Arizona Temptress

by Smith, Bobbi

  “Jennie—Good morning.” His greeting was spontaneous and enthusiastic, and his broad, almost homely features lit up at the sight of her. “You look lovely this morning.”

  “Thank you, Todd.” She was a bit self-conscious now that she knew his true feelings. Noting his saddlebags, she inquired, “You’re leaving?”

  “I’ve got to get back. I’ve been away too long already.” he admitted, reluctantly turning back to his mount.

  “Why don’t I ride part of the way with you?” she offered, not wanting the events of the past evening to have any effect on their friendship.

  “I’d like that,” he answered easily refusing to allow his sudden flare of hope that she’d changed her mind about his proposal to reflect in his tone.

  “Just give me a minute to get Star ready.” With the expertise of a practiced horsewoman, Jennie quickly saddled her mare and mounted up.

  Although their horses were frisky and ready for a good run, Jennie and Todd rode slowly away from the ranch house, taking the time to savor the newness of the day.

  “Have you given any further thought to what we talked about last night?” Todd inquired, unable to restrain himself any longer from asking.

  “I’ve thought of nothing else since I left you,” Jennie answered honestly, meeting his questioning gaze.

  “And?” A glimmer of unspoken emotion lit his dark gaze.

  “And my feelings are still the same. I’m just not ready to get married.” She faced him squarely, knowing that he would respect her more for telling him the truth.

  “Well, when you decide you are,” he said good-naturedly, with a half smile, “I’ll be waiting in line.”

  “That sounds good to me.” Jennie smiled widely, pleased that he understood and would not pressure her. “Race you to Angel Spring!”

  Giving Todd no time to reply, she put her heels to her mount. Playfully charging ahead, her delighted laughter floated back to him spurring him to action. Within seconds, Todd’s massive stallion was at full gallop, narrowing the distance between them with long, powerful strides.

  Jennie felt vibrant and alive as she and Star raced as one across the land. The wind tore at her hair, whipping the loosely bound tresses about her face, but she paid no attention, concentrating instead on staying as far ahead of Todd as she could until they reached the rockier area near the creek. She knew the only way she could win was to outmaneuver him in that trickier terrain where Star’s surefootedness would provide the edge over his bigger, less agile mount. Topping the final rise, Jennie veered sharply to the left and took the shorter more rock-strewn path to Angel Creek, while Todd rode straight ahead on the longer, less hazardous route past Tracker’s Boulder.

  As Todd rounded the massive boulder that served as a landmark and rendezvous point, the possibility of an ambush never crossed his mind. His thoughts were only of Jennie. The bullet caught him unawares as it exploded viciously into his shoulder, and the force of the impact knocked him from the saddle. He fell heavily and lay unmoving on the dusty ground as his assailants emerged from their hiding places.

  “Why the hell did you do that?” Rick demanded angrily of his companion Luis Degas as he dismounted to go to Todd’s aid.

  “He surprised me and I don’t like surprises, amigo.” Luis glanced sharply at Rick and then shrugged indifferently, casually holstering his gun. “Is he dead?”

  Bending over the big man’s prone body, Rick carefully checked to see if the man was still breathing. “Yes,” he answered, his flat tone revealing none of the emotion he felt at the senseless shooting. “You know, Degas, if they weren’t looking for us before, they will be now.”

  “Are you afraid?” he asked mockingly.

  “Hardly,” Rick said, his steely gaze meeting Luis’s shifty one. “I just don’t think Malo will want us riding into camp with a posse on our tails.”

  “He’s right, Luis. We’d better get out of here,” Ray Pearce said nervously as he glanced around. “They might be after us already since we robbed that cantina. And someone might have heard the shot.”

  “All right. We’ll ride,” Luis ordered imperiously. “Cazador, let’s go.”

  Rick stood up slowly, praying that the wounded, unconscious man would make no sudden moves and alert the bandits to his true condition. “Degas, I think there’s something you’d better understand right now.” Though he sounded conversational, there was a barely concealed threat in his words, and his hand caressed the butt of his still holstered gun. “I don’t take orders from anyone—not Malo—and definitely not you.”

