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Authors: Stolen Ecstasy

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“Very possibly. I’ll try to get to her before she sees or hears about Leanne and make sure she understands how it is.”

“Maybe you oughta keep Leanne outta sight.”

“Because some woman is under the delusion she has a claim on me? No, that’d be asking for trouble.”

“Well, best you keep her right outta sight anyways, when we get where we’re going.”

“Why?”

“Watkins. That’s why.”

“You think he’ll be trouble?”

“Oh yeah, he could be. Damn right he could be. She’s a right pretty little thing, with learning and fine ladylike ways when she feels like using them. Watkins’ll want her. Ain’t no question in my mind about it. Keep her real close, Hunter. Real close. And, watch your back. If Watkins wants her, he won’t ask nicely or deal or nothing. He’ll take. You ain’t dealt much with him. Have to take my word on this.”

“I think your word’s good enough for me, Charlie.”

Inwardly, Hunter cursed, long and viciously. He was not leaving trouble behind. From what Charlie said, he was riding straight into it. It might be trouble of a different sort, but he knew it could be just as dangerous.

So hand her over to Watkins,
a small voice whispered, and Hunter felt ashamed of himself. He had been too long with outlaws. The fact that he would even think such a thing told him he had not fully succeeded in remaining above those he rode with. He would have to strive harder to cling to his principles.

The violence that stirred in him at the thought of any other man touching Leanne told him that, although that shameless thought had passed through his mind, it would never have taken root. He would do his best to keep Leanne well hidden while they lingered near Watkins. If worse came to worst, he would fight. Battling Watkins and his private army of outlaws might be fruitless, but at least he could make sure that stealing Leanne cost the man dearly.

Suddenly he ached to be home, to step back that year or more before all the trouble started. He needed to see his family again. A grimace crossed his face as he admitted that he missed even his mother. All the machinations which had so infuriated and galled him seemed a petty grievance now. To be with his brothers and his father, to have his life back to what it had been, he could put up with his mother.

He shook away those thoughts. Thinking of home only served to depress his spirits. There was a long way to go yet before he could return. The best thing to do, the wisest, was to concentrate fully on what lay ahead.

When they reached the low, small adobe house that had once been a pleasant retreat and was now his only real home, he felt little relief or pleasure. Its whitewashed walls were a reminder of all that had gone wrong in his life. Carrying Leanne through the low, wood-framed door, he was pleased to see that Jesus and his wife had done as promised. It was clean, cleaner than he had hoped. Even the timeworn plank floors shined. He only needed to buy supplies. When Leanne stirred in his arms, he set her on her feet, holding her until she steadied herself.

Leanne blinked, rubbed the sleep from her eyes, and looked around. Her first feeling was relief. It was clean and roomy.

“This is our destination?” She glanced over her shoulder at Hunter.

He nodded and moved to open one of the shuttered windows. “Yup. We’ll be here for a while.”

“What’s a while?”

“ ’Til we get our business done.”

She decided she was simply too tired, her mind too dulled by exhaustion, to argue that evasive answer.

Sinking down into a chair by the well-scrubbed table, she watched the men settle in. She wanted to go to bed, but felt it would be best to ask Hunter about that quietly, privately. There was no opportunity at the moment.

Despite Tom’s cautionary remark at the river’s edge, the other men acted as if all their troubles were over, but it suddenly occurred to Leanne that there could well be threats on this side of the border as well. Shaking her head, she decided she was too tired to sort it all out now.

Hunter was about to ask Leanne to make some coffee when he noticed how much trouble she was having simply staying awake. “Come on. I’ll take you to our room.”

“We have our own?” she whispered as she took his hand and stood up.

Seeing how unsteady she still was, he slipped his arm around her waist to lend her some support. She made no complaint. He almost wished she would. If she would only whine or complain, he might find himself growing tired of her.

“We do. The men will be staying here, but this is my place.”

“How nice. I wish I wasn’t too tired to take a bath. I think I need one.”

“Indulge yourself tomorrow. I’ll show you where everything is then. For now I’ll get you some water to wash up with,” he said. Once in the room, she sat down heavily on the bed.

After he left, she removed her boots and looked around the room. It was of moderate size, with a few pieces of plain but sturdy furniture. She looked a little askance at the bed. It was also plain and sturdy, as well as very large. Before she could stop the thought she found herself wondering how many women Hunter had shared it with. The thought was followed by a pang of jealousy.

Hunter walked in carrying two large pitchers of steaming water. A quick glance at Leanne as he set the pitchers down on the wash table got him a cross look in return. He decided her weariness was finally shortening her temper.

“A good hot wash will make you feel better,” he murmured as he filled the basin. “Save a little for me.”

Sprawling in a chair, Hunter sipped the coffee Jed had made, hoping fervently that Leanne would recover quickly from the ordeal of their long, hard journey and start cooking again. He longed for a good cup of coffee. Glancing across the table, he caught Luke glaring at him. He sighed quietly. Luke was proving a constant source of irritation.

“Something eating at you, Luke?”

“Yeah, Hunter, and you damned well know what.”

“Do I now? So there’s no misunderstanding, perhaps you’d better spell it out.”

“You mean to keep that bitch with you, don’t you?”

A quick glance at Charlie and Jed told Hunter he was not the only one weary of the way Luke spoke of Leanne. “She stays. She’s not as much trouble as you’d like to have us believe.”

“Ain’t she? She brought those bounty hunters after us.”

