Savage storm (19 page)

Placing the blanket upon the grass he patted the spot next to him as he sat down. "Come here, my pet."

Gabrielle raised a hand to shield her eyes, surveying the deserted landscape which surrounded them. "I keep thinking

of those Indians you admire so greatly. What would they say if they discovered us making love?''

Jason chuckled at the absurdity of that prospect. *'I really don't know, they might be discreet enough to wait until we finished before they made their presence known. Then again, if they wanted to attack us, that would certainly be a marvelous opportunity to do so. You needn't worry, however, for I have seen no sign of their presence for several days."

Alarmed, Gabrielle turned to face him. "Before then you had?" she asked in dismay.

"Yes. The Pawnee have winter villages on the South Platte, but in the summer they follow the buffalo since it is their primary source of food and hides. I've seen small hunting parties several times when I've gone ahead to scout the trail, but they have had no great interest in us. You should have a good opportunity to observe some Indians firsthand when we reach Fort Laramie. Now stop worrying so about them and please come and sit down here beside me."

He'd tossed his hat aside, and pulled his shirt off over his head, not wanting to stop later to peel off layers of clothing Gabrielle would find in her way. Just looking at her made his breath quicken, but he did not want to appear too eager for her kiss so he lay back upon the blanket to get comfortable as if he had the entire afternoon to spend with her.

Gabrielle stood where she was, but she began to disrobe with the slow, graceful gestures which were so much a part of her charm. She let her dress fall to the grass, then her slips, then as she bent down to unbutton her shoes she spoke softly. "Is it the danger which you enjoy so greatly, Jason, the risk of discovery which makes my kisses so sweet?"

Jason could barely speak. He'd seen women who'd earned a fortune by pleasing men attempt the same artful seduction with far less success than this auburn-haired beauty was demonstrating now. This was a strip tease so erotic but so subtle he could only stare, hoping she would finish before he was driven by the force of his desire to simply leap up and

throw her down upon the blanket. She'd spoken, but he'd scarcely heard her words. He realized she was hesitating, her fingertips at the bows which held her camisole in place, and he answered quickly, wanting her to slip the lace-trimmed garment from her shoulders to expose more of her marvelous figure to his view. His voice was hoarse with desire as he spoke. "No. It is you alone, Gabrielle, simply your charm and beauty that I want so badly." She cast the last of her garments aside then and came to him. Her kiss as desperate as his, she pressed her now-nude body along the length of his.

Jason pulled the lithe beauty across his chest, savoring the cool smoothness of her skin against his own far more warm flesh. Her long, shimmering red hair fell about his shoulders, veiling the sunlight from his view, but he saw only her enchanting smile. He hugged her tiny waist tightly as if he feared she might still slip away. Never had he thought any woman could do what she'd done to him. How could he have thought she was the one who needed lo be taught the lessons of love when she knew how to give it in such abundance? Her fingertips slid down his sides, then to his belt, and he was sorry he did not know how to disrobe as enticingly as she did. But he did not stop her and she swiftly stripped away the last barrier which remained between them.

Gabrielle covered his face with light kisses. Enjoying the taste of his deeply bronzed skin, she let her tongue slide down his throat to the dark curls which covered his chest. He had the most splendid of male bodies, firm and strong, and she wondered if she could give him the same gift of rapture he had given her with no more than lavish kisses the first time they'd been together. The muscles of his flat stomach grew taut beneath her lips, and when he wove his fingers in her hair to hold her close, she understood what he wanted without being told. He was so easy to love, and love him she did, her devotion growing ever more bold with each beat of her heart. Her mouth was warm, soft, and teasing as her tongue caressed his flesh, and knowing how greatly she was pleasing him, she did not stop

until he could stand no more. He was completely incoherent, calling her name in a slurred moan as he drew her into his arms and forced her down upon the folds of the soft blanket to dominate her body with the considerable strength still left in his. He did not want to rest alone on the bed of ecstasy she'd created, so with a tenderness born of awakening love, he caressed her body with a slow, knowing touch until he felt her shudder with pleasure. Then he abandoned himself to the madness of possessing her, confident of how deeply his joy would be shared.

