stare as if she felt the full weight of his hostility.
He wheeled his mount and rode so close to her mare that the animal shied and would have
unseated a less skilled rider. Rowena snatched the reins and brought the mare to a trembling
stop.
Tomás dismounted quickly and caught the mare's bridle. "Easy, querida," he whispered in her
twitching ear. "Are you all right?"
Rowena pushed a heavy mass of pale hair from her face. "Are you addressing me?" She glared
at his extended hands and grimly suffered him to help her down. "Your friend is ill-mannered.
But that is exactly what I ought to expect."
"Sim? It is true that he's no gentleman." He neglected to release Rowena, testing the feel of her
body in his arms. Her hair was indeed glorious, even tangled by the wind. It lent a softness to
her features that belied her haughty airs. Her willowy curves were well fettered in corsets and
unyielding fabric, but he sensed the pliancy and warmth beneath.
This was no ice figurine he held. All at once it was much easier to imagine that his fantasies of
the lusty Lady of Fire could become real. Remove those layers of binding cloth, add a few
caresses, and it was just possible that the lady would ignite.
Eminently possible.
His mouth felt very dry. She ought to be fighting him tooth and nail. She was certainly not afraid
of him. But she remained absolutely still in his arms. "Sim… has a rather pointed dislike of
women," he said.
"As you do."
Once A Wolf – 19th Century Werewolf 02
Page 40 of 275
"I, dislike women?" He bent closer, studying the plump slopes of her slightly parted lips. "Ah,
no, dulzura. Far from it."
Belatedly she stiffened and pushed him away. "I pity the poor creatures who suffer your
appreciation. But I don't imagine the sort of company you frequent is very discriminating."
He laughed and rubbed his jaw. "Ay! I didn't know that they taught such repartee to English
ladies. But of course you're no ordinary English lady."
Her face was ghostly in the dimming light. "Since you can have no experience of respectable
ladies, sir, your suppositions are absurd."
"Then I must rely on you to correct my misapprehensions," he said. "I promise to be an eager
student."
In answer she marched to the nearest adobe wall and pressed against it, folding her arms
across her chest. "What is this place?"
"Once it was a village. Now—" He shrugged. "Now it is simply shelter for the night."
"We are staying here?"
Tomás gathered the horses and tied them to a weathered post. "The houses may be crumbling,
but I thought you might prefer this to the open prairie."
"How very considerate of you. Don't you fear pursuit? I do not believe that Mr. MacLean was
speaking idly when he promised to hunt you down."
"Your concern touches me greatly, señorita, but I could not expect either you or the horses to
travel all night."
She shifted against the wall. "You sent the others away."
How careful she was to keep her tone indifferent. He hid a smile. "My men have work to do.
We'll meet them in New Mexico." He untied rolled blankets from behind the cantle of his
saddle, unsaddled his gelding and the mare, and set out their grain. He drew provisions from
the saddlebags, carrying them into a hut missing its northern wall and most of the roof. Rowena
made no move to follow.
" I regret that I have so little to offer you, my lady," he said. 't "I won't risk a fire tonight, and I
cannot leave to hunt. But I've bread and cheese and strawberries—"
"I am not hungry."
"But you may wish to rest—unless, of course, you prefer to escape. In that case, you should
prepare to Change. It is many miles back to La Junta."
Once A Wolf – 19th Century Werewolf 02
Page 41 of 275
Her silence was answer enough. No, she would not Change—not even to escape, not even if he
invited her to do so.
He left the food laid out on a blanket and went to join her outside. "At least come out of the
wind, my lady."
"I am not cold."
"And
He wheeled his mount and rode so close to her mare that the animal shied and would have
unseated a less skilled rider. Rowena snatched the reins and brought the mare to a trembling
stop.
Tomás dismounted quickly and caught the mare's bridle. "Easy, querida," he whispered in her
twitching ear. "Are you all right?"
Rowena pushed a heavy mass of pale hair from her face. "Are you addressing me?" She glared
at his extended hands and grimly suffered him to help her down. "Your friend is ill-mannered.
But that is exactly what I ought to expect."
"Sim? It is true that he's no gentleman." He neglected to release Rowena, testing the feel of her
body in his arms. Her hair was indeed glorious, even tangled by the wind. It lent a softness to
her features that belied her haughty airs. Her willowy curves were well fettered in corsets and
unyielding fabric, but he sensed the pliancy and warmth beneath.
This was no ice figurine he held. All at once it was much easier to imagine that his fantasies of
the lusty Lady of Fire could become real. Remove those layers of binding cloth, add a few
caresses, and it was just possible that the lady would ignite.
Eminently possible.
His mouth felt very dry. She ought to be fighting him tooth and nail. She was certainly not afraid
of him. But she remained absolutely still in his arms. "Sim… has a rather pointed dislike of
women," he said.
"As you do."
Once A Wolf – 19th Century Werewolf 02
Page 40 of 275
"I, dislike women?" He bent closer, studying the plump slopes of her slightly parted lips. "Ah,
no, dulzura. Far from it."
Belatedly she stiffened and pushed him away. "I pity the poor creatures who suffer your
appreciation. But I don't imagine the sort of company you frequent is very discriminating."
He laughed and rubbed his jaw. "Ay! I didn't know that they taught such repartee to English
ladies. But of course you're no ordinary English lady."
Her face was ghostly in the dimming light. "Since you can have no experience of respectable
ladies, sir, your suppositions are absurd."
"Then I must rely on you to correct my misapprehensions," he said. "I promise to be an eager
student."
In answer she marched to the nearest adobe wall and pressed against it, folding her arms
across her chest. "What is this place?"
"Once it was a village. Now—" He shrugged. "Now it is simply shelter for the night."
"We are staying here?"
Tomás gathered the horses and tied them to a weathered post. "The houses may be crumbling,
but I thought you might prefer this to the open prairie."
"How very considerate of you. Don't you fear pursuit? I do not believe that Mr. MacLean was
speaking idly when he promised to hunt you down."
"Your concern touches me greatly, señorita, but I could not expect either you or the horses to
travel all night."
She shifted against the wall. "You sent the others away."
How careful she was to keep her tone indifferent. He hid a smile. "My men have work to do.
We'll meet them in New Mexico." He untied rolled blankets from behind the cantle of his
saddle, unsaddled his gelding and the mare, and set out their grain. He drew provisions from
the saddlebags, carrying them into a hut missing its northern wall and most of the roof. Rowena
made no move to follow.
" I regret that I have so little to offer you, my lady," he said. 't "I won't risk a fire tonight, and I
cannot leave to hunt. But I've bread and cheese and strawberries—"
"I am not hungry."
"But you may wish to rest—unless, of course, you prefer to escape. In that case, you should
prepare to Change. It is many miles back to La Junta."
Once A Wolf – 19th Century Werewolf 02
Page 41 of 275
Her silence was answer enough. No, she would not Change—not even to escape, not even if he
invited her to do so.
He left the food laid out on a blanket and went to join her outside. "At least come out of the
wind, my lady."
"I am not cold."
"And
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