Taming Talia (6 page)

He found the stable doors without any problem. Fortunately, the wind and snow were coming from the opposite direction, resulting in a huge drift at the rear of the stable. After knocking away the ice and snow, he raised the bar on the stable door, then pried the door open, just enough to squeeze through. He heard a nervous whinny from one of the horses. “Easy,” he said to calm the animal.

Out of the blowing wind. Finally
. He leaned against the wall to catch his breath, then stomped his boots and brushed the snow from Montrose’s coat. Removing his Stetson, he slapped it against his thigh, then set it back on his head.

Okay. The smell of horse, manure, and feed grain wafted upward. His nose wrinkled, but it was the normal smell of a stable. He waited until his eyes adjusted to the dark. Using the bit of light filtering through the door, he surveyed the interior of the stable. Two horses, Midnight and Natalia’s mare, possibly a dapple gray. Difficult to tell without a source of light.

Stopping long enough to soothe each animal, he hoped they would tolerate the length of confinement a blizzard required. He walked deeper into the stable and found the cow the ranch kept. A cow that would require
milking
in the morning. Never one of his skills. Had the fiery Natalia ever ventured to milk one?

He quickly located grain for the horses and feed for the cow and chickens. Water would be more of a necessity for the animals. Could he melt enough to keep them alive for who knew how long?

No point in messing around. They wouldn’t require feeding until the morning. Best locate the rope and find his way back to the house…and Natalia Montrose.

Whether she was an innocent and apparently neglected wife or a cold-hearted bitch who ordered the death of her husband didn’t really matter at this stage.

Survival did.

Outside, the wind continued its incessant howl. Pacing the length of the kitchen, Natalia covered her ears. Would it never stop?

How long had Jared been gone? It seemed like hours and hours had passed, but when she walked into the central hall and glanced at the long case clock, it showed eleven o’clock. He’d been gone a mere hour. Pulling her shawl tighter around her shoulders, she shivered. The embers still glowed in the fireplace and put off a small degree of heat.

At least
she
was warm enough. Jared was out in the freezing cold, a man of action charging to the rescue—not a financial counselor. Maybe she
was
safe while he was taking all the risks, but she didn’t want to think about spending days or weeks alone and stranded by the storm. If something happened to him…

She clenched her fists and rushed to her bedchamber. Throwing open the doors to the chifforobe, she pulled out the denim trousers she hadn’t worn since she’d married, along with a heavy flannel shirt. No, Reginald wouldn’t hear of her riding about their land in breeches. It was full riding habit or she could just stay inside and embroider.

Quickly, she pulled off her skirt and shirtwaist. Fortunately, this one had buttons in the front. Sarita wasn’t needed to unbutton it. No, her dear friend was probably lying in the snow somewhere, dying or dead. Natalia’s throat closed with the thought of losing her only friend. Why hadn’t she asked her to spend the night instead of sending her home?

The answer was obvious. No doubt, Sarita noticed the heated interest arcing between Natalia and the
muy
handsome Jared and left them alone on purpose, never suspecting her decision might prove fatal. And maybe she just wanted to get home to spend a warm evening in her husband’s arms.

Once Natalia was dressed for the extreme weather, she strode to the kitchen.
You can do this
.
You have to do this
.
Jared should be back by now
. Using her shoulder, much as Jared had, she planted her feet and set her back into shoving open the door. With a loud groan, the door opened enough for her to slip though.

Madre de Dios.
The snow was now to her mid-thighs, and drifts were higher than her waist. Well, it wasn’t going to get any easier. She used her hands to scoop a path in the snow in front of her, attempting to find where Jared tied one end of the sheet rope. The wind was blowing from the northeast, and icy pellets pelted her face like stinging nettles. There was no turning back now. Jared was out there somewhere, and he’d definitely been gone too long.

When she made it to the wrought-iron porch support where he’d tied one end of the guide line, she saw it was covered by at least a foot of snow. By now he should’ve tied his end to something in the stable. Yet it wasn’t as taut as she’d expected. Was he truly lost?

If she followed its knotted length, what would she find? The living, breathing man who stirred her beyond anything she’d ever imagined or a frozen lump who’d given his life to care for their horses?

Of course, he had to be the hero. More like a futile Don Quixote. Madness to continue any farther. But just as he had risked his life for her, in good conscience, she couldn’t just return to the ranch house and consign him to whatever fate had in store. Grasping the knotted sheet as her guide, she waded deeper into the snow.

The unrelenting wind knocked her backward more than once.
Madre de Dios
, she was as strong as any woman she knew. And stronger than many men, if determination and sheer grit counted for anything. This wind and snow and ice—she wouldn’t let them defeat her. Not after all she’d been through. Not now. Not ever.

Exhausted by what seemed like hours of slogging through the heavy, packed snow, Natalia was more than ready to concede the folly of her actions. The knotted rope was slack, no longer attached to Jared. No longer attached to anything. Had she walked over his body buried in one of the drifts which were already shoulder-deep some places?

If so, she’d never find him. Someone still had to check on the animals in the stable. She would have to do as Jared had intended and bring back the rope, which would act as a guide between the ranch house and the stable. She wouldn’t allow her mare to freeze or starve to death, or any of the other animals. The hacienda was her responsibility now, and she would care for it alone, as long as necessary.

She rubbed the frozen tears from her lashes, sniffed, and immediately regretted inhaling a blast of air that burned inside her chest. Jared was such a virile man. To think of his death saddened her, no matter how short their acquaintance. Whatever his true reasons for seeking her out, they wouldn’t have kept him from her bed. She knew when a man wanted her, just as she’d known when her husband hadn’t.

Dios
, it hurt to breathe. So tired. Every step a herculean trial.

