by Smith, Bobbi
Jennie accepted the hard length of him eagerly and rocked with him in love’s age-old rhythm. Each thrust of his driving hips sent her passion soaring higher and higher until it exploded in a star-burst of ecstasy that sent sparkles of shimmering love-light through them both. Breathless yet sated by their fervid mating, they collapsed in each other’s arms in silent splendor.
Though the blackness of the night had provided a sheltering blanket of privacy for Rick and Jennie, Lucia had been totally aware of their joining. Frustrated and angry, she lay on her pallet cursing the interruption that had torn her from Cazador’s arms and sent him back to Jennie for satisfaction. After tomorrow, Lucia thought, smiling to herself, he would no longer need Jennie, for she would take care of him—completely.
Jennie tensed in Rick’s embrace as the reality of her situation returned full force. How could she have allowed this to happen to her twice in one day? What was there about Cazador that his very nearness could reduce her to a mindless wanton? Hating herself for her weakness and hating him for pressing his advantage, she turned her fury on him.
“Damn you!” she seethed, pushing ineffectively at his chest to try to rid herself of his weight.
Rick had felt her tense, but he was completely startled by the fury in her voice. He had hoped that the rage she’d felt toward him since the morning had faded, but he knew now it hadn’t. And, despite the fact that their lovemaking had been as stimulating as ever, she still refused to openly admit her desire for him.
Rick knew that Jennie was probably jealous of Lucia, but there was nothing he could do to reassure her until they were safely out of camp. For now, he would have to do whatever he deemed necessary to insure their continued well-being and that included his playing along with Lucia.
Shifting his body off Jennie’s comforting softness, he looked down at her, making sure his expression was carefully shuttered.
Jennie glared up at him, her frustrated fury shining in her eyes. “How could you do this to me? You knew I didn’t want you.”
Rick shrugged indifferently as he moved away. “It really doesn’t matter to me what you did or did not want. I wanted you, so I took you.”
Stung by the reminder of her subservient position, her pride rebelled and her indignation grew. “What’s wrong, Cazador? It seems I remember you telling Luis and Ray that you liked willing women. Wasn’t Lucia willing enough for you? Or have you changed since you joined up with Malo?”
Her accusations enraged him and he fought down the urge to throttle her. Tomorrow, as soon as he had his plan of action finalized, he would tell her the truth and then, at last, she would understand. Knowing that this was no time to get into an argument with her, he calmly adjusted his clothing, strapped on his gunbelt and rolled over away from her to go to sleep, pulling the blanket up over his shoulder.
Jennie was incensed that he could dismiss her so easily, but she felt his refusal to answer her incriminations made them all the more valid in her mind. Angry tears of defeat coursed down her cheeks, and she furiously wiped them away. There was ony one course of action left to her She had to escape.
Giving Cazador a sidelong glance, she was relieved to see that he was apparently asleep. Jennie knew that if she really planned on getting away it had to be tonight for she was certain that Cazador was tiring of her and that he would turn her over to the other men as soon as he could claim Lucia for his own. Determined to wait at least another hour before she made her attempt, she lay stiffly beside him, fearing that at any moment he would stir and come awake, foiling her plan.
A momentary fear of failure assailed her, but she pushed it firmly aside. She was Jennie McCaine and she would make it. After all, her father was somewhere behind them looking for her, and it would only be a matter of hiding out in the rock-strewn mountains until they found her. The thought of her father’s warm loving embrace filled her with a calm confidence and she relaxed. Soon she would be back home again.
Jennie suddenly remembered Juan Peralta and she frowned worriedly. There had to be a way she could help him. Knowing that it would be useless to try to take the old man with her, she decided that as soon as she made contact with her father she would lead them back to rescue him. No doubt, the posse would be large and well armed, and she was certain that the men of M Circle C could save him.
