Angel Creek (10 page)

It was an hour later when he returned to the house. He replenished the fire, then dragged the big washtub inside and positioned it in front of the fireplace. Dee watched as he carried in more water and began filling the tub, then dumped in the hot water until steam was rising.

“All right, in you get,” he said, rolling up his sleeves.

She clutched the blanket tight with her fist, gazing longingly at the steaming tub. A long hot soak would be heaven for her sore muscles, just what she needed, but her nerves had been stretched almost to the limit by her nudity before him that morning. “I think I can manage on my own,” she said. It would hurt, but she would bear the pain for the pleasure of that wonderful hot water.

For an answer Lucas tugged the blanket free and pushed it aside.

“Damn you,” she said between clenched teeth as he lifted her.

“For once, would you just shut up and let me help you?” Her stubborn independence made him angry all over again, but he handled her carefully as he knelt and lowered her into the water. She sucked in her breath at the heat of it but made no more protest. Her common sense told her that at this point it would be a wasted effort.

He left her sitting in the water while he found two strips of toweling. He folded them and placed one on the edge of the tub behind her head. “Lie back and let your head rest on this,” he ordered. “Get your shoulders underwater.”

Gingerly she did as he said, wincing at each movement. He placed the other towel across the rim at her feet and lifted her legs out of the water, resting them across the towel. Then he brought more hot water and slowly poured it in until the water level rose almost to the edge.

Dee closed her eyes against the picture she knew she must make, lying there in the clear water, completely nude like a wanton.

The sight of her was making it difficult for Lucas either to move or to sit, with his hardened shaft cramped beneath his pants as it was. Her breasts bobbed gently in the water, making him think about sliding an arm under her back and lifting her up so that he could take those sweet nipples in his mouth.

Though her eyes were closed and he couldn't read her expression, he knew that the redness of her cheeks wasn't due entirely to the heat of the water. He ran his fingers through the length of hair hanging down the side of the tub to pool on the floor. “Don't be embarrassed,” he murmured. “You're too pretty to be ashamed of being naked.”

Dee swallowed but didn't open her eyes. “You shouldn't see me like this.”

“Even though you're hurt? Don't be silly. If I were shot in the leg, do you think you wouldn't have to take my pants off so you could tend to me?” He continued to gently stroke her hair. “You're just damn lucky I
came by today. What would you have done on your own? What about the animals?”

“I don't know,” she admitted, then honesty prodded her. “I'm grateful to you, truly, but this is—it's scandalous.”

“If anyone knew about it,” he agreed. “But it's between us, and no one else is going to, know. I suppose I could have gone into town and tried to get some woman to come out here and take care of you, but I'm strong enough to pick you up without hurting you. And I like looking at you,” he admitted quietly. “If you weren't hurt, I'd be trying to get between your legs.” He paused. “Are you afraid I might force you while you're helpless?”

She did open her eyes then, her look somber and searching. “No. You wouldn't force me. You aren't that type of man.”

His mouth twisted wryly. “Sweetheart, don't put it to the test when you're in good shape again. I'm so hard right now my guts are hurting.”

No man had ever talked to her like that before, but she had seen the animals mating and knew what he meant. And when it came down to it, she felt more comfortable with his bluntness than if he had pretended to scruples she couldn't trust.

He kept her in the tub for almost an hour, dipping out water when it cooled and replacing it with hot water fresh from the stove. Her skin was red and wrinkled when he finally lifted her out and stood her, dripping, on the rug. She found that some of the soreness had eased, and she could move her arms a bit more. He dried her with one of the towels, his hands moving over her bare body with excruciating attention.
Then he carried her back to the bed and placed her face down on it.

Dee bit her lip and kept her cries locked inside while he firmly rubbed a strong-smelling liniment on her aching muscles. The resulting heat was almost worse than the original pain, but again she held back her protests.

