Sweet Silken Bondage by Bobbi Smith Read Free Book Online

torment enough." She stood up and
linked her arms around his neck. "Pretty though she is,
it would take more than that little chit to worry me,
Nathan. She's too young and innocent to know how to
please a man like you. What we have is quite special."
    "Indeed," Nathan agreed as he bent to kiss her
pouting lips.
    As his mouth moved hungrily over hers, a wild
animal passion exploded within Lilly. They had been
apart for several days while he'd been out at the Alvarez ranch, and she'd missed him tremendously. She
was a very sensual woman, and she always eagerly
anticipated the time they had together. Nathan was,
without a doubt, the most ardent lover she'd ever taken to her bed, and she could hardly wait to be with him
again. Moving sinuously, erotically against him, Lilly
enticed him to forget everything but the lusty pleasure
she could give him. When Nathan groaned at her
brazenness, she drew away.

    I've had enough talking for the night..." she told
him in a sultry voice, leading the way to the privacy of
her bedroom.
    "So have I," he agreed, following Lilly from the
room. Having never been a man to stay with one
woman for long, he supposed the reason he'd never
tired of her during their year together was because they
were so much alike. She was a woman who knew what
she wanted in life and took it. Her boldness pleased
him and he wanted her, yet as he closed the bedroom
door behind them, he could not put thoughts of Reina
from his mind.

     

Rafael Casita's expression was shocked when Luis
finished explaining his situation. "I don't believe it!
Reina has run away rather than marry the American?"
    "Yes, but once I find her and bring her back, shell
change her mind. Reina will marry Marlow, mark my
words," Luis snarled in angry frustration as he faced
Rafael across the desk in his law office. The silverhaired, heavy-set attorney had been his friend for many
years, and it was to him. that Luis now turned for
counsel.
    Rafael gave a slow, disbelieving shake of his head as
he studied his old friend. New, deep lines of worry were
etched into his dark, handsome face, and there was
exhaustion and a touch of fear haunting his eyes. "This
doesn't sound like Reina at all."
    "I know," Luis said bitterly. "She has never defied me
in her life. Why should she choose to do so now, when
what I've asked of her is so vitally important?"
    "You say your men have searched everywhere?" he
digressed.
    "Everywhere," Luis confirmed. "That's why I'm here.
I came to double check myself. But they were right.
There's no trace of Reina to be found"
    "What are you going to do next?"
    "I don't know," he responded tightly. "You know my
problem. I must make this alliance with Marlow if I am to have any hope of keeping the rancho intact."

    "We could always fight the challenge to your ownership of Rancho Alvarez in court," Rafael suggested,
hating to see his friend backed into a corner this way.
    "There's no point to it," Luis despaired. "I've seen my
friends mortgage everything they own to prove the
validity of their land grants and deeds in the American
courts, only to lose anyway and end up in poverty."
    "I see your point." The attorney agreed reluctantly.
He knew well the unfair workings of the new American
judicial system. The general feeling among the gringos
ever since they had started trying to take over the state
was that it was unfair for so much land to be owned by
only a few dirty Mexicans. The newcomers had begun
challenging the ownership of many of the various
ranches, forcing the Californios to prove their claims,
even though the land may have been in their families for
many generations. Very few had been able to win their
cases. Many had lost just about everything.
    "There's no use in beggaring myself to fight a losing
battle. That's why I've worked out this arrangement
with Marlow. With a rich, powerful Yankee for a sonin-law, my holdings will be safe." Luis's expression grew
thunderous