fire-raging again. Kylie shot the heel of her hand toward his jaw. Averting his face with ease, he caught her upper arm. His hold was uncompromising, but gentle, and her palm harmlessly smacked into his thick waves of hair.
So, his fingers were incredibly strong, matching his amazingly muscled chest. Damn, but his hair felt awesome.
“Like a frisky woman,” he rumbled, amused. “Right now, though, you’re gonna have to behave. We have a long ride ahead of us.”
That voice, the baritone rasp, acted like a sedative. Or she’d spent every last drop of her adrenaline and fatigue had finally taken over. “Put me down now. I’m not going anywhere with you. Whoever you are.” Managing to squirm, she angrily yelled, “I said put me down!”
He seemed to consider his next move, and Kylie summoned up any reserve of strength she had left. What? Was every part of the man made out of pure beefy muscle. He seemed to keep her trapped against him effortlessly. Her butt didn’t even touch his saddle, and her legs dangled on his rock-hard thighs.
“Do you know where you are?”
Oh God, why did his voice have to feel like it actually grazed every inch of her skin? Kylie simmered in a delicious way. “Pine Springs,” she answered too softly.
“What state?”
Irritated, Kylie snapped, “Texas. Why?” She writhed, then pounded her fist on top of his shoulder. Her hand bounced off. Dammit, the man should be posing for beefcake calendars, for romance novel covers, not roping innocent women in some perverted sex attack. “I hear they execute abductors here. You know, the death penalty.”
He laughed, a powerful bark of sound. Still, his grip on her didn’t lessen. No, the bastard lifted her higher, cradling her close. Why couldn’t he have been a good guy instead of a bad guy? The way she felt against his super-hard masculinity, well, she would never have refused him a date.
Squeezing her eyelids shut, she ignored her mad urge to hum a purr and press her face against his oversized chest. Kylie decided she must be going crazy with exhaustion. After all, she hadn’t slept for over twent
y-four hours now.
He peered down at her face for several moments. Kylie glared, yet couldn’t help noticing how exceptionally handsome his features were. Move over every other man she’d seen.
“There is no death penalty here for taking a woman as a wife. This is the Three Star Republic of Texas.”
Kylie swore every cell of her body went into suspended animation. A wife. Three Star Republic of Texas.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” She forced the words past her numb lips.
“You will,” he hoarsely rumbled, his meaning more than clear.
“You’re insane,” she whispered.
“I think I’m about to be. You feel better than any filly I’ve ever handled before.”
Kylie felt his knee nudge his horse into a walk. “Where are you taking me?”
“My ranch.”
“Look. I won’t press charges or anything. Just let me go. I’ll pretend this never happened…”
“Nope,” he interrupted, his tone utterly dominant. “A man would be a prize fool to let a woman like you get away from him. And I ain’t that much of a fool. ’Specially when the Good Lord hands me what I’ve been hankerin’ for and dreamin’ about for so years I cain’t count.” He paused. “If you don’t have the most lovely face, little filly.”
Kylie desperately wished that he was a good guy. He was seduction itself, his voice and his body. Plus, he smelled like prowess extraordinaire. She wanted to roll on him like a sleek cat. An image of his aroused cock flashed before her mind’s eye. Not that she knew what it looked like…but, dayumm, when had any man affected her this powerfully?
“You can’t do this.”
“The rope says I can,” he arrogantly stated. “Here, when a woman is lassoed, she belongs to the man. No questions asked.”
Kylie snapped inside as much from his words as his dismissive I’m the-man in charge attitude. Infuriated, she shot upward and pummeled him with her fists.
“That’s it,” she heard him growl decisively, as she beat on his more than brawny shoulders. “You are going to behave, little thang.”
Branded by the Texans [Three Star Republic] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Page 6
