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Authors: One Night's Desire
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the musty earth scent of the woods. He could hear birds and small creatures moving through the brush. He should have heard Boyd snoring if nothing else. However, no evidence of other people came to his senses.
He remembered glaring at Wildcat when she came back to camp from washing up. He remembered his brief and failed struggle to loosen the rope at his feet. He remembered being so numb with cold that he feared he wouldn’t wake up in the morning and deciding that staying awake all night was his best chance of staying alive.
He’d fallen asleep anyway, and someone had gotten way too close. But who? The Indian might have some sort of moral code that prevented outright murder, but in Ev’s experience, Indians didn’t bother to comfort captives. Between her and the Shoshone, the Wildcat was more likely to consider how the cold would affect him. Given past experience, charity fit with her character, but it shouldn’t, not when kindness might eventually land her in prison or worse. Maybe she was just plain crazy. Who could explain the actions of a crazy person?
He kept his eyes closed, listening for sounds of movement, wondering how he’d slept through having his head touched enough to get it onto the makeshift pillow. Nothing but the normal sounds of the woods waking for the day came to his ears. He opened his eyes and took a look around. His position restricted his vision, but he should have been able to see Boyd on the other side of the now cold and smokeless fire. Boyd was gone, and the ashes were scattered, as if the woman and the Indian had already departed. Ev lifted his head to increase his field of vision. Their bedrolls were missing. Nothing human remained save himself.
Something close to panic shortened his breath. Had those two left him trussed and vulnerable to any predator that came near? He didn’t relish the idea of being eaten alive, supper for some cougar or a pack of wolves. Why take only the gunman and not both of them? Why worry about his comfort during the night. With that thought icy calm returned, accompanied by the sound of quiet footsteps. The amount of light filtering through the trees indicated dawn had recently broken.
“All right, Marshal, time to be on our way.”
The blanket was snatched away, and the cold slapped Ev’s body about the same time that anger consumed all remnants of calm. He twisted to stare daggers at Wildcat. All he could see was her moccasins and the fringe of her buckskins as she knelt beside him. He strained against the ropes, so badly did he want to get his hands on her.
“Relax, or I won’t be able to get these knots undone.”
She sounded cranky and impatient, as if unhappy with something. Good, he didn’t want her happy. He shook his head and forced his muscles to go slack. If he kept reacting emotionally, he’d miss any chance to turn the tables, and with the ropes gone an opportunity was sure to occur when he could jump her or maybe get her gun.
The knot holding his feet loosened, and he straightened his legs. Pain shot up from his toes and spangled along his nerves all the way to his hips. He failed to repress a groan.
She put a hand on his shoulder, indicating he should stay on the ground. “Better take it easy, Marshal. Your legs won’t be steady for some time.”
The heat of her hand burned through his flannel, and he felt a stirring in his groin. She was affecting him, but this time of morning arousing a man was easy. He just needed to relieve himself. Yep, the Wildcat raised no physical reaction at all.
She stood and walked away.
Much to Ev’s disgust, the heat of her touch lingered.
What now, he wondered as he tried to lever himself into a standing position? He’d only succeeded in rolling from his side to sitting, when she came back into view. She held the reins of her horse’s bridle. His mount was linked to hers with a leader. The Shoshone rode up behind her, a lead linking his pony to Boyd’s gelding.
Thank the Lord
. Irritating
He remembered glaring at Wildcat when she came back to camp from washing up. He remembered his brief and failed struggle to loosen the rope at his feet. He remembered being so numb with cold that he feared he wouldn’t wake up in the morning and deciding that staying awake all night was his best chance of staying alive.
He’d fallen asleep anyway, and someone had gotten way too close. But who? The Indian might have some sort of moral code that prevented outright murder, but in Ev’s experience, Indians didn’t bother to comfort captives. Between her and the Shoshone, the Wildcat was more likely to consider how the cold would affect him. Given past experience, charity fit with her character, but it shouldn’t, not when kindness might eventually land her in prison or worse. Maybe she was just plain crazy. Who could explain the actions of a crazy person?
He kept his eyes closed, listening for sounds of movement, wondering how he’d slept through having his head touched enough to get it onto the makeshift pillow. Nothing but the normal sounds of the woods waking for the day came to his ears. He opened his eyes and took a look around. His position restricted his vision, but he should have been able to see Boyd on the other side of the now cold and smokeless fire. Boyd was gone, and the ashes were scattered, as if the woman and the Indian had already departed. Ev lifted his head to increase his field of vision. Their bedrolls were missing. Nothing human remained save himself.
Something close to panic shortened his breath. Had those two left him trussed and vulnerable to any predator that came near? He didn’t relish the idea of being eaten alive, supper for some cougar or a pack of wolves. Why take only the gunman and not both of them? Why worry about his comfort during the night. With that thought icy calm returned, accompanied by the sound of quiet footsteps. The amount of light filtering through the trees indicated dawn had recently broken.
“All right, Marshal, time to be on our way.”
The blanket was snatched away, and the cold slapped Ev’s body about the same time that anger consumed all remnants of calm. He twisted to stare daggers at Wildcat. All he could see was her moccasins and the fringe of her buckskins as she knelt beside him. He strained against the ropes, so badly did he want to get his hands on her.
“Relax, or I won’t be able to get these knots undone.”
She sounded cranky and impatient, as if unhappy with something. Good, he didn’t want her happy. He shook his head and forced his muscles to go slack. If he kept reacting emotionally, he’d miss any chance to turn the tables, and with the ropes gone an opportunity was sure to occur when he could jump her or maybe get her gun.
The knot holding his feet loosened, and he straightened his legs. Pain shot up from his toes and spangled along his nerves all the way to his hips. He failed to repress a groan.
She put a hand on his shoulder, indicating he should stay on the ground. “Better take it easy, Marshal. Your legs won’t be steady for some time.”
The heat of her hand burned through his flannel, and he felt a stirring in his groin. She was affecting him, but this time of morning arousing a man was easy. He just needed to relieve himself. Yep, the Wildcat raised no physical reaction at all.
She stood and walked away.
Much to Ev’s disgust, the heat of her touch lingered.
What now, he wondered as he tried to lever himself into a standing position? He’d only succeeded in rolling from his side to sitting, when she came back into view. She held the reins of her horse’s bridle. His mount was linked to hers with a leader. The Shoshone rode up behind her, a lead linking his pony to Boyd’s gelding.
Thank the Lord
. Irritating
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