Kate's Outlaw (Steam! Romance and Rails) by E.E. Burke Read Free Book Online Page B

safe.”
    She twisted out of his arms. Using the dainty handkerchief, she wiped her face and blew her nose. Her skirts were stained with dirt and grass, and her jacket sleeve torn from some bramble or branch they'd scraped past. He wished he could buy her new clothes to replace the ones he'd ruined, but the best he could do was borrow something clean for her to wear once they'd reached their destination.
    With a sniff, she drew up straight as a soldier. "Is Charley coming after us, or were you just using that as an excuse to gain my trust, so you could…"
    So he could what? Toss up her skirts? Did she really believe that's why he'd been driving his horse for nearly the whole day? He sighed and shook his head. "Will it make you feel better if I assure you he’s coming after us?"
    "No."
    “Then I won’t.” He drew the reins over the horse's head. "Let's go, Redbird."
    Her eyes flashed. "Don’t call me that. Don't ever call me that again."
    She had a point. He had no right to name her. 
    "What should I call you?" He laced his fingers and she placed her foot in his hands, grasping the saddle horn as he hoisted her up.
    "You haven't seen fit to give me your name, so I shan't give you mine."
    Again, she had a point. If he wanted to learn her secret, he'd have to offer one in exchange.
    He mounted behind her, taking care to give her as much space as he could. "Call me Jake."
    "Jake," she repeated in a soft voice that sent shivers down his spine. What would it be like to hear her whisper his name in the throes of passion? "Is that short for Jacob?"
    "Yes," he said through his teeth. He hoped for once she wouldn't sit back because he couldn't hide the affect she had on him, even if he somehow managed to mask how deeply she'd touched his heart.
    "I'm Kate."
    Not Mrs. Stevens or Miss Whatever…just Kate. This told him nothing. There were hundreds of women with that name. Of course, there were quite a few men named Jake, too. He hadn't told her his full name and wouldn't. Why make it easier for her to send him to the gallows?
    She gripped the saddle horn, looking painfully uncomfortable as she held herself erect. He hardened his heart. He wasn’t about to let her sit on his lap. Not after that near disaster. What if she’d gotten his gun? Scared as she was, she might’ve ended up shooting both of them.
    The shadows had lengthened by the time they reached the valley that cradled the familiar farm. At some point, Kate had tired and her head bobbed, as if she were dozing. Giving in, Jake cradled her against him. Her scent stirred up images of pale limbs and rose-tipped breasts.
    He jerked his nose out of her hair, holding her just enough to keep her from falling off the horse. He had to remember Kate belonged to the railroad man, and thus, was his enemy.
    Only, she didn’t feel like an enemy when she was in his arms.
    As soon as he reached the house, he’d leave Redbird in the care of his aunt so he could set off after Charley and figure out a way to return her peacefully. Once she was out of his life for good, these uncomfortable feelings would go away.
     

 
    Chapter 4
     
     
     
     
     
     
    “The white woman cannot stay.” Jake’s aunt propped her hands on her hips. The top of her head didn’t even reach his shoulder, but she managed to convey more authority than a war chief. She leveled a disapproving look, the kind he’d rarely gotten in all the years he’d spent in her home. “You bring shame on our family by taking her from her people. Don’t make it worse by keeping her.”
    “I’m not keeping her, e-tlo-g ." Jake paced the floor of the one-room cabin, trying not to walk too heavily on the planks. After arriving last night and finding the house deserted, he’d sent Kate up to the loft to sleep. She had to be exhausted. He was. He’d curled up at the foot of the stairs so he could guard her and what little sleep he’d gotten hadn’t been enough. He had to convince his aunt to keep her or he'd never get a