Savage Desire (Savage Lagonda 1) (21 page)

Mara urged her horse forward. Blanco shot out in front of Palomas's horse. She raced to the head of the column, and past Tajarez and Jeffery. She could hear a rider coming after her and knew it would be Palomas.

Mara urged Blanco on to a greater pace. She was hurting inside, and the wind on her face cooled the tears of anger as they fell. How long she rode at the fast pace, she did not know, but she became aware that Blanco was tiring, and she slowed her pace.

Palomas pulled alongside of her. He did not seem the least concerned that they had left the rest of the party behind.

"Your prince has made me very angry," Mara said to him, knowing he could not understand her words. "He must think me simple-minded if he thought I would not find out about Tanka."

Palomas grabbed Blanco's reins, and jerking backward, pulled her to a halt. He had missed none of the malicious glances directed at Mara from Tanka today. He, of course, knew the reason for Tanka's hatred, but it would not be good if the Golden One found out. Palomas questioned his prince's good judgment in allowing Tanka to come along on this journey. There could be trouble if Mara were to suspect that the woman and Tajarez had lain together. It might be that she already suspected. She was very observant.

"Tanka?" Palomas asked.

"Yes, Tanka," Mara repeated, trying to jerk her reins from his hand.

But Palomas kept a firm grip on the reins. He could hear the rest of the party just below the hill. There could be trouble for his prince, for apparently Mara already began to suspect that Tanka had been his lover.

When the rest of the party joined them, Tajarez and Jeffery pulled alongside Mara, and Palomas released the reins of her mount.

"You should not run your horse, Mara," Tajarez told her. "We have a long way to go yet. It is not wise to push your horse too hard the first day."

Mara gave Tajarez a scorching glance, and whirled Blanco around to join Sasha, while Palomas followed after her.

When they reached camp that afternoon, Mara dismounted. "I want to see you, Sasha," she said as she walked past the tents down the hillside toward the Mississippi River. Mara stared out over the mighty river, watching the whitecaps as they swirled about only to be pushed forward by the current and disappear into foam as they reached the shore.

She felt Sasha beside her, and turned to face the girl.

"Mara, are you troubled about something?"

"Yes Sasha. Tell me about Tajarez and Tanka."

Sasha lowered her head. "It is not for me to say. If you have questions about Tanka, you must ask the prince."

"I am asking you, Sasha. Are Tajarez and Tanka lovers?"

Sasha's face was flushed, and she tried not to look at Mara. "Please do not ask me, Mara. The prince would be very angry if he knew we were even discussing this."

"Why, unless he has something to hide."

Sasha looked quickly at Mara. "The prince does not hide anything, Mara. He is the prince royal. What he does should not be questioned by anyone, save the king, my uncle."

"You do not know me very well, Sasha, if you believe I will be subservient, asking only to bask in the glory that surrounds Tajarez. I am his wife, and as such, I have the right to know about Tanka."

"Mara, you have nothing to fear from Tanka. The prince loves you; he did not love Tanka."

Mara was not pacified. She remembered how angry Tajarez had become about the men in her past, yet he would flaunt Tanka in her face. "Was Tajarez with Tanka last night?"

Sasha's eyes flew to Mara's face. She spoke without thinking. "I do not believe the prince has lain with Tanka for a long time. He has not been well pleased with her of late."

Mara clenched and unclenched her fists. So she had been right. Tajarez and Tanka had been lovers. Her anger erupted like a volcano inside of her. She angrily removed her gloves. How dare he flaunt his mistress in her face! She brushed past Sasha, and climbing the slope, she passed Palomas, but did not look at him.

Walking deliberately toward the big white tent, Mara jerked open the flap and entered. Tajarez was conversing with two of his warriors, and he looked at her, startled for the moment.

Mara stood with her hands on her hips. "I want to speak to you."

"Leave me," he told the two men, who were staring at Mara as if they thought she had lost her senses.

She moved aside, allowing the two men to exit.

Tajarez walked slowly toward her, his eyes blazing dangerously. "Why have you come to me without being summoned, Mara?" he asked quietly.

"Oh, mighty prince, I was not aware I had to await your pleasure. Had I known, I would have made an appointment to see you."

He heard her biting tone, and smiled slightly. "I will overlook your intrusion this time. You may not have been aware that no one approaches me unless I wish it. I am surprised Sasha has not already told you this."

Mara's eyes turned to green ice. "I am not one of your subjects. I will not be summoned like a chattel." She slapped her leather gloves against the palm of her hand.

Tajarez raised his eyebrow. "I do not consider you my chattel. I will love you more than a mere possession."

"Such an honor, Tajarez," she said bitingly.

He frowned. No one had ever spoken to him in such a way. Mara would have to learn her place. He would have to be patient with her though, as the laws of the Lagonda were yet unknown to her.

"I am prepared to overlook your performance of today, Mara," he said, turning his back on her, "but leave me now, before I become angry."

"After I have gone, do you summon Tanka to you?"

Tajarez whirled on her. "What is that supposed to mean, Mara?"

"I know what Tanka is to you, Tajarez. How dare you have that woman near me. You should have used a little more discretion. Did you believe me to be so naive that I would not find out about her?"

He grabbed her by the arm. "What do you mean?" he hissed.

Jerking her arm free, she looked at him angrily. "Do you deny that Tanka and you are on intimate terms?"

"You dare to ask me this?"

"Yes, I dare, and I am waiting for your answer."

Anger flashed in Tajarez's eyes. Never had anyone dared question him. "I have an answer for you, Mara," he said, hardly above a whisper. "My answer to you is, never again come to me unless I send for you, and . . . never ask me about Tanka."