  Luis stiffened, about to respond to Rick’s unspoken challenge, when they heard the sound of another approaching horse. Luis and Ray had time to wheel their horses out of sight, but Rick could only dive for cover behind the craggy monolith.

  Jennie hadn’t gone far when she heard the gunshot nearby, breaking the tranquil silence and making her blood run cold. Reining in, she twisted searchingly in the saddle as she tried to determine from which direction the sound of the shot had come.

  “Todd!” She called out, hoping that he was still within earshot, but there was no response to her query.

  Worried, Jennie kneed Star into motion again and slowly retraced her tracks to the point where Todd had crossed her trail. Unable to sight him from the rise, she followed the path he’d taken. As she rode forth, Jennie sensed an unearthly stillness about the morning and instinctively pulled her rifle from its scabbard, resting it comfortably across her forearm. Her father had taught her many practical lessons in her lifetime, and one of them was never to face the unknown unarmed.

  Jennie didn’t see the man who had climbed on top of Tracker’s Boulder until it was too late. As he launched himself in her direction, she turned and tried to fire, but he tackled her full force; the impetus of his assault tumbling her to the ground and knocking her rifle from her hand. As the firearm flew from her grasp, it discharged, the unexpected gunshot frightening both her mount and Todd’s and they galloped from the scene at breakneck speed. Jennie tried to roll away from her assailant and retrieve her weapon, but the man grabbed her by her hair, his action tearing the ribbon loose, and then yanked her viciously back beneath him.

  “Oooeee, Luis. Look what you got!” Ray was almost drooling at the sight of Jennie held so helplessly in Luis’s painful, dominant grasp.

  “Sweet.” Luis smiled showing black, uneven teeth.

  “Get your hands off of me!” she ordered as she struggled to free herself. Trying not to let them see how terrified she really was, she demanded, “Who are you? What are you doing on McCaine land?”

  “Why, we were just passin’through.” Luis licked his lips as his eyes wandered over her twisting body. “But I think we may stay a while—now.”

  “Let me go! You won’t get away with this!” She couldn’t help but cringe as his hands boldly explored her.

  “Hey, Ray. She says I’m not going to get away with this.” He laughed evilly.

  Ray jumped down from his horse and stalked toward them, his eyes alight with lust-filled appreciation as he began to unbuckle his gunbelt. “She sure is stupid for one so pretty. You want to stay pretty, little girl?”

  “What do you mean?” Jennie felt almost nauseated by their presence, and she paled, grimacing, when Luis thrust his hips suggestively against her helpless form. The foreign hardness of him which pressed intimately against her thighs sent a shiver of revulsion through her, and she tossed wildly, trying to get away from him.

  Ray’s lewd gaze seared her, dwelling on the way her full, round breasts strained against the whiteness of her blouse and the way her leather riding skirt had ridden up, revealing an attractive display of shapely leg.

  “We mean you stop fighting and we won’t mess up that pretty face of yours,” Luis explained as he trapped her flailing limbs, pinning her arms above her head with one hand and ripping her blouse open with his other, exposing her breasts to their lascivious gaze.

  “Hold it, Luis.” The deep voice that r
ang out in the early morning quiet was cold and deadly.

  Jennie turned her head to stare at the tall, dark-haired man who had stepped out from behind the boulder. Her eyes widened as he moved slowly toward them, his gun drawn and pointed straight at Luis’s back.

  “What?—” Luis glanced away from Jennie and in that instant she acted, grabbing a handful of sandy soil and throwing it in his eyes. “Ah!!!!” He screamed in agony as he released her.

  Knowing that this would be her only chance to escape, she staggered to her feet and started to run away from them, but the sight of Todd’s inert body halted her progress.

  “Todd!” Her cry was anguished.

  It was that one moment of shocked hesitation that provided Ray with the opportunity to catch her again.

  “If you like to play rough, we can oblige. Luis already took care of your boyfriend there.” Ray captured her wrists as she struck out at him in blind fury.

  “Let me go! I’ve got to help Todd.”

