He went on about his business and didn’t respond, perhaps because it hadn’t been a question. Selena turned away from him again, bringing her hands to her forehead. Of course he could control a stallion. Why not? When does it stop getting worse? Selena asked herself, almost feeling like giving up altogether. Almost.
She glanced around the barn since there was nothing else for her to do. There was a big pile of dry grass along one wall and a couple of empty horse-size water skins hanging from a post. Dan’s group must be pretty good about pooling resources, she mused, keeping her distance as he began saddling up the horses. Their gear was in surprisingly nice shape. The metal parts had clearly been used a long time, but the leather was in good repair. Functional tack was gradually becoming the most precious and rare resource when it came to keeping horses. Most people were already using all manner of substitutes for the metal pieces.
Fortunately when he was finished with his task, Dan was kind enough not to lift her onto her mount. Instead, he led the mare to a crate for Selena to stand on to get up on her own. Of course she wouldn’t have needed one if her hands weren’t bound.
He hitched a rope to the bridle and held it as he mounted up. A couple of the bags were tied behind her to the saddle, but otherwise, he left most of the others behind.
They rode out of the barn together and the town was behind them in minutes. Dan steered an oblique path towards the nearby hills that rose to the east. He seemed to be shooting for their northernmost expanse. Selena figured he was headed for the stream that lay in that direction, considering that the horses had been out of water. She had no idea how long it was since they had their last drink, but based on how implacably calculating Dan appeared so far, it probably hadn’t been long.
Sure enough, after an hour or so of easy riding they came upon the stream. After watering the horses and filling their skins, their trek continued to the northeast.
Riding proved a little more difficult with her hands tied, but whatever the distance ahead, she felt safer mounted, even if Star was tethered to Buck.
With Dan riding ahead of her for hours, it was impossible not to study him; the smooth, tan skin that made him look younger, the large strong hands that made him look older, how easily he moved. Even in the face of her incredibly frightening situation, she could not deny that he was easy on the eyes. Then again, according to everyone she had ever met, so was she. Selena set her jaw grimly. He could be the most stunning man on the continent, but that would never change the dire threat that he posed to her safety. Her animosity towards him grew firmer with every passing moment. Her father had died trying to protect her from a situation like this. Selena sighed, feeling like a fool for literally being roped into this predicament. She had been doing so well.
Their trek continued through variable terrain; rocky, grassy, and spotted with the occasional oak tree. They made camp nearby and the evening passed without incident. It was painfully difficult to fall sleep. Selena’s mind churned as she schemed over escape plans. There was no good opportunity so far. He’d kept her on a tight leash. She was grateful, however, that his store of dried meat was enough to sustain her comfortably. When she finally managed to rest, her sleep was deep again.
The next morning, when they had finished eating, Dan brushed off his hands, walked over and knelt down in front of her.
Selena tried to scoot back instinctively, but he caught her hands.
“Relax,” he instructed, setting to work on the knots he’d tied around her wrists.
Selena held still and kept her face carefully blank. She wanted him to untie her, but he’d done a good enough job in the first place that it was taking him a while to loosen the knots. The consistent contact of his hands on her skin made her feel strange. His touch was neither particularly gentle nor rough, she observed. That same mix of emotions she’d felt those few nights ago began creeping up on her, except the fear was on the same footing with the rest instead of leading the charge. She suddenly felt embarrassed and had to look away from his hands.
After what felt like forever, he finished. Selena rubbed her wrists gratefully, but she wasn’t going to thank him for freeing them.
“Don’t try to run, Selena,” Dan warned as he stood. “There’s no way I won’t catch you.”
Selena didn’t respond. She had no intention of staying put, but perhaps she could hide the fact from him. What was the point of arguing? In fact, she even felt insulted that he was so confident of his dominion over her that he would dare to cut her loose.
By late afternoon the next day, they had begun their ascent into the hills and already the landscape was changing from dry and shrubby to well-treed and shady. They reached the summit by evening. From the top, Selena could see hills ranging on and on to the end of the horizon.
As they rode over hill after hill, Selena began wondering just how far away this place was that he was taking her to. She was beginning to worry that she wouldn’t be able to find her way back to the grassland through all these trees, seeing as she didn’t have much experience navigating through forests.
“How long until we get to this place?” Selena asked, when she was brave enough to break their customary silence.
“A couple of days,” he answered.
Selena frowned with worry. She would have to try to lull him into thinking that she wouldn’t run, but if her act was too obvious, her chances would be ruined.
“Do you have family there?” She inquired casually.
“No.”
Selena rolled her eyes with exasperation. It seemed his conversation skills were worse than hers. Either that or he was trying to be tight-lipped.
“Dan!” she called impatiently.
“What?” he answered, halting his mount and turning about.
She took a deep breath now that his gaze was fixed upon her. “You’re right about pretty much everything you guessed about me. I’ve been alone for a long time and you know what? You are the first person I have spoken to in four years. Four years. Can’t you do better than one-word answers or would you rather I talked to myself?”
He seemed a little taken aback by what she’d said and studied her a while before answering.
