Her horse was gone, and her belongings were propped against the tree stump.There was a shack to the left, with a lock on the door.That must be where he’d taken the weapons and where he kept his own horse.The keys had to be in his pockets.He strode over to the building and picked up a bucket with his gloved hand.
She tried to pay attention to their route, but in the forest of pine and aspen and bushes, everything looked alike.She thought of turning around and running, but he was only a couple of feet ahead of her.He’d have no trouble catching her.
He stopped abruptly at a stream and leaned against a tree, watching her.
Shea had never drunk from a stream before, yet that was obviously what he expected her to do.The dryness in her mouth was worse, and she couldn’t wait.She moved to the edge of the stream and kneeled, feeling awkward and self-conscious, knowing he was judging her.She scooped up a handful of water, then another, trying to sip it before it leaked through her fingers.She caught just enough to be tantalized.
She finally fell flat on her stomach and put her mouth in the water, taking long swallows of the icy-cold water, mindless of the way the front of her shirt got soaked, mindless of anything but the water.
It felt wonderful.And tasted wonderful.Colder and purer than she’d ever had before.When she was finally sated, she sat up and turned around, her gaze instinctively going to Tyler.
His stance looked lazy, but his eyes, like fine emeralds, were glowing with green fire, and she felt a corresponding wave of heat consume her.She couldn’t move her gaze from him, no matter how hard she tried, as if they were locked together.
He was the first to divert his gaze, and his eyes assumed their usual icy indifference.
She looked down and noticed that her wet shirt clung to her, outlining her breasts.She swallowed hard and turned around.She splashed some water on her face, hoping it would cool the heat suffusing her body.
Shea lingered as long as she could.She didn’t want to go back to the dark cabin.She didn’t want to face him or those intense emotions she didn’t understand.
She kept expecting him to order her away, but he didn’t.She didn’t dare look, but she felt his gaze on her and knew she should feel fear.He had been in prison a very long time.Yet she instinctively knew he wouldn’t touch her in a sexual way.
Because he despises you.
Because he despises your father.
She closed her eyes for a moment, and when she opened them, a spiral of light gleamed through the trees.She wanted to reach out and catch that sunbeam, to climb it to some safe place.
But there were no safe places any longer.
She watched that ray of light until it slowly dissipated as the sun slipped lower in the sky, and then she slowly rose.
“Ready?”he asked in that hoarse whisper of his.
The word held many meanings.
Ready for what?She wasn’t ready for any of this.
But she nodded.
He sauntered over and offered his gloved hand.
She refused it and moved away from him, stunned by how much she’d suddenly wanted to take his hand, to feel that strength again.
And Shea realized her battle wasn’t entirely with him.It was also with herself.
Chapter 5
Rafe didn’t know why he’d held out his hand to her.Particularly when she so openly expressed her disdain for it.Because of him?Because of the brand?
What in hell had he expected, anyway?
But she’d looked so wistful caught in the stream of light.The sun had bounced off her soft brown hair, making it appear a halo.He’d wondered why he thought her plain.She looked extremely pretty at that moment.
And fearful, when he’d walked over to her.He disliked himself heartily for causing that fear.But there was no help for it.
He had to keep her more afraid of him than anything, or anyone, else.That’s why he hadn’t searched for Abner in the cabin.Who, for Christ’s sake, would be afraid of a man who kept a mouse as a pet?He would find Abner later and keep him either in his pocket or in the stable.
He scowled at her, allowing her to see his displeasure.“Don’t get any ideas about following this stream,” he said.“It goes up into the mountain on one end and travels downstream over steep falls.You can’t get out either way.And these woods are full of animals—bears, wolves, mountain lions, rattlesnakes—and traps.There’s no place to run.”
