Fallen Angel (11 page)

“Let me see.” He said gruffly.  She pulled the material back and he squatted beside her to peer at the wound. “It’s too dark to tell how deep it is.” His voice was quiet, it seemed more like he was talking to himself than her.  He stood still holding the rifle and looked around.  Angelica felt her apprehension grow she wasn’t sure what he was calculating but she could tell he was deciding something. Finally his gaze settled on her again.

“She shouldn’t walk on that leg until we find out how bad it is. We’re going to have to get the wagon.”

“I won’t leave her here.” She said adamantly.

“Angie.”

“No.” She stood up facing him squarely. “What if those things, whatever they are…”

“Coyotes.”

“What if that other one comes back
?”

“Angie, I won’t leave you out here alone in the dark.” He nearly yelled.

“Well I won’t leave her!” She yelled back.  Luke drew a deep breath hoping to calm his inflamed temper.

“Alright, I will stay with her, you take Blaze back to the house and have one of the men bring the wagon. He saw her shoulders slump and she looked down at the foal.

“I can’t.” She said with much less conviction.

“What you don’t trust me with your damn horse!” He roared.

“No,” she yelled back at him, “I don’t think I can find my way back in the dark.” The truth was she had been paying more attention to the play of the muscles across his back then the direction they were traveling. She probably couldn’t have found her way back in the daylight, but she wasn’t going to admit that.  He harrumphed and walked away.  She sank back down beside Ice and resumed petting her. She couldn’t see where Luke had gone but he returned a few minutes later carrying an armload of firewood. She didn’t say anything, she just quietly watched as he built a fire.

“Hope you’re not opposed to sleeping on the ground.” He said gruffly before walking away again.  He returned twice more with firewood then retrieved his tack off of Blaze he dropped a bedroll at her feet then set the saddle down a short distance away and sat down leaning against it.
He looked angry. She wasn’t sure what to say or do so she didn’t do anything she just sat quietly beside Ice.  It seemed like an eternity passed in silence, she tried to think of anything she could say that wouldn’t make him more angry. Ideally she wanted to make him less angry but as she watched him staring into the fire she couldn’t think of a single thing.  Her eyes fell on the blanket still tied in a tight roll beside her. She picked it up and untied it, then she stood and walked over to where he was sitting.  He looked surprised as he looked up at her, she spread the blanket and sat down beside him draping it across both of them.  He still didn’t say anything but she thought she saw a small smile at the corner of his mouth.  She mirrored his posture pulling her knees up and resting her arms on them, staring into the fire.

“I gave it to you because you needed it more than I do.”

“Why?” 

“Because your clothes are draftier than mine.”  He smirked at her and she felt herself relax a bit.

“Then you should share your body heat.” She grinned at him and to her relief he smiled back. He reached out and put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close.

“
I guess you’ve spent many nights under the stars huh.”

“Quite a few.”

“Well since, I can’t remember, I am going with, this is my first.” She smiled up and him and he felt his chest tighten.  “It will not be the last.” She sighed. “It is so beautiful. I wonder if I could have a house with a glass ceiling.”

“You think everything is beautiful.”
He mumbled.

“That’s because it is. Look up there,” She pointed at the sky above them covered in thousands of shinning stars. “Can you honestly say that is not the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen?”  Luke looked up at the sky then back at her, she was so close he could see the reflection of the fire dancing in her eyes.

“Yes, I can honestly say that is not the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.” He smiled.  She sighed.

“Fine not the most beautiful but it is beautiful.”

“Yes.” He said quietly. She smiled as if she’d proven her point and he smiled back automatically.

“So you think she’ll be okay to walk on it in the morning?”

“Even if she isn’t someone will come looking by then.” She nodded staring into the fire.  She was wondering if she should apologize, this wasn’t her fault but it felt like it was. He still seemed quiet, she wasn’t sure if he was angry with her or just distracted. He had his arm around her but she thought that might just be for warmth. She didn’t say anything at all for a long while waiting to see if he would speak, he didn’t. She felt her heart sink just a bit. Deciding not knowing had to be worse than the knowing, she took a deep breath at looked at him.

“I’m sorry.”  She said softly.  He turned and looked at her and frowned.

“What for?”

“Because you have to stay out here.”  He brought his other hand up and softly caressed her cheek.

“It’s not your fault we’re out here and besides I have never minded sleeping under the stars.”

“Yes, but…” He leaned forward slightly and kissed her, silencing whatever argument she was about to make. She gasped at the unexpected contact but she didn’t pull away
, instead she put her hand on his neck reveling in the feel of his warm skin under her fingertips.

“Don’t argue, just trust me for once.” He said when he broke the kiss. Her head was spinning, she couldn’t have formed a coherent argument if she had to.

“Okay.” She said simply.  He smiled and pulled her closer so that she was laying her head on his chest. She listened to the steady thumping of his heart and wondered how his heart could stay so even while hers had gone so erratic. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath thinking she should be able to force her nerves to settle.

Luke stared into the fire mesmerized by the dancing flames. Angie was still laying on his chest, she had fallen asleep. He had both his arms wrapped around her, it felt good. With her there he didn’t notice the cold or
hard ground.  With her there it was hard to think of anything besides her. Although, lately he hadn’t been able to think of much else whether she was near or not. It had been an emotional day for him, he had been elated to learn that she wasn’t angry at him or afraid of him. She was actually avoiding him because she wanted him. That was a relief and an ego boost, but his emotions had taken a dive when she leapt off Blaze’s back. Seeing her run towards the danger had made his blood run cold, he felt a responsibility for the safety of every person under his protection but this was different this was fear. She had a knack for putting herself in harm’s way and it seemed that the more time that passed the more it bothered him but today had been so much more. Even now that it was hours later he still wasn’t sure what to make of it.

