Rainbows and Rapture by Rebecca Paisley Read Free Book Online Page A

beauty. In a most enticing way, it molded around her full, firm breasts and hugged her tiny waist. And though her hat was shoddy, it adorned the most luxurious hair Santiago could ever remember a woman having. It looked like streams of golden honey pouring all down her body. Even in the dim stable it shone, and for the first time since meeting her, Santiago noticed it wasn’t pure blond. Shots of red glimmered through it, as if it were made of fire.
    “I done give you one o’ them saturations, Zamora,” Russia said, unnerved by his blatant scrutiny.
    He realized he’d been admiring her and chastised himself for giving the twit more attention than she deserved. “You gave me a what?”
    “A saturation. You know—a greetin’. I said ‘Mornin’ ‘ to you.”
    “The word,” he gritted out, “is salutation .”
    She lifted her chin a bit. “Well, excuse my ignorance, but brains ain’t ever’thing, y’know.”
    “In your case, they’re nothing. Now, what is the last town you visited?”
    Sweatin’ sows and dirty bathwater! she thought. The man was sure riled this morning. “The last town? Why do y’want to know that?”
    How dare she question him! he fumed. “Unless you know of a better way to find Avery, we’re going to backtrack to all the towns you’ve been in. We should catch him in one of them. At the very least, we might learn when and where he was last seen. Now what is the last town you—”
    “Indian Rock. No, that weren’t it. It was Gray Rock. Sharp Rock. Hard Rock. Um… It was Somethin’ Rock.”
    Santa Maria , Santiago thought. Dawn had barely broken, and she’d already succeeded in irritating him. He didn’t even want to think about what condition he’d be in by tonight. Instead, he tried to remember names of towns. “Was it Spring Rock?”
    “No.”
    “Ford’s Rock? Glory Rock?”
    “Yes!”
    “Glory Rock?”
    “No, Rock Springs!”
    Rock Springs, Santiago mused. The tiny town was a two-day ride west, but with Russia following along, it would probably take much longer. He hoped she had a fast horse. “Get ready to go. We leave in ten minutes.”
    “I’ll—I’ll get your mount, Mr. Zamora!” the stableboy yelled, rushing to the stall where Santiago’s horse was secured.
    “I’ll do it myself,” Santiago said, his statement bringing the boy to a dead halt. Seeing the lad’s fear, he reached out and tousled his hair, and was dismayed when the boy’s knees began knocking together. Turning away from the child, he led his horse, a sleek mustang stallion black as his master’s hair, out of the stall.
    Russia stared in fascination as he hauled a huge black saddle off a hay bale. She knew the tack was very heavy, yet he lifted it as if it weighed no more than one of her silk stockings. When he finished saddling and bridling his horse, she watched him mount with motions so fluid and easy, the saddle barely creaked as he settled himself upon it.
    Lord, the man was big. Seated on his horse, the top of his hat seemed to be a whole mile above her. “You look like some kinda powerful god way up there. What’s it feel like to be that high up?”
    He glanced down at her, suddenly seeing the ring gleaming between her breasts. “Take the ring off. I never want to see it again.”
    At his withering glare, her stomach tightened into a hard knot. And his voice…it sounded like weapons. Like guns and swords. Knives and cannons and anything else that could be used to kill.
    “Mount,” he instructed her. Placing the flat of his palm on his horse’s shoulder, he pressed gently. The stallion responded to the tender command and began walking out of the stable. As he rode out, Santiago glanced at the two saddled horses tied to the door handle of the feed room, wondering which one was Russia’s.
    Russia closed her hand around the ring. How dare the man give her orders concerning what she could and couldn’t wear on her own body! Her defiant side shouted for her not only to continue