“She was just sweetener for their pot. We’re wanted too.”

“We aren’t worth five hundred dollars.”

“Not each, but we make a tidy sum collectively.”

“And I don’t deal with bounty hunters,” Tom murmured, a cold finality in his voice.

“Fine,” Luke ground out. “However, we’re in Mexico now. We can, just dump her somewheres.”

“She stays, Luke.”

“Lucia will be real pleased with that, Hunter.”

“That’s my problem.”

Inwardly, Hunter cursed. He did not relish that confrontation. Lucia was hot-tempered and possessive despite all his attempts to make her see she had no claim on him. Very soon after he had become involved with her, he had realized the relationship was a mistake. He had the sinking feeling he would soon see just how big a mistake.

“It just better not end up being our problem too. I got no stomach for being caught between your jealous whores.”

“Here now,” Charlie rumbled, “you ain’t got no call to speak on Leanne that way.”

“I don’t, huh? What do you think those two’ve been doing every time they tiptoe off, idiot?”

“Nothing that’s any of your business, Luke,” Hunter growled, his anger beginning to gain control of him.

Tom looked up from the cigarette he was rolling. “I think you’re a word away from being shot, Luke.”

Luke stared at Hunter, who met his gaze squarely. He knew the fury he felt over Luke’s talk showed in his face, in his taut stance, but Hunter made no effort to hide it. After a long, tense staring match, Luke abruptly stood up and headed for the door, pausing only after he was almost out the house.

“Just keep your bits of calico outta my way.”

“Gladly,” Hunter murmured, his remark lost in the slamming of the door as Luke left.

No one said anything after that, but Hunter found it an uneasy silence. Though they might not have agreed with all Luke had said, the other men shared his crudely voiced concern. There was enough trouble dogging their heels without adding women problems. He moved toward the bedroom, hoping he could solve the problem in the morning.

He entered his room quietly, smiling faintly when he saw that Leanne had left a lamp burning low for him. A quick glance at her told him only that she was in bed. He was not able to tell for certain whether she slept or not.

Leanne kept her eyes shut as she listened to him wash up and prepare for bed. Her body ached with weariness, but sleep still eluded her. For a while jealousy-inspired images had taunted her. Then she had lain tense and afraid as she listened to Luke and Hunter argue. She had not been able to make out all the words, but the tone had been unmistakeable. Fear that this time angry words would lead to a gun battle had kept her wide awake. When Hunter finally slid into bed beside her, she was unable to resist the urge to move into his arms. Feeling his warmth, hearing the steady beat of his heart as she rested her head on his chest, eased her fear.

“So you are awake.” He wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head.

“I heard you and Luke arguing again. At least, it sounded like an argument.”

Her last words eased his fear that she had heard Luke’s insulting words. “He backed down again. His kind always does.”

“You sound so sure of that.”

“His kind won’t face a man square unless he’s real sure he’ll win.”

“Perhaps he’ll try to weight the odds in his favor one day.”

“I’m watching for that.” He could feel her body growing lax, heavy with oncoming sleep.

“He hates you.”

“He resents my being made leader over him. You watch out for him too,” he added, recalling the way Luke had been looking at her.

“I do. All the time.”

“Now that we’re here, I’ll be busy. Don’t ever be alone with him.”

“I don’t intend to be.”

“Good. Get some sleep. You need it and now you can get it in a proper bed.”

“A big bed. Lots of room.”

There was an odd note to her sleepy words and he frowned. “Had it made special. Been coming and going from this place for years. Decided I ought to make it comfortable if I was going to use it so often. This bed was one of the first things I got. Comfortable. Plenty of room to stretch out.”

“Mmmm . . . and other things.” She grimaced, afraid statements like that would reveal her jealous fears.

Hunter bit back the grin that threatened to curve his mouth. Now he understood what put the anger in her voice. She thought she had been brought to a lovenest. Cupping her chin in his hand, he tilted her face up to his and gave her a slow, gentle kiss.

“Yeah, stuff like that,” she grumbled as she settled her cheek against his chest again once the kiss had ended.

Holding her comfortably close, but ignoring his stirring desire, he smiled faintly. “Indeed. Tomorrow we’ll have to christen this bed.”

“Christen it?” She did not dare hope he meant there had never been another woman in the bed, yet could not think of any other meaning for his statement. “Are you saying this is a . . . a virgin bed?”

He laughed softly. “As pure as the driven snow. I’ve been no monk . . .”

“What a surprise.”

“. . . but,” he continued, “this is my place. When I wanted a woman I went where they were. I didn’t bring them here.” He grimaced. “Almost took this bed back to Texas once, though.”

“Texas?”

“My home’s there.”

Something in the tone of his voice told her not to ask too much about that now. “Why lug a bed back there?”

“I like it, and I was thinking of getting married for a while.”

“Only thinking of it, huh?” She tried not to sound too interested.

“It turned out to be a mistake. Patricia was a big mistake indeed,” he murmured, half to himself.

He sounded as if he meant it, so she told herself not to worry, not to give in to the strong urge to press for a lot more information. Whoever this woman Patricia was, she was a ghost from his past. Jealousy over a ghost would get her nowhere.

“What happens tomorrow?” She yawned as, with an end to both the worries that had kept her awake, sleep crept over her.

“I have a lot of business to see to.”

“You’ll be gone a lot?”

“Afraid so. So will the others. Am I going to have to set a guard on you?”

“No. I won’t go anywhere.”

“Is that a promise?”