Foxfire Bride (23 page)

"He worked for Mrs. Wilson?"

Fox nodded. "She was a widow. Needed a man on the place to fix and take care of things. Me and Peaches took to each other just like that." She snapped her fingers. "Mrs. Wilson didn't care if Peaches paid the neighbor to teach me to read or that he showed me how to sharpen scissors and hammer a nail. When I was with Peaches, she didn't have me underfoot, didn't have to think about me." Fox smiled, remembering. "I followed Peaches around like a shadow."

"And at some point you and Peaches ran away?"

"I'm tired of talking about this." Tanner didn't need to know all her history, at least not at once. And he certainly didn't need to know her stepfather's name. Fox still planned to learn more about Hobbs Jennings from Tanner. They turned back toward the campsite. "I'd rather know when the liaison is going to start."

Since the men were watching them, Tanner dropped his hand away from her waist and pulled back his shoulders. "Usually that decision is up to the woman involved."

Fox decided the rule was sensible. "All right. The pursuit has been very nice and I've enjoyed it. Especially the cold water and silly talk." Heat came up in her cheeks. "But I'm ready to be caught now."

"A one-day pursuit seems a trifle brief," he said, smiling.

"You cleaning my rifle tipped me over the edge." A bald-faced lie. She had been ready for the liaison to begin the first night they talked about it. Maybe she'd been ready from the moment she first saw him. "Since we're going to stay here one more day, I think the liaison should begin tomorrow night. That is, if you agree."

Fox had found a pool branching off the stream where there was no current. She could have a bath and a hair wash to start the liaison off on the right note. It was important not to smell like a side of bacon.

Tanner cleared his throat but he still sounded gruff when he spoke. "Tomorrow night is agreeable. I'll find a place that provides some privacy."

"Good." It seemed to her that the men stared at them as if they knew what Tanner and Fox were discussing. "Well, then. Tomorrow night." Every drop of conversation evaporated and she couldn't think of another thing to say.

"I'm looking forward to it." Tanner's gaze settled on her lips and Fox felt like a wave of hot molasses slid down the inside of her body. Lord, Lord. When his eyes turned that intense shade of golden brown wild fantasies galloped through her mind.

After running the tip of her tongue over her lips, she rubbed the end of her braid across her palm. For the first time since she'd met Tanner, she couldn't think of an easy and natural way to part.

"You should go away now." Damn. That didn't sound right. Too abrupt. "Good-bye."

Ducking her head, she walked away, her legs feeling wooden and awkward. People didn't say goodbye when they were only moving a few feet away. What was she thinking of? There was something about getting moony over a man that turned women stupid. She shook her head in disgust and narrowed a look on Hanratty and Brown. It would be good if one of them did something that required her to punch them. Right now she could use a reminder that she was not a pile of mush.

Angry at herself she stalked over to the awning that Hanratty had set up for shade. "I'm warning you right now. If you even look at me funny, I'm going to tear your liver out and cook it for breakfast."

"What the hell?" He lowered the shirt he was mending and stared.

"You too," she said to Jubal Brown. He yawned and settled back against his saddle. "I'd just love to kick your ribs in."

"Tanner would do us all a favor if he'd hurry up this courtship and get to the main event." Jubal opened one eye and looked at her then rolled to the side to avoid Fox's boot.

"You going to beat me up, too?" Peaches called.

She scowled at his grin. "I might."

Without another word, she stormed off to collect her laundry from the willows.

The instant Fox finished washing the supper plates at the edge of the stream, she caught Tanner's eye and jerked her head toward the horses and mules. He caught up to her a minute later.

"I need to talk to you about you know tomorrow night."

"Have you changed your mind?"

There was enough disappointment in his tone to boost her spirts. "No, but I'm worried about a couple of things."

Tanner ran a hand down the bay's flank. "Like what?"

"Well" She patted the bay's neck, wishing it was dark but the days were stretching longer. "Here we are planning a liaison but we've never even kissed." She darted a look at him then focused on the bay's big brown eye. "What if we get to the liaison and discover that we hate kissing each other? What if we're standing there, ready to start the liaison and then find out there's no spark between us?"

