Read Online Ride The Wind (Vincente 3) by Constance O'Banyon - Free Book Online Page B

nation."
    "I'd hoped if we ran into Quanah, he'd remember me. Apparently he did." He mounted his
horse and reached for her hand. "Let's ride. I
want to put some miles between us and the Comanche."
    She took his hand and he pulled her up, placing her behind him. When they started off at a
trot, she had to put her arms around him to keep
from falling off. After they had ridden for some
time, her head fell against his strong back, and
she was somehow comforted by the steady beating of his heart. She could feel the strength that
radiated from him. She closed her eyes, feeling
as if nothing in the world could harm her when
she was with him.
    Her eyes flew open. He was the reason she had
been ripped from her family and Matthew! She should fear him more than she did the Comanche!

    Reese was setting up camp when Saber walked
down to the small creek. She was eager to wash
her face and hands. Walking around the thornbush and down a slight incline, she found a shallow creek. Going down on her knees, she broke
the ice, cupped her hands, and drank thirstily of
the cold water. She shivered as she washed her
face and hands; then she tried to work the worst
of the tangles out of her hair and braided it into
one long braid. Tearing a strip of cloth from her
shirt, she secured the end of the braid and felt
somewhat better.
    When Saber returned to camp, Reese had unsaddled the horse and tossed the saddle on the
ground. "I'm afraid well have to eat a cold
meal," he told her. "I don't want to remind the
Comanche that we're on their land and taking
advantage of their hospitality."
    "I'm starved," she said, going down beside
him. "I don't care what I eat as long as it's filling."
    He handed her a chunk of jerked buffalo meat.
"This will have to do until we are well away from
here."
    She stood up, tearing a piece of dried meat
with strong teeth. She was watching a flock of blackbirds flying in formation and didn't notice
that Reese was watching her.

    Like a man caught in a dream, he couldn't
drag his gaze away from the fragile beauty of
Saber's face. Her skin was like satin, her lips full
and rosy, and her long, thick lashes curled
against her cheek. Her head was thrown back
while she observed the birds, and it revealed her
long, slender neck. He was speechless in the face
of such beauty, and he wondered what had ever
made him think she was homely. Hell, no wonder Graham Felton had wanted to kidnap her,
and Matthew was so anxious to get her back.
Saber Vincente was probably the most stunningly beautiful woman he'd ever seen.
    She glanced questioningly at him, and he was
struck by her sapphire blue eyes. "How do you
suppose they do that?"
    "How who does what?" he asked in a thick
voice.
    "Birds fly in such a perfect formation. They
seem to sense just when to turn, weave, or dip.
They must communicate in some way, don't you
think?"
    He tore his gaze away from her and glanced
upward, his heart beating like a drum. "I've
never thought much about it. I suppose every
species communicates in one way or another."
He was thinking that his body was communi eating with hers, and he wanted to reach out and
touch her, to pull her into his arms, to protect
her and never allow anyone to hurt her again.

    She glanced at him forlornly. "I envy them because they are free, and I'm not."
    He saw the suffering in her eyes and knew that
it was time he told her who he was. "Sit down,
Miss Vincente. I want to explain some things to
you."
    She nodded and sat down, curling her legs beneath her. "I hope you are going to tell me why
you had me kidnapped, Mr. Felton."
    "I didn't have you kidnapped."
    "Then why-"
    "I couldn't tell you who I was until I was certain that the Miller brothers weren't following
us. My name is Reese Starrett, Miss Vincente.
I'm a friend of Matthew's. I only pretended to be
Felton to get you away from them."
    He watched several different emotions play
across her face: disbelief, hope, doubt,