The Gunfighter and the Heiress (12 page)

The knowledge brought him to his senses long enough to call upon his nearly depleted reservoir of restraint. Despite the ardent need that demanded that he drive relentlessly into her until he found wild release, he withdrew—and it nearly killed him.

“Crow…” she murmured as she held his gaze and
hooked her hands behind his head. “Don't stop doing what you're doing.”

“Don't really want to, sunshine,” he replied, barely recognizing his voice, for it was hoarse with need. “Just trying to give you time to adjust to…well…to me.”

She nuzzled her forehead against his, then brushed his lips lightly with hers. “You're sweet, but—”

Her voice dried up when he drove himself to the hilt, then retreated to plunge into her silken body again and again. He wanted to tell her that he wasn't the least bit sweet and there was nothing gentle about the ardent needs pounding through him in that desperate moment. His body had taken command and he was hopelessly out of control.

With each frantic thrust, he felt passion's flames scorching him inside and out. Then the fires of overwhelming desire consumed him. He clutched her so tightly in his arms that he feared he'd suffocate her when he shuddered in all-consuming release.

Sweet mercy! Van thought as he gasped for breath—and found none forthcoming. But then, if he stopped breathing altogether and died in the circle of Natalie's arms while he was buried deep inside her, he couldn't think of a better way to go.

The realization that nothing in his vast experiences in life remotely compared to sharing Natalie's innocent passion nearly brought him to his knees. It was unsettling, considering this was the last night they would be together. He could never recapture the incredible sensations and the previously untapped emotions she had unleashed inside him.

He'd found the passion of a lifetime, even if it could only last one night. He smiled ruefully as he rubbed his chin against the elegant curve of her neck. He remembered how Bart had questioned his rash decision to marry
Natalie when he knew so little about her and hadn't had time to confirm her story. But being this close to her, holding her possessively in his arms and knowing that nothing else compared to this moment with her seemed worth whatever repercussions he might face.

“Crow?” she murmured against his chest.

“Yes, sunshine?”

“How much will it cost me to do this again tonight?”

He chuckled as he brushed a feathery kiss against her satiny cheek. “As it happens, I'm running a two-for-the-price-of-one special this evening.”

“Well, in that case…”

When she reached down to cup him in her hand and stroke him intimately, desire exploded inside him in the blink of an eye. Van scanned the area near the riverbank to make sure they were still alone then he forgot everything he ever knew because she led him ashore to make a thorough study of him. She was careful to veer away from the marshy area where hemlock grew before she urged him onto a makeshift pallet of her discarded clothing.

It didn't take her long to discover that every experimental touch of her hands and lips drove him one step closer to crazy. His last thought, as he drew her down on top of him then buried himself deeply in her honeyed warmth, was that his bewitching wife might still be a novice at surviving in the wilds but she excelled in passion.

And there, beneath a canopy of twinkling stars and the whisper of the breeze rustling in the leaves of overhanging trees, Donovan Crow discovered defeat for the first time in years. He had surrendered to Natalie Whoever-She-Was without putting up a fight…and he loved every erotic moment of it.

N
atalie awoke the next morning with a satisfied smile on her face, though she felt a mite tender in a few unfamiliar places. Not that she was complaining. The previous evening spent in the river, on the riverbank and in the shelter of their improvised tent—where she devised a few more techniques to pleasure Crow—had been incredible. Plus,
he
had taught
her
things about her body—and herself—that she hadn't known.

She wouldn't have waited a single day to consummate their marriage if she had known Crow was so tender and skilled at teaching her about passion. She would like to rewind time so she could spend every night sampling the erotic delights Crow had unveiled to her.

He had restrained her from completely discovering every corded tendon, muscled plane and masculine contour of his magnificent body. Now she would never have the chance to pleasure him as much as he had pleased her.

Stretching leisurely, she glanced sideways to note that Crow had left their pallet. Today was no different from any other day, she reminded herself. He was always the
first to rise. He reconnoitered the area, tended the horses and built the campfire.

Natalie drew in a deep breath, enjoying the smell of smoke that drifted from the fire. She had also come to appreciate sitting by the fire, watching the hypnotic flames dance in the darkness. She had never experienced anything like it at home in New Orleans. She had been deprived of so many simple pleasures of being one with nature—and with the magnificent silver-blue-eyed warrior she had married.

Reluctant to leave the warm pallet, Natalie sat upright to rake her hands through the tangled auburn strands that tumbled over her shoulders. She grabbed the neatly folded garments Crow thoughtfully left for her and got dressed. When she stepped outside, Crow was hunkered beside the campfire, turning the prairie chicken that roasted over the flames.

When he glanced sideways, awkwardness bombarded her. There were no secrets between them now…well, except for that gigantic secret—about being the heiress to a shipping fortune—that she'd purposely kept from him.

His gaze roamed possessively over her and she blushed. He knew how she looked naked and how easily he could arouse her to the heights of breathless passion. He knew how wildly she responded to his tender kisses and intimate caresses.