Tanner took a step toward her, but Fox lifted her palm. "No, don't come kissing on me now. I'd feel like I'd begged a kiss out of you and that would make me mad."

An eyebrow arched and he studied her, his gaze settling on her lips. "Then how do you propose we remedy the problem?"

His stare made her mouth feel twitchy and stiff. "You're supposed to know that. You're the one in charge of the pursuit."

"I'm not going to hate kissing you, Fox."

"You can't say that. You might."

"All right, I'll think about the problem. What else?"

Damn. This kind of thing wasn't easy to discuss. "Well, I was wondering" She addressed her remarks to the horse. "You aren't expecting a virgin are you?" Before he could answer, she rushed on. "Because there was this man about six years ago. He and I"

"You don't have to explain anything."

Her cheeks felt as if they'd caught fire and she couldn't look at him. "It only happened twice. The first time was awful." Closing her eyes, she shook her head. "The second time was to find out if it would still be awful, and it was."

"Fox"

"No, listen. You and me" She stared into the bay's eye. "It's going to be awful, I know that. At least for me, I'm just not good at this. Maybe it's better for men, I don't know. Anyway. I'm not a virgin, but I'm also not experienced, so don't expect too much."

"I won't."

She could swear he sounded amused but when she swung toward him with a glare, he appeared serious.

"All right then. I just thought you should know." Lifting her chin, she marched past him. "If you plan to kiss me first, and I think that should happen before we go any further, it should seem natural. Like we didn't talk about it and I didn't have to ask you."

On the way to her tent, she stopped at the fire where the men were drinking coffee and smoking. "We'll stay one more night at this camp."

"I told you not to lose another day on my account," Peaches said, looking tired and guilty.

"The animals will be in better shape after another day's rest." She squeezed his shoulder on her way past.

It was too early to crawl into her tent, but Fox craved solitude. Finding moments alone on a crosscountry journey was not easy and she counted every opportunity as precious. Stretching out, she pretended to read in case anyone glanced inside. But first, she checked the spot where she'd buried the flowers Tanner gave her. She hadn't known what to do with them. It wasn't like she carried a vase in her saddlebags. But it seemed the height of ingratitude to throw them away, so she'd hidden the flowers by burying them.

Holding her book on her chest, she stared up at the peaked roof of her tent and thought about all she had to accomplish tomorrow. She'd do her work first. Check the animals. Get the packs ready to go. Decide on the route. Then she'd go to the pool she had discovered and have a bath and a hair wash. Eat supper, if she could swallow anything knowing what was about to happen. And then Tanner would probably ask if she'd like to take a walk. Then he would do the test kiss. And if the test kiss was successful

Anticipation shivered through her body, although she couldn't have said why. Her only previous experience had been embarrassing and awkward, and uncomfortable enough that Fox hadn't been interested in repeating the experiment until now. Why she was so eager for a liaison with Tanner puzzled her.

She knew about sex and it was nothing to get excited about. The only good part was the anticipation. During the anticipation, it was easy to forget that the sex part was fast, frustrating, and plain awful.

On the other hand, if her plans unfolded the way she hoped they did, Hobbs Jennings would die and she'd be swinging from a rope shortly after they arrived in Denver. If she was going to grab something good for herself, she'd better do it now.

And Tanner was a good thing.

Tanner hadn't needed the reminder that he and Fox had not kissed. Very likely he'd been thinking about kissing her longer than she'd been thinking about kissing. Until recently, he hadn't known if his kiss would be welcome. Once he learned that obstacle didn't exist, privacy became an issue.

After tucking away his shaving gear, he studied the sky. No clouds marred the high blue curve, but he'd keep checking. Rain would cause an unacceptable delay for tonight's plans as would another spring snowstorm. Fortunately, that didn't seem likely. Out here on the range, the days were hot and the nights cool but not unpleasantly so, as the nights had been at altitude.