  With full force, Ray slapped her, the blow driving her to her knees. Releasing her, she slumped weakly at his feet; her head bowed in defeat, her bare bosom rising and falling with each ragged breath she drew.

  Recovered from her attack, Luis started toward them, wanting to teach the little bitch a lesson.

  “Luis—Get a rope. Maybe if we tie her up.”

  “Both of you—get away from her.” Rick spoke quietly, but immediately all action stopped.

  Luis and Ray both looked up, their angry expressions turning incredulous as they saw that Rick was still holding his gun on them.

  “She’s ours,” Ray said heatedly, grabbing Jennie’s arm and jerking her to her feet.

  “I’m making her mine,” he answered conversationally. “Now, take your hands off of her and move away.” Gesturing with his revolver, Rick indicated where he wanted them to stand.

  “We’ll let you have a turn,” Ray offered, unwilling to give up such a prize so easily.

  “I don’t want a turn,” Rick said smoothly as Luis and Ray backed away from Jennie.

  “What’s the matter, Cazador. Don’t you like women?” Luis taunted. His loins were still aching with the need to have the young she-cat standing before him and his frustrated fury with Cazador grew unbounded.

  Rick smiled easily, ignoring the insult that was meant to provoke him to anger. “I like willing women very much.”

  “Then what are you going to do with her?” Ray pushed. “You know she’ll tell everybody what happened, so you can’t let her go. Why don’t we share her and then kill her?”

  “We won’t be sharing her,” Rick said with finality. “Like I said before, she’s mine and I don’t share what’s mine.” By casually cocking the hammer of his gun, he stopped their protests before they were spoken. “You know, Malo would want me to be happy. And she’ll—” Rick glanced briefly at Jennie. “Make me happy,” he concluded.

  Luis and Ray knew they’d lost and it didn’t sit well with them.

  “Take her,” Luis said seethingly and he turned away to get his horse, vowing to someday have his revenge against this arrogant gunslinger.

  Ray followed suit, mumbling under his breath. He knew he was no match for El Cazador in a fair fight, but maybe he could find another way to even the score. Quickly retrieving Jennie’s rifle, he swung up into the saddle, his hate-filled gaze searing Rick.

  Rick waited until Luis and Ray had mounted up to holster his revolver. He knew he would have to be more careful from now on, for they would both be waiting for the opportunity to pay him back.

  Turning to take his first good look at the woman he’d just claimed for his own, Rick immediately understood why the other two men had been so reluctant to let her go because even in her present state of disarray, she was lovely. His gaze swept over her assessingly, taking in her tall, slim figure and the way her mass of dark curls cascaded down her back, giving her a wild, almost untamed look. Her pale breasts were all but bared to him, despite her efforts to keep herself covered, and the sight of their rounded sweetness, so meagerly clad, sent a flare of heat through him. Irritated with himself for responding to her charms, he strode purposefully toward her.

  It took all of Jennie’s courage to face this stranger and his appraising regard. Clutching what was left of her blouse over her full breasts, Jennie lifted her chin in a small act of proud defiance as he came forward to claim her. The thought sent a shiver of apprehension down her spine, and she wondered what kind of man he was. Was he as ruthless as the other two or hopefully more civilized and more willing to listen to reason?

  Jennie studied him openly, her eyes tracing his hard chiseled features, the straight slash of black brows over his piercing green eyes, the unyielding set of his jaw. Had the circumstances been different she would have thought him handsome, but her concern for Todd and her fear of the other men smothered the attraction.

  When he stopped before her and she forced herself to look up at him, her dark eyes met his unflinchingly.

  “I don’t know who you are or why you’re on McCaine land, but thank you for helping me. My name’s Jennie McCaine and—” she began bravely.

  “McCaine?” Rick asked quickly.

  “That’s right.” She wondered at his change of expression and she grew suddenly hopeful. “Mac McCaine’s my father, and he’ll see you well rewarded if you return me unharmed.”