Again at perfect peace, Gabrielle reclined languidly in Jason's arms, enjoying the heat of his body as greatly as that of the sun. Were she to become tan all over, she would have no way to explain such exposure, but she cared little for that small problem. Some clever idea would come to her mind should she ever need an excuse for the golden color of her fair skin. She swept that trivial concern from her mind as she continued to savor the closeness which had grown between them. That bond of trust seemed to deepen each time they were together, and certain he would answer her question seriously, she said softly, "Jason, my aunt told me nothing of the beauty a man and woman can share and truly I do not think she even suspected it. I know you must have considerable experience, but is it always like this?"

Jason propped his head on his hand to look down at his bewitching companion, his smile filled with amusement as he responded. "You mean the feeling of pleasure so intense you can neither laugh nor weep but only crave more no matter if the cost be your very soul?"

Gabrielle slid her fingertips across his chest, and he caught them in his hand, drawing her palm to his lips. "Yes, that is precisely the way to describe how I feel in your arms, but is it the same for you when you make love to other women?"

Jason had to consider her question for no more than an instant. He had kept no count of his sexual encounters, for truly, other than seeking momentary pleasure, there had been

no meaning in them. "I have never made love to another woman, Gabrielle, only to you." The coarsest of verbs came to his mind but he would not speak the word to her. "I have known other women, been with them that is true, but never, never was it as superb as it is with you. It was never making love, but only fulfilling the most primitive ofman's needs." He leaned down to kiss her then, his passion so tender he wanted never to have to return to the noisy confusion of the wagon train and the seemingly endless weeks of travel which still lay ahead.

Gabrielle knew then without doubt that no man would ever give her the pleasure she had found in his arms, but she could not understand why Jason did not speak of love, of staying together, of being husband and wife instead of lovers stealing precious moments to spend together. She waited quietly in his embrace, gazing up into his clear gray eyes, seeing the reflection of the blue of her own as she prayed he would be moved to finally speak of love.

Instead, Jason sighed sadly. 'The hours pass too swiftly when I am with you and we nuist be on our way without another moment's delay. Now hurry and dress and then there is something more I must tell you."

Puzzled, Gabrielle hoped it would be exactly what she wanted to hear, but sadly it was not. As Jason rolled up the blanket and secured it behind his saddle he began to explain. "Clayton saw us together the other night. He saw nothing more than that goodnight kiss, but he is the suspicious sort and, knowing me, fears the worst."

Gabrielle swung herself onto Sunny's back, sorry Clayton had chosen that particular word to describe their relationship. '*He would considerate it 'the worst' if he knew we were lovers?"

"I am being paid to escort you to Oregon City, Gabrielle, not to seduce you along the way," Jason pointed out with a grin. ''But I told him nothing, and if he makes the mistake of discussing the subject with you, which I think he has the good

sense not to do, you must admit nothing either/'

"I see/' Gabrielle replied as she combed her fingers through her tangled hair, but her features were set in a determined frown which clearly showed her mood. "What would happen if I told him the truth, Jason?*'

"That is not a consequence upon which I care to speculate, my dear. We must be more careful, that is all . . . perhaps meet only when I am on guard duty. You can slip away to meet me."

"You would be satisfied with that?" she asked pointedly, not understanding why deception was so important to him when she longed to tell everyone who would listen how dearly she'd come to love him.

Jason climbed into his saddle and jammed his hat down upon his newly trimmed curls as he replied. "No, of course not, but it is the way it will have to be."

Gabrielle turned Sunny toward the path they'd taken. "Perhaps it would be best if we avoided each other entirely then, Jason."

"You can't mean that!" Jason argued as he drew alongside her.

Gabrielle was silent for several moments then she turned to face him squarely. "Yes. I do mean it. I think we should end this now, Jason, if the risk of a scandal scares you so greatly."

"Damn it! I am not afraid! It is you I must consider, your reputation, your future. Don't you understand that?" He angrily pointed out what seemed obvious to him.