Sweat beaded Lucas's forehead when he was finished. He asked, “Do you have any of your pa's shirts left?” He had had almost all he could endure. If he didn't get her covered up, he might end up on that bed with her despite his best intentions. Her soft round buttocks, creamy white and perfect, would feel wonderful against his lower belly, or cupped in his big hands.

“No, I got rid of all of his things.”

Damn. He stood and pulled his own shirt free of his pants, then unbuttoned it. Like most shirts, it only buttoned halfway down, and he pulled it off over his head. “You should be able to get into this,” he said, straightening the garment and placing it on the bed before helping her to her feet again. Then he knelt and held the shirt for her to step into, and he worked it up her hips. The position brought his face very close to her soft body, and his breathing grew quicker.

He guided her arms into the sleeves and eased the cloth into place. The shirt engulfed her, hanging almost to her knees, the sleeves dangling past her hands. He buttoned it, then rolled the sleeves back until her hands emerged. “There, you're decent again,” he said with a strained look on his face.

Not quite, since her lower legs were still bare, but she was painfully grateful to him for the covering. The
shirt was warm from his body and carried his scent. She felt surrounded by him, and the sensation was remarkably pleasant.

She found herself staring at his chest. It was broad and muscled and hairy, the dark curls crisp-looking against his tanned skin. He evidently spent a good bit of time working without his shirt. “How will you explain going home without your shirt?” she whispered, not raising her eyes.

“I don't reckon I have to explain,” he drawled. He was the boss. He could wear a shirt or not, as he damn well pleased.

She was still looking at his bare torso with helpless fascination. “Look at me,” he said, putting a finger under her chin and tilting it upward. Her lashes swept open, and those deep green eyes fastened on him. He moved closer, bent down, and closed his mouth over hers, forcing her lips to part and using his tongue. He didn't trust himself and quickly released her, stepping away from the enticement of her firm body beneath the thin shirt, but the kiss was enough to make her eyes go dark with shock.

“You're safe for now,” he said. “But when you're healed, things will change. I'll be coming after you, and it won't take me long to get you.”

D
EE FELT MUCH BETTER THE NEXT DAY, THOUGH STILL
not able to lift her arms more than a few inches. Lucas showed up again shortly past dawn, and they went through the same routine, with him cooking for her and taking care of her chores. Afterward he insisted that she soak in hot water again, and this time was far more embarrassing than it had been before. She wasn't in as much pain and therefore was even more acutely aware of her nakedness. So was Lucas. She could see it in his clenched jaw and the sweat glistening on his brow.

She had lain awake a good bit of the night, going over and over what he had said. As accustomed as she was to defending her virtue with a shotgun, it had still rattled her to find that Lucas had the same intentions as all those others who had come slipping around. What made him far more dangerous to her was the fact that knowing it didn't rouse her to contemptuous
anger, as was the case with the others, but rather made her heart beat a little faster. It frightened her to admit that she
wanted
Lucas to want her, but it was the truth.

So what was she going to do about it? Let a man into her life after fighting so hard to achieve independence? Have an affair with him, when it would destroy her respectability if anyone found out about it?
Betray Olivia?

Nor could she ignore the possibility that what he really wanted was Angel Creek. He no doubt planned to exploit her vulnerability to him to convince her to sell out. After all, buying the land had been the reason he had first sought her out.

What she knew about sex was only what she had seen in the barnyard, when the bull mounted one of the cows. She knew what happened but had had no idea of the fierce physical attraction between a man and a woman until Lucas had come riding up. His kiss, as brief and hard as it had been, had shown her that there was a great deal more to mating than she had suspected. She had foolishly thought she would be able to keep him from kissing her, but she had not only let him, she had wanted more. She had felt the burn of physical desire for the first time, and it tormented her, for her body had felt out of her control.

If Lucas wanted the land, he also wanted her. She wasn't so naive that she didn't realize the significance of the bulge in the crotch of his pants, even if he hadn't so bluntly admitted his intentions. It weakened her to know that the torment was mutual.