  Rick’s mind was racing. She was Jake’s sister! Now what was he going to do? He couldn’t just let her go—Luis and Ray had seen to that. There was only one way for him to salvage the situation, he realized, and that was to take her along—as his woman. Lord knows, he didn’t want to; he had enough problems to deal with already, but there was no alternative. Under his protection, she would be safe and then, after he freed Juan from Malo’s camp, he would see her returned to her family.

  Turning so his back was to Luis and Ray, he spoke in low tones. “Is Jake McCaine related to you?”

  “He’s my brother—why?” She was suddenly cautious.

  “I know Jake. He’s a friend of mine.”

  “Jake’s your friend?”

  “Listen, there’s no time to explain. You’ll just have to trust me. For reasons I can’t go into right now, I can’t let you go.”

  Jennie was startled. “What?”

  “Not while those two are around,” he growled. “They think I want you for myself, so I’m going to have to take you along with me.”

  Jennie started to protest but before she could say anything further he dragged her into his arms and kissed her, his firm, demanding lips slanting across her softer ones in a sensuous assault meant to brand her as his own in front of the other men.

  Jennie held herself rigid in his arms, refusing to give in to him but, when his kiss gentled to a tender, teasing caress, a spark of warmth that threatened to kindle into a blaze of unbidden desire was born deep in the cold recesses of her fearful heart.

  When Rick abruptly ended the embrace, Jennie stood silently, stunned by her unexpected reaction to his touch. She sensed that there was something very dangerous about this man they had called Cazador and, though he had asked her to trust him, her instincts told her to run—to try to escape before it was too late—before she was lost. Without further thought, Jennie bolted, running as hard and as fast as she could to get away.

  Jennie’s flight surprised Rick, but he caught up with her easily. Grasping her from behind, he hauled her tightly back against him, pinning her arms to her sides.

  Jennie struggled to free herself from what she was sure was certain ravishment and death. Fighting on, she twisted violently in his arms and kicked out at him as best she could, but her futile battling only loosened her blouse, allowing it to fall completely open.

  When Rick heard Luis’s and Ray’s muttered lewd comments about her state of undress, he gave her a violent shake and mercilessly tightened his grip on her.

  “Hold still, you little idiot!” he seethed in her ear. “If I have to kill them over you it’s going
to ruin all my plans!” Roughly, he turned Jennie to face him, crushing her to his chest to shield her breasts from the others’ view.

  Sobbing in frustration at having failed to escape, Jennie tried to pull away, but his arms were steel bands, shackling her to him.

  “If you’re really a friend of my brother’s why don’t you just let me go?”

  “Think about it! Do you really believe that Luis and Ray would let you go, even if I did?” he asked derisively. “Now, just shut up or we’re both going to end up dead!” Rick knew she was afraid, but there was nothing he could do right now to reassure her. He had to play his part convincingly.

  Satisfied that she’d temporarily stopped fighting him, Rick was relieved. “Good. Now, let’s go.”

  “No!” Jennie gasped, casting a frightened glance in the other men’s direction.

  “Listen to me!” His patience was at an end. “If there was any way I could possibly avoid taking you with me, I would, but right now it looks like we’re stuck with each other. Just play along with me and I promise I’ll take you home as soon as I can. All right?”

  “What about Todd?” She balked.

  “There’s no time to worry about him, they think he’s dead,” he told her dismissingly. “Now, are you going to come along without a fight or do I have to throw you over my shoulder and carry you?”

  Realizing that she had no alternative, Jennie finally nodded in agreement. “All right. I won’t fight you.”

  “Good. Wait here while I get my horse.” Rick then strode off behind the boulder.

  As soon as Rick released her, Jennie wrapped her arms about her bosom trying to shield herself from the other men’s hungry looks, but her actions only drew lecherous chuckles from them.

  And when Rick had moved out of sight, Luis took the opportunity to ride over to her. “You may think you’re safe, but Cazador won’t be able to protect you all the time—I’ll have you yet!” he promised. “And Ray, here, will hold you down while I—” He cut off his words as Rick rode out from behind the boulder.

  “Let’s ride, Luis” He spoke sharply as he stopped close by Jennie’s side. “Lead out.”