Tender savage (15 page)

That the man would make such an outlandish promise infuriated Erica all the more. "I want to go back to New Ulm. I will see you receive a generous reward for taking me back. I promise I will."

The young woman was impossibly stubborn, in Viper's view. "I brought you here so you would be safe. I have no more need for reward now than I did when I found your letter."

He had received a reward, though, Erica recalled with chagrin. He had claimed a kiss, a long, slow, and delicious kiss. Feeling very uncomfortable with him seated so near that his bare shoulder brushed hers each time he took a bite, she finished the last bit of meat on the leg she'd taken and laid the bones aside. As she wiped her fingers on the grass to clean her hands she thought that it had been the most delicious pheasant she had ever tasted, but the meal, while most welcome, had not changed her feelings about going her own way. "I must go back to New Ulm, Viper. I simpJIy must."

Viper's gray eyes narrowed slightly as he shot her a menacing glance. "What if your white lover does not want you now that you have been with me?"

"But I have not been with you!" Erica protested angrily, but she looked away quickly as she realized how swiftly he could make his statement true. "Mark would love me still," she insisted in a hoarse whisper, more to reassure herself than to convince him. Dear God in heaven, she thought. What would Mark say when he found out she had been kidnapped by an Indian brave? He would be horrified, of course. But would his opinion change if he discovered she had known the man, met him in the woods on more than one occasion, and even kissed him? Would he blame her then for having thoughtlessly encouraged the attentions of the savage who had abducted her? She could scarcely draw a breath she was so frightened at the realization that she would have no way to counter such a damaging accusation. What decent man would want a wife who chased an Indian through the woods until he caught her?

Mark prided himself upon being a gentleman. He would stand by her no matter what ghastly thing happened to her. Erica knew he would consider such loyalty his duty. She also knew her flirtation with Viper and its disastrous results would cause him a great deal of anguish. He would blame not only Viper, but her, as well. Perhaps the savage was ri^ht and her fate was already sealed. She had sf)ent the night with an Indian, and who would ever believe she had not been raped, even if she denied it vehemently? She would never be believed, even if she had a doctor's word she was a vir^n still. She hugged her knees tightly as her eyes filled with tears that swiftly spilled down her cheeks. Viper was right. Her reputation was already ruined beyond repair. She had h^un the damage herself when she had made the mistake of watching him bathe in the river rather than fleeing before he had seen her. She had caused her own downfall, and now she somehow would have to find the courage to survive the humiliation that would surely follow.

Viper stared at the slender blonde, astonished by her sudden flood of tears. He had meant to curb her defiance with his question, but not so totally as this. It disgusted him to think she considered being with him so degrading that she was reduced to tears. "Go and wash your dress while there is still enough sun to dry it," he ordered gruffly. Not wanting to attract scavengers to their camp, he gathered up the scraps and bones left from their meal and rose to his feet. "Well, go on, hurry."

Erica was immensely relieved that he had not been waiting for a full stomach to ravish her, but that was scant consolation in her mood. Viper's long ebony hair caught the sunlight as he walked away, and she wondered how he planned to occupy himself while she did her laundry. He was not the type to hide in the bushes and spy upon her, but she was certain he would cut enough branches to create a bed before she could wash and dry her garments. Since he was right about the need for haste, she brushed away the last of her tears and hurried to the stream, again glancing back over her shoulder frequently to make certain she had not been followed.

The water was not deep enough for true bathing, but once she had removed her shoes, dress, stockings, and slip. Erica decided the only way she could also launder

her chemise and pantaloons was to wade out into the stream while still wearing them. She splashed about, scooping up the sparkling, clear water and rinsing her lingerie as oest she could before attempting to wash her other things. After searching her jxjckets, she put the carving of the cougar Gunter had made for her, along with Viper's claw, into her shoes. She prayed her cousin was still safe in the same breath that she cursed her own folly in keep:(ng the claw, which had brought her nothing but the worst of luck, despite what its owner had promised. With that bitter thought in mind, she scrubbed her things with a vengeance, then laid the wet garments on top of the nearby bushes to dry. Feeling tired, although she had done little that day, she chose the boulder beside the stream most comfortably cushioned with moss and sat down to dangle her feet in the water.