Chapter Sixteen
It was late and it seemed to Jennie that a heavy pall of silent expectation hung over the small campsite—as if it knew what she was about to attempt. Knowing that she could delay no longer, she girded herself for the next harrowing hours, praying that her escape would be successful and that she would be able to find her father. Taking great care not to make any noise, Jennie slipped unnoticed from Cazador’s side and, grabbing a canteen, she disappeared stealthily into the desert’s moonless night.
Jennie moved warily to avoid the guard’s watchful presence and, though hindered by the oppressive darkness, she began her slow progess down the rocky hillside. Afraid that the guard might hear her, she did not attempt to run until she was well away from the camp. Knowing that she would have to make her best time now while she could move about undetected, Jennie paced herself, running at a steady, ground-eating pace in the direction from which they’d just come, and it was not an easy task in her riding boots. The going was rugged and more than once she lost her footing, but still she struggled on, resolute in her determination to get as far away as she possibly could by sunup.
Dreading the night to come, Carrie stared wearily out across the slowly darkening landscape, her exhaustion clearly evident in every line of her slender body. The afternoon had been long and nerve-wracking as Todd’s fever had soared out of control, and though she had labored over him lovingly he had shown little improvement. Even her attempts to get him to take drinks of water mixed with whiskey had met with little success and, more than a few times, she had feared that he might grow violent as he tossed miserably about in his delirium.
Turning away from the sun’s fading glory, Carrie was disturbed to find that Todd had ceased his restless movements and was lying ominously still. Hurrying back to his side, she worried at the shallowness of his breathing, and she reached out nervously to touch the dry, searing hotness of his forehead.
As she knelt there wondering what she could do to ease his torment, violent chills began to wrack him. Hurrying to get her own blankets, she spread them over his big body, but their added warmth seemed to give him little relief. Troubled that he seemed to be worsening, Carrie grew desperate for a way to help. Finally, knowing there was no other alternative save body heat, she slipped beneath the covers and put her arms around him, hugging him to her.
Seeming to sense her comforting presence, Todd turned toward Carrie, hungrily seeking her embrace. His agitated movements slowed as he took her in his arms, and he quieted as he held her close. Relieved by his calming, she let herself relax.
“Carrie?” Todd’s voice was husky and hoarse.
“What?” She was surprised that he was awake.
“Don’t ever move away. You feel so wonderful next to me.”
Carrie could hardly believe his words and quickly denied any deep meaning. She was convinced that it was the fever talking and she kept her response light.
“I’ll be here as long as you need me, Todd.”
His arms tightened momentarily about her and then slackened. “Good, forever,” he answered her faintly, before he drifted off into a troubled sleep.
Closing her eyes to envision the joy of it, Carrie allowed herself the extravagance of pretending for a moment that Todd really had meant what he’d said. Her heart filled to bursting with love for him, and she smiled serenely to herself as she imagined him declaring himself and proposing to her ever so gallantly. Carrie had not intended to fall asleep, but somehow her sweet daydreams of loving him had swept her into a lengthy, restful slumber.
When she awoke, Carrie had no idea how much time had passed. Outside, night had claimed the canyon with a vengeance, its blackness fo
rbidding and impenetrable. The fire that had been burning brightly when she’d drifted off was now only a mass of glowing embers. Wanting to stoke it back to life, she tried to edge from Todd’s side, but as she stirred and started to move away he roused.
“Don’t go,” he growled as his arm came about her to pull her to him.
“But the fire,” Carrie protested, feeling tortured by his nearness—a nearness that she craved physically and mentally but knew she would never have for her own.
“There’s only one fire I’m concerned with,” Todd told her as he turned her to face him.
“What?” She turned a startled gaze to him, noticing how feverishly bright his eyes were. “Todd. You’re ill. You don’t know what you’re saying!” Carrie protested as his hands explored her with rousing expertise.
“I know exactly what I’m saying—and doing.” He moved closer then, capturing her lips in a blazing exchange.