Lifting her chin proudly, Gabrielle made up her mind. "Well, if you are saying the choice is mine, then our brief affair is over, for I'll not live the blatant lie you are offering."

"What else would you have me do, Gabrielle?" Jason demanded harshly. "Tell me what other choice we have and I will gladly seize it!"

"If the answer is not obvious to you, I will never speak it. Now good day, Mr. Royal, and goodbye." Knowing he could never catch her, Gabrielle turned Sunny toward the approaching wagon train and dug her heels sharply into his sides. The

red stallion responded with an energetic leap forward, leaving Jason swearing angrily in a cloud of dust as thick as his confusion over Gabrielle's behavior.

Jason screamed every obscenity he'd ever heard and then came up with a few original terms to describe the torment Gabrielle continually caused him. What in heaven's name did the woman want from him that he hadn't promised in the most definite way a man can? He had found her slender body so easy to tame, but her spirit defied him still. The emotions which he'd thought he'd transmitted so forcefully apparently had left her untouched, still he was even more determined to make her understand she was his woman alone.

"You are mine, Gabrielle MacLaren, mine!" he shouted angrily, although he knew she could not possibly hear that desperate vow.

But by the time he returned to the wagon train late that afternoon, he had adopted a far more logical attitude. He would not beg, or plead. He'd not even speak to the woman who'd simply plucked his heart from his chest and trampled it beneath her tiny feet. He'd wait until she asked him to take her back into his arms. He had plenty of time. He could wait, perhaps not patiently, but—damn it!—he could wait.

The weather had become close and sultry, oppressively warm, and Gabrielle's mood was no better than Jason's when they reached the point at which he wished to ford the Platte. The wagons first had to be unloaded so their beds could be waterproofed with the green buffalo hides to prevent them from being flooded, their contents ruined, and the vehicle sunk under the incoming water's weight. When reloaded, the oxen were double-teamed to draw the first wagon to the river's edge. Jason then rode across to gauge the depth of the water and the condition of the river bed before he returned to give the order for the first wagon to roll. On the sandy soil of the riverbank, the water barely lapped over the oxen's hooves, but as they

moved out into the Platte the water deepened, the swiftness of the current swelling up around the beasts' flanks and carrying them along until they slipped repeatedly. Losing their footing, they seemed to float in the middle of the wide river, but the drivers and men on horseback urged the teams on until the waters grew shallow again and the oxen could pull the wagon onto the far shore. A joyous shout of triumph went up as each wagon forded the perilous river safely. Slowly, the line of wagons approached the river, as the travelers, who had crossed, wet and weary, gradually reassembled on the other side to await those who still had to ford the waters.

Jason lost count of how many times he'd traversed the swiftly rushing waters of the river, but whenever a man appeared hesitant to begin the crossing he was there to offer encouragement. Likewise, if the animals slipped in the slimy mud and grew panic-stricken, he and Duke were there to haul them to their feet and send them on their way. He was a tireless leader, but when Clayton came to his side he had little time to offer advice for their twenty-one charming charges.

'The women are safer on horseback. Clay, just let them ride across and they will be fine. I have no time to hold their hands while they do it!" He returned to the water then, because another team was moving too slowly and needed his help.

The first of the brides' wagons made the crossing without incident, two of the seven young women choosing to ride with their driver while the others rode upon their usual mounts. The second wagon was not so fortunate. In midstream the wheels caught, the mud providing too slippery a footing for the oxen to pull it free.

Gabrielle stood on the riverbank, her apprehension growing rapidly as she watched the drama unfold upon the water. Along the shores of the river were scattered the half-buried remains of countless pieces of furniture, family heirlooms which had been sacrificed to lighten other wagons that had encountered similiar disastrous crossings. But this wagon contained only the trunks of clothing and the provisions for its seven female

passengers. No heavy pieces of furniture could now be cast aside to lessen the load upon the wheels. At least one of the young women had chosen to ride across with the driver, but Gabrielle did not recall who she had been. She now hoped the woman in the wagon was a calm soul who would not become so frightened by the wagon's plight that she might topple into the fast flowing water and be swept away. Clayton rode out into the river to help Jason, both men encouraging the oxen and helping to pull the wagon free. At last they succeeded in encouraging the oxen to exert themselves. The wagon wheels began to turn again, and slowly the wooden vehicle drew closer to the far shore, another successful crossing assured.

