Golden Roses

by Patricia Hagan

  She blinked. “But why?”

  “Damn it, woman,” he said, eyes blazing. “Don’t you understand? Armand is falling in love with you. If he even thought that Valdis would lay a hand on you, he’d go charging into that house and get killed. He is a great matador, but he’d never stand a chance against a killer like Valdis.”

  “Killer?” Amber echoed.

  “Yes, a killer,” he said tightly. “I’ve heard some ugly things, but there’s no need to scare you further by repeating them. Just believe me when I say the man is dangerous, and I want you to be careful. Don’t goad him, Amber. I’ll work something out.”

  He shook his head. “Hell, I’d take you all the way to the border right now myself, but he’d have a goddamn army after us, and we’d never have a chance. We need time to plan.”

  Cord sensed her fear and covered her hands with one of his and squeezed. “Listen, sweetheart,” he gave her a lopsided grin, “he isn’t going to hurt you. He’s just trying to scare you. If he wanted to hurt you, he’d have done it by now. I think he’s got other plans…like marriage.”

  “Marriage? Valdis?”

  “Gossip spreads in the valley like sand in a windstorm. I’ve heard that Valdis brags he’s going to have the most beautiful woman in Mexico for his wife. Armand hasn’t heard that, or he would have said something. Let’s hope he doesn’t hear the gossip. Like I said, we don’t need him charging in like a white knight rescuing a damsel in distress.”

  They rode in silence for a while, and Cord turned the wagon from the main road and urged the horse up over a tiny knoll. Reining to a stop, he got down and wordlessly held out his arms to Amber. She allowed him to help her to the ground. He took her hand and led her around a thick hedge of sage and cactus.

  She gasped in delight at the view beyond. The valley stretched in the golden sunset like giant fingers of purple mist. Dusty emerald and rose clouds wafted through the vegetation. Light bounced off the rocks, turning stone into sparkling diamonds.

  “It’s all so beautiful,” she whispered in awe. “I have never seen anything so lovely in all my life.”

  Cord leaned back against a smooth, flat rock. Amber stood beside him until he lifted her and sat her on the rock. After a while, he said, “It’s one of the prettiest spots I’ve seen in Mexico, but it can’t compare with Pennsylvania.”

  “Is that where you are from?” she asked.

  He nodded. “I’ll go back there one day.”

  He sounded so wistful. “Can’t you go back now if you miss it so? And whatever brought you all the way to Mexico in the first place? Were you running from the rebels?” she teased.

  He chuckled, but she did not miss the slight glint of anger flashing in his eyes.

  “No. I didn’t run from the rebs. And, besides, what are you doing out here in the desert with a Yankee? If Armand hadn’t told me you were from the South, I would have known it by the butter-and-grits accent.”

  “I never took sides during the war,” she told him somberly, quickly explaining the sheltered, removed-from-life existence she had known with her grandmother. “We were just never involved in anything. I think there could have been a battle going on right outside the window, and Grandma would have closed the shutters and gone about her business.”

  He had been staring downward as she spoke, muscular arms folded across his large chest. She watched as he suddenly leaned over, shocked at the tremors of pleasure she felt at the sight of his shirt straining tautly against his broad back. Picking a small yellow cactus flower, he handed it to her. “You’re like this flower, Amber. Tiny, vulnerable, innocent. There for the picking. For you have no one to protect you.”

  He was leaning over her, so close she could see the thick lashes framing his dark brown eyes. “Until now…” he murmured huskily. “Until now, Amber…”

  Powerful arms swept her against him in a crushing vise as his mouth came down on hers. His tongue parted her lips and he explored the intimate recesses of her mouth. She couldn’t control the desire quivering through her body, as warm and as penetrating as the gilded sunset bathing them in glory.

  He released her and she gasped. “You…you shouldn’t have done that. It was—”

  “—damn nice.” He laughed, cupping her chin and brushing his lips across hers. “And you liked it.”

