Savage Conquest (14 page)

The man looked down into her sleeping face,
asking himself why she had called that name as he
gagged her tempting lips. Soon her little game would
be overl

Miranda sat in the swing which hung from a
towering tree, swaying back and forth as she sank
into deep thought. The trip to Morning Star had
been uneventful, but her visit was anything but dull
and tranquilizing. Now that she was here and
making odd discoveries, she didn't regret coming.
But without her parents and Amanda, it was lonely
and cold. The longtime servants couldn't seem to
relieve the melancholy mood of their deceased
employer's child. They had tried to clear up her
somber mood and calm her anxiety, but instead they
unknowingly increased them. They told her how
much the plantation had prospered, which pleased
her immensely. They asked what would happen now
that her parents were gone, but Miranda couldn't tell
them. She revealed that her sister was considering
marriage; if it took place, Miranda would come to
live here.

Tomorrow, the overseer had promised to take her
on a tour of the entire plantation. He wanted her to
inspect the replanked barns, to meet the new workers
and speak with old ones, and to see how he was
rotating the crops. Miranda didn't know anything
about crops, but she could meet the workers and view
what she and her sister owned. Clearly, this plantation was beautiful and valuable. Her father had
always made certain the majestic ante-bellum mansion was in excellent repair. Without her family, the
house seemed enormous and formal. Perhaps she
could persuade Amanda to sell the shipping firm,
refuse Weber, and move here to begin a new life.

Earlier in the day, Miranda had made several
disturbing discoveries. The overseer had told her he
had been instructed by Daniel McVane to send the
monthly reports to Weber Richardson, and Weber
had made two visits out here. Worse, Weber had been
hinting to him about a probable sale of Morning
Star.

Miranda tried to recall the overseer's words.
Weber had Mister Farley making full reports on each
area of the profitable plantation. The money was
being transferred to Daniel McVane, their lawyer.
Why had McVane failed to mention these enormous
profits during their recent conference? He had made
it sound as if the plantation had been steadily losing
money since her family's last visit a year ago! Had
McVane been misinformed or had he deceived them?

Since Weber had made two visits, why hadn't he
corrected McVane's errors? Something funny was going on, and she was determined to discover what it
was. It was a wild idea, but what if Amanda had
uncovered some crime against them when she
checked the books? And what if she was being
threatened into marrying Weber? No, Amanda
wouldn't agree to such evil even to save her life! But
what if Weber and his unknown cohorts had
threatened those Amanda loved: herself, Luke, and
Reis! Amanda would do anything to protect them,
even sacrifice herself to a demon like Weber.

Luke and Reis kept hinting that Weber was sly and
dangerous. Blackmail would explain Amanda's
irrational moods and her reluctance to confide in her
sister. That would clarify why she was refusing to
talk to Reis. And her sudden surrender to Weber's
proposal! Why else would she take Weber, a man
who couldn't even walk in the shadow of Reis
Harrison! A bright and daring female like Amanda
wouldn't lose the man of her dreams over a silly
dispute; she would fight for him and demand an
explanation for his behavior. She must have found
something in those books to terrify her, to entrap herl

Miranda decided to send Lucas a telegram the next
day, using the code which they had worked out long
ago as a childhood game. Reis and Luke could do
some snooping on their end while she remained here
a few more days to see what worms she could unearth.

Amanda dozed for two hours in the warm embrace
of her abductor until a violent storm began to pelt her face with raindrops and to saturate the blanket and
her gown. She shivered and stirred, confused by her
surroundings and predicament. She was bound and
gagged! Held securely by powerful arms, she was
being taken away on horseback by a black-clad
villain! She assumed she was having a nightmareand
struggled to awaken. Finally, she was forced to
comprehend she was being kidnapped, wrapped in a
sopping blanket and a flimsy nightgown!

She squirmed to sit up in the man's arms, but he
wouldn't allow it. The wet blanket clung to her body.
She moaned and thrashed her head, unable to speak.
She was helpless and nearly nakedl Wet curls clung
to her cheeks and forehead. Who was doing this to
her? Why? Terror filled her and she shuddered.

Aware she was coming around, the man slowed the
horse to a walk. He pushed back the hood to his rainslicker and his black hair was soaked instantly. Beads
of water dripped off his chin and nose. When
lightning flashed across the heavens, her eyes became
large circles as she viewed his face and the implication of this scene. Her breath caught in her throat,
and her heart started thudding heavily.

White teeth gleamed in the next flash of lightning
as he grinned down at her. Reis roguishly vowed, "I
said you can't marry him, love."

Amanda simply stared at him. She wondered what
he was planning to do with her. Web said that Reis
had left. Obviously, he had been lurking in the
shadows until he was given a chance to abduct her. If
Reis wanted revenge on Weber, would he kill her before letting Weber marry her? His cunning
seduction had failed; now what?

When she ceased her futile struggles, Reis grasped
her around the waist and set her up straight across his
lap. He tenderly brushed the wet curls from her face
then smiled and caressed her cheek. When she tried
to turn away from his piercing gaze, he held her chin
firmly.

As Reis observed her ever-changing emotions, he
told her softly, "There's no reason for you to be
afraid, Mandy love. I only want to talk with you.
Since you refused to see me and hear me out, you left
me no choice but to force you. If it takes all day and
night, we're going to settle this matter. If you refuse
to explain yourself by then, I'll hold you here until
you relent. No tricks, no lies, and no silence, woman.
Right now, I don't care about Weber's war crimes,
only about you. I can promise you won't be harmed
by me, and I'll take you home as soon as you tell me
why you suddenly rejected me and agreed to marry
him. Hellfire, I won't lose you without knowing
why.
"

As her eyes narrowed and her teeth clenched
beneath the gag, defiance and fury glittered brightly
in her lovely blue eyes. Reis knew this wasn't going
to be easy, but he did have some tricks up his sleeve.
"We'll beat the cabin before dawn; then I'll untie you
and remove that gag. But if you try anything, I'm not
adverse to giving you a good spanking. In fact, you
need one," he warned playfully.

