Slater Bros: Apache Summer Part 14

"Why don't I believe you?"

"Because you're an egotist and a scurvy rat."

"Why is it that you just beguile me so, Tess Stuart? Is it that you taste like wine and smell of roses, even in the most G.o.d-awful heat of the day.

Is it that fall of golden hair, or your eyes, like wild violets? No ...

it must be the tender words you're always whispering so gently to me.

Words like ... scurvy rat."

"Lieutenant, will you please" -- "I do want you."

"What?" she cried.

"Very much. But I don't want to bargain about it. When you decide to be with me, you'll do so because you want to.

You might have to think it through and weigh all the factors, or you might just wake up one night and come to re108 aliz~ that it's going to be, that there's just something there. I feel it when I touch you, when I'm near you.

"You're a fool!"

"Am I?"

He l~aned closer. H~ was going to ~ h~ aga~. "Don'tv' she cfi~ out.

H~ igno~ the wa~ing, tang h~ lips with his ~n, ~d ou~ sh~ m~bl~ a ~nd prot, her mouth was al- ~dy pa~g to his. ~d his tongu~ was d~,. d~ within bet, and it touch~ her in pla~ it could not possibly ~ch.

She ~ ~at h~ was right, and she ha~ ~ for it, but she ~ h~ stffi, and she wan~ h~ stffi. She t~bl~ against th~ swat sava~e~ of his touch, and she felt the p~u~ of ~s b~y, of h~ t~ aga~st h~, of mo~ than his thigh.

H~ hands we~ in her hair, strong her fa~, rounding over the full ri~ of her b~st, and sh~ was still bra~ against him, unabl~ to do anything other than f~l. ~en he ~1~ her. She gas~ ragg~ly and fell back.

His lips ~ghtly bmsh~ fffst her forbid, then her ch~ks. He smile.

"Egotist, eh?"

He w~ off guard. She sl~m~ her ~ aga~st h~. She didn't qui~ hit home, but she must have given h~ a good bm~ in the thigh. He groan~ at ~e pa~, gritting h~ ~th, flash~g her a lethal glad.

"~ Stua~, if I didn't have ~me vague memo~ of ~- ~g a gentleman" -- "If you have any memo~ at all, sir, it must ~ vague~"

"Miss. S~art, I should tan" -- "Do ex~ me, Lieut~ant," she ~id, at~pt~g to s~ past h~.

"It's not that you have~'t got d~nt lips, it's just that it's ~possible to know wh~e they've ~n befog."

"~nt lips]"

"~nt, y~," she said sw~tly, still walking. He caught h~ a~ and pull~ her into his a~s.

"I ~uld just" -- be ~gan, but then he laughs.

"Impo~ible to 109 know where they've been before! Why, honest to G.o.d! I do believe that you're jealous!"

"Not on your life, Lieutenant!" she protested. But he touched his lips to hers again, sweeping her swiftly into realms she was just beginning to discover, then righting her just as quickly and dropping his arms. He cast his arm out, indicating the trail.

"After you, Miss. Stuart. I will always wait."

"You'll wait until you're old and gray!" she snapped. She was jealous, she thought. Anguished. It was painful to care like this, so deeply and so quickly.

He smiled serenely.

"Will I?"

She managed to return the smile.

"Not all women are like Miss. Eliza, Lieutenant."

"No? I had rather thought that they were--at heart."

"You're mistaken."

"Maybe you're mistaken. Maybe most women are hypocrites."

"Oh, you are impossiblev' Tess cried. She swung around and began to stride angrily toward the wagon.

But before she could reach the break in the bushes, he had pulled her back.

She started to snap something to him, but the words caught in her throat when his smoky gaze fell upon her.

"Tess, you are different."

"Different from what?"

He smiled.

"From any other woman I have met," he said softly.

Then he stepped past her and preceded her to the camp fire Jori had burning with a welcoming warmth and light.

Chapter Six.

The delicious aroma of cooking was already filling the air as Tess stepped toward the fire. She inhaled deeply as she tried to dispel her immediate memories of Lieutenant Slater. The fire had been set in the center of the clearing. A small animal roasted on a spit atop it. Jon, on his haunches, turned the spit. On a bed of hot rocks surrounding the fire sat a coffeepot.

Dolly was coming from the wagon with tin plates, and with mugs for the coffee. She smiled at Tess.

"Rabbit! A nice, plump brown rabbit. Jon caught and skinned that thing in minutes flat. I do declare, he's a fine provider!"

"Yes, he is," Tess said, smiling at Jon. She strode past him and daintily swept her skirts beneath her to sink upon the ground. Jamie was coming across the clearing toward them, too. He sat beside her.

"You caught a big one," Jamie acknowledged.

"Good."

"We need some water for this coffeepot," Dolly said.

"I'll get it," Jamie and Tess volunteered simultaneously. "Fine, you get it," Tess said.

"No, you can go."

"But, Lieutenant" -- "Jori, give me the d.a.m.ned pot, will you?" Jamie said.

He started toward the brook, then paused, looking back.

"How's our supply in the barrels?" "Good," Jon said.

"Later we can fill the canteens." Jamie nodded and started toward the water.

Tess hesitated a minute, then started after him. "Tess!" Dolly called.

"I'll be right back!" "We'll never have coffee!" Dolly said dolefully.

Tess ignored her.

She was panting and breathless, and wondering what in h.e.l.l had made her rush into the den with the lion.

She caught up with Jamie at the brook. When he wanted to, he could move quickly.

He stared at her as he filled the coffeepot, arehing one brow.

"You want acreage," she said.

"How much?"

"Well, now, I don't know. I haven't seen the property, have I?"

"Give me an idea."

He shrugged. His eyes were hard as he stared at her. "Half. Half of what you own."

She gasped, stunned.

"You're insane!"

"I can ride back to the fort."

"But you don't even know what I own!"

"That's right. You're the one pus.h.i.+ng the point here."

"A quarter."

"Half."

"Never!"

"Half. And that will be it. I won't ask another thing of you, Miss.

Stuart."

"Not on your life."

"We can ride right back." He stood and walked toward her. He didn't touch her, but he was smiling still.

"Miss. Stuart, normally I don't barter at all, not without seeing what it is I'm willing to risk my life for."

"You're in the cavalry. You risk your life daily."

"They pay me. And you" -- "I'll pay you wages."

He shook his head slowly.

"You know what I want."

Tremors swept through her. She did know what he wanted--and he kept saying it was property. He kept smiling, and his eyes roamed up and down the length of her. "Like I said, I usually like to see what I'm buying with my time and my Colt. Since I trust you so, I'm willing to take a chance in this circ.u.mstance."

"A quarter," Tess said firmly.

"Half."

He walked by her quickly. She stumbled to keep up with him, but he moved too fast. She was still stumbling when he walked into the clearing. She slammed into him and he turned, lifting her chin.

"Half!" he whispered.

She pulled quickly away from him.

"We'll discuss it later. I think you're insane. I think you're just as crooked as von Heusen. Just another Yankee carpetbagger."

He stiffened, dropped her chin and turned in harsh, military fas.h.i.+on, then took the coffeepot to the fire. He sank down across from Jori.

"Well, the coffee will taste much better once we've eaten that sizzlin'

sweet rabbit all up!" Dolly said cheerfully.

"It's cooked enough for me," Jon said, leaning over and ripping off a leg.