  She looked down and saw that she was still holding the fragile flower he had given her. Yes, it had been nice. She had liked it. Too much. And now she felt frightened, but within that fright was anger, and she lifted her face to look at him in a challenge. “I am not like this flower, Cord. I’m not going to let myself be weak and vulnerable. I am going to get my money back from Valdis, and I am going to leave Mexico, leave you and your kisses, and Armand and his charm, and Valdis and his power…none of these will hold me here.”

  He placed a hand flat against the rock on each side of her and smiled. “You are such a tiny thing to have so much spunk…like a fluffy little kitten. All playful and cute one minute, all claws and spit the next.”

  She wouldn’t let him know how uncomfortable she was. “First I’m a flower and then a kitten. I am me, Cord Hayden, a grown woman.”

  “No, not grown. Not grown, little kitten. But you will be. And maybe I’ll be the one to teach you.”

  He moved closer, towering over her. “I would like that—teaching you what a woman needs to know to please a man.”

  “Well, you won’t get the opportunity,” she snapped, furious with herself for the emotions surging within. “Now, I think we had best get back to the ranch before Valdis comes looking for me. I have enough problems with him as it is.”

  He was silent for a moment as he looked at her so probingly that it seemed he could see inside her soul. “Yeah, I think we better,” he said finally in a husky voice. “Because if we don’t leave, I’m going to give you your first lesson here and now.”

  He moved closer, and she braced herself for his kiss, then cursed silently at the disappointment she felt when he didn’t kiss her. He merely lifted her from the rock and set her on her feet. Taking her arm, he led the way back to the wagon and helped her in.

  Neither spoke again until the ranch was in sight; then Cord tersely reminded her to be wary of Valdis. “I’m going to figure out a way to get you out of there, but I’ve got to contend with Armand and his infatuation. He’s going to have notions of his own, I’m afraid.”

  “He’s my friend,” she reminded him stiffly. “If he knew the danger, he would want to help me.”

  He whirled on her. “Listen to me, damn it. Don’t trifle with Armand. I told you. He needs all his concentration in that ring. Let me worry about you. Armand thinks he’s in love, and when a man fancies himself in love, he gets careless. Armand can’t afford to be careless.”

  “You wouldn’t get careless, would you, Cord Hayden?” she snapped as the wagon rolled to a stop before the house. “Because you’re not capable of loving anyone.”

  His eyes narrowed. “It’s not necessary to love a woman to enjoy her,” he growled. “Armand will have to learn that—the same way I did.”

  She wanted to ask him what he meant, but she knew, somehow, that the cruel remark came from secrets in his past, a past he kept closely guarded.

  Cord got out, then placed his hands around Amber’s tiny waist and set her on the ground. Releasing her immediately and stepping back, he instructed brusquely, “Go in the house. Maybe Valdis isn’t back yet. Go to your room. Lock the door and stay there, and don’t do anything foolish. I’ll be in touch.”

  Amber bristled. As much as she needed his help, she resented his presumptuous attitude, and his domination. Too, she regretted the overpowering enchantment of his kisses. She was her own person once again. She would not let her vulnerable side take over. Maybe she was naive, but by God, she was learning fast.

  With her newborn resolutions firing her, Amber declared, “I decline your offer of help, Mr. Hayden.”

  He looked down at her in astonishment. With mock conce
rn, he asked, “Have I done something to offend you, Miss Forrest?”

  “It appears,” she replied solemnly, “that we do not bring out the best in each other.”

  He threw his head back and laughed. “Give me a chance to bring out your best. I only kissed you once.”

  He jumped into the wagon, popped the reins, and moved into the shadows, leaving Amber standing alone, fuming.

  It is my own fault, she admonished herself as she lifted her skirts and swished up the stairs. A man like Cord Hayden, she reasoned, who was handsome, charming, strong, was bound to attract women of all kinds. So he would know how to deal with each kind. He probably thought she was very stupid. He was probably snickering over the way she had melted at his touch. All right. It was too late to do anything about that now, but from that moment on she would control her emotions—and her life. She certainly did not need a man to lead her around.

  Opening the front door, she was relieved to find the foyer empty and the house silent. She made her way up to her room and was about to lock herself in when she was startled by the sight of Maretta emerging from the shadows of the hallway.