Running a hand down his jaw, he decided he'd shave again before tonight. He'd bathe in the stream, and wear the clothing he'd washed yesterday. Last night he'd polished his boots, that was done. Shortly after dawn, he'd discovered a perfect place for privacy. Throughout the morning, he would take blankets and pillows to the spot he'd found inside a thick growth of willows and grass.

Gazing across the campsite, he observed the morning routines of the others. When he and Fox disappeared after supper, the men would know what was happening. That was awkward, but he didn't see a way around it.

At first he didn't spot Fox, then he saw her crawling out of her tent, carrying a towel and a cake of soap. His eyes narrowed and his jaw tightened. Tonight he would discover what treasures lay hidden beneath her oversized clothes. But the truth was, he liked the look of her regardless. Watching her now, he realized he usually forgot how small she was because she walked tall, her carriage graceful but brimming with purpose.

Ordinarily she dressed her hair in a braid that swung down her back, but once or twice she'd pinned it up under her hat in a careless knot. Tanner had wanted to remove the pins and catch the weight of that silken mass in his hands. He'd always had a weakness for red hair, although he couldn't have said why. Red-haired women, and he hadn't known many, seemed more vivid and alive. Certainly that description matched Fox, he thought with a smile.

He couldn't name one other woman he knew who spoke as frankly or as bluntly as she did. Instead of censuring this trait as unfeminine or objectionable, he'd discovered that he admired her directness. For the first time in his life, he knew what a woman was thinking because Fox was willing to speak her thoughts straight out.

And he applauded her fearless independence. Liked the confidence that allowed her to accept the responsibility for this journey and believe she was the best person to lead the way.

Finally, he loved the mystery in her eyes and the way they changed color with her moods. By now he knew gray eyes signaled an impending storm. Blue eyes stated that all was well in her world.

When she lifted a smile to the sunlight, the sight of her took his breath away. Tanner experienced an uneasy suspicion that for the rest of his life he would compare every woman he met to Fox. Frowning, he watched her move away from the camp, heading south along the stream bank.

It was time to settle the doubts about kissing. He couldn't wait another minute.

Fox didn't hear Tanner following until he was right behind her. Turning, she smiled and raised her towel and soap. "I'm going to"

"Not a word."

The intense focus in his eyes and expression made her stomach drop to the ground. Suddenly her mouth went dry. Oh Lord. This was it. He was going to kiss her.

Tanner took the towel and soap out of her shaking hands, then raked a glance over her face, settling on her mouth. He dropped the towel and soap and took her by the hand, leading her around an old cottonwood.

He leaned her up against the trunk, then stepped forward, pinning her there with his lower body. Fox stared, wide-eyed, feeling his instant hard erection against her lower belly. Her breath caught and a shiver started between her legs and shot to the top of her head. Her scalp felt too small and her throat burned.

"Tanner"

Her whisper ended on a gasp as his hands slipped beneath her shirttail and opened on the bare skin just above her waist. Her eyes closed and the breath rushed out of her as his thumbs caressed her, almost but not quite brushing the bottom slope of her breasts. It was that almost-but-not-quite that made her feel crazy inside.

She tried to move, unable to stay still, but his hips held her against the tree. What she accomplished was to rock herself against his erection, which caused a damp explosion between her legs. "Oh Lord."

When she trembled beneath his palms, he raised a hand to her face and gently cupped her chin, stroking the outline of her lips with his thumb. Fox dared a glance upward and read the hard intent in his eyes, which had darkened to a deep brown that was almost black.

When his mouth came down on hers, the shock of firm heat rippled down her spine. Her arms hung loose at her sides, she couldn't move. Her lips parted slightly and Tanner seized the opportunity to explore her mouth with his tongue, leaving fire and tingling where his tongue touched. He claimed her with tongue and lips, ravaged her, made love to her.

When he finally stepped back, releasing her, Fox stared wide-eyed, then she slid to the ground as if her bones had dissolved. She sprawled at the base of the tree, limp, her head spinning, her lips swollen and hot.

By the time she regained her senses, Tanner had gone.

Pushing to her feet, Fox blinked at the tree, then, moving in a daze, she stumbled back to the range to collect her towel and soap.