Viper had given her a great deal to consider, but despite the met that she could not predict how she would be received, and feared it would be with contempt, she still wanted to go home. How the Indian could have imagined she would agree to become his wife when she had told him good-bye so emphatically, she could not imagine. Now it seemed impossible to refuse his offer in terms he would not regard as insulting, and she knew insulting a man as proud as Vijjer was a mistake to be avoided at allcosts. Her offer of a ransom had been a sincere one, but even if he continued to refuse money, wasn't it possible there was something else that might tempt him more?

Viper buried the bones some distance from the clearing, then cut enough small branches to form a comfortable mattress for their blanket. He stretched out upon it and propped his hands behind his head. Finding the makeshift bed to his liking, he hoped his companion would approve, since he intended to have her share it. The afternoon was warm, and he dozed off, then awoke abruptly, uncertain how long he had napped. When he saw Erica had not returned to the clearing, he rushed down to the stream to look for her.

Erica was still seated upon the moss-covered boulder, dressed only in her lace-trimmed lingerie. She sat with her arms wrapped around her right leg, her chin resting upon her knee. The sun's rays were filtered through the leaves overhead, imparting a romantic glow to her long, fair

curls and peach-toned skin. Viper found her beauty a dehght to behold and hesitated to disturb her. He waited a moment, expecting her to look up and see him, but her attention was focused upon the oancing waters rushing across her kft foot and she did not notice him for several minutes.

It was the call of a bird that finally caught Erica's attention, but as she glanced overhead her eyes met Viper's and held. The setting was nearly identical to the one in which they had first met, but it was not anger that she saw reflected in his expression this time, but the unmistakable hunger of desire. Knowing if she rose to her feet she would only present him with a better view of her scantily clad figure, she did not stir. She lifted her chin as though she had every right to sit in the sun in her lingerie while the rest of her clothing dried.

Viper went to the bushes where her dress and slips lay and turned them over to place the damp side toward the sun. Her stockings were already dry, and he ran his fingertips over the silk, recalling fondly how the filmy fabric had felt on her legs. When that sensation brought a longing he was not ready to express, he moved to Erica's side, leaned back against the boulder upon which she sat, and folded his arms across his chest. "I will get you a buckskin dress. Then you will not have to do so much laundry," he offered considerately.

"I prefer to wear my own clothes, thank you," Erica insisted. He was again standing so close that their shoulders were touching, but she could not move over without toppling into the stream. His deeply bronzed skin was far warmer than hers, and she could not help but recall how smooth it had felt beneath her fingertips. That her captor was attractive was irrelevant, she told herself; all that mattered was that she convince him to set her free. "If it is not money that you want, then my father will provide whatever it is that you would like for my ransom."

"Unless you have a twin sister, he has nothing I want," Viper countered slyly.

That reply was stated in so taunting yet so emphatic a tone that Erica fell silent. Even when he rested quietly, the man's strength was a physical force she could not ignore. He had every advantage, while she had none, she thoaight dejectedly. As her eyes followed the winding stream, she

suddenly realized it must flow into the Minnesota River. She could follow the stream's path to the river, then follow the river upstream until she came to New Ulml She wasn't lost after alll Now she was sorry she had not put the afternoon to better use and tried to escape him. That was a foolish mistake she would not repeat. The next time he left her alone she would leave him. He appeared so comfortable lounging by her side that she knew such an opportunity would not present itself again that day. As the sun began to dip behind the trees she shivered, fearful of what the night would bring.

Viper could also feel the tension that existed between them, but whether it reflected hatred on her part, rather than desire, he didn't know. He wanted her to again want him as her wanton kisses had once told him she had. That everything had changed between them both confused and depressed him. "You were not afraid of me before. You have no reason to fear me now, Erica," he said.

