Sweet Silken Bondage (41 page)

"I've warned you about pushing me, Reina," he
said slowly, his threat implied and understood. "I'm
not a fool like Webster."

"Michael's no fool! Michael's -"

Clay pulled her even closer. "Michael's an idiot.
He couldn't hold a woman like you, but I can...
and I will."

Reina stared up at him, her expression mutinous
even as she faced the truth of her defeat. Frustration welled up inside her. Was there no way she
could outsmart this man? Was there no way to
escape him? Tears of fury burned in her eyes, and
she tried again to jerk free of his paralyzing hold,
but he refused to release her.

Clay wanted to prove to her, once and for all,
that he was not a man to be trifled with. He was
bending to her, meaning to kiss her, meaning to
prove his point when he saw the unshed tears shimmering in her eyes. Suddenly some emotion more
powerful than any he'd ever known before stormed
his senses. Without conscious thought he eased pressure of his restraining grip, no longer holding her
prisoner, but cradling her against him, his hand no
longer gripping her chin, but tilting her face to his.
Desire swept through him with the force of a raging
torrent as he lowered his head to hers.

Reina watched as passion darkened his expression. She began to tremble as he bent to her. Her
heart lurched in a breathtaking acknowledgment
that despite everything she felt about this man, she
wanted his kiss. There was one brief moment when
she would have fought against him, but then his lips met hers and it was too late.

With gentle ferocity, Clay's mouth moved over
Reina's, and a firestorm of desire flared to life.
Hands that had moments before fought against
him, surrendered, sweeping upward to encircle his
neck and draw him ever closer, ever nearer. He
groaned as her action brought her fully and willingly against him. Sliding his own hands down her
back to her hips, he pressed her tightly to the heat
of his need. She gasped at the sensation, moving
her hips instinctively against him in nature's
rhythm.

When Clay lifted her up into his arms to lay her
upon the bed, Reina murmured not a protest. She
was lost in the fiery splendor of his embrace, caught
up in the hot power of this thing that existed
between them, that they could neither name or
resist.

Long forgotten was the argument that had led to
this explosion of long-denied desire. Long forgotten
was Reina's need to survive, her need to flee. Feverish with excitement, there was only a man and a
woman, clutching at a moment of ecstasy in a
world ugly with too many half-truths.

Garments were stripped as steamy passions demanded fulfillment. Bare flesh on bare flesh, they
came together. Differences celebrated now. Hard
male dominating and, yet even as he conquered,
surrendering to the softness of the female. Woman
giving of herself completely, and in that giving,
claiming without demanding, the very soul of the
man. It was a union borne of volcanic passion that
erupted into the red-hot lava flow of love. Their
desires exploded into brilliance and bound them
together in the fever of oneness. Sated as never
before, they drifted mindlessly in the heated tempest's aftermath.

Reina was first to realize the gravity of what
she'd allowed to happen, and shame overwhelmed
her. He had bragged that he could handle her, and
he had. It infuriated her that she had made it so
easy for him. Needing to get away from him, she
drew back out of his embrace.

"Reina?" Clay could see the hostility reflected in
her eyes, and he was careful that no trace of emotion showed in his own.

"You certainly proved you're a man of your
word." Rancor sharpened her voice as she moved
from the bed, clutching a cover to her.

"Reina...I..." For a moment he almost told
her that it hadn't been a power struggle, that it had
been something else he didn't understand, but she
didn't give him a chance to speak.

Feeling cornered and trapped, knowing this man's
power over her was complete, she struck out at him
in the only way she could. "You can drug me and
tie me to the bed. You can drag me bodily back to
my father against my will. You can even make me
respond to you physically, but that's all it is - a
physical response! You may possess my body, but
you'll never possess me. Never!"

Clay bristled at her words, but was determined
not to let her know. He shrugged carelessly as he
got up. "For some men, that's enough."

He watched as his words hit home, and she
turned pale. Casually, he began to dress as she
looked on in helpless fury. Without a backward
glance, he quit the cabin, leaving her staring after
him, more frightened than she'd ever been before.

Michael stood at the bar in the men's lounge and
ordered another shot of the barkeep's less than mellow whiskey. Since his humiliating confrontation
with Cordell the day before, he'd been slinking
around the boat like a whipped dog. For the briefest
period of time, he'd fancied himself a knight in
armor rescuing a lady in distress, and yet when he'd
been threatened, he'd backed down like a coward.

He hadn't meant to dwell on it, but the more he
thought about it, the more upset he became. He
felt guilty. There was no doubt about it. And he felt
worried. When Reina hadn't shown up for dinner
last night he'd feared that her husband had confronted her, too, and possibly harmed her in some
way. Only catching a glimpse of her looking as
lovely as ever this morning on deck with her husband had relieved his attack of conscience, but he
still harbored the feeling that he should do something to help her.

As Michael drained the last of the biting liquor
from the glass, he glanced idly around the room
and noticed for the first time the young boy of
about fourteen or fifteen busily straightening things
up. He frowned thoughtfully as he studied the youngster, a short, thin, almost wiry youth, and an
outrageous idea came to him. Knowing time was
growing short, he approached him.

A short time later Michael stood on deck keeping
watch for Clay Cordell, a bundle tucked securely
under his arm. He knew his plan was risky, but he
had to chance it. He would never be able to look
himself in the mirror again, if he didn't at least
make the attempt.

When at long last Cordell emerged, alone, from
belowdecks, Michael made his move. Without hesitation, he hurried off to find Reina. It was absolutely important that he speak to her before her
husband returned and found them together. He
rushed to her stateroom as fast as humanly possible
and, after one last, furtive look around, knocked on
the door.

