her.
“And go where?” she whispered desperately. “Down to your swamp?”
“You’ve a better suggestion?”
“North—”
“I live south.”
“But I can’t stay there!” she protested in dismay. “It’s savage land—”
“And you’re afraid? Pity!”
“I’m not afraid,” she murmured quickly. “Not any more afraid than I am of going back out tonight!”
“Ah! Since Eastwood’s boys will take their time reporting back, you think that your friends will still be after you!”
“They’re not my friends.”
“Whoever. We’ll get past them.”
“To the swamp!” she whispered.
“I won’t leave you once we’re there,” he said very softly.
Tara closed her eyes. She tried to remember everything she knew about Florida. It was raw, awful, she had heard. There were horrible, savage battles with the Indians. Most of the state was a wasteland.
She didn’t want to be afraid. Ever. But she was.
“How can I be guaranteed that?” she whispered, her eyes pinning his. Damn, but she had a will of steel! Danger lay at the doorstep and she was still negotiating!
A tap came on the door. “Ready?” Robert asked. The door opened. He came through.
“She doesn’t like the idea of Florida,” McKenzie told him.
“I don’t want to be left with a savage in the middle of a swamp!” she whispered.
“Why not? You’ll be going there with a savage!” Robert said and laughed. There was silence. “I was joking, you know.”
Why the hell
was
he taking her with him? Jarrett wondered. He could just put her on a riverboat and send her north.
And where would she wind up? How long would it be before these people came after her again?
It wasn’t his affair.
It was. He had seen her. He had touched her. Oh, yes. He had seen quite a bit of her.
“He won’t leave you there,” Robert continued. “I know he won’t.” He swung around, staring at McKenzie in the darkness. His voice was a whisper. “Damn it, it’s the answer. Yes, bring her home. You’ve needed someone. Marry her.”
“What?” McKenzie thundered the word. Then he stared at Tara. She backed away into a corner of the room.
“Look—” she began.
“Why not?” McKenzie muttered.
He smiled as a startling chill swept through him. What was he doing? To himself, to her!
What difference did it make? he wondered wearily. He could never have married any of the women or girls who would have been appropriate wives for him. Not someone he knew, who had known Lisa. Robert had once suggested a mail-order bride because he did need someone. What was a plantation without someone to run the household, without someone—anyone—warm to return to at the end of the day?
Well, she was a hell of a lot better than a mail-order bride!
And he knew that he wanted her. If he should burnany more deeply for her, he would explode like cannon fire.
He stared hard at her, his muscles constricted, the length of him as tight as wire. “I will marry you,” he told her. “And then I
can
absolutely guarantee you that you will be safe.”
She gasped, stunned. “But I can’t—”
“Are you already married?”
“No!”
“Then?”
For once he seemed to have really shaken her. Her lips trembled, the length of her shook. “I don’t love you, I don’t even know you! I — ” She shook her head wildly. “How do
you
know you’re willing to do it?” she inquired.
He folded his arms over his chest. “Because I’m a gambler. You must have noticed that by now. And if you were willing to throw yourself into the Mississippi, you have to be one hell of a gambler too.”
She was still staring at him, moisture dazzling her eyes, even in the shadowy darkness.
“She’s gone! Really gone. I sure as hell can’t find her,” came an irritated call from the street.
“She can’t be gone! Keep looking. We’ll find her.”
“What’s it to be?” he asked her very softly.
What was it to be? What choice did she have?
A shudder seized her, as dark and
“And go where?” she whispered desperately. “Down to your swamp?”
“You’ve a better suggestion?”
“North—”
“I live south.”
“But I can’t stay there!” she protested in dismay. “It’s savage land—”
“And you’re afraid? Pity!”
“I’m not afraid,” she murmured quickly. “Not any more afraid than I am of going back out tonight!”
“Ah! Since Eastwood’s boys will take their time reporting back, you think that your friends will still be after you!”
“They’re not my friends.”
“Whoever. We’ll get past them.”
“To the swamp!” she whispered.
“I won’t leave you once we’re there,” he said very softly.
Tara closed her eyes. She tried to remember everything she knew about Florida. It was raw, awful, she had heard. There were horrible, savage battles with the Indians. Most of the state was a wasteland.
She didn’t want to be afraid. Ever. But she was.
“How can I be guaranteed that?” she whispered, her eyes pinning his. Damn, but she had a will of steel! Danger lay at the doorstep and she was still negotiating!
A tap came on the door. “Ready?” Robert asked. The door opened. He came through.
“She doesn’t like the idea of Florida,” McKenzie told him.
“I don’t want to be left with a savage in the middle of a swamp!” she whispered.
“Why not? You’ll be going there with a savage!” Robert said and laughed. There was silence. “I was joking, you know.”
Why the hell
was
he taking her with him? Jarrett wondered. He could just put her on a riverboat and send her north.
And where would she wind up? How long would it be before these people came after her again?
It wasn’t his affair.
It was. He had seen her. He had touched her. Oh, yes. He had seen quite a bit of her.
“He won’t leave you there,” Robert continued. “I know he won’t.” He swung around, staring at McKenzie in the darkness. His voice was a whisper. “Damn it, it’s the answer. Yes, bring her home. You’ve needed someone. Marry her.”
“What?” McKenzie thundered the word. Then he stared at Tara. She backed away into a corner of the room.
“Look—” she began.
“Why not?” McKenzie muttered.
He smiled as a startling chill swept through him. What was he doing? To himself, to her!
What difference did it make? he wondered wearily. He could never have married any of the women or girls who would have been appropriate wives for him. Not someone he knew, who had known Lisa. Robert had once suggested a mail-order bride because he did need someone. What was a plantation without someone to run the household, without someone—anyone—warm to return to at the end of the day?
Well, she was a hell of a lot better than a mail-order bride!
And he knew that he wanted her. If he should burnany more deeply for her, he would explode like cannon fire.
He stared hard at her, his muscles constricted, the length of him as tight as wire. “I will marry you,” he told her. “And then I
can
absolutely guarantee you that you will be safe.”
She gasped, stunned. “But I can’t—”
“Are you already married?”
“No!”
“Then?”
For once he seemed to have really shaken her. Her lips trembled, the length of her shook. “I don’t love you, I don’t even know you! I — ” She shook her head wildly. “How do
you
know you’re willing to do it?” she inquired.
He folded his arms over his chest. “Because I’m a gambler. You must have noticed that by now. And if you were willing to throw yourself into the Mississippi, you have to be one hell of a gambler too.”
She was still staring at him, moisture dazzling her eyes, even in the shadowy darkness.
“She’s gone! Really gone. I sure as hell can’t find her,” came an irritated call from the street.
“She can’t be gone! Keep looking. We’ll find her.”
“What’s it to be?” he asked her very softly.
What was it to be? What choice did she have?
A shudder seized her, as dark and
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