  “Maretta,” Amber said cautiously, not missing the rage emanating from her stepsister. “You frightened me.”

  Maretta pushed by her and stepped into the room. “It is time we talked.”

  “Fine,” Amber responded pleasantly, closing the door behind them. Dolita had left the lantern burning beside the bed, and in its orange glow, she saw the pinched anger on Maretta’s face. Seeking to make it easier for both of them, Amber said, “I’m glad for this chance to talk and get to know each other, Maretta. To be perfectly honest with you, I’ve had the feeling since I came here that you hate me, and there’s no reason for that. I would like us to be friends.”

  “Enough lies,” Maretta hissed, pacing menacingly around Amber. “It is time you understood your place. I want you to stop throwing yourself at Armand Mendosa. He is a man, so he cannot be blamed for wanting what you so openly offer him.”

  “Now, wait!” Amber cried. “That isn’t true, and it isn’t fair.”

  “It is true. I know Armand. I have known him all my life. For now, he sows his wild oats, but one day he will settle down, and it will be me that he marries, just as our parents wished. For the moment, I must acknowledge that there are many whores who hunger for a man as famous as he. But heed my warning.” Her voice rose. “I have the misfortune to have you in my family, and you will not become one of his harlots. Leave Armand alone!”

  Amber gestured helplessly. “Maretta, you don’t understand. Armand is my friend. He saved my life last night, as I told you.”

  “A matador does not dedicate the bull to a mere friend,” Maretta snapped. “You have made a fool of yourself and of me, and then you rode away from the arena with Cord Hayden, who is scum.”

  “He knew Valdis was upset and wanted to give him time to calm down. And why do you call Cord scum?” Amber wanted to know. “Has he ever done anything to hurt you?”

  Maretta colored slightly. “It is none of your concern. Just know that he is not welcome in this house. Now. I give you a warning, and if you do not heed it, then you will suffer the consequences.” She leaned close, teeth bared, and whispered ominously, “It is true my brother runs this ranch and has much power and much money. But I also have power. There is a convent in the mountains where wayward young women from fine families are sent to mend their ways. I can have you sent there. I can have you kept there!”

  Amber shook her head, feeling more pity than anger. “Maretta, I had truly hoped we could come to some understanding of each other and be friends, but I guess that is just not possible. Now you get something straight. I’m not scared of you or your brother or your threats. I’m not going to let you or anyone else tell me who I can or can’t associate with.”

  “You will pay!” Maretta shook her fist, all her rage bursting forth.

  Amber had reached her limit. Walking to the door, she flung it open and said, “I’m sorry we can’t be friends, but if this is the way you see things about me, then I’m not listening to anything else you may have to say.”

  Maretta looked at her so venomously that Amber was shocked. “Very well. I have warned you,” Maretta said. “Now I will give you some advice. I wish you to know that it is I who saved you from a beating tonight. Valdis was very upset with you, and I know it was his intent to give you the thrashing you deserve. But I wanted to speak with you and give you a warning, so when he had his sangria tonight, I slipped something into it so he would fall asleep. Tomorrow, when he awakens, he will have calmed down.”

  “Well…thank you,” Amber stammered awkwardly.

  “I do not want your gratitude,” Maretta cried. “I want you to heed my warning and this advice. When my brother asks you to marry him, accept his proposal.”

  “Proposal?” Amber echoed. “You can’t mean that, Maretta.”

  “It is his intention to marry you,” Maretta said, nodding. “Accept. Become his wife and forget your foolish chasing after Armand.”

  Amber had lost all patience. “I have no intention of marrying your brother or anyone else. Now get out, Maretta.”

  Maretta flounced out of the room, and Amber closed the door wearily behind her.

  Amber dropped into a chair and sat staring out the window, not really seeing the trees lining the drive, unaware, in fact, that she was where she was. Her mind was with Armand—and then, in a moment, it was with Cord. What was there about Armand that made her want to see him right at that moment? Or about Cord that made her temper flare whenever she saw him? Why should she be drawn to either of them? She had, she told herself sternly, quite enough to do in getting away from there, getting away from Valdis. She couldn’t afford to think about anything except that.

