Mail-order Bridegroom Part 14

"Not a chance. I had him dead to rights and he knew it." His mouth brushed

her cheek, her jaw, her lips.

"It's over. Lean. He's gone."

She melted against him, needing his touch more desperately than she'd ever

needed anything before in her life. As though sensing it, he kissed her.But it wasn't like the pa.s.sionate embrace they'd shared earlier. This caress was so gentle and tender that it nearly broke her heart.

"He frightens me. Hunter," she confessed in a low voice.He glanced at the thin cloud of dust disappearing to the south."Tell me about him." It was an order.She fought to gather her thoughts enough to give him a coherent answer."I've told you most of it. Although I can't prove anything, I suspect he's responsible for our fence- lines being cut. We've had a couple of suspiciousstampedes and one or two of the wells have been fouled." She shrugged."That sort of thing."

"He's the reason this place is so neglected." It wasn't a question."You don't ride out here alone, do you? That's why you haven't seen theproblems until now."

She bowed her head.

"I don't let the others come either," she admitted.

"Unless they're in a group. I've been terrified of something happening."

"Have you reported any of this to Lyon Enterprises?"

She flashed him a bitter glare.

"Who do you think he's getting his instructions from?"

"Do you know that for a fact?"

She whirled free of his arms, anger replacing her fear.

"I.

don't know anything for a fact. If I did. Bull Jones would be in jail and I'd have a nice, fat lawsuit pending against Lyon Enterprises.You married me to get your hands on this ranch, didn't you? If you want tokeep it, you're going to have to defend it. Otherwise we both lose. "

Hunter bent down and retrieved his hat."Mount up."She stared in disbelief."Now? Just like that? End of discussion?""I want to check the south pasture before dark.""That's the direction Bull took. What if we run into him again?" she asked nervously.

The brim of his hat threw Hunter's face into shadow, making his expression unreadable.

"Then I'll make a point of introducing myself."

She clung to him, checking his move toward his horse. "Please, Hunter.

Can't we go home? We can check the south pasture tomorrow.There's no point in looking for trouble. "A humorless smile cut across his face."You've got it backward. Seems trouble has come looking for us." For a minute she thought he'd insist they explore the south pasture. But at long

last he nodded.

"Okay. I've seen enough. But tomorrow I ride south." And with that she had to be satisfied.

In the study. Hunter lifted the phone receiver and stared at it for a longminute before punching in a series of numbers. After several clicks the call was connected.

"Kevin Anderson."

"It's Hunter. Give me an update." He listened to the lengthy recitationwith a frown and jotted down a few notes.

"Okay. Don't do" anything for now. We don't want to tip our hand. The rest can wait until I come in. "

"Any problems at your end?" Kevin asked.

"You might say that." Hunter poured himself a shot of whiskey, and downed itin a single swallow."I had another run-in with Bull Jones."Alarm sounded in Kevin's voice."Does he know who you are yet?""Not yet. Our marriage has been kept pretty much under wraps. Not a lot of people know. But Jones could be a problem once he finds out--depending onhow much talking he decides to do.""What do you want me to do?""Send me his file. Overnight it.""Will do. Then what? You want him... out of the picture?"

Hunter thought about it, rubbing a weary hand across the back of his neck.

"No. Don't do anything for now. We act too soon and it'll give the whole game away."

"Whatever you say. You're the boss.""Thanks, Kevin."Hanging up. Hunter poured a final shot of whiskey and stared at the ceiling.

Time to bed down with his beautiful bride. Time to pull that soft, sweetpiece of feminine delight into his arms and. sleep. He downed the liquor,praying that it would numb him--at least the parts in dire need of numbing.Patience. He only needed a little more patience. And then that soft, sweetpiece of feminine delight would be all his.

CHAPTER SIX.

leah slipped from Hunter's arms at the crack of dawn the next morning. This time she kept yesterday's warning firmly in mind, and dressed before going tothe kitchen for an apple. Running to the south pasture fence, she whistledfor her stallion. But instead of the horse all she found was a white-tailed deer and a family of jackrabbits who, startled by her sudden appearance,burst across the gra.s.sland and disappeared from view. She climbed on to the top rail and waited for a while, but Dreamseeker proved surprisingly elusive.

Concluding that she'd been stood up in favor of a patch of fresh clover, shebit into the apple. Then she watched as the sun gathered strength, spreadingits warm April rays across a nearby field splattered with the vivid purple ofbluebonnets and neon-orange of Indian paintbrush. Without question this hadto be her favorite time of the day as well as her favorite season of the year.

A twig snapped behind her.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" she asked in a conversational tone of voice.