After he had dried her and clothed her in another of
his shirts, brought specifically for that purpose, he silently put her back in bed and left the cabin, his boot heels thudding on the porch. When he returned half an hour later he was back in control of himself, but his blue eyes still held signs of his bad temper.

“I don't think you should come by tomorrow,” Dee said, pulling the sheet to her chin. “I'm much better today, and the soreness will leave faster if I work it out.”

“Trying to get rid of me?” he asked. “It won't work.”

She turned her face away from him. “What about Olivia?” she asked quietly. “She's my friend.”

She couldn't see him, but she could feel his fierce gaze fasten on her. He didn't show surprise at her words. He just said, “What about her?”

“The talk is that you're going to marry her.”

“I'd thought about it,” he admitted, his temper fraying. Did she think he would be there if he had committed himself to another woman? “But not lately. We certainly as hell don't have any sort of understanding between us. I'm a free man.”

She plucked at the sheet, still not looking at him. “It would probably be better if you didn't come by tomorrow anyway.”

“If you weren't such a damn idiot, you wouldn't need for me to come by,” he growled, glad that she had provided him with an excuse to release his temper. Being around her, with her either naked or only partly clothed, had strained his control to the limit. He felt half-mad with the need to have her.

“I know,” she said, readily accepting the blame,
which only made him angrier. “I try to be so careful, but that time I wasn't.”

“You shouldn't be pitching down hay in the beginning!” he yelled. “You shouldn't be working this farm by yourself! Why can't you move to town and be a normal woman, instead of trying to prove that you can make it all on your own when it's pure insanity that you'd even want to?”

Dee looked at him then, her eyes narrowing in a dangerous, catlike way. It wasn't in her to simply take his attack in silence, so she didn't. “What I want to know is why you think it's any of your business,” she said in an even tone. “I appreciate your help, but that doesn't give you the right to tell me how to live.”

“You know what gives me the right.” He walked over to stand by the bed, glaring down at her. “You know it's going to end only one way.”

“I believe that's still my decision.”

“When the time comes, you're going to lie down and open your legs for me,” he said savagely. “Don't try to fool yourself.”

She tried to lift herself up on an elbow, but her shoulders and arms were still too sore, and she fell back with a stifled moan. This further evidence of her own physical helplessness, however, didn't mean that she thought he was right. “Then I see only one solution: Don't come back here, because you aren't welcome.”

“Are you going to use the shotgun on me?” he taunted, leaning down so close that she could see the glittering depths of his eyes. “Then take your best shot, sweetheart, because I'll be back.”

She lashed out in retaliation. “You overestimate your charm. I'd always wonder what you really wanted, me or Angel Creek.”

“Both, sweetheart,” he said, and he crashed his mouth down onto hers. It was a rough kiss, and she tried to bite him, but he jerked his head back, then returned to kiss her even harder. His fingers clamped on her chin and held it down so he could enter her mouth with his tongue. Dee clawed at his arms, but with her limited range of movement it was a wasted effort. He held her down and ruthlessly kissed her until she felt the coppery taste of blood in her mouth. He tasted it, too, and the pressure eased. He sucked her lower lip into his mouth and stroked it with his tongue, soothing the hurt.

He unbuttoned the shirt she wore and opened it, baring her breasts. Her breath caught in her throat as his hard, warm hand closed over one of the soft mounds.

“This is what it would be like between us,” he muttered. “Hot and wild. Think about it, damn you.” His thumb rubbed her nipple into a tight peak, and her entire body clenched from the pleasure and pain of it. He cupped both breasts, holding them high and together, and buried his face against them. His hot breath washed over her, then he took one nipple between his teeth, drawing it into his mouth with a strong sucking motion. Incredible heat shot through her, and she whimpered, her hips writhing a little.

As if that were a signal he released her breast and stood, his face dark and taut with both anger and physical need. “I can make you go wild,” he said.
“Remember that when you think about using the shotgun on me.”