"No reason?" Erica could not believe he had said that. She opened her mouth to point out how wrong he was in that statement, but then remembered her decision not to deliberately anger him and took a more moderate tone. "My uncle told me how unfairly the Sioux have been treated by the government. But just because the money and food you were owed were late was no reason to start slaughtering settlers when we have done nothing to harm you.^'

Since Viper agreed with that view, he did not attempt to argue but tried instead to win her sympathy. "In exchange for lands which will not support us, we were promised food and money. It was a bad bargain for us, but since the government has not kept their side, why should we keep ours? Did they think we would starve to death without complaint?"

"Wanton murder can scarcely be called a complaint, ViptT." Erica glanced over at her clothes, wondering how she would be able to get dressed without him watching her. The prospect of debating the causes of the uprising in her lingerie struck her as a most indecent one. Like everything else she had done since she had met him, she scolded herself silently.

"I fought at the agency, and Fort Ridgely, but I came to

New Ulm only to find you. The settlers have already been frightened so badly they are leaving their farms. We don't need to kill them to take our lands back. I have not slain any women and babies; I refuse to do that."

Erica frowned slightly, surprised that Viper had such a highly developed sense of honor when clearly many of his kind did not. "While I am fateful for that, I wish that you had not killed any men, either," she admitted frankly.

"What of your lover? If he is in the army he must have killed Southern soldiers. Does that make him a murderer?"

They were treading upon treacherous ^ound, and again Erica chose ho" words with care, ignoring his reference to Mark as her lover. "No, Viper. During a war a soldier is expected to fight, to do all that he can to see that his side wins. For a soldier to kill an enemy in battle is not considered murder."

Viper nodded, glad that she at least saw some things as he did. "This is a war, Erica. I am a Sioux warrior, but my enemy is the army, not everyone who is white."

From the looks of him and the confidence of his manner. Erica couldn't help but wonder how much influence he had. "Are you a chief?" she asked apprehensively, wondering if he actually had the power to decide just who his enemy was.

"No," Viper responded with a good-natured chuckle. "But I do not have to blindly follow Little Crow the way army troops must follow their officers. It is my choice when and where I fight."

"What?" asked Erica, gready intrigued. "You mean you can just come and go as you please? Fight in this 'war,' as you call it, one day, and not the next?" She wondered if the army knew that, for surely it would prove valuable for them to know, that the number of Sioux warriors varied from day to day.

Viper looked down at her, his smile taunting. "Yes, and since I am a very good shot it would be to your people's advantage to keep me here. Do you think you can do it?"

Badly embarrassed by that challenge. Erica's cheeks began to burn with the heat of a bright blush. Did he honestly expect her to throw herself at him in an attempt to distract him from returning to the uprising? That struck her as both a ridiculous and pointless sacrifice,

since she was certain Viper would do exactly as he pleased no matter how she tried to influence him. Lifting her chin proudly, she countered with the demand she had made several times before, "All I ask is that you return me to New Ulm, and I'll see you are given any reward you choose."

Again Viper laughed at her offer. "You are all the reward I want, Erica, and I already have you."

Erica swallowed nervously, but she returned his level stare without flinching. You will never have me! she screamed in her mind, but she knew better than to voice that challenge out loud. "I want to get dressed," she blurted out instead, but as she tried to scramble past him he grabbed her arms and held her fast, pressing the soft fullness of her breasts against the hard planes of his broad chest.

"I mean what I say. Erica. I will not harm you, but there are others who would use you badly and leave you for dead I have already risked my life to save yours. What will you give me in return?"

The terror that question caused filled the fragile blonde's throat and made any response impossible. She could do no more than stare up at the handsome brave with the same wide-eyed fright with which a cornered bird regards a snake. She was astonished then, when rather than throwing her to ground and dropping upon her, he enfolded her in a warm embrace. He inclined his head and kissed her, not hungrily, but as tenderly and sweetly as he had in the past. He surprised her anew with the depth of his emotion, and as before, she could not withhold the loving resix>nse he craved, nor did she even wish to deny him diat viaoiy.