“There are three families and a couple of young kids where I live. As for me, my mom died when I was born and my dad died about seven years ago. I have no siblings.” It seemed he had nothing more to add. “What about you?”
Selena blanched. There was no reason to lie, but she didn’t want to share information about herself with him. She would have to play by the rules of her own game, for now.
“My mother died ten years ago and my father died four years ago. I have no siblings either.”
“How did they die?” he asked.
She tried not to look bothered by fact that she was the one being scrutinized and answered with as little emotion as possible. “My mother died of cancer and my father was murdered.”
“By who?” he pressed.
Selena pursed her lips. “A few strange men wanted his supplies and they thought he was hiding something. They couldn’t beat it out of him so they killed him.”
“Was he hiding something?”
“Yes. Me,” she answered, almost glaring but fighting the urge. “How did your dad die?”
“Ask me another time,” came his guarded response. “Were the two of you alone?”
“Yes.”
He nodded with a look of mingled regret and disapproval before turning to continue on their course.
“What?” she demanded with annoyance.
“It’s easy for things like that to happen if you’re alone.”
“I guess that’s true,” she forced herself to say. The point was not to argue, but to make him ease his vigilance so she could slip away. As it turned out, she didn’t have long to wait.
As twilight fell, she found her opportunity for escape. They had made camp an hour before sunset, not far from a stream. The horses had drank their fill and been relieved of their burdens.
Selen
a sat down at the foot of a tree, leaning against its trunk. She wasn’t sure why he headed back to the river, but it was near enough that he shouldn’t think he had cause to worry. She kept her eyes on him as she crept to his pack and searched for her dagger. Within moments, she found it and returned the blade back to its rightful spot.
The light was just low enough that the shadows could conceal her; and redwood trees grew in increasing thickness along the hill, providing possible cover. The spongy duff beneath them had always been good at muffling sound. Without wasting a moment, Selena grabbed her things and crouched low, sneaking swiftly toward the denser forest. As soon as she felt she was out of earshot, she zigzagged through the woods at a good speed, trying not to disturb the ground with her footfalls.
Weaving a path up the hill as randomly as possible, she reached the top in minutes, halting at the base of one of the larger trees. Ears straining over her thumping heart in the growing darkness, she listened for his pursuit. If he managed to track her through redwood duff when she wore such soft shoes, then maybe he deserved to catch her, she thought grimly.
Minutes passed like hours and there was still no sign of him. Scanning the trees behind her one last time, she set off again, running along the top of the hill. The forest was conveniently thick around her and she chose an eastern course, hoping that if he were following it would seem an unlikely direction to choose.
Only moments later she heard something behind her to the left and paused to watch and listen. Selena prayed it was a deer as she searched the dim forest with her eyes. It wasn’t. How the hell does he do it? Selena thought furiously. He was running easily along the base of her hill not far behind her. A moment later, he looked up the ridge and saw her.
“Damn you,” she breathed.
At that moment, Selena pondered giving up, but she was just too scared. What if catching her set him off? Should she risk it for the chance of escape? In the course of a second, her indignity decided for her. He has no right to do this, she thought venomously. It stung her to realize he was a much better tracker than she was. Her perception and stealth had always been her great pride, but he had turned them into a joke. She had never resented anyone more in all her life.
Well he might catch her, Selena decided, but she’d be damned if she wasn’t going to throw everything she had into wrenching her freedom back from his grasp. All these thoughts flashed through her mind in a heartbeat before her decision was made.
She ran. She ran harder and faster than she’d ever remembered running. Down the hill she flew, taking giant bounds to cover more distance. The wind whipped her long hair behind her like a flag of defiance. She ran, unhindered by the changes of the ground. Uphill or downhill, her stamina never faltered, yet she could tell he wasn’t far behind her. She wanted to scream out her frustration. Maybe it was because she needed three strides to match one of his, maybe he was more determined, or simply the better runner, but eventually the distance between them diminished.
She was wildly desperate as the thudding sound of his feet grew louder. He was close now. Selena knew he would have her, but she simply was not capable of moving any faster.
All at once he caught her hips in his powerful hands, halting her momentum instantly. To avoid crashing into her, he spun Selena to the side and slowed himself, then hauled her firmly against the trunk of a redwood. This time she tried a blow to the throat before he caught her wrists and held them at her sides against the tree. When she kicked, he countered by pinning her hips with his own.
Selena tried to wrench out of his grasp and squirm from his hold, but as before, he pressed himself harder against her. She paused in her struggling, chest heaving as she fought to breathe through the enveloping heat that radiated from him. She leaned her head back against the tree to find cool air and clamped her eyes shut as she struggled to calm down. This would have been impossible if he was anything less than perfectly still, but for several long minutes, neither of them moved. As long as he didn’t try anything, she could discipline herself.
When she finally opened her eyes, her furious stare met Dan’s implacable gaze. It read, “I’m here. You aren’t going anywhere.” He didn’t have to say the words. He had proven it. He was inescapable as long as he chose to be. Selena knew then that she just had to accept it, no matter how much she hated it. Whatever the extent and nature of his motives, he had clearly made up his mind.