Mara bit her trembling lip. "You said there would always be honesty between us, Tajarez. Apparently what you meant was I would be honest, and you would be secretive."

"You have said enough, Mara. It will be best if you leave. I will talk to you another time, when you are not so overwrought."

"I will leave, Tajarez, but I will not talk to you another time. I am your wife, and you treat me as a child. You do not know me at all if you think I will sit by meekly while you and that woman make a fool of me right in front of my eyes."

"No one can make a fool of anyone, Mara. One must do that for himself."

Mara worked her fingers into her leather gloves. "I will wish you a good night, Tajarez, and good-bye as well."

"What are you saying, Mara?"

"Is your understanding of the English language at fault, Tajarez? I said good-bye. In Lagonda it is
hagama.
In any language, it means, I am leaving."

He looked at her through veiled lashes. "I would not try to leave just yet, Mara. I have not finished speaking with you."

"Oh? I thought you ordered me from your tent." Without another word, she turned to leave.

Tajarez reached out and grabbed her by the shoulders, turning her to face him. "I say when you stay, and I say when you leave. For the moment, I wish you to stay."

Mara struggled, trying to break the grip he had on her.

"You are wasting your strength, Mara."

Tears of frustration came to her eyes. "Release me. I no longer wish to be near you."

"Tears will not move me, Mara. A Lagonda maiden would never let a man see her cry."

"I am not a Lagonda, Tajarez, and it makes little difference to me what you think of me."

His eyes softened. "Does it not, Mara? Would it not mean anything to you if I told you no woman means anything to me, save yourself?" His hands began to slide down her back in a soft caress, and he drew her into his arms. It flashed through his mind that he would not want Mara to be other than what she was. All his life women had bowed to his slightest whim, but she was different. He would never be quite sure how she would react to any situation, and even while he had been angry with her, he had admired her spirit and courage. He trembled, imagining what it would be like when he made love to her. His body told him it would be different with her than it had been with any other. He wondered what had caused her to react so strongly to Tanka. Did she really think he would lie with Tanka while she was almost within his reach? He had no desire for Tanka, or any other woman but Mara, and at the moment her soft body was driving him wild.

Mara stood stiffly in his arms. His caressing hands were moving down her back, causing her breath to quicken. She closed her eyes. She would not allow his caresses to make her forget the reason she was here. Raising her chin, she looked into his face. The soft look in his eyes caused her heart to miss a beat.

"Mara, I now know it was a mistake to allow Tanka to accompany me. I will not lie to you. In the past I have been intimate with Tanka, but I could not be intimate with her any longer."

"Was she with you last night?"

He smiled slightly. "No, nor has she been with me, in the way you mean, for many weeks."

It hurt Mara deep inside to think of Tajarez holding Tanka in his arms, but she believed him when he said he would not be with her any longer.

"Mara, if it is your wish, I will have Tanka ride with the advance party that sets up the camps. That way you will not have to see her."

"No, that will not be necessary. I will leave you now."

"Not yet, Mara." His hand slid up her back to rest on her hair. "How could any man want anyone else when you will soon belong to him? My desire for you is great. It is second only to the love I feel for you."

Mara caught her breath as his lips descended. She tried not to let the feel of his lips wipe out her anger, but it was no use. She felt his hands glide down to her waist, and she knew he had won.

She felt herself being lifted into his arms. He carried her across the tent and laid her down on his fur robe. Mara looked up at him, feeling uneasy. He was dressed only in his breechcloth. His body rippled with muscles. She watched as he removed his leather and gold headband, tossing it aside. She saw him remove his golden armband, and it, too, was tossed aside.

She watched, mesmerized, as he lowered his body to the robe beside her. Kneeling over her, he picked up her hand and stripped off her leather glove, then he repeated the process with the other hand.

His eyes rested on her lips. "I will show you why you have nothing to fear from Tanka or any other woman." His hand went to the front of her riding habit, and he began unfastening the buttons.

Tajarez only intended to show her how much he desired her. He did not mean to let his feelings get out of hand. But as his hand brushed against her smooth breasts, fire ignited inside his body. Looking into her green eyes, he saw an answering fire.

"Do you feel as I do, Mara? Does your body ache with a wish for fulfillment, fulfillment that only I can give to you, and you to me?"

Mara was unable to answer as his lips crushed hers. She dug her fingers into the fur robe, trying to hold on to her sanity. Tanka was all but forgotten. Her body tingled as his hand slid over her naked breasts.

"I want you, I need you," he moaned against her lips. "For so long I have wanted to possess your body. It is not you who are a chattel to me, but I who am a slave to you."

Mara lifted her arms, and placing them about him, ran her fingers over his smooth back, loving the raw strength of the muscles she felt beneath her fingertips.

"I would give you all you ask," she cried as his lips traveled down her neck, scorching a path to her exposed breasts.

Neither had heard Palomas enter.

"I want to absorb your body into mine, Mara," Tajarez whispered passionately.

They both jumped apart as Palomas spoke.

"I have come for the Golden One, my prince."

"Leave me, Palomas," Tajarez said, staring into Mara's eyes.

Mara's face was flushed. She watched Palomas turn his back to them. Fumbling with the buttons of her riding habit, she found her fingers were shaking too badly to complete the task.

"I have come for the Golden One," Palomas repeated with authority.

Tajarez pushed Mara's hands aside and began buttoning her gown.

"An ingenious invention the white man has in the buttons, Mara. I became acquainted with them only recently." His voice sounded cold and detached.

"I am waiting, my prince," Palomas said.

"Then wait!" Tajarez commanded. His eyes rested on Mara's lips. "You can see now, Mara, why it is unwise for you to come to me unless I send for you. I have very little control over myself where you are concerned. We are fortunate Palomas came when he did."