Angie’s scream had Luke bolting upright and reaching for his rifle in the same movement, but he couldn’t identify the danger, she was still there with him. He still had his arm around her, he didn’t see any animals or people for that matter. He didn’t see anything that should have frightened her.  Then she started thrashing and yelling pushing against him and he released her immediately.

“Get away from me, don’t touch me!” She screamed.

“Whoa easy.” He put his hands up hoping she would see he wasn’t threatening.

“How could you? All those girls, are they all… did you?”

“Angie what are you talking about? You’re not making sense.” He looked into her eyes trying to make sense of what she was saying then she screamed and began struggling again, only this time he wasn’t touching her, she looked like she was fighting with an invisible attacker that’s when he realized she was having another nightmare.  He grabbed a hold of her shoulders and began to shake her, she struggled against him.

“Angie,” He yelled, “Wake up.” He gave her a hard jerk and she gasped and stopped struggling.

“Luke?” She whispered then collapsed against his chest. “Oh it was horrible, there was so much blood it was everywhere.” She began to sob against his chest and he wrapped his arms tightly around her.

“It’s okay you’re safe now.” He murmured against her hair. He wanted to push her for details, to ask who she had been fighting with in her dream but if she had forgotten something that involved a great deal of blood and could still terrify her in her dreams it was better left forgotten.  He pulled the blanket up wrapping it around her.
He held her as tightly as he could without hurting her until the sobs stopped and her breathing returned to normal. Even then he only barely loosened his grip.

“Luke.” She whispered.

“Hmm?”

“Can I touch you?” Her voice was so quiet it was barely a whisper, he held his breath thinking he must have heard her wrong. “Do you mind?”

“I don’t mind.” His tongue felt thick, it was hard to even form the words. His heart began to pound as he felt her unbuttoning his shirt. When he felt her fingertips slide across his sides he nearly jumped out of his skin but outwardly he held himself very still. She laid her head back against his chest and wrapped her arms around him, only now his chest was bare where her head was and he could feel her hands slide along his ribs. He closed his eyes basking in the pleasure her touch gave him. He put his hand on the back of her head gently stroking her hair.

“Are you alright?” He asked softly. He felt her nod.

“I think so, it was… I’m not sure terrifying.”

“Was it just a nightmare or
do you think you were remembering something?”

“I’m not sure I can’t even remember the dream now. All I know is that I was terrified and there was blood, so much blood.” She shivered as she said it and he tightened his hold on her.

“How often do you have these dreams?”

“This is the first time, at least that I know of.”  He frowned as he absently wound his fingers into her hair. He knew there had been at least one other time apparently she didn’t remember that.
  He felt her slide her hand up his side and over his chest and barely suppressed a gasp. He had been touched before but it had never affected him this much, it was all he could do to sit still. She lifted her head and looked at him.

“Thank you.” She said quietly.  Seeing her look up at him, her eyes wide and innocent was
too much for him. He kissed her letting his pent up desire flow though him. She gasped, slightly parting her lips and he took advantage, tasting her lips and then tentatively her tongue. He felt her fingers bite into his sides as she tightened her grip. She arched toward him meeting his tongue with her own and he was lost. He pulled her tightly against him as he plundered her mouth with his own.   Angie managed to break away just enough to whisper,

“Luke, I can’t breathe.”  He immediately released
her.  “No, no, don’t let go. Just loosen a bit.” He enveloped her in his arms once again not quite as tightly this time and began kissing her neck. She tipped her head back and made a sound that was half moan half sigh.  The sound was forever burned into his brain the image of her in the firelight with her head tipped back, eyes closed and lips slightly parted was affixed just as permanently.  It took everything he had but he forced himself to pull away from her. He jumped to his feet and walked a few steps away taking a ragged breath.

“I tried to warn you
.” She said softly feeling more than a little dazed.  He laughed but it sounded broken.

“Are we back
to this again? Don’t you get it? If you weren’t a respectable woman as you say, this wouldn’t be a problem.”  She stood and walked the short distance to where he was standing and stopped in front of him.

“What is the problem?” She was looking up at him her eyes wide and he ached to touch her, to kiss her again. He knew he shouldn’t but he was having trouble remembering why.
He ran his index finger down her cheek and along her jaw line. 

“The problem,” he said huskily, “is you are a respectable woman and you deserve more than an overzealous cowboy
and a dirt bed.” She looked at his chest, it was still exposed where his shirt was hanging open.  There was a mass of blond hair in the center with a single line trailing all the way down to his waist. She could see faint lines of muscles crisscrossing his stomach and an old scar below his left peck that ran back toward his ribs. She ran her finger down the line of hair then slid both her arms around his waist and looked up at him smiling. 

“What if I want an overzealous cowboy?” 
He felt like his heart had stopped, he couldn’t even breathe with her looking up at him that way.

“You can have whatever you want, it just has to be done right.”
He said seriously.  She smiled at him and pulled her hands back letting them slide across his ribs. He sucked in his breath but held himself perfectly still. She pulled the sides of his shirt together and refastened each button one at a time.  When she reached the top button she patted his chest gently.

“I will try to behave myself.” She said smiling at him. He grinned and wrapped his arms around her.

“You do that. I make no such promises.” He said squeezing her slightly. She laughed and he grinned again.