Carrie shivered under the onslaught of his passionate kiss. This was what she’d always wanted: Todd’s kiss; Todd’s embrace. Why fight it? And she pushed away all thoughts from her mind of what the morning would bring.
“Oh, Todd, I love you so!” she groaned excitedly as his mouth left hers to caress the sensitive cords of her throat, and she arched against him temptingly. “I’ve wanted this for so long.”
With eager fingers, Carrie began to unbutton her blouse, wanting Todd to touch her, and he pulled back suddenly, to look down at her.
“Your hair is so beautiful,” he remarked, running his fingers through her blond, silken tresses. “Just as you are.” He dipped his head to kiss her again, more slowly this time. Quivering in anticipation of his total possession, Carrie looped her arms about his neck and hugged him close. The heat of his chest seared her bared breasts and her nipples hardened at the contact. A low moan escaped him and she drew away, her expression worried.
“I’m sorry, Did I hurt your shoulder?” The sudden remembrance of his wound jolted her back momentarily to reality.
“No you didn’t hurt me. Far from it.” He slipped her blouse from her shoulders and tossed it aside, staring in awe at the perfection of her creamy breasts. With a gentle finger, he reached out to touch each rosy peak, and he smiled when she gasped at the sensation his tender caress aroused within her. “Lovely,” Todd murmured as he bent to her, kissing each throbbing tip.
A fire of desire was born within Carrie at the touch of his hot, moist mouth, and she tossed fitfully beneath his sensual ministrations as the tightening coil of her need grew. Holding his head to her breast, she rotated her hips invitingly against the hard heat of his manhood, hoping to bring him to the brink so she could take him deep within her and make him hers.
That one encouragement from Carrie was all he needed, and he rose above her to quickly strip away the remainder of their clothing. Gazing down at the beauty of her slender body, Todd found that she was more gorgeous than he could ever have hoped, and he had never been with a woman who was as responsive and as exciting as she was.
Bracing himself on his elbows, he fitted himself to her feminine softness as she reached down to hold him. Her touch brought him to the edge of mindlessness, and he covered her hand with his as she stroked him in the most pleasurable, knowing way. Gritting his teeth against the exquisite agony of her caress, he fought against the need to take her quickly.
Carrie, sensing that she was now in control, used all of her knowledge to bring him to unending rapture. She wanted him to remember this moment with her for the rest of his life, no matter what happened between them in the future. Encouraging him to lie on his back, she explored him hungrily with greedy kisses, searching out and finding his most erotic zones and teasing him to the peak again and again without giving him the completion his body craved. Moving lower, her lips sought the hardness of his desire, and as she took him within her mouth, Todd jerked in stunned surprise.
“Carrie,” he protested groaningly as he grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her up to him.
“I only wanted to please you, Todd,” she told him sensuously. “Didn’t you like it?”
With a guttural growl, he kissed her fiercely, and Carrie once again reached down for him, guiding him to her hungry flesh. Raising her hips, she slid down the magnificent length of him, enveloping his heat and hardness in one smooth stroke. At the feeling of him deep inside of her, Carrie lost all semblance of restraint.
“Todd!” she cried out as her body climaxed convulsively and, at the feel of her unbridled passions, he began to move, thrusting forcefully into her as she pulsed around him, her muscles contracting in rhythm with his possession.
Carrie was amazed that Todd understood her needs and, as her first peak subsided, he rolled her to her back without leaving her and took charge of their mating.
Staring down into her passion-glazed eyes, Todd smiled triumphantly. He had never known a woman so exciting. Carrie was a treasure. Withdrawing from her, he stifled her protest with a deep kiss and then began to caress her again, tasting every inch of her, sucking at her breasts eagerly and then moving down to press heated kisses on the silken expanse of her stomach.