Dripping wet, Jason was still standing on the opposite bank when Gabrielle's wagon reached the water. He considered Paul to be the best of the three drivers, and he had no doubt the diminutive man could make the crossing safely. His gaze was not focused upon Paul but on the women following in their wagon's wake. Gabrielle was on the riverbank, obviously offering the encouragement the other women needed to begin riding their horses across. He could not hear her helpful comments, but her friendly advice seemed to be gratefully taken as one woman after another urged her mount into the water and with a firm hand on the reins forced the animal to carry her across.

When Gabrielle alone remained behind, Jason realized he'd been a fool not to consider how reticent Sunrise would be to enter the water after his terrifying brush with death. Horses have a long memory, and once the stallion had associated the river with the danger of quicksand he was sure to balk at entering it again. As Jason should have been able to predict, the horse planted all four of his feet firmly in the sand and refused to take the first step into the swirling waters of the Platte. When Gabrielle began to strike his rump with the ends of the reins, the outraged horse reared up on his hind legs, his forelegs pawing the air. For a moment he seemed suspended in air, frozen in time. A shout of alarm escaped Jason's throat. He

was certain the terrified animal was going to throw Gabrielle or crush her beneath him when he lost his balance and fell backward upon her, yet from where he stood, the conscientious wagon master could do nothing to save her.

Gabrielle threw herself forward, and though her weight was slight compared to that of her magnificent mount, the shift in balance was enough to bring the stallion down upon his feet once again. She slipped from his back then, shaking her fist in his face as she tossed the reins over his head and started walking into the river. If Sunny would not carry her across willingly, then she would shame him into making the ford by leading him across, for she could see no other alternative and she'd not leave him behind.

Jason could not believe his eyes. His joy that Gabrielle had escaped being badly injured or crushed to death turned swiftly to horror as he saw her step into the water. An ox could walk through the swiftly flowing river, as could a horse or mule, but no man could possibly make the journey on foot. Most definitely a slightly built woman like Gabrielle could not. She knew how dangerous the river was, yet she was moving right out into it as if she were leading Sunny into a barn for a tasty meal of oats. Furious, Jason got back up into his saddle and, digging his heels into Duke's sides, forced his mount back into the water, but he feared their progress would be far too slow for him to reach Gabrielle in time. He waved and shouted to her to turn back, but she did not hear him or did not understand his frantic call. She kept right on walking out into the river, the water now at her knees and rising rapidly.

"If you won't walk, then you can swim; but—damn it—you are coming across with me!" Gabrielle yelled at Sunny, her hold firm on the stallion's bridle as she yanked his head sharply to gain his attention. "You are no coward. Now come!" She waded out into the water, coaxing the horse along and never once glancing up to see the commotion her action was causing on the opposite shore. Sunrise folded his ears tightly back against his head to show his displeasure, but he loved his

mistress too dearly to disobey, even a command which frightened him as greatly as this one did. He took one step into the river, and finding it possible to again lift his foot, he took another tentative step, slowly following Gabrielle's lead.

Clayton's heart leaped to his throat as he realized why Jason had dashed back into the turbulent river. He'd given the young women what he'd thought were clear instructions, but obviously he had overlooked the most important point: that it was impossible for them to swim across the wide river. Now there was Gabrielle MacLaren clearly attempting such a ridiculous feat and he knew exactly what would happen to her. She'd drown. That was all that could possibly happen to her. She'd be swept away when she neared the center of the river and the treacherous current caught her in its grasp. Powerless to avert the tragedy he watched Jason plunge ahead, but time was against him. Not wanting to see such a lovely creature meet such a senseless death, Clayton turned away as his eyes filled with the hot sting of tears.