I can’t beat him, she forced herself to admit. That familiar war erupted again inside her. Resentment and attraction tangled in response to his power, like two fighting snakes. The combination made her feel sick, especially now, when she was trapped by him like this.
It had been a long while since she had stopped struggling, yet he continued to pin her with his body and with his eyes. This knowledge began to reverse the progress she’d made with her breathing. Selena wondered again if she’d pushed him too far.
To her incredible relief, Dan finally backed up and let go of her wrists. Just when she thought the moment had passed, he placed his hands on either side of her shoulders and leaned against the tree, dropping his head to breathe and stare at the ground. Selena stood still between his arms, waiting.
When Dan looked up, he was just above eye-level with her. There was something new in the look he gave her then, but she couldn’t read it. Selena’s heart rate suffered a spike as his paralyzing gaze fell to her lips and clung there intently. In a flash, Selena remembered a time when she’d been stalked by a cougar. The fervor of its focus felt paltry in comparison. Refusing to submit, she forced her eyes to stay on him. It was probably one of the hardest things she had ever done, and it didn’t seem to be helping. Dan clenched his jaw and the tension hit a fever pitch as, almost imperceptibly, he moved in closer.
Selena began to tremble. Her heart hammered harder than ever as she fought savagely to keep still. Anything could trigger him. Or is it already too late?
His gaze continued to linger on her mouth and the intensity became suffocating. Selena thought she might lose consciousness. It was all she could stand and finally she averted her eyes abruptly from him, turning her face away and breathing raggedly. Selena wished desperately that she could disappear. She had never felt more vulnerable than at that moment, standing there at his mercy, waiting for him to strike.
He drew away. The air around her felt infinitely lighter. She almost didn’t dare to believe it. When she finally looked up again, he was just standing there, watching her calmly in the growing darkness. She had to drop her eyes again, unable to meet his stare. Feeling lucky but undone, Selena turned back to the direction of camp, and started walking.
Three
When dawn broke, Dan’s stirring drew Selena slowly from another surprisingly deep sleep. He stood stretching and turned to face the little river down the hill. Selena sat up and smoothed her hair, blearily trying to shake the grogginess off and wishing the night before had been less grueling. Dan turned to look down at her.
“I’m going to get some food now. Are you going to run away?”
She wanted to run at that moment. It was ridiculous that after years of nomadic life, solitary travel and many narrow escapes that this time she had been so easily caught. It repulsed her. Memories came flooding back, so painful and terrifying she tried to blink them away. This was not the first time she’d been held against her will. She was twelve at the time and just starting to blossom. A man in their camp had followed her into the bushes as she’d been blithely scouting for blackberries. His name was Karl. She was on guard instantly, but he tried to coax his way nearer with sickly sweet compliments until he grabbed her roughly. When her father found them, Karl had pushed her to the ground and ripped her shirt. He was trying to kiss her while she fought. He’d backed off when he was caught in the act, and fled camp for a few days. Her parents knew that his restraint would no longer hold up when he returned since his intentions were no longer a secret. Selena’s mother had explained how lucky she was that her father hadn’t found them any later. From then
on, she understood how dangerous men were. Aside from her father, she hadn’t spoken to another man since her family struck out on their own. Not until now.
Selena felt so bitter, intimidated and self-conscious that she couldn’t manage to give Dan a reply. Worse yet, a fleeting glance at his eyes proved that she was still too weak to hold his gaze.
Mercifully, he had resumed his earlier indifference toward her. For this, she was vastly grateful, but her relief only went so far. Selena knew he could change his mind at any moment. All she could do was pray he didn’t. So far, though, it was like last night’s chase and capture had never happened.
With no escape plan to occupy her, Selena watched Dan stride down the hill to the river. She closed her eyes and tried to think. There was no good in running. She wouldn’t attack him again, even if she could. He was too fast, more skilled. He’d win. Selena opened her eyes and stared up through the softly rustling redwood canopy above. The sky was cloudless above their webby branches and the air was already warm. If it weren’t for the fact she was a prisoner, Selena thought, she could have really enjoyed a day like this.
Her eyes returned to the stream, sparkling with light as the sun touched it warmly. Dan had removed his shirt and stood hip-deep in the flowing water. His perfectly toned body and smooth skin made Selena’s stomach flinch and she pulled her eyes away quickly. Seeing him half-naked felt intimate, and after last night, it was too much. Selena leaned forward, tugged at her hair and breathed a long sigh. What is wrong with me? she wondered, feeling exasperated by the warring emotions she clearly had no ability to control. Very slowly, she peeked around the curtain of her dark hair and watched him.
Dan stood leaning over the water with his arms submerged to the biceps. He was fishing by hand, Selena knew. She wasn’t too bad at it herself, but based on everything else she knew about him, she guessed he was better. She was right. He crouched in wait, concentrating patiently, watching them swim, then sank down with almost imperceptible slowness and pulled them from the water one by one. Selena was puzzled and no longer bothered to hide the fact that she was staring. There was no quick grab or fast movement of any kind. Now she stood and faced him, paying close attention, but when the process was repeated Selena still couldn’t understand what he was doing.
Surviving Passion Page 3
