Angelia blew out a short breath and drew her mouth into a frown instead of a smile. “Oh, please. Couldn’t you tell him what he’s doing?”
Swift Hawk merely chuckled. “He must learn this for himself. My friend and I have tried to instruct your brother on the proper way to backtrack and conceal one’s tracks, but your brother does not always believe we know better than his book.”
Angelia shook her head. “And so you’re going to just sit here and let my brother waste his time?”
“It is not time wasted. He will learn from this.There is no other way that will teach him as rapidly as letting him make his own mistakes and discover his own errors.”
“But that could take so much time, and I’m not sure we have that much.”
“Time for what?”
“Swift Hawk, surely you remember from our first conversation that someoneislooking for us. There is a bounty posted for our arrest. We have been followed from town to town, to the point that we have been forced to take this drive into Santa Fe. But I fear that we have lost precious time. We had to wait so long at Fort Leavenworth and?—”
“There is no one following you or your brother. If there were, I would know it. Do not worry. If someone should come for you, I am here.”
“Yes, but what will I do when you leave?”
Swift Hawk looked over at her and winked. “And now you insult me.”
“Insult you? I am only pointing out that when you leave?—”
“Why would I leave?”
“Eventually, our paths will separate.”
“When one of us dies, that will happen, but not until then, my wife.”
Inwardly, she groaned. This was not going to be easy, but now was the time. She had Swift Hawk alone. No one would overhear. Shehadto tell him. Now.
“There you go again. See here, Mr. Hawk, I realize that we shared a few moments together. But I am not your wife. And I…” Her words trailed away.
He looked at her. That’s all he did. There they were, sitting face-to-face, grass all around them, and he stared at her, his gaze softening as he admired her. It was as if he could see through her defenses, through her layers to the very depth of her soul. Angelia sucked in her breath, the words, the things she knew she must say, leaving her mind as though these symbols, like water, would evaporate in the dry prairie air.
But shehadto tell him.
She opened her mouth, glanced over at him, and that’s when she realized, really realized how very intimately they were seated. Without warning, her stomach twisted, while a fire ignited within her. Her pulse, which was already beating double time, accelerated more. Her breasts strained against her chemise, and the good Lord be praised, she swayed her hips in closer to him.
She could barely think.
He grinned down at her. “Do you see how it is with us?” hewhispered, as he reached out to her and brought her head in toward him. “If I were to touch you like this…” he trailed his fingers to the pulse at her neck, “…I would be able to make love to you here and now.” He slipped his arm around her waist, pulling her hips in toward him.
Angelia opened her lips to sayno, but alas, the imprint of his arousal against her stomach made her feel as though she might crumple, and instead of uttering a thing, she let him kiss her.
It was a sweet kiss, for all that they strained against one another. His lips were moist against her own, his touch gentle yet invigorating, and she was swept up in the wonder of him. When she breathed, she breathed in his musky scent, and when she opened her eyes, his handsome face swam before her. She thought her heart might surely exhaust itself before they were finally finished.
Her mind cleared of everything, and she forgot to think. At this moment, there was no trouble with the caravan, no Vigilance Committee, no bounty, nothing but him and his kiss. Despite herself, she surrendered.
His tongue delved into her mouth over and over, and his arms held her tightly, but at last, they both came up for air.
“I fear that we have little time,” he whispered, his lips moving against hers. “Soon your people will awaken from their nap, and you will be missed. We should stop this now, for we have not yet made our announcement to them.”
“Yes,” she agreed, though she did not pull away from him, and his arms remained tightly wrapped around her. But then, she frowned. “What announcement?”
He grinned at her. “The announcement that tells your people that we are married. When this is done, then and only then may I openly show your people that you are mine.”
Angelia gulped. Meanwhile all the reasons she wasnotsupposed to be doing this flooded back to her. Had she delayed too long?
Well, there was no time like the present, and inhaling deeply, she pulled back from him, though his arms were still wrapped around her. Her glance was not on him, either, but rather was centered on the dirt at her knees, when she said, “Swift Hawk, there will be no announcement, I’m afraid. If I were to say what you suggest, there will be much trouble.”