"Mrs. Cordell? It's me, Michael," he called out in
a hushed tone, not wanting anyone else to be aware
of his presence.

"Michael?" Reina was surprised. Hope buoyed in
her heart that maybe he hadn't been scared off by
Clay's intimidating tactics. She quickly opened the
door to him.

Michael still thought she was the prettiest woman
he'd ever seen, but he had no wish to suffer another
encounter with her husband. He had to hurry.

"Mrs. Cordell... I, um... I'm sorry I won't
be able to help you more, but I got these for you,"
he said quickly as he shoved the big bundle into her
hands. He glanced nervously over his shoulder for
fear that her husband might have materialized out
of thin air.

"What is it?" she asked, having no idea what it
was he'd just handed her.

"Clothes... boy's clothes. I thought you might be able to use them. Look, I have to go. I'm sorry
I can't do more..." With that he was gone at an
almost run. He disappeared from sight without another word.

Reina stared after him for a minute, then closed
the door again. She shook out the pants, loosefitting top and nearly crushed straw hat, and as she
did, a slow smile lit her face. By now, Reina considered herself a master of disguise, and her confidence surged. She'd fooled Clay into thinking she
was a nun, certainly it would be easier to act out
the part of a boy. Everyone would have noticed her
had she tried to sneak away in her ordinary clothing, but dressed as a boy, she would be able to slip
off the ship and onto the docks unnoticed.

Feeling once more in control of her life, her
disposition greatly improved. They were to arrive in
Chagres some time that afternoon and leave the
boat then. They wouldn't be using the bed again,
so she hid the clothes under the rumpled covers,
knowing they would be safe there.

There was a lightness to her step as she left the
stateroom a short time later. It was a struggle for
her to make sure the excitement she was feeling
didn't show in her expression or her manner. She
knew she had to do it, though, for her whole future
depended on it. Clay might think he'd outsmarted
her, but he had another think coming. This time
she was going to show him, but good.

The town of Chagres on Panama's east coast was
a hot, insect-infested, muddy town, but several
hours later when Reina caught her first glimpse of
it as they made landfall, it looked like paradise. Her
exhilaration grew. This was it! The moment she'd been waiting for ever since Clay had dragged her
off from Louisiana. The time had finally come.
Now, she would take her big chance.

She didn't notice the squalor of her surroundings.
She didn't think that it might be dangerous to make
the escape here. All she could think about was the
glory of getting away from Clay and fleeing from
the awful, threatening horror of marriage to Nathan.

"We'll have to spend the night here in town, so
I'll be going ashore as soon as possible to find a
room for the night. I want you to stay on the ship
until I get back," Clay instructed, breaking into her
reverie with his orders and directions that she had
absolutely no intention of following.

"Whatever you say," Reina answered, just wishing
he would go ahead and go. She had a lot to do and
couldn't start until he'd left the ship.

He glanced at her and, noting the stubborn set of
her chin, he knew she was planning something.
Skilled bounty hunter that he was, though, he'd
already anticipated her next move.

"The captain and his men will look out for you
while I'm gone. Chagres is a dangerous place even
at the best of times," he warned. He told himself
that his need to caution her came strictly from his
duty to her father, that she was his responsibility.
Yet, he knew it was much more than that, and he
hoped she had sense enough to listen to him and
not try anything stupid.

"It hardly looks it," she remarked, not prone to
believe anything he had to say.

"Looks can be deceiving, as you should well
know," Clay countered, an image of Sister Mary
Regina dancing through his thoughts. He pushed
the memory out of his mind.

Captain Gibson just happened to join them then.
"You can go ashore now, if you're ready."

"Fine. Thank you, Captain. Reina, I'll be back as
soon as I can."

"I'm counting on it," she replied sweetly, solely for
the captain's benefit. "I can hardly wait to be on
land again."

Gibson stayed with her until Clay had left the
ship, and then he offered, "Shall I walk you back to
your stateroom?"

"That would be wonderful, sir. I do have some
last minute things to see to."

As he escorted her below, she complimented him
on the voyage and thanked him for getting them to
their destination safely.

"It's been our pleasure to have you aboard,
ma'am," he told her. "You're the loveliest lady to
grace our ship in a long time."

"You're too kind, Captain Gibson."

"Those who really know me, seldom say that," he
said with a smile. "I make it a point to only speak
the truth, Mrs. Cordell"

They stopped before her cabin door, and he
waited as she unlocked it.

"In case we don't get the opportunity to speak
again, I hope the rest of your trip home is as safe
as our voyage. I also extend to you my best wishes
for your future. Your husband's a good man, and
it's obvious that he loves you very much. I hope
you two have a long and happy life together."

"Thank you" she murmured, wondering what the
man would think if he knew the truth.

"If you find that you need anything before you
disembark, please just let me know."

"I will."

He bid her good-bye, and she went into the room and locked the door behind her. She leaned back
against the closed portal and sagged in joyous relief.
She was alone, at long last! Immediately, she set to
the task of transforming herself.

Moments later Reina stood before the small mirror surveying her outfit. She thought she looked like
a boy in the baggy clothes and sandals, but she
couldn't be sure until she'd stuffed all her hair up
under the hat. With swift, sure motions, she did
just that and then regarded herself critically. A
smile lit her face as she adjusted the brim, pulling
it down low over her face as she'd seen the natives
wear theirs to protect them from the sun. Only she
would know it was a disguise. She took a quick look
out the stateroom door and seeing no one around,
made her great escape.