Renegade Bride (50 page)

Mariah stared at the ground, clinging to the strength of Creed's arm.

"You see," Seth continued thickly, "it took a few minutes to realize I'd never inspired that kind of passion in her. Not even close. And I realized she... loves you in a way she's never loved me."

Creed opened his mouth as if to object, but grim-faced, Seth stopped him from trying to deny it. "No, it's true. I can see that now. You two actually did me a favor," he added with a growl of angry laughter. "I would have made her miserable and never known why."

Creed's eyes darkened with regret. "It seems inadequate to say I'm sorry for all that's happened, or thank you for saving her life just now. I appear destined to remain in your debt,
mon
ami
," he said, letting his arm slide from Mariah's waist.

"To hell with your debts, Devereaux," Seth snapped, surprising him. "If you're looking for absolution, don't. I'm not ready to give that. Maybe I never will be. But just to set the record straight, not everything in life comes with a price tag—like saving your fool neck or hers. But if you must, consider those debts paid. I'll send you your share of the store in full when you let me know where you settle."

Abruptly, Seth stalked to his horse, shoved his rifle into its scabbard, and mounted. Gathering up his reins, his gaze lingered on Mariah for a moment, then slid back to Creed. "You take care of her. If you hurt her, I'll kill you myself."

"Seth—" Mariah called out as he reined to go. He turned back to her. She closed the distance between them, but didn't touch him. "Thank you."

Taking a deep breath, he gave her a curt nod, then kicked his horse back in the direction of town.

As he disappeared into the night, Mariah watched a huge piece of her life vanish and felt an acute sense of loss. Slowly, she turned back to Creed. His beautiful, battered eyes were filled with an emotion she couldn't read. It was different and it terrified her. She wanted to run to him, hold him until he promised never to let her go. But she didn't. He'd said he loved her in a moment of despair, but would he feel the same way without the noose around his neck? Regardless of what Seth thought, she'd never try to force herself on Creed.

Jesse walked up beside Creed, leading Buck. Wade and Pete stood a little apart, holding the leads of the gangs' horses bearing the lifeless bodies of LaRousse, Quincy, and Field. Snake was slumped over his saddle, bleeding, with his hands tied behind his back.

"We'll be heading back to Virginia City now," Jesse told Creed, scratching Mahkwi behind the ears. "You comin'?"

Creed shook his head slowly, his eyes on Mariah.

Jesse raised one blond eyebrow. "Mariah? You want me to round up that mare you rustled and bring her back for you?"

"She'll ride with me," Creed said, never taking his eyes from her. "We have some talking to do." His look was smoldering, possessive, absolute. It stole her breath away and along with it, any impulse to argue. Her heart leapt with hope.

A twinkle of understanding shone in Jesses' eyes. "Good luck to you both," he said, shaking Creed's good hand. "I've decided to leave in the morning for Ohio to see my folks. So, I guess this is goodbye."

Creed sent him a knowing glance, his eyes warming. "Thanks for everything, Jesse. Keep in touch."

"I will," Jesse replied. Slipping his hat off, he walked over and planted a kiss on Mariah's cheek. "You take care of him, you hear?" he whispered so only she heard it.

She smiled tremulously and squeezed his hands. "If he'll let me. Goodbye, Jesse."

They said their farewells to Wade and Pete and watched them head down the valley to round up the horses they'd left behind. When their dark silhouettes merged with the fog, Creed turned back to her, his expression unreadable.

She held his gaze, unsure of what to do. "Creed, you don't have to say anything... I mean, I know what Seth expects us to do, but... I understand if—"

"I have a lot of things to say to you,
ma petite
," he interrupted, those compelling sea green eyes boring into hers. "And none of them has anything to do with Seth." He reached for her hand.

She took it, but didn't dare come any closer until she'd said her piece.

"You should know, I planned on going back to Chicago. I wouldn't have married him... even if that kiss had never happened. I couldn't go through with it, knowing how I felt about you."

He stared at her in the dark, his gaze caressing her hair, her eyes, her face. "You couldn't?"

She shook her head. "And I can still go back, if..."

"Go back?" he repeated with a look of disbelief. "
Mon
Dieu
, Mariah, when I came here tonight, when I thought LaRousse had you, I was out of my mind." He ran a shaky hand over his mouth. "He was right when he said if he'd killed you, he'd have killed me, too. If... if anything had happened to you... I—"

He drew her to him, pulling her head against his chest. "I love you,
mon coeur,"
he said fiercely. "You're part of me, just as I'm part of you. It took me a long time to accept it, but I've known it from the first moment we touched. I was a fool to think I could ever walk away from you. Don't leave me, Mariah."

Joy leapt to her eyes. "I don't want to go. I never wanted to. I went to your room tonight to beg you not to leave. To tell you that I loved you—"

Creed's mouth swooped down on hers, covering the last of her confession. Her lips tasted sweet, like freedom. His heart thudded against his burning ribs as her fingertips skimmed his back, drawing him closer. She was his,
le bon Dieu
... she was his.

Their tongues mated—warm, seeking, possessing.

He drew her against him, deepening the kiss, slashing his lips against hers, savoring the feel of her body flush against him, putting guilt and regret behind them. He ignored the pain in his mouth and concentrated on the fullness of his heart.

They kissed again and again under the full moon in the swirling fog, like two people starved, sharing breath back and forth until they had run out of air and were forced to draw apart.

"Say you'll marry me, Mariah," his lips whispered against hers.

She laughed, tears stinging her eyes. "You big idiot. I've been trying to get you to say that for days."

One corner of his battered mouth rose, his breath coming rapidly. "It takes some of us longer than others."

"Of course I'll marry you," she said, throwing her arms around him. He groaned low as she squeezed his ribs. Instinctively, she pulled back. "Oh! Did I hurt you?"

He didn't let her go. Instead, he pulled her closer, grinding his hips against hers to demonstrate the true extent of his discomfort. "Ahh..." he groaned again, shuddering at her touch. "If pain was ever pleasure..."

She smiled, staring into the dear eyes that looked into her own with such passion. "I love you, Creed Devereaux. I'll love you 'til the day I die."

His eyes sparkled knowingly. "Ah,
bon
, because that will be a very long time,
ma petite
."

Reaching up, she brushed a kiss along his jawline, loving the shudder her touch invoked. "And what else do you see for us in that crystal ball of yours, my love? What will become of us?"

"Whatever we want,
mon coeur
, whatever we want."

Creed didn't tell her about that little girl with the ebony hair and sea green eyes, or about the other images he glimpsed when her touch traveled through him. Some things were better left to discovery.

A gentle wind swirled and the heavy mist lifted, revealing the clear, moonlit landscape. Creed could see beyond the horizon into his own heart, and for the first time, knew that he didn't stand alone. Sensing there would be a thousand wonderful discoveries in the years ahead, he tightened his arms around the woman he loved.

Creed Devereaux wasn't a man to ignore a feeling.

The End

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RENEGADE'S KISS

Wild Western Hearts Series

Book Three