Languidly, Carrie allowed him to position her, lifting her hips, and she thrilled to the hot devouring touch of his mouth when he claimed her innermost secrets. Her climax this time was so intimate and so shattering that she sobbed when he released her. He slid up over her to possess her again, giving her no time to think. Surging within, he thrust rapidly, eager to seek that moment of ecstasy he’d been longing for ever since he’d kissed her during the sandstorm.
Carrie, overpowered by his ardent lovemaking, luxuriated in his domination of her, and she lifted her arms to embrace him more closely as his body strained to hers. Shuddering as his excitement peaked, Todd collapsed heavily on top of her, totally spent by their fervid lovemaking.
It was long moments before he had the strength of will to move from Carrie, but even when he did, he brought her with him, holding her close to his uninjured side. Without speaking, they lay together, eyes closed, expressions rapturous, and softly they drifted off to sleep.
The first light of dawn cast a pinkish golden glow to the eastern horizon as Jennie continued to move as quickly as she could across the demanding terrain. With morning’s presence threatening to reveal her whereabouts, Jennie started a climb to higher ground, searching for an observation point from which she could view the surrounding area without being seen.
There were numerous rocks and boulders, but she found none that afforded the protection she knew she would need when Cazador came looking for her. Stopping briefly to take a drink of her treasured water, Jennie surveyed the surrounding area, hoping as the day brightened to catch sight of a more suitable shelter. Her hopes went rewarded for at the crest of the next rise, she spotted a massive, rounded boulder well camouflaged by a huge saguaro cactus and assorted scrubby bushes.
The climb to the top seemed endless as Jennie slipped constantly on the loose, sandy soil, but at last she reached her goal, scrambling awkwardly behind the protective cover it afforded. Breathless from the rugged ascent, she leaned heavily against the monolith until her strength returned. Taking one more quick drink, she sealed the canteen tightly and sought some comfort in her rocky shelter, knowing that it was probably going to be a long wait.
Todd came awake slowly, his entire body aching and his head pounding fiercely. He wondered quickly what had happened, and it came to him then that he’d been feeling weak and had been having trouble sitting his horse. But where was he now? Opening his eyes, he lay unmoving, staring at the rocky ceiling above. The mine? How had he gotten here? Shifting positions he almost bolted when he found Carrie lying next to him, her nude body pressed enticingly to his own unclad length.
Blinking in confusion, he groaned inwardly as he realized that it hadn’t been a dream. He actually had made passionate love to her. Dear God! What had he done?
“Carrie?” he rasped hoarsely.
Carrie was instantly awake and she
smiled at him as she stretched sinuously. “Good morning.”
As her breasts accidentally grazed his chest, Todd started as if he’d been burned. Why had he let it happen? How could he have taken advantage of Carrie when he felt the way he did about Jennie? Feeling very much ashamed, he moved quickly away from Carrie’s intoxicating nearness, trying desperately to get himself together. He had to apologize for his behavior; he had to reassure her that he would never let this happen between them again. He was practically engaged to her sister, for heaven’s sake!
Carrie was surprised when Todd withdrew from her. The sensuality they had shared just a few hours before had been nothing short of Elysian ecstasy, and she had wanted it to go on forever.
“Todd?” Carrie couldn’t stop herself from questioning him.
“Carrie, I’m sorry. I never meant for this to happen.” He was nervously reaching for his pants as he spoke.
Despair gripped her. She had given of her love freely, wildly. Never before had she reached the heights of joy that she’d reached with Todd and yet he was denying it all. Carrie had known from the beginning that this might happen, but she’d never really believed it would. She had held onto the hope that after Todd had made love to her, he wouldn’t be able to forget her or live without her. Too late she realized the flaw in her plan: No matter how much she loved him, she could not force him to love her—not when he’d already told her of his proposal to Jennie.
“I know,” she stated flatly, tears stinging her eyes as she admitted to herself that once again her sister had won.
“It’ll never happen again, Carrie. I promise.” His words were solemn and earnest as he finished buttoning his pants, and he turned to look at her.
