The Outlaws: Rafe by Connie Mason Read Free Book Online Page B

Undaunted, he pushed the blanket aside, pulled down her chemise, and pressed his warm mouth to her breast.
    "Rafe!   You promised."
    "I want you, Angel.   I want to make love to you."
    "No.   I...can't.   I don't know you.   When you leave I'll never see you again.   It's best we both forget our...unusual marriage and get on with our lives.   Please don't do this to me.   Someday I hope to marry a man who loves me."
    His gunmetal eyes were shuttered as his arms fell away.   There were small lines etched at the corners of his eyes and mouth and his skin was pulled taut over his cheekbones.   A muscle worked in his jaw.   Angela tensed, sensing his anger, then she relaxed when she felt the last dregs of tension draining from his body.   She rose shakily from his lap, eyeing him warily, relieved when he made no move to stop her.   With lethal grace, he pushed to his feet.   Before he left the cramped confines of the wagon, he paused and smoothed his rough palm along her cheek.
    His voice held a note of tenderness that startled her.   "I hope you find that man, Angel."
    She heard him moving around outside, hitching the horses to the wagon, and she busied herself with setting the wagon to rights.   She moved slowly.   Her body felt sluggish, as if the blood had thickened in her veins.   Her first taste of passion had left her undeniably wanting, though she had no idea what she wanted.   But she was willing to bet that Rafe Gentry knew precisely what she craved, and was eager to give it to her.
     
    They bypassed Pueblo that day and embarked on the last leg of their journey that would take them to Canyon City.   The foothills gave way to craggy mountains interspersed with deep canyons.   They followed a rocky trail that had been cut through the wilderness, surrounded by thickly forested hillsides.   As the day wore on Angela realized they would have to camp yet another night on the trail.   And that worried her.
    "What are your plans once we reach Canyon City, Rafe?" Angela asked, disrupting the charged silence that hung between them.
    Rafe shrugged.   "Keep riding, I suppose.   It's a big world out there.   I've seen all of the South and East during the war that I care to see.   Thought I'd explore the West for a while.   At least until it's time to meet my brothers in Denver next year."
    "You have brothers?"
    "Two.   Jess and Sam."
    "What about your parents?"
    "Pa took a fatal bullet early in the war.   Ma died three years ago.   There's no one else."
    "What are your brothers like?   I've always regretted that I had no brothers or sisters."
    "My brothers are good men.   Jess is a doctor."
    "Where are they now?"
    Rafe wished he knew.   "You ask too many questions.   Shall we look for a campsite?   We can pull beneath that ledge up yonder.   I don't see any water nearby but our canteens are full and the water barrel still has some water in it."
    "Are you sure we can't make it to Canyon City before dark?"
    "I'd rather err on the safe side."
    A wolf howled and Angela sidled closer to Rafe.   "Was that a wolf?"
    "These mountains are full of wild animals.   Wolves, bears, panthers, mountain lions, to name a few."
    He felt her shiver and marveled once again at her innocence.   She'd had no idea what she was getting herself into when she left Wichita.
    "Better stick close to the wagon tonight.   Those wolves sound hungry.   I'll keep a fire going to scare them away."
    "I'm not afraid.   I lived here until I was ten years old and don't ever recall not feeling safe.   I love the mountains.   I dreamed of returning one day.   Only I expected my father to be alive when I returned."
    "With any luck we'll be in Canyon City tomorrow," Rafe said.   "How did your father die?"
    "I was told it was an accident.   But I don't believe it.   His last letter hinted that something unforeseen might happen to him, and if it did, he said his partner wasn't to be trusted."
    "You think your father's death wasn't