  Suddenly she felt smothered, and she could not, just then, bear the confines of her room. Grabbing a lace shawl, she hurried downstairs to slip quietly out the front door and into the sanctuary of the night. She moved toward the garden and soon inhaled the sweet night-blooming jasmine that clung to the orange and mango trees. Silver webs of moonlight lit orchids and bromeliads. There were dahlias, cosmos, and marigolds, as well as a few succulents hugging the ground closely.

  She stared beyond to the overwhelming masses of mountains, stark in the moonlight. Stepping to the edge of the garden, she saw the tilted planes and arching skies of the tableland, the rude upthrust of multicolored buttes in deserts of silver and gold, and she was deeply moved by the beauty, so secret, yet so awesome in the ghostly light.

  Rubbing her arms to ward off the night chill, she moved about reverently, lost in thought. She knew that Mexico contained both baked deserts where rainfall was all but unknown and also tropical forests. There were sun-scorched, sea-level savannas, and lush grasslands dotted with trees and spiny shrubs. Tablelands were miles high, and vast dry canyons laid bare the entrails of the earth. Broad jungle rivers flowed in some places. There was the volcanic zone, running roughly across the middle of the country, of over five hundred miles.

  The sound of a twig snapping brought her out of her reverie. Armand stepped into the thin stream of moonlight filtering down through the leaves, grinning broadly as he called softly, “My moonstar. Do not be afraid.”

  “Armand!” She laughed with relief, hurrying toward him. “What are you doing here?”

  He devoured her face with his eyes. “I knew Valdis was mad, and Cord told me he brought you home so you would be away from his wrath. I had to see you, to know you are all right.”

  She shivered deliciously as she felt his breath, warm against her mouth. Soon his lips covered hers in a long, dizzying kiss, and his fingertips moved tantalizingly up and down her back, drawing her closer against his body. “I love you,” he whispered huskily, as she tipped her head back to let him kiss her throat. “You are the woman I have waited for all my life. I must have you…for always.”

  Dazed, fighting to regain her will, she pushed at his chest with both hands, but
he held her tightly. “Armand, no! It’s all happening too soon. I’m so confused. Please. Be my friend. Don’t confuse me even more.”

  “Ah, what is confusing about love?” he crooned, his tongue flicking at her neck. “I must have you, to awaken with you next to me in the mornings, fall asleep inside you. I want you to bear my children. I will revel to watch your beautiful belly growing large with my seed. Oh, my moonstar, say you feel this wonderful thing too.”

  She struggled against him, felt her blood turning to golden, liquid fire. He was awakening those same feelings that the faceless man of her dreams had ignited. Her lace shawl fell, baring her shoulders, and he bent to cover a shoulder with his hungry mouth.

  Amber lost all control as the fire swept over her body. Every nerve was taut, eager, and she felt a quivering between her thighs. He lifted her in his arms and carried her into the woods, placing her on a fragrant bed of fallen mimosa blossoms. “We mustn’t, Armand. We can’t—”

  “I want you, my moonstar, and you know you want me,” he said raggedly.

  Quickly, she stood up, backing away a step. “I can’t…won’t…give myself to you this way. It’s wrong, Armand.”

  She watched anxiously as he stared at her. Then, slowly, surprisingly, a smile spread across his face.

  “Oh, Armand,” she cried, “I’ve never been so far with a man. You made me want you. But it’s wrong, I know it is.”

  He gathered her in his arms and kissed her quickly, then whispered, “Do not worry, little one. I understand that you were not teasing me. You are young and frightened, but I know you care for me. It is I who must beg your forgiveness, for I had no right to expect so much so soon.”

  He took a deep breath. “We will do things properly. I will court you. Valdis is your guardian now, so tomorrow I will go to him and ask for your hand in marriage.” He took both her hands in his, smiling, while she stared at him in wonder.

  She shook her head slowly. “It is not going to be that easy, Armand.” She told him of the scene with Maretta, and the revelation that Valdis was going to propose. Then she told him about the money.