The look in her glittering blue eyes shouted, you wouldn't dare! He chuckled and replied, "Oh, yes, I
would, love. You are the most exasperating and
infuriating female alive. It's about time you started
using those brains and wits again. If it takes a good
spanking to bring you back to life, then I'll be most
willing to provide it," he declared arrogantly.

Amanda's chest vibrated in heavy respiration. She
glared at the smug devil, wanting to claw his
handsome face. She wiggled frantically in his arms
until he warned, "Be still, or I'll drop you in the
mud."

That threat called an immediate halt to her
thrashing. "That's more like it. It's nearly morning;
get some sleep. You'll soon have the privacy and
opportunity to severely tongue-lash me." He laughed
mirthfully as they rode away into the stormy streaks
of predawn.

Within an hour, he reined in the animal at a grove
of trees. He slid her bound feet to the mushy ground,
then agilely dismounted. He tied the reins to a tree,
then scooped her up in his arms. Amanda kicked
wildly, wanting to walk. Clutching her tightly, Reis
laughed again, heading for a cabin in a small
clearing. Although it was raining noisily, she could
hear the rush of a nearby stream. She didn't know
where they were, but it was secluded, and intimidating.

Reis placed her bare feet on the wet dirt while he
unlocked the door. He carried her inside, kicking the
door closed behind them, and deposited her at the
entrance. Af ter lighting a lantern, he turned and eyed her intently. She almost appeared comical, entrapped in the blanket with silvery blond curls
dripping water. If this situation weren't so serious,
he knew he could easily burst into hearty chuckles.

Unable to move, Amanda stood there, shaking
from cold and suspense. Removing his rain gear and
tossing it over a chair, Reis pulled a knife from a
sheath at his waist. He came toward her. Amanda
wanted to back away in fear but couldn't.

When he witnessed her reaction, he sighed in
frustration. "I'm just going to cut the ropes, Mandy.
Be still. We need to get you dry and warm before you
take a chill."

It wasn't the knife which alarmed her; it was the
beguiling grin on his face. When he removed the
confining blanket, she felt naked in the wet gown
which clung revealingly to her curves. He squatted to
cut the rope around her ankles, then stood to sever
those on her wrists behind her back. The moment-her
feet and hands were mobile she struck at him with
both, wishing she knew how to fight like Miranda
and those skilled Chinese. How dare he bring her
here alone, bound and barely coveredl What if
someone saw them? Not having removed her gag yet,
she berated him with muffled curses.

Reis captured her hands, then flung her to the
bunk and pinned her beneath him. "I do believe
you're aching for some discipline, love. Behave, or I
might forget you're a lady and I'm-" He didn't
finish that statement. It was too soon to say, I'm the
man who loves you. "Settle down, and I'll build a fire and fix coffee. Deal?"

When she didn't nod, he slipped the gag down to
her neck and insisted upon her answer. "Is it a deal,
love? A truce?" His rain gear had been of little service;
he was just, as soaked as Amanda. His wet garments
molded to his hard frame; that view and their contact
made her too conscious of his virility and appeal.

Distressed by her attraction to him and her helpless
position, Amanda screamed at him, "You sorry son
of a-"

Reis's hand clamped over her mouth, denying the
crude word to come forth. "Instead of a spanking, I
might wash that mouth out with strong soap. Better
still, I might do both! As soon as you get warm and
dry, you're going to do plenty of talking. You owe
me, love."

When he removed his hand, she shouted, "Owe
youl I owe you nothing, Yankee! Get off of me! Take
me home this instant! Are you too dense to know
kidnapping is a crime? Or too wicked and arrogant. to
care?"

"You're a bright girl, Mandy. That means you
should hear all the evidence before taking sides on a
vital issue. Stop actirglike a spoiled brat and listen
to me!"

"Listen to your lies again? You claimed to be here
on business; that isn't true. Why are you trying to
hurt me?" she inquired angrily. She struggled once
more, causing their bodies to mesh provocatively.
When her strap slipped precariously from one
shoulder and the tail of the ice blue gown wadded between her exposed thighs, she wisely halted.

"The business offer was true, Mandy. Tonight, the
only thing which concerns me is your dark image of
me. Hell, we're not strangers! How could you believe
Web, Mandy?" he asked accusingly, acutely aware of
every inch of her rain-kissed body.

Unlike her tanned sister, Amanda was as white and
smooth as fresh cream. When she was calm or happy,
she looked like a siren who should be perched on a
rock in the ocean, luring sailors to blissful enslavement. Lord, how he wanted to lean over and spread
kisses over that slender throat and those satiny
shoulders. He wanted to capture that mouth with
his. He yearned to turn that defiant sparkle in those
blue eyes into a blaze of smoldering desire for him.
He craved to have those arms and legs hungrily
entwined about him. There wasn't an inch of her he
didn't long to taste or explorel

"Look who's talking about washing out my
mouth! You curse and lie worse than I do," she
scoffed cynically, as his flaming gaze sent warm
tremors down her spine. She feared the power of his
hypnotic gaze and enchanting facade. If only he
didn't have that roguish smile, those remarkably
blue eyes, that sun-kissed flesh, that ebony hair,
that ... that everything disarming!

"Ah, so you have been lying," he baited her,
attempting to keep his mind off her body. The light
color, clingy material, and nearly translucent condition of her gown left little to his imagination.
Despite his efforts at self-control, his traitorous body had reacted to those taut points which had appeared
when her body had thrashed against his. His eyes
darkened with passion at the memory.