Despite the beet-red blush staining her cheeks, she strived to appear nonchalant. She knew she hadn't pulled it off because a knowing smile quirked his lips.

“Feeling okay, sunshine?”

She forced a dazzling smile and shifted nervously from one booted foot to the other. “Sure, and you?”

“No complaints.”

Well, this was uncomfortable. But she would never regret the night she had spent with Crow and she refused to let self-conscious feelings spoil her last day with him.

“I have no regrets whatsoever,” she blurted out as she walked over to pour herself a cup of coffee.

He stared at her for a long, silent moment. “You sure about that?”

“Positively certain. Which reminds me…how much do I owe you? Another thousand?” She set aside her coffee cup, then reversed direction to reenter the tent and retrieve her money.

When she walked back to him, she playfully grabbed his hand and laid the money in his palm. “Paid in full, Crow. A pleasure doing business with you,” she said in a playful tone.

He frowned as he stared at the bank note, then handed it back to her. “That won't be necessary. The pleasure was all mine. But mind telling me how you came to have these large-denomination bills?”

She inwardly winced, then mustered an impish grin. “Robbed a bank.”

“Interesting. Come to think of it, you paid for my name on the marriage license with large denominations, too. And you do seem to have an endless supply of funds with you.” His wary gaze zeroed in on her. “I heard a thief struck the railroad near Fort Worth recently. That wasn't you, was it, sunshine?”

She batted her eyes at him and drawled. “Of course not, dear. I've been saving up for this trip west for a long time.”

Despite her playful tone, he continued to stare skeptically at her with those penetrating silver-blue eyes. Then he refocused on the large bank note. Curse it, she should have asked the banker for smaller bills when she made
the withdrawal from her account. She had been careless and Crow was nothing if not a well-trained detective who asked all sorts of probing questions when his curiosity was aroused—as it was now.

She dropped a kiss on his lips, hoping to distract him. It must have worked because he said, “We are three or four hours from Taloga Springs.” He put meat and bread on her tin plate, then handed it to her. “It's a tough place because it sits near the cattle trail to Dodge City. Cowboys ride into town to blow off steam at night. Gamblers and grifters hover around to prey on the drovers. Most of the women in town are paid by the hour. Cattlemen in the area are constantly feuding with each other over free range, water rights and missing calves. Fights break out on a regular basis so pay attention to what's going on around you.”

“I'm not planning to remain in town but one night,” she assured him between bites. “I'll catch the stagecoach to Dodge City to see what a real cow town is like before I head to Colorado to view the mountains. I plan to make use of my widow's digs, just as I did during my trip to Wolf Ridge.”

“Just don't expect to be spared from robbery if your coach is stopped,” he warned as he eyed her somberly. “I don't know how much money you still have stashed in your clothing but if you are too protective of your satchels, thieves will become suspicious and turn your luggage inside out.”

Natalie inwardly cringed at the prospect of losing the Robedeaux-Blair jewels, some of which had been transported from France with the original family when heads rolled during the revolution.

“I assume from the look on your face there is more money tucked away. Otherwise, you couldn't afford this
cross-country adventure. Am I right?” he questioned intently.

“I do have a stash to support myself until I decide where to settle down and find a job,” she hedged, hoping to dissolve his suspicions. “But it is true that my business dealings with you have diminished my funds.”

“Sorry, but I don't—”

“Work cheap,” she finished for him. “I know.” She couldn't quite meet his gaze when she added, “You were worth the price, Crow.”

“Glad to be of help. Client satisfaction is important.” He rose to his feet to pour leftover coffee on the fire. “Time to pull up stakes and pack our belongings. The road near Taloga Springs can be dangerous for travelers so we will parallel the path as much as possible. The town isn't called Hell's Fringe for nothing.”

Natalie swallowed the last bite of her breakfast, then spread out the glowing coals so they would burn out quickly. She gathered the dishes and headed to the river to wash them while Crow packed away the makeshift tent.

Although he was friendly enough this morning, he had distanced himself from her. She wondered if that was how men dealt with women after a casual evening tryst. Well, he needn't try to discourage her from hanging all over him, she mused irritably. After all, she did not intend to demand more of him than she had asked last night.

“What did you expect, fool?” she chastised herself as she practically scrubbed the finish off the coffee pot and tin plates. “That Crow would fall at your feet and declare undying love for you after your tryst?”

It would have been nice, she thought. At least then, she would have known there was something interesting and attractive about her that appealed to him besides the fact that she was female and she had made herself available to
him. At least she hadn't had to wonder if he was attracted to her fortune. That was a first for her.

“You're a fine one to talk about caring for a man, just for himself, after the bargain you struck with Crow,” she grumbled at herself. “You made the mistake of liking him a little too much—”

“Talking to yourself, are you, sunshine?”

Natalie was so startled by the sound of his voice that she pitched toward the river—and would have taken a swan dive into the water if Crow hadn't grabbed the nape of her shirt to steady her.