"Yes." Hunter folded his arms across the top rail and glanced at her.

"No accusations of sneaking up on you this morning?"

"You banged the kitchen door."

"And stomped across the yard."

A tiny grin touched her mouth.

"I almost turned around to look, but you were being so considerate that I,didn't want to spoil it."

"I appreciate your restraint," he said, with a touch of wry humor.

"Your horse hasn't shown up yet?"

She frowned, tossing her apple core into the meadow. "He didn't answer my

whistle. But if we're exploring the south pasture we're bound to come acrosshim. Ready to go?" She vaulted off the fence, wanting to get Hunter'sinspection tour over and done with. Perhaps if they made an early startthey'd avoid Bull Jones.

"No. I'm not ready." He caught her arm, tugging her to a standstill."Not quite yet.""Why?" she asked in apprehension."Is there something wrong?""You might say that." His hold lightened, though he didn't release her."You were gone again this morning."She bridled at the hint of censure in his voice. She'd agreed to sleep with him without too much argument; surely he didn't intend to choose which hours that would encompa.s.s.

If so, he'd soon learn differently.

"Is that a problem?"

"Yes. I don't like it. Tomorrow you start the day in my arms."

She eased from his grip and a took a quick step back, something in his expression filling her with a discomfiting awareness.

"What difference does it make if I'm there or not?" she asked.Her question seemed to amuse him."If you wake me tomorrow, you'll learn the difference."She didn't doubt it for a minute. But that didn't mean she'd go along."I'll consider it," she conceded."But I like having mornings to myself.""You'll have other times to yourself," he informed her. "I want time alone with you. All marriages need privacy... intimacy."

Understanding dawned and she fought to breathe normally. So the moment oftruth had finally arrived. If she read his request correctly, tomorrowmorning she'd fulfill her duties as his wife and make their marriage a real,fully functioning union--no matter how much she wanted to resist. No matterhow much that final act alarmed her. That was what she'd committed herselfto when they'd exchanged their vows, and that was what she'd soon have toface. If only the thought didn't fill her with dread--dread that she'dcouldn't keep a small part of herself safe from his possession; dread thatwhen he took her body he'd take her heart as well.

"All right," she said at last.

"Mornings can be our time."

He inclined his head.

"We'll discuss the afternoons and evenings later."

"Hunter--' " Time to get to work. " He cut her off, amus.e.m.e.nt gleaming in

his dark eyes."Are there any more of those m.u.f.fins we had yesterday?""Plenty," she admitted grudgingly."Inez left us well- stocked. I'll go get them.""And a Thermos of coffee, if you would. I'll saddle the horses."Fifteen minutes later they rode out, heading south along the fence-line.

Hunter's buckskin seemed particularly agitated, fighting the bit and shyingat the least little movement. Not that he had any trouble controlling theanimal, but Leah could tell that their battle of wills wasn't the norm. Asthough in response, her mare fidgeted as well.

"Is it something in the air?" she asked uneasily.

"Ladyfinger never acts up like this."

"Something has them spooked," he agreed.

"Have your men noticed any sign of cougar recently?"

"None." She felt a sudden stabbing concern for Dreamseeker.

"It wasn't that hard a winter. There's no reason for one to come this close when the pickings are so easy further out." But she knew her protests weremore to convince herself than to convince him.

"Don't panic. I didn't say it was a cougar. I just thought we shouldconsider the possibility." He regarded her intently.

"I want you to stay alert, you got me? In the meantime, we have fence-lineto inspect. So, let's get to it."

They didn't converse much after that. Leah kept an eye open for anything outof the ordinary. And, though the animals remained skittish, she couldn'tdetermine what caused their strange behavior.

A short time later Hunter stopped to examine a drooping length of barbed wire.

"This next section abuts Lyon Enterprises' property, doesn't it?" he asked,clearly annoyed with the condition of the fence.

"From here onward," she confirmed.

"You're just asking for trouble, letting it fall into such a state ofdisrepair. One good shove and you'll have a week's worth of work combingCircle P hills for your herd. It gets top priority come Monday morning."

"What about Bull Jones?" she asked uneasily.

A muscle tightened in his jaw.

"You let me worry about him. I don't expect it'll take long to reach anunderstanding."

By noon they'd almost mushed their inspection. Riding over a low hill, theysuddenly discovered the reason for their horses' agitation. The fence between the two ranches lay on the ground. And down a steep grade, on Lyonproperty, grazed Dreamseeker. with the Circle P mare he'd corralled.

Hunter reined to a stop and shot Lean a sharp look.

"He's a stallion?

That horse you were with yesterday morning? "