marry?" Maleaha asked between clenched teeth.
He looked at her with a serious expression on his face. "I must be honest with you so you cannot say later that I did not make our relationship clear. I believe in total honesty." He paused, wondering how to answer her. "You and I come from two different worlds, darling. You would never fit into my world and I am sure you realize that I would not fit into yours. But there is no reason why we cannot be lovers."
"You are saying because I am part Indian that you would never marry me?"
"Partly. I suppose if I am going to be completely honest with you, I must tell you I would never marry someone who has shared her favors with half the territory of New Mexico, if I am to believe what I have observed about you to be correct."
Maleaha's anger sparked higher, but the Indian in her remained calm, knowing she would soon set him in his place. What did he mean? She had never shared her favors with other men! Why could he not realize that he was the first man she had ever kissed? She felt his hand move up her arm and wanted to push it away, but not yet, not yet.
"Suppose there should be a child from our . . . relationship?" she asked, knowing what his answer would be before he voiced it. With each passing moment she seemed to die a little more inside.
Kane's voice took on a hard tone, and he gripped her arm firmly. "I have not thought that far ahead, but obviously you have. Don't think you could ever trap me into marriage by having my child, for I assure you, I will never marry you."
Maleaha sat up slowly, "It surprises me that you would think I would want to be your mistress, major. As for the nice house and the silk gowns, I would much prefer my buckskin dress to all the white ladies' trappings. What would an Indian such as I want with such finery?"
"I will not share you with anyone else. You can dress as you please, but you will tell all other men that you are mine exclusively," he said, completely misunderstanding her meaning.
Maleaha stood up to her full height and looked down at him, "You will never have any part of me, major." She ran her hands through her tousled hair, thinking how close she had come to giving herself to this hateful man. The newfound love she had felt for him moments before began to die a slow death, replaced with loathing and contempt.
He jumped to his feet and stood over her with an ominous glint in his eyes. "You little tart. Damn you for the slut you are. You teased me until I am half out of my mind wanting you, and now you think you can just walk away."
"Hobble away would be more accurate, major," she told him as she turned away from him angrily.
Kane grabbed her by the shoulders and drew her into his arms, Maleaha tried to pull away from him as his lips crushed hers with a punishing force. She moved her head from side to side, but his hand went up to hold her face immobile. She bit his lip, hoping to gain her freedom.
"Damn! You uncivilized little wildcat," he said, raising his head and wiping his own blood from his mouth with one hand, while he restrained her with the other. Maleaha saw the passion that blazed in his silver eyes and feared what he might do.
"Re . . . release me," she said in a trembling voice.
"And if I refuse?" he asked as his grip tightened on her, pulling her into his arms once more.
"Reconsider, major," she said as she slipped the knife from where she kept it about her waist and pressed the point of it against his back.
In one quick motion he spun her around, grabbing the hand that held the knife and taking it from her with very little effort.
"Never draw a knife on me again, Miss Deveraux, unless you are prepared to use it. In the future it might be well for you to consider that. A simple 'no' would have sufficed."
"You left me little choice," she said, rubbing her sore wrist and wishing for the moment that she had plunged the knife into him when she had the chance.
Kane shoved her away from him
He looked at her with a serious expression on his face. "I must be honest with you so you cannot say later that I did not make our relationship clear. I believe in total honesty." He paused, wondering how to answer her. "You and I come from two different worlds, darling. You would never fit into my world and I am sure you realize that I would not fit into yours. But there is no reason why we cannot be lovers."
"You are saying because I am part Indian that you would never marry me?"
"Partly. I suppose if I am going to be completely honest with you, I must tell you I would never marry someone who has shared her favors with half the territory of New Mexico, if I am to believe what I have observed about you to be correct."
Maleaha's anger sparked higher, but the Indian in her remained calm, knowing she would soon set him in his place. What did he mean? She had never shared her favors with other men! Why could he not realize that he was the first man she had ever kissed? She felt his hand move up her arm and wanted to push it away, but not yet, not yet.
"Suppose there should be a child from our . . . relationship?" she asked, knowing what his answer would be before he voiced it. With each passing moment she seemed to die a little more inside.
Kane's voice took on a hard tone, and he gripped her arm firmly. "I have not thought that far ahead, but obviously you have. Don't think you could ever trap me into marriage by having my child, for I assure you, I will never marry you."
Maleaha sat up slowly, "It surprises me that you would think I would want to be your mistress, major. As for the nice house and the silk gowns, I would much prefer my buckskin dress to all the white ladies' trappings. What would an Indian such as I want with such finery?"
"I will not share you with anyone else. You can dress as you please, but you will tell all other men that you are mine exclusively," he said, completely misunderstanding her meaning.
Maleaha stood up to her full height and looked down at him, "You will never have any part of me, major." She ran her hands through her tousled hair, thinking how close she had come to giving herself to this hateful man. The newfound love she had felt for him moments before began to die a slow death, replaced with loathing and contempt.
He jumped to his feet and stood over her with an ominous glint in his eyes. "You little tart. Damn you for the slut you are. You teased me until I am half out of my mind wanting you, and now you think you can just walk away."
"Hobble away would be more accurate, major," she told him as she turned away from him angrily.
Kane grabbed her by the shoulders and drew her into his arms, Maleaha tried to pull away from him as his lips crushed hers with a punishing force. She moved her head from side to side, but his hand went up to hold her face immobile. She bit his lip, hoping to gain her freedom.
"Damn! You uncivilized little wildcat," he said, raising his head and wiping his own blood from his mouth with one hand, while he restrained her with the other. Maleaha saw the passion that blazed in his silver eyes and feared what he might do.
"Re . . . release me," she said in a trembling voice.
"And if I refuse?" he asked as his grip tightened on her, pulling her into his arms once more.
"Reconsider, major," she said as she slipped the knife from where she kept it about her waist and pressed the point of it against his back.
In one quick motion he spun her around, grabbing the hand that held the knife and taking it from her with very little effort.
"Never draw a knife on me again, Miss Deveraux, unless you are prepared to use it. In the future it might be well for you to consider that. A simple 'no' would have sufficed."
"You left me little choice," she said, rubbing her sore wrist and wishing for the moment that she had plunged the knife into him when she had the chance.
Kane shoved her away from him
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