Gabrielle pulled herself onto Sunny's back as soon as she'd managed to restore his confidence in his ability to navigate the river. She had no fear that he couldn't manage to cross it when beasts as large and plodding as oxen could do it successfully, to say nothing of the smaller horses the other girls had ridden across. Sunny snorted derisively, tossing his long wet mane in his mistress' face, but she ignored his ill humor and forced him with a few well-placed kicks to continue his halting effort toward the opposite shore.

By the time he reached Gabrielle, Jason could scarcely see through the red filter of rage which had descended before his eyes. He yanked Sunny's reins from her hands and then turned Duke around so the buckskin horse could lead the roan stallion through the river. When they finally made it across the wide expanse of the perilous river, he leaped from Duke's back and, plucking the startled beauty from Sunny's saddle, carried her over to a large boulder where he sat down. Turning her across his knee he began to spank her, releasing the fury he could no

longer contain.

"That was the single most needless risk I have ever seen anyone take and I told you what would happen the next time you behaved like a child!"

Gabrielle's clothing was soaked with water and provided such adequate padding she felt not a twinge of the pain Jason was trying so mightily to inflict on her. She did not even understand why he was mad, let alone why he felt this public whipping was appropriate punishment. All around them curious onlookers had gathered to stare and laugh, greatly amused by the unexpected spectacle. A few went so far as to call encouragement to the young man, but none came forward to demand he stop. When Jason's fit of temper was at last spent, he released Gabrielle and stood up to place her gently upon her feet. She turned on him then with a fiery burst of anger. Rather than shout so those still chuckling at her could overhear, she whispered, making her words all the more threatening. "Why you would wish to humiliate me so rudely I will never understand, but you've humiliated only yourself with that shocking display of brutality! I would have expected as much from the likes of Sam Duffy, never from you!"

Jason grabbed her elbow as she turned away, not about to let Gabrielle have the last word. "Damn it! You could have drowned trying to lead Sunny across the river, and you knew it!" he shouted, livid to think she was pretending such innocence when she'd known exactly what she was risking.

Gabrielle's eyes glowed with the purple fire Jason recognized instantly. "And you were so devastated by that prospect, so concerned for my welfare that you came after me so you could treat me as badly as this?" Her voice dripped with sarcasm. "That is the way a man treats a woman he despises, Mr. Royal, not one he wishes to protect."

"It would take an army to protect you adequately!" he declared. Then, realizing by the snickers his outburst evoked that they were merely providing entertainment rather than settling the issue, he walked over to Sunny and, grabbing his

reins, climbed wearily into the saddle. "I will teach this horse how to cross this damn river, and when I return him to you he will be a most obedient mount!" With that promise he jabbed his heels into the stallion's red hide and rode him back out into the river. For the rest of the afternoon he used Sunny's strength to guide others across, but Gabrielle did not remain to watch for she was certain the arrogant Jason Royal had no more lessons either she or her horse wished to learn.

Once the Platte had been crossed, the next major goal was Fort Laramie which the wagon train could be expected to reach in approximately three weeks' time. Deep ravines marred the barren landscape as the wjigons followed the bank of the Northern branch of the Platte River, and only an occasional violent rainstorm brought any change in the monotony of the travelers' days. Prairie dog burrows were so numerous Gabrielle dared not allow Sunny to risk a gait faster than a walk for fear he'd stumble and be seriously injured. The horse was her most prized possession, a link to both the past and the future, and now that Jason had failed her so greatly, the horse was the only living creature she could trust.

There seemed to be few among the emigrants who'd not seen the wagon master spank her as if she were a naughty child. Gabrielle thought his motive less one of fear for her safety than a desire for revenge and she did not intend to forgive him for it. Her true friends had been as appalled as she by Jason's insensitivity while Iris had simply gloated, certain Gabrielle had deserved that beating for a long time.

The strain of the tiresome journey had made tempers short, and Gabrielle found herself unable to watch Jason pass by without a wave of despair overtaking her and filling her throat with a scream of protest she was doomed never to utter. He'd begun to grow a beard, but while that altered his appearance slightly, it did nothing to detract from his finely chiseled features. She knew she was fooling only herself for she loved him still. She wondered if she'd been no more than an amusing diversion to him, a pretty young woman who'd provided the