“Do not sneak up on me, damn you,” she snapped as she struggled to bring her racing heartbeat under control—and prayed he hadn't heard what she had said about him.

“Sorry. Sneaking up on people is part of my job.” He hoisted her to her feet and helped her scoop up the dishes. “I'm told that I excel in sneaking.”

There was something about the way he stared at her that caused alarm bells to clang in her mind. The look in his eyes was even more remote and distant than it had been at breakfast. Arousing Crow's suspicion was dangerous business. She'd give anything to know what he was thinking.

She pasted on a casual smile, hoping to mask her growing concern. “Something wrong, Crow?”

“You tell me, sunshine.”

“Not a thing I can think of,” she said breezily. “Let's mount up and ride. I'm anxious to see what the fringes of hell look like.”

She didn't glance back at him, just strode uphill. But she could feel the icy weight of his gaze on her. He had been acting strangely since she'd teasingly handed him the money this morning and he'd returned it. As much as she yearned to have Crow with her indefinitely, she knew it
was time to part company. He was posing questions about her past—and her endless money supply—that she was afraid to answer.

Although she was falling in love with him, he was a man, and men always had their own agendas. Therefore, she couldn't trust him completely. Love him? Yes. Trust him not to betray her for her fortune? No. Definitely not.

 

If Van hadn't spent years perfecting and maintaining a carefully controlled neutral expression he would have been spewing curses that would turn the air purple. It was bad enough that he was leading the way through canyon country—and had to deal with the bittersweet memories of his childhood home. Those haunting visions from his past never failed to sour his disposition. All he had to do was close his eyes and the sights and sounds of those hellish days when the Rangers attacked and the army brutally slaughtered their livestock and
accidentally
killed a few men, women and children caused tormenting resentments to bubble to the surface.

To make matters worse, Natalie's mysterious riches sent up warning flags in his mind. He recalled the large bills she had paid him earlier for signing the marriage license. At the time, he had been too distracted by the attack on Bart and a possible attempt on Natalie's life to give it much thought.

Yet he had given it very serious consideration this morning because he sensed she was purposely withholding vital information from him.

So, naturally, he investigated by searching her belongings while she washed dishes at the river. Lo and behold, he'd discovered the hidden compartment in the bottom of her tattered carpetbag. He had dipped in his hand and strands of diamonds, rubies, emeralds and sapphires
dripped between his fingers. He had stared in disbelief at the fortune in jewelry.

Hell's bells, the precious stones, set in gold and silver, were large enough to choke his horse! Not to mention that he'd found more money than he had in his bank account in Wolf Ridge.

Van contemplated Natalie's unswerving refusal to divulge her last name and confide her past. Suspicion loomed large in his mind. He hadn't wanted to be mistrustful of her, but he suspected last night's intimate encounter was part of her cunning scheme to gain his allegiance and his protection. Just in case her secretive past caught up with her and she needed reinforcements.

Why
had she found it necessary to pose as a widow? Was it to conceal her identity from lawmen? Was it because she had stolen a fortune in jewelry and money recently? Had she conned him into marrying her by feeding him lies and paying for his services as a gunfighter until she was miles away from the scene of whatever crime she had committed?

He knew he'd served several purposes for her—a name on the marriage license, a skilled shooter and protector. Everything she told him was a crock of lies designed to gain his trust, he mused resentfully.

A wicked stepfather and unfaithful fiancé? Ha! He suspected she had concocted that whole story. And it was a nice touch the way she tossed in suspicions about her mother being poisoned after he had pointed out the hemlock in the marsh. He cursed himself for being tripped up by her exceptional beauty, by her sad tale and by his uncontrollable desire for her. He had been a gullible fool and his pride was smarting until hell wouldn't have it.

The thought of how she had him twisting in the wind made him furious. He had spent the previous night
enjoying a man's wildest fantasy, only to plunge headlong into the black hole of doubt and suspicion. Van had been used plenty of times and for various reasons by his clients. He had been well paid every blasted time. But Natalie had touched off emotions and filled him with sensations that he wasn't prepared to deal with—and wasn't sure how to fight.

Feelings of betrayal coiled inside him. All the money she had paid him for the use of his name and for survival training couldn't appease the anger burning through him. He had told himself at the onset of their business dealings to remain professionally detached, but had he listened to himself? Hell no, he had blundered blindly ahead, flattered that a stunningly lovely woman would want to marry
him,
a man most decent women cautiously avoided.

That should have tipped him off immediately. Decent? Natalie? Ha! What kind of woman proposed to a man she had never met and wouldn't give her real name? The
deceptive kind!
he thought bitterly.

Like an imbecile, he had been delighted when she proclaimed to everyone who would listen that he was perfect for her in every way. He just hadn't realized what
every way
meant to a cunning witch like her. When she had seduced him into teaching her the meaning of passion, he had succumbed to his secret desires for her. Deep down, he'd known she was too good to be true and he had
allowed
himself to be deceived because he was so intrigued and wildly attracted to her.