She stumbled, falling to her knees. Her eyelids so heavy. Just needed a moment to rest. The snow so soft like a down mattress. And warm…like a blanket.

Chapter Six

The wind continued to howl, increasing in intensity from earlier. Tying one end of rope to a sturdy post, Jared secured it with two square knots. No way would that come undone. He
could
spend the rest of the night in the barn, which would save another trip in the morning. Nah. He shook his head and hefted the bale of rope onto his shoulder. One way or another, he had to go back. Didn’t matter that he’d warned Natalia to stay inside; he didn’t trust her as far as he could sling her over his shoulder and toss her across the Rio Grande.

Fiery. Passionate. And stubborn as all get-out. Might take it into that pretty head of hers to see what was taking him so long. Last thing he needed was the subject of his inquiry getting lost in a blizzard, leaving too many unanswered questions regarding her husband’s death.

No point in waiting. Storm wasn’t going to let up. The door wouldn’t open wide enough for his shoulders and the rope. He shoved the rope out the door, then squeezed through and picked up the rope once again. For a moment, he stood still, searching for his bearings. The wind still blew from the northeast.

Keep the wind to the left on the trip back.
Still dark. No moon visible. The going was tougher than the trip out. No fucking wonder. Snow was a foot deeper too. Most of his path had filled in while he was in the stable.

Just keep the wind to your left.

He hadn’t gone far when he stumbled and fell over an obstruction in the snow. Digging frantically, he uncovered a body. He swept off the Stetson covering the face and discovered long black hair spilling over the snow. “Son of a bitch!”

Her face was waxen. Her pale lids gave not so much as a flutter. He shook her. “Natalia!” And still no response. He pulled her flaccid body from the drift, intending to take her back to the stables. The house was too far to carry her
and
a large bale of rope. He needed to warm her up, and quick, if she was to survive the freezing cold.

He should’ve known she’d pull something like this. He trudged forward, thankful the stable wasn’t far and he could still make out his trail. His breathing grew ragged. As small as she was, her body was dead weight, and the cold had made him sluggish.

Hell! Both of them were in danger of freezing to death if he didn’t get a move on.

Ahead of him, the hulking darkness grew. The stable.

He had to put her down to get the door open again. He sucked in another breath and laid her down with a soft thump. Strength fading fast, he pulled the door open and took her by the booted ankles and dragged her inside, away from the cold, then collapsed on his butt, completely exhausted.

By comparison, the stables felt heated, but they wouldn’t for long if he didn’t close the door. A minute more and he’d get up. He
would
.

All right, maybe it took more than a couple breaths before his foggy brain cleared. Damnation! He got to his feet, pulled the rope inside, then dragged on the door until it closed. Natalia still hadn’t moved. He knelt over her and put his head to her chest. Yes, he could still hear a heartbeat.

“Natalia. You’re safe. We’re in the stables.” No good. He pulled her back to an empty stall, where straw covered the floor. An old horse blanket was folded over the stall divider. That would work, but she sure as hell wasn’t going to like what he was about to do next. Unfortunately, in her extreme condition, he couldn’t think of any other way to warm her up.

He grabbed the wool blanket and knelt beside her. He threw aside his borrowed coat and unbuttoned his shirt, shivering as the air hit his bare skin. Then he pulled her arms from the wet coat she wore and unbuttoned her flannel shirt. Unable to see in the low light, he couldn’t resist touching her. The silken smooth skin was cold and a faint pulse beat in her throat.

She’d probably kill him when she woke up.
If
she woke up.

Smothering. Warm and yet cold. Shaking. Natalia struggled, then, aware of bare skin next to hers, she relaxed. A dream. One of
those
dreams that left her shaken and wanting more than a mere dream-lover could give. She let out a contented sigh. Might as well enjoy the dream while it lasted. So much better than the snow outside.

The snow outside?

Shivering, she tried to inch up on her elbows…and couldn’t. Something warm and heavy lay on top of her. Panicked and unable to see anything in the inky blackness, she began to struggle.

“Talia, it’s all right.”

At the sound of Jared’s voice, her eyes flew open. “What are you doing on top of me? Where
are
we?”

“We’re in the stable. I found you outside in the snow. You were almost frozen.”

“So you brought me back into the stables and just thought you’d take my clothes off? And yours too, while you were at it? Was that your reward for saving my life?” She twisted and turned, trying to get out from under him. “Move!”

“You were almost frozen to death. I had to warm you up.” She felt his fingers brush the hair from her cheek in a soothing gesture.

“So stripping me naked was the way to do it?” She pushed at his unyielding bare chest. “Get off me.”

“Body-to-body heat. That’s what you needed.”

“No, I beg to differ. That’s what
you
needed.” Ever since she’d first seen him in her sitting room, she’d thought about taking him to her bed and riding him until they were both exhausted, but it should’ve been with her permission.
Dios
, she’d missed everything. Maybe not everything after all, since she suddenly became aware of his hard cock jabbing her belly. “Just what happened here?”

“Nothing happened, except I saved your ungrateful life.”

“But your—um, body is very aroused.”

“You’re a beautiful woman, Natalia.” His voice had a low, sensual quality that thrilled her. “Any man would be aroused.”

“You
looked
at my body?
Sí
, I’m sure
that
was a vital part of saving my life.”

“I
am
a man.”

“That is very obvious.” And she was a woman, and
Dios
, this man’s cock was so close to where she desperately needed it to be.

“In case you haven’t noticed, it’s damned dark in here. Couldn’t see much. More by feel.”

“And I’m sure you felt plenty.” She squirmed against his hard cock. “But you know, I think this body-heat thing is working,” she admitted.

Over her, he shrugged. “You’re alive. I’d say it’s working.” He caressed her breast, tweaking the nipple.